The “ Toaru Majutsu
no Index ( A Certain Magical Index )”
franchise celebrated the arrival of 2024 with its usual New Year's
illustration starring Index on this occasion. In fact, 2024 marks the
20th anniversary of the franchise, something that surprised fans because it has
been “off” in recent years.
“Toaru Majutsu no Index” is set in a world where
supernatural abilities are a reality. Individuals who possess special
powers acquired through science are called “Espers.” Those Espers who acquire
their abilities without the aid of special scientific instruments, whether at
birth or otherwise, are called "Gemstones." Others, known as
“Sorcerers,” gain their powers by mastering the power of magic, either by
gaining knowledge of different mythologies or using mystical artifacts,
although the existence of sorcerers is a secret to the public. While Sorcerers
align themselves with different beliefs, Espers align themselves with
scientific institutions. This leads to a power struggle between the magic and
science factions for control of the world.
The story is set in Academy City, a technologically advanced
independent city-state located west of Tokyo, Japan, known for its educational
and research institutions. Toma Kamijo is a student from Academy City
whose right-hand power, called Imagine Breaker, can nullify any supernatural
power, but also his luck, much to his chagrin. One day, Toma meets a
young English woman named Index, a nun of Necessarius, a secret magical branch
of the Church of England, whose mind had been implanted with the Index Librorum
Prohibitorum – 103,000 forbidden magical books that the Church stored in secret
places. His meeting with her leads him to meet other people from the secret
worlds of science and magic. Toma's unusual power places him at the
center of the conflicts between the Sorcerers and Espers of Academy City, who
planned to unravel the secrets hidden behind Academy City, the Index, and
Toma's special power.
As exciting as it sounds, the franchise has had a total
of three seasons of an anime adaptation totaling 74 episodes. The
first season was released in Fall-2008, the second in Fall-2010 and the third
in Fall-2018. All being produced by JCSTAFF , they adapted
all twenty-two volumes of the original light novels.
Unfortunately, this is just the first part of the story
completed in 2010. It turns out that another twenty-three volumes of a sequel
titled “ Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index ( A Certain
Magical Index: New Testament )” follow , completed in 2019; and
then another sequel titled “ Souyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index ( A
Certain Magical Index: Genesis Testament )”, which as of 2020 adds
another nine volumes. It is precisely for this reason that fans continue to
wait for news of a continuation of the franchise, since although some spin-offs
have been adapted, the main franchise has not returned to television
for five years.
Will this new year mark the return of the franchise? Japanese
fans debated about it:
- " Happy
new year! Please make the New Testament anime now! ».
- « If
it's the 20th anniversary of the franchise, please already produce a new
sequel for the anime, an art book or something special .»
- « Please
make the New Testament anime and stop procrastinating this production,
damn it! ».
- « Twentieth
anniversary! The first time I read these light novels I was wondering if
they would end soon, and boy was I wrong .
- « It's
the twentieth anniversary, finally! I hope to see something new from the
anime franchise very soon .
- « Is
it the twentieth anniversary? Congratulations! Please continue producing
the anime adaptation! ».
- « Kamachi-sensei's
twentieth anniversary. The series already has 59 volumes, and if we
include the spin-offs, the figure rises to more than 120 volumes. Isn't it
amazing? ».
- " Happy
new year! I'm really looking forward to the anime adaptation of New
Testament! ».
- « Twentieth
anniversary? Congratulations! I hope that the anime adaptation of New
Testament will be made very soon .
- « This
is the light novel franchise that led me to ruin, but I don't regret a
thing .»
Source: Otakomu
