To Aru Kagaku no Railgun - Anime-Only Q & A

[Nayrael]

then my question is why Mikoto does not use the coin to attack Touma in the Index series?

Because her goal is not to kill him, just beat him.

[Clarste]

It was mentioned even in the Index anime that she's pretty afraid of killing people with her power and never goes all-out.

[SoldierOfDarkness]

Going through the image thread something just occurred to me.

How old is the cast?

14-16?

[Shinji103]

Originally Posted by SoldierOfDarkness

Going through the image thread something just occurred to me.

How old is the cast?

14-16?

Something like that; I'm not entirely sure about the year/level system in Japanese schools, but I believe that first year high school is age 15, so Touma, being that, would be 15 by that system, Mikoto 13, Kuroko 12, and so on. (then again, these ages sound a bit low.... )

[MeisterBabylon]

Yeah... Kuroko... 12... [DOES NOT COMPUTE]

[Shinji103]

Well we know that Touma is a 1st-year high schooler, Mikoto is 2nd year middle, and Kuroko being one grade lower than Mikoto is 1st year. So whatever ages go with those Japanese grades is how old the characters are.

[MeisterBabylon]

I'll just file it under "Precocious Anime Tween" and leave it at that...

[klare]

Originally Posted by MeisterBabylon

Yeah... Kuroko... 12... [DOES NOT COMPUTE]

agreed... never seen a 12 year old like her

[Tamad]

Just the thought of any twelve year old wearing the things that Kuroko wears is... unpleasant. Then again, kids are trying a little too hard to "grow up" these days, so maybe the representation for that age isn't so far off after all.

[Keroko]

Well, that might help to explain why Uihara and Saten were so downright shocked by Kuroko's choice of underwear.

[Shinji103]

Uh-oh.......

A little research turned up this and this, which confirms my idea that Mikoto, being second year middle/junior high school, would be 13.....and Kuroko being a year/grade younger/below is.........12.

My eyes might bleed the next time I see her.

Maybe Toaru uses a special and unique age-to-grade system different from the standard Japanese system? I guess this could make sense actually, since it's Academy City, the school capital of the world.

[Nayrael]

I am probably remembering wrong, but wasn't it mentioned somewhere that Touma is 17 and Mikoto 14?

[Shinji103]

Originally Posted by Nayrael

I am probably remembering wrong, but wasn't it mentioned somewhere that Touma is 17 and Mikoto 14?

I never saw anything like that, but they did say in the Index manga that Touma is high schol year one and Mikoto middle year 2, which is where I got my age estimates from.

[dahak]

Originally Posted by Shinji103

Something like that; I'm not entirely sure about the year/level system in Japanese schools, but I believe that first year high school is age 15, so Touma, being that, would be 15 by that system, Mikoto 13, Kuroko 12, and so on. (then again, these ages sound a bit low.... )

They might be a year older if their birthday dates fell appropriately. Indeed since the school year starts in April and the Pyrokinetic at the Bank was July 16th, I'd expect some of them to have had a birthday this year.

Somehow it makes me feel better to think everyone except Touma has had thier birthday this school year and that his is on the last day before the cut off for the next year. [Making him the youngest in his year, so unfortunate.]

Thus Touma 15, Styl and Mikoto 14, Kuroko, Saten, Uiharu 13.

[Shinji103]

Originally Posted by dahak

They might be a year older if their birthday dates fell appropriately. Indeed since the school year starts in April and the Pyrokinetic at the Bank was July 16th, I'd expect some of them to have had a birthday this year.

I know what you mean, but I thought that worked the other way around; i.e. you'd be in the grade of the age that you turn to this year. For example here in the states you'd be in 7th grade even if your 13th birthday was halfway through the school year. (as it was for me) So in Japan, that would mean that Mikoto for example would be in middle year 2 even if she only turned 13 partway through the school term.

Hey, I wouldn't mind if they were older than I thought too, but it doesn't look to be that way, lol. If I'm wrong that's fine though. But it would still mean Kuroko is only 13.........

Meh, she doesn't look that young (except, maybe by her chest size ), so I guess it's all good.

[MeisterBabylon]

I'm fine with everyone's ages, except Kuroko! Kids these days!!!

Ah well, precocious anime tween is precocious.

[MrTerrorist]

I always thought that Toma was 17, Mikoto 15 and Kuroko 14 since i think i remember reading it somewhere.

[MeisterBabylon]

Probably their mental ages, accelerated in maturity due to Curriculum.

[JMvS]

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

I always thought that Toma was 17, Mikoto 15 and Kuroko 14 since i think i remember reading it somewhere.

Well, don't forget that quite some time pass during Index, so of course they all age as time flow.
IIRC the events of Railgun are set before the Index arc.
Anyone with a better knowledge of the timeline to confirm?

[dahak]

Originally Posted by JMvS

Well, don't forget that quite some time pass during Index, so of course they all age as time flow.
IIRC the events of Railgun are set before the Index arc.
Anyone with a better knowledge of the timeline to confirm?

Spoiler for Manga/Novel timeline:

The bankrobbery with the Pyrokinetic was 16 July. Mikoto and Uiharu meet for the first time.

Mikoto meets Saten on the 18 July. They and Uihara go Shopping. Carnage ensues.

Touma trying to rescue the thugs from Mikoto was 19th July. Index shows up on his balcony the next day. Touma fights Style.

Akemi uses Level Upper on the 21 July.

Saten falls unconscious on 24 July. Much carnage ensues. Touma fights Kanzaki. Less carnage ensues.
Mikoto and Kuroko have to clean the swimming pool 25 July.
Touma awakens in hospital 28 July with no memories.