A Declaration of Love for Steins;Gate: Egoistic Poriomania

Put on your aviator shades; Steins;Gate is back and it’s gonna blind you with its self-aware awesomeness, America-style.

I’m going to take this opportunity to once again lament not watching this show while it was airing, that I did not watch it until after I had chosen my award winners for 2011.  The show bathed me in a ray of light and serenaded me with a full-on hallelujah chorus.  When it ended, I felt empty inside.  There had been moments of frustration, yes, but the moments of absolute bliss blasted those out of sight and mind. The show had to up and end and leave me wanting more.

But it came back.  And it came dressed to the nines in fanservice glory.

Egoistic Poriomania takes place after the events of the series, and we get to see the lab members back on track with chasing their hearts’ desires.  Everyone is where they belong, perhaps save for our favorite couple, Okarin and Kurisu.  Thankfully, Feyris gives them the perfect reason to pack up and head to L.A., where apparently sleazy motels and pink Cadillacs (minus Clint Eastwood, but still with all the glam of a movie star) are still the norm.  I couldn’t help but laugh at the American stereotypes, and at Okarin’s hilarious outbursts and quick run-ins with the law.  Okabe Rintarou displays all the mad scientist aspects fans of the show love, but with an added glint to his eye that reminds us of all that he has been through.  We also are treated to some very uncharacteristic Kurisu scenes, such as her nekomimi meido form serving up a delicious-looking omurice (I would suspect that sauce of some serious spice…say that 10 times fast).  And how fitting that, like Feyris, she retains her memories of the previous world lines in the forms of dreams.  It would have been too tragic for not only Okarin, but for the audience, too, to lose one of the greatest love stories of 2011.  They are the main focus of this special, from Okarin’s staggering walk through the dust-choked wilderness at the fast forward start, to Kurisu’s welcome at the airport, out of her house and into the crowded motel, and back out where the episode began.  Okarin’s ending declaration of love brought back all the emotions I felt with the original series: shock, awe, and onion-induced tears of joy.  His bald-faced truth humbled me, and I completely believed Kurisu’s difficulty with responding in kind.  My throat dried up and my heart sped up looking at his clear gaze.  I couldn’t look away.  As the music swelled, I found my lips parting just as Kurisu spoke.

I love you, Steins;Gate.