Steins;Gate

What more can I say about this anime that hasn't already been said? It's a fantastic show that left an impression on me and I absolutely loved the journey.

The story is so well written that I think it is arguably one of the best scifi anime's out there, the pacing for me was perfect, it took its time to introduce the characters and while people might see it as slow to start off, the payoff is definitely worth the wait. The story is about a self proclaimed "Mad Scientist" named Okabe Rintarou but prefers to be called HOUOIN KYOUMA who experiments the theory of time ... travel with his other lab members and he come's across a breakthrough that could change the face of science forever.

The art is very dark and rather realistic look to it which actually compliments the theme and atmosphere very well, there are not too many locations, most of it is in the lab which is a small room. I really loved the character designs as they were all very unique and suit their personalities very well.

I loved the opening of steins gate, the voices are spot on, the bgm is subtle and rather quiet and my only nitpick is that they had good oppurtunities for bgm at times but it wasn't utilized but apart from that it was amazing.

This is the crowning achievement for me because I loved every character, all of them likeable. Kurisu or Kristina the Tsundere, Daru the otaku, Mayurii the childish girl with a pure heart, and of course HOUOIN KYOUMA (Okabe Rintarou) who is eccentric, arrogant, paranoid but still likeable because it fits him perfectly. There is no character development apart from Okabe who changes himself for the better but still manages to keep his old traits. Watching him throughout the series and his interactions with others is what really makes the show interesting to watch and be invested as to what they do.

This show while slow at the start becomes incredibly interesting that you cannot help but feel happy, sad, and curious. It's definitely one of the best anime's I have seen and have recommended it to a lot of people.

On paper, Steins; Gate presents an interesting mix of genres. Steins; Gate (SG) is a psychological thriller, in the same genre as Code Geass and Ultimate Survivor Kaiji. Also, SG is a visual novel adaptation, similar to Clannad or Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai. Most VN adaptations (including SG) have a harem setup and dramatic romance.

Unfortunately, SG isn't as thrilling as Code Geass and Kaiji, and it doesn't have the comedy, romance or charm factor of most good romance/dramas.

Story (7)

The story has a lot of interesting sci-fi concepts. The little laboratory team has a machine that can send text messages to ... the past. If the receiver of the message in the past acts upon the message and significantly changes the past, the future is changed as well. Later on, there is a machine that sends memories to the past. That is also very cool.

The text message machine raises a few questions. If the text messages change the past, only the things affected by the message are different from the previous reality in the SG world. If one rewrites ("shuffles") history and changes world lines, shouldn't many things overall in the world get shuffled and changed? If you shuffle a deck of cards, will they be in the same order as before you shuffled them? Even things not affected by the text message shouldn't be the same, if the world is rewritten. This is just one example of the logic gaps or questions in Steins; gate.

The outline of the plot is good. An evil organization, SERN, has learned about the time machine, and they are trying to take it over so they can rule the world under a police state. In episode 12, there is a great plot twist that really gets the story moving. There is a promising outline for a story, which progresses after Episode 12.

However, almost everything before episode 12 is so boring, and drags horribly. In one episode, the lab team sits in front of a computer for 20 minutes, which is very unexciting. The first 11 episodes are filled with bad attempts at humor from the cliched members of the lab team. The second half picks up the pace, but it is dragged down by the dramatic harem, where the male lead helps each girl in need. The harem in SG is weak because it does not match the thriller genre, and the romance is average at best.

SG finally gets thrilling in the last couple episodes, and ends very nicely. Overall, the SG story is good, but with a lot of wasted potential.

Characters (6)

The best character in SG is the male lead, Okabe. He plays the mad scientist role very well. He likes to stir things up with the other lab members and make some jokes. He pretends to call on his phone, which is usually funny. He is a crazy eccentric, which works. Despite being head of the science lab, he is sometimes as dumb as the average harem lead. But overall, Okabe is a solid character.

The problem is the rest of the characters. Instead of a female lead with personality, we get a textbook tsundere (Christina) instead. She caters to the Toaru Majutsu no Index fanbase. If you've seen many tsundere series, you may be tired of the stale act after the first couple of episodes.

The fat male assistant, Daru, provides pandering jokes (about having "2-D waifus" and the like). His jokes feel really out of place most of the time. The other female main is the same as Shiro from Deadman Wonderland, and she adds nothing to the series.

The side charactes are even worse. There is a cat maid, which is really out of place in this sci-fi series. Even more out of place is the boy dressed in drag, who has a crush on the mad scientist. The characters are harem-style, which does not fit in a good sci-fi story. Okabe's interactions with the girls (and guy) is really awkward in the second half, with a lot of ridiculous drama. One of the lowest points of the series is Okabe going on a date with the trap, which does not fit the "thriller" label.

There is some very good interaction between Okabe and Christina throughout this series, but the rest is annoying. 6 is a high score for an average cast like this.

Art and sound: (7 and 8)

The art is a strong point of SG. The characters are drawn very well and are attractive. There are some well-done special effects for when time traveling machines are used. The art looks good, although it is similar to many other series. But the dark atmosphere is conveyed well.

The sound is great. Okabe's voice actor (Miyano Mamoru, best known as Yagami Light of Death Note) does a great job of voicing the mad scientist. Christina's voice is also excellent. The soundtrack works well with the plot and setting, although none of the tracks are memorable.

Enjoyment (7)

The emotional aspect of SG comes through very well at times. In the middle of the series, Okabe repeatedly goes back in time to save his best friend, Mayushi, and fails each time. Okabe has to watch her die many times, which is very sad and depressing. Also, the romance between Okabe and the girl he confesses to is done well. It's far from the best romantic relationships in anime, but it works well. The romance/drama is one of SG's stronger qualities, as expected from a VN adaptation.

The negative for enjoyment is that SG is not thrilling, except for a few episodes. Some of that is due to the time-travel setup. If Okabe messes up, he can just rewind and try again an unlimited number of times. It is more thrilling when a characters actions have consequences. For example, if Kaiji (from the Ultimate Survivor Kaiji series) messes up one of his gambles, he'll die or spend the rest of his life in a forced labor camp!!! In SG, the character can just press the reset button. The time travel in SG is better for emotions than thrills. Some of the logical leaps in the final episodes were cringe-worthy, as well.

Overall, Steins; Gate is a good series, but it is very overrated. It has some good points, but it is not a masterpiece. Other series (particularly Noein and The Tatami Galaxy) have used time travel better, without weak characters and plot holes. SG's strongest points are interesting sci-fi concepts, Okabe's character, and some of the romance/drama. However, several flaws keep this down to a 7 in my book.

Story: 7
Art: 7
Sound: 8
Characters: 6
Enjoyment: 7
Overall: 7

“He who wants to do good knocks at the gate; he who loves finds the gate open.”

Steins;Gate is often touted as one of the most complex and engaging time-travel stories in recent memory; a sci-fi thrill ride that holds at its core, a tender tale of love and friendship that touched me. Originally a visual novel highly praised for the attention to detail, branching plot points and masterful utilisation for that style of game-play, the anime adaptation by Studio White Fox carefully blended these aspects from the game into a compelling plot traversing several timelines for a memorable experience unlike no other. Revolving around a ... makeshift lab group that unexpectedly wound up inventing their own time machine, they explore the idea of “D-Mails”: messages sent back in time with the potential to change the world around them. But curiosity gets the better of them and they delve too far into the realm of time-travel, taking viewers on an enthralling journey filled with intrigue and upset. This journey starts with a more light-hearted approach to introducing characters and concepts that come with some pacing issues, before the series takes a drastic change in tone and stakes, turning into the emotional rollercoaster that makes Steins;Gate a masterpiece in the eyes of many. The consensus is this shift marks the point where the show “getz guud”, but what’s often left unrecognized is how essential the slower, witty earlier episodes were for the weight and tension to have such a profound effect.

Set amidst the sun-beaten city of Akihabara lies one self-proclaimed “mad scientist” Rintaro Okabe, the man with the plan to thwart malevolent strategies of the elite, an underground freedom fighter striving for justice. A seminar on time-travel has caught his eye, but only comes to find out it’s nothing more than plagiarism. After causing a ruckus and leaves he stumbles across something much more alarming – the dead body of a young auburn-haired girl. Disheartened he texts the news to a friend, and with the click of a button, the world around him changes in an instant. At first glance it all appears identical, but soon learns his memories do not quite match with his surroundings, most notably Makise Kurisu, the woman he thought dead appears before him alive and well. What follows is an uncanny chain of events that bring Okabe and Kurisu together as the duo along with the rest of the Future Gadget Laboratory seek to understand how such events came to be; the science behind it all. During this time the entire cast is introduced in some way, with adequate time spent fleshing out characters.

