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 ing

Tamura, Yukari Japanese

Urushibara, Ruka ing

Kobayashi, Yuu Japanese

Akiha, Rumiho ing

Momoi, Haruko Japanese

Kiryuu, Moeka ing

Gotou, Saori Japanese

Tennouji, Yuugo ing

Terasoma, Masaki Japanese

Tennouji, Nae ing

Yamamoto, Ayano Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Iwasa, Gaku Producer

Kananiwa, Kozue Producer

Tanaka, Shinsaku Producer

Reviews

May 31, 2025

NegativeMan007

Recommended

At its core, Steins;Gate is about a self-proclaimed mad scientist named Rintarou Okabe, who stumbles upon a way to send messages to the past using a modified microwave and a phone. What starts as a quirky, fun exploration of time travel quickly spirals into a high-stakes emotional rollercoaster. The story is heavily influenced by actual scientific theories—like the Many-Worlds Interpretation—but it always keeps character emotions front and center.
If The Butterfly Effect and Back to the Future had an anime baby raised on existential dread and otaku energy, this would be it.

Let’s be real—Steins;Gate has a slow burn. The first half is almost slice-of-life with light ... sci-fi spice. The time travel mechanics are hinted at, but the tone leans heavily into comedy and character bonding.
Then, around episode 12, everything snaps.
The mood shift is immediate and masterfully executed. From that point, the story becomes dense, psychological, and emotionally taxing. It's a classic case of the show earning its payoff by building characters you care about deeply before it puts them through hell.
Time travel stories often collapse under their own rules—but Steins;Gate balances complexity and coherence impressively. Its rules are strict, and while some aspects need a little suspension of disbelief, the emotional logic is airtight.

Characters: Okabe Rintarou (a.k.a. Hououin Kyouma): Maybe one of the most unique protagonists in anime. Starts as a delusional weirdo, ends up being… well, still a weirdo, but an emotionally complex one you’ll root for. Makise Kurisu: Smart, snarky, and one of the best-written female leads in the genre. Her dynamic with Okabe carries the emotional weight of the series. Mayuri, Daru, Suzuha: The ing cast all serve a purpose—some comedic, some tragic—but each contributes to the layered narrative.
Steins;Gate doesn’t throw side characters away. Even the ones who seem like comic relief early on get serious development later.

The show grapples with: Determinism vs. Free Will, The cost of knowledge, Grief, trauma, and emotional resilience, The morality of changing the past.
It doesn’t just ask “can you change the future?”—it asks “should you?”
That ethical dimension gives the series lasting impact. It’s not just about gadgets and theories—it’s about the consequences of playing god, especially when loved ones are on the line.

White Fox did an excellent job capturing the moody atmosphere. The color palette leans into muted tones—subtle, almost washed-out—which adds to the grounded, realistic feel despite the sci-fi premise. The opening theme (“Hacking to the Gate”) is iconic and perfectly sets the tone: chaotic yet meaningful. The OST is lowkey brilliant—quiet piano pieces, distorted synths, and unsettling silences that underscore the tension beautifully.

Criticisms: Pacing: The slow start can be off-putting. Some can drop it before the big twist. Technobabble: Occasionally gets dense or confusing, especially if you’re not into sci-fi jargon. Daru’s humor: His pervy jokes can feel outdated or unnecessary, especially by today’s standards.
But honestly, these flaws fade in the shadow of the story’s emotional and narrative high points.

Steins;Gate is one of the few anime that feels better in hindsight.
Once you know the full arc, the slow early episodes transform from "boring setup" to "brilliant groundwork."
It’s a rare series that combines nerdy science with genuine emotional weight, and does justice to both.
“, no science is perfect… but this one might be close.”
A time travel masterpiece that hits the heart as hard as it hits the brain.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by NegativeMan007 (5)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

May 13, 2025

clarkr

Mixed Feelings

This is a tough series for me to formulate a coherent opinion on. There's a lot of stuff that I didn't like. The characters aren't very interesting or entertaining to watch, especially in Steins;Gate's first half. The entire first half of the show moves slowly and becomes boring due to the one-note main characters. The pace isn't nearly fast enough, and half of the time the main characters are just sitting around talking about stuff that doesn't matter, or investigating a plot point that isn't important or interesting. Steins;Gate tries to make up for this with humor, but none of the jokes land for me. ... The delivery is always awkward, and the subject of whatever joke is almost always something stereotypically anime. There's an entire character whose only personality trait is objectifying (underage) women. I just instantly don't like a show if a main character talks about how sexy a high schooler is. Disgusting.

On the other hand, you have to give Steins;Gate credit for actually having an interesting premise and plot. 90% of anime that come out are the same boring, regurgitated, immoral slop, but even if Steins;Gate falls victim to a lot of those conventions and stereotypes, it's still worth watching. If you can get through the boring slog that is the first half of this show, the second half is fairly worth it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by clarkr (19)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

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

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by yureironin (4)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Greatest Anime of All Time.

by MPFSTUDIOS

11 Entries · 4 Restacks

Left an Indelible Mark

by ManiixieTerror

45 Entries · 279 Restacks

Time for a Good Cry (Tear-Stained Cheeks)

by ManiixieTerror

40 Entries · 82 Restacks

North American Anime & Manga Releases for February

Week 1: February 5 - 11 Anime Releases Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card-hen (incl. Prologue - Sakura to Futatsu no Kuma) Part 1 Blu-ray Dean Wonderland (incl. Akai K...read more

Feb 4, 2019 9:26 AM by Discuss (4 comments)

NHK Announces Best 100 Anime

To commemorate one hundred years of Japanese anime history, NHK has announced a list of 100 Best Anime on Wednesday at NHK BS . The list is based on the audi...read more

May 3, 2017 7:07 AM by Discuss (547 comments)

	Poll: shanimebib - Sep 13, 2011	1,865 replies	by »» May 31, 8:45 PM
	Poll: LadyOrihime - Aug 30, 2011	817 replies	by »» May 31, 1:14 AM
	Ruskimeister - Apr 15	59 replies	by »» May 29, 6:31 AM
	Poll: Samu-tan - Apr 3, 2011	558 replies	by »» May 24, 8:09 PM
	Poll: Yumekichi11 - Jun 7, 2011	282 replies	by »» May 23, 6:26 PM

In Numbers: The Best Anime of the Decade

What's the #1 anime of the 2010s? Which year was the best? What studio had the most hits? We have the answers to all these questions and more!

by Shymander

661,735 views

Steam Summer Sale 2019: Top 10 Anime Visual Novel Deals

The biggest game sale of the year is now on, and you can find these visual novels that inspired many of our favorite anime at up to 80% off!

by Shymander

29,593 views