Steins;Gate – 13
Transport is so unreliable these days…
It wasn’t just a dream – Steins;Gate is really getting crazy good! It’s become yet another one of those shows that I have to watch as soon as I see subs uploaded. I see, I download, and I watch hunched over in my chair like one would sit if they a leopard about to pounce on a hapless rabbit. For some anime, I mentally calculate how much bandwidth it will consume before clicking the download button. For others, there is no forethought. There is only the lightning fast twitch of fingers and the feeling of satisfaction.
Flashback: Tuturu died. Hopefully this is not news to you. After shooting Mayuri squarely in the forehead, Moeka points her gun at Okarin and threatens to turn him into the next red stain on the floor if he doesn’t move away from the corpse. Before she can pull the trigger, Suzu busts in and takes out 3 of the armed SERN goonies with nothing but pure martial arts. A woman after my own heart, indeed. She ends up in a stalemate with Moeka, guns poised and ready. All it takes is a quick mention that she turned on the lifter downstairs, and Moeka is distracted enough for Suzu to shoot and Okarin to activate the time machine. During the process of transferring his memories to the past and time leaping, Kurisu is shot in the chest.
Instead of directly cutting to the new timeleap location, we’re treated to a memory from the dark recesses of Okarin’s mind. It’s about Mayuri, and how her grandma died when she was young. Mayuri kept her grandma’s pocket watch with her at all times and visited her grave every single day. Although Mayuri often stared at the sky as if waiting to hear from her grandmother, on one particular occasion it looked like the sky was going to take her away in a beam of light. Panicked, Okarin ran to hold her and instruct her not to leave. She was to be his hostage, afterall.
But seriously, what happened to Okarin’s hair when he got older? Those split ends are killer.
Okay, now back to the day of the party where Okarin has just received a bunch of his future self’s memories. He has a major spazz attack, snapping at all the lab members to cancel the party and get as far away from the lab as possible. He sprints all the way to the shrine to try and find Mayuri, but arrives 30 minutes too late. On his way to try the next location, he gets a call from Kurisu. As sharp as always, she clued in on the fact that he must have done the time leap. She tells him not to do anything stupid, and manages to calm him down slightly.
Okarin’s bubble of serenity is instantly burst when he sees Suzu. He starts speaking a mile a minute to try and find Mayuri, quickly abandoning the poor part time warrior once he’s wrung the information out of her. He finds her staring at the first star of the night in the middle of the street. Ah, how nice and peaceful. Let’s violently grab her and drag her to the train station!
Mayuri, I’m kidnapping you for real now, hope you don’t mind kthnxlet’sgo
Mayuri obediently follows her seemingly-more-crazy-than-usual friend to the busy station. There are no trains in service, however, because of the bomb threat. Okarin mentally facepalms for forgetting something so important. Bad decision #1 becomes an even worse decision when he’s held at gunpoint by a SERN agent. A rushing pedestrian passes by and shoves them apart, allowing Okarin to grab Mayuri once again and make a run for it.
The agents catch up to them and tackle Okarin to the ground without too much trouble. He screams at Mayuri to run, and three steps later she gets hit by a car. Creepily enough, Moeka is the one behind the wheel, meaning she killed Mayuri yet AGAIN. Okarin musters enough strength to run back to the lab and time leap a second time to try this all over again.
What time is it? Time to get a new watch! Ha hahaha…ha…ha….
On his 2nd timeleap, Okarin manages to be slightly less spastic in telling his labmates that the party is cancelled. But only slightly. Instead of missing Mayuri at the shrine, he calls Ruka first and tells everyone’s favourite trap to keep Mayuri there until he arrives. So far so good, as Okarin manages to meet Mayuri before she can run off to fetch Suzu for the party. Once again, he drags her off. To the subway!
Even Mayuri knows something is up, and she’s dumber than a doorknob. She asks Okarin to explain why he’s been running around, yelling and suddenly deciding that a trip with no suitcase of supplies is a good idea to him. She apologizes for being unable to help him, and is then promptly pushed into the path of an oncoming train. Goddamnit, keep your kids on a leash, will you?
