Steins;Gate – 05
Can you handle the truth?
I know some people have been feeling the blues over the pacing of Steins;Gate, but I promise you that this episode is different. Last episode I had the feeling something big was going to be sprung on us soon, and it’s certainly shaping that way. But you’ve already seen the episode, so you know that episode 5 was a lot more eventful, right? If not, GO WATCH IT NOW!
Instead of being greeted with Okarin’s visage at the start of the episode, we see Suzu staring at a gold coin-like object in her palm. We don’t really get to know what it is because she tucks it away again when she hears Okarin and Kurisu struggling with the IBN 5100 outside. She acts normal until she recognizes Kurisu and suddenly adopts a ninja stance as if she would knock Kurisu’s head off any second. She doesn’t, of course. Mr. Braun calls her to come and actually do her job and the redhead is let off the hook for now.
Daru takes a look at the IBN 5100 which is prehistoric next to his computer, and he’s going to need some parts if he’s going to get any hacking done. He sends Okarin out to get parts while Mayuri happily clings to Kurisu and shows her around the dinky little lab. She almost calls the police when Mayuri says she’s Okarin’s hostage until she adds a very important amendment “I’m his hostage by my own choice.”
Suzu bumps into Okarin (aka stalks him like a crazy mofo) as he’s buying computer parts and helps him pick the right ones. They chat a bit by some vending machines about how Suzu knows so much about computers. Apparently she knew someone who was good with IBNs, but he’s dead. Suzu apologizes for acting like a rabid wolverine earlier and tells him to look out for Kurisu because “she doesn’t know anything yet.” And if you took any of that with a grain of salt, you won’t after she freezes like a panicked squirrel and loses her mind over a helicoptor.
So as I was saying, Kurisu is bad news. Trust me, Okarin, I-
BOMBS! WE’RE BEING BOMBED! QUICK OKARIN, IF YOU CROUCH THE BOMBS WON’T HIT YOU.
For everyone else, it’s an eventful festival with fireworks and yukatas. For Okarin’s group, it’s time to crack down and try to figure out SERN’s coding system. Mayuri heads home after having charmed Kurisu enough to keep coming to the lab each day, leaving the two of them to sit and wait for Daru to finish his job. Interesting tidbit: Mayuri is Okarin’s childhood friend. Do you guys think Okarin was normal as a kid?
Waiting for Daru means Okarin and CHRRRRRISSTIIINNNAAAA moments galore. From posing with labcoats (I assure you, lab coats never drape on your body like that. They are not figure-flattering!) to playing a board game and making Kurisu cry, their antics never let up. Kurisu puts up with everything until the moment of the big reveal, where they all flock to the computer screen to see what SERN has in store for them.
SERN made the IBN 5100 specifically so that it would be the only computer available to crack the code for this specific project. Hmm, must be important. Kurisu translates directly from english, having come from America, and starts reading about SERN’s main motive…to create a utopian future. They’ve been working on creating this time machine by using a black hole from the LHC and a lifter for 40 years. Kurisu can hardly believe her eyes when she reads through the plans and gets to the fatal last step: human experimentation.
The fine details are written in the Jellyman report, which they all decide to finally open after nervously considering stopping right here and now. Remember the HYU-MAN IZ DEADO. MIS-MACHI from last episode? Well, apparently this happened to not one, but 14 people who they tried to transport through space and time. They ended up as a gelatin skeleton (it rhymes!) in random locations. All failures.
On the bright side, free Jell-O for everyone!
Okarin goes to buy a drink after hearing this terrible news, and is found on the rooftop sometime later by Kurisu. After staying up all the night, the sun is rising, and Okarin is clearly even more delusional from a lack of sleep. He bursts out laughing and decides that he’ll make his own utopia by finishing his time machine before SERN.
Bonus Database Images:
Well, at least it was harder to crack than the PSN
Doctor Pepper – so good it makes your mouth disappear so that you can just absorb it through your eyeballs.
This is not cute, she is trying to tell you that you’re morbidly obese and disgusting.
Are you kidding me?! I need at least, like, TWO bananas, okay!?
End Thoughts: I think most of us had our “crazy” sensors go off for Suzu by now, and that’s pretty much proven in episode 5. Whatever her link to being a soldier is, it makes her react aggressively to Kurisu and even to things as simple as helicoptors. Judging by her stances, those aren’t just empty movements…that girl might really know how to kill and fight like a soldier. Even though she says to be wary of Kurisu, I don’t feel like she’s on the same side as Okarin. I don’t trust her at all, poking into his business like that. The rest of the hints this episode are still largely shrouded in darkness: her dead friend who knows about IBN’s and the gold coin-like object she was holding in the beginning. Of course, leave it to Steins;Gate to give you enough information to classify someone as a threat and then hide the end of those spider threads away from view.
