The broadcast start date for the anime "A Certain Magical Index III" has been set for Friday, October 5th. The secret to its popularity lies in its unique characters. So, this time we'll be summarizing the appeal of Hamazura Shiage, who will be appearing in the third season.
Hamazura Shiage's Profile
Source: A Certain Magical Index ©Kamachi Kazuma/ASCII Media Works/PROJECT-INDEX
If you've only seen the first and second seasons of the anime, this name may be unfamiliar, and unless you look closely, you probably won't know who he is. First, a brief introduction to Hamazura Shiage. He's a typical delinquent with messy brown hair and casual clothing like a tracksuit and jeans, and he was a member of Skill-Out.
He also appeared in the anime!
Source: A Certain Magical Index ©Kamachi Kazuma/ASCII Media Works/PROJECT-INDEX
He idolized the leader, Komaba Toshimitsu, but at the end of the second season of the anime, Komaba Toshimitsu was defeated by Accelerator, and Hamazura became the new leader. Then, in order to curry favor with the higher-ups of Academy City, he receives a request to attack Misaka Misuzu, Misaka Mikoto's mother, but is interrupted by Kamijou Touma and Accelerator, who come to his aid, and his plan fails. The thug who gets lectured and punched by Kamijou while bleeding from the nose is Hamazura Shiage.
The Value of Remaining Normal in a World of Magic and Science
Source: A Certain Magical Index ©Kamachi Kazuma/ASCII Media Works/PROJECT-INDEX
He is timid for a delinquent and tends to belittle his own lack of power. He believes that becoming the leader of the Skill-Outs was a natural progression (though Hanzo says he is well-liked as a leader). However, after being influenced by Kamijou during the assassination attempt on Misaka Misuzu, he finds the courage to stand up to the enemy at the last moment in order to protect Takitsubo, who later becomes his lover. During his time with Skill-Out, he had a complex about being an ordinary person and sought to attract attention from those around him, but after becoming a member of the new "ITEM", he has come to see value in remaining ordinary.
Qualities of a Hero
Source: A Certain Magical Index ©Kamachi Kazuma/ASCII Media Works/PROJECT-INDEX
In Aiwass, one of the three types of heroes is described as "someone who is not chosen by anyone, who does not possess any qualities, but who can become a hero for the sake of just one important person." Furthermore, unlike Kamijou, who cares for others more than necessary, even his enemies, he will stop at nothing to protect those he wishes to protect, sometimes even committing crimes and even murder, and becoming cruel of his own volition.
Hamazura Shiage's Way of Protection
This extends to the choice to protect those he wishes to protect, even if it means hurting them. Birdway's character assessment expands on Aiwass's assessment, broadening the scope of his protection to include "protecting those he wishes to protect" and "protecting those he wishes to protect." Given Hamazura's current personality, it seems he has developed a disposition to jump into action to save those in need, even if it means sacrificing himself.
He's neither a psychic nor a magician
Source: A Certain Magical Index ©Kamachi Kazuma/ASCII Media Works/PROJECT-INDEX
As evidenced by his membership in Skill-Out, Hamazura is a student without special abilities. He possesses no special powers like Kamijou Touma's "Imagine Breaker," making him a genuine underachiever. In terms of strength, he's at the very bottom of the hierarchy.
Hamazura Shiage's Abilities
He possesses some handy skills, developed during his time in Skill-Out, like lockpicking and dismantling ATMs. He's also skilled at driving heavy machinery and other vehicles, even though he doesn't have a license. He's surprisingly dexterous. However, none of these skills are particularly useful in combat. He's practically an amateur when it comes to fighting, but if he thinks it's necessary, he'll try to find a breakthrough by utilizing the terrain, facilities, and everything around him.
The Third Protagonist
Source: A Certain Magical Index ©Kamachi Kazuma/ASCII Media Works/PROJECT-INDEX
Hamazura is a low-ranking member of the dark organization "ITEM," performing odd jobs such as procuring and driving cars. "ITEM" is on the same level of secrecy as the dark organization "Group" to which Accelerator belongs, and fulfills requests from the higher-ups of Academy City. This organization, led by Mugino Shizuri, Academy City's fourth-ranked esper (Level 5), also featured in Railgun SS, is comprised of members Mugino Shizuri, Kinuba Saiai, Takitsubo Rikou, and Frenda Seivelun.
Those with the Courage to Protect
During the conflict between the Anbu, Hamazura becomes attracted to Takitsubo's kindness, who even sacrificed himself for the sake of saving him despite his lack of esper abilities. Perhaps inspired by the lecture and punch he received from Kamijo after his failed attack on Misaka Misuzu, Hamazura is able to act courageously to protect those he cares about. He unexpectedly rises to become the third protagonist, following Kamijo Touma and Accelerator. Though powerless, Hamazura's struggle to protect those he cares about ultimately leads to his defeat of a Level 5, making him a figure viewed as a threat by the Academy City leadership.
