Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index
A Certain Magical Index NT

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A Certain Magical Index isn't a deep work. It's not written to blow your mind, it's not a genre redefining work. It's main purpose is to entertain.

And boy does it entertain well. Just the sole achievement of writing 45 volumes of novel (and that's not counting spin-offs and side volumes) and still being able to draw the readers in alone is outstanding. The plot works with various concepts and it's great to see that it can keep up the stakes without just simply one-upping the previous villain and inflating and ruining the whole power system like you would see in DBZ-esque works. Sometimes the peril ... is personal, sometimes it's the whole world or even the whole reality that's in danger, but it always gets you to root for the protagonists and hypes you up.

To expand on the "concept" part, as with the previous season of the novel, Index still draws from various myths and mythology systems. As I'm a sucker for works that mingle together multiple mytholgies, I might be a bit biased there, but Index really does this well. The usage of those mythologies is surprisingly well detailed and researched and even obscure legends and characters get their turn to be incorporated. In fact, sometimes what I've previously thought were just some random terms created for the Index universe were in fact yet another less know esoteric terminology from history. Truly educational.

And even when mixing together fantasy and sci-fi concepts, the overal system created for this coexistence is left without contradictions and seeming discrepancies get explained. This is in fact an occuring theme, simplyfing the technobabble (or in this case sometimes also magebabble) into layman's terms, usually through the mouth of the protagonist to level with the reader and to justify how it's possible for the characters to still stay in the game even as more and more big shots enter the ring. I think this is quite neat storytelling trick. Though yes, sometimes the babble can get out of hand, and especially the Kamisato Faction arc might get a bit confusing, mainly because it introduces *a lot* of new characters at once.

Which gets us to the characters in general. This is one of the main strenght of Index novels - the cast is colossal, but still with great variety both externally and internally. I dare to say that everyone will be able to find their favourite character even among the side cast. The flow of introducing new characters is also user-friendly, so you won't get lost in who's who (with the exception of previously mentioned Kamisato Faction arc, of course). Though, this "everyone gets a favourite side char" has it's own... inconvenience. Sometimes the story takes too damn long to go back to some of those characters, which of course might sadden the heart of a fan.

And that brings us to the fanservise part of Index novels. It would be dishonest to act like it doesn't exist. Yes, mixed with the storyline, Index novels also have some good old fanservices. But you what? I can't even be mad about this specific case. I'm fine with it as it doesn't deteriorate the story and it's more of a snack springled between the main dishes. Yes, this goes against my personal policy of bashing anime/manga/novels/whatever with fanservice, but that just show how great Index novel is.

One final thing that I liked about New Testament specifically is how it juggles with status quo and isn't afraid to make changes - the largest example can be seen in the latest volumes here, with the latest arc surpassing even the last arc of the previous novel season. Really, almost 50 volumes and the story still didn't get stale, what a great success.

Ok ok, time for the boastful review to praise one of the best literary works of all time!!!


First, Index is not a simple work, it always wanted to build something, it was just that most people didn't realize the various well-crafted configurations that the script built, and this was probably due to the impression that Kamachii gave, with him seeming to explain almost everything and leave few things in subjectivity, but we were completely wrong (obviously, I'm including myself here, after all, it's in the 1st person plural)

I believe it's as if Kamachii's explanatory writing was some kind of blinding light, and with the reader ... just paying attention to that strong light, he will never be able to understand what that glow hides behind, what would be the complexity of Index


That said, Index is the dichotomy between "Magic X Science" or the much-discussed "Reason X Faith". From this same dichotomy, the two main points that Index works appear... First, the "absurdity of the world" and secondly, we have the biblical philosophy of "Second chance and forgiveness", this one strengthened by the division between "testaments"


The "absurdity of the world" is what conspiracy theories represent or how insane the interactions between worlds can be, but the interesting thing about Index is how the author constantly expands the absurdity of the world without destroying its status quo. It's an ironic joke, but very well done.

Speaking of the world, here you'll find one of the best settings ever made for it. The world is gigantic, creative, and well-constructed, where the constant flow of information from both sides comes rushing back to fill in the inconvenient gaps. It's sort of a narrative tool to be able to escape problems while continuing to move forward strongly with less worry about your own script. Therefore, creative uses of the "paradox of omnipotence" and the "infinity complex" to explain the absurdities of the world and its powers, which while amplifying the distortion, still preserve the status of things. It's a pretty cool use of theories that allow you to preserve A CERTAIN WORLD

Still, Index is a work that fervently preaches forgiveness and, consequently, the second chance provided by error. So this is not a work that fervently preaches realism, but a hopeful view of things. Of course, the work may try to manipulate you into thinking about realism, as MANY texts and events are based on a logical analysis intersecting with poetry..... This may be an unfair attempt by the author, but it's not my criticism, because it is in this small gap not so visible that the unique beauty of Index lies

"I would be much happier being the kind of clown who lies to preserve happiness than as a great hero who follows his principles alone and can't smile with anyone."
By Kamijou Touma
So it's okay to be crushed by the happy world, as long as you can stand up, look back, and be able to smile at the end.


Speaking of such configurations, who is really the one that runs through them all? Who is the one who created a certain absurdity of the world when he didn't even know it? Who is that extremely well-crafted spiky-haired boy who hypocritically raises his fist to wield the gift of second forgiveness for all? Kamijou Touma is used again as a stone to break certain arguments and illusory paradigms of each character and with the addition of his catchphrase and powers, his use in the script is very significant. At the same time, he not only shatters these illusions, but as a whetstone, he can also sharpen each character's blade of wisdom. He's the unbreakable Imagine Breaker, it's unrealistic I know, but that doesn't mean it's not an inspiration to a dream, or are you going to tell me that you're going to give up on achieving something just because you can't be the best at it?

Speaking of Imagine Breaker, here on NT you will see some explanations and interpretations not only of him, but of other espers and magic powers, with a good part of them containing a deep philosophy that serve as the cogs of a lighter that light the strong flame of development. , mainly for the general secondary cast or the main cast of their respective volumes (This series has a mania for creating a topic and a character to develop and prove a point of the author, and sometimes these characters are abandoned, as their development concluded, such as the beautiful philosophy of the search for one's own identity in NT12).


Going back to my earlier statement about "Index complexity" recalled by the Imagine Breaker quote.... Sometimes espers are used for the author to express his opinion on terms that touch human complexity (which works very well towards the created environment) and an even deeper critique of their sins and their journeys. Still, it's not something that is so one-dimensional, but it is found in several places, even in the reader's heart... What I want to say here is that they are not only critical for the characters, but also for the reader himself, almost like a fourth wall break, but not in a comical way

If for the scientific side it uses the logical analysis that science provides for the use of criticism, then what could the religious side keep? Or even more specifically, what could magic provide for the script?
The answer is obvious.... Fantasy! The game here is precisely in the game of mythologies and religious dogmas, which, at the same time as they are used in poetic writing and narrative, are also used to play with the personalities and design of the characters, either in an ironic or conceptual way (the Gods magicians represent this well). This ends up creating a very distinct and original flow of personas.
Of course, both the scientific and the religious side can be uniquely separated, but this does not mean that with the environmental and temporal circumstances they can never meet... that they only serve for those purposes mentioned above, in fact I just did this for the convenience of the progression of the review, because the two sides can mix and acquire similar shapes... The difference is the amount, since the scientific side uses more logical analysis than the magical side, and the same can apply to magic using fantasy more than the scientific side.



Once this is understood, writing and narrative play a crucial role in bringing the story closer to the reader and conveying feelings through immutable sheets of paper. Thus, Kamachii is one of the best writers the industry could wish for.......

Even if the work doesn't have a lot of these moments, the quality surpasses this quantity... What I'm talking about here is the despair that is one of the moments that writing should shine the most!
Becayse Index often brings hope either through its writing or the characters' actions (often explained by environment, time, past or individual personality), it might seem like a slightly out of place term, but the most beautiful hope can only be achieved overcoming despair. It's like the Ying-Yang, an undeniable balance that plagues humanity.
In Index these moments are wonderful. They are not one-dimensional by any means, it is not something so vague that it can be fully understood with just a brief look. No, it's something much more worked around the writing, narrative, monologues, characters and environment which really embodies the purest essence of despair.
The use of metaphors, metonymies and beautiful poetry unsullied by despair simply seem to create a paradox, which ironically is also another figure of speech used here.


For narrative, Index is the accumulation of description, which can easily excite a reader who likes to test his imagination, and here the use of various metaphors are used to bring the reader closer to the world. It's a pretty simple component, but the resolution is pretty complex, and you'll really feel big original strokes and few repetitions, which is a full plate for the reader... Unfortunately, this plate will be so full that the reader won't be able to take it, and eventually you will get tired of so many descriptions, some even being boring, but at least you will enjoy it a lot until you reach your limit of appetite for the literary dish.


And, to finish off this part of the writing and honor the theoretical basis of conspiracies, we have the flow of information, one of Index's strongest points! It's from the moment you manage to attribute subjectivity to everything and push away the truth, that a kind of nihilistic mystery is born, just like the conspiracy theory.

