Steins;Gate/Heartwarming

Anime

The relationship between Okabe and Mayuri can be summed up as this; they grew up together from a young age and share a bond that is akin to brother and sister. Okabe in particular is always wary of Mayuri's safety, while Mayuri is always looking out for Okabe's happiness and wellbeing.
Episode 3: Mayuri's excitement upon discovering that there is another girl joining Future Gadget Lab. First thing she does when Kurisu introduces herself as the newest Lab Member? The former runs up to her and gives her a great big hug.
In Episode 9, Kurisu bursts into tears after an argument she had with someone over the phone (likely her father). As she sobs into Mayuri's Upa cushion, Okabe tells her that he values her as a friend, and she can tell him anything. Now granted, he only said that to bait a reaction out of her, but even still, she is no less touched by this gesture. She brings this up later during a confession she makes to Okabe, so what he said wasn't just some throwaway line.
- Even better is that Okabe reveals during a power outage that his inability to make friends is the reason he formed the Future Gadget Lab in the first place. Kurisu also tells him that while the FG lab is nothing compared to what she's used to, she admits that she feels more at home here than anywhere else.
Episode 10, Kurisu decides to open up to Okabe about her strained relationship with her father. He, in his usual goofy fashion, offers to help mend her broken relationship with her dad by offering to take her to him to patch things up. It is another touching moment between the two characters. Until...
- ...Cue Mood Whiplash though as the next scene they're in, she's scolding him for eating one of her snacks!
Many interactions between Okabe and Kurisu in the second half of the TV series, particularly:
- In episode 14, when Kurisu makes a Mad Scientist impersonation (complete with Insane Laugh) in order to cheer Okabe up.
- In Episode 16, Daru tries to get a copy of the badge Suzuha gave Okabe in order to give her some hope of finding her dad by at least pretending to fill that role. Granted, he'd be lying to her and giving her false hope, but he had good intentions, so it is hard to fault him for that.
  - Turns out he didn't even need to do any of this when it is revealed that Daru is indeed Suzuha's long lost father.
- In episode 22, the whole scene where Okabe declares his love for Kurisu.
- In episode 23, when Okabe meets Kurisu again after thinking he had lost her forever. Doubles as Tear Jerker.
- The final episode might as well be one for each of the side cast; in particular, Faris and Ruka get to be closer to the group, Moeka now has some footing in her life, and Okabe's reunion with Kurisu
  - Okabe also giving his friends special lab member pins each with their initials engraved on them. He even gives one to Moeka, keeping his promise of forgiveness for her transgressions in other world lines.
  - He also keeps one badge in a box for Suzuha, who won't be born for another 7 years.
- The final line in episode 25, an obvious Call Back to episode 22 ("Close your eyes.")
  - Okabe also winds up meeting Yuki for the first time, and the two hit it off right away despite the circumstances. As they part ways, Okabe briefly reflects back on his relationship with Suzuha, remembering how important she was to him.

Film

Okabe invites the gang over for a rooftop barbeque. His reason? He heard "a certain wayward assistant" was back in town.
Though she was drunk at the time, it was lovely to see a softer side of Kurisu, as she starts flirting with Okabe, rubbing his cheeks, and cuddling him.
Mayuri tells Okabe about the dreams she'd been having in which she died over and over, with him there to save her. In another touching moment between the two, he tells her not to think about it, and he proceeds to hold her in his arms, which Mayuri appreciates. It really shows how close the two are.
It turns out that Kurisu did get Okabe a present after all: a fresh lab coat. Cue her ever present Tsundere act afterwards, but still.
- In fact, one drama CD (forgot the name of it) that takes place a week before the movie all but confirms this. Both are shopping for a present to exchange when Kurisu eventually arrives in Akihabara; they seek advice from Mayuri, who quickly realises they are looking for gifts for each other, once again despite their denials.

