Kazari gets a new roommate.Kuroko is really handy to have around on moving day.To stop the spread of the cooties, please remember to wash your hands often with soap and warm water.Summary:Kazari gets a new roommate named Harueh, a somewhat aloof girl who transferred from the 19th district. Ruiko, Kuroko, and Mikoto help move Harueh's stuff into Kazari's dorm, and then Mikoto and Ruiko take Harueh out to stroll around the neighborhood while Kuroko and Kazari attend a joint Judgement and Anti-Skill meeting about the recent earthquakes. At the meeting, Yomikawa explains that the "earthquakes" are actually the result of the RSPK syndrome which causes espers to temporarily lose control of their powers. RSPK syndrome can spread among espers and the "earthquakes" are the result of simultaneous RSPK reactions. Yomikawa then passes the mike to Telestina from the psychiatric rescue force (Academy City's version of the fire department?). Telestina basically repeats what Yomikawa had said without offering a soluion, and she tells the Judgment members to help stop people (ex Ruiko) from spreading rumors that the earthquakes are supernatural phenomenons.Where is Ruiko's left hand grabbing at?If Ruiko had arrived any later, these two klutzes might have really choked themselves to unconsciousness. After the Judgment members are dismissed, Konori decides to do her own little investigation into RSPK syndrome while Kazari and Kuroko head off to meet up with Mikoto's group. The girls meet up at an arcade where they take a group photo inside a photo booth. While Harueh is talking with Kazari, Ruiko comments to Mikoto and Kuroko that Harueh reminds her of Kazari when she and Ruiko just met. The five girls then decide to attend the fireworks festival going on at night. Kazari and Harueh return to their dorm to put on yukatas, but after several unsuccessful attempts they call in Ruiko for help. Kazari uses the opportunity to thank Ruiko for her help during the Judgment entrance exams and states that she wants to help Harueh just like how Ruiko had helped her.It's true: Mikoto is a victim of mass merchandising.This somehow turned into a yukata fanservice episode.The five girls meet up after Mikoto and Kuroko successfully sneaked out of their dorm. After visiting all the festival booths, the girls notice several Multi Active Rescue (the psychiatric rescue force/fire department) vehicles parked nearby. The girls then climb up to a viewing platform up a hill. While watching the fireworks, Harueh suddenly starts acting strangely and wanders off, but Kazari and Ruiko and notices and follows her. With the other three girls gone, Kuroko uses the opportunity to snuggle up to Mikoto, but suddenly she gets a call from Konori who states that the RSPK outbreak is causes by someone is interfering with people's AIM fields. At that moment, the ground suddenly starts shaking and the viewing platform begins to collapse, forcing Kuroko to teleport herself and Mikoto to safety. Higher up on the hill, Kazari grabs hold of Harueh just as a light pole is about to fall on them. However, Kazari and Harueh are saved by Telestina who holds up the pole with her mechanized suit. While Ruiko, Kazari, Mikoto, and Kuroko wonder what happened, Harueh is clutching the pedant she's wearing and Telestina flashes an evil grin. Back down by the river, the crowd begin to notice that the platform has collapsed, and among the crowd is Kiyama.I thought someone like Telestina would grow beyond the pink paint job thing. Apparently I was wrong.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The second half story-arc finally begins, but Railgun is probably going to take its sweet time building the story up. This arc has to last to end of the show I presume. This episode formally introduced the two important characters of this story-arc (Harueh is the girl form episode 17 and Telestina is the glasses lady from the end of the Level-Upper arc) and gave some hints about the upcoming attractions, and there were plenty of scenes devoted to the five girls hanging together and having their slice-of-life moments. All the talk about RSPK syndrome sounded like mumbo jumbo to me, but that's probably the case for every other exposition in the Index/Railgun universe. It wasn't the most exciting introductory episode, but at least we're not on fillers any more.Judging by the OP sequence, we know Telestina is going to start popping pills, and Kiyama is going to be involved as well, but probably as an ally to Mikoto's gang this time. Speaking of Kiyama, did she escape from jail or something? She should have been locked up for a long long time for all the damage and grief she caused with her Level Upper scheme. There is no legitimate reason to let Kiyama out early, so she either escaped or probably made a backroom deal to get out jail early.Doesn't look there will be any major action next week. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long until some Mikoto pwnage. Also, I wonder what happened to Mitsuko after she was attacked by her doll collection. That girl is always get the short straw in this series lol.
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