The Relationships Between the Three Protagonists
Source: A Certain Magical Index ©Kamachi Kazuma/ASCII Media Works/PROJECT-INDEX
The heroine on Hamazura's side is Takitsubo. His willingness to risk his life to protect her somehow makes him more like a light novel protagonist than Kamijou Touma, and the author has described him as "the protagonist with the most advanced approach to relationships with women." The number of comrades he has shared with, including those who used Item and Skill-Out, has increased significantly, including when they traveled to Russia, suggesting a strong sense of camaraderie. Due to misunderstandings when they first met, he was initially on the verge of hostility with Accelerator, but Accelerator himself took a liking to him, perhaps due to his motivation for fighting. He also had a dismissive relationship with Kamijou Touma when they first met, but by the time they met again, their relationship had already become more relaxed.
Power Balance Between the Protagonists
In the afterword, the author officially places him alongside the protagonist, describing him as "a man with a straightforward conviction, possessing no special powers, and possessing a clenched fist" who can defeat Kamijou. This creates a three-way power balance: Hamazura > Kamijo > Accelerator > Hamazura.
Hamazura Shiage's only high-performance weapon: the Powered Armor (Powered Suit)
Source: A Certain Magical Index ©Kamachi Kazuma/ASCII Media Works/PROJECT-INDEX
The suit itself does not have significant combat power. Its purpose is to ensure the strength, durability, and oxygen intake necessary for piloting. However, it is expandable and designed to accommodate modules. The design is based on a rider suit, rather than the armor seen in "A Certain Scientific Railgun." Theoretically, it's safe even when falling at top speed. The helmet receives external information electronically and displays and processes it internally, completely covering the entire head.
Cyborg
When piloting with this equipment, the suit adjusts to match the perceived speed of the human body, close to subsonic speed. This creates a discrepancy in the exchange of brain information due to issues with perception and recognition speed. Therefore, the suit not only provides support from the "external" side, but also processes electrical stimuli and brain information appropriately "internally," providing dual support to the five senses. The suit is also linked to an information control device, allowing the pilot to borrow special piloting techniques, knowledge, and skills, which can then be acquired as their own "experience." In other words, it becomes a kind of simplified "cyborg."
Because of its overwhelming power
The exchange of vast amounts of information is supported by a support software called "Aneri." Aneri appears to be endowed with advanced analytical capabilities, to the extent that she grew attached to Hamazura the first time she used it. Due to the suit's high specs, Hamazura himself feared this power, saying that "it would be healthier to master it for oneself." In fact, Hamazura does not rely entirely on the suit, using it solely as a "tool" in his battle with Silver Cloth, and also using the dark side weapon "Five Over," which is of the same standard but would not normally be required to be so versatile, by using a change in his own "thinking."
Why Hamazura Shiage Became the Protagonist
Source: A Certain Magical Index ©Kamachi Kazuma/ASCII Media Works/PROJECT-INDEX
Author Kamachi had been thinking, "If this guy plays an important role, readers would be surprised," ever since he was writing the short story.In fact, Hamazura, who to many readers was merely an antagonist, was unexpectedly promoted to a protagonist. As mentioned above, Hamazura is a protagonist who "rose from a mere minor character to a hero through his own efforts," and this is Hamazura's defining characteristic.
As an Antithesis...
Other characters, such as Kamijo and Accelerator, fight under the condition that "if they don't win, the story can't move forward" and "if they lose, it will be tragic." Hamazura was created as an antithesis to these conditions, a character who "can move the story forward even if they lose" and who "can move forward even if they have to crawl on the ground and cry."
Summary
A major factor in Hamazura's rise from a completely minor character to a protagonist is his performance in the Anbu conflict. As the five secret organizations clash with each other with their own agendas, Takitsubo Riko overuses her powers using her body crystal to track down the enemy and protect Hamazura, putting her life in danger if she continues to use her powers. However, Mugino Shizuri, the leader of the "Items," still tries to get Takitsubo to use his powers to track down the enemy, but Hamazura refuses and escapes with Takitsubo. In an attempt to let Takitsubo escape and lure Mugino himself, Hamazura uses Takitsubo's body crystal as a decoy to confront Mugino. The biggest highlight will be how they defeat Level 5 Mugino. It is unclear whether the third season will air this far, but be sure to watch the anime and keep an eye on Hamazura Shizura, the future protagonist!
