Steins;Gate 0 シュタインズ・ゲートゼロ

2018 spring | Episodes: 23 | Score: 8.5 (445464)

Updated every Thursdays at 01:35 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:Frontier Works | Movic | Kadokawa

Streaming: Crunchyroll | Netflix

Synopsis

The eccentric, self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintarou Okabe has become a shell of his former self. Depressed and traumatized after failing to rescue his friend Makise Kurisu, he has decided to forsake his mad scientist alter ego and live as an ordinary college student. Surrounded by friends who know little of his time travel experiences, Okabe spends his days trying to forget the horrors of his adventures alone. While working as a receptionist at a college technology forum, Okabe meets the short, spunky Maho Hiyajo, who later turns out to be the interpreter at the forum's presentation, conducted by Professor Alexis Leskinen. In front of a stunned crowd, Alexis and Maho unveil Amadeus—a revolutionary AI capable of storing a person's memories and creating a perfect simulation of that person complete with their personality and quirks. Meeting with Maho and Alexis after the presentation, Okabe learns that the two were Kurisu's colleagues in university, and that they have simulated her in Amadeus. Hired by Alexis to research the simulation's behavior, Okabe is given the chance to interact with the shadow of a long-lost dear friend. Dangerously tangled in the past, Okabe must face the harsh reality and carefully maneuver around the disastrous consequences that come with disturbing the natural flow of time. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Tamura, Yukari

