Steins;Gate Movie Coming To North America

After a long wait, it looks like the Steins;Gate movie is finally coming to the U.S. FUNimation has confirmed they will be releasing Steins;Gate - The Movie - Load Region of Déjà Vu in 2017.

If you are a fan of the anime, then you will be more than prepared to watch the time-traveling film. The movie was well-received by fans abroad who saw it back in April 2013. The film acts as a cinematic sequel that tells a new story after the "true end" of the Steins;Gate anime. The cast and crew of the show also returned for the film, giving moviegoers an extra bit of authenticity.

However, people who are unfamiliar with Steins;Gate will be a bit lost if the watch the film. As the movie is a direct sequel to the anime's finale, viewers who have not watched the show will be missing a lot of important context. The Steins;Gate anime is currently streaming online at sites like Crunchyroll where all 24 episodes are housed.

If you are still unsure about whether Steins;Gate is worth your time, then here's a brief rundown of the beloved series. The anime follows a so-called 'mad scientist' named Rintaro Okabe who runs a laboratory in Tokyo. The man's life turns upside down after he stumbles across the dead body of a well-known scientist named Kurisu Makise. He texts a colleague about the incident only to discover that his message reached his friend before the murder was actually committed. It turns out that Okabe's phone is part of an experimental time-traveling project that actually worked, giving him the ability to send text messages through time.

And, of course, there's a shadowy organization out there who wants that technology for itself.

The anime is an interesting riff off traditional time-traveling tropes. Steins;Gate uses sci-fi and a touch of melodrama to reel audiences in and promptly squeeze their heartstrings when need be. So, if you are into any of those things, then you might want to check out the series before its film reaches the U.S. early next year.

[H/T] Anime News Network