【翻譯練習】MyAnimeList 網友的《命運石之門》觀後感
Steins;Gate Reviews
作者：Archaeon
來源：https://myanimelist.net/reviews.php?id=43359
「人們以為，時間是從因到果的嚴謹進程；然而其實從非線性、非主觀的視角來看，時間更像是一顆晃蕩不定的大球……一種搖擺游移的……東西。」－－《神秘博士》之第十任博士
時光旅行的概念，是影劇界最容易搞錯的一樁事情，一部分原因出在我們對「現實」的科學理解，仍處於童稚未知的狀態，這也表示諸如《神秘博士》(Doctor Who)、《時空怪客》(Quantum Leap) 甚至《星艦迷航記》(Star Trek) 等電視影集的編劇，都必須發揮自個兒的想像力和創造力，才能在每當一段敘事決定跳轉之時，化解其中生成的若干固有的悖論。
也就是說，那些都是編劇自己捏造出來的。
很多時候，不論哪種型態的時光旅行，經過劇中偽科學和深奧術語的包裝，加上把有爭議的、胡謅的量子理論精美地拼湊起來，便能掩飾時光旅行之天馬行空、難以取信的性質。這種種手段替時光旅行添上一層可信的外衣，如此一來才能止住一般觀眾的疑心，然後才有辦法讓觀眾對情節買單。至於動畫作品中的時光旅行概念，普遍缺乏主旨，沒有實體呈現，連敘事關聯性也付之闕如。
然而最近《命運石之門》動畫上映，造就出令人耳目一新的局面。
《命運石之門》本來是 5pb 與 Nitroplus 聯合製作的視覺小說遊戲，之後改編為動畫，講述岡部倫太郎 (自封瘋狂科學家，別名鳳凰院凶真) 和他在未來道具研究所的「夥伴們」橋田至 (綽號桶子) 和椎名真由里的故事。岡部和桶子成天把心思放在發明一些古怪物品，而目前為止最匪夷所思的就是「電話微波爐 (暫名)」。一開始這台機器似乎只會把香蕉變成綠色膠狀物，但機器其實隱藏著不為人知的另類用途。他們原本過著平靜正常的日子，直到有一天，岡部和真由里去參加知名學者中鉢教授針對時光機和時光旅行的演講，事情開始起了變化……。
大致而言，《命運石之門》分集作品的構思，出人意表地十分完善，合理明智地鋪陳了因果觀念。劇情進展符合邏輯，可能還有點老調重彈，雖然每篇時光旅行故事免不了出現數不盡的輪迴、重複、重頭開始和「改變過去」等必要元素，但只要處理得宜，還是有機會把《涼宮春日的憂鬱》「漫無止境的八月」(Endless Eight) 冗長無趣的內容，轉化成至少有點可看性的故事曲線。《命運石之門》拋出許多概念和理論，以便解釋或合理化科幻小說的某些面向，而且有好幾次，這些概念和理論非常妥貼地融入劇情主體。劇中利用了像是蝴蝶效應 (從這個詞的視覺形象看來，意思應該很清楚)、觀察者效應和薛丁格的貓等觀念，來支撐時光旅行所引發的問題 (和這些問題的解決辦法)。從這點來看，試圖以科學理論支撐科幻小說架構的《命運石之門》，是非常值得嘉許的 (而且表現遠勝於《魔法少女小圓》)。
但很遺憾地，拍這樣的動畫並不能隨便鬧著玩玩。
《命運石之門》敘事裡的問題之一，是人性戲劇和科幻小說間勢必會發生衝突，而在道地的動畫手法中，情感面終將取勝。於是《命運石之門》便因此受到令人遺憾的影響，時光旅行故事中本應出現的許多混亂場景不見了，取而代之的是可預測的結果和駭人聽聞的事件。幸好故事的人性面處理得極為得宜，然而太多基本問題從未實際得到解決，使得人性面的精彩發揮被黯然扣分。《命運石之門》的核心本質，無意中要求觀眾必須自行解決或解釋作品探討的某些層面，儘管各種「科學」理由在劇中大鳴大放，但《命運石之門》往往逃避處理某些第一級的議題，譬如祖父悖論。
還有頗為「乾淨俐落」的結局，也是另一個問題，後面還會再討論。
《命運石之門》是部很精彩的動畫，但就跟從視覺媒體改編而來的任何作品一樣，在人物設計等層面上自然而然會受到限制。話雖如此，WHITE FOX 公司依然能夠製作出觀眾應該會感興趣 (有時題材甚至蠻普通的)、而且把公司現有能力施展得盡善盡美的動畫作品。WHITE FOX 的角色動畫水準很高，許多視覺特效富有想像力，編排高超 (這點無庸置疑，畢竟《花冠之淚》和《刀語》也出自 WHITE FOX 之手)。所以很遺憾地，典型的動畫心態握有主導權，結果對細節極少著墨，主要的細節問題在於服裝明顯缺乏變化。每個動畫人物彷彿只有一套穿搭，有人也許覺得執著在這點上似乎有點吹毛求疵，但想想看，假如你連續三星期穿同件衛生衣，在暑熱的天氣下跑來跑去，你會作何感想。
這樣的動畫心態也在《命運石之門》居上風，雖然劇中大部分對話實在相當出色，但偶爾會在其實不需再加重戲劇性的時候，日常的惡作劇成分卻跑出來參一腳。所幸聲優經驗豐富，瞭解如何因應編劇在各種缺失上的矯枉過正，而且老實說，聲優對於撐起這部作品功不可沒。假使沒有宮野真守、今井麻美、關智一、花澤香菜等聲優為眾角色出神入化的配音，《命運石之門》恐怕很快就承受不住自身的沉重而垮下，也多虧聲優功力精湛，才能用符合敘事的「聲」段，演繹出劇本中較具技術性或科學性的情節。
片頭曲《Hacking to the Gate》(演唱：いとうかなこ) 是一般的日本流行曲，畫面拼貼出劇中大多數角色的沉思樣貌，背景則有各種鐘面、齒輪、帶有科技感的圖樣快速移動。至於片尾曲《刻司ル十二ノ盟約 (掌控時間的十二條盟約)》(演唱：榊原ゆい) 表現得十分稱職，而且大部分的畫面傳達出頗微妙、詭譎的氣息，與當集劇情的氛圍顯得更加契合 (除了最後幾秒的畫面，令人不禁納悶認為這種結尾畫面很棒的人究竟在想什麼)。
配樂方面，許多樂曲相當動聽，且經常運用得恰如其分。《命運石之門》很常使用日常的聲響和靜默，因此觀眾便可以清楚注意到配樂出現的時機和場合。
《命運石之門》最初幾集就很鮮明地界定出核心主角群的人物性格，不過以整體發展而言，只有岡部獲得最多的啟發成長。以劇中事件進展來看，這並不足以為奇，而且老實說，岡部作為唯一真正經歷改變的角色，這樣的安排對劇情其實是較有益的。岡部在面對迅速失控事件時的演變，是以纖細敏感卻又不失真實的手法加以處理，而且岡部在親身體驗一連串的悲慘事件後變得冷淡漠然，劇中並未忽略此種心境的摹寫，很高興見到能有這般的如實呈現。
