Beginner’s Guide to A Certain Magical/Scientific Series Watch Order

‘A Certain Magical/Scientific’ series can be either a very interesting watch or an extremely boring one, depending on how you decide to approach it. The series has an adequate amount of action, ecchi and funny moments which will catch your attention. 

The franchise began with ‘A Certain Magical Index’ and then expanded into several spinoffs like ‘A Certain Scientific Railgun’ and ‘A Certain Scientific Accelerator.’ Each spinoff focuses on a different side character from the original plot. 

‘A Certain Magical Index’ has received three seasons and a movie. ‘A Certain Scientific Railgun’ has also received three seasons so far. With a 12-episode season to its name, ‘A Certain Scientific Accelerator’ has also made its anime debut.

The franchise shows the plot from different perspectives, making the series even more endearing to fans. Not to mention that each side character has their own anime and is not deprived of attention. It is a fun watch, and we can help you get the best out of it through our recommended watch order.

1. Recommended Watch Order

I know a lot of you will think that starting with the original series, A Certain Magical Index, is the natural route to take, but let me explain why that might be a bad idea. 

Fans have described the first few episodes of A Certain Magical Index as extremely slow. This will eventually make you lose interest in an otherwise excellent anime. So, begin with A Certain Scientific Railgun, and then follow Magical Index when you are absorbed into it.

• A Certain Scientific Railgun (2009)
• A Certain Scientific Railgun S (2013)
• A Certain Magical Index (2008)
• A Certain Magical Index 2 (2010)
• A Certain Scientific Railgun T (2020)
• A Certain Magical Index: The Movie – The Miracle Of Endymion (2013)
• A Certain Magical Index 3 (2018)
• A Certain Scientific Accelerator (2019)

2. Release Order

Of course, many of you would want to pick whichever anime came first. So I have also prepared the release date-wise watch order of A Certain Magical/Scientific franchise.

• A Certain Magical Index (2008)
• A Certain Scientific Railgun (2009)
• A Certain Magical Index 2 (2010)
• A Certain Scientific Railgun S (2013)
• A Certain Magical Index: The Movie – The Miracle Of Endymion (2013)
• A Certain Magical Index 3 (2018)
• A Certain Scientific Accelerator (2019)
• A Certain Scientific Railgun T (2020)

Bonus Episodes (A Certain Magical Index)

• A Certain Magical Index-tan (2009)
• A Certain Magical Index-tan 2 (2009)
• A Certain Magical Index-tan 3 (2011)
• A Certain Magical Index-tan 4 (2011)
• A Certain Magical Index-tan 6 (2018)
• A Certain Magical Index-tan 7 (2019)

Specials (A Certain Scientific Railgun)

• MMR: Much More Railgun (2010)
• MMR II: Much More Railgun II (2010)
• MMR III: Much More Railgun III (2013)
• MMR IV: Much More Railgun IV (2013)

3. Where to watch A Certain Magical/Scientific series with English subtitles and dub?

Crunchyroll and Funimation stream most of the series under A Certain Magical Index franchise. 

4. Can you download and watch A Certain Magical/Scientific series offline?

Several websites offer download options with their different packages, and we have the readymade list right here:

5. What to do if A Certain Magical/Scientific series is unavailable in your region? 

A lot of anime are geo-blocked for several countries. If the anime isn’t available on any streaming website in your area, then you can use a VPN to bypass the geo-block. 

There are many paid VPN services available, but you also have free options at hand. You can also use free browser extensions VPNs that you will find in the extension store. 

If you are accessing streaming websites from your phone, you will find several VPNs from the app store. The important thing is that A Certain Magical Index and all of its spinoffs are present on Netflix, Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, and many other streaming websites’ catalogs, so set your VPN to a suitable location to access the anime from anywhere.

6. How much time will it take to watch A Certain Magical/Scientific series?

It will take you a total of 63 hours and 40 minutes to complete A Certain Magical Index, Scientific Railgun, and all other spinoffs and movies. That is almost three days of constant binge-watching with no breaks in between. 

7. Should you watch Magical Index first or Scientific Railgun?

While Magical Index is the parent series, its season 1 is regarded as the worst addition to the franchise. It also works as a spoiler for Scientific Railgun, which is a much more engaging anime. If you want to have a better outlook on the series and get involved in it, then Scientific Railgun is the best choice to start with.

8. Conclusion

You should follow the recommended watch order for A Certain Magical/Scientific series. Not only will it help you understand the series better, it will also be way more entertaining. The bonus episodes and specials hold no relevance to the main story. They could be watched at the end or be skipped altogether.

 So, without further ado, jump into this magical universe filled with action, adventure, and more.

9. About A Certain Magical Index

A Certain Magical Index is a Japanese light novel series written by Kazuma Kamachi and illustrated by Kiyotaka Haimura. It has also received several manga and anime spinoffs.

It is based on Tōma Kamijō, a high school student in a scientifically advanced city where he meets a young nun named Index from the Church of England whose mind has been implanted with the Index Librorum Prohibitorum: the magical texts which the church removed from circulation. This meeting makes him explore more of the secret magical world of Science and begins his adventure with his friends.

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