On the Nature of Urushibara Luka and Transgenderism

4 Mar 2019, revised 12 Mar 2019

Rosaline Li, edited by Fasty

Twitter: @AFalsePrayer

Abstract
This report will seek to explore the sexuality, social gender, and biological sex of the character Urushibara Luka
within the Steins;Gate visual novel. This report will aim to prove that Luka is not transgender at any point in
the visual novel whatsoever. Spoilers ahead for the original Steins;Gate visual novel.

Acknowledgements
All evidence used in this report will be derived from the original English scripts for the Steins;Gate JAST USA
release. This version is the original version, with credible and sourced translators, and the difference between
this version and the Steam version is minimal at best. In terms of readability, presentation, and accuracy in
relation to the original Japanese scripts, it does a good job. Information from these scripts will be cited from
their respective files.

The anime and manga adaptations of Steins;Gate will not be used as sources. Given their nature as adaptations,
they remove information present in the original story due to time or space constraints. In order to benefit from
the full picture, we will abstain from using any information not available in the source material, which is the
visual novel in this case.

We’ll also be using the character song of Luka, which can be found on YouTube, translated by Andrew
“Reading Steiner” Hodgson, one of the original translators for the Steins;Gate JAST USA release.

Background
Let us begin with a few key, objective facts that are established in Steins;Gate.

Luka is biologically male in the first chapter of the story. Okabe refers to him as “the chief priest’s son” [1],
and Mayuri refers to him as “Luka-kun” [2]. Luka acknowledges that he is a male, and consistently

corrects other characters when they refer to him otherwise. “‘I am a guy... I even have an Adam's apple...’
Lukako lifted his chin a bit, exposing his pale neck. That gesture was really sexy, but...There was indeed a lump
on his neck,” [3].

Despite this, Luka has various feminine qualities. “[T]he voice of a girl. The mannerisms of girl. More feminine
than any girl I know,” [1]. Okabe also refers to him as “Lukako” [1], a nickname that appends the “–ko” suffix
to his name. This suffix implies that Okabe treats Luka as he would a young woman.

After a D-Mail is sent to Luka’s mother in the past, the worldline changes to one where Luka is biologically
female. On the preceding worldline, Mayuri states, “[i]f Luka-kun becomes a girl, then I've gotta call her Luka-
chan!" [4]. This difference is made clear in the new worldline, where she refers to Luka as “Luka-chan” [5]. In
the new worldline, it is also shown that when Okabe “...reach[es] for his [penis]...” there is “...[n]othing. Nada.
It should be there,” [6]. This proves that in the new worldline, Luka is biologically female. Luka never

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transitioned in the new worldline, proven by her statement that she had “...always been a girl... ever since [she]
was born," [7].

Definitions
To support this argument, let us provide the definition of the word “transgender”, as stated by Wikipedia:
“Transgender people have a gender identity or gender expression that differs from their assigned sex.”

Discussion
With the delivery of the D-Mail, the circumstances behind Luka’s birth are changed in a way that allows him to
be born as a female, rather than a male. This transition is made clear by Luka, in that “...if [he] changes back to
a guy… [he would] have to hide [his] feelings for [Okabe]...” [8]. He understands that being in love with Okabe
as a male would not serve to benefit him, seeing that Okabe “...is heterosexual,” and would be “...[un]able to
answer Lukako’s feelings if he’s a guy...” [8]. This is the main rationale behind Luka’s decision to send the D-
Mail to his mother in the past.

Some argue that this meant that Luka’s father and sister saw transgender tendencies within Luka, which
prompted them to dress him in Miko robes. This argument uses the following, “Lukako wears Miko[sic] garb
is because his father requested it,” [9]. However, when Luka describes the reasoning behind the clothing to
Okabe, he states that “...[his sister] and [his] father used to make [him] do things...”. When further prompted,
he elaborates that “...[t]hey just made [him] wear girl’s clothes > <” [10]. Despite all of this, Luka makes it clear
that he identifies as a male, and that he is uncomfortable wearing the clothing. This is denoted by his usage of
“make [him] do things”, and the “> <” emote at the end of his text, which signals his embarrassment.

