Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S Episode 04

"Sisters" (妹達(シスターズ)) is the 4th episode of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S anime series, and the 28th episode of the anime series adaptation of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga series. It was first broadcast on May 03, 2013.

Mikoto has discovered, after much snooping about in a laboratory, that the plan to produce clones of her has been stopped. Seeing that her DNA Map has not been exploited, a serene feeling flows into Mikoto, and decides to go out shopping with Saten and Uiharu.

The girls become more eager as the day of the "large-scale field trip" draws near, Kuroko as a consequence, pulls Mikoto around who is in the height of tension. Uiharu's friends seem a little puzzled as their hearts beat faster at the sight of cute things. Five friends spend their time happily together, focusing on Mikoto who shows an unexpected talent. Passing by in the blink of an eye, the first day of summer vacation.

Behind the scenes of the vast landscape of Academy City, a certain experiment was in progress quietly.

Synopsis
Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko wait for Saten Ruiko, Uiharu Kazari, and Haruue Erii at a certain vending machine. Kuroko suspects that Mikoto is a fake so she decides to test out her theory by briefly describing what her underwear looks likes;only to get shocked by Mikoto.Saten and company arrive just in time and they start talking about the metropolitian society observation. Coincedently Saten, Uiharu, and Haruue are going to be going in the same group as Kuroko and Mikoto.

Soon enough, everyone goes to Seventh Mist to buy some cooking utensils for Uiharu and Haruue. Apparently Haruue and Uiharu have been eating too much so they need a new rie cooker. Mikoto points out an "impressive" rice cooker, but it's a little too expensive, so Mikoto asked one of the store's workers to bring the price down a bit and they agreed. They go to the cookie cutters section were Mikoto finds a cute bear cookie cutter and states that they'll be too cute to eat them if she used the cutter. They head down to the swimsuits department were Haruue looks for a swimsuit she likes. Harue says she can't decide so Mikoto helps her, but all she shows Haruue are childish swimsuits. Saten, Uiharu, and Kuroko notice that Mikoto seems quite lively today.

Afterwards they get coffee and hang out outside of the Seventh Mist were Saten brings up the topic of were she saw someone that looked liked Mikoto yesterday.Uiharu then brings up a rumor she heard from Konori about people wanting to clone a Level 5. Mikoto then imagines what would she do if she ever met her own clone. They all walk home and talk about how the first day of summer vacation zoomed past them.

A new day starts in Academy city as Mikoto eats her breakfast near noon time. Mikoto telles Tsuchimikado Maika  about how she has nothing to do today since Kuroko and Uiharu have judgement work and Saten said she's busy too. Later Mikoto reads the last chapter of a manga at Green Mart. Soon she finds out that it's almost 3:20 PM.

She appears later on a park bench were she states that she is relly bored.She's then surounded by kids one of them being A certain bag girl. The kids tell her to play with them since she's so bored and she agrees. A certain grade schooler thinks that she's a little ahead of herself when she called herself "big sis". Mikoto explains to him that he's got to learn to respect his elders with a game of kick the can.

The bag girl tells Mikoto that Nao is an electromaster just like Mikoto.Nao demonstrates that he can only make a small spark. The bag girl asks Mikoto if Nao and her could talk with electricity but Mikoto explains that it would be nearly impossible to know where he is let alone talk to him. She gives them an example that if they were at the sea she could probably talk to Nao since there aren't any electrical interferences with them. If they were in a place with a lot of electrical interferences, like the city, it would be impossible to know where he is.

A little girl takes off her jacket at the park since it's so warm. Mikoto notices a Gekota pin on her shirt and asks were she found it. She telles Mikoto that she got it from a capsule vendor. Mikoto takes the kids to that Capsule vendor because she wants one for herself. Since it's analog she didn't use her power to cheat. A couple of pins came out, but none of them were Gekota pins. Mikoto was almost out of change so she asked a certain grade schooler to go trade some money for change.It turns out that there weren't any Gekota pins left in that vendor. The girl offers her badge to Mikoto since she's so desperate in getting one, but gets interrupted by the bag girl telling Mikoto that there's another capsule vendor in front of the station.

Mikoto finally gets a Gekota pin, but then questions herself why she got it in the first place. Obviously she couldn't wear it on her clothes, but maybe she could put it on her bag. The kids then take the extra pins with them when a certain bag girl gets a text telling her that she needs to go home.

Mikoto takes them to the bus stop, but on the way there she senses something. After she gets the kids on the bus she felt as if her own power was being directed at herself. She goes back to the spot in which she sensed it and sees someone that looks exactly like her. A clone.

Major events

 * Misaka Mikoto meets a clone, Misaka 9982, for the first time and confirms her worst fears.
 * At the very end of the episode, after the ending sequence,  Misaka 9982 is asked by the researchers to clean a blood-stained room full of dead clones who had fought in a test experiment against each other.
 * Accelerator is shown in the next episode preview and we see footage from the battle scene between Misaka 9982 and Accelerator in the next episode preview as well.

Adapted From

 * Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 020
 * Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 021

Characters

 * Misaka Mikoto
 * Shirai Kuroko
 * Uiharu Kazari
 * Saten Ruiko
 * Haruue Erii
 * Konori Mii(referenced)
 * Tsuchimikado Maika
 * Hazamaya Kana

New Characters

 * Misaka 9982
 * Kusakabe Yumi
 * Amami Eika
 * Nao

Locations

 * Academy City
 * School District 7
 * A Certain Vending Machine
 * Seventh Mist
 * Tokiwadai Dormitory
 * Green Mart

New locations

 * Arts and Sciences City (referenced)

Abilities

 * Electromaster - Misaka Mikoto, Level 5.
 * Electromaster - Nao

New Abilities
No new abilities were introduced during the episode.

Trivia

 * The "Large-scale field trip" is once again referenced during this episode.
 * Level Upper and the brainwave network is referenced during this episode.

Referbacks

 * The conversation regarding Kazari and Erii requiring a new rice cooker from the previous episode, is expanded upon during this episode.
 * Kazari references the rumors of clones of a Level 5 that Konori Mii talked to her about back in episode 2.

Cultural References

 * Dengeki Daioh, the magazine where the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga is featured is in this episode. The last time this occurred was on episode 4 of the first season. The magazine featured is from the August 2012 issue released on June 2012. The cover features Akatsuki Kojou from Strike the Blood fame, an advertisement of a Kuroyukihime, from Accel World fame, figure, and prominently featured on the cover is Chigira Chiaki of the spin-off series of Accel World, Accel World / Dural: Magisa Garden. The back cover features advertisements for cards of Yu-gi-oh fame.
 * Vessels where they drink in front to Seven Mist is a reference to Starbucks but bear the image of Gekota called Beard Frog (in spite of the fact that the frog is only mustachioed).

Animation Trivia

 * Despite two seasons of Toaru Majutsu no Index the eyes of Misaka 9982 are different from the eyes of the clones that appeared in previous adaptations.

Unanswered Questions

 * What was Mikoto's answer to Kuroko's question on what she'll do if she had clones?
 * Tree Diagram predicted that the Sisters cannot reach Level 5, then what is the use of the clones now?