但可惜的是，本劇雖有意深入發展其他角色，卻有點偏離目標，使得有些場景失去了好不容易堆疊出來的戲劇張力。劇中試圖發展鈴羽、真由里、菲莉絲、甚至天王寺裕吾 (映像管先生) 等角色，這點固然值得嘉許，然而不該因此破壞了主要的故事線，令人實感嘆息。
《命運石之門》的娛樂性十足，並且勇於探討形形色色的科學概念；不過另一方面，本劇明顯避開處理某些與時光旅行相關的主要課題，而聚焦於人性戲劇的作法，有時會和故事線的事件產生牴觸。話雖如此，這部動畫依然相當有趣，不會把人困在幽深難解的科學專門知識裡；我也頗喜歡岡部自封瘋狂科學家 (搭配狂妄笑聲) 的人物設定，但是當我發現劇中的岡部才 18 歲，不妨想像一下我有多驚訝。
就從這一點，我們把話題轉回結局。
結局有種很……「冷靜」……的感覺，實在讓人不太能接受。當然，皆大歡喜的結局未嘗不是件好事，可是我們得想想，這種事到底可不可能發生。重點在於，《命運石之門》使用了類似《時空怪客》該劇的時光旅行概念，這當中潛藏著問題。凡是熟悉《時空怪客》劇情的人，都知道山謬．貝克特博士 (Dr Sam Beckett，現實世界真有此人，但不是岡部那樣的 18 歲大一生) 回不去自己原本的時間線，因為過去的事件發生過太多變化。在《命運石之門》劇情設定裡，岡部在許許多多條世界線間移動，影響了許許多多的人物發展，而這正是《命運石之門》完全輕描淡寫的重大事情之一。可能有人會幫忙解釋，《命運石之門》運用的概念創造出有效的免責條款，但是免責條款也只該對某些人生效。事實很簡單：當你穿梭在各個時空，你所遇到的每一個人 (無論相遇的程度有多麼輕微)，他們都會因你的存在而受到影響；所以為了返回原本的時間線，我們必須要消除與每一個人的每一場相遇，即使只是與街上陌生人擦身而過，這種微不足道的相遇也不能例外。
岡部的「命運探知之魔眼」能力，也是劇中其實應該好好探討的面向之一。劇中完全沒有哪個段落深刻鑽研岡部為何會擁有這種能力、或這種能力如何運作，既然本劇非常重視「欺騙自己，欺騙世界」，卻沒有善加解釋命運探知能力，便顯得不太對勁。
儘管有著上述問題，《命運石之門》仍然毫無懸念登上近幾年來最亮眼的科幻動畫神作之一。作品確實有些地方需待改進，不過整體而言瑕不掩瑜。《命運石之門》是在數種層面不可能實現的虛構場域裡，上演的一場笑鬧遊戲。或許並不是每個人都能欣然接受它的 happy ending，不過故事的落幕，的確在某種程度上產生情緒宣洩的作用。
只是，大家似乎認為結局必須圓滿才算是好故事，這點實在太令人遺憾了。
"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbley ... timey wimey ... stuff" - The Doctor
When it comes to entertainment, one of the easiest things to get wrong is the concept of time travel. Part of the reason for this is because our scientific understanding of "reality" is still in its infancy, and this means that the writers for shows like Doctor Who, Quantum Leap, even Star Trek, must apply their imagination and creativity in order to resolve some of the inherent paradoxes that will occur whenever a narrative decides to hop, skip or jump.
In other words, they make it up.
More often than not the implausibility of any sort of time travel is camouflaged with pseudo-science, techno-babble, and a good smattering of conversational quantum-hokum. These add a veneer of believability so that the average person can achieve the suspension of disbelief required to buy into the storyline. When it comes to anime though, the concept of travelling through time has generally lacked in substance, delivery, and even narrative relevance.
Until now ...
