Steins;Gate Episode 12 Discussion

okay so now this is what peeps were talking about.. second half is going to be banger!!

It has been a long.. long.. slog through. It's like Serial experiments of Lane. It's got a tiny concept that it thinks is AMAZING and slowly doles out tiny portions over and over slowly. The whole time you're hoping it speeds up and really gets going. It doesn't. It's as plodding the entire time and doesn't get better. The actions that are occurring seem like maybe they'll become interesting. They don't. I get the concept. It's not all that amazing. So.. like.. that's it. We're going to keep... slowly... introducing it. Like a teacher who wont get to the point or an uncle talking about the lacquer he uses on his gun cabinet... you're kind of hoping for a zombie outbreak. Or I dunno a stubbed toe. Maybe a spider to save you from what is going to be hours more of the same thing. Yet.. you who have decided to watch this.. signed on for this. It's rare I don't finish things, but I'm giving myself permission to save the hours of my life here and stop half way. I was trying to do it while completing chores so it didn't feel like such a waste, but I find myself becoming more and more irritated by the repetition (yes, I know.. time travel.. you signed up for repetition).. but darn it man.. why did they choose boring slow pantomime as a genre? If "tense look for 30 seconds, followed by a thoughtful gasp* then some vague running action they don't explain 10 reptations later (but *gasp* they are the same as he remembered! wow.. must be time loop)... sounds fun to you. By all means. Spoiler: you know this is time travel. Yup. That's it. You've got the most important thing that will be "discovered" in the show. Yup. Nothing else really. Some vague subplots that don't really go anywhere or really even get into any meat.
That's it. The point. You already know it going in. Yuuuuup. Wanna learn about it for hours without getting any more detail, but don't worry they wont get technical or really even show you much of the consequences. Because that would be interesting. Can't have that! Have fun! *sigh* I was sad this was so highly recommended as I wanted it to be good for a date night for my Time Travel obsessed partner. Now we're both making excuses on all of the important things we need to do rather than finish this. Gotta go.. vacuum out the dust in the knife drawer and um.. sand the rough edge of the inner wall of the cabinet. STAT. >.>

Spoilers
EDIT: finished it. It does get better. The first half is slice of life with some really awkward and lonely people (but there are reasons for this, so just cringe and let it fly). The 2nd half 135s into slice of life with some science fiction. (the first half is basically a magic microwave in the hands of a person with a lab coat. Not super sci fi). The 2nd half delivers at about episode 14 with trying to map consequences (ok they barely brush this because in truth it's likely too complicated, but they bring out a wipe board a few times and talk about 1 outcome at a time.. they spend very little time on consequences and quickly gloss on most of the scifi, but it still digs in enough to entertain). The characters suffer and stuff starts to matter. It's a long slog through to get here though. For the first 12 episodes you get about one tid bit that you need to know for the 2nd half of each show (yeah that minor), but you get some slice of life stuff so you (might) like the characters later or care about their fates. Dunno. I could have cut off the first half with the summary : SPOILER : red dies and this outcome was changed, scientist spends 10 seconds with some guy and is like Ok, let me visit your lab because... we need someone who actually does science in the show I guess, priestess tells mom to eat veggies so she can become a real girl, spy girl steals the 5100 by being super obvious and just asking where they got it and asking to use time machine and everyone is too dense to know, maid saves father, by admitting kidnapping was fake, humans can't time travel or they turn to jello with current tech, SERN wants to control the world, myurii dies and they want to save her. (and why does she die.. fate basically which they admit is a stupid reason then go with it!) Yuuuup. These are the slice of life episodes. They could have made them more campy, but they refrained. Ty for that. I think that's why it's listed as a comedy? The first half is super campy. But then they throw camp mostly into the trash and grab scifi, and keep the lonely characters. <3 Watch episode 1, skip to 13, or 12, folks seem to like which the super fake girly chick gets shot, but.,.. if you want to care, I guess kill 6 hours first. It was ok by the end!

