STIENS;GATE PART 2

 
Stein's;Gate Part 2
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 12
Running Time: 300 Mins
Audio: English DD 5.1 & Japanese DD 2.0
Release Date: 30/9/2013
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

If someone told you you could make a time machine out of a microwave oven, you would laugh at them, but in Stein's;Gate it's a reality that gets a mad scientist's friends in trouble. This concept is what can be called the Japanese propensity for making something impossible believeable in anime series. In this second part, their invention has come to the attention of CERN, and it looks like the team might not make it out alive.

There are consequences whenever you change a timeline, and Okarin discovers that even though the first ffew times in the previous series were to see if it was possible, now he knows it is. Okarin is caught in a time paradox and though his friends can't wait for the party that night, he has more important issues to deal with.

To prevent his invention being taken away and his friends from being in danger, he keeps going back in time to try and save at least one of his dear friends from being killed. Each time he goes, the same result happens with his friend dead at the end in one way or another; by a train, a gun shot wound or being run over. whatever he tries to do fails, and Okarin can't understand why he can't do anything right. He feels what has happened so far has been his faultand if he can't save his friend, he feels it isn't worth him going on any longer.

It is easy to feel the tenseness of his situation as CERN close in for the kill. What had once been a dream of his and a childish thrill of turning bananas into mush using the microwave has turned into a fight for his and his friends lives. The anime is crisp, clear and has a knack of making you want to watch it again.

Bonus Material: Episode 19 Commentary, Episode 24 Commentary, Text less Opening and Text less Closing.

Verdict: Tense and edge of the seat stuff - if you like your sci-fi anime you'll lap this up!