Reviews for Steins;Gate (8.46) 572y5d

Visuals - 9
Steins;Gate employs an overall visual aesthetic that makes it difficult to label. The artwork and animation themselves are of a noticeable high standard, but it's the presentation and technique that make the visuals really standout within the low number of environments in the series. Since the series doesn't particularly move away from the urban surroundings of the city where the characters inhabit, there's no cause to diversify the artwork etc., however with the seemingly bizarre nature of the series the direction of the visuals has been beautifully crafted to convey this sense of intrigue and often complexity. Some shots are designed so that the viewer really needs to spot the subtle information being given to them that can change how they perceive a scene - I began thinking it was a little tedious but soon began to appreciate that this aspect really draws you in and engrosses you in every second of what you're seeing in case you feel like you might miss something important.

Sound - 9
It's often difficult to find a series these days with a half-decent opening/closing theme, and unfortunately Steins;Gate isn't where I found one. They're forgettable and just noise in my opinion. Luckily the other audio aspects of the series are on top form. The musical score is kept subtle and accentuates scenes very well when it's on; the sound effects give you a well-balanced feel of the sometimes busy urban environments and the quirky scientific gadgets; and the voice acting is well suited to the characters and despite some being rather formulaic, does accurately reflect their personalities.

Story - 9
The complex nature of the plot involves the protagonist, a young scientist with an overly active sense of enthusiasm, who together with his 2 friends stumble onto a way to send messages back in time and thus alter the current timeline. Soon, this has spiraled out of control and the ensuing butterfly effect from just one or two adjustments in the timeline have changed large aspects of the protagonist's environment and the characters he interacts with.

Right from the opening episode I was confused as to what I was actually watching. The whole series started off as if it may have been a comedy, with the protagonist being a nutcase. But the closing scenes of each episode ended with a jolt to my expectations, and by around episode 6-7, I was thoroughly intrigued by what was going on and felt like I was in the rabbit hole and deciding to explore just how deep it goes.

The series in no way became predicable. I always felt as though I was on the back foot, and just when I thought I had figured something out, the plot takes a turn and suddenly everything - sometimes literally - changes. The only 'downside' of this was that my expectations would often cause my satisfaction to fluxtuate. I was never satisfied until the end of the series about how ambitious its scale would be. There's no way to tell how the story is going to unfold with so many possibilities hinted at, so it's hard not to think ahead at times and assume something more ambitious than what the story intended all along. With stories involving the manipulation of time, I've become almost too accustomed to seeing some large scale plot unfold that involves multiple locations and spans great distances. However in Steins;Gate the plot doesn't move out its initial environment. Instead, it focuses on the changes to it's main cast of characters and how they populate the familiar surroundings that they're based in. At first this felt like a missed opportunity, but as the series ended I thought it was actually a pleasant breath of fresh air.

Character - 8
The main protagonist Rintarō Okabe is absolutely the heart and soul of the series, and steals the show. I began the series feeling a bit irritated by his thoroughly confusing, eccentric personality, but as the series progressed and I learned more about his traits and his subtleties, he's definitely hands-down the best representative of Steins;Gate. His interactions with the ing cast are what essentially 'make' the show.

After a few episodes you understand the environment these characters are in and their overall personalities and quirks. Many of the characters don't have their backstories explained for a long, long time, and up until that point you just have to accept them and enjoy the ride. Each character brings a different and distinct dynamic to the group, and provides many subtle aspects that help showcase how changes in the timeline affect them.

Another aspect that caught me a little off guard was the love story. So much of the show was engrossing due to the timeline events, that the love story almost slowly crept up on me. It was developed very sweetly and unlike a lot of other series, had a satisfying conclusion that felt justified.

The only character I wasn't very keen on was Moeka. As well as being fairly unlikable and sometimes unnecessary, I felt as though her story wasn't clearly resolved or in any way received adequate closure, which I certainly thought it needed.

Value - 5
I reckon I would watch the series again in future (along with the concluding movie) but certainly not in any hurry. Much like something similar to Death Note (which I watched a second time about 5 years after my first viewing), the excitement here is in the unraveling of the plot rather than something aesthetic in the visuals, and as such it requires a rather large lapse in time for you to suitably forget about it so you can come back to it fresh and enjoy it all over again.

Enjoyment - 10
After a reluctant start, this series was one of the best I've seen at the time of it's release, and even 8 years later in 2019, kind of still is. Refreshingly complex and unforgiving, funny and exciting, heartbreaking and sweet. All in all it's simply interesting, and showcases this in a unique manner that sets it apart from other contemporary anime.