Okabe shines as star of the show, bombarding scenes with several bursts of ridiculous theories and conspiracies of a supposed “Organization”, even referring himself in third-person as “Hououin Kyouma”. The scientist is anything but lucid, coming off an enigma equipped with such comical prose that has all around him in awe. Or bewilderment. Nevertheless he keeps the level of intrigue at constant max. Next to him is fellow scientist Makise Kurisu, except she legitimately warrants the title as a genius neuroscience researcher, famous for many accomplishments at such a young age. She’s a firm believer in order and logical reason, making her a perfect opposite for our protagonist and has no problem pointing out Okabe’s bulls**t. Unfortunately for her, she’s also a tsundere – a trait Okabe often teases her for. The dynamic between the polarizing duo is always creative, playful and especially a treat when attempting to explain technobabble and scientific lingo. Makise acts as the level-headed, analytical shadow to back up Okabe’s imaginative and expressive mind, with the plot being a perfect environment to develop a relationship between the two over the course of the show.

Other members of the Future Gadget Laboratory consist of Mayuri, Okabe’s childhood friend and the most upbeat of the group, with her optimistic and somewhat dim-witted nature has her regulated to keeping team morale high. However, she becomes an essential part of the plot progression in the latter half. Daru, the sarcastic hacker of the group and a colossal pervert, but with a preference to a subtler approach, allowing for more glimpses of his good nature to shine past his vulgar behaviour. Suzuha, a tomboy that started working near the lab and is drawn towards their work, but constantly shows to know more that she should about the group. There’s also a woman that only communicates through text message, a maid with a knack for cat noises, a man with the mannerisms and voice of a woman… yet still a dude, etc. Steins;Gate happens to have a cast full of intriguing, quirky personalities with constant chemistry between them and a distinct script to match that keep the slow parts of the story worth the investment.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the writing in Steins;Gate comes from its concept of time travel and how it’s integrated in the narrative. Most time travel stories never go in depth with any rules or limitations that come when tampering with time; rather only use the idea as basic plot devices, but this is when Steins;Gate breaks from the crowd – it aims to give viewers a solid understanding of what is and isn’t possible, along with effects that come as a result of hopping through “World Lines”: divergent worlds that one can move to and from through time intervention. This is shown through using D-Mails to change Okabe’s reality; the only one with the ability to carry memories across when the timeline is altered, permitting viewers to witness the phenomena from his perspective; a fresh take on the common butterfly effect. It’s a unique, believable perception on the subject which works coherently with the narrative for the most part, giving the series an edge over other time-related shows. However Steins;Gate never gets bogged down in theories or tries to explain itself to the over-analytical; les not forget the original time machine is basically a phone connected to a microwave. It understands the strengths of being a piece of entertainment, effectively balancing hard science with fun hijinks. What I also find impressive is how the theories presented evolve proportionately as experiments are performed, to where the discoveries made are ground-breaking and immensely sought after by powerful organizations. Grasping the severity of their situation leads them to ponder how and if they should continue research, questioning what’s more important to them as a group – touching on topics I never expected from a show so deceptively comedic.

Sadly, as everyone who’s finished the series knows, this deception was not meant to last. Looking back, there’s a significant amount of foreshadowing sprinkled across this period, that something drastic was bound to happen. Something was coming, and no matter what choices were made, they were not going to stop what is now destiny…

“My watch has stopped.”

This is the point when Steins;Gate shows its hand, moving from the funny, well-written slice of life we knew to a darker, intense thriller that never looks back; as if the series took a shot of adrenaline where the rush of exhilaration is almost palpable. It still has its fair share of humour present, but now the direction of the show is clear; Okabe desperately trying to escape from fate’s clutches after countless time leaps all lead to the same predicament followed with the same result: death. Like the watch and hourglass show, the time for fun and games is over. The conflict of “Man vs Time” conveyed here was excellent, with time serving as an unforgiving, ubiquitous antagonist and a cruel reminder of the dangers that come from meddling with multiple world lines. Tension and stakes are raised to the heavens as Okabe must try and reverse all the effects of past D-Mails sent in order to return to the original timeline in a nail-biting thrill-ride if he ever wishes to reach happiness, whilst doing so allows for a greater understanding behind each character’s motivation for their personally sent D-Mail. Unfortunately some subplots, most notably the romance-driven ones with side characters can come of flat, tedious and even ludicrous, falling victim to common visual novel tropes that do more harm than good here. However Steins;Gate still holds up throughout thanks to Okabe and the tribulations he faces.

It’s easy to get lost in the world of Steins;Gate – the mostly smart plot, eccentric cast, striking visuals, beautiful music, etc. are all great pieces to the series on their own, but what makes the show so incredible in the eyes of many is thanks to Okabe. While originally established as an off-the-wall character whose oddities can come off strange or jarring, his actions and thoughtfulness keep him from becoming a mere walking ball of cringe and more like an actual human. But it’s not until Okabe finds himself in a never-ending cycle of despair where his outlandish persona is revealed to be just a mask; a façade to hide his true feelings. The incredibly wacky mad scientist is still a part of his essence, but that’s all it is, a singular part of the whole Okabe. His moments of compassion beforehand are only glimpses to his true self, and it’s not until his smokescreen is blown away when we are left with a near-painfully kind individual that longs to form bonds with others. At the heart lies a lonely man who finds difficulty in expressing himself, and when push comes to shove he can be deadly serious and sombre. The juxtaposition between his former idiosyncratic self and this broken man now is so brilliantly written that watching it all unfold hits hard, coming across a lot more empathetic and, dare I say relatable than what most people are comfortable coming to terms with. Pushing him so far down a desolate, agonizing state made him realize his disguise and reminded him what he really cares about most, urging him to rise against adversity and be the hero he needs to be, leaving viewers to experience one of the most suspenseful arcs in all of anime.

When looking at the technical side of Steins;Gate, there’s something alluring with the art used: striking character designs with uncanny, intimidating eyes and stark textures comes off expressive and engaging. Coupled with a high contrast, sterile pallet that adds to sci-fi and mystery elements, often giving a grounded, dreary feel that somehow manages to compliment the numerous antics taking place on screen. Speaking of, there’s a clear understanding of camera placement and shot composition present throughout, almost always feeling as though viewers are in Okabe’s head. The cinematography and lighting is used to maximum effect, never relying on animation to keep the story moving forward. The animation used is solid, but not particularly noteworthy and cannot compete with some of the best animation of its year, though this is never a problem as the overall presentation does a splendid job capturing the bleak setting with muted colour schemes and easily transitions between different atmospheres.

Regarding the sound, Steins;Gate always manages to hit the right notes at the right times. The soundtrack composed of piano pieces that when used consistently helped increase the impact of the emotional and powerful moments, with both “Gate of Steiner” and “Believe Me” standout tracks that were always a pleasure to listen to. But nothing compares to the anime’s opening, “Hacking to the Gate”, an iconic theme with some of the best use of concise animation, symbolism and subtle foreshadowing in recent memory, bound to get even the deaf excited for the show. The ED’s used are also very well done in their own right, but nothing is going to come close to matching the sheer hype of the OP. The voice-acting for both subbed and dubbed versions are outstanding, most notably for the main character, matching the witty dialogue with a magnetic tone and range that is rarely found in the medium. The only issue with the English dub is the slight changes in the script that can negatively impact on the immersion, but with a series like this I highly doubt that would be a problem for most.

Steins;Gate is like a puzzle that slowly and methodically comes together over the course of its run, combining pieces of a great time travel tale with gripping drama to bring us something special, doing so with grand flourish. Looking back there certainly are issues and flaws apparent, but they aren’t enough to stop the wonderful ride Steins;Gate takes you on: a journey filled with all sorts of emotions and intrigue that is nearly unmatched. What started as pure innocuous curiosity ultimately came down to Okabe having to choose between the two people he cares about most where he’s left with an impossible decision, making for an incredibly tragic climax. The ending does cheapen this highpoint and is poorly constructed compared to the rest of the runtime, but personally I feel Okabe and the series in general deserved the kind of conclusion it got – the true end emphasizing that getting what you want always comes with a level of sacrifice, but by enduring such, you have the power the overcome any obstacle in your way.

~ Everyone has Reading Steiner. Even if the worldline changes. Even if the past and the future are rewritten. Your memories remain. You've merely forgotten. All it takes is a push, and you can remember. The memories of those lost three weeks. The memories we made together. "Welcome back, my assistant, Makise Kurisu -- no, Christina." I reach into my pocket and take out the last pin. Nobody knows what the future holds. And that is why, just as this reunion demonstrates, the possibilities are endless. I place this pin in Kurisu's hand. I gently close her hand in mine. And, holding back my tears, I tell her... "This is the choice of Steins Gate." ~

Steins;Gate has the potential to be a wonderful anime. Despite its minor flaws, it lives up to that potential. Summed up in a sentence? A 24 episode series with a lot of action, inventive tech, otaku babble, and unique characters.

