A Certain Magical Index

Lore & Background

The series began when Kazuma Kamachi's submission was rejected for the Dengeki Novel Prize. Editor Kazuma Miki contacted him and had him write several test novels, including a story about a girl sister and a boy with a mysterious arm, which became the basis for A Certain Magical Index. The original title was Last Memory, but Miki chose the current title because the word 'Index' left a strong personality. Kamachi derived Index's name from the kanji for 'Kinsho Mokuroku' found in an encyclopedia, wanting a name that would stand out for the central character. He avoided difficult kanji for Toma Kamijo's name to aid readability.

Reader's Guide

A Certain Magical Index is significant for its detailed world-building that systematically explores the rules of magic and science, a departure from other Dengeki Bunko novels that treated magic as a given. The series has seen commercial success, with the first volume requiring a reprint shortly after release, and subsequent volumes completed rapidly. It has spawned multiple manga adaptations, anime series, an animated film, spin-off light novels focusing on Level 5 espers (including A Certain Scientific Railgun, A Certain Scientific Accelerator, A Certain Scientific Dark Matter, and A Certain Scientific Mental Out), and several video games. The series' influence extends to its exploration of the power struggle between magic and science factions, with Toma Kamijo's Imagine Breaker ability at the center of conflicts.

Did You Know?

• The series was originally titled Last Memory before editor Kazuma Miki chose the current title.
• Kamachi wrote the story for the ninth volume before the fifth volume was released.
• The second volume of the light novel was completed in 17 days after the success of the first.
• All volumes of the original series were made free to read for one day on May 4, 2021, in the Dengeki Novekomi app.