For what we didn’t learn about Suzu, we sure did learn a lot about SERN. Human experiments all resulting in successful time travel. As successful as you’d call turning your transportee into Flubber, I suppose. The moment of the reveal was one of those “oh snap!” moments where you realize how serious things are getting. I loved how I felt that they were really onto something beyond being a rag-tag team of losers with nothing to show for their meddling. Looks like we’re starting to get knee-deep in conspiracies and actually getting that time machine to work. Okarin probably won’t do anything too stupidly drastic if he does make a proper time machine, despite his disconcerting laugh. He’ll probably just try and stop SERN. But that’s later on, first thing’s first – fixing that microwave!
I try to do some mini research on whatever they talk about each episode, as I have a genuine interest in both physics and looking like I know what I’m talking about. Nothing I learned was really useful to give me insight on what might happen in the show, but was interesting nonetheless. Hopefully I’ll have a good science nugget of some sort next time. For now, I guess we have to wait to see what Okarin does next with the knowledge he has. It might be another set-up episode next week, but as per usual…my curiosity is piqued. I’m willing to wait as long as I get answers. El Psy Kongroo.
About Overcooled
A neuroscience graduate, black belt, and all-around nerd. You'll either find me in my lab or curled up in my rilakkuma kigurumi watching anime.
POWUH: 600-699 and Romance Expert with 652 comments
tuturu!
I think I got affected by this…
anyway, I heard a theory that maybe she was the one who killed kurisu in ep 1.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Tell me about it. I’ve started doing tuturu randomly. =.=
And yes, it would be quite plausible that Suzu killed Christinaaaaa in one of the parallel world possibility.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
At this point, I say it every time I get an e-mail and a notification pops up…XD
It could be anyone at this point, but Suzu certainly looks suspicious after this episode’s actions.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 323 comments
I watched this really late last night and that Jellyman report part scared me. *shudders*
It’s getting good. :3
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
If I watch anime too late, I have odd dreams about it. >_< That Jellyman Report *was* rather chilling though.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 323 comments
Ah man. Don’t even get me started on odd anime dreams…
POWUH: 400-499 with 428 comments
Finally, something clear at last! Definitely had a feeling about Suzuha coming from somewhere different Show ▼
At least what she said being a soldier was truthful, so her warning has some merit to it, even if Okarin doesn’t know it yet. Hmm, this story feels familiar…time travelling soldier from a distant future to prevent a dystopia…oh wait a minute, Suzuha’s a female Term-!
Ahem. Anyway, now I’m just waiting for Kurisu to meet with Shining Finger since Shining Finger has something definitely going on…Show ▼
Definitely going to watch how the other characters react to Kurisu since Okarin’s (apparently) harmless, such as Feyris-tan. She and Shining Finger are the only ones who haven’t met Christina! yet. Now I shall anticipate their reactions from my dark corner…
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Ohohoho, interesting theory Reaper~ I think you might have me sold on your theory. Suzuha seems to know more than Kurisu despite having not met her before in this timeline, so she could potentially be from the future. It would explain why she’s so…um..crazy. I can’t wait until Feyris and Shining Finger get caught up in this mess too! Especially Shining Finger, who is more connected to the IBN shenanigans than Feyris. Well, that’s what it looks like at least. :3
POWUH: 800-899 and Flying Sage with 856 comments
Yes! Way to increase the tension. I like how things are both getting weirder and coming together. Plus they clearly have some dry gunpowder in Shining Finger, whose role is now even less clear than Part-time Warrior.
Okarin must certainly be a frightening person to be around. Not only does he act irrationally (“Let’s pose in lab coats,”), but he lurches from emotion (“You like Dr. Pepper? I LOVE you!”) to emotion (“Call me Hououin, or die!”).
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Things are finally coming into place!! I can’t wait to see what is revealed next time…hopefully Shining Finger gets more screentime than just a few annoying texts.
Okarin looks like great fun to be around at some times, and far too offbeat to even RESPOND to the other times. Poor Kurisu, dealing with his mood swings. Daru seems completely used to his antics, and he’s the “sane” one, so I guess it just takes time. XD
POWUH: 600-699 and Wingman with 655 comments
WHOOOHOOO finally some action! or i mean PLOT XD
Okarin is right about Dr.Pepper! everyone should drink it
😀 anyways moar episode for moar plot revealing plox
el psy congroo
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Oh no, the advertising is working on you!