I have to profess that I did not understand this show for at least half of its running. Then again, I didn't really follow Chaos;Head either. But the English dub of Steins;Gate is superb and I really recommend checking it out. Why?

STORY: I have to admit. Halfway through the series I was lost. I didn't understand the importance between a lot of things in the series. ... I also wasn't a fan of how the show ran very, very much like an eroge. I get that it's the point: not only are the characters otaku, but it's originally based on a visual novel. Great. Still, I feel it ruined a bit of the frantic nature of some of the episodes. Like, it starts out great and then has to address someone's arc every few episodes to hit each of Okabe's women's arcs (or good/bad endings as they're referred to in eroge). Like the time traveler's story, or the crazy girl's history, or a date with the trap, or saving the moe cafe girl. Ridiculous stuff that we could have done without. I have to say, though, one thing that got me was the whole switching world lines concept. Why bother, if you're just essentially changing lanes and not actually changing the future? A character brings this up late in the series but it's pretty quickly dropped. So, they have an ideal timeline, but there's still all those other world lines. Doesn't make much sense, to me. I think quite a bit more could have been done with SERN, as well. And there's quite a bit of suspension of disbelief. You need to just say, "Yeah, okay," and nod along with all the techno babble and raionalization even if it differs from every other theory you've heard (or flat out doesn't make sense).

SOUND: Sometimes poor voice acting can really ruin a show, no matter how amazing the premise. This is NOT one of those shows; the complete opposite actually. I found the sub hard to follow, but the dub is just great. Each VA really fits their roll and the Funimation rework is lovely. I really appreciate when animation companies rework anime into something that is at once loyal to the original version AND brings in new viewers. I think the other shows I've seen that have done the same (altered, but not too much, and normalized for new English speaking viewers) would be Lupin III (red jacket series that is aired on adult swim) and InuYasha. Steins;Gate is the same. I also got a kick out of Okabe referencing Lupin III at one point, when his VA did a voice in one of the Lupin series (as did their downstairs neighbor). It felt like he had switched to a completely different type of world line!

CHARACTER: The characters in this show are unique. They certainly hit a lot of tropes, but manage to stand alone as well. For instance, Okabe is fantastic. He's a self proclaimed mad scientist and speaks in flowery, academic wording. There's Mayuri, the genki girl. In any other world (I'm thinking almost every single Key Visual world) she may serve no tangible purpose. But here she's almost as important as Haruhi Suzumiya in her scope of casual importance. There's the tsundere genius that started all the problems in the first place. There's the chubby, eroge obsessed guy (who also happens to have a great story). There's the quiet but crazy one. This is a cast of great characters. Okabe quickly gains a harem of women which makes the series feel less like a time traveling delusion (similar to Chaos;Head) and more like an eroge. But the girls are all great. Ok, and the trap is wonderful too. How he's introduced by Okabe in the dub is hilarious. The only misstep here is the hacker who can't open his mouth without spewing a trope or meme, and that's fine. But the show will be heavily timestamped (much like Lupin III in which the characters talk about dated references). Unless, of course, that's the point since the show DOES have a literal time stamp on every episode. In that case: very clever!

ANIMATION: Someone walked in while I was watching this and asked, "Every time I see this it's just so DARK." They weren't referring to the tone. The show itself is grungy, dark, and heavily desaturated. I don't understand this trend in anime. I understand it's useful when it pertains to the story, but a lot of the time it really didn't. Still, the character design is unique and nice to watch.

What I appreciated about the anime was that although it IS based on a "visual novel" there was little to no fan service. This show is all about the dialogue, emotions, and "science." I highly recommend the English dub.

Have you ever admired a TV show or a movie that you wish you could erase your memories to experience it once again? Steins;Gate is one of those anime series that comes around once in a blue moon, its amazing hook factor coupled with its well fleshed out and engaging characters makes it as one of the most thrilling science fiction stories of the modern era.

Steins;Gate follows the chronicle of Rintarou Okabe, the self-proclaimed mad scientist who prefers to go by the name "Hououin Kyouma", serving as the leader of the so-called "Future Gadget Laboratory". One day he accidentally invented a time machine in ... a form of a microwave that can send short e-mails to the past in which they later name as "D-mails". Successful D-mails that alters the past shall trigger a "Reading Steiner" effect and the world line will change depending on the gravity of the sent D-mail and Okabe is the only one who can observe the shift of world lines. Alongside Okabe, is the hardcore otaku, Daru, his childhood best friend, Mayuri, genius tsundere, Makise Kurisu, and with them along their journey are a supporting cast of characters that would become much more important than what they lead on to be later on down the road.

The first arc of the show deals with the experimentation of the time machine, introducing us how sending D-mails to the past affects the present day as Okabe discovers the drastic changes of the world around him. The pacing of the first arc is intended to be slow, concealing the group's repercussions from their scientific exploits. Once it hits the stride, the tone and atmosphere completely shifts and along those changes is Okabe's character.

Steins;Gate is a story about time travel on the surface but it's actually about the ill effects of it. The sacrifices that Okabe endured along the way are hard to watch, so much so that we would eventually empathize with his and the ensuing characters' struggles. As a viewer we'll get this uneasy feeling of resisting against time itself but at the same time being helpless as time moves away slowly. That feeling is neither joyful or sorrowful, but as a bittersweet nostalgic one, it's the agony that many of the characters must go through knowing that they must make sacrifices to their cherished memories together as friends. Okabe's life through friendship, emotion and the painful consequences of his decisions would deeply resonate with the viewers even after finishing the series and that is an experience we rarely encounter.

After experiencing a story like this, it is no wonder why people heralded the series as one of the best of all-time. It has outstanding characters that perfectly captures their bond and a uniquely complex time travel system which draws you into the story more. Add to these elements a plot that is equal parts intense and heartwarming then you have a modern sci-fi thriller in your hand. If you want an inspiring chronicle that centers around time travel, then you must check out Steins;Gate.

Time Machine. What does one think when hearing those two words? Most of us (Americans, anyway) think of cheesy CGI movies that date back longer than we care to remember. We often avoid the subject entirely, since it's all theory and hardly can be proven with current technology.

Albert Einstein once said "The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once."
How true does this hold today, or more importantly, in this particular anime? Steins;Gate answer this, and much more.

The basic storyline is of a man by the name of Okabe Rintarou that accidentally discovers a way to send messages into the past. ... I won't go into much detail past that, but from there, the story develops in such a way that you're gripping the edge of your seat, literally, popcorn flying from your hands as a new plot twist forever changes your perception of time, space - everything.

Because of the rave reviews from other viewers, I'll spare the detail of the art, story, sound, etc. But I do really want to talk about character development. No single major character (maybe excluding a few select minor characters) remained static. They all progressed as the storyline continued - to such an extent I can hardly call the main characters "themselves" anymore. Through experience after life changing experience, these characters' interactions changed their fundamental beliefs, views of life, and forever altered their faith on this particular subject.

At the beginning, it does start a bit disorientating. Much of the background is skipped, and the story delves head-first into the present. No time for such wimpy fillers and such, they ruin the overall mood of the story! Don't be discouraged, either - once the first couple of episodes runs its course, a larger picture emerges. One that leaves your jaw hanging by a thread, as you try and dissect the information that barrages you constantly.

What surprised me immensely was the way the story drew you in - instead of trying to tease you with little hints here and there, Steins;Gate keeps you guessing from the beginning of the episode to the last dregs of the end. Most of time, you cannot see the fastball that's already flying towards your face; when you manage to finally see, it's too late, and you get smacked in the face by a curveball traveling who knows how fast.

I digress - this anime was one of a kind. Though I cannot say much, because I have watched comparatively few anime, I can tell this is the golden egg of all TV shows. This series literally beats most of the Hollywood blockbusters I've managed to watch, and trust me, that's PLENTY.
This comes from a guy that used to laugh at such trivial notions like watching anime; please take my review into consideration and WATCH IT. You will not be disappointed in the least.

when i turned on steins gate i was hoping for a serious expose on microwaves and time travel; i am currently sticking things into my microwave to see if they pass the time/space mesh and show up in my memories when i was a small person.

ever since i can remember, last week, i have been experimenting with microwaving objects. when i heard stein had unlocked the secrets to time travel, i knew that all those hours standing very close to the microwave were not just rewarded with a slight head buzz, but also with science.

as i watched the drama of teenage love, ... through constant bouts of panic and nihilistic philosophical rants in front of the mirror, I couldn't help but wonder when it was going to break down the proper methodology of sending a frog back in time. all i could get was a thick black goo all over the place.

