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4. Steins; Gate

Beginning of the Ending in the Beginning

(Spoiler Warning!) This contains minor spoilers and describes most of the significant details of the first episode. If you want all the events to be more exciting and you would like to experience Steins; Gate the ‘proper way,’ I recommend watching the series first. But at a minimum, watch the first episode before reading this analysis.

For quite a long time, I have heard that Steins; Gate is a masterpiece and that it has one of the most well-crafted plots in anime. I have to say; it didn’t fall short. After watching Steins; Gate, I felt an odd satisfaction that I don’t typically get from other shows. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is. However, what I think gave me this feeling is just how well-crafted all the components of the anime felt. I had a deep connection with the characters; the mystery aspect kept me hungry for more knowledge; the cinematography was spot on; and finally, the foreshadowing worked perfectly with the plot’s final events to wrap-up everything in the series.Although the last couple of episodes take all the credit for the amazing plot, the first twelve are responsible for the build-up. I personally think that the first episode, in particular, played a substantial role in this build-up.

The first episode of Steins; Gate, or at least the first half of it, is probably my favorite of the entire series. Of course, first-time watchers wouldn’t understand how truly significant it is; simply because everything in the first episode makes sense after watching the final two. But there is a lot more to the first episode than simple foreshadowing. Every scene contains valuable information to understanding our characters, environment, and context to the entire series.

A great example comes in the metal Oopa scene. One of the characters, Mayuri Shiina, is looking at a toy dispenser, desperately wanting one of the toys called an Oopa. She asks the protagonist of the series, Hououin Kyou — I mean Okabe Rintaro, to give her a 100 yen coin to get an Oopa. Okabe puts on a cool guy act and laughs, telling her, “Even though I’ve known you since we were kids, I’m not lending you any money.”

He then proceeds to buy the toy Oopa for himself to “show her how cruel the world can be.” Okabe realizes he got a metal Oopa, which Mayuri explained is the rarest type of Oopa. After hearing this, Okabe gives the Oopa to Mayuri.

There is a lot of information contained here. We learn of Mayuri’s childish and adorable nature; that Okabe and Mayuri have been friends since they were children; and they have a close bond. We can see that Okabe’s behavior seems more like a façade than his actual mannerism. And finally, we can see his kind-heartedness towards Mayuri. All of this information unpacks in 30 seconds. Not only that, but the Oopa plays a major role at the end of the series. With each passing scene, I feel like I have a better understanding of the characters as a whole.

While we are unpacking all this information, many questions come to mind. Why is Okabe’s phone displaying static? Why did the building shake just now? Who is the suspicious-looking guard on the roof? Why is a redhead telling Okabe that they met 15 minutes ago when we don’t remember such an encounter? In my mind, and surely in many others, I knew it had something to do with time travel, considering that time travel is mentioned early on and seemed like an important theme.

We especially get this suspicion when the redhead, who we later learn is Makise Kurisu, told Okabe that they met 15 minutes ago while Okabe had no recollection of it. Questions continue to collect in the viewer’s head, climbing in significance. However, as the episode progresses, new questions emerge causes the prior questions and suspicions to be forgotten. All our previous questions disappear as we begin to ask who stabbed Makise, and why did everyone just disappear from the streets. The last two questions are the most significant and confusing, taking our attention and forcing us to forget all our previous questions.

This first half of the first episode plays the most prominent role in the build-up to the finale. It introduces many “loose-end strings” of questions and irrelevant-seeming elements that feel unrelated to the overall plot and story. Only until the ending do we realize the significance of the first episode. A feeling of satisfaction encases you when you realize you can finish the series without the discomfort of a non-concluded story. All the forgotten questions are remembered and answered. All the irrelevant elements are reintroduced and made into significant roles. All the “loose end strings” lead to one massive and beautiful tapestry. It is the definition of a smoothly flowing plot that brought me that feeling of satisfaction.

Of course, any well-crafted story is never without its plot holes, but the only plot holes I could really point to were very minor and related more to the science aspect than the plot itself. Other than that, I found the series to be absolutely perfect. However, some people argue that the first 12 episodes are slow-paced and boring. But I really enjoyed them. I found them to be more realistic and essential to the world-building, similar to the first episode.

Overall a wonderful series. I rate it a 10/10: a beautiful masterpiece. It made its way into my top 15. The only reason it’s not any higher is because I enjoy more fantasy and shōnen elements in a story, but 15 is still pretty high.

I recommend this to anyone who has a bit of experience watching anime, I would say after watching 50 or so. I don’t think you would enjoy this as much if you are looking for constant intensity, fights, or action. It is a slower-paced show, and the target audience is aimed more at people looking for an amazing story. But otherwise, a great watch!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the “Ask Me Anything” tab on my Tumblr page.