The Heretic's Testament on Steins;Gate (VN and Anime)
(Translation: Opinions on Steins;Gate)
Originally published: July 1, 2026
If you're reading this right now, chances are you've already heard of Steins;Gate. Originally a time-travel sci-fi visual novel (VN) released in 2009 for the Xbox 360 (yes, seriously) as the second game in the Science Adventure (SciADV) series, it's taken a life of its own with its unprecendented popularity as a standalone. This is likely in part due to a successful 2-cour anime adaptation released in 2011. The fansubbed anime was, for the most part, the first exposure English-speaking audiences had to this story, and boy did they eat it up. S;G has consistently topped the charts for "best anime of all time" all over the weebosphere.
From my early childhood weeb years up until today, my IRL friends still insist that S;G is truly "peak", "GOATed", "kino", etc. I mean yeah, time travel is pretty cool, even if it can be predictable, it's always interesting to see how they play it out. Besides, I don't think I'm that difficult to please if the genre is already something I'm interested in. I'm still a filthy Chinese cartoon enjoyer (weeb) after all.
So eventually, in my unemployed time, I finally got around to watching the anime about a month ago. And it was... just alright? The sci-fi concepts were cool I guess, but could have used some more scientific explanation to make it a bit more plausible... I mean people unironically call S;G as one of the best portrayals of time travel in fiction, so I thought they would try a bit more. And the characters... um.... sometimes they're funny since they're clearly poking fun at otaku culture, but overall the anime archetypes are just played too straight to the point where it's kinda... cringe.
Now, put down your pitchforks everyone, it's just a cartoon. At the end of the day I still enjoyed watching the whole thing even though it was really goddamn stupid at times; but I just felt could have been much better executed. Then I thought, "hey, maybe the VN expands more on the science and characters," and decided to give it a shot. It was dirt cheap on Steam too at the time, and I do like me some VNs. Lo and behold after ~48 hours of total playtime, I was finally able to get all the achievements and endings. So, what's the final verdict? stein gay good after all? I must have put in all those hours for something.
Well it's... good enough? A tad bit overrated still. Definitely much better than the anime; in fact I actually recommend people to play the VN first before watching the anime, as it greatly enhances the experience. The VN provides much more room for character development and lore-building, which improves on some of the pacing and ass pull issues I had with the anime. Overall though, it still just didn't live up to all the hype (another good example of why one should never give in to hype lest they be disappointed).
Again, it's not like I didn't enjoy the VN, but it did leave me reflecting afterwards about the disparity between my experience versus the majority of weebs. Am I just retarded? No, it can't be; I may be a retarded in other ways but if there's one thing I'm sure of is that I have superior, elite taste. Ironically, Trash Taste seems to agree with me as well, calling it the "Rick and Morty" of anime (derogatory; still not really a fan of Trash Taste either btw lol).
Anyway, as a self-proclaimed elitist, it's only natural that I have to make my thoughts known, even if no one really cares about what I think. HERE WE GO!
The Answer Etched Upon the Akashic Records
(Translation: Thesis Statement)
Steins;Gate is a solid sci-fi time travel story that is hampered by its excessive pandering to otaku culture. It strongly appeals to a specific kind of person—male, otaku, heterosexual, single, NEET, 4channer, has limited interaction with the opposite sex. Now, I'm not pretending like I didn't just nearly describe myself there. Trust me, every time they referenced terms like chuunibyou (中二病), sageposting, and riajuu (リア充, "normie"), I was pointing on the screen like a soyjak. 
So what happens when you view the story from a different lense, like as a normie? Well, things start to fall apart. You get too many overused anime tropes, one-dimensional supporting characters/anime stereotypes, and well, a decent time travel plot I guess.
I enjoy animu as much as the next guy, so nothing's stopping me from just shutting my brain off and turning on my willing suspension of disbelief. But I also just strongly feel that anime as a storytelling medium can achieve so much more than just the tired tropes that we see all the time. If we're going to include S;G within the top 5 best anime and VNs all time, then I feel like it has to be truly exceptional. S;G however, is not.
