With things so close to being fixed, the final real struggles are just now starting for Okabe.
What They Say:
All the D-Mails have been undone, and everything is ready to go. But there’s a price to be paid that Okabe hasn’t considered…
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With the progress that Okabe has made in trying to realign things, he’s come down to his last major stumbling block. Having secured the D-Mails that were sent by Moeka, Feyris and others and turning the page back, we’ve seen the divergence ease quite a lot. And interestingly enough, each time that he’s done this, Mayuri’s death occurs a day earlier than it had before to show that the changes are making an impact. But Okabe has to grapple with his main issue now in that the last D-Mail that he has to alter is the one that saved Kurisu’s life at the beginning of the series. With the two women very important to him, he has to do what he can to save Mayuri but without changing what happened to Kurisu. Considering the feelings that have blossomed between the two, it’s certainly a bigger issue than he anticipated.
Watching as Okabe has to go through her death again and again over the course of the series has been difficult and having it happen again here is no less so since he knows how close he is and what needs to be done. But he’s unable to do it at this point due to the cost, and the anguish in his voice and face is pretty evident. When he does reveal things to her, making it clear why the problem is, it hits her pretty hard in a way that’s very much what Kurisu is like. There is so much going on below the surface, but you can surmise just how much she feels for Okabe after all that’s happened and the realization that he’s saved her in the past, and owes her life to him.
Similar to past episodes, much of what happens here that’s significant is all in the last few minutes of the episode. But that doesn’t discount the rest of it as it’s all about the grappling with the situation. Okabe has his moments where he plays up his rogue mad scientist shtick in a rather amusing way, but the majority of it focuses on the real emotions burning beneath the surface for him as he tries to save Mayuri. I keep finding myself drawn to the earlier episode where the two of them have existed for millions of years and how it’s all come down to these small minutes that he has to try and fix things. With the difficulty in what it is that Okabe has to do, getting a look at what they’re all experiencing at this moment is the spot on thing to do.
In Summary:
Stein;s Gate slows things down in just the right way here by focusing on the characters and the drama associated with what must happen in order to put everything right. When doing the right thing means doing wrong things, it’s an incredibly difficult position to be put in, both for someone like Okabe but also for Kurisu when she discovers the truth. If your death can save someone else, would you do it? Especially if it’s for someone that you care for and who saved your life previously? It’s not a hugely complicated scenario, but it’s one that puts a lot of pressure on all involved to find the right kind of resolution. Taking the time to work through some of these issues rather than ramping up the dramatic action is a much more enjoyable approach since it forces us to connect with the characters more as they struggle with it. Very good stuff and an emotional wringer in the making.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 70″ LCoS 1080P HDTV, Dell 10.1 Netbook via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
