It's been some time since I've seen an anime that I enjoyed so much. Especially when I thought I was done with the genre because of the repeating themes and motifs.
Steins;Gate is a cleverly written anime revolving around Okabe Rintarou aka the self proclaimed mad scientist Hououin Kyouma and his meddling with time. I can't tell more without giving the best part of the story away.
I started watching the show after seeing that it had favorable reviews and I must admit that the beginning is kind of slow. The spark that ignites the main conflict only shows up later, which is a rather peculiar structural property of the plot. However, I will say this: if you're somewhat appalled by fan-service characters, overly dramatized reactions, childish characters and anime stereotypes, wait patiently because a beautiful story is about to unfold and the necessary plot preparations must be done. For this story, a careful setting of the stage is very important.
What I enjoyed most was the chemistry between the two protagonists and the way these character develop. Also, the execution of the time travel story was well done, time travel being a genre that many have failed to illustrate properly.
And now, the bad parts. The pace of the show is rather irregular with a slow start and a somewhat abruptly orchestrated (yet satisfying) finish and many of the characters lack depth; they just fill a designated role. Also, science part behind the time travel gadget did not really convince me.
I would rate this show with an 8 but in the end, I really enjoyed the characters and the interactions between them. Also, the big WTF moment was really... WTF. That's why I'll be a bit subjective and add an extra point. I would be more specific on the extra point but I do not want to spoil you.
I really hope that I will have the opportunity to watch more anime of this quality. Truly, a job well done.
