Review of the anime Steins;Gate (“Stein’s Gate”, “Steiner’s Gate”)

Time travel has been of interest to humanity for a long time. I’m sure each of us at least once in our lives thought about what we would do if we got the opportunity to travel to the past or future. Some people dream of returning to the past to correct their mistakes, others to the future to see what the world will be like in thousands of years. Hundreds of books have been written on similar topics, hundreds of films have been made, and there are even quite serious scientific theories and justifications for time travel. It is quite predictable that such a pressing topic did not pass by the anime. In the current review, I will tell you about an extremely successful anime, the action of which takes place around a time machine - Steins ; Gate (“Stein’s Gate”, “Steiner’s Gate”).

Brief information

“Stein's Gate” is a 24-episode anime released in 2011, based on the visual novel . White Fox studio . In addition to the series, a full-length film was released called “Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryōiki no Déjà vu” , which is worthy of a separate review. A manga has also been released based on the Steins Gate universe. The word “Stein” in the name comes from the name of Albert Einstein, the author of the theory of relativity, various aspects of which are associated with travel in time and space.

Time Machine. Hearing this phrase, you begin to imagine complex and massive metal structures with a bunch of different sensors and switches. However, the brilliant brain of self-proclaimed mad scientist Okabe Rintaro (aka Okarin, aka Kyouma Hooin) thinks otherwise. He and his faithful assistants in the person of the frivolous girl Mayuri Shiina , the fat hacker Itaru Hashida and the girl genius Kurisu Makise developed a device based on an ordinary microwave, thanks to which you can send short text messages to the past. By sending such a message, you can completely change the past, present and future. Just one sentence that can change the world...

It is no coincidence that I called Steins;Gate an extremely successful anime : it consistently ranks in the top ten in all kinds of world rankings. In the same ranking of the World Art website at the time of writing the review, Steins ; Gate were in second place. There are a number of reasons why this anime is so beloved by fans around the world, from its characters to its rich story. So, first things first.

Gameplay[edit]

The player can communicate with other characters using the RINE app by sending messages or stickers.
In Steins;Gate 0

the story is presented in the form of text fragments accompanied by character sprites and individual drawings.
Unlike the original Steins;Gate
, which had a largely linear plot, there is a branching point at the very beginning of the game, after which the story is divided into two main branches, which, in turn, contain certain endings. In addition to Rintaro's point of view, the player is given the opportunity to play as many other characters, such as Suzuha Amane and Maho Hiyajo.

The game's plot develops depending on whether the player answers calls from the artificial intelligence "Amadeus", with whom Rintaro can contact via smartphone. The “phone trigger” from the original game has been replaced by the “RINE-trigger” system (Japanese: RINEトリガー), which allows you to use the phone to communicate with other characters through the RINE messenger application - after receiving a notification about a new message, you can choose different response options or send stickers . Unlike conversations with the Amadeus system, RINE messages do not affect the plot.

Important Notations

There are a number of different names that appear in the anime that require explanation:

CERN. The abbreviation CERN comes from the French C onseil E uropéen pour la R echerche N ucléaire (European Council for Nuclear Research). It is the world's largest high energy physics laboratory located in Europe.

TANK. The Large Hadron Collider. A special device owned by CERN and designed to accelerate nuclear particles.

Kyouma Hooin. This is what the main character of the anime, Okabe Rintaro, asks himself to call himself. Translated into Russian it means “Phoenix of Cruel Reality”, or “Fatal Chimera”. Pathos, pathos.

John Titor. A time traveler from the future. On American forums in 2000-2001, a person appeared who claimed that he had arrived from 2036. So the basis was a very real case.

El Psy Congroo. Okabe often says this phrase. It is a combination of Greek and Latin, and means “To Harden the Mind.”

Characters

I didn't personally like all the characters (a guy who looks like a girl - how corny...), but there is no denying the fact that each of them fit perfectly into the world of Steiner's Gate. Each hero fulfills a clearly defined plot role; remove any of them and the plot will lose some of its versatility and depth. It's not often that you come across an anime that doesn't have a single passable character. Even minor characters are given one or two episodes each, in which they come to the fore and reveal their full potential. And the main character is the icing on this cake.

All the coolness of Okabe Rintaro lies in all sorts of little things: talking on a switched off phone, shouting strange phrases, constantly drinking Dr. Pepper, and, of course, an ominous laugh. All these details, bit by bit, make up a very high-quality and original protagonist, who is interesting to watch and with whom you want to empathize. Yes, he is strange, but behind this strangeness you can see a real person. First of all, this is manifested in his attitude towards his friends: even though Okabe wants to seem crazy, he really values ​​the people around him. Especially Mayuri.