Originally a visual novel by 5pb and Nitroplus, Steins;Gate tells the story of Okabe Rintaro (the self styled mad scientist known as Hououin Kyouma), and his "colleagues" at the Future Gadget Laboratory, Hashida "Daru" Itaru and Shiina Mayuri. Okabe spends his days making strange inventions with Daru, and the oddest one so far is the Phone Microwave [name subject to change]. At first it seems as though this device does nothing more than turn bananas into a green, jelly-like substance, but it has a hidden side effect that no one knows about. Everything seems placid and normal until the day that Okabe and Mayuri decide to attend a lecture given by the eminent Professor Nakabachi on the subject of time machines and time travel.
For the most part Steins;Gate is a surprisingly well thought out series that applies the notion of cause and effect in a reasonably intelligent manner. The plot follows a logical, if somewhat timeworn progression, and while there are numerous recycles, repeats, reboots, and "do overs" that form an integral part of any time travel tale, these are handled in a way that would have turned Endless Eight from tedium incarnate into an arc that was at least watchable. The show throws around a number of concepts and theories to explain or justify certain aspects of the science fiction, and on quite a few occasions these have been woven into the main body of the plot very well. Ideas like the Butterfly Effect (which, given the visual cues, should be obvious to anyone), the Observer Effect and Schrödinger's Cat have been used to support the problems caused by time travel (and their resolution), and in that respect Steins;Gate deserves a good deal of praise for trying to use science to support the science fiction (and it does it far better than the likes of Puella Magi Madoka Magica).
Unfortunately it's not all fun and games.
One of the problems within the narrative is the inevitable conflict between human drama and science fiction, and in true anime fashion the emotional side wins out. This has the unfortunate effect of removing much of the chaos that is inherent in a story about time travel, and replacing it with predictability and melodrama. Thankfully the human side of the tale is handled in a surprisingly decent manner, but this is tempered by the fact that a number of basic questions are never actually addressed. The very nature of this anime automatically requires that certain aspects be resolved or explained, and while there are all sorts of "scientific" reasons flying around, the series tends to shy away from tackling certain first order issues like the Grandfather Paradox.
There's also the matter of the rather "neat" ending, but we'll get to that in a bit.