Seki, Tomokazu

Yahagi, Sayuri

Imai, Asami

Miyano, Mamoru

Hanazawa, Kana

News

Reviews

Can_Draw_MH
10/20/2018, 05:55 AM
this is "nice" but white focks 9/10 . story 10/10 : by the way. why people like "insert some isekai fans in here" judging midquel? like dragon ball super and metal gear solid the phantom pain 5. because it's just a mid. and steins gate sequel maybe hit you with some depressions and normies okabe. don't worry . art 6/10 : anime adaptation is sucks. but story makes me 12/10 steins gate franchise doesn't need "your trashy isekai fanservices" with "well animations" but up to 16 episodes. animation is wow. this is what i wanted to see. sound (IT'S OVER 9000!): FUAHAHAHAHAHAHA. *messenger play* i listen to this music everyday . character 8/10 : normies Okabe sucks, Maho is so sad. thanks to Okabe, mayuri makes another loops, suzuha is. waw. beta chars, Daru is the mc now (joking but this is plot will go by), leskinen is OHH MAN. MEMELORD, Traps is baddass most importanly. HOUOUIN KYOUMA (episode 23)!!!! 99999/10 . enjoyment 9/10 : not as great as original because of normies Okabe. but so great in 2018. and white focks is now adapted the great franchise called "Goblin Slayer" and it's so great
ShiionKoro
10/18/2018, 07:50 AM
****There might be spoilers**** *This review is about Steins;Gate 0, not about the original anime Steins;Gate* Story Rarely, I came across an anime like this. For me, it was the perfect anime. Never have I gotten shivers so often like I did while watching this. Even though it's just an adaptation of a game - thus this anime gives us one of the most beautiful and at the same time shocking stories I've ever seen in my life. It shows us, that time and space is a thing that no human should ever touch or change, because if done, it'll have horrific consequences. It is also showing us the beautiful,funny and amazing relationship between the protagonist and his friends and his suffering of his lost friend Makise Kurisu, who sacrificed herself for the sake of a 'perfect' world line. But Okabe begins to notice, that there's much more wrong with this world line than promised. So, he and also some of his friends begin to search for the Steins;Gate, the perfect world line. The plot in this anime is amazingly picturfied and ist so intense, every single second until the end of the last episode. Art & Character It is without any doubt my favourite artstyle of all anime out there. You just have to fall in love with the characters, whether it's Mayuri's 'Tu-tu-ru' or the small legal loli Maho Hiyajou. Every character has a unique charm to him- or herself which makes everyone much more interesting. The city and the rest of the background art look as amazing as ever, really sucking one in until the end and matching the dark theme of this series. Sound The music sounded - just like in the original Steins;Gate - different from any other anime music. That solely made the whole series, especially the Intro and outro, a whole lot more enjoyable than it even was before. Well, that is all there really is for me to say right now. This definetly derserves to be rated 10/10.
Flexstyle
10/02/2018, 05:38 AM
Have you ever wanted to see a main protagonist who’s constantly tried to save the world, experienced years upon grief and despair only for him to realise how meaningless it is, reside to his fate and eventually give up? Well your in luck because that’s what Steins; Gate 0 is about! By saying that, How does one write another compelling, complex story about time travel to a beloved & acclaimed franchise without making it feel like another rehash of the Fate series? You strip away everything the fans loved about the original: Okabe’s self proclaimed, eccentric mad scientist persona ‘Houoin Kyouma’- Gone Makise Kurisu- Gone Tons oflighthearted, fun moments and character interactions between the lab members- Gone (don’t worry there’s still a lot, I’d just argue not as many) Then watch how the characters deal with this situation and slowly try regain all the past experiences & characters you loved as the story progresses. The quality in storytelling, characters, comedy, drama, time travel and overall writing is still the same, but it’s a lot more mature, tragic and melancholy than the original. Story (10/10): Steins;Gate 0 takes place after the events of Episode 23 of Steins;Gate, where instead of Okabe succeeding in rescuing Makise Kurisu, he fails to do so and thus doesn't reach "Steins Gate". It’s the spiritual “alternative future sequel” route that connects the story in a intricate way.   What makes Steins;Gate 0 great is the time travelling, mystey, the character interactions/relationships, plot twists, the amazing character moments and the emotions it evokes, and the character’s personal growth over the course of the story. Characters (10/10): The characters are still the same and we get a lot of character development for our lab members, especially Okabe & Mayushi. Unfortunately, Moeka and Farris do seem to have taken a back seat in this route, but honestly it’s not a problem because I love Okabe’s development even moreso. By stripping away everything that Okabe cares about and turning him into a shell of his former self, humanised him. We’re no longer seeing the mad scientist Houoin Kyouma, but the man, Okabe. Due to the traumatic experiences of time travel, years of grief and despair, Okabe has accepted his consequences and abides by his decision to never time travel again because it’s impossible to change Makise/Mayushi’s fate. This shift in Okabe’s personality is the inevitable outcome of his predicament, forcing him to forsaken his Houoin Kyouma persona and become a respectable, mature member of society. While Okabe comes across as a ‘normal’ person that’s moved on from Kurisu’s death, we’re slowly shown his layers and find out that he’s become a shell of his former self, unable to fully move on. In a sense, you’re supposed to empathise with Okabe’s inner struggle, his desperation in wanting to save a loved one that he still carries memories for, but knowing it could end another’s life.   As the story progresses and Okabe is pulled back into the world of time travel and secret organizations, he gradually regains his childish, chuunibyou fire that he thought went out years ago. Through the influence of Okabe’s friends, he develops a new drive to stop World War III from happening, save those he cares about and find Steins Gate- a world line where both Kurisu and Mayushi live, and we are celebrated in a big blazing glory with Okabe’s rebirth! Mayushi’s development and growth is done exceptionally well. No more spoiling, but I’m really impressed in how she comes into her own as a important lab member. We get some new more additions to the cast, such as: Kagari, Amadeus, the Professor and Maho who are fleshed out well and receive a lot of character development. Amadeus is a A.I. programme based off Kurisu’s memories. It serves as a device to help our lab members, moves the plot forward and gives the viewer the Kurisu fan service we desperately need, without fully replacing her character. Maho Hiyajo’s role serves as a “replacement,” as the new genius girl / potential love interest loli (who’s slight tsundere), who once supervised Kurisu. I absolutely love Maho. Her interactions with Okabe, the Professor and the lab members are fun, but what really appeals to me about her character is how well crafted she is and the nuanced, complex relationship she had with Kurisu. The problem with Maho is: she’s not as captivating, beautiful or smart as Kurisu. Maho has messy hair and has no real sense of fashion. Okabe is concerned about her, but his world doesn’t revolve around Maho in the same way it did with Kurisu. She can’t fill the place of Kurisu because she’s not good enough and Maho understands this herself, as it’s emphasized throughout the series. Maho’s inferiority complex (and somewhat jealousy) stems from feelings of “mediocrity” compared to her intelligent, talented kohai scientist Kurisu, which is magnificently compared to the historic composers- Antonio Salieri and Mozart. The analogies are done purposefully, for example Maho’s introduced visiting Japan with the Professor to work on Mozart. Amadeus is ironically the middle name of Mozart and the name of an Oscar-winning film that focused on their rivalry. Kagari plays a significant role in this route due to the mystery surrounding her identity, the brainwashing and her relationship with Mayushi. Her design is similar to Kurisu, which adds to the mastery xD Overall (10/10): I love Steins; Gate 0 almost as much as the original. It’s another masterpiece in time travel, excellent comedy and drama, that is woven into a cohesive intricate story. It pulls so well on your emotions that you can’t help but feeling swept away at times, like during Okabe’s rebirth. It baffles me how there’s so many reviews with low ratings. I feel those people don’t understand the purpose of this story is basically Okabe “regaining everything he once lost” so when they watched S;G 0 they expected it to be just like Steins Gate.
XxTakrakxX
09/28/2018, 07:36 PM
This anime has gotten me depressed. The original had me the same way, and this one takes the cake. I have no words to comprehend this, but it is a must WATCH!!! It has all the ingredients of Steins;Gate but yet it is more of an emotional train. Hop on and let it speak for itself. No doubt in my mind that this follow up of the original made me laugh, smile, emotional, almost got me crying (I never cry), and most importantly HAPPY. The story captured me, the art is like the original, do not get me going with the SOUNDTRACK it's a must.The character development from our sad scientist and his comrades our amazing, influential, and heartbreaking to see them go :(. I ENJOYED THIS ANIME SO MUCH AND ITS SO SAD TO WATCH ANOTHER GREAT ANIME leave. This anime is unique, creative, and very very psychological. PLEASE WATCH THIS!!!!
Kaidu-
09/27/2018, 07:11 PM
The development team behind the original Steins;Gate aimed for a rate of 99% science and 1% fantasy. I’m not sure what the anime staff for Steins;Gate 0 were going for, but if I were to guess, it would be 84% rule of cool, 15% fantasy and 2% science. If you paid attention, you probably noticed that those numbers do not add up. That’s on purpose, because Steins;Gate 0 doesn’t really care about making sense or not, and whether you notice those things and let them bug you is entirely up to you. The amateurish team behind the series had to adapt a non-linear Visual Novelthat had many routes, each with its own plot points and own character development. As a result, the history was divided into arcs, while still having the main story going on, but not focusing entirely in any of them. If it sounds a bit messy, it’s because it is. The show has many plot points that may or may not begin a story arc, and the viewer is never too sure to what he should be focusing on. For once, you might think Amadeus and AI is the main theme of the series, only for it to be forgotten for a while to focus on conspiracies and information warfare, which is then put aside so they can tell a story about amnesia. Then everything comes together near the end in a very messy way. Along with the awkward pacing and dubious writing, it becomes just too confusing for the viewer to keep track of everything that is going on. My biggest issue with it are the many dropped plot points, but there's so much going on that most people will just forget about them. It doesn’t help that the soundtrack for this series is basically just the game tracks that play whenever the sound director felt like. By itself, the soundtrack is amazing, but its usage here is boring and uncreative. As a matter of comparison, the original series hardly had a game song come up, and most of the episode’s duration were dead silent, with only background noise going on. This created an amazing atmosphere for the series. It is the complete opposite here though. In almost every scene there is a track playing in the background. It’s not trying to create an atmosphere or anything like that. As for the directing, it is mediocre and very amateurish, as expected of the staff for this show. By itself, that wouldn’t be too much of a problem, but when it tries to do something “different” it comes out jerky and very distracting, along with the poor animation that really becomes an issue on action scenes. It’s hard to enjoy and take them serious when everything moves like a malfunctioning robot. They even try to do some clever tricks to hide the bad animation, like zooming in a shot to simulate movement, or do shaky camera, but the result is straight up laughable. With all that said, the show does have some good moments. The first half is watchable, actually improving some stuff from the source material, and episode 8 was amazing for me. The character interactions are great and heart-warming, but can get a little too fan service-ish. As the story progresses, more is introduced and it becomes hard to follow. Maybe even the staff was having a hard time following it, since the show straight up forget some plot points or never really go anywhere with them. It gets exceptionally hard to watch towards the end, as it has some of the wackiest and inconsistent directing I’ve seen in a anime, with visuals that make no sense and are only trying to be cool. It also have some plot holes, which is ambiguous given the nature of the series, but I still believe that there are some plot holes here and there even considering that. As for how the plot progresses, its conveniences goes as far as changing a character personality or making them act in a way that they never would just so that the story can flow, almost as if the staff couldn’t think of a better way to do it. Sometimes I felt like there were no “rules” and anything could happen. It also tries to do drama, and I think it did a good job the first time, with a good build up and an excellent setting, but maybe it got too confident because of it, and the other times are not as good. However, it gets to a point where it desperately attempts to make you cry. It’s so blatantly obvious and pathetic that you can’t get sad. In fact, you might even laugh. The poor animation and awkward directing just make it worst. For most people, this show will be disappointing. That’s expected, as the original set the bar so high. Steins;Gate 0 tries to reach that bar, but the lack of a competent staff like the original and all its flaws makes it impossible to do so. This end up being just a 23-episode long fan service series. At the end, if you’re able to ignore, excuse, or simply don’t notice those things, you might enjoy Steins;Gate 0. (And with that said (and If you read until here), excuse my grammar errors and poor writing. This is my first (and possibly last) review.
Jossep
09/27/2018, 12:17 PM
hahaha do not hate me if you read incoherently the words in English is the magic of CTR + C and CTR + V in the translator my mother tongue is Spanish (the truth is sorry) English: I just finished Steins; Gate 0 23/23 "Far from saying that the masterpiece or that the heaviest or most unnecessary series and here one more addition, in the VN everything is better (Haha)" I want to say: I enjoyed Steins; Gate 0 I worried about Okabe Rintaro, I shed tears with Mayuri, I felt very bad for Kurisu / Amadeuz, I enjoyed Daru (crazy fists, unconditional dad), I felt the impotenceof not being able to do anything with Suzuha, Maho and his legal loli service , and the other members of the laboratory. Not brothers that nice series, I enjoyed it a lot and I'm sad that they make their reviews starting with: ah the art, ah the Ost, that the character and the other, oh I did not enjoy it, in general a mediocre series. (That makes me very sad all criticize that culinary critic) I'm going to make the straight and say "hey I shed some tears in that episode, or that I really liked that more or less you see that scene" final of everything, I did not write the score or anything like that I'll just say "I FOLLOWED AND ENJOYED EVERY EPISODE AND I DID NOT REJECT ANYTHING". :) Steins; Gate and Steins; Gate 0 have a special space in my favorite series / animes without adding "I am Team Mayuri jejejeje" Español : Acabo de terminar Steins;Gate 0 23/23 "Lejos de decir que obra maestra o que serie mas pesada o innecesaria y aquí un añadido mas, en la VN todo es mejor(LOL)" Yo quiero decir: disfruté con Steins;Gate 0 me preocupé por Okabe Rintaro, derramé lagrimas con Mayuri, me sentí muy mal por Kurisu/Amadeuz, disfruté con Daru (puños locos, papá incondicional), Sentí la impotencia de no poder hacer nada con Suzuha, Maho y su servicio loli legal, y los demás miembros del laboratorio. No herman@s que bonita serie, la disfruté mucho y me pone triste que hagan sus reseñas iniciando con: ah el arte, ah el Ost, que el personaje tal y lo otro, ah yo no lo disfruté, ah en general un serie mediocre. (eso me pone muy triste todos critican tal cual critico culinario) a eso voy ¿que te cuesta sincerarte y decir "oye yo derramé algunas lagrimas en ese episodio, o que me gusto mucho ese ost, o que bonito se veía esa escena" al final de todo yo no escribiré el puntaje ni nada por el estilo solo diré "YO SEGUÍ Y DISFRUTE CADA EPISODIO Y NO ME ARREPIENTO DE NADA". :) Steins;Gate y Steins;Gate 0 tienen un espacio especial en mis series/animes favoritos un añadido "yo soy Team Mayuri hehehehe"
yMorgoth
09/26/2018, 03:20 PM
''The way I see it, this world exists because of a choice Kurisu made. I must protect that choice. That is this world’s law. In reliving time, I learned one thing… That certain events converge as if orchestrated by God. Trying to change them… it’s challenging God. And God does not tolerate human arrogance. '' Okabe Rintaro ''This vague, ominous feeling… It’s like living in a nightmare where I know all the bad things to come. Where the world enjoys to rub in the guilt of my unspeakeable sin. This inescapable despair... Slowly becomes a downward spiral... '' Okabe Rintaro Steins;Gate 0 is the bleak reality ofthe Beta World Line. Basically, it's Okabe's story of the tragic future of the beta line, portraying his depression and how he managed to plan Operation Skuld. Steins;Gate 0 arises from the premisse "what if?". What if Okabe had made another decision, giving up everything? Story - 10 It is highly recommended watch Steins;Gate 0 because it explains exactly the events that leads to the end of the original series, why this tragic future needs desperately to change. The dialogues are dense and shocking (episode 16 is the perfect proof of this), since Okabe tries to live a normal life but, even so he sinks in an absolute sadness. See only if you have that in mind, because it is not easy to recover from a trauma, and his motives to become depressed are entirely plausible. Hououin Kyouma will return, we all know, but surely he must experience total despair before the glorious return and the glorious ending. Art - 9 The art is very similar to the original, however, here has many more dark tones to leave a more tense atmosphere. I also like the fact that the camera focuses a lot on the traumatized expression of the Okabe, emphasizing all his suffering. The only problem of the art is the animation of the action scenes that occur in episode 17 and 18, but since it’s not an anime focused totally in action, I can overlook this a little bit. But I hope they will improve this at the final edition. Sound - 10 The soundtrack is simply beautiful. Character - 10 The characters continue to have a good development, especially Okabe, Daru, Mayuri and Maho. They all have a backstory, philosophical and subjective debates, goals and dramas. I would say that initially Steins;Gate 0 as well as Steins;Gate has a focus on character development, only that in S;G 0 they are developed in a dense environment, which further increases the thrilling atmosphere. It is noteworthy that, PRACTICALLY in the whole anime Okabe is depressed and hopeless, which is not a bad thing, it is totally plausible for the reasons I mentioned above. Enjoyment - 10 If you loved Steins; Gate, you'll love this one. All the dark atmosphere and the deep feelings that are addressed in every episode. If you felt comfortable after the ending of Steins;Gate, be prepared to be punched in the gut with every episode. This is not your feel-good anime. This anime will torment you with feels in a way you wouldn't expect. S;G 0 is so much underrated. I believe that a large portion did not understand some points of the plot, premise and the interweaving of routes of the VN. The point is that Steins;Gate 0 should not be observed separately, since the main premise is to complement the True Ending, giving a totally new great meaning to it. Basically it's the story of the Operation Skuld but not about the Operation Skuld. This way, it can be said that the main issue addressed in Steins;Gate 0 is sacrifice. I can't say much more about the True Ending due to spoilers, but It's implied that 0kabe lives through multiple PR and V&A like scenarios. What I can say is that Steins;Gate 0 is very, very complex... maybe even more complex than the original series, because it has several layers and infinite loops of failures and sacrifices, plus the end is extremely sad. It is a sensational experience. Overall, It's a great sequel. Steins;Gate 0 has a genial psychological plot with a very dark atmosphere and incredible soundtrack. Just like Steins;Gate, this series deserves to be watched by all humans of this and other World Lines. El Psy Kongroo.
Remlap1223
09/26/2018, 02:28 PM
