The massively popular Steins;Gate began as a visual novel in 2009 as the second installment in the Science Adventure series. Since then, the series has branched out into manga, anime, film and even has an upcoming Hollywood live-action remake. For those who missed the boat in 2009, getting into Steins;Gate might seem like a daunting task, especially with the number of entries the series has, but it's more than doable.
Featuring a story about a mad scientist's discovery that kickstarts a temporal war against an evil organization, Steins;Gate is a science fiction-twinged thriller full of psychological and political intrigue sure to please even the staunchest genre buffs. Thankfully, there are tons of ways to hack into Steins;Gate.
What Is Steins;Gate?
The story of Steins;Gate involves scientist Rintaro Okabe and his experiment in time travel. He accidentally discovers that he's mastered time travel via his phone-controlled microwave when a supposedly dead scientist is found alive and his friend receives a message from him before it was sent.
This technology is soon sought after by an organization called SERN, leading to the death of one of Okabe's friends. He soon finds himself locked in a battle against time and SERN, hoping to save his friend and stave off a potential war.
Where to Read Steins;Gate
The original Steins;Gate manga came out in 2009 and ran until 2013, later released in English by Udon Entertainment, becoming one of their biggest hits. Compiled into three omnibuses, the manga mostly adapted the game's story. Sadly, because the manga ended quite a while ago, the English version of it is a bit tricky to pin down at a decent price.
Amazon does have the original English prints of the series, though these are somewhat overpriced. There is, however, an upcoming spinoff manga, Steins;Gate 0, that will tell an alternate take on the story of the Steins;Gate 0 game. Releasing in September, this book can be pre-ordered through Amazon now.
Where to Watch Steins;Gate
The Steins;Gate anime debuted in 2011, running for 24 episodes. It was produced by the studio White Fox, which would go on to work on the anime adaptations of both Goblin Slayer and Cautious Hero. It was directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki and Takuya Sato, while the music was composed by Jun Murakami and Takeshi Abo, with the latter having done the music for the original visual novel as well. Steins;Gate was the second anime adaptation of a Science Adventure series, the first being Chaos;Head.
The 24 episode anime later got an additional episode, added to the DVD and Blu-Ray releases. Further entries include 4 different OVAs, a movie sequel and an anime adaptation of the Steins;Gate 0 game. The first series can be streamed through Crunchyroll and Hulu, while the DVD and Blu-Ray collections can be bought through Amazon and other vendors. The individual episodes or entire series can also be purchased to stream through Amazon Prime Video. The same can also be said for the sequel Steins;Gate 0, though the movie is only available to be streamed through Funimation. This leaves viewers with a plethora of ways to finally see the beloved series, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.