Steins;Gate is a very good looking series, but as with any adaptation from another visual medium, there's an automatic limitation placed on aspects like character design. That said, White Fox have produced a series that viewers may find appealing, if a little generic at times, and have used what they've been given to very good effect. The character animation is of a high standard, and many of the visual effects are imaginative and well choreographed (which should be no surprise given that White Fox also produced Tears to Tiara and Katanagatari). It's unfortunate then, that the typical anime mentality comes to the fore in the little details, the main one being the distinct lack of variety where clothing is concerned. Everyone seems to have only one outfit, which may seem a little picky to some, but imagine how you would feel if you wore the same underwear for three weeks while running around and in mostly warm weather.
This mentality also comes to the fore in the script, and while the majority of the dialogue in the show is actually pretty good, the usual shenanigans come out to play at times when there really doesn't need to be any more drama. Thankfully the voice actors are experienced enough to know how to deal with the scriptwriters' attempts at overcompensating for various shortcomings, and in truth they're the ones that carry this series. If it wasn't for the talents of Miyano Mamoru, Imai Asami, Seki Tomokazu, Hanazawa Kana, and the rest of the cast, Steins;Gate would quickly collapse under its own weight, and it's thanks to the seiyuu's abilities that the more technical or scientific portions of the script can be delivered in a manner that fits with the narrative.
The opening sequence features Hacking The Gate by Ito Kanako, a fairly average J-pop track track that has been set to a montage of most of the characters who seem to be deep in contemplation while a variety of clock faces, cogs and technical looking diagrams zip around the screen. On the other hand, The Twelve Time Governing Covenants by Sakakibara Yui works rather well as the closing theme, and for the most part the end sequence is a far more subtle and off kilter affair that is more in tune with the atmosphere of the series proper (until the last few seconds that is, and one has to wonder about the mentality of the person who thought ending the sequence like that was a good idea).
As for the background music, there's a rather nice variety of tracks that are often very subtly used. More often than not the series relies on mundane noises and silence, and because of that attention has been paid to the timing and usage of the score.
Steins;Gate has a core set of characters who are surprisingly well defined from the start of the series, but in terms of overall development much of the growth applies only to Okabe. Now this isn't really surprising given the events in the story, and to be honest the show is actually better with his character being the only one who truly changes. Okabe's development when dealing with the events that are rapidly spiralling out of control is handled in a sensitive yet realistic manner, and it's nice to see that the anime hasn't shied away from depicting the apathy he feels after experiencing a series of personally harrowing events.
Unfortunately the attempts to further develop some of the other characters tend to fall a little short of the mark, and this leads to a few situations that effectively remove the dramatic tension that has been painstakingly built up. The sad part is that while it's laudable to try and develop characters like Suzu, Mayuri, Feyris, and even Tennouji Yugo (Mr Braun), this should never come at the detriment of the main storyline.
Steins;Gate is a very entertaining series that isn't afraid to play around with various scientific concepts, but at the same time it clearly avoids tackling certain major issues related to time travel, and the focus on human drama can sometimes be at odds with the events in the storyline. That said, it's a very enjoyable anime that doesn't get too bogged down in technicalities, and while I rather liked the fact that Okabe cast himself in the role of mad scientist (complete with laugh), imagine my surprise at finding out he's supposed to be 18 years old.
Which brings us back to the ending.
There's a certain ... "clinical" ... feel to the conclusion that really doesn't sit too well, and while it's always nice to see a story end happily, one has to wonder about the plausibility of it all. The thing is, Steins;Gate uses a concept of time travel similar to that used in Quantum Leap, and therein lies the problem. Anyone who is familiar with the latter series knows that Dr Sam Beckett (an actual doctor, not an 18 year old first year student like Okabe), is unable to return to his original timeline because too many changes have been made to past events. In the nomenclature of Steins;Gate, he's moved across too many world lines and affected too many lives, and this is one of the major things that Steins;Gate glosses over completely. Now one could argue that the idea used in the series creates an effective escape clause, but that only covers certain people. The simple fact is that everyone you meet when you travel through time, no matter how brief the contact, is affected by your presence, so in order to return to one's original timeline, one must undo every contact with every person, even down to brushing shoulders with a total stranger on the street.
One of the other aspects that really should have been explored is Okabe's ability, Reading Steiner. At no point does the series delve into why he has this ability or how it works, and this is more than a little odd given how much importance is placed on "Fool yourself. Fool the world".
Even with those issues though, Steins;Gate is easily one of the better science fiction anime to appear in the last few years, and while there are areas that could have been improved upon, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Steins;Gate is an enjoyable romp in the realms of implausibility that delivers on several levels, and while the happy ending may not sit well with everyone, the conclusion to the story does offer a degree of catharsis.