Needless to say it was NOT a documentary. But I should mention that the red head was actually lilith, the lady in red, who shows up now and again to represent the whore of confusion in modern illuminations. I would constantly draw a hex for warding and fear not cretens I would also draw protection from the back of my dollar bill from the evil eye. I could relate to the main character because he was also a mad scientist.

This one time I built a hat that blocked the government from spying on me.

The most frostbitten and grim problem in science fiction is that it does not go well with actual science.

The second problem is that it usually appeals only for popular and trendy themes without going further into their hard scientific side, which can be used to understand them realistically. I'm not talking about turning all science fiction into thorough research on the problems and tying it up to reality, but about careless swinging the science like it can do everything at any time you wish. Sad to say it, but a lot of science fiction authors pretend not to notice that science needs a REALLY long ... time to progress - therefore, they write stories about sudden revolutionary plot devices or techniques which can make science move faster and attract the common viewer's attention.

The worst problem is very often these are invented or operated by young and unexperienced ones. And if they need to be experienced or just able to do something right, authors turn them to the Chosen Ones or geniuses, to describe the whole impossibility of the plot.



And here comes Steins;Gate: an anime about the youth of the nation changing the world. While still being young, unexperienced and, most of all, plain mindless.
___________________________


Through approximately the last 10 years Japanese authors developed a kind of fetish about exploiting the young geniuses theme. Note: somehow in every third series, movie or OVA you can see a young adult, or nearly adult, or worst of all - a teenager savviyng no worse than its adult counterparts, which - in the worst case - will stand for a kind of moving useless background doing nothing intelligible. They are supposed to be professionals, but their professionality is only stated, never proven.

This is due to the fact creators need to describe the characters of specific age in order to attract a specific target audience so that their actions were understandable for viewers, or even persuaded them to think about their own actions. Even if the authors have to give to the child a mind and/or charisma which basically is unable to accumulate in such a young age. Yes, even if that child would be born and raised in a Masonic lodge and would learn to converse from aged seasoned prostitutes.

When in school, I knew a lot of really smart people, guys and girls. You can say we were attending the same club (the biology club). They were very aspiring, and later did well in their lives, but no one of the smartest girls was a egregiously imbalanced wench with a nearly perfect appearance publishing in scientific magasines since grade school. Hell, even the smartest girl of our club looked like a mop wearing loose T-shirt: she only cared for her mind, not for her appearance. Nerd girls go in this category too. You may like their intentions, but not their looks.

There are really few true geniuses in our world, but... now it's a kind of fashion to give a genius label to anyone who does not behave like a typical consumer. I do not deny that some people grasp something from childhood better than others - but not every second one. However, if we now look at the creations of Japanese authors in total, we see that in the anime version of Japan (note: described as real, otherwise it is an alternative history) the normal young people of current generation are not exposed to glamor (well, forget about kogals for now), do not smoke and drink heavily, have no streak for delinquency (we're laking about positively presented characters here, not obviously evil gang-bangers), are not typical consumers, and are not led by any basest interests. Pure ingenues.

No, of course not everyone are included in this list, but really a lot. And do not think I am a misanthrope: I respect everyone, unless the person in question is not a neo-Nazi, a feminist, a priest or a consumerism victim, which only wants to eat, to excrete and to entertain themselves.

Idealisation does not stop only on geniuses. Here come overly rich characters with their own maids or butlers, who own the whole lot and can easily make you vanish. Oligarchy is presented not in a negative vision, but in positive - these people bathe in champagne and eat caviar with golden ladles, spit on all others'heads emitting infernal laughs while covering their mouths, but we are forced to think this can be worked off. Instead of donating money for orphans, disabled people, cancer patients or the aforementioned science to make it go faster, they are living high lives, but still presented as lovable.
Noblesse oblige? Screw these plebs, I'm the rich one here, plebs gonna suffer.
Double standards, don't you think so?


So, if we now look at the typical characters from a bad-written anime script, most of them are just loose, licked up, ideals. Stereotypical, formulaic bishounens and bishoujos; one can understand by looking at them they are nothing but the mind, the honor and the conscience of the nation. Even if they are totally washed otaku guys/yaoi fangirls. Every fifth of them is a genius and can save the world in one finger flick, but simply does not want to. Not because he or she can be quietly eliminated for these actions, but just because he or she just does not want, you see, there are more important problems, such as what said person will eat today.
And, sadly, a few characters have a good, realistic image that would remind you of one of your friends. Not the escapist with a half-meter long crimson haircut, but your neighbor or friend or drinking buddy. They do not necessarily need a wild backstory with tears and drama: you simply make the characters actions appropriate in this situation, so that you can interpret it from your point of view.
___________________________


This anime is suffering primarily because of such kind of idealization of characters. A lot of formulaic, predictable and just boring gals are attached to the bunch of losers simply because... what? Right.
Here be place where a Main Problem of Juvenile Science Fiction appeared: yesterday's kids created something that mature and wise people with experience (as we thought) did not came up before. Customisation for the audience. Let's check them up: a stupid naive moegirl, an imbalanced foreigner girl with overly idealised mind AND appearance with no reason of being a classical tsundere, an annoying overly rich catgirl, a kuudere villain girl.

The typical fat otaku is displayed as idealised hacker. Let's just close our eyes on it: he even looks like a no-lifer... but, again, really heavily stereotyped. Again: mind, honor and conscience of the nation.

There goes time traveler Japanese girl saying that C(S)ERN will conquer the whole world in 2036. Whole world!
What about Islamic countries and its uncontrollable monotheistic doctrine? Want more videos about heads cut off, now starring C(S)ERN scientists?
Russia, which became even more wild in the last 20 years? They won't even reach Moscow without drowning in swamps.
North Korea, which dares to oppose everyone while being poor? It is the big and dangerously brainwashed hive which can lash on everyone the dictator does not like.
That's because there are a lot of Japanese science fiction authors (just like their American counterparts) thinking that their homeland is the center of the world: the homeland dies - the world dies along. They do not know a thing about the defensive abilities of other countries - they only judge the world by themselves. This makes a dystopian scenario origins quite clear.


Where was I? Even counting the fact that mature and wise people had already traveled in time before the losers club made it, the situation is not getting better. Authors have not explained the working principle of the oven: they just realized if they try to push at least one theory in the area where they know nothing, nerds and real scientists will bomb them with letters of offense. Therefore, they decided to keep silent, instead calling random pseudo-scientific thematic gibberish for nerds' fun and joy - just add a pair of facts taken from some Japanese gonzo editions for techies. If these things are already popular memes - they are already known by the people and will make more profit. The same reason forced them to make characters use said popular memes: the more visitors from the popular anonymous forums join the audience, the more of this series will be a profit. This is what you call a fanservice, not naked protagonists.

As everyday in modern Japan, this is never stated, but if you look, you'll see a very glaring detail: female domination in inappropriate places. Go and compare male protagonists with female protagonists: you can easily find out that females are always better, smarter, cuter and stronger in their will, and males are no-good losers. Liberal feminist conspiracy? You decide.

Art is nice, animation is good, but music is quite generic. Pop and rock with electric guitars, nothing new, conceptual and interesting. And generic piano in dramatic scenes. They could add some interesting instrument.

The only good thing in this anime is a complex multi-layered plot, which made everyone sing gospels for. But this plot, though really interesting, is hanging on pseudo-scientific strings and fanservice, and first I really enjoyed it.


But, if you try to forget everything mentioned before and just simply enjoy the show, you will notice the strange thing. Whenever the plot needs to be pushed forth, authors inject more and more undescribed and unreasonable rear-pulled plot techniques. Previously I've mentioned the Chosen One, and I really hoped there won't be such kind of characters.

WRONG.

Previously I endured the existence of impossibly smart characters, impossibly rich ones, impossibly naive, impossibly strong-willed and other impossibly idealized. But the power of Chosen One lying in Okarin hit my limit.

I barely completed these series.
___________________________


Later, my smart friends attended the top- and nearly top unis of the country, and I decided to choose something more mundane. Now I am a post-graduate microbiologist reseacher, I learned well about the inner works of science, and the ones mentioned in these series are nothing but... yes. Idealised ones.

In modern society, in a lot of cases, science is completely trusted or is not trusted at all. The hype around these series is caused only by this fact. An early idea about LHC opening a black hole was just shamelessly exploited like in a low-budget B-movie, but target audience ate it up. No matter that there was no black hole in actual LHC work at 2012: if there is a hypothesis, there is an exploitation of it. Hype must go on.

