Toaru Majutsu no Index Movie: Miracle of Endymion

The Toaru Majutsu no Index Movie: Miracle of Endymion (劇場版 とある魔術の禁書目録 エンデュミオンの奇蹟) is a theatrical film based on the popular Toaru Majutsu no Index franchise released on February 23, 2013. It is centered around a terrible threat against the once peaceful Academy City that could lead to its destruction.

Academy City's space elevator Endymion. One day as its completion nears, Kamijou and Index meet a Level 0 girl named Meigo Arisa. Index and Arisa have a mysterious connection in their ravenous appetites. While the three are enjoying their time after school, Stiyl (who has brought in some other magicians) suddenly attacks. His target is Arisa. Why is a member of the science side like her being targeted by the magic side? With the attack form the magic side underway, Academy City deploys a unit meant to maintain order led by its female leader Shutaura. As the situation developing around Kamijou, Index, and Arisa grows more and more confused, Stiyl says, "That girl could likely cause a war between the magic side and the science side."

When science and magic cross paths, the story begins with Endymion as its stage!

Announcement and Promotion
Originally announced on October 2, 2011 during the Dengeki Bunko Autumn Festival, curiously on the same day as the announcement of the release of the 3rd light novel volume of Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index. Accompanying this announcement is the revamp of the official Toaru Majutsu no Index project site for the anime, as well as an announcement that further news will be released on the release of the Dengeki Bunko Magazine on October 11. However, leaks of the magazine later reveal only small information regarding the movie, which states that the once peaceful Academy City is under the threat of destruction.

It was later announced on June 7, 2012 that the movie has been delayed to be released on February 2013, along with a confirmed cast list and staff for the movie's production. Furthermore, the plot summary, as well as new characters have been released with designs from Haimura Kiyotaka. Tickets for the movie was released on July 14, with first buyers receiving Toaru Majutsu no Index merchandise.

A nearly two minute long preview was later shown in the Summer on August 2012, which featured scenes of the new characters, and new mechs, as well as Stiyl Magnus fighting witches, Kuroko stilll in her wheelchair (indicating this is after Tree Diagram Remnant Arc), as well as the appearance of Accelerator.

Sidestories
Dengeki Daioh magazine has revealed that PSP game Toaru Majutsu to Kagaku no Ensemble is the lead in to the story of the movie, though details are unknown as to how. Later, it was revealed that the videogame's story occurs before the Daihasei Festival Arc, and seeing that Kuroko still has her wheelchair, this implies that the story occurs between September 15 and 19. In an interview with Hiroyuki Yoshino (Movie Screenwriter) and Nakayama Nobuhiro (Anime Producer) revealed that the movie was originally planned as a festival that was set in some kind of parallel world, before being incorporated into the canon. It is later revealed that Kamachi has written a new 220 page light novel illustrated by Haimura from Dengeki Bunko, and that 103,000 copies will be distributed to the first attendees in theaters playing the Toaru Majutsu no Index Movie, called Toaru Majutsu no Index: Road to Endymion. Moreover, a manga version of the movie was released on March 2013 issue of Monthly Shōnen Gangan on February 12, the same magazine that runs the Toaru Majutsu no Index Manga, and will be illustrated by Ryousuke Asakura. On February 20, 2013, brochures for the money was released, containing a sidestory written by Kamachi known as Toaru Majutsu no Index Movie: Miracle of Endymion Story Underlay.

Music
On February 6, 2013, the image song for the movie, Shining Star-☆-LOVE Letter, is released. Then on February 20, 2013, Sachika Misawa's Polaris mini album is released, containing the song telepath ~Hikari no Tou~, the song Meigo Arisa sings on Endymion. Moreover, Mami Kawada's FIXED STAR single is released, containing the ending theme for the movie.

Box-office performance
The movie opened with 30 screens nationwide, and 69,117 viewers. Within the first two days of its premiere, the movie garnered a box-office revenue of about 100,760,000 yen, making it the third-highest selling movie during the weekend.

Starting from March 2 to March 8, special screenings of the movie will include the PV of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S as well as will be included in 30 theaters, including the OP of the new season by fripside, sister's noise.

