One of the
longest-lived and most beloved works in the universe of Ciudad Academia is
about to say goodbye. The publisher Kadokawa confirmed on February 25 that the
manga A Certain Scientific Railgun will publish its last
chapter in the May 2026 issue of the Monthly Comic Dengeki Daioh magazine.
This announcement closes an uninterrupted cycle of 19 years of publication that began in April 2007. Japanese readers were already expecting this news, as the April issue of the magazine had included a message at the end of the chapter warning: "Next time, finally end!"
A
Certain Scientific Railgun Details
Born as a
parallel story to the successful light novels of A Certain Magical
Index (written by Kazuma Kamachi), this manga adaptation
features art by Motoi Fuyukawa. The plot places us in Academy City,
a metropolis full of students with special abilities, to follow the day-to-day
life of Mikoto Misaka.
Known for
their level 5 ability to manipulate electricity and shoot coins at supersonic
speeds, Mikoto and her friends are dedicated to solving mysteries and taking on
criminals while dealing with the entanglements of their school life. The work
always stood out for mixing combats full of scientific ingenuity with very
funny moments of life retellings.
The
legacy in anime and what's next
Although
the printed manga comes to an end and at the moment there are no official plans
for new sequels or spin-offs on paper, the franchise is far
from disappearing. Much of its global success is due to its animated
adaptations. Its first three seasons (released in 2009, 2013 and 2020)
catapulted this spin-off to gigantic levels of popularity, even rivaling the
main series on a par with the main series.
In fact,
fans have a lot to look forward to in the short term, as the production of a
fourth season of the anime was officially announced last year. So, although we
close this long and iconic chapter in the manga, Mikoto Misaka's adventures on
television will continue their course.