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
If it weren’t for Okarin, I might have gone >.> over this episode. He’s a perfect lovable nut. Also, Suzu is from the future for sure; she’s doing that Terminator thing right now.
So, they are using the time continuum theory of Kerr’s blackhole, eh? That’s actually theoretically possible because sending people to past is easier than to future. I’m liking the fact that the storyline has perfect grounds as per the theoretical discoveries made till now.
I might just start on that editorial I was talking about to get some elaboration rolling. :3
POWUH: 800-899 and Flying Sage with 856 comments
Please do; that would be awesome! I really know nothing about physics, or any of the science of Time Travel. *Please Please Please*
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Haha, Steins;Gate is a bit of a slow burn, but I consider it only marginally worse than the amount of time we had to wait for Shiki to burst into full-fledged awesomesauce.I don’t mind the wait.
Wow Kyokai, I looked up Kerr black holes and didn’t even notice that it’s easier to send people to the past. I like how they’re using real science theories that exist in real life to explain what’s happening in Steins;Gate, it’s eerie how it relates to real life science. I haven’t seen many movies or even anime with time travel to be honest, so I’m still a noob haha. You should write an editorial! As a science nerd, I approve!
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
@JJB, I’m definitely on it and hopefully, I won’t get a writer’s block. xD
@Cool, I’ve been refreshing my research and need to correct the fact that sending people to past is harder than in future. Simple reasoning is past has already happened while future is full of possibilities and thus the traveler can drop in on any possible timeline. More on this soon. xD
POWUH: 400-499 and Manly Russians lover with 401 comments
I’m so torn on the time travel theories they are using. I like the theory of the world lines, though I freakin’ love the theory that if you travel back in time and changed something, it would have already happened in the past. Similar to the time theory in Haruhi.
The only problem with the world lines theory is that, from what I gather, you wouldn’t know if you have changed anything or not, I think. Actually, scratch that. The biggest problem with the world lines theory, is that everything has already happened, and you are un-aware of the other worlds. Even if you managed to travel back in time and changed something, you would still be in teh same line, and you cause the changes that led to the line you are in now.
I think
Eff.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I’m more familiar with the world lines or parallel world theories (thanks to watching Noein, which takes half of an episode just to explain it). Every time you change something, the line just branches off into two separate parallel worlds, right? One where you made choice A and one where you made choice B. They’re different worlds but originate from the same line. Because of this, you can only be in one world at a time, so you couldn’t really tell what changes you made.
…I think that’s right. LOL, man, time travel is serious business, yo.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Finally got around to seeing this episode and wow! Amazing stuff on the time travel discoveries, damn turning into gel would suck! So I guess they need to perfect people traveling into black holes first…
Also Suzuha freaking out like that, maybe she isn’t from this time? she did get jumpy seeing Kurisu And hearing that helicopter.
Either way damn things are getting really good!
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Yeah, it’s really getting intense! I guess this is why we don’t have time machines yet. Jell-O people. Sucks, huh?
Suzu is probably from the future since she knows so much. That or she needs more meds.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 305 comments
I always thought Suzu was probably more than she seemed, but HOLY CRAP THAT NINJA STANCE! That was just…amazing.
Between Steins;Gate and Tiger & Bunny, I think the soda industry has set it’s sights on otaku. O.o
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
She exceeded my expectations in terms of ‘crazy.’
Sorry, what? I can’t make that out over the refreshing sound of Dr. Pepper pouring into my ice cold glass. Ahh~
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 83 comments
Suzu is probably someone from the future since she has something towards Christina despite not meeting her much before that.About Christina, I suspect, could also be from the future too, but from another time. She is sensitive around the subject of her father..could it be John Titor? Could be if they’re both from another timeline. That’s my speculation..
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
It pleases me that no one calls her Kurisu any more. Anyways, yes, I think Suzu is from the future too. I don’t think she’s John Titor’s kid because I maintain the view that Okarin in John Titor, and I can’t imagine him having a kid…I..I just can’t.
POWUH: 400-499 and Manly Russians lover with 401 comments
We also have conclusive proof than Titor is male. Other than his name. You never know, might be a female!
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Except his voiceover is male and I think I have a screencap of the lower part of his face…and he had stubble. *cough*
POWUH: iLurker with 1 comments
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