Dec 8, 2020
"I've only lived 18 years, but I don't want to change any of them. They're all part of my life, even my failures." - Kurisu Makise
This quote summarize the message of the show pretty well, Steins;Gate is ironically a time travel shows that teaches the us to accept our past no matter how tragic it might be because those tragedies are what makes us who we are. The show also encourage us to face our fear as we get to witness all of the characters doing the same thing while also introducing us to the believe that there's no predetermined future so we can move
...
forward with hope.
Steins;Gate does what it aimed to do flawlessly, it sets the correct expectations from the beginning minutes of the show. It then continues with engaging progress that ends with an extremely satisfying conclusion for the target audiences. However, are you the target audience? How do you know if the show suits your taste? Well, all of it is hinted at the first episode, from the type of characters it's aiming for to the strong traits of the plot, the traits of the setting, the art style and the type of soundtrack.
Plot Type: Steins;Gate whole identity relied on the tonal shift in episode 12, the first half is a brilliantly executed slice of life comedy with mysteries while the second half is a full blown high stake sci-fi thriller. The absent of comedy in the second half intensify the tension, and create empathy between the protagonist and the audience through the feelings of loneliness and yearning to get back the peaceful days. On the other hand, the mysteries make the plot twists satisfying and believable. There will be around 3 mysterious events and characters behaviors being introduced to the audience per episodes in the first half, it's a relatively fine pacing if you ask me, enough to digest and spark curiosity. If you're the type of audience who love putting things together and making up your own theories of what's happening, it'll be a treat since you'll be engaged for the whole show. The first halves provides questions and the second half provides answers, making the whole story feels connected instead of disjointed despite the significantly different tone each halves have. In the first half, apart from the mysteries, not a single scene is wasted and each dialog is used to establish characters relationships, build a running gag, progress the plot or all of them at once.
Characters Type: Steins;Gate are made up of well executed and subverted character archetypes, including - Chuunibyou, Pervert Otaku, Bakadere, Tsundere, Dandere, Trap, Cat Maid, DereDere and Daughter-con. All of the comedic effects of these archetype will be tone to the top and later traumatically subverted to increase tension, if you enjoy that type of comedy and want to experience some breathtakingly meaningful tragedy then this is your show.
Setting Type: The universe of Steins;Gate is similar to the world of our own, Akihabara is full of Otaku culture and the character utilized this pretty well since they all have traits that represent that setting. Apart from that, the time travel system have distinct rules that are later used to problem solve supplement the characters, plot and theme well. The whole "convergence" time travel mechanic is based on the philosophical believe of fatalism and the characters have to fight against that. The show kept track of worldlines so well that fans nowadays can't find any plot holes (as in mistakes that betray the established rules of that universe from the plot)
Art: The show utilize everything from the color pallet, lightning, story boarding, visual effects, character animation and combat animation to communicate the tone, characterize, control tension and provide thematic symbolism. I personally love the art style, if you want to know if your taste suits the art style of the show, just try watching the first episode and find out.
Sound: The sound effects, OP and ED themes, OST, insert songs, voice acting are all used to supplement the emotional experience of the story. I personally love the soundtrack, if you want to know if your taste suits the show's musical identity, try searching on Youtube "Gate of Steiner" or "Believe Me" and try them out.
TL;DR Flawless writing, audio and visual that all works towards the same goal of enhancing the emotional experience and message for the target audience. You'll enjoy the show if you like mysteries, comedic characters archetypes, setting with distinct rules used for problem solving, philosophical themes and if the art and soundtracks suits your taste. 10/10
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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