The Crotchety Old Man Has Spoken: Finding “Toaru Majutsu No Index

I love when things happen naturally.

I was up late, working, getting my ducks all in a row. It’s good to periodically put your notes in order and sync everything up. When you begin working, you start with a foundation, but then creation takes hold, the character comes alive, tells you what to do, and you end up changing things. You need to sync up the creative process with the editorial work.

It never fails, when I do research, where I start will lead me to something better, or something good I never knew existed. With GORYO DOG, I’ve learned so many new and exciting things about mythology, spirituality, Japanese folklore and culture, martial arts, manga, and anime.

Case in point, I’m updating my listing for GENYOSHA, a major antagonist for Willie and his crew, who I first classified as a “dark onmyoji.” An ONMYOJI is an occultist, specializing in magic, divination, and using shikigami (spirit familiars). But, with writing and development, that no longer fit the character, he’s more of a dark sorcerer, but what’s that in Japanese?

Bust out the translator…
SELECT: English to Japanese

TYPE-IN: Dark Sorcery

RESULT: Kurai Majutsu

Now, because we all know how translator programs can get things wrong, I hit-up Google to see if there’s any legitimacy to what I’ve learned. I confirm majutsu means magic or magical, and kurai can mean dark or gloomy, but I also find listings for something else, a manga named TOARU MAJUTSU NO INDEX, an ongoing manga since 2007 in Monthly Shōnen Gangan, adapted from a novel series, and turned into a three television series, an OVA (original video animation), game, and (as far as I can tell) at least one sequel, and two spin-offs. The story is perfect for a shōnen junky like me…

(From Wikipedia)

“Toaru Majutsu no Index is set in Academy City, a technologically advanced Academic city located at western Tokyo which studies scientifically advanced superhuman students with powers, but is also set in a world where magic is real. Tōma Kamijō is a student in Academy City whose right hand, the Imagine Breaker, has the ability to negate any supernatural powers, but also his own luck. One day he finds a young girl hanging on his balcony railing named Index. She is a nun from Necessarius, a secret magic branch of the Church of England, and her mind has been implanted with the Index Librorum Prohibitorum—103,000 forbidden magical books the Church has removed from circulation. His encounter with her leads him to meet others from the secret world of science and magic and an adventure with his friends where science and magic collide. Tōma’s unusual power places him at the center of conflicts relating magicians and science-based espers in Academy City. As Tōma tries to help and protect his friends, he learns the people he knows are not as they appear and begins to attract the attention of magicians and espers alike as they try to unravel the secrets of Academy City and Index.”

Magic, psychics, and a techno advance school for the supernaturally gifted – what more can you ask for? With BLEACH coming to a close, and the rumored ending to NARUTO not far off, I’ve been looking for something to fill the void they’ll leave behind.

The anime looks nice too…

Just shows you, research can be fun!

The Experience Is Everything!

JPG

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