In the scene where Kuroko and friends arrive to rescue Misaka and Nunotaba from 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
inVoluntary 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:
Kuroko's reaction showing the hand gesture in question:
