Steins;Gate Review

In terms of plot, Steins; Gate is a remarkable accomplishment. It handles an interesting premise with an original and thought-provoking manner. As a time-travel-theory novice I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the physics involved, nevertheless the context is pretty heavy-going, enough to indicate the writers have a vague idea over the subject matter. Or at least enough to make the utterly absurd sound plausible i.e. the microwave that sends text messages to the past. Unfortunately this is one of the few drawbacks, the overtly technical side. Understandably it can be a bit overwhelming especially in the beginning and factoring in the speed at which things progress, it’s not easy to digest initially. 

Steins; Gate takes it time to introduce the cast, the setting and the science, all done to the anime’s credit, before plummeting full throttle into a magnificent thriller that becomes the focal point. Despite a relatively repetitive sequence of events (literally), the storyline itself does not become repetitive. Quite the opposite actually, it becomes grippingly addictive. This is in no small part due to the unravelling of the complex, multi-layered plot and the fascinating exploration of trying to twist it back together.

For the most part, the characters are crafted wonderfully. Okarin as the primary protagonist and self-proclaimed mad scientist experiences the most character development largely down to the emotional roller-coaster he endures and thus is the most three dimensional. Whereas his immediate companions, Mayuri and Daru are essentially stereotypes or stereotypes, yet are delightful enough. Kurisu the female protagonist and blatant love interest is a little more challenging. On the one hand her interactions with Okarin provide enjoyable conflict and on the other her personality weakens in the context of the backstory. However it’s the secondary cast, cat-girl and the girl-guy who are an eternal source of annoyance. At first I took them for throw away characters and I wasn’t strictly speaking wrong. As plot devices they’re integral, as characters they’re not.

All in all, Steins; Gate is an incredible feat, one that’s rarely seen these days. Yes, it’s not perfect, there are flaws primarily in the character department, but these are so minimal in comparison to the shows ultimate triumph, it practically re-writes the sci-fi genre. High recommendations.

Rating: 9/10

Steins; Gate - 05 Rendezvous of Electrical Charge Conflict & 06 Divergence of Butterfly Effect

Having already started on a path of steady progression, episode five really began to wind the series down. The daunting and somewhat horrific CERN discoveries could have easily occupied the previous episode rather then padding out the final moments of this one. A bad quality with Steins; Gate is its ability to turn very quickly from light-hearted scenarios to suddenly very complicated and in depth discussions that can go over the head of a complete novice such as myself. It’s easy to find yourself horrendously lost if you haven’t been contracting.

Of course the show seeks to accommodate us novices by intriguing character dynamics. Spurred on by the prior episode, the gentle conflict between Okarin and Makise continues as the pair passes the time with such activities as eating, playing board games and sharing a mutual love for Dr. Pepper. However this means that the technological side of the series is becoming so subtle that it’s practically graining to a halt. Fortunately the presence of Suzyha Amane and her unexplained dislike of Makise gave new speculation as to her part in this time-travel/conspiracy story.

Episode six more or less confirmed what most fans had already suspected with regards to the Amane/Makise conflict, that Amane comes from the future and Makise is destined to wrong her in someway. To be honest it was fairly obvious, but the how, the what, and the why have been left wide open for future development. Kiryuu seemed to become relevant to the storyline at last, with an interesting personal quirk on par with Okarin’s paranoia. Certainly a character I’d like to see more of as oppose to Mayuri who is a less is more. More on Kiryuu seems promising as Okarin invites her to join his harem, I mean laboratory.

Oh the popular culture time travel references! Fantastic! I suppose you should expect nothing less of a bunch of nerds. The series really know their cast and their audience.

Steins; Gate 04 - Rendezvous of Abstract Fluctuation

With each Steins; Gate episode passing, another piece of the puzzle falls into place and still I have no idea where the series is heading. There is still any number of possible outcomes and I really like that this anime hasn’t resigned itself so early on. As well as allowing itself ample amounts of time. Only another eighteen episodes to go!

Through anti-climatic, episode four was certainly no less dramatic. The relationship between Okarin and Makise was examined further as the pair embarked upon a very arbitrary mission. The pair are perfect couple material with Makise playing straight-man to Okarin’s mad scientist. There is definitely chemistry between those two, mark my words. Furthermore my dilemmas with Makise’s reaction to the phone-microwave-time machine were neatly followed up. It was also good to see two of the female cast having made a connection outside of Okarin, but that doesn’t yet rule out that he is the gravitating force of this series.

Verdict: Great