Episode 24 – “Eternal Party”

So these last few episodes, I had been a little uncertain about how the series would end. Last week, I mentioned that this arc hasn’t really built up the conflict against STUDY all that much and that the potential big action would be kind of a waste. Well, I think I should retract my previous reservations. Everything about this final episode is so great that it makes up for the worry that I had throughout the last arc. It’s hard to say anything else about the episode, without just saying “oh, it was awesome.”

There’s so much stuff happening throughout this episode and it’s impossible to condense it all in one little impression. Though, I do want to bring up Nunotaba and all that she’s been through. It’s nice to see her finally getting some gratitude, like when MISAKA 19090 thanks her for instilling her with a “heart” and when Febri gives her a little rice ball. I also love that the Sisters refer to Janie and Febri as their little sisters, since they were both programmed by Testament. And that end shot with one of the sisters drinking milk tea, which Nunotaba taught them how to make! Aah, I could cry. There’s also the suggested fact that Misaki Shokuhou was asked to wipe people’s memories of the entire incident. That’s pretty convenient.

First off, the scenes with Judgement fighting the onslaught of pilotless robots. As far as I’m concerned, the fact that they don’t have anyone in them pretty much means that the Judgement members (and random people on the team too) can be as brutal as they want with them. I also never realized that the Judgement emblem is shield, until they mentioned it this episode. It was probably mentioned in the first season and I just forgot.

We also get to see Kongou’s two closest friends, Kinuho Wannai who can control water currents and Maaya Awatsuki who can alter buoyancy forces, in action. I saw Awatsuki holding a boogie board last episode, and I just thought it was the funniest thing ever. I expected her to start hitting people with it or something. But no, Wannai’s powers allows her to surf around the streets, while Wannai waterbends to victory. Awatsuki’s voice actress is also the main vocalist of fripSide, too, whose songs play throughout the entire episode to drive the adrenaline.

Once again, more badassery is to be had with Misaka as she goes straight for STUDY’s headquarters. Even the cheap Meltdowner robots aren’t enough to stop her, and they sure as hell aren’t enough to stop the original. Seeing Mugino and the rest of ITEM is pretty much just fanservice at this point, but who cares (I don’t). Thanks to them, Misaka makes it in time to confront Aritomi. He was prepared to take his own life, but Misaka doesn’t let him off that easily.

Unfortunately, the program he launched to nuke Academy City is irreversible, or is it? With some help from a few thousand sisters, Misaka’s able to pinpoint the trajectory of the missile. Using Kongou’s mech, previously piloted by Uiharu and Saten, Misaka and Kuroko blast off into the ionosphere, where Misaka delivers the most amazing Railgun to date. And we thought punching a robot arm in the first season was cool.

Definitely look out for my series review in the future!

B.W.