After a week, the movie accumulated over 200 million yen, and has remained 7th place at the box-offce. Beginning on March 9, on the third week of the movie's screening, the movie will be screened in an additional 7 theaters. In addition to this, the digital master frames from the movie will be distributed to those who will see the movie in its third week. After 16 days, the box-office profit of the movie has exceeded 300 million yen. After 28 days and at least 80 theaters, the film has gained at least 400 million yen. The film has now topped 490 million yen in the box office on Saturday. Extra screenings have been added to 11 Korona Cinema theaters beginning on Saturday. To celebrate the milestone, Korona will distribute exclusive B2-size posters to filmgoers while supplies last.

Home media
The Blu-ray and DVD format of Miracle of Endymion was released on August 28, 2013. The special editions have a bonus disc with a making-of video and bonus anime, Toaru Majutsu no Index-tan: Miracle of Endymion Movie Edition. Kiyotaka Haimura will be drawing the art for the special editions' boxes, a 64-page booklet, a miniature replica of the dialogue recording script, and a reproduction film. Both the regular and special editions will have audio commentaries. The bonus disc will also have footage from the auditions and a roundtable discussion with the cast.

The movie replaced the scheduled airing 18th episode of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S on August 9 with a special premiere of the first 22 minutes of the movie. The episode instead will air on August 16. It also has a digest video on television and online simulcast providers, likely to promote the Blu-ray and DVD release of the movie.

The Blu-ray release for the special edition of the movie debuted at the top of the Blu-ray charts, and after five days, sold 35, 938 copies. Meanwhile, the DVD release of the special edition sold after five days, 8,383 copies, while the regular edition sold 1,902 copies.

Soundtrack
The special edition of the Blu-ray and DVD releases will have the soundtrack bundled with it. The soundtrack contains 29 tracks of music, both original as well as songs already existing from previous Index and Railgun original soundtracks. The soundtrack contains OVER, the duet between Shuatura and Meigo Arisa found in the movie, with the Arisa solo version found in the polaris album.

Reception
Debi, the author of the Trigger Happy End blog, commented on how the movie has deeply moved him emotionally. The movie had at least 103,000 attendants, along with him, he was able to obtain the Toaru Majutsu no Index: Road to Endymion light novel. By 8:00 in the morning, the pamphlet that contained the Toaru Majutsu no Index Movie: Miracle of Endymion Story Underlay was sold out, but was later available again for sale, allowing him to obtain his copy.

In the Western hemisphere, the movie received a warm reception, with Myanimelist an average of 7.8 on their ratings. However, the movie is often compared to the Macross Frontier: Itsuwari no Utahime film for its usage of several conventions, namely singing in space.

Impact on the Toaru Majutsu no Index animated universe
The movie retcons several scenes from the Toaru Majutsu no Index anime to somehow fit the obvious elevator in the timeline. Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S would later insert the elevator into scenes where they were supposed to appear as shown in the movie.

The movie is the first Toaru Majutsu no Index-related content to be mastered in a higher vertical resolution other than the standard 576p the studio has done for all animated content of the franchise. This allowed for a much more crisper and vivid animation. Moreover, though the animated universe is not alien to the use of CG graphics, the movie is the first one to use it en masse in crowd scenes, instead of people who are drawn as a crowd but do not move, as seen in the Daihasei Festival Arc in Toaru Majutsu no Index II. All these changes would later be incorporated in Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S.

Synopsis
The Orion bracelet was left alone in the height of that tower, was made whole once again. Touma sees who picks it up, it is Shutaura who is naked but is unashamed, though Arisa is no where to be found, it seems Touma has a guess where she has gone to. Seeing her, Touma assures to her that the entire world has heard her song. There, Shutaura smiles while being bathed in the light and as Touma once again falls into unconcsiousness.

In the world after the Miracle, in St. George's Cathedral, Laura Stuart has a little conference with Aleister, the General Superintendent of Academy City, asking him of the true nature of Meigo Arisa and Shutaura Sequenzia. Here, Aleister relates to her his hypothesis on how Shutaura's wish during the Orion incident distorting her perception and coincided with everyone's else's wishes, thereby creating a strong enough distortion to create a power to interfere with the laws of causality. That power split a girl into two and changed the fates of many. To which Laura adds as her own hypothesis that the distortion caused by their rejoining caused yet another miracle. In the end, he notes on how Ladylee Tangleroad made an interesting experiment, but notes on how it must be misfortune that keeps her alive, as he watches on a screen of a blanke-eyed Ladylee with many wires sticking on her.

