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In the scene where Kuroko and friends arrive to rescue Misaka and Nunotaba
from [STUDY](https://toarumajutsunoindex.fandom.com/wiki/STUDY) where Misaka
has been given a paralysis drug and is using her electrical abilities to
control her own nervous system to move (becoming somewhat like a "human stun
gun"), Kuroko teleports to embrace Misaka unaware of that fact and gets a
surprising shock (pun intended).

She makes a gesture with both hands resembling the hand gesture spiderman
makes when he shoots web silk from his hands (thumb, index, and little fingers
pointing out, and middle and ring finger pointing in / folded (actually, her
right thumb is pointing in too, but left thumb is pointing out)), and crosses
her arms in a defensive-looking pose.

What's the meaning/significance of that hand gesture?

I haven't read the light novels or the manga adaptation, so perhaps there's
information about this hand gesture that I'm missing from there. I also know
little to nothing about culture in Japan.

I think must be missing something meaningful, because it's so _specific_ , and
seems weirdly out of place.

  * To my memory, having watched all three seasons about half a year ago and rewatching them now, I don't remember her making such a hand gesture in any other scene in the anime.

  * The hand gesture seems intentional. It's not a gesture that one would accidentally make or make without a bit of thinking.

She doesn't seem to be involuntarily contorting / spasming due to the
electrical shock. Her body pose and arm configuration is one of defending
oneself (again, a rather controlled and intentional movement ("A
~~[in](https://toarumajutsunoindex.fandom.com/wiki/An_Involuntary_Movement)~~
Voluntary Movement (AVM)"\- if you will ;) )).

Does this hand gesture have some sort of cultural significance in Japan, in
anime/manga, in the Toaru world, in Academy City, or in Misaka's friend group
that explains why she made it here? Does she even make it in the manga
adaptation?

Before and during the embrace:  
![Before Kuroko's embrace](https://i.stack.imgur.com/kRDVrm.png) ![The shock
of the embrace](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wfx3vm.png)

Kuroko's reaction showing the hand gesture in question: ![Kuroko's reaction
showing the hand gesture in question](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1GJbYl.png)


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question
a-certain-scientific-railgun
Why does Shirai Kuroko make "spiderman hands" in shock when she gets accidentally tased by Misaka's body?


It looks like the [Chudon Pose
(ちゅどーんポーズ)](https://dic.pixiv.net/a/%E3%81%A1%E3%82%85%E3%81%A9%E3%83%BC%E3%82%93%E3%83%9D%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA),
which is commonly used in [Rumiko
Takahashi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumiko_Takahashi)'s manga/anime
(probably Inuyasha is best known abroad).

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/TVKsU.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/TVKsU.png)

In [the linked
article](https://dic.pixiv.net/a/%E3%81%A1%E3%82%85%E3%81%A9%E3%83%BC%E3%82%93%E3%83%9D%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA),
it says something like 'the gesture is often used when the character is blown
away (physically or mentally)', which would fit the scene where Kuroko is
electric-shocked.

It also mentions that the pose is used by many manga artists. While the pose
itself has no meaning, it is instantly recognizable in the manga/anime world.
Artists today may even be using it without realizing its roots.

I don't know the timeline of Railgun, but Takahashi's Chudon pose is used
already in Urusei Yatsura or Ranma 1/2, which were made in 1970s/1980s.
Regarding the Railgun light novels and manga adaptation, I can't personally
check, but most probably, it's homage by animators.

* * *

To be clear, the gesture means nothing in Japan.


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answer