It's just a shame that everyone seems to think you need a happy ending in order to make a story great.
作者：Archaeon
來源：https://myanimelist.net/reviews.php?id=43359
「人們以為，時間是從因到果的嚴謹進程；然而其實從非線性、非主觀的視角來看，時間更像是一顆晃蕩不定的大球……一種搖擺游移的……東西。」－－《神秘博士》之第十任博士
時光旅行的概念，是影劇界最容易搞錯的一樁事情，一部分原因出在我們對「現實」的科學理解，仍處於童稚未知的狀態，這也表示諸如《神秘博士》(Doctor Who)、《時空怪客》(Quantum Leap) 甚至《星艦迷航記》(Star Trek) 等電視影集的編劇，都必須發揮自個兒的想像力和創造力，才能在每當一段敘事決定跳轉之時，化解其中生成的若干固有的悖論。
也就是說，那些都是編劇自己捏造出來的。
很多時候，不論哪種型態的時光旅行，經過劇中偽科學和深奧術語的包裝，加上把有爭議的、胡謅的量子理論精美地拼湊起來，便能掩飾時光旅行之天馬行空、難以取信的性質。這種種手段替時光旅行添上一層可信的外衣，如此一來才能止住一般觀眾的疑心，然後才有辦法讓觀眾對情節買單。至於動畫作品中的時光旅行概念，普遍缺乏主旨，沒有實體呈現，連敘事關聯性也付之闕如。
然而最近《命運石之門》動畫上映，造就出令人耳目一新的局面。
《命運石之門》本來是 5pb 與 Nitroplus 聯合製作的視覺小說遊戲，之後改編為動畫，講述岡部倫太郎 (自封瘋狂科學家，別名鳳凰院凶真) 和他在未來道具研究所的「夥伴們」橋田至 (綽號桶子) 和椎名真由里的故事。岡部和桶子成天把心思放在發明一些古怪物品，而目前為止最匪夷所思的就是「電話微波爐 (暫名)」。一開始這台機器似乎只會把香蕉變成綠色膠狀物，但機器其實隱藏著不為人知的另類用途。他們原本過著平靜正常的日子，直到有一天，岡部和真由里去參加知名學者中鉢教授針對時光機和時光旅行的演講，事情開始起了變化……。
大致而言，《命運石之門》分集作品的構思，出人意表地十分完善，合理明智地鋪陳了因果觀念。劇情進展符合邏輯，可能還有點老調重彈，雖然每篇時光旅行故事免不了出現數不盡的輪迴、重複、重頭開始和「改變過去」等必要元素，但只要處理得宜，還是有機會把《涼宮春日的憂鬱》「漫無止境的八月」(Endless Eight) 冗長無趣的內容，轉化成至少有點可看性的故事曲線。《命運石之門》拋出許多概念和理論，以便解釋或合理化科幻小說的某些面向，而且有好幾次，這些概念和理論非常妥貼地融入劇情主體。劇中利用了像是蝴蝶效應 (從這個詞的視覺形象看來，意思應該很清楚)、觀察者效應和薛丁格的貓等觀念，來支撐時光旅行所引發的問題 (和這些問題的解決辦法)。從這點來看，試圖以科學理論支撐科幻小說架構的《命運石之門》，是非常值得嘉許的 (而且表現遠勝於《魔法少女小圓》)。
但很遺憾地，拍這樣的動畫並不能隨便鬧著玩玩。
《命運石之門》敘事裡的問題之一，是人性戲劇和科幻小說間勢必會發生衝突，而在道地的動畫手法中，情感面終將取勝。於是《命運石之門》便因此受到令人遺憾的影響，時光旅行故事中本應出現的許多混亂場景不見了，取而代之的是可預測的結果和駭人聽聞的事件。幸好故事的人性面處理得極為得宜，然而太多基本問題從未實際得到解決，使得人性面的精彩發揮被黯然扣分。《命運石之門》的核心本質，無意中要求觀眾必須自行解決或解釋作品探討的某些層面，儘管各種「科學」理由在劇中大鳴大放，但《命運石之門》往往逃避處理某些第一級的議題，譬如祖父悖論。
還有頗為「乾淨俐落」的結局，也是另一個問題，後面還會再討論。
《命運石之門》是部很精彩的動畫，但就跟從視覺媒體改編而來的任何作品一樣，在人物設計等層面上自然而然會受到限制。話雖如此，WHITE FOX 公司依然能夠製作出觀眾應該會感興趣 (有時題材甚至蠻普通的)、而且把公司現有能力施展得盡善盡美的動畫作品。WHITE FOX 的角色動畫水準很高，許多視覺特效富有想像力，編排高超 (這點無庸置疑，畢竟《花冠之淚》和《刀語》也出自 WHITE FOX 之手)。所以很遺憾地，典型的動畫心態握有主導權，結果對細節極少著墨，主要的細節問題在於服裝明顯缺乏變化。每個動畫人物彷彿只有一套穿搭，有人也許覺得執著在這點上似乎有點吹毛求疵，但想想看，假如你連續三星期穿同件衛生衣，在暑熱的天氣下跑來跑去，你會作何感想。
這樣的動畫心態也在《命運石之門》居上風，雖然劇中大部分對話實在相當出色，但偶爾會在其實不需再加重戲劇性的時候，日常的惡作劇成分卻跑出來參一腳。所幸聲優經驗豐富，瞭解如何因應編劇在各種缺失上的矯枉過正，而且老實說，聲優對於撐起這部作品功不可沒。假使沒有宮野真守、今井麻美、關智一、花澤香菜等聲優為眾角色出神入化的配音，《命運石之門》恐怕很快就承受不住自身的沉重而垮下，也多虧聲優功力精湛，才能用符合敘事的「聲」段，演繹出劇本中較具技術性或科學性的情節。
片頭曲《Hacking to the Gate》(演唱：いとうかなこ) 是一般的日本流行曲，畫面拼貼出劇中大多數角色的沉思樣貌，背景則有各種鐘面、齒輪、帶有科技感的圖樣快速移動。至於片尾曲《刻司ル十二ノ盟約 (掌控時間的十二條盟約)》(演唱：榊原ゆい) 表現得十分稱職，而且大部分的畫面傳達出頗微妙、詭譎的氣息，與當集劇情的氛圍顯得更加契合 (除了最後幾秒的畫面，令人不禁納悶認為這種結尾畫面很棒的人究竟在想什麼)。
配樂方面，許多樂曲相當動聽，且經常運用得恰如其分。《命運石之門》很常使用日常的聲響和靜默，因此觀眾便可以清楚注意到配樂出現的時機和場合。
