To Aru Majutsu no Index - Season 2 Episode 17

(Note: I don't normally write an episode summary, but this one caught my attention in terms of how different it was from the previous episodes. Oh, unless otherwise mentioned, Misaka refers to the main person and not the clones based on her.)

#17: 罰ゲーム (Penalty Game)

Fanning while kneeling down out in the public while (unintentionally) blowing Msaka's skirt up.

Misaka: "Ehehehe" | Kuroko: *stares*

As the episode begins, you could easily be mistaken to be watching its Railgun spinoff since they are featured inside their dorm instead of Touma or a summary of previous episode(s) with his voice, but nevertheless, they are characters of the main series too. They don't appear as much in this season though, but Uiharu does make an appearance with an actual conversation with Misaka and Kuroko as compared to none at all and a cameo appearance in season 1. The first scene where the left image came from is just Misaka dreaming about the recent Gakuen Toshi wide festival and Kuroko being jealous over what Misaka is sleep talking. It's quite short since the (new) opening appeared after this scene. ["Gakuen Toshi" means Academic City in Japanese (学園都市), but the name Gakuen Toshi did appear on a map in one of the Railgun episodes]



We had finally see the characters wearing the summer uniforms that were previously not seen outside the short novel and manga (with the small exception of the bank robbery flashback scene in Railgun). At Touma's school, we see them already arguing and fighting over the smallest things, and arguing with Misaka.

Meanwhile, we also see Accelerator and Last Order (Misaka Clone no. 20001) being assigned a new apartment to stay at an apartment resting. The reason for being allowed to stay there being guarding the house from buglers while the owner goes to work. Accelerator showed us what those strings and a collar around his head are for that, with a switch around the collar, would have him to hear normally, or some strange fading echoing sound.

After school, and after the "skirt fanning" incident (see top image), Misaka wants to meet Touma as part of the "Penalty Game". While waiting, Uiharu walks up to her and on how she's running away from Judgement work and passes them to Kuroko is busy at the moment. Uiharu adds that she's envious that Tokiwadai Middle school has violin lessons and asks to teach her how to play it. Misaka agrees without question and does it in an elegant way that makes Uiharu feels as though she's dreaming. It's funny to point out that the sound from the violin (which seems to appear out of nowhere) is terrible to the ear. This was disrupted as she saw Kuroko approaching her and being dragged away. By this time, Touma arrives, about half an hour later than the appointed time.

In truth, she wants to sign up a mobile contract involving something that works like peer-to-peer (P2P) to be able to get cheaper calls so that she could get the free Keroro strap (the green frog she's so crazy over with). To sign up, she needs Touma, being the only guy she knows who could fit that position, and a photo that requires to be together and really looking like a couple. They tried to do it, but failed and, eventually, Kuroko appears out of nowhere to drag Misaka away.

The last section was about the Misaka clones. There are quite a number of them, and the newer ones are more capable of emotions, able to hide part of themselves from the Misaka Network (how all the clones share knowledge and know what the other clones know), but are still unable to have the power that the real Misaka has and are comparatively weaker. All of the clones add a description of their actions after they talked. The Misaka Clones in this episode are:

• No. 10032 - clone Touma has met before and is featured the most of the time
• No. 10039
• No. 13577
• No. 19090 - has more emotions that the other Misaka present at the briefing
• No. 20001 - Last Order: and admin and a failswitch should the other Misaka clones go wrong. Looks and behaves like a grade-school kid.

No. 10032: "I know you are trying to persuade me, but
since we are of the same gender, I find it rather
irritating."

Towards the end of the episode, clone no. 20001, was locked out of the apartment that she and Accelerator are now staying at, encounters clone no. 10032 and complained about it to her, despite already being known through the Misaka Network. No. 20001 notices that all of the other Misaka Clones has a gadget worn on their head while she herself does not have it at all. Being jealous, no. 20001 steals it from no. 10032 and runs away. Taking it as a provocation, no.10032 takes out a gun from inside the bag, loaded it up, and pointing at where no. 20001 was last seen running towards (it's unclear if she was already out of sight or if the nearby apartment building is where she stays at), saying that it would be a revolution.

Looks like there could be bullets/magic/electricity running all over in the next episode.

Threat identified