The Installment of the Anime:
Although actually it is classified as a simple story about Kurisu getting worried and all about Rintaro disappearing, the story of the film is much more than just that. Due to frequent journeys across multiple World Lines (or simply timelines), which we saw as a plot revolving around D-Mails in the anime (it’s the sequel to the anime series), Rintaro lands in the “Stein’s Gate” timeline. Actually, it all begins off with having images of other timelines, when Kurisu returns from America after her studies.
Details:
Grossing about 5,28,70,917 in Indian Rupees in the very first week, this 90-minute film is categorized under drama, psychology, romance, and sci-fi. Don’t you think that it’s the perfect-most combination a story can ever have? And actually that proves to be somehow true. Never that I thought Steins;Gate franchise can be so top-notch ideas. These genres, along with the other many strong elements in the story, are able to make something which is going to be a breathtaking experience no matter what.
It begins at the finale of the anime series. The story isn’t all about the plot. Encompassing enhancement of Kurisu-Okabe relationships by emotional drives and filling of loop-holes left out blank by the anime, the film serves as a must-watch for almost all Steins;Gate fans.
Analysis:
Due to not explaining the real story and sticking much to the themes, this film will be average for you if you don’t have a single-byte of data about Steins;Gate franchise (game or anime or manga) in your brain. But again, being “average” is much I guess, under such conditions where plot revolves around the series itself. I mean suppose watching the DBZ: Battle of Gods film without even knowing who’s Goku or watching Harry Potter Deathly Hallows directly, without ever watching any of the previous parts! Surely not something you’ll rate even “average”!
What’s there to Seek:
Besides the common storyline which highlight the film, it est, about Okabe’s side-effects of massive time-travel; this film heavily centres around other aspects which are clearly unseen in the main plot.
In another way, the film also relies on the series and thus non-Steins;Gate fans (because everyone who knows about SteinsGate is, as sure as heck, its fan) will have another reason to watch at least the anime series to get the proper meaning of this film.
Experts say, the film “The Burden of Deja Vu” is a mirror reflection of the anime series’ narrative. How? Well basically in the original anime, Okabe was the hero and Kurisu the princess-type who needed to be rescued. But here, the roles are reversed: pretty much the perfect framework for such a film.
The Gate of Decent Concepts:
Okabe’s role has always seemed to be the physical type: time-travelling to fix things and all, while Kurisu’s is the “internal” one. But the intensities don’t differ much. Even if Kurisu is being spotted frequently as just sitting and doing nothing but thinking, she of course is a major part.
Besides an active story, and the potential to make viewers think a lot, this film also tries to blur the difference between Kurisu and Okabe as the protagonist.
Various scenes like Kurisu’s complete breakdown at not being able to remember Okabe but knowing somehow he was gone, inflict a heavy emotional damage to you.
The Conclusion:
In all, the film spans over various kilometres of adventure and scientifically-emotional drives, while also provides much food for thought. Things which bugged, at least me, like the story not having a proper climax and all Kurisu doing being attempting to save Okabe and then just giving up again and again, could also be covered. Seeing they had 90 minutes only and not 24 30-minute episodes, this seems forgivable, for they can’t show minor details and let Kurisu do everything with ease without a sense of hurry (which here seems like useless repetition).
Senkei Kousoku no Phenogram...
Aforementioned phrase is the title of the spin-off visual novel accompanying the film. Naotaka Hayashi and Kotaro Uchikoshi (Zero Escape’s writer) have collaborated on this project. This novel’s main feature is that rather than being told from the perspective of the major protagonist Okabe, this is told from the perspectives of the various lab members.
Phenogram is also the title of a new game in the Steins;Gate video game series with very smooth graphics and really very nice art.
