“Steins;Gate” Game Reboot: A Chance to Honor Its Trans Character Properly

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Steins;Gate, and exciting news is arriving as a special celebration gift. A fresh title named Steins;Gate Re:Boot is scheduled for launch in 2025. Steins;Gate is widely regarded as one of the finest visual novels ever created and has also been adapted into a highly acclaimed anime series. However, there’s one narrative element I hope gets an enhanced portrayal.

The upcoming game will be a remake of the original visual novel, introducing two significant enhancements: cutting-edge graphics crafted by the original designer, huke, and “new story content.” While the particular details of this new content remain a mystery until nearer the game’s debut, it certainly stirs excitement among fans for various compelling reasons.

“STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT”Game Announced for 2025. It will feature new Story Content with Improved Graphics. pic.twitter.com/Y9d826y97d

— Anime News And Facts (@AniNewsAndFacts) October 27, 2024

As I ponder how I’d like to see a refreshed take on Steins;Gate, one clear consideration stands out: fully recognizing Ruka Urushibara (sometimes known as Luka) as a trans girl.

Ruka’s Journey

For those unfamiliar, the central story of Steins;Gate revolves around a group of university students who inadvertently manage to modify a microwave to act as a rudimentary time machine, capable of sending messages to the past. This uniquely niche time travel concept opens up limitless potential, which Steins;Gate masterfully explores.

One of the prominent figures in this quirky group is Ruka Urushibara, the offspring of the local shrine’s head, who also serves as a shrine maiden there. Notably, while Ruka was assigned male at birth, she presents herself in a feminine manner.

Ruka’s choice to work as a shrine maiden strongly suggests her identity as a trans girl. Upon exploring online discussions, I was surprised to discover that her gender identity has even been questioned. The Steins;Gate fan wiki and MyAnimeList page refer to Ruka using he/him pronouns, which has sparked extensive debates across Reddit and other online platforms.

Regardless, Ruka’s attire, demeanor, and speech are clearly feminine. Voiced by women in both Japanese and English versions, Ruka’s character challenges the typical anime casting choice where female voice actors portray male characters (a noticeable example being One Piece’s Monkey D. Luffy).

Interestingly, Okabe notes that Ruka is “more feminine than any woman,” yet shortly after, he adds, “But he’s a dude.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXsYUa3JJwI

Steins;Gate – But he's a guy. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXsYUa3JJwI)

While this statement may seem out of context, especially considering the 2009 societal norms, Okabe shows a level of acceptance toward Ruka’s gender expression. There are even related titles, such as the dating simulator Steins;Gate: My Darling’s Embrace, where a romantic relationship between Okabe and Ruka is explored. Nevertheless, comments insisting “Ruka’s a guy” appear repeatedly throughout the game and anime.

Acceptance and Identity

This tension culminates in a significant moment later in the series. **(Spoilers for Steins;Gate ahead!)** Upon discovering the microwave time machine, Ruka enters the lab to request a message to her mother during pregnancy, advising her to eat more vegetables for a better chance of having a girl.

Whether scientifically valid or not, this clearly illustrates Ruka’s desire to embrace her identity as female. Unfortunately, in the Steins;Gate universe, she struggles to do so. Although Ruka presents as female, comments like “She’s a guy!” make her visibly uncomfortable and embarrassed.

In an alternate timeline, Ruka is indeed born female, and her joy is palpable. However, this happiness is tragically reversed, creating one of the series’ most heart-wrenching moments, and the narrative fully captures that sorrow. Yet, I yearn to witness Ruka experiencing contentment in whichever timeline she inhabits. While depicting the struggle with identity holds value and can resonate powerfully, an evolution in Ruka’s acceptance amongst friends—absent of misgendering remarks—would be a welcome change.

This element feels markedly dated—evoking sentiments from 2009. I hope that the remake reflects societal progress and results in a clear, canonical shift that would lead to an update in Ruka’s pronouns on fan wikis to she/her. It’s astonishing that this is still a point of contention.

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