It has been a long.. long.. slog through. It's like Serial experiments of Lane. It's got a tiny concept that it thinks is AMAZING and slowly doles out tiny portions over and over slowly. The whole time you're hoping it speeds up and really gets going. It doesn't. It's as plodding the entire time and doesn't get better. The actions that are occurring seem like maybe they'll become interesting. They don't. I get the concept. It's not all that amazing. So.. like.. that's it. We're going to keep... slowly... introducing it. Like a teacher who wont get to the point or an uncle talking about the lacquer he uses on his gun cabinet... you're kind of hoping for a zombie outbreak. Or I dunno a stubbed toe. Maybe a spider to save you from what is going to be hours more of the same thing. Yet.. you who have decided to watch this.. signed on for this. It's rare I don't finish things, but I'm giving myself permission to save the hours of my life here and stop half way. I was trying to do it while completing chores so it didn't feel like such a waste, but I find myself becoming more and more irritated by the repetition (yes, I know.. time travel.. you signed up for repetition).. but darn it man.. why did they choose boring slow pantomime as a genre? If "tense look for 30 seconds, followed by a thoughtful gasp* then some vague running action they don't explain 10 reptations later (but *gasp* they are the same as he remembered! wow.. must be time loop)... sounds fun to you. By all means. Spoiler: you know this is time travel. Yup. That's it. You've got the most important thing that will be "discovered" in the show. Yup. Nothing else really. Some vague subplots that don't really go anywhere or really even get into any meat.
That's it. The point. You already know it going in. Yuuuuup. Wanna learn about it for hours without getting any more detail, but don't worry they wont get technical or really even show you much of the consequences. Because that would be interesting. Can't have that! Have fun! *sigh* I was sad this was so highly recommended as I wanted it to be good for a date night for my Time Travel obsessed partner. Now we're both making excuses on all of the important things we need to do rather than finish this. Gotta go.. vacuum out the dust in the knife drawer and um.. sand the rough edge of the inner wall of the cabinet. STAT. >.>

Spoilers
EDIT: finished it. It does get better. The first half is slice of life with some really awkward and lonely people (but there are reasons for this, so just cringe and let it fly). The 2nd half 135s into slice of life with some science fiction. (the first half is basically a magic microwave in the hands of a person with a lab coat. Not super sci fi). The 2nd half delivers at about episode 14 with trying to map consequences (ok they barely brush this because in truth it's likely too complicated, but they bring out a wipe board a few times and talk about 1 outcome at a time.. they spend very little time on consequences and quickly gloss on most of the scifi, but it still digs in enough to entertain). The characters suffer and stuff starts to matter. It's a long slog through to get here though. For the first 12 episodes you get about one tid bit that you need to know for the 2nd half of each show (yeah that minor), but you get some slice of life stuff so you (might) like the characters later or care about their fates. Dunno. I could have cut off the first half with the summary : SPOILER : red dies and this outcome was changed, scientist spends 10 seconds with some guy and is like Ok, let me visit your lab because... we need someone who actually does science in the show I guess, priestess tells mom to eat veggies so she can become a real girl, spy girl steals the 5100 by being super obvious and just asking where they got it and asking to use time machine and everyone is too dense to know, maid saves father, by admitting kidnapping was fake, humans can't time travel or they turn to jello with current tech, SERN wants to control the world, myurii dies and they want to save her. (and why does she die.. fate basically which they admit is a stupid reason then go with it!) Yuuuup. These are the slice of life episodes. They could have made them more campy, but they refrained. Ty for that. I think that's why it's listed as a comedy? The first half is super campy. But then they throw camp mostly into the trash and grab scifi, and keep the lonely characters. <3 Watch episode 1, skip to 13, or 12, folks seem to like which the super fake girly chick gets shot, but.,.. if you want to care, I guess kill 6 hours first. It was ok by the end!

@Tired_Angel
Did you really just stop right after the turning point, when they kill Mayuri? This is especially weird when you also complain about that it's "slow" and doesn't happen anything (this isn't true by the way), but when things actually gear up and happening, you just leave...

You are not making much sense, sorry

Steins;Gate is known for being a slow burn and having a slow start among the fans and I'm one of those since I wasn't particularly impressed with the 1st half either, nothing new there, but the slow start is the buildup phase and it's all worth it, it's the calm before the storm and the storm actually happens at the end of episode 12, did you seriously stopped episode 12 in the middle of it or did you finish it?