Kamachii isn't the type of man who forgets his own rules or creates out-of-place terms to never use them (apart from vampires or alchemy? Well, OT2 is a bit out of the loop because of the conflict between author vs editor, and maybe that was why Himegami fell by the wayside). In fact, these "preceded terms" are often used as plot twists, explanations of the absurdities of the world or even as the spark that ignites the old arc and opens the environment for a new problem. Even theories created by the characters come back strongly to follow the logical flow of things and it's even more impressive how the depth of the characters seem to be thrown at random in the script, when in fact they are a rope of descent to be able to explore the depths of these characters in order to discover the glowing treasure that dwells in the dark depths of every human. At the end of it all, the vast majority of plot twists blend together in a confusing but still whimsical way, similar to the style of abstractionism and its paintings.

If the first book was already like a mother who was concerned with the amount of nutrients and intellectual food for her child to digest, the second would be like several complex food chains, or in more general terms, a food web, where energy would be transferred from one level to another. With a web so complex that it would border on infinity, it would no longer be possible to distinguish the beginning or the end, but something would resonate not in the mind, but in the heart..... That no matter how you think, it's still an extremely fine work done



Unfortunately, not everything is flowers or if they are, people should take care of them more, since some are rotting.... Not everything is perfect, and as Index says, we humans are not either, that is, no reaction we bring to the world will be perfect, after all, the main component is imperfect (Well, that's if SEDEX Kamachii Kazuma is really a human being).

For starters, the abysmal flow of information itself creates its own inconvenience... the flow of information is definitely well done, but the gigantic amount of mysteries that the work addresses seems so colossal that they serve as a wave to displace the main term and make causing the reader to slightly forget about him or swim against the current in order to reach him, but the sea god seems to persist against the reader (usually such waves are hints, but nothing really conclusive... at least apparently). You see, I really like this, but there are still a lot of mysteries to be unraveled and many readers are abandoning the series and unfortunately one cannot judge them as some of the main points seem to get further and further away and however many times the Poseidon of literature will allow the reader to approach the main point, it is only a small glimpse and soon another irritating current will shift to drive the reader away once again.....

The rotten flowers don't end there... There is a certain Deus Ex Macchina in this series. Of course the world was set up for him and even so, Deus Ex Macchina is well done, but not perfect... Sometimes the timing is extremely convenient and even though it is the minority, sometimes the author doesn't even bother to explain about it and leaves it to the reader's imagination. Even more, there are some conveniences in the script that fill in the gaps that the characters can't fill on their own, which depending on how extreme it is, will be really irritating, especially in some scenes of that pierced delinquent (Well, I can forgive a little, since that your character's proposal is this)

They are not rotten flowers that have spread and will corrupt the whole environment, but they are still nuisances and negative points.


I wouldn't like to end with negative points, because it would leave a bitter taste in my mouth..... I believe that Index's other charms would be his creativity and writing skills. As much as the premise seems the same with each volume, there are SEVERAL changes in the gears that move the script that make this series something complex and well done.
Sometimes the author will create environments so distorted to make you realize this distortion and point negatively to the script and how much the author got lost in it, and when you point that out, you fall into their trap. The work will manipulate you several times for you to perceive this distortion until it manages to catch you off guard... Not only that, but several other configurations continue to perpetuate in this series and easily the author will innovate and create something new and original. Of course, sometimes the author will create an environment so distorted that he himself will fall into his own trap, but not before manipulating the reader until then.




And in the end, as Kamachii Kazuma himself said……
"The real essence of this series is not convincing someone with a logical argument, but taking it to the next step and using the power of emotion to destroy a fully constructed dead end." By Kamachii Kazuma

Strangely, the author manages to do very well both ways, but he tries to be humble and not exaggerate his words ¯\_(ツ)_/¯



STORY: 10 (I really thought I'd give a 9 around here, since NT15-NT17 are rotten, and as much as the detergent has the plus points, a trash can is a trash can, so unless you change it, you'll continue with the stinky smell, but a little more """camouflage"""" ................................... ............ On the other hand, similar to a riot filled with plastic bags on fire, the slurry disappears, transforming the order of things and deconstructing once again the plan for an unimaginable world, so contradictory As for the equality between illusion X reality. Speaking like that, we come to the final arc of the NT, with one of the most complex and resolute philosophies I've ever seen, where Index proves he's been working! Aeons and Thelesma make their reappearance, which unlike the final arc of the OT, takes for itself a less obvious and more interpretive writing, perfect for the philosophical theme of human existence and reason.
GET TOGETHER AND SHOW THIS REALITY OF A NEW ERA!!!! What do you plan to do around here? Seeing all of this solely as the distortion between ages and gods of aeons? Or do you plan to see the love in it all, only to discover that it's all part of your concept of family? Those close to you who carry love, the origin of every man, whether for good or ill? After all, what did the aeons of fatherhood, motherhood, and inconvenience mean to that man? Ironic how he called them the children of science, when he was the one who most wanted the scolding, kindness and coexistence with your new family..... "DON'T BE AFRAID TO BE HAPPY, PATHETIC MAN!")


