Is Ruka Trans?
Putting a lid on the debate
Steins;Gate holds a special place in my heart. Behind the wacky sci-fi, crazy plot twists and solid world-building, you find a heartfelt story of a man faced with decisions which impact his friends and himself. It is a story of self-reflection, of what is really important to you, and how far are you willing to go for it. One character who always intrigued me was Urushibara Ruka, the unassuming temple girl, but who, as protagonist Okabe Rintaro describes, is "a guy". Anime isn't new to femboys, but Ruka cannot be pigeonholed into such categorization. I wish to answer the question - Who is Ruka?
(Spoilers for Steins;Gate and Steins;Gate 0 ahead, go watch the show! I have not played through the visual novels)
(Note: I'll be referring to Ruka with the 'R' and she/her pronouns)
Introducing Ruka
Ruka is introduced by Rintaro as more femimine than girls, but he is a boy. She's a shrine maiden who seems to have a crush on Rintaro. She's portaryed as a target for run-of-the-mill femboy jokes. However, in episode 8, Ruka explicitly asks Rintaro to help her become a girl by sending a message to the past. The mechanics to achieve it are wonky, but the declaration is right there - Ruka wants to be a girl. How much more direct can one even be!
Apparently there's more
The Rebuttal - She's Just in Love with Rintaro
Many fans cling to this defence of Ruka not really being trans. Aside from the comp-het-ness of such a position, there is prima facie evidence. Before being turned back into a boy, Ruka asks for a date with Rintaro. Some take her obsession with Rintaro and leap to the line of thinking - Ruka only wants to be girl to legitimise attraction towards Rintaro and to gain his favour, as otherwise Rintaro might not agree to date a guy.
However, she does take on a feminine appearance even when Rintaro isn't around, and more importantly when Rintaro is dead. In Stein;Gate 0 episode 20, we are transported to the year 2036 in a timeline where Rintaro has died 11 years ago. Ruka is still seen sporting long hair.
Considering Ruka as a whole person and the events in the future, the rebuttal loses appeal.
Why is the Internet Obsessed?
Debates about Ruka's identity often bring the "anti-establishment" crowd out of the woodwork. After about 2 coherent lines on a good day, the ramble devolves into a sentiment of "Why does the West think every character is trans?!". Why do they care so much?
I will perhaps attempt a fuller analysis later, but the primary motivator seems to be spite and lack of media literacy. They do not realise the value of subtext - that you can say things without explicitly putting it in dialogue. They feel there are enough trans characters anyway and grief any attempt to read any ambiguous character as trans.
So, is Ruka Trans?
Yes, if you go by the anime. The visual novel might have more information which might change this conclusion. However, if you take the series as its own universe, Ruka being trans does not go against anything said or implied in the anime.