In November 2011, studio TMA released Layers;Gate, a parody of the Steins;Gate visual novel and media franchise. "Layers", by the way, is short for "cosplayers", given the performers cosplay as characters from the original.
Directed by Takahashi Kou, the video begins with a recreation of the anime series's first opening. It's not exactly the same, but it's pretty close. Given the fast-paced nature of the animation, I'm impressed by the attention to detail. Of course, the original song, "Hacking to Gate" by Itō Kanako, is not featured (the distinctive sound of royalty-free music from Rengoku Teien is used in its place), but here's my attempt at combining the two:
We then get an 11 minute drama section starring Narusawa "Gorō" Kenichi as Okabe Rintarō the Dr Pepper-drinking maddo saientisuto, Tsubomi as the ever-wholesome Mayushī, Aoi Maria as Makise Kurisu (who always seems to have a rather intense expression), and some guy as Daru. Mr Braun also makes an appearance.
It's honestly quite entertaining, and they capture the characters' personalities rather well. It would have been nice to have had a longer drama sequence featuring the rest of the cast, but I appreciate the effort that was made.
We're then on to the meat of the video – the sex scenes. Each is preceded by a posing segment, which are consistently enthralling and in-keeping with the characters' personalities.
Suzuha, played by Misaki Ren, is my personal favourite. I really dig her outfit, especially the shorts which they cut a hole in using scissors. Also featured are Kamijō Megu as Moeka, Arimura Chika as Faris NyanNyan. Nanasaki Fūka plays Luka and, no, I won't reveal what's up that skirt. 😉
Layers;Gate was one of the last great cosplay parodies TMA produced and I highly recommend it to fans of the original. Unfortunately, the video seemed to have ruffled some feathers with the rights holders of the source material, so it was pulled from shelves a few months after release. Still, if you can track down a copy, it's well worth it.
★★★★☆ 4/5