Bonus Timeleaps:
Too much…anime…can’t…blink anymore…
GEE GEE GEE GEE BABY BABY BABY~ …Ooops, wrong headphones.
No Dr. Pepper this episode? HOW WILL I SURVIVE?
Death by loli – it’s more likely than you think.
End Thoughts: Oh Okarin, I just knew you’d loop back in time again and again and again to save Mayuri. I had the sinking feeling she wouldn’t last very long no matter what Okarin did from the beginning, and yet I still was shocked whenever she died. You would think character death in an anime where time can be reversed at the press of a button would be meaningless, but Steins;Gate orchestrates the deaths beautifully and powerfully. Slow motion, bleached colours, the sudden lack of music that dare you to not even breathe. The directing for this show is just beautiful. I’m not sure if the pocket watch actually means something important, or is just for artistic style anymore.
I thought Okarin would be kidnapped, escape, and THEN use the time machine to keep going back over and over to save Mayuri…but he’s doing all his time travel right now. Will episode 14 be more of his futile attempts to save her, or will something radically different happen eventually? I can see things potentially getting worse (maybe he’ll save Mayuri, but then Kurisu will die) from doing different things each time he does the timeleap, I guess. There must be something coming that will shake things up from the “go back in time, fail at saving Mayuri and repeat” agenda coming up soon. Ah, it’s killing me…what’s going to happen?!
Pushing Mayuri into the subway tracks aside for a moment, I’m glad Suzu came back to save them. Okay, I’ll buy the fact that she’s one of the good guys now. I just can’t think badly of someone who can royally kick butt AND handle a gun. Okarin should have just told her about timeleaping and gotten her to be his bodyguard. You know, so he doesn’t end up at gunpoint or held down by SERN goons? It’s not like she’s unwilling to help either. Although it was a little suspicious that her sister was there to push Mayuri by accident and yet she wasn’t anywhere in sight. Not even Mr. Braun. I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume 8 year olds don’t go wandering the subway by themselves. So once again, we’re left waiting until next week to get some much-needed answers. Don’t let SERN catch you before then! El Psy Congroo.
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: Metanorn Lover with 209 comments
I find it interesting how Mayuri keeps dying at the exactly the same time and not just from SERN. Also her watch stop just as she is dead.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Not just her watch, but the hour glass in the lab stops too. But whenever time stops, Mayuri dies without fail. She’s really not meant to live, is she?
POWUH: 800-899 and Flying Sage with 856 comments
I am in complete agreement about enlisting Suzuha as a bodyguard. Christina obviously isn’t a SERN spy yet, so I think he should at least inform her that Moeka killed her before the leap. Christina has more brains than the rest of the future gadget lab combined, so her insight into the problem could really help in this situation. So of course Okabe does neither. He has a kick-ass future soldier, and a genius that would be willing to help him, but he doesn’t accept help from either. :sigh: Well, maybe he’ll come to his senses next episode.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Suzu and Christina would certainly be of great help. Okarin needs to use that mad scientist brain of his more often!
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 83 comments
The clock is probably more symbolism than anything. Tick ticking away and every time Mayuri noticed it stopped, she’s dead the next minute.
Oh man, this episode was powerful. To think that Mayuri was just there for the sake of being there…Now look at the impact she has on the plot. SHE IS HOW SERN CAN GET TO OKARIN…Damn it he should have never let go.
Compared to the Madoka episode with the same theme, I thought that the execution of this was definitely better – probably because of the better buildup of the characters, the more relevant theme and the clear fact that there was an organization chasing after them… The suspense, the chase, the fear, and the impact of each of Mayuri’s deaths.
Simply powerful. Awesome post and captions OC ! ^^
I’m gonna kill myself because I’m not here to watch it next week URGH
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
It might just be to show time stopping as well. But wow, that episode was amazing. I’m going to be very sad when Kurisu starts a loop of dying or something.