CHARACTERS: 10 (Hahaha! Is there really any doubt about this? The 3 protagonists are great, but in particular I highlight Kamijou Touma who is the best worked out of the 3..... His deconstruction is PERFECT to a point that it was intentionally allocated the his cliché points to manipulate the reader until finally everything exploded. IN FACT, a very deep and complex character, with one of the most original settings I've ever seen. The cast is very fun and the author makes sure that each one has a different characteristic , whether philosophically with what the arc will approach, for its originality, charisma or mysteries. Apart from Kamisato's harem, I was able to enjoy practically all the characters!!! And in fact, what impressed me the most here was the main antagonist, Aleister Crowley , which completely changed the world plan and had its legend completely deconstructed along the lines of the genius Kamachii Kazuma! Thus, becoming a character as important to Index's philosophy as Kamijou Touma. Yes, if Aleister was the means by which this philosophy manifested itself, Touma would be its results tool)

ART: 8 (My grade increased compared to the previous book... In fact it is very good and Haimura knows very well how to draw the characters with care in their proportions [except for Misaki's breasts] and his scenarios are very beautiful, but the weak point here is that Haimura almost never draws such scenarios in detail other than in the color illustrations/initials of each volume, which makes the rest of the art just characters confronting each other in a normally white environment with certain cracks...... Well, if he fix it with the ability he proved to have with the BEAUTIFUL NT18 illustration, I would certainly raise this grade)

FUN: 10 (Even with the fateful Kamisato arc, I still really appreciate how fun this work can be, so as a fan I'll give it a strong 10!)




I look back while ironically thinking about the present. Now, with their positions re-established, new problems will appear and with the curtains of war closed, a new stage for despair is set, a show even bigger than the previous one that seeks the attention of the reader. I bend my feet and knees in awe and think that just like dark matter, someone leaves this world once again, not really proving their existence, but still impacting the entire status quo of science. I remember that with the rustle of a feather and the light touch of a right hand, hope is established once more, but ready to be shattered by misfortune... Finally, I say a little prayer for those who have struggled to keep the world happy. The time has come for all three to clench their fists to fight for their ideals. Roar for your rights, heroes, the war is over, but the battle is about to begin again
"Everything in this vast world is thelema. Every man and every woman is a star losing its shine, so find your place in the universe of things and of people before then"
BRING THE RESOLUTION TO THIS DAMN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS AND END THIS CYCLE OF HATE!

If you are reading this review, you are likely either 1) interested in the series and want to see whether the series as a whole is worth your time or 2) have read the prequel A Certain Magical Index and are wondering how its sequel Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index (Index New Testament or Index NT for short) stacks up. To answer those questions, 1) yes, the Toaru (series name) World is awesome, and you should get into it, and 2) Index NT is an improvement on Index in most every way with higher stakes, better plots, better character interactions and an expanded scope. ... Also, the magic side which many saw as lacking in Index gets much more interesting.

For the actual review, I would really like to give Index NT a 10/10 because at its best it is a 10/10. In fact, its arc focusing on A Certain Magical God is my single favorite arc out of all the arcs I've watched or read in Anime/Manga/LN's. If you couple that arc with its final arc and had nothing else, it would be a surefire 10/10. The issue is that the other arcs, which mind you, are necessary for the story, are not on that level. While some are still pretty strong, a few volumes and arcs border on mediocre.

Going back to the positives, Toaru's biggest strength is its characters and Index NT grants several characters (especially its 3 main protagonists) further character development while introducing several new characters that have quickly become fan favorites. The interactions between the expanding cast is almost always fun to read, but can sometimes lean too much into the fan-service. The other small issue with the characters is that at times, especially during the World Rejector Arc, we get too many new characters, and it gets tougher to follow.

Overall, I'd say that Index NT still deserves a 9/10 despite its inconsistency in quality from arc to arc. While the lows are pretty low for a 9/10, the highs are ridiculously high enough to make up for it.