Magical Powered Kanamin

Magical Powered Kanamin, the title character.

Magical Powered Kanamin (超機動少女（マジカルパワード）カナミン, Chō Kidō Shōjo (Majikaru Pawādo) Kanamin ^?, lit. "Super Mobile Girl Kanamin") 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 (魔女狩（アルビジヨワり）十字軍, Albigensian Crusade^?) who are after her. Index surmised that she carries around a plastic replica of the Lotus Wand (Agnese Sanctis' weapon of choice) even though Kanamin'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.

Rumor has it that the original voice actress for Kanamin is no longer able to reproduce the original voice.

Chronology

Toaru Majutsu no Index

Three Stories Arc

Main article: Three Stories Arc

Magical Powered Kanamin being aired on television.

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

Main article: Kazakiri Hyouka Arc

Aisa and her magical stick

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

Main article: Academy City Invasion Arc

Vasilisa pointed out Kanamin's existence, adding that she obtained a Kanamin outfit just for Sasha's personal use.

Acqua of the Back Arc

Main article: Acqua of the Back Arc

While Itsuwa is cooking, Index references the existence of the show Magical Powered Kanamin Integral (超機動少女（マジカルパワード）カナミンインテグラル, Chō Kidō Shōjo Kanamin Integuraru^?). this is probably either a sequel or a spin off from the original Magical Powered Kanamin show, however details about the series weren't disclosed as Kamijou Touma gave Index other tasks, preventing her from watching the show.

Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index

One of the girls in the Kamisato Faction, Sawai Olivia, cosplays as the original Kanamin, making use of science and magic to recreate her gimmicks and mimicking her voice, which the original voice actress was rumored to no longer be able to reproduce.

Souyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index

New Year's Eve Arc

Main article: New Year's Eve Arc

According to BLAU, stuff relating to Magical Powered Kanamin was happening in Ariake on New Year's Eve - information which the 'eyepatch ghost' recalled when initially witnessing Aradia's actions in Shibuya, which she mistook for a PR stunt, on December 31st. While escaping from Aradia with the Bologna Succubus, Kamijou Touma referenced Kanamin with regards to waving wands and flying associated with witches, though the Succubus responded by stating how ointments were responsible for a witch's flight rather than broomsticks and how they tended not to use wands due to their symbolism.

That night, while moonbathing in a temporary botanical garden, Aradia picked up a free pamphlet for an ad campaign featuring Kanamin for free flower seeds, for growing more greenery and combatting global warming. Looking at it prompted a laugh from Aradia, not because it was laughable to her, but because of the thought that in what she thought it taught people (to love deep forests and assist those close to them), an Academy City entertainment product, made for small children and an ad campaign with claims that had little scientific basis behind them, ironically hit much closer to the essence of a witch than the historical texts written to criticize witches that based beliefs on gathered documents on ancient parchment.

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun

Poltergeist Arc

Main article: Poltergeist Arc

As Uiharu is 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

Main article: 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 banged the TV and luckily Magical Powered Kanamin came back on. What he didn't know was that Mikoto enabled the TV back on.

Toaru Anbu no Item

Dark Justice Arc

Main article: Dark Justice Arc

When Item visited Moe Bells on August 29th, one year before the main story, a cosplay shop employee was seen dressed as Kanamin.

Other Appearances

Side Stories

Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index SS

Main article: 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.

Video Game Appearances

Toaru Majutsu no Index (PSP game)

Main article: 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.

Character Art Designs

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.

Gallery

Character design of Magical Powered Kanamin for Volume 5

Design of Kazakiri Hyouka as Magical Powered Kanamin's rival for Volume 6

Index and Kazakiri cosplay in vol. 6 of the novel

Index and Kazakiri's cosplay, in Index manga volume 7

Index and Kazakiri's cosplay in Toaru Majutsu no Index: Imaginary Fest

Sasha posing as Kanamin, PSP game

Sawai Olivia cosplaying as Kanamin

Trivia

• Magical Powered Kanamin is an obvious parody of the Magical Girl sub-genre of anime and manga.
• If one looks carefully at Aogami 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.
• Kanamin is voiced in Japanese by Iguchi Yuka who also voices Index and in English by Michelle Lee who also voices Hokaze Junko.