By the way, a few words about Mayuri . No matter what anyone says, she was the main character of “Stein’s Gate” for me. She, not Kurisu Makise. Apparently, I was too tired of tsunderes in the leading roles, so Mayuri turned out to be a breath of fresh air. Just a sweet and kind girl, taken hostage by a mad scientist who didn’t want her to dissolve into space and go to heaven. The scene in the cemetery seemed almost the best in the entire series.

Epigraph Trilogy[edit]

Covers of all three volumes.
The game's plot is based on Masashi Takimto's light novel series, unofficially titled Epigraph Trilogy.

, although in many places the script of the game and the light novel still differ from each other. So, in the trilogy only the events of the V&A branch are covered, and Kagari plays a slightly different role there than in the visual novel. There is no translation of the light novel into English.

The limited releases of the light novel contained three part CD dramas starring Maho as the main characters. Compared to the light novels, they are much lighter and softer - Kurisu is alive, Rintaro is a chunibyou, Suzuha and Moeka behave like in Hiyoku Renri no Darling

, and the whole story takes place against the backdrop of the everyday life of the Labmemes.

Plot

I have at least two comments about the storyline: it is a long and tedious plot, as well as a cloying ending.

1). The beginning . She, in general, is the reason why I will not recommend “Stein's Gate” to absolutely everyone. Not every person, even if he is a fan of anime (and even more so if he is not a fan), is ready to spend several hours waiting for the start of interesting events. Personally, when I watched the anime for the first time, I stopped watching after two episodes, and returned to it only a month later, after reading a bunch of positive reviews. I came back, but many will remain disappointed...

2). Ending . After the tedious premise, non-stop action awaits you. It seems – here it is! Here is an anime that deserves to be called one of the best! But then you watch until the ending... Steins;Gate for me will always be the anime that best demonstrates one simple fact: “A happy ending is not always the best ending.” On the one hand, it’s nice that everything ended well. On the other hand, there remains an unpleasant aftertaste due to cloying . The last two episodes seemed to me frankly illogical, and made only in the name of a happy ending. If you want to please the majority, you risk disappointing the minority, and this time I was in the minority. An open ending would have suited “Stein's Gate” much better; it, in general, suggested itself from the tone of the narrative... But what we have is what we have.

There are no questions regarding the rest of the plot. Having reached the middle of the anime, you will no longer be able to stop watching under any circumstances , even if they forcefully drag you away from the monitor. Once the plot gets going, there's no stopping it. Some events are replaced by others at the speed of light, you just have to watch what is happening with your mouth open. For something like this, it’s worth putting up with a boring premise ; it’s a pity that not everyone knows about it and stops watching it after a couple of episodes.

Gallery[edit]

• Menu
• Cover of the PC version of the game
• C.G.
• Plot structure
• Soundtrack cover
• Manga. Volume 1
• Manga. Volume 1. Russian version
• Manga. Volume 2
• Manga. Volume 2. Russian version
• Manga. Volume 3
• Manga. Volume 3. Russian version
• Manga. Volume 4
• Manga. Volume 5
• Manga. Volume 6

Panache

In the BluRay edition, the anime looks amazing, especially considering that the White Fox studio cannot be called very rich, and the budget for “Stein's Gate” was allocated a small one. The artists outdid themselves and painted a worthy picture. Yes, some backgrounds seem empty, most of the actions take place in the same locations, but such tricks are quite understandable and understandable. The main thing is that the drawing is good enough to fully convey the beauty of the story being told .

Music

You know, usually in this section I only touch on the soundtrack. However, this time, in addition to the soundtrack, I want to highlight the incomparable work of the voice actor. The anime must be watched with its original voice acting. Primarily because of the actor who voiced Okabe Rintaro - Mamoru Miyano . This is the same person who voiced Light Yagami in Death Note . However, the voices of the other characters are also perfectly chosen. Take the same Mayuri - this is sheer sweetness and kindness.

The original soundtrack is good, but at some points there is a lack of background music. Instead of calm music, you listen to silence. However, this can also be easily explained by a lack of budget. For the most part, the music is chosen well, and it greatly complements the events taking place on the screen. The opening and ending are made in a unique manner, and, as they say, they were made by amateurs.

Other advantages of anime

1). Scientificity. Yes, most of the theories voiced in the anime are actually pseudoscientific, but they seem plausible enough to believe in them. “Stein's Gate” does not hesitate to refer to various scientific studies. The transmission of information in maximum compression, which requires large computing power, or the existence of several time lines, between which movement is possible when a special divergence coefficient is reached - all these things are explained in the anime with enough detail to interest, and with enough simplicity to Don’t bore yourself with scientific terms and concepts. In general, the concentration of such information is ideal.