"That day, if my Hikoboshi came back to life, it might have changed everything." Re-review of Steins;Gate 0 after watching the entire series in chronological order (Steins;Gate episodes 1-22, 23b, 0 episodes 1-23, Steins;Gate episodes 23-25). This review is coming from a die-hard fan of the original series that has watched the original anime and 100% completed 0's Visual Novel as well. I originally gave the series an 8/10, but after rewatching it I'm bumping it up to a 9/10 due to the fact that I was able to better absorb the story and the series has one of the strongest finishes in all of anime. Story: Ican draw some interesting parallels between the anime adaptation of Steins;Gate 0 and the original Fullmetal Alchemist adaptation. Two stories that adapt from an original source material, but have a vastly different second half from the original for different reasons. In Steins;Gate 0's case, it is because the Visual Novel of 0 is non-linear. In order for you to get the true end, you have to progress the story through two conflicting routes in a certain order. The story vastly changes depending on which route you take. White Fox had to somehow tell a linear cohesive story through that source material, and in some ways, it works really well, and in others, it falls on its face. First, the good. The story is much deeper than the original. You really get to see the both the best and worst of humanity through this story, and adds so much character development to the main cast. The anime adaptation managed to adapt all of the endings of 0 into the main story (with the exception of the bad end) and it adds a lot of weight to the story in some aspects. However, it's not all good. Steins;Gate was a very slow burn of a story that didn't really pick up until episode 9, and the plot didn't really fire on all cylinders until episode 12. But once it got there, oh man, I was hooked. Steins;Gate 0 has some much worse pacing problems. The first eight episodes are great, the story kicks into high gear on episode 6, but then peaks around 8, and then crashes and burns by the time episode 10 rolls around. The plot spins its wheels for five episodes, and then things start picking back up again. Once the story hits the gecko ending (Mayuri's route in the VN was vastly different) the story doubles down and the stakes are raised even further. I can say this is probably the only time ever where knowing the source material will actually curve you even harder than going in blind. The last third of Steins;Gate 0 is far better than the VN, and is the primary reason why I adjusted my review. The anime adaptation also added a significant amount of original content that was not present in the VN. Episode 8 turned a half hour part of the VN into a full episode, and the feels knob is turned up to 11 as a result, Daru and Yuki's relationship is expanded in a very wholesome OC episode (which pulls double duty for expanding Daru and Yuki's characters, as well as writing out a very very dumb plot twist from the VN), and once Mayuri's route starts going you get a sizeable chunk of the Drama CD Arc-Light of the Point at Infinity, which was equally as impactful as Faris' route in the original in terms of expanding the character of someone who was barely a blip on the radar and turned them into one of the best of the show. Thank you White Fox for reinforcing why I love Mayushii so much. The Teal Deer for the story is that the VN is paced much better, but the overall changes that the anime makes to the story is much more impactful, suspenseful, and has a much more satisfying conclusion. Art: Oh boy, this is a hell of a can of worms. Steins;Gate had some of the best animation and art in all of anime. It defies the moeblob art style that the rest of the industry has taken to heart and favors a more realistic approach, focusing more on the character's bodies than their eyes. I'd say that the art style is the midway point between Log Horizon and Death Note. Regardless of whether or not you like the art style, you can't argue that it is part of the reason why Steins;Gate stands out in the sea of anime adaptations. Steins;Gate 0 doubles down on what was good and bad about the original. There are scenes in 0 that look more visually stunning than in Your Name. But oh my the action scenes look just ghastly. Not to mention the various anatomical and linguistic errors (Sarieri, Roading, etc.) Now, these I'll give a pass because those will be ironed out in the Blu-Ray release, but I have no idea how they're going to fix the tire fire that is the action scenes in episodes 18 and 19. The answer is probably that they won't, and trust me, it's hard to look at. Teal Deer, 0 retains the distinct art style of the original and works great in stills and certain scenes, but it's execution in high action scenes are laughably bad. Sound: Steins;Gate always had an amazing soundtrack, but 0's eclipses it by a long shot, and that's really saying something. The new tracks and the remixes of the old ones add so much more weight to the scenes. There were times where I was barely holding on in an emotional scene, Amadeus started playing, and then the dam broke and out came the waterworks. The anime exclusive tracks are equally as impressive. I can't speak on those too much as the OST is just coming out, whereas I've blasted all of the VN's tracks on repeat multiple times, but the soft ambience of them in the background of certain scenes adds so much to the it. Re-Awake is one of the best tracks in all of anime. Teal Deer, it's fitting that Mozart and Salieri are brought up in Steins;Gate 0, because the orchestra is a masterpiece. Character: In terms of overall character growth, it can be summarized thusly; is the character a main character? Yes? They are absolutely phenomenal. Supporting? They're going to range from forgettable to cringeworthy. Everyone brings up Kagari, but I actually like the way that Kagari was handled in the anime (it's a hell of an improvement of the dumpster fire that she was in the VN, with the exception of Promised Rinascimento and Recursive Mother Goose.) But Ruka and Faris take so much of a backseat that it hurts. Ruka is salvaged in the end, but Faris was my favorite character in the original after a certain point, and to see her go from such a compelling character to yuri bait just made me want to send a D-Mail to prevent the writer of 0's story from being born. Fubuki and Kaede weren't huge part in the VN, but they did SOMETHING. They're completely forgettable in the anime, and they pretty much are forgotten about too. But as for the main cast, all of them got significant character growth. Seeing the rise, fall, and rise again of Okabe Rintaro was amazing, and the interactions with him and Suzuha and seeing them both taken to their lowest points was so heavy and their interactions were fantastic. I'm torn between Daru and Mayuri as the MVPs of the series because the story of their paternal and maternal relationships with their children was great character growth and all around heartwarming. And then we've got the two newcomers from America, Hiyajo "Legal Loli FTW" Maho, and Alexis "Where are the Shaman Girls, Lintahlo?" Leskinen. There is an all around interesting dynamic between them, and great comedy and insane plot twists regarding the two characters. Teal Deer, while the supporting cast does not live up to the precedent set by the original, the main characters got just as much, if not more growth in 0. Overall Enjoyment, aka the only score that matters: I am really torn on Steins;Gate 0. It never was going to live up to the standard that the original made, simply because Steins;Gate is not only one of the best anime and visual novels, but sci-fi story and fiction in general. So I simultaneously feel that I am nitpicking 0 and giving it way too many free passes at the same time. The skinny is that 0 is amazing. Very few anime of recent years had me anxiously looking at my clock to wait for the next episode. Even at the low points of the story, 0 always had my engagement. I haven't cried this much from an anime this year since I finished A Place Further Than the Universe. Steins;Gate 0 is a paradox. It is a (inter)sequel to a story that had a definitive and conclusive ending, but it somehow adds to the story in a way that doesn't retread old ground or completely screw up continuity and adds so much to it. One of the worst things about the original's story was the ending, but 0 turned what was a Deus Ex Machina asspull to keep the OTP alive, and turned it into a long and arduous journey of suffering that made the happy ending of the original truly earned. Teal Deer, if you even remotely enjoyed the original Steins;Gate, rewatch the series chronologically, that is OG 1-22, 23b, 0 1-23, OG 23-25. You will not regret it. EL. PSY. KONGROO.
Swift2002
09/26/2018, 01:58 PM
The original steins;gate is my favourite show of all time so to for me a follow up to that series would have an incredibly difficult task ahead of it. Personally i believe that steins;gate 0 did an incredible job of, in my opinion, matching up with the original. All the characters of this show are so lovingly developed and well written that i think there is not a single character I dislike or think is even remotely poorly written. From the main characters to the considerably smaller ones, (such as Ruka and Feyris) every one feels real and has real depth to them to thepoint that minor characters in SG are far better than most main characters in a lot of other popular anime and manga. Where in many other shows, episodes which focus on just chara can seem dull to me, in Steins;gate I always welcome the chance to watch these characters I love interact with one another and develop further, something which 0 does regularly, and brilliantly. The writing in terms of story is also, in my opinion, absolutely fantastic. Despite sometimes being able to predict what will happened next, the writing still frequently manages to suprise me and make me want to see more. In a world where time travel stories are not by any means rare and very often cliché and poorly put together, steins;gate is a brilliant example of the type of story you can tell with time travel which is emotional and exciting. Never have I watched anything that had caused me to have to wipe tears from my eyes one minute and later in the episode make me grin with joy. I truly love both steins;gate and steins;gate 0 and that is not something I say lightly. It is my favourite anime and probably science fiction story I have seen and if you haven't watched it please, please do you will not regret it. Its absence will be very noticeable and I will miss it a great deal. El Psy Congroo
Dream95
09/26/2018, 01:54 PM
Disclaimer: I will not be comparing this to the VN whatsoever, just the fact that it is a bit different in how it's layed out. It's to be expected though; trying to cram the enormous VN into a 23 episode anime was going to be impossible. Also I expect you to fully know what happened in the original Steins;Gate ****This is a Spoiler Free Review***** It's finally back. The awe inspiring, sometimes dramatic, sometimes light-hearted, sometimes tear inducing rollercoaster of a series is back to take you on an another journey. With a continuation of a plot from season 1's "sad ending", the depressing conflicts of OkabeRintarou's emotions will once again have you engaged like no other. Can he change the outcome by reaching Steins;Gate? Will he return to the "mad scientist" we all know and love? Like the previous adaptation, the sequel starts off rather slowly, however, we already see the differences, primarily in our main character. Whereas he was an exciting, funny, and overly dramatic character in season 1, he is now former shell of himself. Depressed and conflicted over how he couldn't change the inevitable, we see that the "Okarin" we knew has changed. The change is well done in every aspect, from mannersims to voice acting to even the attire (white lab coat to black attire). To me, this was the focal point of the new adaptation: the inner conflicts of Okarin- whether to attempt to change the outcome once again or live life with the constant guilt of not being able to save Kurisu. The story telling is generally well done. For the lovers of the original series- Fear not, for they have all the elements you loved about S;G in the sequel as well. This adaptation will still give you a false sense of hope only to yank it away from you with a twist, so no worries. Also, one of the best things about Steins;Gate series is that they know how to incorporate both humour and light hearted moments with the dark and serious. Now, whether you like these mini "fanservice" moments or not are up to you. However, they don't really ruin the story. As it is known for, the plot twists and the intense drama are all great, although maybe not as good as the original. The action scenes are sometimes pretty nonsensical, but thankfully Steins;Gate is not primarily about action. Like the original however, it gets dark and depressing real quick, with many episodes dedicated to drawing those feels out. As I've said, once it begins, it just keeps going and going. Without spoiling, there are couple of plot holes and rushing here and there. It could just be an effect of trying to cram in too much in just a 2 cour, but they could've handled some plot points better for sure, because it can get confusing. One thing I did think the White Fox handled well was adding much needed extra material to where the VN didn't. It is a small, but refreshing change. The old characters are all lovable like before. Depressed Okarin is amazing and just made us want that comeback even more. Mayuri showed a lot more character and development here than in the original. Her emotions towards the changed Okarin is just simply heart wrenching. What surprised me however was Daru, and how he was a lot more serious and mature-like at some points(particularly from ep.16 and beyond). Suzuha is also as dynamic and serious as before. The new characters are good, but not great, maybe a little generic. Maho, the "legal loli" as Daru would like to say, is very fun to watch in her interactions with Okarin and others. She is playful, emotional, but still strong willed. She was clearly the best of the new bunch. Amadeus is an AI version of Kurisu's memories before she came to Japan. It retains Kurisu's personalities, from her tsundereness to her playfulness. Dr. Leskinen, one of the developers of Amadeus, is a nice addition from America, with the absolute best pronunciation of "Rintaloh". Kagari (no spoilers), can be a little annoying at times, but is still an essential part to the story. Yuki also brought out more variety of emotions from Daru and Suzuha. Honestly, I can't say too much of some of them without some heavy spoilers. Overall, the new characters aren't outstanding, but most of them do enhance the story and other characters in some way. Some, however, have very little presence unfortunately. Regarding the characters, the voice acting is absolutely fantastic. In fact, I thought it was even better than the ones in the game. It was very dynamic, with intense emotions where necessary. Ep.16 will tell you just how good the VA is, but it was constantly amazing throughout. The animation is ranging from decent to good, not great. The action scenes can get very clunky, and it can get a bit confusing at times. There were direction issues here and there especially with faster scenes. Honestly, it's a good thing that S;G is not primarily an action anime, because if there is one complaint I have with the anime series is that it's action scenes are rather ehh.. Otherwise I thought the rest were fine. One thing I do love about the series in general is the dark tone/color it has throughout to accompany the darkness of the story. It just fits so well. One other thing I have to mention is how good the music is. The opening and two endings are all amazing. Just go listen to the first ending, it to me, is one of the best ending themes ever (no bias). The instrumental osts are all great. Some of them are remixed from the original, while some are new, but they all accompany the scenes very well. Overall, although not as good as the original (it is hard to reach that standard tbf), I thought that Steins;Gate 0 was still excellent. The humour, the raw emotions, the development, and the plot twists makes this a nice sequel. If you are a S;G fan, you will enjoy the sequel as well. El Psy Congroo.
JuleGrandis
09/26/2018, 01:48 PM
Keep in mind this is my first review of any anime. So Steins;Gate 0 is the continuation of episode 23b of Steins;Gate. I personally love Steins;Gate for everything, from the animation to the soundtrack. So I wasn't sure if I was happy it got a sequel, or an inquel or whatever you wanna call it. Story - 10 Steins;Gate 0 continues on a world line where Kurisu dies and Mayuri lives. Due to this choice, Okabe Rintaro is depressed and trying to find a way through the dark. The story progresses quite fast compared to S;G, and introduces characters way faster. What makes the story outstanding and excitingis that the ending is already set. Which is reaching the world line Steins;Gate. What makes it exciting is how they get there, and where will we get our mad scientist back. Art - 8 The artwork is very similar to S;G, with some slight changes. If it weren't for the action scenes the artwork would be a solid 10. But this is where S;G 0 falls short. Action scenes aren't where S;G 0 shines, the scenes are poorly executed and falls short for the expectations. Other than the action scenes the rest is a solid 10/10, everything from facial expressions to animation is just spot on. Sound - 10 The soundtrack in S;G 0 is almost the same as S;G with some new ones, but it's still great. The emotional music "Believe me" is just so great. I could go on for hours just about that one soundtrack but, you know... It really caught up at the end, where they used their music so perfect, it's just amazing. Character - 10 Following the characters from S;G they're still the good old characters we all love. Every single character has a great story, especially our main characters. The character development is just spot on while it keeps the same vibe as our characters from S;G. Nothing more to say about, it's just great. Enjoyment - 10 If you've watched S;G you'll enjoy S;G 0 a lot. It's one of those animes where once you've watched, you wish that you could forget it and just rewatch it again with the same feeling. Overall - 10
UnseriousSam
09/26/2018, 12:41 PM
Depression;Gate 0: An Unserious Review The heart wrenching, time looping, mind melting titan of anime has returned, and holy gel-nanas does it deliver. In case it needs saying, this series only makes sense after watching the original season and the “Divide by Zero” alternate episode 23. Do yourself a favour and make sure you’ve seen that suffer-fest before delving into this one. Steins;Gate 0 feels so very much like the original. The cast are as lovable as ever, the tone can switch from light to dark in an instant, and the world line theory is still just as absorbing. But the real separation between this series andits predecessor is a very noticeable hole in the shape of two personalities: Makise Kurisu and Hououin Kyouma. Where the original creates character tension by pitting these two against each other, Zero accomplishes the same by simply highlighting their absence. Shadows of Kurisu’s presence remain in the form of her lab colleague Hiyajo, and Amadeus, the AI based off her pre-Japan memories. As for Kyouma, he remains locked away inside Rintaro’s mind, buried under layers of fear and regret. Zero plays on this absence time and time again. There are so many references to things lost that it’s no wonder Rintaro can’t get a hold of himself. The story re-treads much of the same ground. The early episodes feel like the heady days of gel-nanas, Alpacaman and too-too-roo! But it’s a false happiness marred by a painful past and a terrible, inevitable future. And after a few personal crises and interventions by “The Organisation,” the members of the Future Gadget Laboratory get their lab coats into gear to thwart World War III once again. It’s all very familiar, but with a much darker, less optimistic feel. If I had to pin down the central theme of the show, I would say that many of the characters have trouble facing up to reality. Okabe Rintaro is the obvious example: he’s so far-gone that he’s willing to abandon Hououin Kyouma, his research, his lab, and his past, all while consciously forgetting about the apocalypse to come. But there are others. Super Hax0r Daru and the ever-adorable Mayushii have similar hurdles to overcome. Only when their delusions are banished can these characters grow and achieve their potential. Steins;Gate 0 doesn’t manage to innovate in the same way as its predecessor, but the way it builds on its past makes it a worthy successor to one of the greatest anime titles of all time. Mission accomplished. El Psy Congroo.
TK8878
09/26/2018, 11:54 AM
Review in brief: Steins;Gate 0 is a rough showing in a beloved series that goes from cringey to alright to bad at the drop of a hat for its entire duration with few exceptions. It’s not without its moments, but they’re so few and far between that it bears a serious question: “Is this story worth being told?” Unless depression, memes, and a handful of clichés can hold your interest across most of the anime an honest “yes” will be hard to give. **This review assumes that you’ve watched the original Steins;Gate. Inevitable comparisons will be made, but the focus will only be on Steins;Gate 0and what is necessary to explain it.** Review in full: Welcome to the beta attractor field, where resident sad scientist Okabe Rintaro makes a half-hearted go at preventing inevitable calamity by talking to an AI, helping an amnesiac, and generally being depressed in his all-black clothes. The viewer is expected to already know how this story begins and ends; it’s the story of how Okabe gets over his failures, refuses to let the world become a dystopia/perpetual war-zone, and forges the plan to reach Steins Gate. That said, as far as Steins;Gate 0 is concerned, the story itself is almost entirely the first of those three parts, i.e. the story of how Okabe gets PTSD from remembering Moeka’s existence for a while and rarely breaks out of his defeatism & submission to fate. Perhaps it could work if Okabe had the time to wallow in depression, but as-is it just sees him mope and complain while the world crumbles around him rather than develop him in any way the original Steins;Gate hadn't already. As such, Okabe’s depression is not well-handled and isn’t an entertaining story either unless depression is your guilty pleasure. Now the Steins;Gate series is no stranger to initially slow plots, but there are key differences here. The original’s slow start was acceptable and even enjoyable for many because it was a slowly unfolding tale about some weirdos messing around with alternate timelines using a machine built with a cell phone, a microwave that turned bananas into green jelly, mental instability, and the landlord’s 42” CRT TV (without permission). It was a plot that invited silliness while working with many mysterious & genuinely intriguing facets until things got serious in a sudden twist that was subtly hinted at, but surely wouldn’t happen in such a silly slice-of-life. Steins;Gate 0 doesn’t have this start (or middle) at all. The audience already knows there’s time travel involved, so we get an AI that merely serves as a plot device and side character instead of working as the dynamic element time travel was and is in the series. Instead of building odd gadgets, Okabe and his friends reflect on how useless they feel while not finishing odd gadgets. Okabe is so depressed that it rubs off on Mayuri in certain ways, leaving a heavily flanderized Faris, barely-existent Nae, Prof. Alexis “Meme-Machine” Leskinen, and sometimes Daru to “spice things up” with randomness, memes, references to Steins;Gate, old Steins;Gate memes, Daru’s gentleman pervert antics, a K-On! reference, and sometimes even an actual joke. Some may find said humor decent enough for what it is, but those who need more than references and random memery to laugh could easily find it unable to balance the anime’s overarching aura of depression. The slow part of the anime drags on until roughly episode 18, leaving much less room for the thriller aspect Steins;Gate 0 clearly wants to replicate. Even so the “heavy” parts of the story miss their mark more often than they hit. A blatantly-flagged carbon copy of one of the original Steins;Gate’s events serves as a total mockery, soldiers often have such bad accuracy and combat awareness that they make storm troopers look like SEAL Team 6, the villain reveal can be seen from a mile away and plays out like a bad fan fiction, and plenty more that is too spoilery to bring up. It’s not helped by the regular use of “action scenes”, effectively slide-shows in most cases interspersed with awkward breaks for dramatic dialogue mid-fight. These are interlaced with numerous plot contrivances & inconsistencies, enough to make the attentive viewer start to consider if this is actually a side story in an alternate universe with different rules. Time travel itself bends its consistency, with events that ought to result in paradox yet don’t, plus the explanation as to why the Time Leap Machine was limited to two days (because beyond that point the user’s mental state would be too different, resulting in likely damage) is ignored at times. It’s not all bad news though, as there are still a handful of standout serious moments to be had. One unexpected twist brings developments that add to the overall story and blunts the anime’s initial angst to a degree. Getting to see just how other characters cope (or struggle to cope) with Kurisu’s death, Okabe’s resulting depression, and other similar & related events shows us sides of characters like Daru & Mayuri that hadn’t been touched upon much prior. Finally, there is a point where the show somewhat refreshes itself, and though it may be too little too late for those truly expecting a thriller, it results in some memorable moments that hold some small amount of merit, all things considered. Such moments of merit are likely enough to remind a viewer who was otherwise put-off by other parts of the anime why they decided to watch it in the first place, or perhaps even the Steins;Gate series as a whole. More forgiving (or forgetful) fans could very well remember the anime based on these moments, which will likely be mentioned many times over to defend the anime and show that there are indeed clear & valid reasons to rate it highly. Unfortunately, someone watching with their brain turned on runs a high risk of having their rose-tinted glasses broken early on (if they had them to begin with). Steins;Gate 0 relies heavily on nostalgia to deliver its impact and stick a fair portion of its humor, leading to a glaring issue for many ~ that it does little to stand on its own two feet. Large portions of it effectively work as fanservice, and someone expecting an anime that is good standalone won’t have much to point to in the end. Such is the conclusion I have come to in regards to Steins;Gate 0, though there are other aspects of the anime to mention for the sake of completeness. As previously mentioned there are issues involving the visual quality. The amount of animation is minimized to a point where even someone such as myself who doesn’t view animation as a highly important quality in an anime (if it helps tell the story it’s usually good enough for me) was left wanting more of it. The picture quality itself is simply average, as the stylistic flare the original Steins;Gate had is not present here, and most frames are merely standard for the purpose of animating dialogue accompanied with basic motion ~90% of the time. Character (re)designs come with two "quirks". First you have Okabe's all-black attire, because clearly we aren't smart enough to tell that he's depressed. Second, it turns out that the B in beta attractor field stands for “breast expansion” as the returning female cast grew by one or two cup sizes. Less focus on plot, more focus on plot, sounds like a normal day in anime land. The audio quality fares better, partially thanks to returning elements such as certain talented seiyuu and some of Steins;Gate’s noteworthy soundtrack. The new songs are distinguishable from each other, fitting for their usage, fit the reused compositions, and make use of a passable leitmotif. The OP & standard EDs don’t hold up as well, though the special EDs are a nice touch. Voicework is a mixed bag, with some voices done very well despite the circumstances within the show (including the voices for Mayuri, Daru, & Maho considering the varied emotions they experience). At the same time Amadeus (Kurisu) always sounds like she’s been awake for two days straight and Okabe’s actor was clearly enthused to be voicing him again, so much so that it’s noticeable at times and in ways where “enthused” isn’t how Okabe is portrayed (and can be overbearing in scenes where he is). Speaking of portrayals, Steins;Gate 0 has some highlights and some issues with how it handles characterization. It features a sizable cast, sizable enough to where it can’t put enough attention into all of the cast to give everyone a clear purpose. Faris is there because why not, Ruka is there so that Okabe feels more stressed in two scenes and for the obligatory “but he’s a guy” joke, Mayuri’s three cosplaying friends only exist because one develops a plot hook that is mentioned twice and left unused & forgotten, and another is Daru’s future wife (who also develops a plot hook that gets abandoned). There’s also the unfortunate case of Kagari, whose subplot is split into three chunks, always coming in just when something else seems to actually be starting up, and never wraps up all of its loose ends, rendering her as little more than an annoyingly used plot device that totally looks just like Kurisu if you ignore her ridiculous bust. Some characters turn out quite well though. Mayuri & Daru are given plenty of serious moments to develop and/or flesh out, which better establishes why they are crucial to Okabe and his journeys. They end up taking responsibilities Okabe shrugs off in his depression, filling larger roles as lab members than simply “super hacker” and “perceptive tuturuu-chan”. As for new characters, Maho could easily be accused of being a fill-in Kurisu, but she has her own character and while she could have used more attention the developments involving her tend to be better rather than worse, and Prof. Leskinen makes an effective foil for her when he’s not busy being Meme Man. That leaves Okabe himself. For all of his depressive moping in the story, he does slowly develop his way through in chunks, and the Okabe that formed the plan to deceive the world is made known. However, this development simply mirrors the last stage of his development in the original Steins;Gate across 23 episodes instead of the 2-3 it originally took. It’s nice to see where he ends up, but mostly only because the anime dragged its feet every step of the way there. It’s not entirely bad by the end, but a rewatch of Steins;Gate will do the same thing in a much better way. Verdict: Steins;Gate 0 is an unfortunate case of producers going for the cheap method of low cost & appealing to nostalgia to make a profit, as evidenced by the stunted production values, repeated use of old memes, and dry plot that overstays its welcome. It’s only on brief occasions that this anime partially digs itself out of that quagmire, much like Okabe with his depression. It does have moments of merit deep down, but it's buried under so much junk that I can't quite say it's enough to make the experience worthwhile. It takes a certain kind of person to forgive the multitude of flaws in Steins;Gate 0, someone I couldn't reasonably expect anyone to be.
