「並列過程のパラノイア」 (Heiretsu Katei no Paranoia)
“Paranoia of Parallel Process”

Steins Gate is first uttered on screen… and it does not mean what you think it means. Actually, according to Daru, it doesn’t mean anything.

The bout with Kurisu was strikingly similar to Bakemonogatari in how it spins to a different topic, especially a sexual one, playing a game of “who’s the pervert.” You know, Daru’s asking of repeating the phrase with an upset tone wouldn’t be so hilarious if I had zero experience with such a typical expression a million times before. Hentai Tensai Shoujo has such a nice ring to it, too.

I didn’t expect the microwave to go out of action so quickly when it’s been building up to become the “time machine,” but at least Okarin was able to realize “his” creation before it was too late. Makise pretty much just bolted out of there, and considering her background in time travel and proving it wrong with string theory, I’d say she went to go research some more. The major introduction this time around would be SERN (or CERN), the European Organization for Nuclear Research, more famous to most people because of the Large Hadron Collider, because people were actually scared it could create a mini black hole. Relating SERN to time travel is clever, and using a corporation on research to eventually turn into a controller of society is kind of like Terminator’s story with SKYNET. But though it is clever, it’s still part of the original “story” on John Titor, and this episode is basically still integrating Titor’s legacy into the plotline.

In terms of character development, which almost feels forgotten, Okarin spends some quality time with Mayushii, and saved her without hesitation from the microwave explosion earlier. It’s great how he’s supposed to be the crazy and obsessed mad scientist, which gives off the impression of single mindedness, but actually takes some time aside to “entertain” Mayushii. Given how aloof she is, it’s cute that he kind of takes care of her (vice versa too). If I were to assume every scene had a purpose, Suzuha (bike-girl) on the surface didn’t do anything. She acted as the jump board for Okarin to rush upstairs and contact Titor, but is that really all? Although explained, her knowledge still comes off highly suspicious. Only time will tell.

Unlike our reality, we have Daru to crack SERN’s email, revealing info about a Z-project, a dead human, and implications of a created mini-black hole. The general synopsis pasted everywhere states that SERN eventually becomes aware of Okarin’s little group, and decides to hunt them down, of which I then assume the time travel manipulation should begin to avoid being captured by hiding in time. Damn, that sounds cool.

I’m starting to think Hououin Kyouma is just a name he uses to surf the web with. :/

 

66 Comments

  1. I just can’t figure out the male protagonist. He is so spontaneous. Can’t never be serious even though serious things happens. Unless they show at the end he is psychotic and he has a very imaginative power.

    banzmanga
  2. when I first read that “human is dead, dismatch”, I thought it meant that the person who wrote the report is dead or something… though who knows, this show could certainly surprise us.
    Kurisu is still the highlight of the episode, especially with all the banana jokes 🙂
    but the microwave is already destroyed in the experiment, isn’t it? hope they get it fixed first…
    oh and I won’t be surprised if John Titor is connected to our perverted mad scientist in more ways than just chatting friends.

    jrj
    1. From what i understand SERN is trying to make a mini-black hole to travel back in time but failed(Error. Human is Dead. mismatch). I think that time traveling in an microwave with radation = sure a dead person. I hope Rintarou and Chris makes another way.

  3. Christina!

    I was thoroughly entertained with that exchange between the three perverts. The cast of this show makes for such a great comedy. The latter half was interesting too. Suzuha is kinda suspicious, I think she’s a time traveller herself.

    “Can you say, Who’d eat a pervert’s banana anyway?If possible with an upset expression.”
    I lol’d.

    Nhelraios
  4. i really like this anime, but watching it late at night makes it difficult to take everything in….

    i just hope it doesn’t suddenly backtrack into harem territory.,..

    defunkt_bots
    1. it would not, because I think that this show will base on Makise’s route of the visual nove. Even the ending video confirm that fact (you can see Makise at the end, right?)

      BLACK
    1. I thought the same thing! The dead person might be Makise and they altered time to make things right and now Okarin buts in…

      Okarin being John Titor. If you give it a thought, Okarin contacts Titor and not vice versa. Still Titor argued that he met his younger self in the USA so it woulnd’t be impossible I geess

      LordRussel
      1. @jrj: yeah, it’s still too soon to judge really ^^ Although it is very interesting if it ended up being true

        @LordRussel: There is speculation that he said he met his younger self of course but Okarin wouldn’t know John Titor is him and might think his someone else that he can contact. Think for example the Dissapearence of Haruhi the movie. Kyon’s other name was John Smith which he used for that alternate world in gaining the other haruhi’s trust. John Titor could be Okarin’s other name which he uses after succeeding in time traveling. In the usual cases, you shouldn’t meet up with your younger or older self or else that screws up the world. John Titor said he met his younger self but it’s possible that his younger self never knew he met himself. Although right now I’m just throwing random thoughts around xD

  5. quote:
    Although explained, her knowledge still comes off highly suspicious.

    is the paranoia of the main character spreading to the viewers/commenters? lol
    also, what are the chances of John Titor coming back in time to OUR timeline to sue the anime for copyrights?