Touma and Index are once again out in the town visiting places that they have visited with Arisa. Index tries to ask if Arisa wasn't real, to which Touma denies, saying that Arisa didn't disappear when he touched her with his right hand, as such she wasn't an illusion. Touma refers to Arisa as someone who loves music, someone who love making people happy with her music, someone who is just a normal girl. Index agrees, but then she and Touma stop looking towards the horizon where Endymion once stood high and mighty. There, Index asks if heard something, to which Touma says he did and the look upon that clear blue sky once again.

Major events

 * Endymion can no longer be seen in Academy City.
 * The celebrity known as Meigo Arisa disappears as she merges back with Shutaura Sequenzia.
 * Ladylee Tangleroad the immortal, is taken by Academy City for study.

Characters

 * Kamijou Touma
 * Index
 * Misaka Mikoto
 * Saten Ruiko
 * Shirai Kuroko
 * Uiharu Kazari
 * Stiyl Magnus
 * Kanzaki Kaori
 * Tsuchimikado Motoharu
 * Aogami Pierce
 * Himegami Aisa
 * Fukiyose Seiri
 * Tsukuyomi Komoe
 * Kongou Mitsuko
 * Wannai Kinuho
 * Awatsuki Maaya
 * Heaven Canceller
 * Misaka 10032
 * Misaka 10039
 * Misaka 13577
 * Misaka 19090
 * Yomikawa Aiho
 * Last Order
 * Accelerator
 * Laura Stuart
 * Aleister Crowley

New Characters

 * Meigo Arisa
 * Shutaura Sequenzia
 * Ladylee Tangleroad
 * Marie Spearhead
 * Mallybath Blackball
 * Jane Elves
 * Daedalus Sequenzia
 * Crow 7

Abilities

 * Imagine Breaker - Kamijou Touma, level 0
 * Teleport - Shirai Kuroko, level 4
 * Electromaster (Railgun-variant) - Misaka Mikoto, level 5
 * Railgun (special move)
 * Spell Intercept - Index
 * Rune magic - Stiyl Magnus
 * Fire magic - Stiyl Magnus
 * Nanasen - Kanzaki Kaori
 * Innocentius - Stiyl Magnus
 * Radio Noise - Sisters and Last Order
 * Yuisen - Kanzaki Kaori
 * Accelerator (ability) - Accelerator, level 5

New Abilities

 * Water Magic - Marie Spearhead
 * Earth Magic - Mallybath Blackball
 * Wind Magic - Jane Elves
 * Miracles - Meigo Arisa
 * Earth Palette - Shutaura Sequenzia, level 4
 * Automaton (Male) - Ladylee Tangleroad
 * Unnamed world destroying spell - Ladylee Tangleroad

Locations

 * Academy City
 * School District 7
 * Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant
 * Kamijou Residence
 * A Certain Highschool
 * School District 23
 * St. George's Cathedral
 * Windowless Building

New Locations

 * Endymion

Trivia

 * Touma does not sit on the seat beside the window in this film.
 * Despite seeing Saten Ruiko in the stage, Touma will have no recollection of her in their eventual meeting in the Daihaseisai in Railgun chapter 58

Cultural References

 * Index references the, which Stiyl later echoes regarding large architectural structures, equating it with the.
 * The obelisk that commemorates the Miracle 88 has a quote from . The full quote is: "Time heals griefs and quarrels, for we change and are no longer the same persons. Neither the offender nor the offended are any more themselves."
 * Ladylee compares Arisa to, a 19th century opera singer. Her queer reference foreshadows her longevity.
 * The car used by Stiyl and his disciples resemble a, presumably a red Bel Air 4-Door Hardtop.
 * Stiyl references that Ladylee once was a Greek.

Animation Trivia

 * The film uses for the first time computer generated models for people moving in the background, as is nearly all of Arisa's performances that requrie complex movements.
 * Scenes from episode 24 of the first series, episode 1 of the second series, and the 1st opening of the second series are reused in a flashback sequence and featuring the Endymion space elevator slapped in the background.
 * Shutaura's first appearance has her body, with the camera facing from behind her, rendered entirely in CG.
 * After Touma stands up after catching Arisa from falling after Shutaura blows up the stage, his right hand disappears.

Unanswered Questions

 * What happened to Shutaura after merging with Arisa?
 * How did Touma, Index, Shutaura, and Ladylee escape the Endymion?
 * Where's the Endymion?
 * Where is Ladylee being kept?
 * What did Touma and Index hear after looking towards the horizon?

Interviews

 * Tokyo Anime News Exclusive Interview with Nishikiori Hiroshi
 * Dengeki PlayStation Interview with Kamachi Kazuma