HellLyter
09/26/2018, 11:45 AM
What happens when the hero fails to save the day and just gives up? According to Steins;Gate 0, he spirals into a state of complete depression and despair, becoming a shell of his former self. Steins;Gate 0 is an alternate future where protagonist Okabe Rintarou fails to save Makise Kurisu. It’s sort of a “what if” story that shows what would happen if Okabe gave up on trying to reach the sacred Steins;Gate world line in which everyone is happy and there’s no apocalypse in the near future. To put it bluntly, S;G0 was a success. It’s been quite a long time since I’ve been sothoroughly entertained by an anime. Even though it doesn't quite match the quality of the original in my mind, S;G0 was still able to live up to the high expectations set by its predecessor, and it tells a truly compelling narrative. It’s amazing how the personality change of one person can affect so many. The mad scientist Hououin Kyouma died alongside Kurisu in the beta world line where this story takes place, leaving behind a nihilistic and broken Okabe Rintarou. Viewers can clearly see just how hard the rest of the cast, especially Mayuri, take Okabe’s character transformation. Gone is the humorous banter and close companionship that the characters shared in the original Steins;Gate. It has been replaced with a dark and uncomfortable atmosphere, and as someone who was warmed by Okabe’s positive relationships with his friends, it’s downright depressing to watch. An even harder loss to swallow is Makise Kurisu. She’s quite frankly an amazing character. Makise is intelligent, attractive, a bit of a tsundere and an otaku, has a lot of great and funny moments in the original anime, and is just admirably supportive of Okabe, acting as his crutch during his times of despair. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call her an ideal girl. She even sacrifices herself so that Okabe can live in an beta world line in which Mayuri lives. Wow, she might just be a bit too perfect…Although she’s dead in S;G0, there’s an amazing episode where Okabe transitions into an alpha world line where Kurisu is alive, yet Mayuri is deceased. The episode is basically there to remind us just how phenomenal Makise is, and that makes it all the more painful when Okabe returns to the beta world line, leaving Kurisu behind. I’m not gonna lie, I was starting to get a little emotional at the end of the episode. So with Makise deceased in this world line and Okabe having suppressed his flamboyant mad scientist nature in favor of a more emo persona, you might think that this anime is a lot weaker than its predecessor in the character department. Well, while I can admit the the original Steins;Gate is superior when it comes to characterization, the cast of S;G0 is still quite amazing in its own right. Okabe really is one of the greatest anime protagonist out there. One of the things that makes him so good is his ability to be unrealistically ridiculous with his bouts of chuunibyouism while being able to transition to a more solemn and vulnerable state when things get serious. The latter is heavily demonstrated in this anime, as the old, care free Okabe is gone, replaced by a serious man who still strives to help his friends, but struggles with his own doubts and insecurities. This portrays him as being truly human, because let’s be real, I don’t think any of us would be able to keep up a cheery image if we went through all of the pain that Okabe has faced. But do not despair, because Okabe’s depression doesn’t last forever. Because just like the majestic phoenix, Hououin Kyouma ascends from the ashes and is born anew. I won’t spoil anything specific, but near the very end of the anime, Okabe finally regains his drive and determination, and once again becomes the mad scientist that we all know and love. For that entire episode, I had a big, stupid grin on my face. It was so refreshing to see the old Okabe again after so long, and literally every chuuni thing he did made me nearly burst out laughing. But he didn’t go back to his old self on his own. No, his awakening can be truly attributed to the admirable support of his friends. With Makise gone, the title of female protagonist goes to her scientist loli upperclassmen friend Maho Hiyajou. Now Makise has some pretty big shoes to fill, and being a loli, Maho’s feet might be too small to fit- oh wait, this is an idiom…whoops…Well anyway, Maho ended up being a great addition to the cast. She might seem a bit one dimensional on the surface with her main defining feature being her desire to surpass Kurisu, but I can assure you that there is so much more to her character. Despite her small stature, Maho has a big part to play in the anime. She gives several inspirational speeches that help to push Okabe forward, constructs the time leap machine in Kurisu’s absence, shows vulnerabilities despite her general awesomeness, and has many funny and entertaining moments in the show. Does she reach Kurisu’s level? I don’t think so, but she’s a great character nonetheless. I actually liked Daru a good deal more this time around. Perhaps it was because Okabe became somewhat of a vegetable for awhile, which allowed for Daru’s personality to shine through. He actually has a nice lighthearted arc with his future wife and daughter Suzuha that develops his character. He provides some pretty good comic relief on occasion, and, along with Maho, is easily the most useful lab member to Okabe. Mayuri’s role is important because through her, viewers can clearly see just how much the cast is negatively affected by Okabe’s give up attitude. Gone are the kawaii tuturus~ and upbeat personality. They’ve been replaced with a sad girl who just wants her prince Okabe to be happy. She feels herself slowly distancing from Okabe throughout the show, and even decides to time travel herself so that she can motivate Okabe to not give up on trying to save Kurisu. I found this to be quite admirable, and really like how the anime handled her character. The other familiar faces from Steins;Gate unfortunately don’t play much of a role in S;G0, but they all still contribute to the story in there own way, so it’s only fair to give some of them a shout out. Suzuha just wants Okabe to reach Steins;Gate. She desperately tries to get him to time travel in order to fulfill the duty bestowed upon her by her father, and it hurts to see her fail. When it comes to Ruka, there’s a touching moment where Ruka expresses a desire to help Okabe out in any way possible. Ruka feels left out of all of the secrets and just wants to be useful. It’s just a small moment, but it shows just how caring Ruka can be, and I really appreciate that…but he’s a dude. It’s also worth mentioning that his future self is pretty badass. And Faris…well, umm, she’s still a cute neko girl, so…yeah. Out of the new characters aside from Maho, Professor Leskinen is easily the most memorable. He’s an American in Japan, so as you can imagine, he has many comedic misunderstandings, such as his iconic “WHERE ARE THE JAPANESE SHAMAN GIRLS LINTAHLO?” line. He’s a pretty cool dude, and ends up playing an important role in the anime. One issue that I do have is that for the longest time, I wasn’t exactly sure what the primary conflict was. I assumed that it was to get to the Steins;Gate world line, but there are so many different things going on that it felt to me like the end goal was sort of being overshadowed. Don’t get me wrong, I highly enjoyed these other plot points. You have Okabe trying to deal with his depression, Suzuha trying to get him to time travel, Maho trying to get out of Kurisu’s shadow, the mystery behind Kagari, the whole Amadeus ordeal, the threat from America and Russia…yeah, you get the point. Maybe it’s just me, but for awhile I wasn’t entirely sure where the anime was going. Of course, all of these things do actually correlate well with one another and contribute to what is to me a great story. I just wish it was a bit more focused. So something about Steins;Gate 0 that I’m sure most people will overlook is how it provides a model example for how comedy in an anime should be handled. I know, this is probably a weird statement to make considering the genre of the anime, but it’s true, and S;G0’s seamless implementation of comedic elements is honestly quite praiseworthy. Intertwining with the generally dark and psychological atmosphere of the show, the lighthearted moments are really able to shine through without being the least bit detrimental to the story progression. In many cases, they even proved to be a much needed breath of fresh air and fun. There are also a few fan service scenes (if you can even call them that considering how safe they are) primarily focused on Maho-tan, so if you’re not into lolis, you might actually be turned off by these moments. I, of course, being a man of culture, agree with Daru’s wise statement of “legal loli for the win!” Because remember, Maho is 21, so it’s all perfectly legal. Definitely. No sirens, no FBI. When it comes to the technical aspects of the show, I have to say, the sound quality is simply fantastic. The opening theme song Fatima quickly rose to my favorite opening of the year, the endings were great as well, and the soundtrack just fits the anime perfectly. Steins;Gate also has my two favorite seiyuu, Mamoru Miyano and Kana Hanazawa, so that’s a big bonus. And the other voice actors do an amazing job as well. So yeah, I really have no complaints at all when it comes to the sound. My biggest issue with this show would be it’s visuals. So this anime came out seven years after it’s predecessor, yet there are absolutely no improvements with the visual quality whatsoever. Now they didn’t get worse either, and I can understand the need to keep the visuals similar and consistent between the two anime. But I still expected the animation to be at least a little more polished and detailed. Oh, and some of the action scenes near the end to me just looked really cringy, which is unfortunate. But the character designs are still great, and the artistic quality of the show is still pretty good, despite the flaws I mentioned. It’s just that I have to be a bit nitpicky since this wouldn’t be much of a review if I didn’t point out the flaws, right? Steins;Gate 0 is a great anime. Even with it’s male lead acting as a shell of his former self for some time and the female lead dead, it was still able to weave an exciting, albeit a bit unfocused at times, tale about the repercussions of time travel, and is filled with an endearing cast of characters. It may just be the telling of an alternate ending to the original anime, but it was simply an enjoyable ride. I was thoroughly entertained by every episode, and can definitely say that Steins;Gate 0 is one of the better anime that I’ve seen in recent memory.
XonyB
09/26/2018, 11:41 AM
Many who watched this series have missed the point of it, it isn't like the original, no it wasn't supposed to surpass it like many suspected here. It is here to complete it, you may have not noticed but the original had many things that we had yet to see. This isn't a what if story either, this is the story of Okabe who failed to find Steins Gate, the same one who fell under depression because of it. I'll start with story, the STORY WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS: Story obviously is a 10 for me. At some point during the Steins;Gate 0 I truly doubted if thiswas gonna live up to it's hype or fail like many sequels. Many hate it because they expected the mad scientist earlier, many were expecting too many time traveling and got sad. When the first episode of anime aired, it had a score of 9.16 I think, it was truly the best episode I had yet seen, it captured the mood perfectly, it shows us that Okabe of this world line is very depressed, but more importantly the scene where he sees many bodies of Kurisu shows us his fear. His fear that he will always fail no matter what, the fear that no matter what Okabe does, it will always result in him sacrificing somebody to save somebody else. We can see this during the rest of the show, till the point where he is forced to change the future yet again. At some point I thought too, where is this story going? How will it link to the OG Steins Gate, I really doubted the middle parts of the story honestly. One of the main important points of the story is how Kurisu is the one who even though dead starts a world war. It is always her curiosity that results in something bad to Okabe, in Alpha world line we had Sern which in a way it is both Okabe's fault and hers, in Beta we have WW3 which starts because of Kurisu's thesis. We see this through the Amadeus, we see a lot through Amadeus, why Okabe calls Kurisu Christina, how even dead Kurisu can change the world. I'm going to skip all this to the episode 16, where we get to see an actual character development in Mayushi, I really never saw her point in O.G steins gate but honestly in Steins;Gate 0 she became one of my favorites. The reason is simple, she always loved Okabe, she always thought of him as the one who can change the future, the one who can bring peace, she always regretted not having Okabe go back to save Kurisu, it really made me break down. After trying to go to time machine and being blown into pieces, Okabe goes back to time leap but ends up in PR, in year 2036. Okabe now has his eyes wide open, he sees what will happen to this world line if he doesn't find steins gate. I forgot to mention that he was in coma and he suffered a lot when waking up, and when he started time travelling again so he can go back to year 2011, it must have fking hurt waking up in that pain. The fact that he spent around 8 years (I'm assuming that is the time it took him, could be way more or less) to go back in time and save everyone must have been painful, he had to explain everything again and again and again. A strong character in my opinion, I would go insane (you all would). BUT THAT WAKES UP THE MAD SCIENTIST! You should watch the rest honestly (too lazy to explain). Art 8: This is the part which sucks, at times it is very good and at times it sucks. That is all about it honestly, the background though is even better than the original in my opinion, which I really loved. Sound 10: Many of the songs that played were awesome!!!! They set the mood perfectly, the first OP and ED are in my playlist now. Character 10 : Now this is the point that I wanted to get at. Many say that Okabe is a one dimensional character, honestly fk you all who said it. You just don't know why he is going through all that. To others it was like Okabe just went emo one day, nobody knows why, he can't tell anybody because who knows if Sern might listen. That is honestly very depressing in my opinion, we see during the 23B he looks very sad but at same time tries to look happy in front of Mayushi, that is a very strong character in my opinion. As the show progressed, we saw him slowly bounce back to his old self, the interactions between [Kurisu] and him were awesome, we saw other sides of him that we never saw in OG. And at end the mad scientist was still the same, the idiot who cracks up good jokes and has well out of this world delusions. Enjoyment 10 : Honestly as long as you liked the original, you're fine. Tl;DR: Hello, it's me. They didn't bother with the paragraph and went straight to the tl;dr. Shame there was nothing on it. El psy kongroo!
Zaber_san
09/26/2018, 11:30 AM
"WHERE ARE THE JAPANESE SHAMAN GIRLS LINTAHLO?!!" - Good Boi Leskinen Back in 2011, we were stunned by the hit-anime named "Steins;Gate" with its unique story-telling of Sci-Fi, which is time-travel in the anime industry. The industry doesn't have many anime that focuses on time-travel conflicts. So far, the only time-travel anime I've watched were Steins;Gate and ERASED, which both made me amused, excited and thrilled on their unique, individual scenes. Now, this Spring 2018, we were hitted by nostalgia with the return of the Steins;Gate franchise although, instead of it having a sequel, we get a "midquel" of the original Steins Gate. Thus, we getto watch the phenomenal dark story of the franchise named "Steins;Gate 0". Just a brief reminder, before you watch Steins Gate 0, keep in mind this is an alternate story of the original. After Episode 22/23 of the original series, watch "Steins;Gate: Episode 23 (B), Open the Missing Link", where this episode leads to the episode 1 of Steins;Gate 0. Story: We get to follow the story of a man once named "Hououin Kyouma" but then he suddenly changed with a certain incident, changing him back to only "Okabe, Rintarou." Hence, "Hououin Kyouma" was no more in this world. We are looking into a broken-man named "Okabe, Rintarou". With him not finding the goal which is the Steins;Gate world line, he was stuck to be in the Beta World Line, where Kurisu sacrificed herself for Mayuri. This is a story where Okabe failed to reach a good ending and was now stuck in a world line where WW3 was inevitable. If you want to expect more dark revelations like what the original Steins;Gate did, then you are on the right series because revelations are breathtaking on each episode of Steins Gate 0. We get to follow an Okabe who wears a dark suit, not a lab coat, depicting how his mental state is. Here, we get to see how he, a once delusional man, is now a normal college student. But, when "Amadeus" (AI Kurisu) was introduced to him, the peace that Okabe was longing started to get disrupted. Basically, everything up to the last episode, was related to "Amadeus" keeping the plot synopsis in tact and the characters as well. What I like about the story is the originality of the plot rather than copy-pasting from the original anime. Scenes that were anime-original that cannot be found in the VN were some instance, were there as well. Another thing was that the story keeps becoming dark and dark and as it goes darker, the characters are developing as well making the thrill of the story fitting to the characters not only Okabe but the others as well. Characters: What makes a great anime is a ton of great and well-developed characters and the Steins;Gate franchise always impresses us, including Steins;Gate 0 with their characters. Take our favorite mad-scientist for example "Hououin Kyouma". We were so attached to him on the original Steins;Gate that seeing him being so broken and fragile on Steins;Gate 0 makes me (and I bet the fans as well), hoping the great mad-scientist will return someday. But even tho he was so broken and fragile, due to the story's progression, his character development progressed each episode as well. Then we have Shiina Mayuri, who shockingly have the best character development of all. She did something so courageous that is out of her character and made us fans say "Great Job Mayuri.". Of course we will not forget Hashida Daru. The perverted otaku and hacker who for some instance a dad, a caring friend and a scientist. If you finished this anime, you know why Daru really improved alot on this series not only on a romantic way but with Okabe as well. Then we have Makise Kurisu (Amadeus a.k.a AI Kurisu), again like Mayuri, Courage made her a great character in an instance even though she is just a computer version of the actual Kurisu. Or should I say, she is just a fake. Not to mention the "trap" Ruka to have some character development even tho her screentime is not that much. Along with Ruka (who is a supporting characters) are of course Mr Braun and Moeka. If you watched the original Steins Gate you would have known they are the villains (SERN's employees or like that) but it is a good fact that this two are allies of Okabe on this Beta World Line, so expect some revelations of villains ahead. Then we are introduced with some new characters like Professor Leskinen and Hiyajou, Maho. Maho, who is a colleague of Kurisu back in America shows lots of character traits but one of them was jealousy. Then this trait was shattered as episode goes on and on and we see her having more confidence to herself. Then there's Professor Leskinen who just wants her japanese shaman girls Lintahlo!!!.. Art: There's nothing to say about to visuals/art design of Steins;Gate 0 as it stays just what it was back in the 2011 adaptation of Steins;Gate, and of course I'm glad it stayed that way. However, if look at it, there are more action scenes on Steins;Gate 0 compared to Steins;Gate. If your an action fan you will be disappointed as the actions are pretty whacky and not so good. But since we all know Steins;Gate is more focus on the Sci-Fi and thriller stuffs, we can let it all slip. The visuals of the opening and endings are phenominal and matches the current state of the characters on the story. Not to mention, the Endings as well. But out of all those, the first ending which is entitled "LAST GAME" grabbed my attention both visually and musically. Its inferences and basis of Okabe and Mayuri to the first half of the story are all in that ED. Overall, the visuals are great. Sound: A good anime comes with good openings, endings and background music and oh boy..... Zero really made my ears feel the nostalgia back when I watched Steins;Gate and play the VNs. Aside from the openings and endings being good, the background music as I hear them some felt like I heard them before. Even tho they are reusing those background music, it doesn't affect the story and scene at all. It actually makes the scene more powerful and eye-catching with your ears hearing those nostalgic beats. Overall thoughts and Enjoyment: In conclusion, if you are a diehard steins gate fan you wil love this 23 episodes ride of Steins;Gate 0. It actually felt like I watched a whole another anime which should be because if I felt that I just rewatched Steins;Gate, then Zero would have lacked uniqueness with its plot and characters. But thank god I didn't felt that and I enjoyed it at the same level of the original Steins;Gate. Even tho it is more dark, it should be and will always be a good anime to watch if you feel like Steins;Gate was not enough. If you haven't watched Steins;Gate, do it now and then watch this. I assure you. You will not regret it. El..Psy..Congroo..