For many fans like me, episode 12+ is where this anime gets extremely good and it all starts in the end of episode 12, it's where shit really hits the fan and this anime gets darker and serious there, those happy moments from the 1st half are long gone, the 2nd half is the reason this anime is highly rated, you are stopping this anime in the best part, big mistake.

@xZabuzax <nods> It would have less meaning because after so many longs episodes only half of the series was worth watching. It sounds neat. I read the ending online to see if it just stopped in a vague puddle as many anime do or finished. It seemed to finish. So points there! I do not wish to spoil those who may come to love it so wont talk about the rather massive super positive ending... ... ... ... ... ... ok. But tell me at least that there were negative massive repercussions of the venture because this kinda thing wouldn't be so mega easy, optimistic, and solved by a single person (ish, like any catalyst), right? It would seem juvenile if one person could solve everything locally and globally with minor actions? Nah.. just a massive butterfly effect that was all positive, zip negative? Or was everything super uber positive? I mean it was only 12.. long episodes... sure 12 more will be great. Right? Great. yeah. Reviewing without watching the full 24 is a bit sleazy. I grant that and was open about it. Especially when the first half sounds like you could have dumpstered them and started at like 1/2 of 1 and then part of 6 then skipped to what... like 10? I forget what you learn where.. but it's tempting. But then.. you can never stop any anime ever and must see it all. Massive commitment. Ranma has like 500 episodes and I probably watched like 300 as a kid. Maybe I just need to see the other 200. Darn it. Now I feel guilty. You're right. I should watch the other half and see why if the first half was so bad.. why it would have a 9/10 (that idea got me up to episode 12, slow burn is like tanning in the winter before snow, frostburn is still a burn.. if you can't avoid or are too stubborn to avoid). Though the surprise is stunted by spoilers. The other half must be something, truly. (*sigh). If you're wrong can I enlist you for 6 hours of mundane yardwork? >.< I'll change my review if the 2nd half makes up for it. "if you can choke down 6 hours of little, the next 6 are most likely worth it probably.. " is where it sounds like I am right now. I know there would be those who loved it given the 9/10. It's nice to see folks like something that much. Maybe I'll give the next half a go after I finish binging Dr. Stone and the sanderson short stories audiobooks this week. :) Pardon for being so rash with something you love. Forgive.

Steins;Gate is known for being a slow burn and having a slow start among the fans and I'm one of those since I wasn't particularly impressed with the 1st half either, nothing new there, but the slow start is the buildup phase and it's all worth it, it's the calm before the storm and the storm actually happens at the end of episode 12, did you seriously stopped episode 12 in the middle of it or did you finish it?

For many fans like me, episode 12+ is where this anime gets extremely good and it all starts in the end of episode 12, it's where shit really hits the fan and this anime gets darker and serious there, those happy moments from the 1st half are long gone, the 2nd half is the reason this anime is highly rated, you are stopping this anime in the best part, big mistake.