《命運石之門》最初幾集就很鮮明地界定出核心主角群的人物性格，不過以整體發展而言，只有岡部獲得最多的啟發成長。以劇中事件進展來看，這並不足以為奇，而且老實說，岡部作為唯一真正經歷改變的角色，這樣的安排對劇情其實是較有益的。岡部在面對迅速失控事件時的演變，是以纖細敏感卻又不失真實的手法加以處理，而且岡部在親身體驗一連串的悲慘事件後變得冷淡漠然，劇中並未忽略此種心境的摹寫，很高興見到能有這般的如實呈現。
但可惜的是，本劇雖有意深入發展其他角色，卻有點偏離目標，使得有些場景失去了好不容易堆疊出來的戲劇張力。劇中試圖發展鈴羽、真由里、菲莉絲、甚至天王寺裕吾 (映像管先生) 等角色，這點固然值得嘉許，然而不該因此破壞了主要的故事線，令人實感嘆息。
《命運石之門》的娛樂性十足，並且勇於探討形形色色的科學概念；不過另一方面，本劇明顯避開處理某些與時光旅行相關的主要課題，而聚焦於人性戲劇的作法，有時會和故事線的事件產生牴觸。話雖如此，這部動畫依然相當有趣，不會把人困在幽深難解的科學專門知識裡；我也頗喜歡岡部自封瘋狂科學家 (搭配狂妄笑聲) 的人物設定，但是當我發現劇中的岡部才 18 歲，不妨想像一下我有多驚訝。
就從這一點，我們把話題轉回結局。
結局有種很……「冷靜」……的感覺，實在讓人不太能接受。當然，皆大歡喜的結局未嘗不是件好事，可是我們得想想，這種事到底可不可能發生。重點在於，《命運石之門》使用了類似《時空怪客》該劇的時光旅行概念，這當中潛藏著問題。凡是熟悉《時空怪客》劇情的人，都知道山謬．貝克特博士 (Dr Sam Beckett，現實世界真有此人，但不是岡部那樣的 18 歲大一生) 回不去自己原本的時間線，因為過去的事件發生過太多變化。在《命運石之門》劇情設定裡，岡部在許許多多條世界線間移動，影響了許許多多的人物發展，而這正是《命運石之門》完全輕描淡寫的重大事情之一。可能有人會幫忙解釋，《命運石之門》運用的概念創造出有效的免責條款，但是免責條款也只該對某些人生效。事實很簡單：當你穿梭在各個時空，你所遇到的每一個人 (無論相遇的程度有多麼輕微)，他們都會因你的存在而受到影響；所以為了返回原本的時間線，我們必須要消除與每一個人的每一場相遇，即使只是與街上陌生人擦身而過，這種微不足道的相遇也不能例外。
岡部的「命運探知之魔眼」能力，也是劇中其實應該好好探討的面向之一。劇中完全沒有哪個段落深刻鑽研岡部為何會擁有這種能力、或這種能力如何運作，既然本劇非常重視「欺騙自己，欺騙世界」，卻沒有善加解釋命運探知能力，便顯得不太對勁。
儘管有著上述問題，《命運石之門》仍然毫無懸念登上近幾年來最亮眼的科幻動畫神作之一。作品確實有些地方需待改進，不過整體而言瑕不掩瑜。《命運石之門》是在數種層面不可能實現的虛構場域裡，上演的一場笑鬧遊戲。或許並不是每個人都能欣然接受它的 happy ending，不過故事的落幕，的確在某種程度上產生情緒宣洩的作用。
只是，大家似乎認為結局必須圓滿才算是好故事，這點實在太令人遺憾了。
"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbley ... timey wimey ... stuff" - The Doctor
When it comes to entertainment, one of the easiest things to get wrong is the concept of time travel. Part of the reason for this is because our scientific understanding of "reality" is still in its infancy, and this means that the writers for shows like Doctor Who, Quantum Leap, even Star Trek, must apply their imagination and creativity in order to resolve some of the inherent paradoxes that will occur whenever a narrative decides to hop, skip or jump.
In other words, they make it up.
More often than not the implausibility of any sort of time travel is camouflaged with pseudo-science, techno-babble, and a good smattering of conversational quantum-hokum. These add a veneer of believability so that the average person can achieve the suspension of disbelief required to buy into the storyline. When it comes to anime though, the concept of travelling through time has generally lacked in substance, delivery, and even narrative relevance.
Until now ...