Natsuki_Hyundai
09/26/2018, 11:19 AM
Man, my feelings toward this anime- though mostly positive- are extremely complicated, which isn’t helped by the fact that I played the visual novel first. So get your popcorn, cuz this review’s gonna be a while! Also, there will be spoilers regarding the original Steins;Gate in this review, since you’re supposed to have played/watched it first anyway. Story- 9/10: So first, I need to establish context for this anime since no official description of it helps in that regard. Remember episode 23 of the original series, when Okarin was about to give up on saving Kurisu? Right then and there, he obtained a video D-Mail fromhimself 15 years in the future who disclosed the instructions to reach the ultimate happy worldline, Steins Gate. Steins;Gate 0 is THAT Okarin’s story- the Okarin who will have sent that video- picking up from a 3-4 month timeskip after the whole incident with him having murdered his loved one. Technically, Steins;Gate 0 is the second half of the full Steins;Gate story that was skipped over in the original, due to Steins;Gate 0’s own plot cancelling itself out (from OG Okarin’s perspective) through the video D-Mail having been sent. Right away there is the issue of the visual novel’s own structure. The original Steins;Gate was really easy to adapt since it was extremely linear for a traditional VN, and most of the endings were crap. Steins;Gate 0 is more like that type of VN which goes on several diverging and significantly different paths, most of which are integral for the overarching narrative. So, White Fox didn’t JUST have to worry about truncating the walls of text, but ALSO re-ordering the ENTIRE plot structure to work in a linear, cohesive manner. And for the most part, they succeeded. The events play out extremely well. Heck, they went the extra mile and adapted the various tie-in drama CDs and one of the few instances of genuinely good anime original content as well. They even fixed a good number of issues present in the original. Simulcasting this show was a blast, even as a VN player, because there was still some room for throwing me for a loop. But it wasn’t perfect. There were still a COUPLE of scenes that just do not mesh together as one linear arc, no matter how you slice it. It was still probably the best case scenario, so I didn’t mind those incoherent hiccups that much. Another thing about Steins;Gate 0 in general is that science takes a backseat in this one. By either some dumb miracle, meticulous planning, or plot convenience, there’s nothing new to learn, science-wise in this series. I know the description alludes to some kind of AI program, but that program is made using the same technology that went into the time leap machine from the original series. In fact, it’s even simpler than that contraption was! The real issue is that we never get to learn how they actually got to build a true, physically working time machine, so that one is forever filed under the “space magic” category. And as for how they handled the VN’s notoriously loose and anti-climactic ultimate ending, let me just say… that they actually freakin’ did it! As in, they did it WELL! Characters- 9/10: The characters are where Steins;Gate 0 shines (for the most part). We get to see full closure to Okarin and others’ character arcs, and a couple of newcomers. Okarin in this series is now a “sad scientist”, a dejected Okarin who turns a blind eye to the impending doom of the Beta worldline. We also have a new form of Suzuha, who is much colder due to war, compared to the Alpha worldlines’ Part-Time Warrior. In addition, we see Daru actually taking on a much more serious role than before. The characters are amazing* and it’ll make you realize who the true Best Girl of Steins;Gate is. *I put this footnote here because the “amazing” isn’t ENTIRELY true. First off, we have three of Mayuri’s friends who were only just names in the original, actually appearing. They’re bricks. Even though one of them is Suzuha’s future mom, they don’t really do anything of much importance. Also, due to the nature of the adaptation, a couple of characters who are legitimately likeable in the VN are now either crap, or they end up having no purpose AT ALL. (Poor Judy…) Art- Budget/10: This is where my issues start to arise with the anime adaptation of Steins;Gate 0. The 2011 anime blew me away with an artstyle that wasn’t quite as detailed as the VN, but still had a Steins;Gate-like film noir style that I loved. There was also a lot of brilliant post-production with the lighting as well as a lot of smooth animation uncharacteristic of most TV anime. Even in 2018, it hasn’t aged a day. And yet, a follow-up that AIRED in 2018 already shows more age than the original. Look, I’m not blaming the production team. I can tell that they tried. They were likely lacking in funds. It’s jarring how cheap parts of this show look. However, it’s mostly jarring only to VN players. The VN had some jaw-dropping artwork that make most of the anime’s renditions of these scenes look like crap. But again, if you didn’t even SEE that artwork to begin with, it shouldn’t bother you much (at least they executed THAT scene well). But even from an anime-only perspective, there are clear hiccups (*cough* episodes 17-18 *cough*). Although the art gets significantly better towards the bitter end, I know that the prospect of having to watch 80% of a crappy anime just to get to the good stuff is not a popular one. These hiccups will bother you depending on how much you care about the visual presentation of anime. Sound- 10/10: At least THIS is the same. We all know these seiyuus, and they’re excellent. Their performances (at least, of the ones who were central characters) were absolutely impeccable. It’s kind of sad that this anime is probably going to be their final performances as these characters… I wonder how they feel about that prospect right now. But if it IS their last time, then they definitely went out in a blaze of glory! The background music is- unlike the inconsistency of the first anime- entirely VN soundtracks. That’s good, since the original music is stellar to begin with, and White Fox knew as much. The new anisongs composed for this adaptation aren’t bad either. While no “Hacking to the Gate”, the new OP “Fatima” feels much more urgent due to the usage of a ticking clock throughout the track- a clock that’s ticking down to the inevitable start of World War III (at least I’m assuming that was the intention of it). Zwei’s “Last Game” is gut-wrenching, especially when you see a million Kyoumas shatter into pieces. Kurisu’s seiyuu also performs a techno-rock song called “World Line” which is also pretty good. However, these two ED’s should’ve been flip-flopped, given the circumstances of the first and second cours (with the latter being way more emotional). Or, they should’ve kept “Last Game”. Overall- 9/10: This anime had so much potential to surpass the source material, and it arguably DOES in those last four episodes. But I’m sorry, the artwork and the lower quality of the first 19 episodes just really jarred me. The two versions of S;G 0 have very different strengths and weaknesses to where I would say that they become equally viable. I didn’t mind that the VN had plot holes without the drama CDs since most (key word: most) of it could be derived from context anyway. However, I will insist that you get your Bachelor’s degree in Steins;Gate-ology. There were so many comments and criticisms on the boards when this was airing from people who clearly didn’t get the rudimentary basics of Steins;Gate, and they made me cringe. There are also a lot of subtle call backs that you will need to acknowledge in order to fully enjoy and understand the show. Regardless, this is the second half of the Steins;Gate story, which gives full closure to the characters that the original was not able to provide. Just ask yourself, “How much do I care about the visual presentation of anime?” If you do care, then maybe you should stray away from the anime version and play the VN instead. And if you ALREADY played it, then watch the anime since it’s still really well executed in its own unique way (although it still looks like crap).
Krunchyman
09/26/2018, 09:53 AM
“Theories are nothing more than words, accept what you’ve seen.” — Okabe (Steins;Gate) Reflecting on one’s past experiences can elicit a host of undesirable thoughts/anxieties that permeate to the surface, causing emotional stress and a feeling of helplessness. The upshot being: the simple act of thinking about said events will not alter the final outcome, making the exercise an unquestionably fruitless one. But in the case of Okabe (where time-travel and reading “steiner” are quite accessible), the ability to improve upon the past is well within the realm of possibilities, allowing for the veritable “happy ending” to occur. This inevitability zaps away aconsiderable amount of the intrigue for the viewer, especially when a ham-fisted love story is thrown into the fold, making the events to come, seem exceptionally contrived. If anything was surprising about the original Steins;Gate, it was the sweeping praise it received by the anime community. But I suppose an epic theme song combined with a bunch of sexy “LAYDEE’s” (channeling my inner Bill Burr) and “the most realistic time-traveling series I have ever seen” — said everyone on MAL; literally, everyone — will make an anime series quite popular these days, so why not turn back the clock and relive that success one more time. But before the anime staff can immerse itself into the meat of the story, we desperately need a sexy Christmas party with a few new characters……And, and, we need Okabe to communicate with a virtual Kurisu, because virtual girlfriends are a rising trend in Japan, so appealing to that growing sector will certainly increase viewership. Also, let’s throw in a handful of Ruka being a dude who looks like a girl jokes, because redundancy in comedy always kills. But redundancy is only half of the story, because for all the “misdirection” and “flabbergast-ery” the show is ceaselessly dull, imparting a loud and clear message to the viewer: Steins;Gate 0 has no identity. Is it a harem? How about an amnesia story? Are we still doing that time-traveling thing? Is Amadeus a social commentary on the proliferation of blue balled young men? Is it a modern day reinterpretation of the rivalry between Mozart and Salieri? Is it a slice-of-life retelling of Back to the Future, with Daru starring in the role of George McFly? How about a Japanese, female-driven John Wick story with Suzuha as the main lead? No! To all of the above. The anime staff had one goal in mind, and one goal only: to flaunt Okabe’s chic new black suit. And I must admit, as a fellow man, it looks stunning! But enough tickling your tits for one afternoon, because the criticism about the show’s identity is an entirely valid one. The deviation from the themes that made the original Steins;Gate mildly interesting, abated the enjoyment of the viewer, giving the show a banal texture that did not bestow anything of actual substance. Okabe was reduced to an impassive, aggrieved individual who became disturbed at the end of several episodes to feign genuine interest. Kurisu was relegated to an inactive participant due to her amnesic circumstances, and was used as a means to trigger significant events in the series. Suzuha preached about the imminence of World War III like she’s one of those homeless domesday clairvoyants. Maho was the Salieri to Kurisu’s Mozart, in the sense that she was an untalented tsundere, despite her best attempts. And, well, everyone else was….um, present? They certainly were there, but they felt more like cogs in a machine, with little to no freedom to act on their own accord. Having a deficient cast of character’s is one issue, but having a story that felt like it was blended together by multiple writers with no communication with one another, is just inexcusable. The show felt reminiscent of Mirai Nikki, where “shocking” events would occur, but the cohesion of said events never felt homogeneous. Also, there were a considerable amount of “fluff” episodes, where nothing of actual importance took place. The lull between critical events became excruciating at times, and even when a pivotal moment would happen, it felt over-the-top, cliched, and generally out of place. Furthermore, the staff’s eagerness to exhibit their female characters in erotic situations ad nauseam, highlights how the show was never meant to be taken as a serious intellectual endeavor; but rather, a fun project to elicit some laughter, and intermittent moments of heart-pounding drama. Sadly, though, it wasn’t particularly entertaining, and it failed to engage the viewer time and time again. The final few episodes ratcheted up the intensity to the point of becoming Hollywood-level ridiculous. There was a protracted exposition by the evil scientist, where he explained his “master plan” to the last detail (yet another old scientist who ends up being the bad guy). Unbelievable action sequences, not in the sense they were breathtaking, but just plain unrealistic. And the return of the “sleeping” protagonist to his status of Hououin Kyouma, because the fans need to be hyped up for that “epic” finale. Speaking of “hype,” that is the optimal word for describing this series, as it built itself up on sheer optimism and excitement from the anime community; yet, for all of its grand ambitions, it was nothing more than a used car salesman convincing you that it was better than it really was. But as Okabe said, “accept what you’ve seen,” and if it wan’t overtly obvious, we have seen a bad show.
Syureria
09/26/2018, 09:50 AM
Time is the whole series when the process, action, or situation is in place or takes place. In this case, the time scale is the interval between two states / events, or it can be the duration of an event. when we are traveling or sleeping we don't know what happened to the situation out there in other words if we pull out a hair what happens to our head? it doesn't have much effect on us to imagine when a piece of hair gets pulled one by one over a long period of time what happens? of course we will feel the impact of asingle hair. in the world we live there is nothing that can stop time as our will is like a spinning wheel we live always spinning and experiencing some heavy process and if the wheel loses the chain what happens? the wheel will stop spinning like a world that stops spinning and only shows day and night forever. and so on and on ... Originally a visual novel by 5pb and Nitroplus, Steins; Gate 0 tells the story of Okabe Rintaro (the crazy scientist known as Hououin Kyouma) who fails to save his lover and cannot stop the occurrence of the third world war. Okabe spends the rest of his time lamenting sadness after losing his lover and time spent with his "friends". The gadget is the name of the laboratory that Okabe founded to experiment on tools that could be said to be like the tools of the future. After experiencing Okabe's failure to save his lover he no longer visits the laboratory he founded with his colleagues. after he gave up he threw out the name of chunnibyou "Hoounin Kyouma" and decided to become an ordinary student after three months of studying / as a student he met with the assistant professor at the place where he studied "Maho Hiyajo" a woman aged twenty-one years. the woman Okabe attended the brain intelligence seminar created by "Alexis Lexinen" in the seminar appeared Okabe's lover who had died a while ago but his lover was in the form of AI (Artifical Intelligence). Steins; Gate 0 is a good series, but unlike the previous series in this series it seems not too tense. White Fox is the maker of two series of Steins; Gate, this studio gives a good impression in adapting Novel Visuals and Manga (no need to be surprised because the studio this is a studio that produces Akame ga Kill and Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seiketsu which until now has become the best-selling series). aside from the matter above now an anime series will not be good if it is not supported by voice actors, song themes, and song background (BGM) like a car if there are no supporters like wheels then it will not work well. Thanks to the voice this time of course only this matter did not escape Miyano Mamoru's voice talents as "Okabe Rintarou", Hanazawa Kana as "Shiina Mayuri", Imai Asami as "Makise Kurisu" (although she did not play many roles and was AI), and Seki Tomokazu as "Hashida Itaru "once again I thank the series voice this time for struggling in carrying out their duties. for the opening theme "Fatima" sung by "Itou Kanako" she has already contributed in the making of the opening theme song in the previous series. For the music background it's pretty good especially when the "twenty-two" episode starts from music that makes the audience get excited and sad This series gets three new characters, "Hiyajo Maho" as the, "Shiina Kagari" (she is a person from the future who came with Suzuha to stop the third world war), and the last is " Leskinen Alexis ". This series has the impression of being funny, sad, tense, and so romantic, it's no wonder the viewers are confused by the nets of the story. Although this series focuses more on the daily life of "Okabe Rintarou" who fails to save his lover, compared to the fight itself it may this might have an effect on the value or ranking down in this series even though in this series it is also no less stressful than the previous series. even though Steins; Gate 0 is an anime science fiction it is not denied even though the time we passed from this moment we cannot return or repeat and change it according to our own desires because it is something that is contrary to the universe. it is strange if the final winding is regret or happiness
Stark700
09/26/2018, 09:32 AM
There comes a time when fans of a franchise should ask themselves if an established franchise deserves a sequel or not. Let’s face it. Steins;Gate made an impact back in 2011 when it became one of the critically acclaimed adaptations that year. Visuals novels aren’t easy to adapt and in fact, most recent series really proved themselves to be a catastrophe in that territory. Steins;Gate is one of those properties that didn’t really need a sequel although fans have been asking for years. And it’s a bit painful for me to say….but Steins;Gate 0 didn’t truly live up to the name it made for itself. Asa true sequel to Steins;Gate, this series is the canonical anime that once again shows us the world of time travel, hypothetical theories, and scientific creativity. It’s essentially a sci-fi adventure that brings back our lovable character cast while also introducing some new ones who really makes their own impact in the story. Rintarou Okabe returns in the Alpha World line without Makise Kurisu after events of the first season. What we see from Okabe’s point of view is how he deals with living in a world without her. It’s a constant everyday struggle as the man is filled with despair. However, an AI (known as the Amaedus) once again reminds Okabe of the memories he tried to bury. Much of the season takes place in Japan and in the Alpha World line. Fans who have seen the first season will quickly realize that Kurisu is gone but Mayuri remains along with the rest of her friends. Okabe also meets Maho Hiyajou, a researcher from Viktor Chondria University. As an assistant, she works under Professor Leskinen and is the one who introduces Okabe to the Amaedus. What is the Amaedus? It’s designed and developed by Makise Kurisu herself alongside Leskinen and Maho. The program is built based on her likeness that is able to make use of human memory and converts it into digital data. As such, the AI greatly resembles Kurisu not just in her behavior but also personality and mannerism. Obviously, this reminds Okabe of the real Kurisu who no longer exists in his timeline. Steins;Gate 0 features Okabe dealing with his own personal demons, guilt, and trying to overcome his past in order to save the future. The first season capitalized on its sci-fi elements such as time travel and conspiracies. Unfortunately for this sequel, it felt like the show took a step backwards and really didn’t manage take a step forward. At first, the show took on the approach that I felt familiar with and really embraced in. There’s a bit of dark drama and comedy that takes a realistic approach at human behavior. It’s what I thought the original season did so well when it managed to make every character distinctive from each other. For Steins;Gate 0, there’s not much change for any of the main cast at all. Okabe’s constant self-loathing gets tiresome after watching it so many times. Ok, he feels guilty about what he had to do to save someone but the season overemphasizes on this direction. To me, it felt like the show constantly needs to remind us why Okabe is like this and it’s repetitive storytelling. In the meantime, we do get some fresh faces such as Maho and Leskinen. Both characters are intelligent although contrast greatly with each other’s personalities. Maho seems similar to Makise Kurisu with her tsundere personality and there’s often a recurring joke about others mistaking her as a child. She develops an important relationship with Okabe although I didn’t feel the impact of it as much as I had hoped for; at least compared to Kurisu anyway. On the other hand, Leskinen introduces himself as a lighthearted guy who often jokes with others while demonstrating a degree of intellect. The show also does a fair job at disguising his true intentions but we don’t find out about it until fairly later on. His relationship with Okabe and others often contrasts the mood of the show especially in early episodes. In later episodes, the series gets darker and darker as startling revelations are discovered that once again deals with time travel. It’s a core idea of the franchise after all. Now I have not played the visual novel for this sequel so this was more of fresh experience to me. The season feels rather moody even with characters like Mayuri and Faris with their roles. Others such as Suzuha also become much more important as they take their own initiative to protect what’s at stake. Still, coming in this as an anime only viewer, I felt the story is a thriller at best and dry storyteller at worst. To me, this franchise really explored everything it needed to and didn’t even need a new season to prove that. The dialogues and character interactions are interesting to listen to but doesn’t truly make this season worthwhile in the end. As a huge fan of the franchise, Steins;Gate 0 feels like it took way too much of its previous ideas and didn't make an upgrade. White Fox is still in charge of this project and they bought out their talent once again.Thankfully, they earned my trust as the studio proved itself capable of recreating character emotions. That’s important as every character needed to express themselves as credible as they can be. This especially applies to Okabe as we see him drown in despair. Character interactions are captured wisely by the studio’s directive synergy to make them memorable. The design of the characters didn’t evolve much although it’s clear that Okabe has abandoned his lab coat for a more casual wear with his dark shirt to reflect his change in character. Others such as Maho may evoke some lighthearted laughter when certain characters makes jokes about her short height and appearance. The Amaedus is designed in the likeliness of Makise Kurisu so in terms of physical appearance, they look identical. As a series with sci-fi themes, it’s only fitting that Steins;Gate 0 gets decorated with some colorful soundtrack. Indeed, the sequel combines thrilling theatrics with some emotional OST and melancholy. The OP song “Fatima” by Itou Kanako highlights a bit of character journey for the cast and how they feel in this season. There are several different ED themes too that makes clever usage of its sci-fi elements. On most parts, I think character voices also did a stellar job. Okabe’s personal values are often expressed by his dialogues that are important for his evolving personality. Others such as Maho, Mayuri, and Suzuha made me appreciate their character roles more when they really say what’s on their mind. At 23 episodes, Steins;Gate 0 became a 2-cour show that could of done a better job at making itself more distinctive. Instead, it tried to rely far too much on its previous established concepts while forging a story that seems too similar to the previous. However, I will say that this sequel will be a treat for diehard fans of the franchise. The episodes in the first half bought back the mood of the original show like yesterday. Even in some of the later episodes, it still has a bit of taste of sci-fi thrilling style of storytelling. The new characters may also be worthwhile for your time if you accept them for who they are. So give it a shot if you want. It may not be perfect but it’s still freaking Steins;Gate.