    ewok40k
    1. I third it, the more you ring it the more it rings.
      Got a feeling Mayu is hiding something, destroyed the time machine when I’m sure even air heads know you got to off the microwave before you open it.
      And she appears too much in the OP to just be a cute side char… she appears in the OP more than Chris!

      deafvader
      1. Though I shouldn’t have spoiled myself (Don’t think the game is released in English, so I can’t really look up the original source, only being able to understand 20% of it, and I rarely read manga):

        Show Spoiler ▼

        Soiyeruda
  6. “I’m starting to think Hououin Kyouma is just a name he uses to surf the web with. :/”
    Yeah, but what else did you think it would be. I figured it was his Roleplaying name as a mad scientist, so I wasn’t surprised that he’d use it as an online name.
    Also, Kyouma mentioned Steins;Gate in the first episode, after Alpacaman, Daru wasn’t sure what he meant at the time.
    I am thinking that Kurisu is the “Human is dead” person. Also, I think Mayushi is not a good girl at all. Especially since she’s so innocent and “accidentally” broke the microwave. I think we should be suspicious of her more than we should be of Kurisu.

    Airon
  7. Goddamit. I’m really going to have a heart attack if Hanazawa keeps upping her HNNNNGGG game. Is this a two cour series or one? I love the pacing but I don’t like the idea sitting through another Ghost Hound where everything’s perfect till the last episode.

    1. yeah, it won’t happen much later on so if you can’t stand it drop it, as if the series itself would do better if you say you’re bored with it

      honestly, this is the most irritating kind of viewers nowadays, its like they’re taking everything for granted

      Zwei
      1. How about you take the broken dishes out your ass. This is a discussion about the series and if I dont like I have every right to speak my opinion. You can tell me to drop it, you can disagree with my opinion but dont act like some elitish shit.

      2. @OrinX: Saying “I’m bored, hope this series speeds up because the pacing is too slow for me” isn’t really a point of discussion. It’s just complaining about something that isn’t conforming to your needs, tbh. =/

        Soiyeruda
      3. @OrinX: The comment makes it seem like you expected one thing, but got something else, and aren’t too happy with the final result.

        It’s a drama-based sci-fi series so of course, it isn’t going to hit you with everything in the first three episodes. Episode 1 established the basic issue/concept. Episode 2 established the characters (hastily, but still). Episode 3 established an epiphany.

        Just based off the game synopsis and summary, there probably won’t be any “action” until about episode 7 (at the very earliest), so if you can’t be bothered to spend 80 minutes in the next month to watch something you find boring, then drop it and come back later.

        Soiyeruda
    2. I love when a series takes it slow and builds up everything. I just hate when a series doesn’t deliver like it should have all that. I do have to say this is one of the series this season that I can’t wait for next weeks episode just to find out more about the story. I’ve only watched the anime so far, I didn’t check out the game either. So it’s all fresh, new, exciting to follow for me.

      Trystinia
  8. Here’s a wild guess but I think that SERN might have had a microwave(time machine) similar to Hououin’s but “human sized.” So they probably tried to get a human to travel back in time and got the “banana effect,” ie: some old guy to frail to live. I assume that the microwave went or will go through some kind of change that will negate that effect.

    Odeus
  9. ehhhh…. I don’t know what the hell is going on… 70% of the time I just couldn’t get it… is everyone lost like me?? I just can get the grip of how Time-machine, parallel world works and little bit about CERN (real one) and John Titor etc… but yeah, this is embarrassing – I wish I took more interest in science and maybe I would not stuggle to understand something 😛

    Tenshi_
  10. So, we’re three episodes into the series and the name John Titor comes up a lot. Why do I have this feeling that this “John Titor” is actually Okarin and he wants to remember everything that occurred in the present “World Line” event. It’s like what Kiiragi stated in the italicize “I’m starting to think Hououin Kyouma is just a name he uses to surf the web with. :/”

    Either that or he has distropy and everything is just his imagination. Looking forward to how this series play though. It got me sitting at the edge of my chair wanting more. 😀

    Nimmy
  11. i kept repeating 03:34 over and over. lol.

    my take on the mismatch error is that the person didn’t materialize properly after moving in time. just like the jelly banana when it moved back to its original space/time(?). i dunno, just speculating.

    420
  12. With the way John Titor was talking on the net, it makes me suspect that he is Okarin.

    Also, those other bloggers or whatever talking to John Titor were hilarious.

    “John Titor takes a dump and now the universe is doomed!” lmao.

    anishuma
  13. Well most of it was interesting but (as is usual for anime) that politics are so irritating it makes me scream. Why would a scientific organization want to revive Communism and reverse global living standards to those of the 18th century? I’m fairly sure they would be filled with men and women fully aware of the limitations Communism put on scientific research because of political restrictions such as denying the existence of genetics*. Wouldn’t a politically motivated scientist be more interested in creating a technocracy? And why would they want to set living standards back three hundred years? It’s a bit hard to make brilliant scientific discoveries and encourage the growth of smart young scientists if the population is wasting away from malaria and they’ve never seen an automobile before. Why can’t anime politics make sense?

    And once again Mayuri is very cute around Okarin but that just makes me certain she’s going to get mind raped (at the very least) in under ten episodes.

    *At one point the Soviet leaders denied the theory of relativity until they were told that it was needed to make nuclear weapons.

    Grant

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