Steins;Gate is a 24 episode anime (and an OVA episode) based upon the visual novel of the same name. The visual novel was eventually released in nearly all platforms although the English versions were on PC, Vita and PS3. This anime is an extremely faithful adaptation of the visual novel. The plot of Steins;Gate is complex and revolves around time travel. Its take on time travel combines various ideas together into one, and at times, it can get confusing. However, once you get your head wrapped around it, it's pretty cool and it makes for great drama and tension.
The plot of Steins;Gate aims to be clever and also to tug at your emotions and it succeeds in this aspect. It follows the main character called Rintaro Okabe, who will frequently go into his alternate persona of a mad scientist and sprout random melodramatic phrases. Sometimes, Okabe will seem just a tad bit too delusional. Through a series of events, Okabe accidentally discovers that he can send messages to the past. Naturally, being the made scientist that he is, he ends up experimenting. The machine that allows the "D-Mail" to be sent is a phone microwave hybrid.
Naturally, Okabe collects around him an assortment of other characters, from the typical otaku Daru, the airheaded Mayuri and the academic Kurisu. Through their experiments, they end up making possible a variation of time travel. The way Steins;Gate handled the the time travel element was amazing and is the thing that will blow your mind. It should be noted that Steins;Gate has a slow opening. It takes a while to set up the story, but without the viewer realizing it until the later episodes, all that stuff that occurred in the beginning will be relevant. The anime does a good job at building up the relationships between the characters, making each one unique and distinctive.
Persevere until at least Episode 13 and you will be rewarded, as the plot starts to get rolling, building up momentum quickly until it cannot be stopped and will suck you in. The anime does a great job at capturing the charm and atmosphere of the plot perfectly. From the funny perverted nature of Daru's dialogue to the interactions between the main characters, the feel natural and essential. It helps that the same voice actors as the game is used so if you have played the game, then they will feel familiar. Conversely, if you watch the anime first and the play the game, it also works at easing you into the universe.
The being said, some parts of the plot are brushed by too quickly and can be hard to catch up. These moments include the text messages flashing by too quickly and also the time jumping, where it is not as clear on the exact days and the time limit so you end up getting confused. Each character has their own unusual quirks and personality but they are all likeable. The characters can be major stereotypes though and not representative of normal people. There'll be a character who will always communicate via her phone and another who is very timid and shy. Perhaps the best scenes of the anime relate to the ones where it conveys the sadness oft he main character's choices toward the second half of the plot.
After learning of some of the characters' motivations for the choices they have made and their backstory, you understand Okabe's pain and indecisiveness at knowing the consequences of what he is about to do. However, there were times where these moments were breezed by too quickly and it loses part of its significant and meaning which is a shame. It seemed that they had enough time to meticulously set the story up but not enough to fully dive into it, resulting in a quicker second half that's harder for the viewer to follow.
Steins;Gate has a great ending and final two episodes. The anguish and despair of these last few episodes, coupled with the hopelessness of Okabe's cause, it can get very emotional. Just when you thought the story has come to a close and given up all hope, it manages to find a resolution to its biggest issue. The music here is excellent and amplifies the mood of the scenes. Overall, Steins;Gate is a fantastic anime that takes time travel seriously and wraps it around its little finger. The plot is complex and clever, it will no doubt make its viewers emotional, excited and sad throughout the whole journey.
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