Steins;Gate 0 シュタインズ・ゲートゼロ

2018 spring | Episodes: 23 | Score: 8.5 (445464)

Updated every Thursdays at 01:35 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:Frontier Works | Movic | Kadokawa

Streaming: Crunchyroll | Netflix

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Tamura, Yukari

Seki, Tomokazu

Yahagi, Sayuri

Imai, Asami

Miyano, Mamoru

Hanazawa, Kana

News

Reviews

Can_Draw_MH
10/20/2018, 05:55 AM
this is "nice" but white focks 9/10 . story 10/10 : by the way. why people like "insert some isekai fans in here" judging midquel? like dragon ball super and metal gear solid the phantom pain 5. because it's just a mid. and steins gate sequel maybe hit you with some depressions and normies okabe. don't worry . art 6/10 : anime adaptation is sucks. but story makes me 12/10 steins gate franchise doesn't need "your trashy isekai fanservices" with "well animations" but up to 16 episodes. animation is wow. this is what i wanted to see. sound (IT'S OVER 9000!): FUAHAHAHAHAHAHA. *messenger play* i listen to this music everyday . character 8/10 : normies Okabe sucks, Maho is so sad. thanks to Okabe, mayuri makes another loops, suzuha is. waw. beta chars, Daru is the mc now (joking but this is plot will go by), leskinen is OHH MAN. MEMELORD, Traps is baddass most importanly. HOUOUIN KYOUMA (episode 23)!!!! 99999/10 . enjoyment 9/10 : not as great as original because of normies Okabe. but so great in 2018. and white focks is now adapted the great franchise called "Goblin Slayer" and it's so great
ShiionKoro
10/18/2018, 07:50 AM
****There might be spoilers**** *This review is about Steins;Gate 0, not about the original anime Steins;Gate* Story Rarely, I came across an anime like this. For me, it was the perfect anime. Never have I gotten shivers so often like I did while watching this. Even though it's just an adaptation of a game - thus this anime gives us one of the most beautiful and at the same time shocking stories I've ever seen in my life. It shows us, that time and space is a thing that no human should ever touch or change, because if done, it'll have horrific consequences. It is also showing us the beautiful,funny and amazing relationship between the protagonist and his friends and his suffering of his lost friend Makise Kurisu, who sacrificed herself for the sake of a 'perfect' world line. But Okabe begins to notice, that there's much more wrong with this world line than promised. So, he and also some of his friends begin to search for the Steins;Gate, the perfect world line. The plot in this anime is amazingly picturfied and ist so intense, every single second until the end of the last episode. Art & Character It is without any doubt my favourite artstyle of all anime out there. You just have to fall in love with the characters, whether it's Mayuri's 'Tu-tu-ru' or the small legal loli Maho Hiyajou. Every character has a unique charm to him- or herself which makes everyone much more interesting. The city and the rest of the background art look as amazing as ever, really sucking one in until the end and matching the dark theme of this series. Sound The music sounded - just like in the original Steins;Gate - different from any other anime music. That solely made the whole series, especially the Intro and outro, a whole lot more enjoyable than it even was before. Well, that is all there really is for me to say right now. This definetly derserves to be rated 10/10.
Flexstyle
10/02/2018, 05:38 AM
Have you ever wanted to see a main protagonist who’s constantly tried to save the world, experienced years upon grief and despair only for him to realise how meaningless it is, reside to his fate and eventually give up? Well your in luck because that’s what Steins; Gate 0 is about! By saying that, How does one write another compelling, complex story about time travel to a beloved & acclaimed franchise without making it feel like another rehash of the Fate series? You strip away everything the fans loved about the original: Okabe’s self proclaimed, eccentric mad scientist persona ‘Houoin Kyouma’- Gone Makise Kurisu- Gone Tons oflighthearted, fun moments and character interactions between the lab members- Gone (don’t worry there’s still a lot, I’d just argue not as many) Then watch how the characters deal with this situation and slowly try regain all the past experiences & characters you loved as the story progresses. The quality in storytelling, characters, comedy, drama, time travel and overall writing is still the same, but it’s a lot more mature, tragic and melancholy than the original. Story (10/10): Steins;Gate 0 takes place after the events of Episode 23 of Steins;Gate, where instead of Okabe succeeding in rescuing Makise Kurisu, he fails to do so and thus doesn't reach "Steins Gate". It’s the spiritual “alternative future sequel” route that connects the story in a intricate way.   What makes Steins;Gate 0 great is the time travelling, mystey, the character interactions/relationships, plot twists, the amazing character moments and the emotions it evokes, and the character’s personal growth over the course of the story. Characters (10/10): The characters are still the same and we get a lot of character development for our lab members, especially Okabe & Mayushi. Unfortunately, Moeka and Farris do seem to have taken a back seat in this route, but honestly it’s not a problem because I love Okabe’s development even moreso. By stripping away everything that Okabe cares about and turning him into a shell of his former self, humanised him. We’re no longer seeing the mad scientist Houoin Kyouma, but the man, Okabe. Due to the traumatic experiences of time travel, years of grief and despair, Okabe has accepted his consequences and abides by his decision to never time travel again because it’s impossible to change Makise/Mayushi’s fate. This shift in Okabe’s personality is the inevitable outcome of his predicament, forcing him to forsaken his Houoin Kyouma persona and become a respectable, mature member of society. While Okabe comes across as a ‘normal’ person that’s moved on from Kurisu’s death, we’re slowly shown his layers and find out that he’s become a shell of his former self, unable to fully move on. In a sense, you’re supposed to empathise with Okabe’s inner struggle, his desperation in wanting to save a loved one that he still carries memories for, but knowing it could end another’s life.   As the story progresses and Okabe is pulled back into the world of time travel and secret organizations, he gradually regains his childish, chuunibyou fire that he thought went out years ago. Through the influence of Okabe’s friends, he develops a new drive to stop World War III from happening, save those he cares about and find Steins Gate- a world line where both Kurisu and Mayushi live, and we are celebrated in a big blazing glory with Okabe’s rebirth! Mayushi’s development and growth is done exceptionally well. No more spoiling, but I’m really impressed in how she comes into her own as a important lab member. We get some new more additions to the cast, such as: Kagari, Amadeus, the Professor and Maho who are fleshed out well and receive a lot of character development. Amadeus is a A.I. programme based off Kurisu’s memories. It serves as a device to help our lab members, moves the plot forward and gives the viewer the Kurisu fan service we desperately need, without fully replacing her character. Maho Hiyajo’s role serves as a “replacement,” as the new genius girl / potential love interest loli (who’s slight tsundere), who once supervised Kurisu. I absolutely love Maho. Her interactions with Okabe, the Professor and the lab members are fun, but what really appeals to me about her character is how well crafted she is and the nuanced, complex relationship she had with Kurisu. The problem with Maho is: she’s not as captivating, beautiful or smart as Kurisu. Maho has messy hair and has no real sense of fashion. Okabe is concerned about her, but his world doesn’t revolve around Maho in the same way it did with Kurisu. She can’t fill the place of Kurisu because she’s not good enough and Maho understands this herself, as it’s emphasized throughout the series. Maho’s inferiority complex (and somewhat jealousy) stems from feelings of “mediocrity” compared to her intelligent, talented kohai scientist Kurisu, which is magnificently compared to the historic composers- Antonio Salieri and Mozart. The analogies are done purposefully, for example Maho’s introduced visiting Japan with the Professor to work on Mozart. Amadeus is ironically the middle name of Mozart and the name of an Oscar-winning film that focused on their rivalry. Kagari plays a significant role in this route due to the mystery surrounding her identity, the brainwashing and her relationship with Mayushi. Her design is similar to Kurisu, which adds to the mastery xD Overall (10/10): I love Steins; Gate 0 almost as much as the original. It’s another masterpiece in time travel, excellent comedy and drama, that is woven into a cohesive intricate story. It pulls so well on your emotions that you can’t help but feeling swept away at times, like during Okabe’s rebirth. It baffles me how there’s so many reviews with low ratings. I feel those people don’t understand the purpose of this story is basically Okabe “regaining everything he once lost” so when they watched S;G 0 they expected it to be just like Steins Gate.
XxTakrakxX
09/28/2018, 07:36 PM
This anime has gotten me depressed. The original had me the same way, and this one takes the cake. I have no words to comprehend this, but it is a must WATCH!!! It has all the ingredients of Steins;Gate but yet it is more of an emotional train. Hop on and let it speak for itself. No doubt in my mind that this follow up of the original made me laugh, smile, emotional, almost got me crying (I never cry), and most importantly HAPPY. The story captured me, the art is like the original, do not get me going with the SOUNDTRACK it's a must.The character development from our sad scientist and his comrades our amazing, influential, and heartbreaking to see them go :(. I ENJOYED THIS ANIME SO MUCH AND ITS SO SAD TO WATCH ANOTHER GREAT ANIME leave. This anime is unique, creative, and very very psychological. PLEASE WATCH THIS!!!!
Kaidu-
09/27/2018, 07:11 PM
The development team behind the original Steins;Gate aimed for a rate of 99% science and 1% fantasy. I’m not sure what the anime staff for Steins;Gate 0 were going for, but if I were to guess, it would be 84% rule of cool, 15% fantasy and 2% science. If you paid attention, you probably noticed that those numbers do not add up. That’s on purpose, because Steins;Gate 0 doesn’t really care about making sense or not, and whether you notice those things and let them bug you is entirely up to you. The amateurish team behind the series had to adapt a non-linear Visual Novelthat had many routes, each with its own plot points and own character development. As a result, the history was divided into arcs, while still having the main story going on, but not focusing entirely in any of them. If it sounds a bit messy, it’s because it is. The show has many plot points that may or may not begin a story arc, and the viewer is never too sure to what he should be focusing on. For once, you might think Amadeus and AI is the main theme of the series, only for it to be forgotten for a while to focus on conspiracies and information warfare, which is then put aside so they can tell a story about amnesia. Then everything comes together near the end in a very messy way. Along with the awkward pacing and dubious writing, it becomes just too confusing for the viewer to keep track of everything that is going on. My biggest issue with it are the many dropped plot points, but there's so much going on that most people will just forget about them. It doesn’t help that the soundtrack for this series is basically just the game tracks that play whenever the sound director felt like. By itself, the soundtrack is amazing, but its usage here is boring and uncreative. As a matter of comparison, the original series hardly had a game song come up, and most of the episode’s duration were dead silent, with only background noise going on. This created an amazing atmosphere for the series. It is the complete opposite here though. In almost every scene there is a track playing in the background. It’s not trying to create an atmosphere or anything like that. As for the directing, it is mediocre and very amateurish, as expected of the staff for this show. By itself, that wouldn’t be too much of a problem, but when it tries to do something “different” it comes out jerky and very distracting, along with the poor animation that really becomes an issue on action scenes. It’s hard to enjoy and take them serious when everything moves like a malfunctioning robot. They even try to do some clever tricks to hide the bad animation, like zooming in a shot to simulate movement, or do shaky camera, but the result is straight up laughable. With all that said, the show does have some good moments. The first half is watchable, actually improving some stuff from the source material, and episode 8 was amazing for me. The character interactions are great and heart-warming, but can get a little too fan service-ish. As the story progresses, more is introduced and it becomes hard to follow. Maybe even the staff was having a hard time following it, since the show straight up forget some plot points or never really go anywhere with them. It gets exceptionally hard to watch towards the end, as it has some of the wackiest and inconsistent directing I’ve seen in a anime, with visuals that make no sense and are only trying to be cool. It also have some plot holes, which is ambiguous given the nature of the series, but I still believe that there are some plot holes here and there even considering that. As for how the plot progresses, its conveniences goes as far as changing a character personality or making them act in a way that they never would just so that the story can flow, almost as if the staff couldn’t think of a better way to do it. Sometimes I felt like there were no “rules” and anything could happen. It also tries to do drama, and I think it did a good job the first time, with a good build up and an excellent setting, but maybe it got too confident because of it, and the other times are not as good. However, it gets to a point where it desperately attempts to make you cry. It’s so blatantly obvious and pathetic that you can’t get sad. In fact, you might even laugh. The poor animation and awkward directing just make it worst. For most people, this show will be disappointing. That’s expected, as the original set the bar so high. Steins;Gate 0 tries to reach that bar, but the lack of a competent staff like the original and all its flaws makes it impossible to do so. This end up being just a 23-episode long fan service series. At the end, if you’re able to ignore, excuse, or simply don’t notice those things, you might enjoy Steins;Gate 0. (And with that said (and If you read until here), excuse my grammar errors and poor writing. This is my first (and possibly last) review.
Jossep
09/27/2018, 12:17 PM
hahaha do not hate me if you read incoherently the words in English is the magic of CTR + C and CTR + V in the translator my mother tongue is Spanish (the truth is sorry) English: I just finished Steins; Gate 0 23/23 "Far from saying that the masterpiece or that the heaviest or most unnecessary series and here one more addition, in the VN everything is better (Haha)" I want to say: I enjoyed Steins; Gate 0 I worried about Okabe Rintaro, I shed tears with Mayuri, I felt very bad for Kurisu / Amadeuz, I enjoyed Daru (crazy fists, unconditional dad), I felt the impotenceof not being able to do anything with Suzuha, Maho and his legal loli service , and the other members of the laboratory. Not brothers that nice series, I enjoyed it a lot and I'm sad that they make their reviews starting with: ah the art, ah the Ost, that the character and the other, oh I did not enjoy it, in general a mediocre series. (That makes me very sad all criticize that culinary critic) I'm going to make the straight and say "hey I shed some tears in that episode, or that I really liked that more or less you see that scene" final of everything, I did not write the score or anything like that I'll just say "I FOLLOWED AND ENJOYED EVERY EPISODE AND I DID NOT REJECT ANYTHING". :) Steins; Gate and Steins; Gate 0 have a special space in my favorite series / animes without adding "I am Team Mayuri jejejeje" Español : Acabo de terminar Steins;Gate 0 23/23 "Lejos de decir que obra maestra o que serie mas pesada o innecesaria y aquí un añadido mas, en la VN todo es mejor(LOL)" Yo quiero decir: disfruté con Steins;Gate 0 me preocupé por Okabe Rintaro, derramé lagrimas con Mayuri, me sentí muy mal por Kurisu/Amadeuz, disfruté con Daru (puños locos, papá incondicional), Sentí la impotencia de no poder hacer nada con Suzuha, Maho y su servicio loli legal, y los demás miembros del laboratorio. No herman@s que bonita serie, la disfruté mucho y me pone triste que hagan sus reseñas iniciando con: ah el arte, ah el Ost, que el personaje tal y lo otro, ah yo no lo disfruté, ah en general un serie mediocre. (eso me pone muy triste todos critican tal cual critico culinario) a eso voy ¿que te cuesta sincerarte y decir "oye yo derramé algunas lagrimas en ese episodio, o que me gusto mucho ese ost, o que bonito se veía esa escena" al final de todo yo no escribiré el puntaje ni nada por el estilo solo diré "YO SEGUÍ Y DISFRUTE CADA EPISODIO Y NO ME ARREPIENTO DE NADA". :) Steins;Gate y Steins;Gate 0 tienen un espacio especial en mis series/animes favoritos un añadido "yo soy Team Mayuri hehehehe"
yMorgoth
09/26/2018, 03:20 PM
''The way I see it, this world exists because of a choice Kurisu made. I must protect that choice. That is this world’s law. In reliving time, I learned one thing… That certain events converge as if orchestrated by God. Trying to change them… it’s challenging God. And God does not tolerate human arrogance. '' Okabe Rintaro ''This vague, ominous feeling… It’s like living in a nightmare where I know all the bad things to come. Where the world enjoys to rub in the guilt of my unspeakeable sin. This inescapable despair... Slowly becomes a downward spiral... '' Okabe Rintaro Steins;Gate 0 is the bleak reality ofthe Beta World Line. Basically, it's Okabe's story of the tragic future of the beta line, portraying his depression and how he managed to plan Operation Skuld. Steins;Gate 0 arises from the premisse "what if?". What if Okabe had made another decision, giving up everything? Story - 10 It is highly recommended watch Steins;Gate 0 because it explains exactly the events that leads to the end of the original series, why this tragic future needs desperately to change. The dialogues are dense and shocking (episode 16 is the perfect proof of this), since Okabe tries to live a normal life but, even so he sinks in an absolute sadness. See only if you have that in mind, because it is not easy to recover from a trauma, and his motives to become depressed are entirely plausible. Hououin Kyouma will return, we all know, but surely he must experience total despair before the glorious return and the glorious ending. Art - 9 The art is very similar to the original, however, here has many more dark tones to leave a more tense atmosphere. I also like the fact that the camera focuses a lot on the traumatized expression of the Okabe, emphasizing all his suffering. The only problem of the art is the animation of the action scenes that occur in episode 17 and 18, but since it’s not an anime focused totally in action, I can overlook this a little bit. But I hope they will improve this at the final edition. Sound - 10 The soundtrack is simply beautiful. Character - 10 The characters continue to have a good development, especially Okabe, Daru, Mayuri and Maho. They all have a backstory, philosophical and subjective debates, goals and dramas. I would say that initially Steins;Gate 0 as well as Steins;Gate has a focus on character development, only that in S;G 0 they are developed in a dense environment, which further increases the thrilling atmosphere. It is noteworthy that, PRACTICALLY in the whole anime Okabe is depressed and hopeless, which is not a bad thing, it is totally plausible for the reasons I mentioned above. Enjoyment - 10 If you loved Steins; Gate, you'll love this one. All the dark atmosphere and the deep feelings that are addressed in every episode. If you felt comfortable after the ending of Steins;Gate, be prepared to be punched in the gut with every episode. This is not your feel-good anime. This anime will torment you with feels in a way you wouldn't expect. S;G 0 is so much underrated. I believe that a large portion did not understand some points of the plot, premise and the interweaving of routes of the VN. The point is that Steins;Gate 0 should not be observed separately, since the main premise is to complement the True Ending, giving a totally new great meaning to it. Basically it's the story of the Operation Skuld but not about the Operation Skuld. This way, it can be said that the main issue addressed in Steins;Gate 0 is sacrifice. I can't say much more about the True Ending due to spoilers, but It's implied that 0kabe lives through multiple PR and V&A like scenarios. What I can say is that Steins;Gate 0 is very, very complex... maybe even more complex than the original series, because it has several layers and infinite loops of failures and sacrifices, plus the end is extremely sad. It is a sensational experience. Overall, It's a great sequel. Steins;Gate 0 has a genial psychological plot with a very dark atmosphere and incredible soundtrack. Just like Steins;Gate, this series deserves to be watched by all humans of this and other World Lines. El Psy Kongroo.