They tried to darken the inner works of scientific society, pretending they know everything, but in reality it looks like a bad kind of darkfic.


On the other side there are people that trust science selectively and can easily distinguish pseudo-scientific gibberish for wannabe-kind of nerds from the real scientific facts.

You may also remember that over-hyped things never fulfilled all your wishes. This one is a nice example of being not so good as I wanted to.


The main fact is somebody really know about inner works of science. And they can't judge the book by its cover.

Unfortunately, Steins;Gate is nothing but cover. Therefore, +3 for the plot.

Nothing more deserves even a single plus.


That's all I can say about it.

Time traveling sure is a fascinating thing. The idea of being able to alter the past and the future leaves people in awe. In fact, it's so fascinating that many tv shows,movies,books, and animes use time traveling in their stories. Some of them are bad. Some of them are good, but none of them are quite like Steins Gate.

The story revolves around Okabe Rintarou and his colleagues as they accidentally make a machine that can send texts back in time. Now what sets this anime apart from other shows about time travel is that the story is ... almost always consistent. The reason why most shows about time travel crumble is because the concept of time travel is so complex and misunderstood. Which ends up in the show having big plot holes, and ends up failing. But one look into Steins gate and you know that the development team did their research before making the story.Concepts such as the butterfly effect have been used to fill up the problems that normally come from time travel. Now while most plot holes were fixed. Some still remain. But considering the amount of depth that came into the story. Such plot holes can be excused.

Another thing that makes Steins Gate so wonderful is the characters. You have the paranoid self-proclaimed mad scientist Okabe Rintarou who talks to himself through the phone and believes that an organization is after him; The mature Kurisu Makise who argues with Okabe all the time; The childhood friend Mayuri Shiina that says tuturu so much that its annoying. The super cute Faris Nyannyan who cosplays. The beautiful Ruka Urushibara thats actually a guy. The quiet Moeka Kiryu.The super hacker Itaru Hashida. Now some people may argue that only the main characters developed. Now some people say that the only person who actually developed was Okabe. But considering the story I think thats actually a good thing. And really, if the other characters did develop. Steins Gate wouldn't be as good as it is now.

The sound was good overall. The opening "Hacking to the Gate" is a nice opening and it fit the series well. So i'm actually rather glad that they didn't change the opening halfway. The ending also fit the show really well. The background music was varied and was overall pretty good.

The animation was also animated well. Character movement was fluid. Backgrounds were done well. Character animations looked good and creative. The only problem I have is that pretty much every character wears the same thing. But thats only a minor problem.

Steins Gate is definitely one of, if not the best science fiction animes ever made. There are a few loose ends. But considering what Steins Gate has achieved. I can look past that. If, by some reason you haven't you haven't watched this anime yet.Open a new tab now and Watch it! You won't regret it.

~DECEIVE THE WORLD!~

From the get-go, Steins;Gate appeared to me as a pleasant, refreshing, and genuinely interesting SoL/Sci-Fi/Mystery. I settled in for what i thought would be just a well presented, quirky, cyber fugitive, mystery based show. The presentation appealed to me, as it seemed to be a clash between gloomy, detailed (and effective) realism, broken only by the wonderfully unique characters. While it retained a good sense of mystery, its deceivingly slow-starting plot didn't seem to mirror the extent that i REALLY wanted to keep watching...

Having gotten past that first, slower phase (very relevant indeed!), and watching to its completion...
I've come to ADORE this series! ... It truly is JAW-DROPPINGLY BRILLIANT!
Here's why...

Steins;Gate will take you to theoretically impossible depths, that you would never foresee. Its plot is an insanely elaborate, entangled mesh of discovery, realization, deception, and more. It's vivid and beautiful, it links together faultlessly. It will warm your heart at times... confuse you... it may even lead you to fumble around the floor, for the jaw you just dropped.

Ultimately, it's a masterfully created plethora of truly touching, powerful, and meaningful time-shaping events - all of which link back to each other seamlessly - to what turned out to be an excellently well-rounded conclusion (so fear not, and watch to the end!).

Why does it work so well?
With Steins;Gate, Frontier did an excellent job of telling such a complex, just... perfect: time-based plot line, that is Vivid, and (ironically) believable enough to blow your mind. While also appearing dramatic, and engaging enough to really hit home - all while trying not to confuse the viewer TOO much.
The fact that they managed this balancing act amazed me, as nothing seemed to be compromised. Therefore reinforcing my belief, that it is THE most well thought out anime I've seen yet.

The pacing has always been its criticized point , and while it could have been better with more episodes, i could say this about ANY anime. Steins;Gate tells the story it sets out too very well. It's incredibly detailed, and though at some point around episode 9, it goes up a few notches in speed... If anything... this only intensified the chaos, and dramatic, edge-of-seat moments that MADE Steins;Gate, the mind-blowing show that it is renowned for being. As for those who complain about its slower start: sure, it's less entertaining... But press on, and then you will realize that it's utterly vital! Not only obviously for the scene setting, and character development, but Steins;Gate is one to make hard-hitting, meaningful self-references. These bring about giant twists, and a revolution each episode; that challenges past ideals, ways of thinking, and is guaranteed to take you by surprise. Once you get to a certain point, it will already be too late to stop, as these surprisingly frequent, and well established plot-shaping twists, will relentlessly change the way you feel about it all - and isn't THAT impact, the definition of an effective story... One that will have you coming back to watch the impossible, unfold in front of your eyes.

This escapist, mysterious, and thought provoking story is most definitely Steins;Gate's strong suit - and trust me it all leads to a very satisfying conclusion...
As if i hadn't already sold it to you, the plot is still only ONE of the MANY brilliant aspects of the show - what can i say? It just fulfills every criteria so well...

ART - Well... It almost looks looks real at times... Very detailed and appropriate!
SOUND - I'm a big fan of both the OP and ED. In terms of cinematic use, it continues to deliver the right emotions, at the right moments.

The CHARACTERS, i found to be unique, and really likable. Many of them have deep secrets, and are far from transparent. While their interactions are very realistic and appropriate, they are developed just enough (remember that it's an event-driven show) to incur attachment - and allow for the more emotional scenes to shine brightly, and strike hard.

ENJOYMENT is an understatement when it comes to Steins;Gate. I found it all, immersive and masterfully executed (*running out of reviewing energy now*) - it really got me thinking, and on the edge of my seat at times. To CONCLUDE, if you're at all interested in a mindbogglingly beautiful Sci-Fi/Mystery based show, fortunately devoid of cliche, and enriched by an unfathomable depth, you will love it! (Just be sure to watch to the end if you do) :)

~EL PSY CONGROO~

Steins;Gate is crammed with internet culture, memes and easy/attractive female protagonists. A better name for this show would be Waifu;Gate and it's an anime that pads time with the sound of cicadas.

Even if you manage to put aside the many ludicrous contradictions, thanks to a setting who's premise is time travel, you still run into other issues.

At one point there are several attractive women sharing a single room with two other men. These characters are between sixteen and nineteen years old. How is every single character, except the landlord, a virgin. My only guess is to relate/pander to the target audience.

Let's double down and also ... put aside the unbelievable characters.

Half way through the series something bad happens and the protagonist tries again and again to stop it by traveling back in time. This touches on the worthwhile concept of fate. He repeats this process hundreds of times over the course of several episodes.

Put that into perspective. We watch the protagonist do the same thing over and over for several episodes straight. It wastes our time.

When he's finished he then has to undo everything he did leading up to said repetition. The next several episodes are a complete inverse of episodes we've already seen; so we already know how each of them will end. It's more wasted time. Everything that happened could have been compressed into twelve episodes.

Ultimately Steins;Gate is a love story where the climax is a first kiss between two adults.

Arguably the most important element of a show like this is the characterisation. I'm usually not a big fan of otaku types, especially the zany weirdo ones. Steins;gate has some compelling character moments but looked at as a whole the cast is constructed from a heap of annoying clichés, a collection of muppets, if you will.

The whole story structure feels like it was directly taken from the VN, which was questionable decision since it didn't fit cohesively with the tv show format. What's with all the side quest episodes for secondary characters just popping up right in the middle of a dramatic and tension ... filled arc? What's with the instances in the story were it is apparent that the gamer of the VN would've had to make a decision?
Those scenes were just badly implemented and thats coming from someone who doesn't even have played that many VNs (but enough games that I know my fair share about structure and narrative).

My favorite part was the first cour, which a lot of folks seem to dismiss as necessary buildup to get to the hype stuff. The mystery and atmosphere was really compelling, so it disappointed even more when that was followed up by an overwrought and tediously confusing time travel plot.