@xZabuzax Ok. Finished it. SPOILERS: BIG FAT HAIRY SPOILERS. DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT 'EM. S P O I L E R S. I'd say it starts to warm up into episode 14 for me. Yeah, cute chick with zip personality dies in 12, but still don't care beyond "human death is sad." Before that it's a slice of life anime and not so much a sci-fi one (random minimicrowave time machine aside *gasp* but it only works when the boss downstairs is watching tv, but it makes the ground shake which angers the beefy man who might punch you! Eek! *que tv laugh-track*). That.. is not my thing. But episode 14 and up.. they try and make constructive change, sadly this isn't' as much of a focus as I wanted, but it is a focus! A big part of the show seemed to be about loneliness. I guess it had it's own poetry there. It would make sense if that was part of the point. I think I don't find the characters likable, and that might just be the difference. I read about folks here crying when characters die. Or how eating your veggies when you're pregnant can make your kid a girl (.. was that a joke? 2 episodes to make a trans person a girl by veggies. Super cutable and an hour of my life (until I thought about how isolating that is as well, so it fits the theme loneliness, but as for time travel that was bad.. science there.. cringe)). Then realized each character stuck to the theme of loneliness. From the girls who are at a maid cafe helping others feel less lonely, to lost fathers, estranged fathers, orphans, folks who are better with 2d than 3d... and the pasted on personalities I had hated so much... made sense with the actual theme. I did like how they finished with the mad scientist being a necessary part of his personality though 3 times. He initially was a defender of the lonely... then.. had to take it all back to save one (though.. did he have to? Or could he bring it all back AND let red die (sorta)). So.. he stopped when he got what he wanted.. .... :D So is he a jerk?). I guess he wasn't strong enough by then to try and help them out with their outcomes to see if it did not effect the life of a friend. (Golly who else did his machinations murder? Nothing about the further ripples.. as that's too hard so.. just the friend group and WW3). I still want to hate him, sorry. I did absolutely LOVE the slap scene! It had a good connected flow (though I think they dropped a few consequences, the main character didn't' seem at risk until the end (and his choices reflected this), and anything it was helpfully expedient folks remembered things at the end. Forgivable "must finish and this is faster" motivation, I guess.). I still didn't like the show, but now I appreciate it. I would have massively edited it for my own purposes, but then it would have lacked that emotional loneliness that likely made it poignant for others? Just lonely folks who eventually just were around each other enough to be less lonely. But, through long associations a dependance was built, which they felt strongly about, enough to defend later. At least cringelord eventually did something and wasn't just a passively annoying character. He was the gunnie pig and ended up lucking into the ability to set things straight, proving (though he's a bit of a tool) that at least if you have a good heart and care about your friends who can find love, acceptance, and happiness? I guess? I liked it better when red was dead, even if she was may favorite character. At least he had to deal with a consequences (But.. really did love their relationship <3 Mega cute!, *blush* *eye rolls at herself*). All of his actions would have had consequences, but he figure out how none of them hurt him and stopped. The outcome was 100% positive for him. So ended on that. Poor priestess. Poor maid. NOt sure how Moeka ended up where she did, good for her but? Decent, many typical tropes (but managed to make it work), but slow... slow.. show. An entire show to show many people who were alone, but how changing any of them.. mattered to another. A pretty "see how you all matter even if you do not think you do" anime.

@Tired_Angel Mate, I would appreciate it if you stop those walls of text, not everyone like reading walls of text around here and I'm one of them, but I endured and I read it just because you endured in finishing Steins;Gate, you deserved as much so I at least will respond to your comment this time but next time, stop those walls of text please because if I see another goddamn wall of texts of yours I will simply ignore it.

I'm well aware that not everyone will like Steins;Gate but at least you know the drill behind it and why people ended up loving it, and as I said, I'm one of those people because I wasn't that impressed with the 1st half either, I'm not much into the Slice of Life genre myself and the 1st half was mostly Slice of Life and I considered Steins;Gate a 7/10 anime by that point, however, the 2nd half completely blew my mind away and it became a 10/10. To me, the 1st half is like a necessary evil, not everyone will like it but at least it made me connect with the characters so I was already in love with the characters when the 2nd half started and this is one of the reasons I loved this anime, if you didn't connect with the characters by that point then you probably won't enjoy it as much.

Anyway, you finished Steins;Gate, and you still dislike the anime, that's fair, not everyone will like it, Steins;Gate wasn't able to push your buttons and that's understandable, I dislike FMAB myself and I see that you gave that anime a 10/10, FMAB is an overrated piece of crap IMHO so that anime obviously wasn't able to push my buttons either, it is what it is, taste is subjective and we simply won't like every anime out there no matter how high they are in the ratings.

@xZabuzax Yeah. I connected and cared with that one, but putting kids in harms way kinda 10/10 ramps up my instincts. Cheep way to get me to care.. but once you care... everything else matters more. Also, it was a gateway from when I was younger. So nostalgia plays a role. I find the rest of your comments honest and actually in line with my thoughts. I'll have to binge through your best lists as I think I'll appreciate your reviews and likely enjoy much of what you do. Thanks. I really am just one here to find decent anime since I just got Crunchyroll. I have only done a few scores, and it's likely to change some as I think about how to rank, I do not have a flow with 4 anime listed. I may not be able to do much with the wall of texts. It's common trait for the insecure, I'm told. I understand it can be annoying. My apologies. Thanks for reading though! *wall of text crits you for 10 points of damage*