Originally a visual novel by 5pb and Nitroplus, Steins;Gate tells the story of Okabe Rintaro (the self styled mad scientist known as Hououin Kyouma), and his "colleagues" at the Future Gadget Laboratory, Hashida "Daru" Itaru and Shiina Mayuri. Okabe spends his days making strange inventions with Daru, and the oddest one so far is the Phone Microwave [name subject to change]. At first it seems as though this device does nothing more than turn bananas into a green, jelly-like substance, but it has a hidden side effect that no one knows about. Everything seems placid and normal until the day that Okabe and Mayuri decide to attend a lecture given by the eminent Professor Nakabachi on the subject of time machines and time travel.
For the most part Steins;Gate is a surprisingly well thought out series that applies the notion of cause and effect in a reasonably intelligent manner. The plot follows a logical, if somewhat timeworn progression, and while there are numerous recycles, repeats, reboots, and "do overs" that form an integral part of any time travel tale, these are handled in a way that would have turned Endless Eight from tedium incarnate into an arc that was at least watchable. The show throws around a number of concepts and theories to explain or justify certain aspects of the science fiction, and on quite a few occasions these have been woven into the main body of the plot very well. Ideas like the Butterfly Effect (which, given the visual cues, should be obvious to anyone), the Observer Effect and Schrödinger's Cat have been used to support the problems caused by time travel (and their resolution), and in that respect Steins;Gate deserves a good deal of praise for trying to use science to support the science fiction (and it does it far better than the likes of Puella Magi Madoka Magica).
Unfortunately it's not all fun and games.
One of the problems within the narrative is the inevitable conflict between human drama and science fiction, and in true anime fashion the emotional side wins out. This has the unfortunate effect of removing much of the chaos that is inherent in a story about time travel, and replacing it with predictability and melodrama. Thankfully the human side of the tale is handled in a surprisingly decent manner, but this is tempered by the fact that a number of basic questions are never actually addressed. The very nature of this anime automatically requires that certain aspects be resolved or explained, and while there are all sorts of "scientific" reasons flying around, the series tends to shy away from tackling certain first order issues like the Grandfather Paradox.
There's also the matter of the rather "neat" ending, but we'll get to that in a bit.