2). Romance. Unobtrusive, but plays a significant role in the plot and diversifies the narrative. The relationship between Okabe and Makise fits very harmoniously into “Stein's Gate”, while adding the right concentration of drama and not distracting from the main storyline.

3). Time travel. This topic has always caused me special awe. As a child, I read the fantastic stories of H.G. Wells until late at night, and I watched the film “Back to the Future” several dozen times. This is so interesting: the past, present and future connected by a line of time; the idea that there are an infinite number of alternative worlds, and that every decision we make gives birth to a couple of new ones. When you think about it, you begin to seem like a grain of sand in the endless stream of the universe... Uh, okay, let's move on to the assessments.

Tropes and cliches[edit]

• Alternate endings: Kurisu Ending ("Rinascimento of the Unvawering Promise -Promised Rinascimento-"): Survivor of 2036, Okabe travels to 2012 and sends D-RINE to himself about how the world can be deceived.
• Mayuri's ending ("Altair of the Point at Infinity -Vega and Altair-"): On July 7, 2011, Mayuri and Suzuha travel in a time machine to the past to convince Rintaro to try again to save Kurisu.
• True ending ("Stardust of Intersected Co-Ordinates -Milky-Way Crossing-"): In 2025, Rintaro records the D-mail and travels beyond the event horizon in which Mayuri and Suzuha were lost after the events of Vega and Altair
• Leskinen Ending/Bad Ending ("The Gtigma Beyond the Hidden Mirror -Gehenna's Stigma-"): Stratfor obtains information about the time machine, Akihabara turns into a war zone, and Mayuri and Suzuha are killed trying to travel back in time.
• Maho ending ("Automaton of Provable Existense -Twin Automata-"): Kagari finds her parents.
  DURPA sets up a gas leak at Leskinen's main office, forcing him to transfer equipment to Tokyo Electrical Engineering University. Afterwards, the hotel where Maho lives is attacked, and as a result, Feiris takes her under his wing. Maho and Moeka become friends, Moeka learned to talk without a phone. Maho, Okabe, Mayuri and Nae are attacked by DURPA's vanguard. Okabe teams up with the Rounders. Leskinen rescues Maho and they head to the university to remove "Amadeus". There is a shootout in the office. Judy, working for DURPA, kills Leskinen. Moeka, sent by Okabe, comes to Maho's aid. Judy tries to get her hands on the Amadeus system, but Maho refuses. Then the control code, which, instead of accessing administrator rights, starts the removal of the program is called Moeka. Kiryu Moeka is shot in the chest, but survives thanks to Kurisu calling an ambulance. Judy passes out after being shot by Moeka. The real Kurisu is resurrected through "Amadeus", and tells Maho that they can achieve the world they want, referring to the Steins Gate worldline. Okabe has to tell Maho everything, she flies to America, hoping to meet Okabe again. To get this ending, you must not answer the call from “Amadeus” in the laboratory in the third chapter.
• Kagari's ending ("Mother Goose of Mutual Recursion -Recursive Mother Goose-"): Kagari regains her memories and travels back in time with Suzuha instead of Mayuri.

Those same shaman girls whom Leskinen never saw.

• Crowning moment - the revival of Hooin Kyouma
• Red Herring: Basically everything related to the real identities of the girl in the motorcycle helmet, Kagari and Yuki
  , as clues are given in different chapters that take place in different worldlines.
• Red Menace: In the 1.382733% world line, where Rintaro ended up in the X-Day Protocol chapter, the USSR did not collapse and started a war with Japan and the USA. With the wick screwed on, because the blow was preventive.
• Buy a damn guide! - played in a zigzag. The “RINE trigger” was not made into a plot element precisely in order to avoid the trope. But at the same time, the calls to the Amadeus system are also not much more obvious, although there are much
  fewer branching points in the sequel.
• Love Letter : Mayuri's text message to Rintaro
  in the Vega & Altair ending.
• The time machine is C204, located on the roof of Radio Kaikan. In Promised Rinascimento and Vega and Altair, the main characters restore the Mobile Wave (temporary name).
  Also FG-C193 in the true ending.

Ratings

Characters – 9.0. The characters are excellently chosen. The main character is unusual and interesting. Each character is given enough attention to develop their full potential.

Plot – 8.0. The boring premise and sugary happy ending don't allow me to rate it higher. However, the central part of the anime is beautifully done.

Drawing – 8.0. At times simple, but good enough to fully convey the plot.

Music – 9.0. The background music is very pleasant, but in some places its lack is noticeable. A kind of opening and ending.

Fantastic – 10.0. The fantasy component of the anime, tied to time travel, is implemented flawlessly.