In conclusion: This is not the worst show I've ever seen by any means, but it's also not the masterpiece that most people seem to see it as.
Maybe it just aged badly, quite like me in that regard I suppose.

Steins;Gate is an anime that might be recommended to you when you begin your anime journey. It's listed genres are Science Fiction, and Thriller. It sits with other heavyweights, like Full Metal Alchemist, Death Note, Bebop, Monster and Natsume. On MAL, this anime has a ridiculously high rating. Was I excited? For sure. Not just because of its rating but also because it's genre is sci-fi and it deals with time travel. Ever since watching Lost in 05, and catching a few docs on the Discovery Channel, I've become a bit of a sucker for all things sci-fi and time travel. Now, if Steins;Gate ... combined the clever writing and plot in Death Note with science fiction elements, then, we'd have a winner! However, there are a couple of gripes I had with characterisation and story that really lowered my overall enjoyment of the series.

Steins;Gate did not do a good job with the science-fiction aspect of the show. I felt that not enough respect was given to time travel; and I'm not being pedantic. It doesn't have to be factually accurate, it just has to be somewhat plausible (I mean, the Da Vinci Code is completely fiction, but it feels 'right' as in this could actually happen). The 'science-fiction' in Steins;Gate was a really disappointing aspect. The concept of time travel was watered down and did not feel 'plausible' enough, so much so that in the first occurrence of time travel, I really thought when the characters where explaining how the message had gone back in time, they were having an inside joke that was lost in translation.
Time travel. It has drawn the attention of the greatest minds of our times - Einstein, Novikov, Friedman, Hawking, Thorne, Nahin etc. It forms the bridge between time and present. In that everyone has shared a moment in which we think about time, and how we need more, or we wished that we could do it all again, is absolute. Time travel is so alluring because it makes one the master of time. And to master time is to master the poison that must take us all. To master time, to conquer the final, known, dimension. And we always need time. We need more time with our loved ones. Less at work. We need to correct mistakes. Go back in time. Wish we could. And all this is against the age old adage that time is the one thing that man cannot master. It is the one, intangible, thing, concept, that binds, everyone. And to whom everyone obeys. And that's why we always accept time's rules and yet we are infinitely interested in what if's, in time travel.
The simple truth is that to travel back in time is impossible. It is impossible in that it breaks the fundamental law of our constructed universe - that nothing, without exception, travels faster than light. We have already built man made chambers that accelerate charged particles to very near the speed of light, however the hopes of our greatest scientists in developing these gargantuan machines was never to travel faster than light, but, in the case of synchrotron, study the radiation given off by the particles as they accelerate, or recreate particles such as the Higgs boson particle, and answer the fundamental questions in physics. The only form of time travel that humans can conceptualise at the moment is time dilation, or travelling through time. To do this? The most reasonable ideas put forth are travelling through a worm hole or orbiting a black hole. To understand why these are the most reasonable ideas, is to understand that to travel in time is to approach the speed of light. Approaching the speed of light is a frightening concept - the physics formulas you encountered in high school: E=MC^2 and Ek=1/2mv^2 break down as mass itself, which we assume to be constant, actually changes at such velocities. Believe it or not, we have already time travelled on Earth. As the charged particles in particle accelerators near light speed, they are actually travelling in time. The equivalent for a human would need a lot of energy. Hence the 'reasonable theories.' If we could, like a satellite, fall into orbit around a black hole, and therefore harness the incredible energies of a black hole, by constantly falling towards the black hole at a rate that equals our rotation around it (this is how the moon, a satellite, works) than we could approach the speed of light. At this point, time dilation occurs. Time dilation is the idea that relative to another coordinate in space, time is moving at a greater rate. The humans orbiting the black hole in a space ship, are moving through time, at a relatively faster rate, than an observer away from the space ship. Time travel is a relative process. It requires energies that we cannot supply, in quantities that we cannot comprehend. 10 years on board the space ship, and, if they broke away from the black holes orbit and met with the observer, to the observer, 13 years might have passed. The people on board would have travelled in time.
All this is speculation off course, and this is what I recall from various sources [and being a science fiction doco geek]. I hope this explains why I found the time travel in Steins;Gate so disappointing - the concept is dealt with too easily. I found it a little cheap that they could call this a science fiction series, and then explain time travel as a random occurrence with a wannabe scientist and computer hacker who modded microwave, and the lights going out. The time travel in Steins;Gate is only there as a plot device, a crux. It is not treated as a science fiction element. This in itself is fine (I guess...), except for the pot-holed plot. Cue next section:

Not going to go into many details of the story/plot, as per the guidelines. The story is not paced well. There are about six episodes at the beginning where there is no story progression. However, after these episodes there is a definite increase in pace. One of my dislikes in using time travel as a plot device where the leaps of faith the show asked you to take. How many 'timelines' are there? How can you change the past (send a message) and then undo the messages. Would not the existence of the messages themselves have some type of ripple effect? If you go back in time, are you rewriting a timeline, or creating a new timeline from that point. How did that machine work across timelines - would it not have been reset when they went back in time.
*Spoilers*Also, a lot of the second half takes place within an extremely short time frame. Off course with the help of the time machine, this short time frame is stretched to, well, half the season. So, how can there be any character development when the only character with knowledge of his past experiences is Okabe. Other character's can't develop as they are constantly reset, again and again. If they do remember a different timeline, than this is not science fiction, this is just another crux/plot device that is being used to allow character development to happen when there is none. I guess that's why I found the love story between the leads really unnecessary and just not believable. If you look at the actual time frame, and not just how many times Okabe's travelled to the past, there's like, what, a couple days max for Kurisu and Okabe to form this 'you are the one' love. Yeah, no. Also the ending, it's another deus ex machina - and an extremely anti-climatic one. We already know what needs to happen. And therefore, we already know how Okabe will save Kurisu. Even before the actual thing. So when it actually plays out, you already have the knowledge, like someone gave you a spoiler, that Kurisu survives somehow. You may not know how exactly, but you know what ultimately happens. This leads to a very anticlimatic ending where we already know what happens.

Steins;Gate was an interesting watch. For me, this anime let me down with how it dealt its science fiction elements, and its plot which I found weak (the deus ex machina, and the sudden romance). While I don't necessarily think Steins;Gate is bad, I do think it's over rated. In my review, I didn't mention the positives. These where that the concept was interesting, and the story, albeit a few gripes, is good, and refreshing from the usual anime genres. The idea of what a 'Steins;Gate' was, was good, and left a good 'you can do anything!' feeling. While I definitely think it's worth a watch, I can only rate it a 6/10 due to my own unfounded expectations, and gripes which I feel really detract from the whole experience.

The best animated show I have ever seen. Period. I'll tell you why, hopefully.

At first when I read the synopsis I said to myself, "this show doesn't look very good, time traveling with a microwave or something?" it seemed kind of weird to me. But after a few weeks after I went ahead and gave it shot because of all the amazing reviews it got. The first 6 episodes were really good, but then after that it turned into something beyond excellence. Its hard to describe how great of a show it was the last 18 episodes. It pretty much changed my life. It also ... taught me that you can't really cheat time or life for that matter. Many mixed feelings from this show, happiness, sadness, scared, confused and at the same time enjoying the heck out of the show. Now ill get to the review (Nostalgia is getting the best of me while writing this... sniff.... sniff)

Story 10/10
Before this show I hadn't seen any other show that has to do with time traveling or even science, there are probably some but none I have seen or heard of. And with this comes a very unique story. The pacing at first can feel slow for some people, but then after a few episodes. BAM. Twists after twist and then the pacing of the show moves perfectly as the show goes on. They truly used this story to its best, they didn't do anything half the effort. They put every bit of effort into this storyline and executed in an excellent way without messing it up. Because with time traveling as the story it could get really confusing and boring. But not the case here with Steins gate. Can't stress enough on how well the story is developed in this show. Don't want to say anything else. You'll have to watch the show to receive the awesomeness I got.

Characters 10/10
Probably the best developed and interesting characters of any show I have seen, especially the major ones. Okabe is charismatic, comedic, thoughtful, kind, and very intelligent. He definitely means good intentions for everyone and everything he does. He'll always act like someone is calling him on his phone in times of when he doesn't know what to say, which fits in great with whatever scene he is in. And he is guy that will never give up and puts forth every bit of effort into what he does. Very original, definitely not your typical cliché character. Makise. Main female protagonist of the show. Definitely a tsundere and my favorite also. At first seems like your typical tsundere character but later on in the series really develops quite well and we get to see different sides of her throughout the show. Takes an interest into Okabe and helps him in his journey of the time machine and his struggles. Also very intelligent. Would get into more detail about the other characters but these two are the main, main characters that make the show the best it can be. The other characters are great too. Well developed and have great personalities that fits in well with the show. The only other show that rivals this with character development would be code geass or clannad (those shows have good character development, right?) but great job here also.

