Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T Episode 23

is the 23rd episode of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T. It was broadcast on September 11th 2020. The episode was directed by Sokuza Makoto, Horiguchi Kazuki and Tanaka Tetsuro, the screenplay written by Yasukawa Shogo, and storyboarded by Takada Kouichi, Yoshida Toru and Nagai Tatsuyuki.
The earnest intentions that led to participating in the experiment now carry the responsibility of having created the "Doppelganger". Kuriba, who tried to carry all of the burden by herself, reminded Mikoto of her own past. After going back to the origins of Kuriba's resolve, Mikoto encounters Scavenger, which was hired on a mission to capture the Doppelganger.
To compensate for the injuries she received earlier from Scavenger, the Doppelganger adopts the characteristic of integrating surrounding material into herself. Aware of the possibility that the "soul diffusion and possession" is already taking place, something that Kuriba fears, Mikoto joins forces with the Scavenger girls. Meanwhile, Scavenger's Leader aims to complete their mission by collaborating with Mikoto.
==Synopsis==
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T E23 00m 55s.png|Leader tries to convince Mikoto to join forces with them.
Misaka Mikoto's sudden appearance shocks Scavenger, who are not aware that a Level 5 would be involved in their operation. To hide their true identity and purpose, Leader introduces her group as the official party assigned by the facility to retrieve the escaped Doppelganger, and even offers an opportunity to join forces. Yakumaru quickly picks up on Leader's plan and claims that the Doppelganger was already injured before they could find their target. Although unsure if Scavenger's discovery of the Doppelganger's new ability to incorporate nearby debris to itself is true, Mikoto becomes curious to confirm it firsthand.
Leader decides to send out Yakumaru and Naru to retrieve the injured Seike, while she receives several questions from Mikoto. Scavenger's experience with a Level 5 compelled them to inform themselves about the other Level 5s. Leader uses this to lead Mikoto into believing that they are affiliated to Judgment, and she even manages to excuse Seike's behavior by stating her tendency to pick fights with strong people.
To Leader's shock, Mikoto is actually in contact with the other Level 5 of Tokiwadai Middle School, Shokuhou Misaki, who is planning to rendezvous with her. To prevent Misaki from exposing her bluff, Leader is forced to expose her ability. In return, Misaki informs them about the data center of the facility which is actually a stealth airship that occasionally travels to the facility to obtain experimental data. After handing over a Gekota communication device to Mikoto, Leader guides her to the location of the Doppelganger.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T E23 04m 19s.png|Yakumaru and Naru retrieve the injured Seike.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T E23 05m 18s.png|Leader showing Mikoto a Judgement armband..
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T E23 05m 30s.png|but Mikoto is still skeptical about her.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T E23 06m 00s.png|In the end, Mikoto took in her bluff.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T E23 06m 30s.png|Mikoto receiving a phone call..
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T E23 06m 53s.png|..from Shokuhou Misaki..
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T E23 07m 08s.png|..which baffled Leader, knowing Misaki would see through her.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T E23 07m 17s.png|Leader making an excuse in order for her plan to succeed.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T E23 08m 25s.png|Misaki conveys her message to Misaki.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T E23 09m 40s.png|Leader handing over a Gekota communicator to Misaki.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T E23 10m 16s.png|Mikoto tells Leader that she got good taste.
At a nearby industrial plant, the Doppelganger easily returns a preemptive attack by Mikoto, making her aware of the Doppelganger's combat potential. A fuel tank thrown by the Doppelganger forces Mikoto to retreat with Leader, but Mikoto immediately returns to the pursuit as soon as Leader reveals that the Doppelganger's current route leads to a radar facility where the stealth airship can be located. To Leader's surprise, this radar facility is close to a warehouse assigned as the drop-off point for the Doppelganger. Using this as an opportunity to hit two birds with one stone, Leader agrees to "evacuate" the Skill-Outs within the warehouse area with the help of Yakumaru and Naru.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T E23 13m 25s.png|Leader and Mikoto pursuing the Doppelganger.
Mikoto continues to pursue the Doppelganger until it begins to gather more debris around her. Eventually, a massive creature is formed from this debris, and this can be seen from Scavenger's drop-off point. The female researcher who was at the warehouse at that time is shocked of its size, as well as how it demonstrated their hypothesis on the effects of destroying a soul's container. Although initially refusing to sign off the mission under technicalities, the researcher is coerced into doing so after being unable to escape in her vehicle due to Seike's ability. Scavenger then quickly makes their escape with the help of a paper vehicle fueled by Yakumaru's thermite bombs before the Doppelganger flattens the warehouse.
As the Doppelganger continues to attack Mikoto, the Electromaster quickly understands the capabilities and weaknesses of her enemy's "soul possession". Taking note of this, the Doppelganger gathers an immense amount of debris around her, creating a massive beast of concrete that towers in the night sky.
Mikoto facing the 'giant puppet' full stitch.png|The doppelganger gathers an immense amount of debris to create a massive beast.
==Adapted From==
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==Major Events==
*Through a series of bluffs, Scavenger's Leader manages to get Misaka Mikoto into helping them in their operation to retrieve the Doppelganger.
*The Doppelganger travels towards a radar facility that can be used to locate the stealth airship that contains the data of the facility she originated from, but Mikoto successfully intercepts her to a warehouse facility.
*Due to a technicality, Leader manages to sign off their mission as a success and escapes with the other members of Scavenger before they could become involved in an imminent clash.
*Upon realizing Mikoto's strategic skill, the Doppelganger creates a towering beast made out of debris to crush the enemy.
==Characters==
By order of appearance:
*Misaka Mikoto
*Leader
*Yakumaru
*Naru
*Kuriba Ryouko 
*Seike
*Shirai Kuroko 
*Shokuhou Misaki
*Doppelganger
*Female Researcher
*Chief
==Abilities==
*Predator - Leader, Level 3
*Electromaster (Railgun-variant) - Misaka Mikoto, Level 5
*'Soul Possession' - Doppelganger
*Mental Out - Shokuhou Misaki, Level 5
*Stick Slip - Seike, Level Unknown
*Perfect Paper - Naru, Level 3
*Mix Master - Yakumaru, Level Unknown
==Locations==
*Academy City
**School District 20
===New Locations===
*Academy City Air Traffic Control Search Radar 
*Warehouse No. 8086
==Trivia==
*The unnamed Skill-Outs are voiced by Mine Akihiro, Iwasawa Toshiki, Akano Yuu, and Kimura Hayato.
*The unnamed girls in Leader's flashback are voiced by Aizawa Saya and Shibasaki Marina.
*National Refinery Company, Ltd. is the company name written in one of the tanks the Doppelganger used against Mikoto.
===Referbacks===
*Leader referenced the athlete's pledge back in Daihaseisai.
*Leader wet herself again after wetting herself from fear due to Accelerator.
*The Doppelganger referenced her first encounter with Mikoto at the cyborg facility back in , with the scene in the aforementioned episode used as flashback.
*Mikoto notes the similarity between the Doppelganger and Sherry Cromwell's Ellis golem she fought after the end of summer vacation back in , which was adapted in . Between the Lines 1
===Cultural References===
*The White Knight complex, also known as White Knight Syndrome, shown when Yakumaru used her acting to manipulate the Skill-Out thugs, is a term used to describe someone who feels compelled to "rescue" people in intimate relationships, often at the expense of their own needs.
* is a property applying to transverse waves that specifies the geometrical orientation of the oscillations. This explains the cloaking technology used by the data airship seen in this episode, as it uses polarization of light to hide itself, though by Academy City standards.
*Contrary to what Mikoto said on having low fuel in the tank making smaller explosions, it is the opposite. Having an almost empty tank can result in bigger explosions and be much more hazardous than one with a full tank, as vapors inside an empty tank are the ones that explode while the fuel just burns itself.
===Differences in Adaptation===
*The conversation between Mikoto and Scavenger when they met for the first time is slightly changed. Leader is the one who tells to Mikoto on the Doppelganger's regenerative abilities, then Yakumaru clarified that it was already damaged when they encounter it. In the manga, only Yakumaru tells these lines.
*Scenes of Leader using her Predator are anime-original, as the manga only implied she used it.
*Mikoto having a back-up plan of using a coolant to freeze the Doppelganger is cut in the adaptation.
*Mikoto's fight with the Doppelganger near the end of the episode is slightly extended, especially on firing her Railgun at it.
===Animation Trivia===
*The 'giant puppet' created by the Doppelganger is rendered in CGI.
===Unanswered Questions===
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===Soundtrack===
#	Title 	Time	Scene & Notes
 	Shikuu Butai 	 	Leader, Naru and Yakumaru meets the third-ranked Level 5Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator Original Soundtrack
 	Shizukana Keiryaku 	 	Mikoto remembers Ryouko's soul diffusion theoryToaru Kagaku no Railgun S Original Soundtrack 1
 	dual existence 	 	Opening
 	 	 	Naru and Yakumaru finds Seike, Leader introduces herself as member of Judgment to Mikoto
 	Gaisō Dai Nō 	 	Leader finding out that Mikoto is with Misaki
 	Kuroko no Kuwadate 	 	Mikoto being flustered on Leader's description of Misaki, Part 1 EndToaru Kagaku no Railgun Original Soundtrack 1 - SPARK!!
 	Saa, jikken o hajimeyou 	 	Part 2 Start, Mikoto tries to restrain the Doppelganger
 	Barūnhantā 	 	Misaki telling to Mikoto the possibility of the Doppelganger using the radar facility to find the data airship
 	Onee-sama 	 	Yakumaru using her acting skills to evacuate the Skill-Outs from the area
 	Joshi-ryoku Zenkai-sen! 	 	Mikoto starts to fight the Doppelganger
 	 	 	Scavenger completing their mission
 	Kagaku no Hatten to Gisei	 	The 'giant puppet' created in front of Mikoto
 	Aoarashi no Ato de 	 	Ending
 	 	 	Preview
==Quotes==
===Preview===
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==References==
==Navigation==
Category:Episodes
Category:Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T Episodes