"But shinitai, who fucking cares about internet rankings?" Well, I don't really care that much about it per se, but more on what it represents. If S;G is going to be an anime that a lot of weebs recommend to normie non-anime watchers, then all they're gonna get out of it is that anime fans are a bunch of gooners who are into lolis, catgirls, traps, and think that sexual harrassment is funny or hot; these are only partially true. So it's no surprise if those normies end up being even more pushed away from anime as a medium because of this. Hence, this post that no one is probably gonna read is my way of offsetting that.
Blessings of Elysium
(Translation: Credit Where Credit is Due)
Before I pick apart S;G as a certified "hater", it's only fair that I start first with what it actually does well.
As I mentioned earlier, I believe the original VN is the ideal way to experience the story, as it fleshes out everything better. Since the story was orginally written as a VN after all, being able to read the Okabe's (main character) inner thoughts makes all the difference in characterization and understanding why these deranged anime characters act the way they do. In Okabe's case especially, being able to read his thoughts allows the player to observe his progression from retarded LARPer / chuunibyou to depressed husk of a man to deranged lunatic with PTSD. It's too bad that the other characters aren't nearly as deep.
In addition to Okabe, the supporting characters themselves also have more screentime in the VN compared to the anime. Although their sidestories are roughly the same, the pacing is way less rushed, allowing the plot to progress more naturally. This makes the certain scenes much more effective in evoking an emotional response from the player, to an extent. I say "to an extent", because overall the characters are still pretty bland and shallow overall.
The story is decent, but nowhere near as clever and mindblowing as fans make it out to be. It's just another anime sci-fi plot with time travel elements and predictable twists, which isn't necessarily a bad thing since it's executed well enough. In fairness, the VN put good effort in explainining real scientific concepts behind time travel, and the unique in-universe explanations sound plausible enough (I'm not a scientist btw). It's a shame that most of the scientific explanations were cut off from the anime, because it ends up making a lot of the plot developments look like ass pull or a poor choice of artistic license.
Special mention should be given to the comedy parts of the story. Although the main overarching plot is still serious, literally half of the story is just lighthearted slice-of-life scenes eventually building up to a totally not predictable Wham! Episode (this might count as a minor spoiler, but literally every first-time watcher will end up hearing about this beforehand since they usually end asking others "when does it start being good?"). Though many complain about the slice-of-life segments being too slow, it is also where most of the surprisingly funny lines are. Keep in mind that it's still kind of hit-or-miss, as the cliche anime gags are still there, but where the comedy truly shines for me is with the otaku/chuuni parodies, net humor, and other subculture inside jokes. The average anime fan probably eats this shit up like a soyjak, but I won't pretend that I'm not the perfect target audience either. Compared to the anime, the VN goes even deeper into the subculture and even keeps an in-game glossary for various jargons used, which is quite commendable.
The art and character designs by huke are quite good as well. The age photo filter on the character sprites adds a unique look to the game, almost as if signifying that this game is supposed to be edgy and "serious" unlike those typical ren'ai VNs. Supposedly. The CGs are generally alright, but some of them suffer from some awkward anatomy due to dynamic angles (though this is pretty common in VNs; some would even consider it a nitpick). Ironically, S;G has had multiple iterations of art style changes through each sequel, midquel, sidestory, and remake, but most agree that none can beat the original.
Sound design by Takeshi Abo (阿保 剛, Abo Takeshi) is stellar too. Most tracks like Suspicious Eyes and Explanation have a distinctly mysterious and eerie vibe, which suits the main story. The main theme Gate of Steiner is standout as well. It's serious, melancholic, . The BGM does such a good job of setting the scene to the point that watching the anime afterwards feels lacking (a lot of silent, no-BGM scenes). Fun fact: in recent days, Abo has become more well-known as the composer of LEASE, a BGM track from a relatively obscure JP-only VN called My Merry May; for some reason this track has become basically synonymous online with the "frutigo aero" aesthetic.
