#labmems

Happy Valentine’s Day

“...You used it, right?” The question comes abruptly, along with a motioning gesture towards the corner where Kurisu and Daru are slaving away to finish the time leap machine. “...I just used it too. Then noticed you looking all panicky.”

The experience of using the device was awful, one which he hopes he never has to relive. It was as though he could feel the compression of his mental state, like the less vital memories were being physically ripped out of his brain to account for the format conversion. His memory of what’s going to happen over the course of the next few days has become...linear. He only remembers the important stuff. It feels dehumanizing, in a way, to have his recollection of events scrapped clean of unimportant filler, to not remember any of the fun things that didn’t really matter or have an impact. 

He supposes, though, that it’s only natural that having one’s brain temporarily turned into computer data would make one less human. Furthermore, it’s not like it’s any more dehumanizing than anything else he’s experienced, so he concludes that he’s overreacting and pulls the plug on that emotional response, not allowing himself to dwell any further on it.

“Do you know what it is we’re up against? I mean, besides SERN as a whole, I guess.”

In truth, Osamu saw nothing of what happened to the others. He got a d-mail a while ago, from his future self, instructing him to steal the time leap machine the night before “everything goes to hell”. He knows that Okabe and Mayuri both died after he completed that mission, he saw their murder reported on the news the next day - vaguely, of course, as “a man in a lab coat and a young teenage girl”, but it’s not like that could be anyone else. 

Okabe Rintaro 岡部倫太郎

Oka means hill. Be means 'section/part.'

Rin means 'ethics' or 'morals.' Taro customarily refers to the first (or only) son, and there are a lot of boys' names that end in it. (Though of course, nowadays even sons who aren't the firstborn can have 'taro' in their names.)

Hououin Kyouma 鳳凰院凶真

Houou means 'phoenix.' Technically the Asian phoenix, which is a different mythical creature than the one that is reborn from ashes. We don't know what 'in' is supposed to mean in this case (because Okabe never tells us--he just says it would take a long time to explain), but the kanji literally means 'institution,' for what it's worth.

Kyou means 'evil.' Ma means 'truth.'

Shiina Mayuri 椎名まゆり

Shii can refer to any tree in the Genus Castanopsis. Na means 'name.' Mayuri is written in hiragana instead of kanji, so I don't know the exact meaning, but my best guess would be 真百合 or 'true lily.'

By the way, Mayushii is a combination of 'Mayuri' and 'Shiina,' which I really should have figured out before I read it in one of the guidebooks.

Hashida Itaru 橋田至

Hashi means 'bridge.' Da means 'rice field.' Itaru comes from a verb meaning 'to reach; to arrive.'

Daru can be seen as coming from (i)taru, but darui is also an adjective meaning 'sluggish/languid.'

On a more meta level, 'Hashida Itaru' was chosen because the middle part sounds a bit like 'Titor.' ('daita')

Makise Kurisu 牧瀬紅莉栖

Maki means 'pasture.' Se means 'rapids' or 'shallows' (as of water).

I'm pretty sure 'Kurisu’ isn't a traditional Japanese name (it almost certainly came from 'Chris' or 'Kris'), so the meaning is secondary, really. Nevertheless, as Kurisu's name is written, the ku means 'crimson,' the ri means 'jasmine,' and the su means 'dwelling.'

Kiryu Moeka 桐生萌郁

'Kir' comes from 'kiri,' which means 'paulownia tree.' The 'ryu' means 'life.' 'Moe' means 'bud' or 'sprout.' 'Ka' means fragrant.

Urushibara Luka 漆原るか

Urushi means 'lacquer.' Bara means 'field.' Like 'mayuri', Luka is written in hiragana, so I'm not sure what it means, and in this case, I don't even really have a guess.

Faris Nyan-Nyan (Akiha Rumiho) フェイリス・ニャンニャン（秋葉留未穂）

'Faris' is obviously not a Japanese name, but according to 'Behind the Name,' it's a masculine name that means 'knight' in Arabic. Nyan means 'meow,' of course. Akiha means 'autumn leaf,' and forms the first part of 'Akihabara' (literally, 'autumn leaf field').

Ru means 'stop.' Mi means 'not yet.' Ho means 'ear (of grain, etc.).'

Amane Suzuha 阿万音鈴羽

Luka would be too scared to even go.

Daru would be the first to leave out of everyone else, chickening out pretty much immediately.

Moeka would slip out quietly without anyone noticing, until Okabe sees he has a text saying “Too spooky ( > . < )”

Kurisu would leave next. She would insist that she’s not scared and that she just has to get up early next morning.

Okabe would take Kurisu home, trusting that Suzuha and Faris would take care of Mayuri.

The Steins;Gate visual novel was first released 10 years ago today! (Oct. 15, 2009)

There’s going to be a Steins;Gate 0 event at Anime Expo this year, including a concert by Kanako Ito!