Everyone wishes at some point they could go back in time and change something. A group of friends that have been experimenting with a 'microwave telephone' accidentally find a way to do just that- by sending text messages to their past selves at the crucial moment. With every message sent, the world changes. They seem to start out small, from a new girl being introduced into the girl, but they spiral out of control with someone's gender being changed and the town itself changing.

Unfortunately, it also seems that their little experiment caught the attention of a deadly organization. Having a decided interest in the issue of time-travel, they will stop at nothing to get the group out of their way. Okabe finds himself in real trouble, unable to save his dearest friend and knowing that he must undo everything to set things right. However, that presents him with another dillemma- saving his friend, but possibly losing the girl he comes to love in turn. This is an anime that is intruiging, and keeps you on the edge of your seat!

Violence/Gore- This does have its share of violence. People are shot, stabbed, hit by cars. Thankfully, discretion shots where you don't see the wound and don't see the actual hit are used to the fullest. You might see a body fall, or some blood falling, or on a shirt, but gore is non-existant.

Nudity/Sexual Content- Okabe walks in on two of his female lab members in the shower, but you only see their backs. Another lab member is fond of innuendo, but it's usually quite mild. Chris's shirt becomes slightly see-through after a rainstorm, but you don't see anything. She does accuse Okabe of looking, though.

Theological Themes- There's time-travel. Other than that, there's a boy whos very feminine and wants to be a girl, and takes a chance to send a message back and change his(her?) gender. This is reversed when Okabe goes back in time.

Other Themes- This can get very dark, and can at some times seem like it will end hopelessly. Okabe admits at one point he's been dulled to the thought of his friend dying. There are a handful of swears, but mostly during the first half, and none harder than the 'b-word'.

Violence: There's only some mild slapstick in the first half of the show, as well as showing a body in a pool of blood. The second half involves people getting shot, hit by trucks, run over by trains, stabbed, ect. Most of the time it cuts away from the violence occurring, showing at most the aftermath. It's very emotionally intense.

Sex and Nudity: There is no nudity. Fan service-wise, there's a shot of one character in a very short dress, and a scene where a character's shirt gets wet, and you can vaguely see the outline of her bra (the only reason I even noticed it was because she accused a male character of looking at her). One of the lab members is rather fond of making suggestive jokes. He and two other lab members frequently accuse each other of being dirty minded. Apparently, some of the games this character plays are very dirty.

Problematic Theological Themes: It's about time travel and changing the past. One character brings a dead person back to life with time travel. Another character uses time travel to change their gender.

Problematic Themes: I think there was some swearing, though it wasn't frequent. I gave it a 3 just to be safe, in case I filtered things out.

Overall: Steins;Gate was really interesting and complex. It provides us with an interesting use of the butterfly effect, as well as moral dilemmas. There are all kinds of paradoxes at work here. The first half of the show is devoted to our characters building a time machine and uncovering the secrets of time travel. The second half deals with the consequences of their discoveries and how Okabe handles it.

The characters are all unique and fun. Everyone has many layers. Beneath Okabe's mad scientist alter ego, lies a compassionate yet broken man. The wholesome Mayuri has a deep sadness behind her cheerful exterior. No one is as plain as they seem on the surface. All the characters grow through their relationships with each other and the idea of time travel. Okabe and Kurisu's relationship was particularly touching.

Everything is connected in Steins;Gate. All the characters are relevant in some way. No one is exterraneous.



The art was nice. All of the character designs were fitting. My only issue was Suzuha, who kinda looked strange. The music was nice. I liked the opening theme quite a bit.

I'd recommend this to teenagers and up, for violence and suggestive dialogue.