Another thing of note that is unique to the VN is the cellphone mechanic. Instead of the usual choice system where the MC choose how to respond in an event, choices in S;G are done on text messages or calls. Certain replies can lead to different text chains, which may or may not unlock different scenes as you bond with other characters. Major choices are also done through either call or text. In some sceness, the cellphone use is automatic, but in major plot events, usually when the MC is faced with a difficult decision, the player must manually pull up the phone and make a decision. Should the player hesitate too long, the MC may miss his chance permanently. It's actually pretty clever how this choice system really allows the player to feel the gravity of making that difficult decision; this is something that cannot be replicated in the anime. Infuriatingly, this mechanic was removed in the remake.
With all that said, the anime does have some honorable mention moments. Firstly, the opening song is an absolute banger and osu! classic, with an impressive accompanying animation. Although the art lacks the gritty aged-photo filter, Okabe does look much more presentable and less digustingly disheveled. Though it cut a lot of scenes and lines from the VN, it's still an impressive feat that they were able to fit most of the essential elements in ~8 hours when the game takes at least 40. The anime also has a few unique scenes and settings not in the VN, and some slight alterations other scenes that make for better cinema.
The Hidden Corruption of Within
(Translation: Delving Deeper - Where Problems Come Up)
It goes without saying that S;G at its core is still a decent game/anime worth experiencing. Clearly a lot of thought was put into it, and it does deserve praise for what it was able to achieve. However, with all the hype and circlejerking about how it's a "masterpiece" and "so deep", its flaws become much more apparent, leading to greater disappointment.
In my opinion, S;G falls flat in several core aspects, which disqualifies it from such high regard.
- Weak character writing
- Underwhelming emotional scenes - due to weak character writing
- Excessive male gaze / coomer bait
All of the characters, even the MC Okabe, can be simply boiled down to anime archetypes with not much more to offer. If the genre was more like a like a low-stakes comedy, then this wouldn't be as big of a deal; but when the writers expect you to care for the characters during emotional scenes, it just doesn't land when the characters are as one-dimensional as cardboard. The characters who suffer the most from this are Daru, Luka, and Faris. Here are some specific examples:
- Daru is literally just a fat creepy otaku gooner with no backstory beyond that. In Chapter 6 Metaphysical Necrosis, we are supposed to be touched by his final sendoff to Suzuha, who was revealed to be his daughter from the future; but it comes acrossed as cheesy and out of character from someone whose defining trait is being a coomer (who also creeped on his daughter before discovering who she was).
- Luka's defining traits are: shrinking violet, and trap. He barely has any lines, even in his dedicated chapter (Chapter 8 Fractal Androgynous). His "trap" status is always played for laughs (potential offensiveness aside, the jokes aren't even funny), to the character's expense. Of course, he's in love with the MC as well. Ironically, the writers tried to write his personal character arc as a "becoming confident in your own skin" kind of thing, but he just lacks any agency as a character for it to be there. Some say he's more developed in the spin-off media, which I'd like to see, but I won't hold my breath.
- Faris is the moe chuuni maid character who larps as a catgirl. She works and manages a maid cafe in Akiba, and fully, unironically immerses herself in moe> culture. Sort of like Daru, on the surface she's an entertaining parody of otaku culture. The writers' attempt at a deep backstory is that she's secretly an ojou-sama who took over her father's company after his untimely death. Also, she's in love with the MC. lmao. Her arc isn't all that bad though, she just doesn't have enough screentime (even in the VN) for players to really care about her, so the sad backstory feels shoehorned in.
I could go on and on about the rest of the characters as well. In general, they're all just too stereotypical and don't seem to have much going for them. It feels like the writers just listed down anime tropes, played them straight instead of trying to subvert expectations, then tacked on a "sad backstory" in an attempt to add depth. NGL 13-year-old me would have thought "man this is so deep! you just wouldn't get it until you watched it," but as a twenty-something year-old today, this shit's trite as hell.
The problem with having weak characters is that it in turn greatly diminishes the emotional impact of certain scenes. Despite the whole game being ~45 hours long, not enough time was spent developing the characters besides Okabe, Mayuri, and Kurisu; but even then sometimes the way they act is so cringey or embarrassing even in anime standards that it makes me not want to take the game seriously. I can imagine what vision the devs had for the game, and they have some really solid concepts, but the execution is just so lacking for what's supposed to be one of the highest rated VNs of all time.