Some also argue that Luka makes it clear during the beginning that he wants to become a female, that “[he]
always thought that if [he] were a girl... [he] could be a little more confident..." [4]. Luka says, "You know those
stories where a guy magically turns into a girl overnight? Sometimes I wish that would happen to me” [4].
However, a few observations prove that Luka is simply saying this as a cover-up for his desire to be loved by
Okabe in an acceptable way.

When Okabe is finally about to send the D-mail, reversing Luka’s gender, Luka says, "I really... don't want to
change back…because…If I change back into a guy... I'll have to hide my feelings for you!" [8]. This is the key
reason that Luka is unhappy about, not the matter of being a girl. Okabe also observes that even with the change
of gender, Luka is still “lacking in confidence”, and that she “still seems the same inside” [11]. Were Luka
genuinely uncomfortable with being a male with gender dysphoric behaviour, this would at least change,
proving that Luka’s lack of confidence doesn’t come from gender dysphoria, and therefore not being a legitimate
reason that Luka puts out.

Luka makes it clear that as a male, “...he'll never speak honestly about those feelings...” [12]. However, this
does not mean that he wishes to switch to the female gender because he is uncomfortable with his male gender.
It simply means that he is distressed by his inability to court the man that he likes because of his repressed
homosexual feelings. Luka even states in his character song, “[e]ven if I'm ‘me’ (male pronoun) or ‘I’ (female
pronoun), ‘[t]hat doesn't matter at all.’”, definitively stating this idea [13].

Conclusion
In conclusion, it is clear that Luka does not fit into the transgender category, as gender does not matter to him
at all—all that matters to Luka is being an acceptable love interest for Okabe. Luka starts out as a homosexual
male who does not know how to confront his feelings, becomes a heterosexual female who can respect her

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relationship with Okabe in the worldline where she was a male, and ends as a homosexual male who understands
his relationship with Okabe and comes to accept what Okabe desires romantically.

Luka is not a transgender wishing to transition from the male gender to the female gender, as there is no evidence
suggesting his non-conformity with gender—he merely cannot get over the fact that Okabe cannot love him
back as Okabe is heterosexual, while Luka is homosexual. Steins;Gate is not an anti-LGBT story, it is quite the
opposite. The message it propagates is to accept homosexuality for what it is because it is by no means a negative
quality to have.

As Okabe wisely put it, “...if he's truly desperate, then having a sex-change operation is probably the best way
to go. Judging by his current looks, Lukako could become the star of Tokyo's LGBT community. No, screw
that, he could even become a TV personality...” [4]. To call Steins;Gate anti-LGBT would be incorrect, all
evidence considered.

That is all. This article is not meant to be an attack on those who think that Luka is transgender, nor is it one on
the LGBT community, but rather simply presenting the facts that suggest otherwise. The characterisation of
Luka is not perfect, and has various details that end up being messy. Regardless of whether Luka is trans or not,
he is a positive influence for a lot of the LGBT community, and we should respect that. With that all said…

El. Psy. Kongroo.

Gratitude
Special thanks to Fasty, writer from the Science Adventure news site, Kiri Kiri Basara, for proofreading the
article on last minute notice. Go check out the site.

References
1. Steins;Gate Visual Novel, Chapter 1, Script 6
2. Steins;Gate Visual Novel, Chapter 2, Script 17
3. Steins;Gate Visual Novel, Chapter 8, Script 8
4. Steins;Gate Visual Novel, Chapter 4, Script 8
5. Steins;Gate Visual Novel, Chapter 4, Script 14
6. Steins;Gate Visual Novel, Chapter 4, Script 22
7. Steins;Gate Visual Novel, Chapter 8, Script 4
8. Steins;Gate Visual Novel, Chapter 8, Script 12
9. Steins;Gate Visual Novel, Chapter 2, Script 14
10. Steins;Gate Visual Novel, Phone Text
11. Steins;Gate Visual Novel, Chapter 8, Script 2
12. Steins;Gate Visual Novel, Chapter 9, Script 1
13. Urushibara Luka Character Song - Fragments of Faint Memories - English Subbed. YouTube.
Translated by Hodgson, Andrew.

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