Steins;Gate is a very good looking series, but as with any adaptation from another visual medium, there's an automatic limitation placed on aspects like character design. That said, White Fox have produced a series that viewers may find appealing, if a little generic at times, and have used what they've been given to very good effect. The character animation is of a high standard, and many of the visual effects are imaginative and well choreographed (which should be no surprise given that White Fox also produced Tears to Tiara and Katanagatari). It's unfortunate then, that the typical anime mentality comes to the fore in the little details, the main one being the distinct lack of variety where clothing is concerned. Everyone seems to have only one outfit, which may seem a little picky to some, but imagine how you would feel if you wore the same underwear for three weeks while running around and in mostly warm weather.
This mentality also comes to the fore in the script, and while the majority of the dialogue in the show is actually pretty good, the usual shenanigans come out to play at times when there really doesn't need to be any more drama. Thankfully the voice actors are experienced enough to know how to deal with the scriptwriters' attempts at overcompensating for various shortcomings, and in truth they're the ones that carry this series. If it wasn't for the talents of Miyano Mamoru, Imai Asami, Seki Tomokazu, Hanazawa Kana, and the rest of the cast, Steins;Gate would quickly collapse under its own weight, and it's thanks to the seiyuu's abilities that the more technical or scientific portions of the script can be delivered in a manner that fits with the narrative.
The opening sequence features Hacking The Gate by Ito Kanako, a fairly average J-pop track track that has been set to a montage of most of the characters who seem to be deep in contemplation while a variety of clock faces, cogs and technical looking diagrams zip around the screen. On the other hand, The Twelve Time Governing Covenants by Sakakibara Yui works rather well as the closing theme, and for the most part the end sequence is a far more subtle and off kilter affair that is more in tune with the atmosphere of the series proper (until the last few seconds that is, and one has to wonder about the mentality of the person who thought ending the sequence like that was a good idea).
As for the background music, there's a rather nice variety of tracks that are often very subtly used. More often than not the series relies on mundane noises and silence, and because of that attention has been paid to the timing and usage of the score.
Steins;Gate has a core set of characters who are surprisingly well defined from the start of the series, but in terms of overall development much of the growth applies only to Okabe. Now this isn't really surprising given the events in the story, and to be honest the show is actually better with his character being the only one who truly changes. Okabe's development when dealing with the events that are rapidly spiralling out of control is handled in a sensitive yet realistic manner, and it's nice to see that the anime hasn't shied away from depicting the apathy he feels after experiencing a series of personally harrowing events.
Unfortunately the attempts to further develop some of the other characters tend to fall a little short of the mark, and this leads to a few situations that effectively remove the dramatic tension that has been painstakingly built up. The sad part is that while it's laudable to try and develop characters like Suzu, Mayuri, Feyris, and even Tennouji Yugo (Mr Braun), this should never come at the detriment of the main storyline.
Steins;Gate is a very entertaining series that isn't afraid to play around with various scientific concepts, but at the same time it clearly avoids tackling certain major issues related to time travel, and the focus on human drama can sometimes be at odds with the events in the storyline. That said, it's a very enjoyable anime that doesn't get too bogged down in technicalities, and while I rather liked the fact that Okabe cast himself in the role of mad scientist (complete with laugh), imagine my surprise at finding out he's supposed to be 18 years old.
Which brings us back to the ending.
There's a certain ... "clinical" ... feel to the conclusion that really doesn't sit too well, and while it's always nice to see a story end happily, one has to wonder about the plausibility of it all. The thing is, Steins;Gate uses a concept of time travel similar to that used in Quantum Leap, and therein lies the problem. Anyone who is familiar with the latter series knows that Dr Sam Beckett (an actual doctor, not an 18 year old first year student like Okabe), is unable to return to his original timeline because too many changes have been made to past events. In the nomenclature of Steins;Gate, he's moved across too many world lines and affected too many lives, and this is one of the major things that Steins;Gate glosses over completely. Now one could argue that the idea used in the series creates an effective escape clause, but that only covers certain people. The simple fact is that everyone you meet when you travel through time, no matter how brief the contact, is affected by your presence, so in order to return to one's original timeline, one must undo every contact with every person, even down to brushing shoulders with a total stranger on the street.
One of the other aspects that really should have been explored is Okabe's ability, Reading Steiner. At no point does the series delve into why he has this ability or how it works, and this is more than a little odd given how much importance is placed on "Fool yourself. Fool the world".
Even with those issues though, Steins;Gate is easily one of the better science fiction anime to appear in the last few years, and while there are areas that could have been improved upon, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Steins;Gate is an enjoyable romp in the realms of implausibility that delivers on several levels, and while the happy ending may not sit well with everyone, the conclusion to the story does offer a degree of catharsis.
It's just a shame that everyone seems to think you need a happy ending in order to make a story great.
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