Time travel is an overwhelmingly, infamously difficult concept to build a work of fiction around, as many stories centered around the idea can't help but eventually succumb to a vicious cycle of increasingly-obvious plot holes. You rarely see a work of this sort that's not only able to logically explain its world, characters and conclusions, but also able to make the viewing of such a winding, complex narrative clear, concise and, most importantly, enjoyable. It's just so easy to either fall into the trap of creating a time paradox or to fill your story with so much scientific exposition that the characters and pacing suffer because of it. However, every once in a while a story is created that somehow manages to strike a wonderful balance between storytelling and scientific logic, therefore producing an intelligent, mind-bending thriller with lovable, exceptional characters to attach to along the complex journey. Despite some minor flaws that hold it back from true excellence, Steins;Gate, studio White Fox's 2011 anime adaptation, is once such occasion.
Our story takes place in modern day Akihabara, Japan, focusing on the life of Okabe Rintarou, or, as he would prefer, self-proclaimed mad scientist Hououin Kyouma, an insanely eccentric 18-year-old college student with a flair for the dramatic. He spends his days alongside his childhood friends, the adorable, innocent Shiina Mayuri and the ever-sarcastic Itaru Hashida (Daru, as he's called), as he works to brainstorm new gadgets and gizmos in hopes of defeating what he refers to as "the Organization", a group that may or may not exist and that he believes is always conspiring against him in his various scientific exploits. His main interest, however, has always been the concept of time travel and the adventures of the enigmatic time traveler John Titor, a man who claims to have come from the future but only appears on internet chat forums. This leads him and his friends to meet Makise Kurisu, a 17-year-old prodigy scientist from America who, when giving a lecture at his university, persuasively argues against the concepts of time travel, claiming it to be scientifically impossible. The two argue back-and-forth on the topic for days as they become more acquainted with each other, but all debate gets thrown to the wayside when the unthinkable happens: through the use of a microwave and a cell phone, Okabe and his friends inadvertently discover time travel. Together they work to elaborate on their discoveries while simultaneously attempting to help improve their friends' lives by sending text messages back in time, thereby changing the present for what they assume to be the better.
That's as far as I'm willing to go with a general plot synopsis without giving anything away. If the story seems complex, that's because it is, especially once you add in the other significant supporting characters like the mysterious Moeka Kiryu and, my personal favorite, the energetic Suzuha Amane. However, it's never once unintentionally overwhelming, and that is a testament to one of this show's major strengths: the characters.
You'd be hard pressed to find another cast that feels as real and lovable as this one that didn't come from a show with Bebop in its title. Okabe in particular is one of the most fascinating protagonists you'll witness within the anime medium, beginning the show as a hilarious, clumsy goof and slowly transitioning into a more serious, hardened youth to match the narrative's increasingly dark tone and events. Yet through all the hardship he struggles through, he never loses his charisma, effectively keeping his eccentric personality intact while allowing him to mature. His growth is subtle, complete and matches the show's progression perfectly without sacrificing the initial identity of the character that allows you to grow so attached to him from the very first episode. As far as anime protagonists go, it's tough to name one as unique and likable as him.
That's only the tip of the iceberg, though; Steins;Gate wouldn't be the show that it is without the incredible supporting cast that it creates, nearly all of them experiencing a similarly effective growth to Okabe's. While there are varying degrees of success here, almost everyone goes through a quality coming-of-age arc in some sense, most notably Makise Kurisu. Her role as a foil to Okabe's strangeness is needed early on as she's the one who is able to explain the scientific jargon concisely without losing the attention of the viewer. Not only that, but, as she's the most "normal" one among the main cast (and I use that term lightly), a lot of the comedic relief relies on her reactions or responses, and she suits this role perfectly while providing enough wit of her own to add to the humor even further. She could have been a boring, dry character used for nothing but exposition, but instead she shines through as one of the main strengths of the show, almost stealing the spotlight from Okabe when it's all said and done.
Makise and Okabe are the headliners that drive the show for the duration, but that's not to say the others don't serve their roles admirably. Daru is a sarcastic, somewhat-perverted hacker, not exactly an original for the "best friend" archetype, but he's consistently quick and witty and plays a role in the plot that makes him more than just comedic relief by the end. Suzuha is an immediately likable and compelling presence whose secrets are extremely satisfying to unravel, becoming arguably the most useful supporting character by the show's end, not to mention the coolest. Moeka may seem off-putting at first, but she plays a huge role in the plot's progression and her backstory is eerily gripping. And Mayuri is, quite simply, the heart of the show who is quintessential for the plot's progression and the motivation of our protagonists. Plus, if you don't think she's one the most adorable characters ever put to animation, I honestly don't know what to tell you.
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| "This is a pose of intelligence and ecstasy, possible only for those who spend their lives in research!" I guess I couldn't have said it better myself, Okabe. These two are fantastic. |
Unfortunately, not everyone's a winner. Two of the side characters, Ruka Urushibara and Rumiho Akiha (Faris) initially are decent comic relief, providing a temporary break from the dry wit in favor of some more overt moments (one running joke involving Ruka is particularly absurd, and therefore fits perfectly). But when the story starts getting really serious starting in the second half of the show, their inclusion transforms from passable comedy into unforgivable filler that completely halts the story's progression. Unlike the other side characters who get their own arcs and backstories, Ruka and Rumiho's past and present are pretty much irrelevant to the overall story, and while Ruka is likable enough (if a tad pathetic), Rumiho is downright annoying and completely uninteresting. There are two episodes, 17 and 18, that focus solely on Okabe's relationships with these two characters, and it's just so boring to watch. The show was finally getting extremely intense, keeping me on the edge of my seat, but then it abruptly stops for 45 minutes to shed light on characters that don't matter and who I don't care about. Considering how smoothly the show could have escalated towards its impressive finale, I find these two episodes to be entirely unnecessary and personally believe they really damaged the pacing of the show.
