Number of episodes: 24 + OVA
What Wikipedia says: "Steins;Gate is an anime adaptation of a visual novel game by 5pb. and Nitroplus. It follows a self-proclaimed mad scientist named Rintarō Okabe who, along with his friends, manage to invent a microwave that can send text messages into the past, allowing him to travel between alternate worlds. As they perform different experiments, an organization named SERN who has been doing their own research on time travel tracks them down and now the characters have to find a way to avoid being captured by them."
What tTPO says: I have not played the game (only available in Japanese commercially unfortunately) so my only experience of this was the anime. And what an anime it was. It started out posing more questions than it answered, and with a pretty unlikeable main character (let's face it - Okabe was a bit of a dick) but gradually the questions get answered and big decisions need to be made by Okabe which will profoundly affect the friends he has gathered around him, and indeed the world. As the weight of responsibility gets greater his facade of arrogance fades allowing us to see that he cares a lot more than he tends to let on. This is more a self revelation as most of his friends see through the facade most of the time. But it is the plot that drives this show and the pacing is perfect through the 24 episodes - they are all needed. The internal physics (nicely explained here - spoiler alert) of the time travel are treated consistently and, rather than being used as a convenient deus-ex-machina, are absolutely essential to the plot. Somewhere while watching this I thought a timeline would be nice to see everything at once. Fortunately, someone else also thought of this (definite spoiler alert). And while it is still complex, not surprisingly, follows its own rules and is consistent. Kudos for anyone that holds all this in their head while watching the show. Fortunately you don't have to memorise every trip that gets taken, but paying attention to events in the early episodes does pay off later in the series.
How about the music?: For me all the music, the OP, the ED and the ED for episode 23 all kind of fell into the interesting and appropriate without being compelling category. Probably not something I would listen to in my spare time.
So how does it end? (Spoiler Free): Tough choices are made and there are consequences. This adds up to an emotionally satisfying finish, even if the internal physics of the last episode didn't quite seem to add up as well as the rest of the series (or maybe I just missed something). However, given the ambitious nature of the games and the anime, and the potential for gaping plot holes in any time travelling story, I can well forgive it. But who is Daru's future wife?
ADDENDUM: The OVA might just answer this question.... And the OVA overall is a nice bookend to things. Not completely brilliant, but well worth it.
Overall Grade: A (Don't miss it). This is a compelling, complex (and proud of it) plot driven series whose only mild weakness (the lack of empathy with the main character) is overcome by its conclusion. Well that and not enough screen time for Feyris-chan in maid mode (-nyan!). Otherwise bloody brilliant. And so is the t-shirt I bought with Kirisu on it.
What tTPO says: I have not played the game (only available in Japanese commercially unfortunately) so my only experience of this was the anime. And what an anime it was. It started out posing more questions than it answered, and with a pretty unlikeable main character (let's face it - Okabe was a bit of a dick) but gradually the questions get answered and big decisions need to be made by Okabe which will profoundly affect the friends he has gathered around him, and indeed the world. As the weight of responsibility gets greater his facade of arrogance fades allowing us to see that he cares a lot more than he tends to let on. This is more a self revelation as most of his friends see through the facade most of the time. But it is the plot that drives this show and the pacing is perfect through the 24 episodes - they are all needed. The internal physics (nicely explained here - spoiler alert) of the time travel are treated consistently and, rather than being used as a convenient deus-ex-machina, are absolutely essential to the plot. Somewhere while watching this I thought a timeline would be nice to see everything at once. Fortunately, someone else also thought of this (definite spoiler alert). And while it is still complex, not surprisingly, follows its own rules and is consistent. Kudos for anyone that holds all this in their head while watching the show. Fortunately you don't have to memorise every trip that gets taken, but paying attention to events in the early episodes does pay off later in the series.
How about the music?: For me all the music, the OP, the ED and the ED for episode 23 all kind of fell into the interesting and appropriate without being compelling category. Probably not something I would listen to in my spare time.
So how does it end? (Spoiler Free): Tough choices are made and there are consequences. This adds up to an emotionally satisfying finish, even if the internal physics of the last episode didn't quite seem to add up as well as the rest of the series (or maybe I just missed something). However, given the ambitious nature of the games and the anime, and the potential for gaping plot holes in any time travelling story, I can well forgive it. But who is Daru's future wife?
ADDENDUM: The OVA might just answer this question.... And the OVA overall is a nice bookend to things. Not completely brilliant, but well worth it.
Overall Grade: A (Don't miss it). This is a compelling, complex (and proud of it) plot driven series whose only mild weakness (the lack of empathy with the main character) is overcome by its conclusion. Well that and not enough screen time for Feyris-chan in maid mode (-nyan!). Otherwise bloody brilliant. And so is the t-shirt I bought with Kirisu on it.
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