Art/Animation 9/10
While not perfect here, definitely above average. The character art is great for all the characters. Wont say much here. Animations are fluid and smooth. Overall has a dark tone to the series especially the last 16 or so episodes. Lighting is great also.

Sound 8/10
Definitely the weakest part here, but not weak on its own. The opening is pretty good, fits well with the series. Soundtrack is good. Nothing really special here.

Overall 10/10
I enjoyed watching this more than any other show. The characters are so likeable all in their own way. You'll definitely feel for each character at the end of the show. This show will make you cry, laugh, and smile. Well it should. It was that awesome. This will probably be the only show I will re watch just because of the amazing storyline and character list. Such a unique show nothing really else like this. Very original, not sure if that means its good or bad, but probably good. Didn't think it was boring for one second. If there would be a flaw, it would probably be the slow start to the show, but I don't think it is, it might be for some people though.

I would start watching this show right now if I were you, it will definitely be worth your time, it was worth my time. And you might think if just some fanboy for steins gate, but I don't think that is the case. This show is amazing, a masterpiece.

One more thing, I don't really recommend watching the OVA, it kind of ruined the "feelings" I had after the original series. If I were I would wait a few days after watching the show, then watch the movie (which is awesome also) and then if you really want to you can watch the OVA, that's my take on it.

This is my first review so give me some feedback.

Steins;Gate is a story of an eccentric scientist named Okabe Rintarou as he messes around with various things in his lab with his friend/acquaintance Daru and childhood friend Mayuri who he holds very close to his heart. Okabe is interested in the theory of time travel, so he attends a conference held by a man proclaiming to have solved time travel. While at the conference, Okabe witnesses something extremely shocking (not going to tell you because that's the mystery of the first episode in case you haven't watched it), to which he sends a message to ... Daru about it. Okabe suddenly jolts from the current reality into a completely new one, in which the mysterious event did not occur and only he has any memories of. Okabe struggles to understand what caused this and if it can be repeated, and what the consequences may be.... And thus our journey begins.


**Story (10/10)**

It's the strong point of the show. Even people who don't like the show admit the story is on point and is extremely unique. I cannot tell you much about anything that happens because it's riddled with plot twists and it's best to go in with no knowledge of anything that actually happens. That being said, I can tell you it's a time travel, sci-fi, mystery, thriller, but has elements of drama, romance, and comedy. Basically, it has it all.

The first half of the series is one of the main reasons people are put off by the show/drop it. It starts out slowly with a comedy slice of life type of undertone with a sci-fi mystery twist, but trust me, things change. The first half is completely and utterly necessary in order to understand the characters and to flesh out details and foreshadow events. In the VN they also delve into the physics behind time travel and since I'm a total nerd, I gobbled that shit up.


**Characters (9.5/10)**

I'm going to be completely honest and say that there are certain tropes/archetypes used in this show, but the reason that it works is because they eventually all break through their enclosed personalities and are necessary to the plot in order for the show to advance. There are about 9 characters that you need to know and since it involves time travel where the story resets, some characters are cut development, but that's the whole point of the story, to see how the main character changes despite no one else changing.

I also identify extremely closely with the main character and he's one of the most unique and fleshed out characters in all of anime by the end of the series, so you will probably like him in one way or another. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the main character, it's only the secondary characters that people may not like for reasons.

One of the secondary characters is trans and they don't constantly tease her/him about it and use her/him as other's comedic punching bag and fanservice reveal bait. We actually get to see this person's inner struggle. Huge props to Nitroplus for that.


**Sound (10/10)**

Pretty much flawless. The OP is amazing, the sad songs are amazing, the upbeat songs are amazing, and the sub is especially amazing. Okabe's Japanese voice actor is fantastic, as are most of the other characters.

The show also knows how to use silence to intensify the scene. When shit starts getting intense sometimes all sound will stop so you can truly focus on what is going on. This is one of the problems I had with Clannad, when the show wanted to make you sad, they played pretty music to go along and it made it feel less intense and emotional and more "Aww, that's really sad" in a non-harrowing way.


**Art/Animation (8/10)**

Probably the weakest aspect of the show, but if you consider an 8 bad, I don't know what to tell you. The show wasn't funded as much as they would like, so they couldn't pull out all the stops that the VN did. The VN looks pretty amazing. The anime looks good, especially for 2011, they use a gray palette, and the art/animation is very realistic, which I strongly like. They don't cut corners, but it never blows you away. There are a few scenes where you can tell they tried very hard to make it look nice (and succeeded), but it's no Fate/Zero. That being said, it is very consistent throughout and is by no means bad.


**Personal Enjoyment (10/10)**

Absolutely my favorite anime of all time. It is by no means perfect, but it perfectly appeals to me in a way not many other shows have ever done. I was never bored or even considering dropping it at any time and I was thoroughly hooked throughout the show, and if that isn't good enough recommendation, I don't know what is.


**Overall (10/10)**

I place heavy emphasis on personal enjoyment, so they weighs out all of the less than perfect aspects of the show to give Steins;Gate a 10/10. Please, do yourself a favor, watch Steins;Gate.

Steins;Gate
Time Machine. A low income mad scientist with an obsession with conspiracies and futuristic gadgets. When the scientist himself is looped through time what will his reaction be? The animation is glum and gray but it gives it an eery and mysterious feel to it so its good. The comical jokes aren't made often but when they are they are funny. Since there is only one episode out i cant say much but based on the first ep i think it will develop to be pretty good.
Something along the lines of Shinrei Tantei Yakumo.
Except funnier? I recommended it!

Thank You. Yume Tang!

Steins;Gate does something many movies, cartoons, and animes try to do. To create an effective and powerful as well a logical time travel based story. In all honesty two things make Steins;Gate great, plot and character chemistry. In my belief nothing else really stands out. A story focused and based around time travel can be very hard. To make a good one you must prioritize plot above anything else. Steins;Gate's plot and logic are very well done it is an anime that almost needs you to pay full attention.

Steins;Gate is most important at least ... in my opinion in the first half. In this first half this is where the main character as well as the rest of the characters discover and make all the problems that must my solved in the second half. This rough cut up of the anime can be what I can determine an accurate and effective way to cut up the plot and the anime. To explain more the first half is more comedy, has the cast in higher spirits, and still trying to determine the mechanics of time travel. The second half is trying to solve the situation that the main character Okabe Rintarou ultimately puts his friends into without knowing.

Character chemistry is probably the object which helps the people connect and associate the story and the cast. The cast in of itself isn't impressive, it has many arc stereotypes. For example, an otaku, a maid, a shrine maiden, a childhood friend, a tsundere,an soldier, and a kuudere. The Okabe Rintarou is the only one that isn't based on such a strong arc stereotype. However, this anime is very good at hiding that fact by creating interactions and ways each member relates with each other in a very humorous and human like interactions which can easily distract your mind away from this obvious character design.

There is a problem with this chemistry that the anime does very well. This chemistry that the anime displays very well, focuses on more characters to carry this element and therefore favors some characters over others. Which in the long run made me dislike many characters because of the lack of development compared to others.

Next I will move on to the animation which isn't that amazing but isn't bad in any possible way. Though I does diverge from the typical high school setting and at one point there is a huge change in setting it isn't anything that can really catch your eye and call it amazing. There isn't much action, and as I have mentioned before the plot and the character chemistry is the strongest points in this anime.

Sound isn't very noticeable at all except for the OP and ED which are very good. There really isn't any sound that is really worth mentioning. The anime is very silent though not very slow especially in the second half, I enjoy the fact that it is very quiet throughout most of the anime. I think it adds immersion greatly and helps add personality to the anime all together.

Some more issues I have with the anime is Faris, the last two episodes, and episode 18. Faris is probably my most hated character in the anime because she is just there for Daru the otaku and doesn't hold much else in terms of the plot. She is annoying and very mischievous as well as nosy. She also forces herself onto Okabe to BE a part of the problem in essence. The last two episodes were really poorly done as it's very abrupt and fast to turn the dynamics of the anime entirely around. Sure it sorta fits perfectly with the main character as he is very selfish in the anime, trying to go to his ideal world while stripping away other peoples desires but it was so very abrupt it felt wrong. There were even different OP's and ED's to show that these two episodes will sorta change everything.

