Magical Powered Kanamin



Magical Powered Kanamin (超機動少女カナミン) is an anime which airs in Academy City, dealing with the adventures of a young girl with magic powers on the run from the Roman Catholic Church witch hunters. Index is a big fan of it.

Etymology
Magical Powered Kanamin's name is a pun based off Mobile Suit Gundam's kanji (機動戦士ガンダム), which literally means "Mobile Warrior Gundam". Her name has furigana for the Magical Powered part, but the kanji is 超機動少女カナミン or "Super Mobile Girl Kanamin".

Background
According to Index's review of the show, Magical Powered Kanamin disguises herself as a student to avert the attention of the Roman Catholic Church Albigensian Crusade witch hunters who are after her. Index surmised that she carries around a plastic replica of the Lotus Wand (Agnese Sanctis' weapon of choice) even though Kanami's staff is actually different in nature. Kanamin has a yet to be named antagonist who wears a very revealing black attire, who later joins the protagonist midway through the series.

The anime and the main lead is quite famous in Academy City. In the School District 7 Underground Shopping Center, a customer can cosplay her costume. She is also featured in magazines as well as posters.

Three Stories Arc


During the 31st of August, Index gets to watch Magical Powered Kanamin on Touma's television while he does his homework, though she is later interrupted by Touma who ask her to turn down the volume of the television.

In the Toaru Majutsu no Index anime adaptation, Index is seen watching the show twice in the same day, once with Touma trying to escape Etzali, and then later the above scene with Touma struggling with his homework.

Kazakiri Hyouka Arc
During a visit to the Underground Mall, Index gets to cosplay as Magical Powered Kanamin along side with Hyouka who cosplays as Kanamin's rival. They later decide to take pictures together in a picture booth, however, they are soon interrupted by Touma's misfortune, as he accidentally sees them changing.

At the end of the arc, Aogami is reading a magazine which features Kanamin, and tells Himegami that she should mimic the pose, a request which Aisa complies.

Academy City Invasion Arc
Vassilisa pointed out Kanamin's existence, adding that she obtained a Kanamin outfit just for Sasha's personal use.

Acqua of the Back Arc
While Itsuwa is cooking Index references the existence of the show Magical Powered Kanamin Integral (超起動少女カナミンインテグラル), this is probably either a sequel or a spin off from the original Magical Kanamin show, however details about the series weren't disclosed as Kamijou Touma gave Index other tasks, preventing her from watching the show.

Poltergeist Arc
As they show Uiharu wiping Haruue's face at one of the night stalls, Saten appears to be holding a prize with the title character of Magical Powered Kanamin.

Sisters Arc
When Mikoto goes to infiltrate the Higuchi Pharmacology Laboratory 7, one of the security workers were watching Magical Powered Kanamin on a portable tv. Mikoto disabled all the machines using electricity which resulted in Magical Powered Kanamin to lose connection.The security worker bangned the tv and luckily Magical Powered Kanamin came back on. What he didn't know was that Mikoto enabled on back the tv.

Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index SS
When Index is being attacked by Leep, reference is made to an earlier conversation between her and Touma regarding Kanamin back at the dorm. Index had remarked how Kanamin was on top form but mentioned how she couldn't stand how the number of decorations on her waist were sometimes going up and down, leading Touma to wonder if she might be memorizing and examining all thirty frames of animation each second.

Toaru Majutsu no Index (PSP game)
The Magical Powered Kanamin costume is an available alternate costume for Misha Kreutzev, likely referencing Vasilisa's once trying to dress Sasha up with the costume.

Design evolution
Magical Powered Kanamin's design is retained throughout all her appearances. Her coloring is apparently based off a Gundam. Being introduced in the Dengeki hp short story, Haimura was forced to change her size in order to fit in with the light novel illustrations.

Trivia

 * Magical Powered Kanamin is an obvious parody of the Magical Girl sub-genre of anime and manga.
 * If one looks carefully at Aoagami Pierce's magazine near the end of the 24th episode of the Toaru Majutsu no Index anime adaptation, one can see pictures of Magical Powered Kanamin as well as her rival, to which the latter apparently has shoulder-length red hair.