"Steins;Gate" is a popular TV anime based on a video game. It's a fairly well-known work, so anime fans will likely know it. The story is set in a world reminiscent of foreign science fiction films, with the characters becoming embroiled in various incidents through time travel and mysterious experiences. Fans of that type of film will enjoy this work! The appeal of Steins;Gate (hereafter referred to as "S;G") is not only its science fiction setting, but also the presence of its fascinating characters, which are unique to anime, is another reason for its popularity! Here, we'd like to introduce the charm of Steins;Gate's protagonist, Okabe Rintaro, to those who haven't seen Steins;Gate yet!
Okabe Rintaro is an extreme case of chuunibyou!
First of all, the main character, Okabe Rintaro, is an extreme case of chuunibyou, despite his appearance! He's clearly a weirdo, suddenly uttering mysterious words, making strange noises, and making dangerous statements like he's being targeted by the organization. (lol) As a protagonist like this, it's no surprise he doesn't have many friends, and it seems like there aren't many people he can talk to at first. (lol) He's 177cm tall and weighs 59kg. He's got a pretty good figure, but I'm sure he's just skinny. (lol)
Okabe Rintaro uses a lot of strange language, but one of the most incomprehensible is "El psi kongrū" (lol). This is what Rintaro says when saying goodbye, but what does it really mean? It's a completely meaningless phrase: "It doesn't mean anything (lol)"! Anyway, the beginning of the story is full of Rintaro's pointless middle school-like behavior, but you'll have to go along with it for the more interesting second half (lol).
Rintaro's middle school-like behavior is amazing!
The biggest chuunibyou feature that makes Okabe Rintaro who he is is definitely "Hououin Kyouma"! According to Rintaro, Hououin Kyouma is a crazy mad scientist, but it seems that Rintaro really does think of himself as a crazy mad scientist, so when he's inside the body of Hououin Kyouma, he is truly crazy (lol). His most famous line is, "My name is the crazy mad scientist Hououin Kyouma. Fuuhahahaha!"
There are other chuunibyou settings that are at the core of the story, one of which is destiny detection (Reading Steiner). According to Rintaro, Reading Steiner is the power of his magic eyes that allows him to sense strange things he senses in his daily life—in other words, just intuition. However, this setting is subject to significant changes later on. The Steins;Gate, the ability that gives this work its name, was initially just a meaningless everyday choice, but its meaning changed significantly later on.
Rintaro's naming sense for his friends is hilarious (lol)
As explained above, Rintaro has a pretty crazy middle school background, and this extends beyond himself to his friends. Specifically, his naming sense for his friends is like that of a middle schooler (lol). First of all, Rintaro's closest friend, Daru, is called "Super Hacker." This stands for "Super Hacker," and while it certainly suits Daru, who is good at hacking, Daru himself seems to prefer being called "Super Hacker."
Other notable changes include the extremely rude nickname "assistant" given to the main heroine of the series, Makise Kurisu, despite her far superior status in the scientific field; the nickname "Part-time Warrior" for Amane Suzuha, who started working part-time under the lab; and the nickname "Shining Finger" for Kiryu Moeka, due to her incredibly fast email typing speed (lol). At first, I thought the latter was a Gundam special move (lol).
Rintaro has a chuunibyou, but does he have talent as a scientist?!
Up until this point, Rintaro may seem like just a dangerous person with a chuunibyou syndrome, but in reality, he has a voracious appetite for knowledge and knows quite a lot. Despite his young age, he has enough knowledge to converse on an equal footing with the heroine, Makise Kurisu, an authority on neuroscience, and sometimes surprises her with his eccentric perspectives (although Kurisu almost always takes the lead in conversations). Rintaro is not just an idiot; he actually has a clever side to him.
Okabe Rintaro is blessed with such unique friends!
Rintaro is clearly not a typical character, so he may be shunned by most people. However, he is instead blessed with unique and unusually charming companions. First of all, there's his childhood friend, Shiina Mayuri. She's a naturally soft-spoken, gentle, and comforting girl, and Rintaro's precious childhood friend. She's always by Rintaro's side, smiling brightly, and she's an irreplaceable, precious person to him.
And then there's his trusty partner, Daru. Thanks to Daru, a typical otaku, Rintaro is able to live his life as himself, fully expressing his true self as Hououin Kyouma. They are best friends who trust each other. Rentaro also has many other slightly enviable friends, such as Urushibara Ruka, who is a boy but as cute as a girl, and the popular maid Faris, which is probably because he is not ordinary! Actually, if Kurisu Makise likes you, you don't need normal friends anymore (lol).
[Spoiler] Rintaro's True Ability: "Reading Steiner"
Due to certain circumstances, time travel becomes central to the story in the second half of Steins;Gate. He travels back in time multiple times in an attempt to change the future, but Okabe Rintaro is the only one who is able to retain his memories in each new past time and space. This ability is Rintaro's true "Reading Steiner," and while it is this power that sets him on the path to changing the future, it also causes him deep suffering.
Okabe Rintaro's human, weak heart is also part of his charm!
Although Rintaro usually portrays himself as Hououin Kyouma, he often becomes intimidated and discouraged when faced with a crisis. While manga typically dictates that a hero should face any challenge with heroic determination, Rintaro is different, possessing a timid side. He's a little different from the typical hero who charges straight into the action.
But that's what makes him seem so human, like a typical modern college student, and so appealing. While hot-blooded heroes are certainly cool, the idea of someone who seems reliable but is actually weak...isn't that something that young people today, who tend to overreach themselves, can relate to? Also, considering the Steins;Gate worldview, it might have been a turn-off if the main character had been too hot-blooded.
One of Okabe Rintaro's charms is that he cares about his friends!
Although it's easy to overlook this due to Hououin Kyouma's middle school-aged character, the later the story progresses, the more we learn that Rintaro is a kind person, a boy who has always thought about helping others. His gentle expressions at times and his ability to consider the feelings of others are also part of his charm. Many people today trample on others for their own purposes, but Rintaro is a charming character who never carelessly tramples on the feelings of others.
Okabe Rintaro's voice actor is the handsome Miyano Mamoru!
Rintaro's voice actor is the handsome voice actor Mamoru Miyano! Miyano's voice can be a bit mellow, but he often plays more boyish characters. Specifically, he is known for voice acting such as Nanase Takeshi, the main character of "Magical Warfare", and Chrollo Lucifer from Hunter x Hunter. He is a voice actor who often plays cool and popular characters!
Rintaro Okabe is a different person in "Steins;Gate 0"
So far, we've explored Rintaro's appeal, but in "Steins;Gate 0," which began airing in April 2018, we see a different Rintaro Okabe than in the main series. Zero is set in a world where the heroine Makise Kurisu could not be saved, so Rintaro is also in the depths of despair, and it feels like Hououin Kyouma is hiding out there. Please be sure to check out that Rintaro as well!