Now episode 18 is my least favorite episode. Once again Okabe has to do something in order to reach his goal. He does something so ridiculous in the entire anime that it is more downright wrong than the last two episodes. It makes me angry and it really isn't needed other than covering what ifs in your mind. Besides it's more fan service based and pointless after its over.

I enjoyed this anime greatly and sure there may be more aspects to cover but I felt like I covered the most important aspects. Excuse any grammatical errors or possible misspells. I could be more thorough however, I believe for this review I is just important to cover essentials and nothing more as it may compromise my review. Overall I give this anime a 9 it has problems as I stated but they aren't too noticeable and by no means in my belief will harm your experience. It's good by all means and anything above that is up to you to decide.

*SPOILER FREE REVIEW*

I recently finished Steins;Gate and it has easily become one my favourite anime.
Now this anime was a tough one for me because I'm more of a fan of action anime and to be honest, two years ago I watched Steins;Gate till the 12th episode and dropped because I kept looking for the my type of genre in it and didn't pay attention to the story at all. I must have been pretty stupid back then but I think I didn't really understand what was going on so I just dropped it. Now after two years, I decided to watch it again from ... starting, because there had to be a reason why it is considered as one of the best masterpieces of all time. And boy was I lucky enough to watch it again, I watched it with full attention still didn't understand the first episode but even then decided to watch next few episodes because I was having fun watching it and it turned out to be great.

Now lets get to the point. [Story] 10/10

Okabe Rintarou is Uni First year student and spends his time doing experiments with his friends in his lab just because he is the "Mad Scientist, Houin Kyouma~" (*In Okabe's voice). While conducting his experiments, he creates something unbelieveable which leads to a series of events and that is just a brief insight of the story.
The story might not seem a complete 10 at first because to fully understand it, you are required to watch the whole series but nevertheless, I liked it from the beginning because who doesn't likes time machine and stuff. It seems like a typical slice of life with nice mix of comedy along with a spice of madness at first but opinions change overtime. The first few episodes are called "slow" by many people just because they are the introductry episodes and it leaves a lot of dots to be connected but they were really enjoyable. Now why is this series regarded as a masterpiece? But first what makes a masterpeice? In my opinion for an anime to be a masterpeice it requires a unique and interesting plot and characters, a great execution of story, a MC who was goals bigger than you think and a dramatic ending or an ending that leaves you in an utter state of amazament. Well Stein;Gate has a story that is perfectly executed, there is a nice touch of comedy and romance, the characters are so interesting and unique with their own traits and the ending is one of the best so far. The pacing of story is great and when those unconnected dots start to connect, you just have no option but to be amazed. Starting from somewhere around episode 7-10, each episode will leave you mind blown and you will be sitting in your seat thinking how and what just happened without getting into any sort of confusion. Even though the concept of time travel is a bit out of ordinary and confusing, Steins;Gate manages to explain the story very well without getting the viewers bored.

[Art] 8.5/10

Not much to say about the animation as it wasn't really required but the artwork was great. The background scenes was just beautiful especially whenever there was a mad scientist laugh. I loved the charcater designs, one the uniquest I've ever seen and everything was detailed. Altought Steins;Gate isn't the best in the art department, the art style matches perfectly to the theme of the anime.

[Sound] 9.5/10

Openings and ending were no doubt great but the voice acting and osts were on a completely different level. Well that has to be expected as two of the best voice actors were there. Okabes voice acting was pure awesomeness, especially the "Engrish". Similarly Mayushi's voice actor did a really great job and Cristina~ (*In Okabes Voice*) has a perfect Tsundere voice. Everyone just had a distinct voice, even Mr. Brauns daughter. The osts were great, especially in the last few episodes. Without the great voice acting, the anime wouldn't have been that must fun to watch.

[Characters] 10/10

A perfect 10. I think this is the only anime which has two characters on my favourite characters list (at the time of writing this). Starting with Okabe, (suffering from 8th grade syndrome), his character was just awesome. He was funny, at times serious, but nevertheless he was a mad scientist. Through out the series, he had a great character developement and at times you could feel sorry for him trying to undo what he had done. Makise's characters was just as just as great. A bit of tsundereness and intelligence but she was really supportive as well as kind, and has her funny moments and thats what made her so great. Mayushi's character was also great, a bit lonely at times but cheerful. Tuturuu~. Daru was your everyday Otaku pervert but he was a "Supa Hakah". There was a trap character, a nyan character, silent type and a soldier. A variety of characters, don't you think but each had a great role. (P.S: I ship Obake and Makise so hard so let my ship sail).

[Enjoyment] 10/10

It is difficult to get into the anime in the first few episodes if you are not much of a Sci-Fi fan but once you start get going its difficult to stop yourself even if you try to. It had a perfect balance of everything and had cliffhangers that could hypnotize you into clicking the next episode button. Every aspect of the anime contributes to making it as enjoyable as possible which includes great story and plot, nice artwork, outstanding voice acting on some of the most outstanding set of characters and osts that suited the theme of the anime.

[Overall] 10/10

Steins;Gate is a masterpiece at heart. It doesn't matter what genre you like, once you get into it, you will like it. Do I think that it is worthy of all the praise and its over the top rating? Yes, without a doubt and to find out why, you will have to watch this great series. I hope that anyone who hasn't watched it yet will give it atleast a try, after watching this review.
-El Psy Congroo-
Tuturu~ *vanishes*

Steins;Gate was really quite an unremarkable series.

Story:6

We don't get anywhere in the story for at least the first 6 episodes. I get that a lot of setup was done in the beginning but it just ramped up way too slow for me. I truly believe that the story had quite a bit of potential, but I felt lost and confused throughout the series. However, I do enjoy the exposition- so feminine... and yet a dude!

Art:5

The colors are faded and the animation is a little janky, but perfectly mediocre. Overall, I'm unimpressed with this.

... Sound: 7

I do like the sound of this amine. It was good!

Character: 3

It seems like the characters are way too flat. In fact, while I was watching this series with my best friend, we both thought that the characters were unimpressive, especially the girl with the red hair. Her entire deal seemed somewhat forced, and I felt like she could have been so much more profound. She was the worst. Also, Mayuri serves no purpose other than to be a cute girl who doo du doooos a lot.

Enjoyment: 3

The first few episodes were truly a challenge to sit through. After I finished these episodes, I couldn't understand a thing that I had seen. It was just too far out there. It makes a little more sense towards the end, but the story could have been more powerful if the 12 episodes of filler were cut out.

Overall: 5

A pretty mediocre series. I don't get why this series draws such an enthusiastic fan base. Time travel in this anime is presented in a unique, although fairly unremarkable fashion. I understand that they might be trying to stay true to some theories, but it just isn't a good fit for a 24 episode series. I would have dropped this anime for sure if not for the almost universal acclaim it has so unjustly received.

So, Steins;Gate. Probably the most blatant abuse of the semicolon ever borne out of Japan (because that particular offense is so ubiquitous, hardy har). Your friend Jeanie the otaku/weaboo has most likely recommended this to you at some point, and you've nodded your head inattentively and added it to the pile of shows that she's said will change your life and that you KNOW you're going to get to eventually (including but not limited to Neon Genesis, Cowboy Bebop, Akira, a Ghibli film, and like 2 shonen things).

Let me reaffirm Jeanie's gushing recommendation: you've got to got to GOT TO get to Steins;Gate.

The first ... ten episodes will feel like a slog. I realize that's not exactly helping this work of art enter your good graces, but bear with me. There are no filler episodes in this anime, and every episode contains at least 2.34 plot points that become crucial elements in the show later on. The show runners used as much time as they possibly could to meticulously and slowly build this world to make the ensuing drama as rewarding an experience as possible for you. THEY DID THIS FOR YOU.

I hate summarizing plot in reviews, and I feel like the best way to go into this one is with a blindfold and a poking stick. I will say that if you like sci-fi, slice of life, romance, action, drama, and damn good writing in your anime, you're going to love Steins;Gate. The reason the show has reached such a high level of popularity is because it's got a little something for everyone, and it still achieves a level of originality that most anime in this day and age just can't seem to reach (IMO, sorry bros).

When it comes to the more objective side of things, i.e. music, art, characters, yadda, the show is very well done. You don't have a crap load of tropes with arms and legs, which does soooo much to help the viewer empathize with the characters' plight. The animation is spot on 99% of the time, the soundtrack is lovely, and the tone shifts from comedic to dark seamlessly and appropriately. Steins;Gate has personality, and I will reiterate by comparing its personality to ranch dressing on romaine lettuce.

I just finished the show about twenty minutes ago, went to the bathroom, then wrote this review. It's all over the place, I know. But hopefully I've given you a little more incentive to please your anime connoisseur friend Jeanie and watch this darned-good piece of work.