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So who here was watched Steins:Gate? Absolutely no spoilers please
- Thread starter Xandalan
- Start date
I started to watch Steins Gate for the first time like 5 years ago, but a certain scene with Okabe and Luka made me totally drop it. I think now that I know what to expect, I'd try to watch it again, but it won't take away the grossness of the scene.
Luka's entire arc and character pissed me off so god damn badly.
I enjoyed S;G a lot despite the problematic elements of Ruka. I've been working my way through S;G0 as well lately but it's slow going due to playing it on my deck, lol.
I watched it as it was airing back in 2011. There's parts of it that are really good but it's also steeped in late 2000s internet otaku culture, meaning there's also a lot of shit that really sucks. The way it handles Luka is one of those things.
I experienced it when it was new, and was pretty ignorant about the issues with Ruka. That was a long time ago, and I would have a very different experience if I saw it for the first time in 2024.
At the time, I was very into it and the VN, too. But that was then.
At the time, I was very into it and the VN, too. But that was then.
There are people like myself who found Luka a relatable and admirable character but that just makes it all the worse when you understand the show's attitude toward her. I consider the show and VN a "favorite" but that comes with extremely mixed feelings
The original Steins;Gate VN came first, but after the anime there was Steins;Gate Elite which remade the VN using anime footage.
Problems aside, I still consider it one of my goats. I watched it in a weekend years ago. Literally couldn't step away for more than an hour before watching another episode.
It was a great visual novel but fuck the creators had no goddamn idea what a trans person is and it shows.
Loved it when it was fresh but yeah, as I've become far less ignorant about real trans people, I've not been able to really go back.
I'm a huge fan of the entire Science Adventure series and have played all the mainline games, so yeah...
I read a lengthy article from a trans person about Luka a while back, and it was a fascinating read. Based on what that person said, Luka isn't trans. I'm sure the writers wanted him to be, but he's not. He does represent, but not trans people. The explanation is slightly spoilery:
I read a lengthy article from a trans person about Luka a while back, and it was a fascinating read. Based on what that person said, Luka isn't trans. I'm sure the writers wanted him to be, but he's not. He does represent, but not trans people. The explanation is slightly spoilery:
Luka is gay, not trans. He dresses like a woman not because he wants to but because he's been pressured into it by an abusive family (his father and big sister). And he doesn't really want to be a woman either, though he claims to. Instead, what he truly wants is to be in a romantic relationship with Okabe, who he is madly in love with. But he sees romance between men as something society (and himself, possibly) won't ever accept, so if turning himself into a woman is what he needs to do to win Okabe's love, he'll take it.
Basically, Luka does not feel like a woman trapped in a man's body, nor does he suffer from gender dysphoria. He is simply gay and struggles with his own homophobia, reaching for the "simple solution" when it is presented to him.
I absolutely do believe that the creators wanted Luka to be a story about a trans person, but they seem to have had little to no understanding of the concept before writing it. In general, the Science Adventure series has a problem with transphobia, especially visible in Occultic;Nine and Anonymous;Code.
Disclaimer: I'm neither gay nor trans, so I'm not exactly coming at this from a position of authority. The whole thing is somewhat open to interpretation, but the more I've seen and read of Steins;Gate, the more confident I feel in the stuff I wrote above.
Basically, Luka does not feel like a woman trapped in a man's body, nor does he suffer from gender dysphoria. He is simply gay and struggles with his own homophobia, reaching for the "simple solution" when it is presented to him.
I absolutely do believe that the creators wanted Luka to be a story about a trans person, but they seem to have had little to no understanding of the concept before writing it. In general, the Science Adventure series has a problem with transphobia, especially visible in Occultic;Nine and Anonymous;Code.
Disclaimer: I'm neither gay nor trans, so I'm not exactly coming at this from a position of authority. The whole thing is somewhat open to interpretation, but the more I've seen and read of Steins;Gate, the more confident I feel in the stuff I wrote above.
Haven't watched the show, but played the VN.
The game is full of intense pandering to otaku fetishes. Although you can debate over whether characters like Luka are portrayed sympathetically, it is hard for me to get past the feeling that they are in the game to be objectified first, and that the actual character is an afterthought.
That extends to the catgirl maid, the airhead childhood friend, and the tsundere heroine.
The game is full of intense pandering to otaku fetishes. Although you can debate over whether characters like Luka are portrayed sympathetically, it is hard for me to get past the feeling that they are in the game to be objectified first, and that the actual character is an afterthought.
That extends to the catgirl maid, the airhead childhood friend, and the tsundere heroine.