Remlap1223
09/26/2018, 02:28 PM
"That day, if my Hikoboshi came back to life, it might have changed everything." Re-review of Steins;Gate 0 after watching the entire series in chronological order (Steins;Gate episodes 1-22, 23b, 0 episodes 1-23, Steins;Gate episodes 23-25). This review is coming from a die-hard fan of the original series that has watched the original anime and 100% completed 0's Visual Novel as well. I originally gave the series an 8/10, but after rewatching it I'm bumping it up to a 9/10 due to the fact that I was able to better absorb the story and the series has one of the strongest finishes in all of anime. Story: Ican draw some interesting parallels between the anime adaptation of Steins;Gate 0 and the original Fullmetal Alchemist adaptation. Two stories that adapt from an original source material, but have a vastly different second half from the original for different reasons. In Steins;Gate 0's case, it is because the Visual Novel of 0 is non-linear. In order for you to get the true end, you have to progress the story through two conflicting routes in a certain order. The story vastly changes depending on which route you take. White Fox had to somehow tell a linear cohesive story through that source material, and in some ways, it works really well, and in others, it falls on its face. First, the good. The story is much deeper than the original. You really get to see the both the best and worst of humanity through this story, and adds so much character development to the main cast. The anime adaptation managed to adapt all of the endings of 0 into the main story (with the exception of the bad end) and it adds a lot of weight to the story in some aspects. However, it's not all good. Steins;Gate was a very slow burn of a story that didn't really pick up until episode 9, and the plot didn't really fire on all cylinders until episode 12. But once it got there, oh man, I was hooked. Steins;Gate 0 has some much worse pacing problems. The first eight episodes are great, the story kicks into high gear on episode 6, but then peaks around 8, and then crashes and burns by the time episode 10 rolls around. The plot spins its wheels for five episodes, and then things start picking back up again. Once the story hits the gecko ending (Mayuri's route in the VN was vastly different) the story doubles down and the stakes are raised even further. I can say this is probably the only time ever where knowing the source material will actually curve you even harder than going in blind. The last third of Steins;Gate 0 is far better than the VN, and is the primary reason why I adjusted my review. The anime adaptation also added a significant amount of original content that was not present in the VN. Episode 8 turned a half hour part of the VN into a full episode, and the feels knob is turned up to 11 as a result, Daru and Yuki's relationship is expanded in a very wholesome OC episode (which pulls double duty for expanding Daru and Yuki's characters, as well as writing out a very very dumb plot twist from the VN), and once Mayuri's route starts going you get a sizeable chunk of the Drama CD Arc-Light of the Point at Infinity, which was equally as impactful as Faris' route in the original in terms of expanding the character of someone who was barely a blip on the radar and turned them into one of the best of the show. Thank you White Fox for reinforcing why I love Mayushii so much. The Teal Deer for the story is that the VN is paced much better, but the overall changes that the anime makes to the story is much more impactful, suspenseful, and has a much more satisfying conclusion. Art: Oh boy, this is a hell of a can of worms. Steins;Gate had some of the best animation and art in all of anime. It defies the moeblob art style that the rest of the industry has taken to heart and favors a more realistic approach, focusing more on the character's bodies than their eyes. I'd say that the art style is the midway point between Log Horizon and Death Note. Regardless of whether or not you like the art style, you can't argue that it is part of the reason why Steins;Gate stands out in the sea of anime adaptations. Steins;Gate 0 doubles down on what was good and bad about the original. There are scenes in 0 that look more visually stunning than in Your Name. But oh my the action scenes look just ghastly. Not to mention the various anatomical and linguistic errors (Sarieri, Roading, etc.) Now, these I'll give a pass because those will be ironed out in the Blu-Ray release, but I have no idea how they're going to fix the tire fire that is the action scenes in episodes 18 and 19. The answer is probably that they won't, and trust me, it's hard to look at. Teal Deer, 0 retains the distinct art style of the original and works great in stills and certain scenes, but it's execution in high action scenes are laughably bad. Sound: Steins;Gate always had an amazing soundtrack, but 0's eclipses it by a long shot, and that's really saying something. The new tracks and the remixes of the old ones add so much more weight to the scenes. There were times where I was barely holding on in an emotional scene, Amadeus started playing, and then the dam broke and out came the waterworks. The anime exclusive tracks are equally as impressive. I can't speak on those too much as the OST is just coming out, whereas I've blasted all of the VN's tracks on repeat multiple times, but the soft ambience of them in the background of certain scenes adds so much to the it. Re-Awake is one of the best tracks in all of anime. Teal Deer, it's fitting that Mozart and Salieri are brought up in Steins;Gate 0, because the orchestra is a masterpiece. Character: In terms of overall character growth, it can be summarized thusly; is the character a main character? Yes? They are absolutely phenomenal. Supporting? They're going to range from forgettable to cringeworthy. Everyone brings up Kagari, but I actually like the way that Kagari was handled in the anime (it's a hell of an improvement of the dumpster fire that she was in the VN, with the exception of Promised Rinascimento and Recursive Mother Goose.) But Ruka and Faris take so much of a backseat that it hurts. Ruka is salvaged in the end, but Faris was my favorite character in the original after a certain point, and to see her go from such a compelling character to yuri bait just made me want to send a D-Mail to prevent the writer of 0's story from being born. Fubuki and Kaede weren't huge part in the VN, but they did SOMETHING. They're completely forgettable in the anime, and they pretty much are forgotten about too. But as for the main cast, all of them got significant character growth. Seeing the rise, fall, and rise again of Okabe Rintaro was amazing, and the interactions with him and Suzuha and seeing them both taken to their lowest points was so heavy and their interactions were fantastic. I'm torn between Daru and Mayuri as the MVPs of the series because the story of their paternal and maternal relationships with their children was great character growth and all around heartwarming. And then we've got the two newcomers from America, Hiyajo "Legal Loli FTW" Maho, and Alexis "Where are the Shaman Girls, Lintahlo?" Leskinen. There is an all around interesting dynamic between them, and great comedy and insane plot twists regarding the two characters. Teal Deer, while the supporting cast does not live up to the precedent set by the original, the main characters got just as much, if not more growth in 0. Overall Enjoyment, aka the only score that matters: I am really torn on Steins;Gate 0. It never was going to live up to the standard that the original made, simply because Steins;Gate is not only one of the best anime and visual novels, but sci-fi story and fiction in general. So I simultaneously feel that I am nitpicking 0 and giving it way too many free passes at the same time. The skinny is that 0 is amazing. Very few anime of recent years had me anxiously looking at my clock to wait for the next episode. Even at the low points of the story, 0 always had my engagement. I haven't cried this much from an anime this year since I finished A Place Further Than the Universe. Steins;Gate 0 is a paradox. It is a (inter)sequel to a story that had a definitive and conclusive ending, but it somehow adds to the story in a way that doesn't retread old ground or completely screw up continuity and adds so much to it. One of the worst things about the original's story was the ending, but 0 turned what was a Deus Ex Machina asspull to keep the OTP alive, and turned it into a long and arduous journey of suffering that made the happy ending of the original truly earned. Teal Deer, if you even remotely enjoyed the original Steins;Gate, rewatch the series chronologically, that is OG 1-22, 23b, 0 1-23, OG 23-25. You will not regret it. EL. PSY. KONGROO.
Swift2002
09/26/2018, 01:58 PM
The original steins;gate is my favourite show of all time so to for me a follow up to that series would have an incredibly difficult task ahead of it. Personally i believe that steins;gate 0 did an incredible job of, in my opinion, matching up with the original. All the characters of this show are so lovingly developed and well written that i think there is not a single character I dislike or think is even remotely poorly written. From the main characters to the considerably smaller ones, (such as Ruka and Feyris) every one feels real and has real depth to them to thepoint that minor characters in SG are far better than most main characters in a lot of other popular anime and manga. Where in many other shows, episodes which focus on just chara can seem dull to me, in Steins;gate I always welcome the chance to watch these characters I love interact with one another and develop further, something which 0 does regularly, and brilliantly. The writing in terms of story is also, in my opinion, absolutely fantastic. Despite sometimes being able to predict what will happened next, the writing still frequently manages to suprise me and make me want to see more. In a world where time travel stories are not by any means rare and very often cliché and poorly put together, steins;gate is a brilliant example of the type of story you can tell with time travel which is emotional and exciting. Never have I watched anything that had caused me to have to wipe tears from my eyes one minute and later in the episode make me grin with joy. I truly love both steins;gate and steins;gate 0 and that is not something I say lightly. It is my favourite anime and probably science fiction story I have seen and if you haven't watched it please, please do you will not regret it. Its absence will be very noticeable and I will miss it a great deal. El Psy Congroo
Dream95
09/26/2018, 01:54 PM
Disclaimer: I will not be comparing this to the VN whatsoever, just the fact that it is a bit different in how it's layed out. It's to be expected though; trying to cram the enormous VN into a 23 episode anime was going to be impossible. Also I expect you to fully know what happened in the original Steins;Gate ****This is a Spoiler Free Review***** It's finally back. The awe inspiring, sometimes dramatic, sometimes light-hearted, sometimes tear inducing rollercoaster of a series is back to take you on an another journey. With a continuation of a plot from season 1's "sad ending", the depressing conflicts of OkabeRintarou's emotions will once again have you engaged like no other. Can he change the outcome by reaching Steins;Gate? Will he return to the "mad scientist" we all know and love? Like the previous adaptation, the sequel starts off rather slowly, however, we already see the differences, primarily in our main character. Whereas he was an exciting, funny, and overly dramatic character in season 1, he is now former shell of himself. Depressed and conflicted over how he couldn't change the inevitable, we see that the "Okarin" we knew has changed. The change is well done in every aspect, from mannersims to voice acting to even the attire (white lab coat to black attire). To me, this was the focal point of the new adaptation: the inner conflicts of Okarin- whether to attempt to change the outcome once again or live life with the constant guilt of not being able to save Kurisu. The story telling is generally well done. For the lovers of the original series- Fear not, for they have all the elements you loved about S;G in the sequel as well. This adaptation will still give you a false sense of hope only to yank it away from you with a twist, so no worries. Also, one of the best things about Steins;Gate series is that they know how to incorporate both humour and light hearted moments with the dark and serious. Now, whether you like these mini "fanservice" moments or not are up to you. However, they don't really ruin the story. As it is known for, the plot twists and the intense drama are all great, although maybe not as good as the original. The action scenes are sometimes pretty nonsensical, but thankfully Steins;Gate is not primarily about action. Like the original however, it gets dark and depressing real quick, with many episodes dedicated to drawing those feels out. As I've said, once it begins, it just keeps going and going. Without spoiling, there are couple of plot holes and rushing here and there. It could just be an effect of trying to cram in too much in just a 2 cour, but they could've handled some plot points better for sure, because it can get confusing. One thing I did think the White Fox handled well was adding much needed extra material to where the VN didn't. It is a small, but refreshing change. The old characters are all lovable like before. Depressed Okarin is amazing and just made us want that comeback even more. Mayuri showed a lot more character and development here than in the original. Her emotions towards the changed Okarin is just simply heart wrenching. What surprised me however was Daru, and how he was a lot more serious and mature-like at some points(particularly from ep.16 and beyond). Suzuha is also as dynamic and serious as before. The new characters are good, but not great, maybe a little generic. Maho, the "legal loli" as Daru would like to say, is very fun to watch in her interactions with Okarin and others. She is playful, emotional, but still strong willed. She was clearly the best of the new bunch. Amadeus is an AI version of Kurisu's memories before she came to Japan. It retains Kurisu's personalities, from her tsundereness to her playfulness. Dr. Leskinen, one of the developers of Amadeus, is a nice addition from America, with the absolute best pronunciation of "Rintaloh". Kagari (no spoilers), can be a little annoying at times, but is still an essential part to the story. Yuki also brought out more variety of emotions from Daru and Suzuha. Honestly, I can't say too much of some of them without some heavy spoilers. Overall, the new characters aren't outstanding, but most of them do enhance the story and other characters in some way. Some, however, have very little presence unfortunately. Regarding the characters, the voice acting is absolutely fantastic. In fact, I thought it was even better than the ones in the game. It was very dynamic, with intense emotions where necessary. Ep.16 will tell you just how good the VA is, but it was constantly amazing throughout. The animation is ranging from decent to good, not great. The action scenes can get very clunky, and it can get a bit confusing at times. There were direction issues here and there especially with faster scenes. Honestly, it's a good thing that S;G is not primarily an action anime, because if there is one complaint I have with the anime series is that it's action scenes are rather ehh.. Otherwise I thought the rest were fine. One thing I do love about the series in general is the dark tone/color it has throughout to accompany the darkness of the story. It just fits so well. One other thing I have to mention is how good the music is. The opening and two endings are all amazing. Just go listen to the first ending, it to me, is one of the best ending themes ever (no bias). The instrumental osts are all great. Some of them are remixed from the original, while some are new, but they all accompany the scenes very well. Overall, although not as good as the original (it is hard to reach that standard tbf), I thought that Steins;Gate 0 was still excellent. The humour, the raw emotions, the development, and the plot twists makes this a nice sequel. If you are a S;G fan, you will enjoy the sequel as well. El Psy Congroo.
JuleGrandis
09/26/2018, 01:48 PM
Keep in mind this is my first review of any anime. So Steins;Gate 0 is the continuation of episode 23b of Steins;Gate. I personally love Steins;Gate for everything, from the animation to the soundtrack. So I wasn't sure if I was happy it got a sequel, or an inquel or whatever you wanna call it. Story - 10 Steins;Gate 0 continues on a world line where Kurisu dies and Mayuri lives. Due to this choice, Okabe Rintaro is depressed and trying to find a way through the dark. The story progresses quite fast compared to S;G, and introduces characters way faster. What makes the story outstanding and excitingis that the ending is already set. Which is reaching the world line Steins;Gate. What makes it exciting is how they get there, and where will we get our mad scientist back. Art - 8 The artwork is very similar to S;G, with some slight changes. If it weren't for the action scenes the artwork would be a solid 10. But this is where S;G 0 falls short. Action scenes aren't where S;G 0 shines, the scenes are poorly executed and falls short for the expectations. Other than the action scenes the rest is a solid 10/10, everything from facial expressions to animation is just spot on. Sound - 10 The soundtrack in S;G 0 is almost the same as S;G with some new ones, but it's still great. The emotional music "Believe me" is just so great. I could go on for hours just about that one soundtrack but, you know... It really caught up at the end, where they used their music so perfect, it's just amazing. Character - 10 Following the characters from S;G they're still the good old characters we all love. Every single character has a great story, especially our main characters. The character development is just spot on while it keeps the same vibe as our characters from S;G. Nothing more to say about, it's just great. Enjoyment - 10 If you've watched S;G you'll enjoy S;G 0 a lot. It's one of those animes where once you've watched, you wish that you could forget it and just rewatch it again with the same feeling. Overall - 10
UnseriousSam
09/26/2018, 12:41 PM
Depression;Gate 0: An Unserious Review The heart wrenching, time looping, mind melting titan of anime has returned, and holy gel-nanas does it deliver. In case it needs saying, this series only makes sense after watching the original season and the “Divide by Zero” alternate episode 23. Do yourself a favour and make sure you’ve seen that suffer-fest before delving into this one. Steins;Gate 0 feels so very much like the original. The cast are as lovable as ever, the tone can switch from light to dark in an instant, and the world line theory is still just as absorbing. But the real separation between this series andits predecessor is a very noticeable hole in the shape of two personalities: Makise Kurisu and Hououin Kyouma. Where the original creates character tension by pitting these two against each other, Zero accomplishes the same by simply highlighting their absence. Shadows of Kurisu’s presence remain in the form of her lab colleague Hiyajo, and Amadeus, the AI based off her pre-Japan memories. As for Kyouma, he remains locked away inside Rintaro’s mind, buried under layers of fear and regret. Zero plays on this absence time and time again. There are so many references to things lost that it’s no wonder Rintaro can’t get a hold of himself. The story re-treads much of the same ground. The early episodes feel like the heady days of gel-nanas, Alpacaman and too-too-roo! But it’s a false happiness marred by a painful past and a terrible, inevitable future. And after a few personal crises and interventions by “The Organisation,” the members of the Future Gadget Laboratory get their lab coats into gear to thwart World War III once again. It’s all very familiar, but with a much darker, less optimistic feel. If I had to pin down the central theme of the show, I would say that many of the characters have trouble facing up to reality. Okabe Rintaro is the obvious example: he’s so far-gone that he’s willing to abandon Hououin Kyouma, his research, his lab, and his past, all while consciously forgetting about the apocalypse to come. But there are others. Super Hax0r Daru and the ever-adorable Mayushii have similar hurdles to overcome. Only when their delusions are banished can these characters grow and achieve their potential. Steins;Gate 0 doesn’t manage to innovate in the same way as its predecessor, but the way it builds on its past makes it a worthy successor to one of the greatest anime titles of all time. Mission accomplished. El Psy Congroo.
