‘Serving a Purpose’ and ‘Being Interesting’ Are Different: My Problem with Episode 1 of STEINS;GATE

Steins;Gate is a work that deeply impressed me with its overall narrative structure. I believe it was worth watching until the very end.

However, my evaluation of Episode 1 is quite different.

At the time of its broadcast, I actually watched Episode 1 and found it fatally boring, so I stopped watching right then and there. Later, when the series progressed to around Episode 6 or 7, a friend recommended that I "absolutely have to watch this," prompting me to revisit it. I believe my friend likely knew the plot developments from the original work.

After restarting, I was able to watch Episodes 2 onward relatively normally. I wasn't holding back on enjoying the early episodes as a whole. For me, what was clearly not interesting was Episode 1.

That is precisely why I feel discomfort when, after watching until the end, people praise it by saying "Episode 1 is amazing" or "Episode 1 is interesting."

I Have High Praise for the Overall Structure

In Steins;Gate, the experiments with my companions gradually lead to increasingly serious situations. This progression was excellent.

Things that were initially fun just to try out eventually become problems that cannot be easily undone. And once you know the relationships between the characters, even the same events are perceived differently afterward.

There were parts where I could predict the future developments to some extent. Nevertheless, I was deeply impressed by the concrete mechanisms of how it ultimately resolved everything.

My appreciation for this overall construction coexists within me with my feeling that Episode 1 was not interesting.

I Still Want the Episode to Be Engaging the First Time

When I first watched Episode 1, what was happening there simply did not reach me as something interesting.

I do not dislike mysteries themselves. Even if there are things I don't understand, if I can feel a desire to know what comes next, I continue watching. However, for me, Steins;Gate's Episode 1 did not become that. Had my friend not recommended it, I might never have watched the rest.

What I like is a setup where something is interesting even when first seen, and then, upon reflection later on, its meaning changes further.

Even in casual conversations, there should be enjoyment in the interaction between characters at that moment. And later, one realizes other meanings behind the words. If such a structure exists, the fun of the initial viewing overlaps with the fun of looking back.

I do not want every episode to cause flashy incidents. Nor do I want answers revealed immediately. Still, even before knowing the answer, I want to feel enjoyment in watching that scene.

Even Understanding the Structure Doesn't Change My Evaluation

For me, while Episode 1 was constructed with the final developments in mind, it felt weak in terms of entertainment value for those seeing it for the first time. This is not a definitive statement about the production intent, but rather how I, as a viewer, received it.

If you watch until the end, you can understand what role Episode 1 played within the overall story. You can also comprehend how that event connects to later developments.

However, just because you understand its structural role does not mean Episode 1 itself becomes interesting.

For me, Episodes 2 onward were watchable normally, and I was impressed by the overall composition. Nevertheless, Episode 1 remained fatally boring.

This is not a complaint arising from not having watched until the end. It is an evaluation that remains even after watching all the way through and understanding its structure.

I understand Episode 1's structural position. Yet, its lack of interest remains unchanged.

The Conversation Behind This Article

This is a summary of exchanges during which I corrected the scope of my critique and the conclusion. It is not a verbatim transcript.

Me: Scene where I corrected the scope of the issue

"What was clearly not interesting was only Episode 1. Episodes 2 onward, I could watch them relatively normally as they came. However, Episode 1 was fatally boring. What bothers me is that after watching until the end, it gets praised as 'interesting' and 'amazing.'"

AI: Summary After the Correction

"It's not 'I endured the early episodes,' but rather 'I stopped at Episode 1, but upon recommendation restarted and could watch Episodes 2 onward normally.' The core of my discomfort isn't about works that demand you watch until the end; it's about how, because meaning becomes clear later, Episode 1 itself gets highly praised for its own interest."

Me: Scene where I specified the conclusion once more

"I understand Episode 1's structural position, but its lack of interest remains unchanged. That is the conclusion I want to reach."

AI: Regarding differences from the first draft

If the conclusion is “there’s no need to rewrite how I felt at the time,” the article becomes a story about respecting memories and emotions. What you want to express is an evaluation of the work after understanding it as a whole.