My Darling's Embrace

When you complete a character route for the first time, you are rewarded with a wallpaper of that character for Okabe's phone.
While the relationship between Mr. Braun and Moeka had been dubious in previous games, here the two are more like family, with Mr. Tennouji becoming her foster father and treating her with the same respect as his own daughter. A real example of What Could Have Been if he had connected with her as himself rather than as FB.
- Also, Moeka's personality is much better in this title; she is still quite introverted, but she at least makes more of an effort to socialise, share her ideas, and she can be playful with Okabe at times. She also gets her own When She Smiles moment at the end of her route after Okabe helps her recover from her Heroic BSOD the night before.
- We also learn that the cell phone novel she co-wrote is based on her relationship with Okabe.
Faris once again drops her mask in her route, ditching the theatrics and showing her true self. She removes her cat ears and begins to reminisce about the time she spent with her dad, and she and Okabe share a fondness for retro PCs.
- When Okabe realises how much Faris had been struggling with work (and dealing with Shido's crooked business ventures), he offers to lend her his support. When the rest of the lab hears this, they jump onboard without hesitation.
- The CGs of Okabe rubbing Faris' head, especially the last one which she looks so content.
Faris giving Okabe a kiss after he says her real name (along with the accompanying CG) is a sweet moment, though it doubles as funny just because of Okabe's reaction and of course, Faris reverting to form immediately afterwards.
Suzuha giving Daru a hug is adorable, even if it is the main source of conflict in her route.
Suzuha leaving a kiss on Okabe's cheek as a charm, so he doesn't forget her.
Daru's fateful encounter with Yuki is brimming with Adorkable, Meet Cute, and Love at First Sight.
Pretty much everything about Mayuri's route qualifies, but since we have to be specific, such highlights include:
- The Lab Mems simply going about their daily lives, even having a day out at a local amusement park.
- Mayuri saving Okabe's life after he nearly drowns.
- The entire photoshoot sequence, and the back and forth between Okabe and Mayuri.
- Okabe asking Moeka to help him obtain the Christmas Star from the photoshoot to give to Mayuri as a present.
- The scene at the cemetery, where Okabe professes his love to Mayuri, the voice performances that make the scene that much more powerful, Mayuri receiving Okabe's gift, and the CG of the two sharing a passionate kiss under the sunset.
- Okabe and Mayuri's reunion at the festival at Yanabyashi Shrine.
- Just the general theme of this route: Two childhood friends who come to realise their deeper feelings for each other.
Overlapping with Awesome Music, but some of the music in the game is simply beautiful, with special mentions going to the piano renditions of "To a New World Line" and "Serenade" which play during the game's more tender moments. Then there's the two credits songs: "Euphoria - Requiem of Atonement" (Kurisu, Moeka, & Faris routes), and "Eternal Vector" (Suzuha, Ruka, & Mayuri routes).

Linear Bounded Phenogram

Kurisu is genuinely concerned about Okabe's mental and emotional wellbeing after the lab is raided, and when Mayuri is confirmed dead in a news report. She is so worried about him in fact, that she willingly sacrifices the chance to rebuild her relationship with her father just for his sake.
- In that same story, we also discover that Kurisu and Faris had actually known each other since childhood, thanks to the friendship between their fathers.
The sisterly relationship that Faris and Suzuha form in "Superhero Chat Noir". They share similarities with each other such as absent fathers and spend most of their time running around Akihabara as costumed superheroes.
- As Faris crawls through a collapsed underground station to search for Suzuha, she overhears Tennouji's conversation with Okabe about her, particularly discussing how rough her childhood had been and complimenting her resilience in dealing with predatory adults. Her narration shows how much she had misunderstood how he viewed her.
- Faris reunites with Suzuha, who is now 53 (having time travelled to 1975), closing out her story. It is a happy ending for Suzuha too, as that in that worldline, she lives beyond the year 2000.
As he awaits impending doom, Daru spends what would've been his last moments having a normal conversation with Yuki.
Yuugo's arc, "Built with Love", ends with his now 24-year-old daughter Nae having her photo taken with the person she was missing in her life: Suzuha, who is only a small child (since she never time travelled to 2010 in this worldline).
As her alternate selves vanish, Suzuha realises (along with her Beta self) that her Omega self is the best version herself that exists, seeing as how that version was the only one that got to live a peaceful life.
Despite being at war with herself, Moeka still forms a budding friendship with both Mayuri and Kurisu over the course of her story, even going so far as saving the latter from a hit that was placed on her.
- She also asks Okabe to send FB a D-mail in the hope of saving her as she dies. She effectively rejects her recruitment as a Rounder to be with her friends, having realised how important they are to her.
Having lost her dad two years prior, Nae is taken in by Faris and her parents, and they treat her like one of their own, with Faris acting as a big sister to her.
Ruka choosing to throw away his ending from the original visual novel just to ensure that Mayuri will live.

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