Stein’s gate is about a self-proclaimed ‘mad scientist’ Hououin Kyoruma, who seems to spend his time screaming like a maniac at other scientists at lectures and calling them out on their bullshit. He walks out of one lecture in particular, bumps into a girl with strange eyes, then immediately after; finds her stabbed in a dark room. Then he walks outside and the usually crowded streets are empty. And the girl who was just stabbed comes walking around the corner…

Turns out Hououin has a time machine made out of a cell phone and a microwave and the girl is working for the Future Gadgets Team – with their ability to send text messages to each other into the past – is now sniffing around him with unclear intentions.

I found I couldn’t get into this volume. Hououin as the smart but quirky scientist is so cliche, I got bored. It’s more of a situation comedy (with one character dressing up as another, funny interruptions with super-deformed screaming, cat girl humor) that reminds you there’s a science fiction story going on as well. I give this volume a meh; 3 out of 5. I don’t think I’ll be investing time in the next volume.