While we're on the topic of pacing, that's something that Steins;Gate struggles with throughout its duration, not just in the middle of its second half. The first half of the show works well for growing the characters, explaining the scientific concepts and foreshadowing future events. In fact, after re-watching the series multiple times, I've concluded that this show might just have the best, most subtle foreshadowing that I've ever seen from any story, not just in anime. But as good as the world building and the set up for the second half are, that doesn't change the fact that really nothing much of significant interest occurs within the first 11 episodes outside of the discovery of time travel. Episode 12 hits and changes everything, but that's still asking quite a bit from the viewer, as that's half the show down the drain before the first major plot twist. To clarify, the first half of the show is in no way bad; the characters are goofy fun which sets them up well for more serious progression, the dialogue is consistently hilarious (seriously, this is probably the only anime to ever make me laugh out loud), and the concepts, while very intellectual, remain interesting and easy to keep up with. I just think the show could have gotten to episode 12's bombshell a bit sooner, which, again, calls into question the inclusion of Rumiho and Ruka, as they both take up significant time in the first half of the show as well.
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| Yeah Rumiho, I'm also confused as to why you're in this show |
That being said, the plot's brilliance still more than shines through despite the pacing issues. I mentioned at the beginning that it's rare to find a time travel oriented story with no plot holes to speak of, but I certainly couldn't find any here from start to finish. Furthermore, they don't take liberties with the established logic or throw in any random events to achieve this impressive feat. Like I said before, the foreshadowing in the first half of the show is incredible; it's present enough so that guessing the events is plausible, but subtle enough to ensure that almost nobody will, and that's a very, very difficult thing to do and where many other shows have faltered. The excellent dialogue, as well as the aforementioned characters that speak it, accomplishes another daunting task: explaining the scientific reasoning behind the concepts of time travel without bogging down the plot in exposition. I was never bored or overwhelmed, only more invested in the world and concepts that the characters were exploring. Furthermore, adding another layer of depth to the plot, the theories at play here actually exist in the real world. Seriously, you could go Google anything found in the story and you'd be reading about it for days. Taking those heavy concepts and condensing them down so that the average viewer can simply comprehend them is hard enough, but working it into an excellent narrative seems almost impossible. The fact that Steins;Gate pulled this off so elegantly is a testament to the excellent writing. Oh yeah, and on top of all of that intelligence, the show is absolutely hilarious, which strikes a perfect initial tone between serious and comedic, evolving naturally along with the events and characters.
Seriously, watch this and try to tell me you didn't have a big grin on your face.
In terms of production value, the show really isn't anything special, but it also doesn't really need to be. Despite including strikingly original art for the character designs, everything else is muddled in less exciting, if more realistic grays and browns. This would be much more of a problem if this were an action show or if it needed to display flashy animation, but the story and characters don't lend themselves to that. There are occasional moments where something more happens on screen, such as the flashing of a timer or the electricity emitted from the microwave, which sort of make you wish they had put more effort into the character animations themselves in order to further envelope you in this world. But as it stands, the animation is passable, doing its job and occasionally a bit more.
The same can't really be said for the soundtrack, although you really can't say much about the soundtrack whatsoever seeing as it rarely pops up. The occasional background tune or lament to play during a darker scene works to create ambiance, but there's nothing here that you're going to be putting on your iPod anytime soon. I wish there had been a bit more here, actually. Steins;Gate already has the ability to make you emotional, but those scenes could have been punctuated even more with a truly mesmerizing soundtrack. But alas, despite disappointing a bit, the soundtrack does its job.
A quick mention about the opening song, however: there are many openings that I treasure and that get me excited to watch a show, but "Hacking to the Gate" is easily in the top five of all time. It's almost as if the entire animation and soundtrack budget went towards creating this gorgeous two-minute introduction, and I'm certainly not complaining. The vocals are beautiful, the animation is fluid, and there's very good symbolism within it. And yes, there's even a bit of foreshadowing. Seriously, I usually skip an intro, but I never once did here. In fact, I occasionally rewound to take another listen.
Conclusion
Steins;Gate is a rare show, not only because it's an anime involving time travel, but it's a time travel story that's so masterfully written. The characters, especially Okabe and Makise, are just to die for, and the tone escalates naturally and effectively, transforming from happy and goofy to dark and serious. But it never sacrificed the initial integrity of its characters in order to accomplish this task. The foreshadowing was mind-blowingly well executed, and it never devolved into a show about scientific exposition; it always kept its heart, and that's why the second half was so emotionally effective. It's just a shame that some characters felt superfluous and the pacing just wasn't up to par at points, as well as the lackluster production values. Even with those flaws, though, Steins;Gate is a show that everyone should watch, even non-anime fans. It's easily in my top ten anime ever created, and while it can't quite be considered a masterwork, it's definitely something special.
THE GOOD
+ Excellent characters, especially Okabe and Makise, felt very genuine and real
+ The plot is nearly flawless in its execution; no plot holes and striking a great balance between fun and serious
+ Foreshadowing is some of the best
you'll ever come across
+ DAT OPENING
THE BAD
-- Ruko and Rumiho are worthless, and they halt the second half's progression when things are really getting good
-- The pacing suffers as a result of those two, but also in the first half which takes a while to progress the story
-- Mediocre production values
OVERALL
9.0/10
Amazing