Steins;Gate has better developed characters than Madoka so it hits home a little harder. I agree :3
Thanks Starburst, encouraging comments make my day~ <3 You'll get around to watching, just be wary of spoilers.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 79 comments
Yeah, this was another really good one. I thought it was kind of silly at first that Nae killed Mayuri completely by accident at the end, but thinking back there could be more to it than an accident. If it were Moeka or SERN agents who kept killing her over and over it would mean that she’s the target of a conspiracy, but this way it seems like the timeline itself is out to get her. It was nice to learn more about Okarin and Mayuri, too, and Suzu taking down those SERN agents was awesome.
Okarin really needs to let the others know what’s going on, though. As determined as he is to saving Mayuri, he knows that Suzu is a living murder machine and that she thinks he’s pretty okay, and Christina has proven herself capable of spotting time travel. Even Daru and others can probably help on the run if they’re in the know. I do wonder how Okarin is going to get her out of this vicious cycle before things get worse, or if he can do this at all. Mayuri wasn’t the only lab member who died that night, after all, and I can see the bodies piling up in some jumps.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I was thinking that it wasn’t an accident too, but can’t for the life of me think how they could push a kid without anyone – even the kid- noticing. Unless they’re tinkering with the actual events themselves like some sort of overseer of time. Nevertheless, I’m suspicious of everyone and everything…
I loved Mayuri’s backstory, it was surprisingly touching for such a simple event. If Okarin wants to protect her he should have got more help!!! I bet some of the other lab members died while he was so doggedly protecting Mayuri in those time loops too. Kurisu perhaps? She also seems destined to die.
POWUH: 400-499 with 428 comments
Female Terminator to the rescue! I had expected Suzu to come in at the beginning to give everyone the chance to go do the time leap, and when I mean everyone, I mean Kurisu and Okarin. We never see what Daru was doing so…whilst Moeka was crazily shooting up the place. Just a theory but in the ep with Mayuri dying, I’m wondering that if Okarin would finally decide to try a world line shift instead of a time leap but time leaps sound like everything that happened would still happen even when going back because it’s already happened, whilst world line shifts changes the parameters of the entire world (like the trap becoming a non-trap). Maybe he’ll have to do a bit of both to save Mayuri, which I hope happens…
Even though Moeka killed Mayuri TWICE now, I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt (barely) until I found out what FB is…
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Hmm, he might have to use another D-mail to save Mayuri then. A combination of D-mails and timeleaps is gonna make things get crazy very quickly though.
I wonder if FB is an organization…or a person. o.o
POWUH: 1000-1099 and Pirate King with 1048 comments
“I won’t let you kill her. I will… save Mayuri!”
Love that line. +100 badass points for Okabe.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Aaaaand best character award for Spring goes to Okarin!!!
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 36 comments
Haha… indeed. But that’s not the best he can offer. =)
And Miyano Mamoru is just so talented. His role as Light in Death Note was fantastic, but as Okabe it blows his other roles out of the water. Mamo took part in Highschool of the Dead too, but his char becomes a zombie and got a blow in the head in episode one hahahaa…
Okabe is the best character of all time in my heart. =)
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
My theory: Mayuri is meant to die, that’s why. No matter how many time Okarin tries to save her, she’ll still die. Just like how Okarin still stay friends with Ferris even when the past is changed (same goes with Mayuri or Daru). Or how Okarin never change position even after he sends D-Mails
But I heard Mayuri is saved in the VN. But that’s the game version
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
but if miraculously Mayuri is saved, I will be a mad bitch.
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 36 comments
But they said they are intent to follow the true ending. So Mayuri will be saved, definitely.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
It seems fate is making it so she won’t survive. Or she’ll survive in some around-the-bout way like as some sort of spirit all across time. I don’t know enough about the VN to tell what the “True ending” is though. :B
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 36 comments
I think that makes all Tutturu fans feel easier, for the Mayuri’s hell they are going through… 0_o
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 36 comments
Steins;Gate is beautiful. Good said indeed. I’ve been following ur S;G reviews and saw ur passion, Overcooled. I’m glad that u enjoyed this show.
