No
Spoilers Here
Suitable for 18 and under.
In
honor of the recent release I decided I might as well create a review for
anyone that is interested in reading this really good visual novel. This is actually one of the few visual novels I have
read though that has a fairly good anime to represent it so if you’re coming
from that perspective no worries, although the novel is still superior in my
opinion.
Initial Impressions: Initially
Stein’s Gate actually seemed like it might be a rather light hearted
endeavor. Very quickly though that all changed
with the events in the prologue taking a decidedly darker turn and Okabe and his
friends being thrown into a mystery that defies the concept of time itself. Stein’s Gate is definitely not for the faint
of heart, although I’m sure you’ll manage, and is an emotional rollercoaster
ride that bridges the gap between past, present, and future.
Characters
Okabe Rintarou: The main character of this visual novel and arguably a
little off in the head. He routinely
goes by the alias of Hyouin Kyouma and seems to think that if he talks to his
phone long enough it will eventually start talking back. He is also the childhood friend of Mayuri,
lucky bastard, and the founder of the Future Gadget Laboratory. What will await this eccentric self-proclaimed
mad scientist as the mysteries of Stein’s Gate unfold? Only time will tell.
Akiha Rumiho: A rather strange girl who works at a rather popular
restaurant where nyannyanian is a language that is required learning if you are
going to work there. She is very popular
and even has her own fan club as well and seems to share some of the same
interests as Okabe at times, the poor girl.
She is also a master at the Rai Net Access Battler game but oddly enough
has never participated in an official tournament despite her obvious
skills. One thing is certain about Faris
though and that is the fact that she is one of what is probably only a handful
of people that can understand everything that comes out of Okabe’s mouth.
Amane Suzuha: A part-time worker for Okabe’s landlord who has a very
strong attachment to her bicycle. She is
also on a quest to find her father as well whom she believes to be somewhere in
the city and seems to have a few mysteries of her own, like her speech for
instance, although she is not telling anyone what they are. She is also somewhat of a tomboy but very
friendly overall, with the sole exception of Makise Kurisu whom she takes a
disliking too from the beginning for reasons unknown. What will become of this “working warrior” as
Stein’s Gate progresses is something that only time will tell.
Hashida Itaru: Also known as Daru the “super hakah” and is considered a self-proclaimed
expert on all things Otaku. He is yet
another poor soul who has fallen under Faris’s spell and considers himself to
be her greatest fan and goes out of his way to eat at the café she works at just
to see her. Daru is also another member
of Okabe’s Future Gadget Laboratory and is pretty much the computer whiz of the
organization who helps out with the more technical aspects of their collective
works. He also has a rather complicated
relationship with a harem of 2D women and is a veritable Casanova when it comes
to 2D dating.
Kiryuu Moeka: A very strange woman with amazing….uhumm…..assets. She seems to have a problem with talking
directly to people but has no problem with sending spam texts to people such as
the unfortunate Okabe. Her shyness
however has led to her developing a very unhealthy attachment to her phone and
will become very defensive towards anyone that might try to take it from
her. Her super texting abilities have
also earned her the title of Shining Finger from Okabe and he hopes that the
day will soon come when he can once again carry his phone without fear,
although who knows if that will happen. She
is also looking for an antique IBN 5100 which she claims is for her job and
becomes interested in Okabe in the hopes that he will lead her to one.
Makise Kurisu: Ahh yes, the girl on the cover and the one who starts it
all. The novel has its beginnings in the
events that surround her in the first few minutes of the story and everything
starts with her. Okabe’s first meeting
with her goes about as good as you would expect for him and things only get crazier
from there. When they run into each
other again things get even worse and it seems like these two will never get
along. Despite her rather unfortunate
meeting with Okabe, Makise is actually a child prodigy. Even though she is very young she is already
becoming much respected in scientific circles and her specialty is in neuroscience. Even though Okabe cannot stand to admit it,
Makise will prove instrumental in the Laboratories future endeavors, that is if
they can stop arguing long enough to get anything done.
Shiina Mayuri: Tutturu!!!! What can be said about Mayuri except for that
she is just a great person. She has the
unfortunate luck of being Okabe’s childhood friend but she still stands by him
no matter what crazy scheme he cooks up.
She is also very into making clothes for cosplay although strangely
enough, she does not like to wear her own creations. She is a very positive individual who is just
fun to be around in general and works at the same café as Faris who is her good
friend. While she can be a bit of an
airhead at times Mayuri always knows how to brighten the mood of a room with her presence and hates
to see others fight, making her the unofficial mediator of sorts during
confrontations between lab members especially between Kurisu and Okabe. While Okabe will never admit it openly Mayuri
is a very important childhood friend and he treats her most of the time like a
little sister and can be rather protective at times.
Urushibara Ruka: Ahem…well let’s just say appearances can be deceiving. Ruka is a very reserved person who is a
shrine maiden for the family shrine.
Ruka is also a good friend of the lovable Mayuri and they both get along
very well, even though Ruka becomes very uncomfortable whenever Mayuri mentions
cosplay. Extremely feminine and shy Ruka
has become an unofficial protégé of Okabe and seeks to master his techniques in
the hopes of one day becoming a true master.
Tennouji Nae: The cute daughter of Tennouji Yuugo. She is actually very responsible for her age
and becomes fast friends with working warrior.
She is also friends with Mayuri, who isn’t at this point, although she
is still shy around Okabe who apparently knows nothing when it comes to talking
to children.
Tennouji Yuugo: Okabes landlord and owner of the Braun tube store
downstairs. He employs working warrior
as a part timer, through an intense interviewing process mind you, and is also
the father of Tennouji Nae. He also has
a very short fuse when it comes to anything involving Okabe and always
threatens to raise his rent. He likes to
talk tough but he is completely different when he is around his daughter who
has him rapped around her finger.
Story: Without spoiling
things the story is very much your typical time travelling journey, albeit with
a few interesting twists thrown into the mix.
While the first chapter or two may seem a little long winded, they will
set the ground work for everything to come and Okabe will soon be forced to unravel
the mysteries that unfold as he delves deeper and deeper into the unknowns of
time. As he and his friends continue
their journey he will be forced to realize just how important his decisions
really are to the future. The only
question will be whether or not he and his friends can make it to the future in
one piece and if they really want to make it in the first place.
Artwork: I personally found
the artwork in Stein’s Gate to be incredibly unique but fitting. I especially loved the characters’ eyes as
they seemed to draw me in and felt very fitting for the world that they were
representing. The artwork also felt
rather gritty and rough at times and seemed to aid in creating a slightly
darker than average atmosphere that persisted as the novel progressed. Overall I would say it was very good and
earns extra points in my book for its overall uniqueness compared to anything
else I’ve seen.
Music: I also thought the music was
rather fitting as well and the novel has several memorable tracks not the least of
which was the opening track. opening The tracks
actually cover the whole range of emotions that you will feel and do what they
need to do in helping create some very memorable moments. While I normally only give out one free track
so as not to give too much away here is another one to help commemorate the
release and give a better idea of what to expect from Stein’s Gate. main theme
Final thoughts: Overall Stein’s
Gate is a very good sci-fi suspense adventure that will leave you with a good
impression in the end. As with any good
visual novel the characters are one of the novels greatest strengths and they will not disappoint,
especially my favorite girl in the novel Mayuri “tutturu…..Mayushi desu!” I
would also recommend playing through all of the side routes at one point or
another as well as they are not overly long by themselves and they are all
actually pretty good as far as I am concerned but to each his own. With that I leave the rest to you so good
luck on your adventure through time and remember……everything has a consequence
and a price.
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