Kongou Mitsuko

Kongou Mitsuko (婚后 光子) is a minor character that appears in the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun side-stories. Being a Tokiwadai Student and Level 4 Esper, her pride often result in her getting involved in unfortunate situations which however overshadows her obviously strong abilities. In the novels, she first appeared in volume 8, but her character design was never shown until the anime aired.

Appearance
Her most distinguishing feature is her prominent forehead which is flanked by two fringes of her black hair which is rather long and kept neatly. Mitsuko has an attractive and well endowed figure, which she proudly flaunts and shows off in revealing swimware when she is able to. She almost always appears carrying around her fan.

Personality
She is proud of herself most of the time despite being newly transferred and possesses traits of a real ojou-sama, unlike Misaka Mikoto who is the complete opposite, because of this personality she is often at odds with Shirai Kuroko. She often embellishes the truth for her own convenience and will try to stretch the truth until she can no longer keep up the facade, this was shown in episode 13 of the Railgun anime where she lies to her friends that she can cook curry wherein fact she didn't know how. Despite this she is an honorable and decent girl looks out for her friends, is kind to children, and is willing to help people in need, this is displayed in episode 23 of the Railgun anime where she helps Mikoto after she was defeated by Therestina. She comes to her self-proclaimed rival/friend's aid a second time in episode 24 and fought by her rival Kuroko's side to buy Mikoto time to help Professor Kiyama save her students. During this battle, she and Kuroko come to grudgingly respect each other as warriors.

She also tends to warn her opponents by reminding them who she is and is confident of her own abilities. It is also worth noting that just like Kuroko, Mitsuko is very frank about her sexuality and loves to flaunt and show off her well-proportioned body; though in her case its justified by her part-time career as a swimware model.

Background
Much of her past is unknown though it is revealed that she lead a life of luxury and was surrounded by doting servants when she was younger. Eventually she came into Academy City and enrolled into its curriculum in another school before being transferred into Tokiwadai Academy as a second-year student just before the start of the series and have ambitions of becoming its ace, apparently unaware of the existence of Misaka Mikoto. She is currently residing in the Tokiwadai's dormitory located within the School Garden.

Chronology (Toaru Kagaku no Railgun)
Mitsuko debuts on the very first episode of the anime, where she is seen boasting of her abilities to Shirai telling her that she will become Tokiwadai's ace. She is however falls to the ground after a powerful shockwave is emitted from the pool, here Shirai points to Mitsuko that it was the power of the true Ace of Tokiwadai, Misaka Mikoto.

Level Upper Arc

 * Main article: Level Upper Arc

Mitsuko is later attacked (or rather drawn on) by Juufuku Miho in her quest for vengeance against the students of Tokiwadai, later in the episode Mitsuko testifies to Anti-Skill Tessou Tsuzuri that she did not see the suspect even though she can be seen walking besides her, she tells this while holding up her fan to cover her forehead (as thick eyebrows were drawn on her).

Mitsuko plays a prominent role in the 13th episode of the anime, wear she wears a quite daring swimsuit and a boa constrictor for a photo shoot along with many of the females of the anime. Throughout the entire photshoot, Mitsuko acted quite seductively even in ridiculous environments. She later teams up with Wannai Kinuho and Awatsuki Maaya to cook curry, both of which were admirers of her. Because of this she lied to them that she can create an amazing curry to them. After much consideration and cooking mishaps, she swallows her pride, confesses to them that she is unable to cook curry. Both Kinuho and Maaya accepted this and they ask for help from the others. Mikoto gladly helps them, which makes Mitsuko admire her and 'allows' her to be friends with her.

Big Spider Arc

 * Main article: Big Spider Arc

She is later seen getting attacked by a Skill-outs faction known as Big Spider which uses Capacity Down to disable her, but is saved by Kurozuma Wataru. She later gives her testimony on her attack to Uiharu Kazari.

