[Simulcast] Steins; Gate Episode #01 Review

[Chris Beveridge]

Review by Chris Beveridge




Mania Grade: B+

In Summary:
Steins; Gate is the kind of show that has all the right elements to it but has that first episode that's a damn hard sell to a lot of people. It's not that it's making itself overly complex, it's all pretty straightforward when you watch it in full here, but it can leave some feeling put off by its presentation. This opening episode has a lot of really neat things to it, from the character personalities to the execution of it all and I really like the whole sending messages to the past concept as we've seen it done throughout the years. The mad scientist gig is often played solely for laughs, so seeing something played straight here, but with the right crooked angle for his personality, is spot on and a huge draw for me. This episode offers up a lot of potential, but it has not made it clear that it can either capitalize on it or carry it through however long the show is intended to run. But what it does do, at least for a certain type of viewer, is demand that you come back to see what they're going to do. Steins; Gate has the potential to crash, and crash hard, but it could also be a really strong series. It has all the right elements for it, but it's a matter of whether it can come together right or not.