Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller
Season: 1
Episodes: 24
Producer: Gaku Iwasa
Directors: Takuya Sato, Hiroshi Hamasaki
Studio: White Fox
Original Airtime: April 6, 2011 – September 14, 2011

Plot

Okabe Rintarou is a self-proclaimed mad scientist. He is obsessed with inventing futuristic gadgets. He is accompanied by his childhood friend Mayuri and a friend Hashida. But all they can come up with are some piece of junks. However, one day accidentally they invent a process of travelling time through text messages. How will this invention change their lives?

Story: 9.5/10

Like I said before amidst a lot of time travel story if one particularly stands out from the rest it has to be special. At first glance Steins;Gate may appear to be just another anime related to time travelling. However, what makes the concept of Steins;Gate unique is that unlike other stories you get to travel time via text messages. I will not give any more details because it may be a spoiler for those who haven’t watched it yet. But the uniqueness of the story and how well it has been executed, I cannot but give it a near perfect ten.

Character: 9.5/10

This anime has some amazing characters. First of all you have Okabe a self-proclaimed ‘Mad Scientist’. He may appear eccentric, arrogant and even insensitive at times but deep down he deeply cares for the ones close to him, his lab members. Those who have watched the anime will know to what lengths he is willing to go to protect the ones he cares about. Then you have Kurisu Makise an introvert but brilliant scientist and of course there is Mayuri one of the cutest and most adorable anime characters I have seen. The other characters are also really good and each character has a major part to play in the plot.

Here are some notable characters from the anime:

Animation and Art: 8.8/10

Steins;Gate does not have an amazing art style but that does not mean it is bad in anyway. The designs are good and the detailings are okay. Mostly dark colours are used in Steins;Gate and it was the right thing to do. It goes perfectly with the theme of the anime and the atmosphere it creates.

Here are some screenshots from the anime:

Music: 8.5/10

The soundtrack is not particularly the strongest point of Steins;Gate. The opening was good and the closing was not bad either. However, the background music during key critical moments could have been executed much better.

Enjoyment: 9/10

The only reason I am not giving it a 10 is because it has slow start and at first you may have difficulty wrapping your head around what is happening. However, if you get past first 4 or 5 episodes I assure you, you will be rewarded. The rest of the episodes will keep you on the edge of your seats and you won’t be able anticipate what comes next.

Final Thoughts

Nothing is perfect. So is the case with Steins;Gate. It may have some flaws but that does not take away the fact that it is an absolute masterpiece. So I recommend those who have not watched it should give it a try immediately. I am sure you won’t be disappointed.