I once thought that nothing can bring me to tears. But I was wrong. When I 1st finished the VN, I had my mantears. The epicness of S;G is unspeakable. I’ve seen ppl arguing over the science in S;G. But it’s not the point. You, the reader, is Okabe himself. You experience 1st hand what he has gone through. In the end, ull know S;G isn’t just all bout time travel n mindscrew.
And I’ve been translating the S;G Drama CDs in the past few weeks. They are the perspectives of sum of the chars other than Okabe, during sum unseen events in the same timeframe of the main plot. They are all enjoyable and is a nice touch to the main story. Gotta share it with every1 once the series is finished. But I wonder if the audio material itself is legal in ur countries?
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
…S…seriously stop that, you’re making me blush..*hides* Thank you, I’m glad my feelings are really being conveyed!
I really need to play the VN. I think they’re making translations now, which would be ideal since my ability to read and understand Japanese isn’t quite at the fluent level yet. >_< I only just started taking courses. Oh, I never knew there were Drama CDs! Are you translating them all by yourself? That must be a lot of work. Do you mean it's not legal in the sense that downloading MP3s without buying the content is generally not really...legal?
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 36 comments
I won’t take the credit as there are chinese translations. I 1st translate them into english, then do sum counter-check listening for the final editing with my limited understanding of japanese. Speaking of which, the translation of the 1st Drama CD is almost finished. \^0^/
And yeah, that’s what I mean. I wonder if there’s any free streaming site that I can share the Drama CDs with every1 safely… /_\”
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
That’s still pretty cool! Hmm, you might be able to find a sneaky way to do it, but most sites don’t care and just share download links directly. :/ Mostly because no one really gets caught for that sort of thing. But better safe that sorry XD
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 305 comments
Like what Anaaga said above, I think Mayuri is doomed to die, and that’s why they had Nae accidentally kill her- to show that even if he saves her from SERN, it’s her time and nothing can change that.
….and oddly, I’m not that sad about that. >.>
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I’m not that sad either. We’re only losing a handful of braincells and the sound of tuturu here. :B
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
BUT WHAT IS THIS WORLD WITHOUT TUTURU!? D:
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 36 comments
Hey we got NYANNYAN! =D
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Damn this series gets soo gooood! Even thou I already saw the train thing on a youtube spoiler >.> But I think we all already put together the pieces of Mayrui getting nice train end.
Yeah I agree with everyone on that subject Mayuri is probably cursed to die which is sad but true T____T
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
lol luckily I’ve avoided Steins;Gate spoilers so far! I actually didn’t expect her to get hit by the subway until the slo-mo started up.
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 36 comments
I’ve been arguing with others on sum S;G blogs n forums dat spoiler is spoiler, even if its inside a spoiler tag, and it will certainly ruin the entire series for others. But they just scold me off and call me a noob, saying it is one’s own fault to click the spoiler. Irresponsible beings. They just didn’t give a thought about how destructive spoilers are to S;G. This is not your average show. It’s Steins;Gate. >=[
And that train accident… no1 cares about Nae? She will prob have trauma for the rest of her life. =(
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Well, to be honest people need to talk about the true events SOMEwhere and shouldn’t be restricted from doing so. Because how else would they get to talk about the wonders of Steins;Gate? Spoiler tags are for…well..spoilers. Click at your own risk and all that. Still, I can’t help but shake my head at how quickly people turn to insults when they don’t agree with a comment :/ That’s not fair.
lol no one cares about lolis.
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 36 comments
The problem is that they put sum major spoilers like details of the entire 2nd half of the series in a episodic discussion thread. I’m not agaisnt spoilers, but there must be a limit to it. With only teasing n foreshadowing, one can raise sum funny speculations. But direct spoilers like the one I’ve mentioned are simply exist to ruin others. They can always discuss it elsewhere, but they just need to post them in freakin episodic threads. Tho the responsibilies r on the ones who spoiled themselves, I still feel terribly sorry for them. Say goodbye to ur godly show. If only those spoilers don’t exist in the 1st place.
Ya no1 cares bout such a
loliminor character… =]