Another issue that I think needs to be mentioning is the conscipicuous male gaze. Now I'm no stranger to anime; literally 90% of shit that's popular is oriented to the male gaze. But with S;G, I was expecting more science; instead I got a lot of fanservice, and "funny" jokes that you see in some low-quality ecchi rom-com. Like I said earlier, this anime was made to cater to a specific kind of person. Disappointingly, I'm not a good fit, as I only see more problems that get in the way of what could have been a good sci-fi anime. Here are some that really stuck out:
- Objectification of Ruka and The Cursed Scene. That scene is probably the number 1 worst scene among players, so might as well get it out of the way. Due to some time-travel shenanigans, Ruka, who was initially born male, manages to change the timeline into one where he becomes female. Okabe, however, is not convinced that the method they used was enough to change Ruka's sex, and sees Ruka's still flat-chest as proof (yikes). More shenanigans happen and in an attempt to prove to the others that Ruka is a boy, he does the stupidest, cringiest thing possible—groping her crotch. This cursed scene aside, the writers really like to make other scenarios where Ruka's shyness and doormat personality is abused by other characters for comic relief. In another cringe CG scene, Mayuri forces Ruka to wear a skimpy cosplay outfit against his wishes, also played for comedic effect. This poor character just can't get a break.
- Everyone is in love with Okabe. You're telling me that this chuunibyou who looks like a disheveled 30-year-old man has a horde of admirers? It doesn't necessarily come from nowhere; the writers try to make plausible reasons for some of these girls to end up falling for the guy. I just think that it's a bit much into unrealistic territory for this guy to basically have a harem around him. Again, I didn't sign up for an ecchi rom-com. Also, why did they have to make most of the characters girls anyway? You would think that in the setting of Akiba, the lab mems (a bunch of otakus mind you,) would attract more guys than girls. Just some balance would be nice. Sadly in the spin-offs, it's still mostly hot chicks around Okabe. I dunno how anyone is supposed to take this seriously.
- Mr. Braun is kind of a creep. This guy is a middle-aged single father raising a 12-year-old daughter. In the anime, implications about him being into young girls (some of which are minors) are made as a jest without any basis. In the VN however, the guy downright admits to being jealous of Okabe being surrounded by young pretty girls (again, MINORS). His daughter even scolds him for being "dirty", to which he vehemently denies. >_> There's nothing wrong with a man ogling girls but they should at least be legal... Just Japan things I guess.
- Hot 'n' Heavy with Moeka. Moeka's backstory is that she was a shut-in NEET before her current job, with severe social anxiety who prefers to communicate by text even in person. Her character design does not match this however, as she's a tall sexy big-tits OL in a miniskirt. Next thing you know she's also an assassin, and comes in a skintight bodysuit. If it sounds like I'm ogling her too much, that's because the VN and and anime spare no moment to make sure that the viewer knows she's hot and moe (yes it's the same moe in her name). I guess this one is more of a nitpick depending on how much fanservice you're willing to accept; I personally wish they toned it down and focused more on building her character instead, because there isn't much to find here.
- Other nitpicks. Besides the aforementioned, there are a lot more iffy scenes scattered about. Off the top of my head: the bathroom scene, Daru creeping as usual (including one questionable scene where he says he wants to be hugged by a 12-year-old girl), Okabe being lowkey homophobic (poor Ruka
), etc. These are all common anime tropes so the average anime watcher might be totally desensitized, but still they're still mildly to moderately problematic in today's modern sensibilities. Objectification concerns aside, it just gets boring and repetitive especially when you're not the target audience. More sci-fi and less gooner bait plz.
Mild Spoilers: Including the worst fucking scene in this game
Spoilers: There is no reason for girls to like this guy but they do anyway
Spoilers: Grown ass man talking about teenaged girls...
Spoilers: Hottest character in the game, too bad she's insane
Spoilers: Daru being a degenerate
In Conclusion
Not sure if it was worth all the effort writing all that and collecting the necessary screenshots. I even had to extract the script files from the game because there isn't an online scriptdump anywhere.
I ain't stopping anyone from enjoying this anime/VN though. Just don't act like it's high IQ or some shit.