Steins;Gate

Eccentric scientist Rintarou Okabe has a never-ending thirst for scientific exploration. Together with his ditzy but well-meaning friend Mayuri Shiina and his roommate Itaru Hashida, Okabe founds the Future Gadget Laboratory in the hopes of creating technological innovations that baffle the human psyche. Despite claims of grandeur, the only notable "gadget" the trio have created is a microwave that has the mystifying power to turn bananas into green goo.

However, when Okabe attends a conference on time travel, he experiences a series of strange events that lead him to believe that there is more to the "Phone Microwave" gadget than meets the eye. Apparently able to send text messages into the past using the microwave, Okabe dabbles further with the "time machine," attracting the ire and attention of the mysterious organization SERN.

Due to the novel discovery, Okabe and his friends find themselves in an ever-present danger. As he works to mitigate the damage his invention has caused to the timeline, Okabe fights a battle to not only save his loved ones but also to preserve his degrading sanity.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Okabe, Rintarou Main

Miyano, Mamoru Japanese

Makise, Kurisu Main

Imai, Asami Japanese

Shiina, Mayuri Main

Hanazawa, Kana Japanese

Hashida, Itaru Main

Seki, Tomokazu Japanese

Amane, Suzuha Supporting

Tamura, Yukari Japanese

Urushibara, Ruka Supporting

Kobayashi, Yuu Japanese

Akiha, Rumiho Supporting

Momoi, Haruko Japanese

Kiryuu, Moeka Supporting

Gotou, Saori Japanese

Tennouji, Yuugo Supporting

Terasoma, Masaki Japanese

Tennouji, Nae Supporting

Yamamoto, Ayano Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Iwasa, Gaku Producer

Kananiwa, Kozue Producer

Tanaka, Shinsaku Producer

Reviews

Apr 7, 2025

AnimeTheOVA

Recommended

Story: 10/10
This anime starts slowly, builds the relationship between characters, and showcases their everyday lives. The first twelve episodes can be described as character-building, but it's not as if things aren't happening even in the first episode. The "twist" doesn't come until the end of the episode; most things they present in the show lead to something eventually and have an impact, unlike other shows where they have "arcs". This show, being a time travel series and all, of course, means there will inevitably be plot holes, but the show explains it away with one fell swoop, and that is the multi-world lines theory that ... is so ever-popular which as a teenager I really liked but looking back it's really stupid and doesn't answer every question out there. I will say, though at the same it's also what makes the story so fun to watch and theorize about.

Sound Design: 10/10
The buzzing of Cicadas, the slight hum of electronics, and even tuturu~ are all sounds you will hear during the "mudane" moments of the show but it works so well when the mystery hits, it's sound design that tells you to value these fleeting calm moments so when things hit the fan and the show starts to pick up you miss these sounds where you can soldemn hear again.

When Gate of Steiner hits, you can really feel for Okabe's pain, and the "choices" he has to make hit even harder and make you root for him throughout his journey. Honestly, every single piece of music in this show hits; it's sorrowful yet nostalgic.

The opening completes the show; it starts with medium tempo, and even as the chorus drops, it stays the same tempo. Doing so sets the listeners up for the vocal drops, which, coupled with the lyrics, give a sense of regret, sorrow, and mystery. This is perfect for a show that revolves around themes of regret, loss, and choice.

Characters: 9/10
Most characters are likeable; the only one I'm miffed about is Moeka. Although she is important to the story, she's also kind of just there in the background after a while. She's a very nuanced character that takes too much digging to appreciate her involvement in the story other than the "big reveal".

Okabe Rinataro: The main character is a chunni (basically someone who has middle school syndrome) works perfectly for a character like him, it's his defense mechanism from the world and the choices he made along the way because when he's not being a chunnibyou, he's serious, and when he's serious, he suffers.

Makise Kurisu: She's the perfect counterpart to Okabe, a serious and talented scientist who's there during his most vulnerable moments. She's a type B tsundere. She and Okabe tease each other a lot, but these moments are just what makes her so essential to the story, and she has her cute side to her like most tsunderes out there.

This is to say that the characters in the show are all very layered and have their mini-stories, showcased through the time-traveling segments of the show, which I enjoyed. It's a clever use of the plot and world that was set up.

Visuals: 10/10
I want to talk about lighting and how that affects the feeling of the show, but this review has gone on long enough, so I will just comment that the visuals/animation quality still holds up to this day not that it needs to be anything insane since this show relies more on dialogue and characters.

Overall, 10/10

Ely Psy Kongroo

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Apr 11, 2025

Okilik

Mixed Feelings

I’m not even sure if I liked it or survived it but I know I felt something. That has to count for something, right? It starts off light and confusing, then slowly drags you into a loop of obsession and desperation with just enough hope to keep you hanging on.

Watching it reminded me a lot of a movie like Triangle where characters get stuck in recursive loops and slowly realize the horror of their own actions. That almost cosmic dread of repeating the same mistakes and being helpless to change fate?
It also share some similarities to the movie Inception with the way it layers ... timelines and expects you to keep up without spelling everything out or holding your hand. It’s like a puzzle not solved with clues and explanations but with emotions.

What I can say is Steins Gate doesn’t give you easy answers. But it gives you something slow that pulls you in deeper the longer you sit with it. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it but I don’t regret taking the journey.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Mar 19, 2025

yureironin

Not Recommended

Funny

I went into Steins Gate expecting a masterpiece, given its ridiculous MAL ranking. What I got was a mediocre time-travel anime disguised as something deep and intelligent that has good writing, when in reality, it’s just another shallow story with anime tropes.

✅ What It Does Right:
Time travel done right – The cause-and-effect mechanics are decent, even if they aren’t groundbreaking.
No excessive suffering or whining – Unlike Re:Zero, the MC isn’t a complete wreck crying every episode.
One love interest – No pointless harem nonsense. Kurisu is fine.
One off Story – One season wraps it up. No dragged-out sequels like Re:Zero.

The Bad:
Cringe & shallow characters – The ... cast is pure anime stereotypes: tsundere, trap, catgirl maid, NEET otaku, and the annoying "TUTURU~" girl. Their personalities are paper-thin.
The MC is a clown – Okabe is supposed to be a "mad scientist" but spends half the show acting like an idiot. His dumb choices cause all the problems.
Painfully slow pacing – The first half is pure filler and dumb humor, then the second half rushes into drama. Horrible structure.
Fake complexity – There is no deep meaning inside this show, it’s just a basic, predictable story about undoing mistakes.

At least Steins;Gate ends cleanly, unlike Re:Zero, which drags out its nonsense over multiple seasons until arc 9 still achieve nothing. But if you’re looking for an actual deep, well-written sci-fi, this ain’t it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 2

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