Poltergeist Arc

 * Main article: Poltergeist Arc

During Tokiwadai Dormitory's Midsummer Festival, Mitsuko dresses in her own variety of a maid outfit(as the festival demanded the Tokiwadai students act like servants to the guest), a purely-British made-to-order, true orthodox style (as she claim, but too sad to say, she misunderstood knowledge as usual, it's tailored as some kind of dress arranged Japanese miko costume). Shirai tricks her to act like a real maid and fetch her and company drinks, which Mitsuko gleefully accepts much to Kinuho and Maaya's embarrassment. Here it is revealed that Mitsuko lives in the Tokiwadai Dormitory in the School Garden.

During the height of the Poltergeist Incidents going around the city, Mitsuko becomes a victim and becomes hospitalized and was kept for obeservation in the MAR Base Research Laboratory. Later when Mikoto is defeated by Therestina Kihara Lifeline and is about to be taken away, Mitsuko uses her abilities offscreen to aid her. She later becomes part of the effort to rescue of the comatose Child Error students of Kiyama Harumi, and aids Shirai in defeating the MAR units and attempt to prove to each other which ability is better.

After the incident Mitsuko boasts to Kinuho and Maaya how she single-handedly stopped the Poltergeist Incidents much to their amazement.

Three Stories Arc
Only shown in the railgun manga version of the arc, Kongou will bump into Misaka Mikoto while she is being "courted" by Unabara Mitsuki, Mikoto will secretly disclose that she needs an excuse to escape from Unabara's persistent advances and thus asks help from Kongou. Initially Kongou was a little overwhelmed that someone with from such high status as Misaka would addressed her so casually as a friend, but as they spent the day together she came to realize that Misaka has an easy going and cheerful personality that easily opens up to people and is well loved in return not only by Tokiwadai's students but by people in general.

Tree Diagram Remnant Arc

 * Main article: Tree Diagram Remnant Arc

She formally introduced in this arc, though only as a minor character. Mitsuko shows up boasting that herself will reach Level 5 before Kuroko, and then asks Kuroko whether she wants to start a faction with her in an attempt to gather political power within the school. Kuroko declined since if Mitsuko could actually create a faction of notable power the other factions would have crushed her already to prevent that happening. Then Mikoto's testing at the pool with her railgun ends up being heard where Kuroko and Mitsuko are, and Kuroko remarks if Mitsuko is only gathering members to further her own goals she better have the resolve to take on Tokiwadai's Railgun head on.

Daihasei Festival Arc

 * Main article: Daihasei Festival Arc

She briefly appears in the anime adaptation, being part of the team that will go against Minamizawa Middle School team in the ball-tossing competition. Here, she is seen with her fan and laughs and then insults the opposing team.

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun OVA

 * Main article:Toaru Kagaku no Railgun OVA 01

Mitsuko is first mentioned when Kuroko notices Mitsuko's trademark demeanor in one of the message boards on the internet, where victims of the Someone's Watching You urban legends congregate. She later appears in person, along with Kinuho and Maaya, where she is interrogated by Kazari and Kuroko, and is frightened on how they knew she posted on that particular image board. Here, she states that she was simply posting for help her two follower's swimming club senior member (Mitsuko didn't know her), an electromaster who also experienced the urban legends. But she got no information from that message board at all.

Abilities
Her ability is Aero Hand (空力使い), which was shown during the final episode of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun anime, when Mitsuko touches an object a powerful gust of wind will form in the area where Mitsuko touched it allowing the object to be propeled, the object may in turn be considered a projectile.

Trivia

 * Episode 13 of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun anime introduced Ekatrina, Kongou Mitsuko's female Boa constrictor. While Mitsuko was in her red swimsuit she wore Ekatrina as sort of a feather boa replacement. This may be a reference to the pirate empress Boa Hancock of One Piece fame, as she and Mitsuko share similar features.
 * In animated Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, her important role for series is appeared as each incident's visualized first victim, for story breaking scene. This is weaving in Railgun anime series as some kind of story format parts, something like reflaining comedy sketch.