TK8878
09/26/2018, 11:54 AM
Review in brief: Steins;Gate 0 is a rough showing in a beloved series that goes from cringey to alright to bad at the drop of a hat for its entire duration with few exceptions. It’s not without its moments, but they’re so few and far between that it bears a serious question: “Is this story worth being told?” Unless depression, memes, and a handful of clichés can hold your interest across most of the anime an honest “yes” will be hard to give. **This review assumes that you’ve watched the original Steins;Gate. Inevitable comparisons will be made, but the focus will only be on Steins;Gate 0and what is necessary to explain it.** Review in full: Welcome to the beta attractor field, where resident sad scientist Okabe Rintaro makes a half-hearted go at preventing inevitable calamity by talking to an AI, helping an amnesiac, and generally being depressed in his all-black clothes. The viewer is expected to already know how this story begins and ends; it’s the story of how Okabe gets over his failures, refuses to let the world become a dystopia/perpetual war-zone, and forges the plan to reach Steins Gate. That said, as far as Steins;Gate 0 is concerned, the story itself is almost entirely the first of those three parts, i.e. the story of how Okabe gets PTSD from remembering Moeka’s existence for a while and rarely breaks out of his defeatism & submission to fate. Perhaps it could work if Okabe had the time to wallow in depression, but as-is it just sees him mope and complain while the world crumbles around him rather than develop him in any way the original Steins;Gate hadn't already. As such, Okabe’s depression is not well-handled and isn’t an entertaining story either unless depression is your guilty pleasure. Now the Steins;Gate series is no stranger to initially slow plots, but there are key differences here. The original’s slow start was acceptable and even enjoyable for many because it was a slowly unfolding tale about some weirdos messing around with alternate timelines using a machine built with a cell phone, a microwave that turned bananas into green jelly, mental instability, and the landlord’s 42” CRT TV (without permission). It was a plot that invited silliness while working with many mysterious & genuinely intriguing facets until things got serious in a sudden twist that was subtly hinted at, but surely wouldn’t happen in such a silly slice-of-life. Steins;Gate 0 doesn’t have this start (or middle) at all. The audience already knows there’s time travel involved, so we get an AI that merely serves as a plot device and side character instead of working as the dynamic element time travel was and is in the series. Instead of building odd gadgets, Okabe and his friends reflect on how useless they feel while not finishing odd gadgets. Okabe is so depressed that it rubs off on Mayuri in certain ways, leaving a heavily flanderized Faris, barely-existent Nae, Prof. Alexis “Meme-Machine” Leskinen, and sometimes Daru to “spice things up” with randomness, memes, references to Steins;Gate, old Steins;Gate memes, Daru’s gentleman pervert antics, a K-On! reference, and sometimes even an actual joke. Some may find said humor decent enough for what it is, but those who need more than references and random memery to laugh could easily find it unable to balance the anime’s overarching aura of depression. The slow part of the anime drags on until roughly episode 18, leaving much less room for the thriller aspect Steins;Gate 0 clearly wants to replicate. Even so the “heavy” parts of the story miss their mark more often than they hit. A blatantly-flagged carbon copy of one of the original Steins;Gate’s events serves as a total mockery, soldiers often have such bad accuracy and combat awareness that they make storm troopers look like SEAL Team 6, the villain reveal can be seen from a mile away and plays out like a bad fan fiction, and plenty more that is too spoilery to bring up. It’s not helped by the regular use of “action scenes”, effectively slide-shows in most cases interspersed with awkward breaks for dramatic dialogue mid-fight. These are interlaced with numerous plot contrivances & inconsistencies, enough to make the attentive viewer start to consider if this is actually a side story in an alternate universe with different rules. Time travel itself bends its consistency, with events that ought to result in paradox yet don’t, plus the explanation as to why the Time Leap Machine was limited to two days (because beyond that point the user’s mental state would be too different, resulting in likely damage) is ignored at times. It’s not all bad news though, as there are still a handful of standout serious moments to be had. One unexpected twist brings developments that add to the overall story and blunts the anime’s initial angst to a degree. Getting to see just how other characters cope (or struggle to cope) with Kurisu’s death, Okabe’s resulting depression, and other similar & related events shows us sides of characters like Daru & Mayuri that hadn’t been touched upon much prior. Finally, there is a point where the show somewhat refreshes itself, and though it may be too little too late for those truly expecting a thriller, it results in some memorable moments that hold some small amount of merit, all things considered. Such moments of merit are likely enough to remind a viewer who was otherwise put-off by other parts of the anime why they decided to watch it in the first place, or perhaps even the Steins;Gate series as a whole. More forgiving (or forgetful) fans could very well remember the anime based on these moments, which will likely be mentioned many times over to defend the anime and show that there are indeed clear & valid reasons to rate it highly. Unfortunately, someone watching with their brain turned on runs a high risk of having their rose-tinted glasses broken early on (if they had them to begin with). Steins;Gate 0 relies heavily on nostalgia to deliver its impact and stick a fair portion of its humor, leading to a glaring issue for many ~ that it does little to stand on its own two feet. Large portions of it effectively work as fanservice, and someone expecting an anime that is good standalone won’t have much to point to in the end. Such is the conclusion I have come to in regards to Steins;Gate 0, though there are other aspects of the anime to mention for the sake of completeness. As previously mentioned there are issues involving the visual quality. The amount of animation is minimized to a point where even someone such as myself who doesn’t view animation as a highly important quality in an anime (if it helps tell the story it’s usually good enough for me) was left wanting more of it. The picture quality itself is simply average, as the stylistic flare the original Steins;Gate had is not present here, and most frames are merely standard for the purpose of animating dialogue accompanied with basic motion ~90% of the time. Character (re)designs come with two "quirks". First you have Okabe's all-black attire, because clearly we aren't smart enough to tell that he's depressed. Second, it turns out that the B in beta attractor field stands for “breast expansion” as the returning female cast grew by one or two cup sizes. Less focus on plot, more focus on plot, sounds like a normal day in anime land. The audio quality fares better, partially thanks to returning elements such as certain talented seiyuu and some of Steins;Gate’s noteworthy soundtrack. The new songs are distinguishable from each other, fitting for their usage, fit the reused compositions, and make use of a passable leitmotif. The OP & standard EDs don’t hold up as well, though the special EDs are a nice touch. Voicework is a mixed bag, with some voices done very well despite the circumstances within the show (including the voices for Mayuri, Daru, & Maho considering the varied emotions they experience). At the same time Amadeus (Kurisu) always sounds like she’s been awake for two days straight and Okabe’s actor was clearly enthused to be voicing him again, so much so that it’s noticeable at times and in ways where “enthused” isn’t how Okabe is portrayed (and can be overbearing in scenes where he is). Speaking of portrayals, Steins;Gate 0 has some highlights and some issues with how it handles characterization. It features a sizable cast, sizable enough to where it can’t put enough attention into all of the cast to give everyone a clear purpose. Faris is there because why not, Ruka is there so that Okabe feels more stressed in two scenes and for the obligatory “but he’s a guy” joke, Mayuri’s three cosplaying friends only exist because one develops a plot hook that is mentioned twice and left unused & forgotten, and another is Daru’s future wife (who also develops a plot hook that gets abandoned). There’s also the unfortunate case of Kagari, whose subplot is split into three chunks, always coming in just when something else seems to actually be starting up, and never wraps up all of its loose ends, rendering her as little more than an annoyingly used plot device that totally looks just like Kurisu if you ignore her ridiculous bust. Some characters turn out quite well though. Mayuri & Daru are given plenty of serious moments to develop and/or flesh out, which better establishes why they are crucial to Okabe and his journeys. They end up taking responsibilities Okabe shrugs off in his depression, filling larger roles as lab members than simply “super hacker” and “perceptive tuturuu-chan”. As for new characters, Maho could easily be accused of being a fill-in Kurisu, but she has her own character and while she could have used more attention the developments involving her tend to be better rather than worse, and Prof. Leskinen makes an effective foil for her when he’s not busy being Meme Man. That leaves Okabe himself. For all of his depressive moping in the story, he does slowly develop his way through in chunks, and the Okabe that formed the plan to deceive the world is made known. However, this development simply mirrors the last stage of his development in the original Steins;Gate across 23 episodes instead of the 2-3 it originally took. It’s nice to see where he ends up, but mostly only because the anime dragged its feet every step of the way there. It’s not entirely bad by the end, but a rewatch of Steins;Gate will do the same thing in a much better way. Verdict: Steins;Gate 0 is an unfortunate case of producers going for the cheap method of low cost & appealing to nostalgia to make a profit, as evidenced by the stunted production values, repeated use of old memes, and dry plot that overstays its welcome. It’s only on brief occasions that this anime partially digs itself out of that quagmire, much like Okabe with his depression. It does have moments of merit deep down, but it's buried under so much junk that I can't quite say it's enough to make the experience worthwhile. It takes a certain kind of person to forgive the multitude of flaws in Steins;Gate 0, someone I couldn't reasonably expect anyone to be.
HellLyter
09/26/2018, 11:45 AM
What happens when the hero fails to save the day and just gives up? According to Steins;Gate 0, he spirals into a state of complete depression and despair, becoming a shell of his former self. Steins;Gate 0 is an alternate future where protagonist Okabe Rintarou fails to save Makise Kurisu. It’s sort of a “what if” story that shows what would happen if Okabe gave up on trying to reach the sacred Steins;Gate world line in which everyone is happy and there’s no apocalypse in the near future. To put it bluntly, S;G0 was a success. It’s been quite a long time since I’ve been sothoroughly entertained by an anime. Even though it doesn't quite match the quality of the original in my mind, S;G0 was still able to live up to the high expectations set by its predecessor, and it tells a truly compelling narrative. It’s amazing how the personality change of one person can affect so many. The mad scientist Hououin Kyouma died alongside Kurisu in the beta world line where this story takes place, leaving behind a nihilistic and broken Okabe Rintarou. Viewers can clearly see just how hard the rest of the cast, especially Mayuri, take Okabe’s character transformation. Gone is the humorous banter and close companionship that the characters shared in the original Steins;Gate. It has been replaced with a dark and uncomfortable atmosphere, and as someone who was warmed by Okabe’s positive relationships with his friends, it’s downright depressing to watch. An even harder loss to swallow is Makise Kurisu. She’s quite frankly an amazing character. Makise is intelligent, attractive, a bit of a tsundere and an otaku, has a lot of great and funny moments in the original anime, and is just admirably supportive of Okabe, acting as his crutch during his times of despair. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call her an ideal girl. She even sacrifices herself so that Okabe can live in an beta world line in which Mayuri lives. Wow, she might just be a bit too perfect…Although she’s dead in S;G0, there’s an amazing episode where Okabe transitions into an alpha world line where Kurisu is alive, yet Mayuri is deceased. The episode is basically there to remind us just how phenomenal Makise is, and that makes it all the more painful when Okabe returns to the beta world line, leaving Kurisu behind. I’m not gonna lie, I was starting to get a little emotional at the end of the episode. So with Makise deceased in this world line and Okabe having suppressed his flamboyant mad scientist nature in favor of a more emo persona, you might think that this anime is a lot weaker than its predecessor in the character department. Well, while I can admit the the original Steins;Gate is superior when it comes to characterization, the cast of S;G0 is still quite amazing in its own right. Okabe really is one of the greatest anime protagonist out there. One of the things that makes him so good is his ability to be unrealistically ridiculous with his bouts of chuunibyouism while being able to transition to a more solemn and vulnerable state when things get serious. The latter is heavily demonstrated in this anime, as the old, care free Okabe is gone, replaced by a serious man who still strives to help his friends, but struggles with his own doubts and insecurities. This portrays him as being truly human, because let’s be real, I don’t think any of us would be able to keep up a cheery image if we went through all of the pain that Okabe has faced. But do not despair, because Okabe’s depression doesn’t last forever. Because just like the majestic phoenix, Hououin Kyouma ascends from the ashes and is born anew. I won’t spoil anything specific, but near the very end of the anime, Okabe finally regains his drive and determination, and once again becomes the mad scientist that we all know and love. For that entire episode, I had a big, stupid grin on my face. It was so refreshing to see the old Okabe again after so long, and literally every chuuni thing he did made me nearly burst out laughing. But he didn’t go back to his old self on his own. No, his awakening can be truly attributed to the admirable support of his friends. With Makise gone, the title of female protagonist goes to her scientist loli upperclassmen friend Maho Hiyajou. Now Makise has some pretty big shoes to fill, and being a loli, Maho’s feet might be too small to fit- oh wait, this is an idiom…whoops…Well anyway, Maho ended up being a great addition to the cast. She might seem a bit one dimensional on the surface with her main defining feature being her desire to surpass Kurisu, but I can assure you that there is so much more to her character. Despite her small stature, Maho has a big part to play in the anime. She gives several inspirational speeches that help to push Okabe forward, constructs the time leap machine in Kurisu’s absence, shows vulnerabilities despite her general awesomeness, and has many funny and entertaining moments in the show. Does she reach Kurisu’s level? I don’t think so, but she’s a great character nonetheless. I actually liked Daru a good deal more this time around. Perhaps it was because Okabe became somewhat of a vegetable for awhile, which allowed for Daru’s personality to shine through. He actually has a nice lighthearted arc with his future wife and daughter Suzuha that develops his character. He provides some pretty good comic relief on occasion, and, along with Maho, is easily the most useful lab member to Okabe. Mayuri’s role is important because through her, viewers can clearly see just how much the cast is negatively affected by Okabe’s give up attitude. Gone are the kawaii tuturus~ and upbeat personality. They’ve been replaced with a sad girl who just wants her prince Okabe to be happy. She feels herself slowly distancing from Okabe throughout the show, and even decides to time travel herself so that she can motivate Okabe to not give up on trying to save Kurisu. I found this to be quite admirable, and really like how the anime handled her character. The other familiar faces from Steins;Gate unfortunately don’t play much of a role in S;G0, but they all still contribute to the story in there own way, so it’s only fair to give some of them a shout out. Suzuha just wants Okabe to reach Steins;Gate. She desperately tries to get him to time travel in order to fulfill the duty bestowed upon her by her father, and it hurts to see her fail. When it comes to Ruka, there’s a touching moment where Ruka expresses a desire to help Okabe out in any way possible. Ruka feels left out of all of the secrets and just wants to be useful. It’s just a small moment, but it shows just how caring Ruka can be, and I really appreciate that…but he’s a dude. It’s also worth mentioning that his future self is pretty badass. And Faris…well, umm, she’s still a cute neko girl, so…yeah. Out of the new characters aside from Maho, Professor Leskinen is easily the most memorable. He’s an American in Japan, so as you can imagine, he has many comedic misunderstandings, such as his iconic “WHERE ARE THE JAPANESE SHAMAN GIRLS LINTAHLO?” line. He’s a pretty cool dude, and ends up playing an important role in the anime. One issue that I do have is that for the longest time, I wasn’t exactly sure what the primary conflict was. I assumed that it was to get to the Steins;Gate world line, but there are so many different things going on that it felt to me like the end goal was sort of being overshadowed. Don’t get me wrong, I highly enjoyed these other plot points. You have Okabe trying to deal with his depression, Suzuha trying to get him to time travel, Maho trying to get out of Kurisu’s shadow, the mystery behind Kagari, the whole Amadeus ordeal, the threat from America and Russia…yeah, you get the point. Maybe it’s just me, but for awhile I wasn’t entirely sure where the anime was going. Of course, all of these things do actually correlate well with one another and contribute to what is to me a great story. I just wish it was a bit more focused. So something about Steins;Gate 0 that I’m sure most people will overlook is how it provides a model example for how comedy in an anime should be handled. I know, this is probably a weird statement to make considering the genre of the anime, but it’s true, and S;G0’s seamless implementation of comedic elements is honestly quite praiseworthy. Intertwining with the generally dark and psychological atmosphere of the show, the lighthearted moments are really able to shine through without being the least bit detrimental to the story progression. In many cases, they even proved to be a much needed breath of fresh air and fun. There are also a few fan service scenes (if you can even call them that considering how safe they are) primarily focused on Maho-tan, so if you’re not into lolis, you might actually be turned off by these moments. I, of course, being a man of culture, agree with Daru’s wise statement of “legal loli for the win!” Because remember, Maho is 21, so it’s all perfectly legal. Definitely. No sirens, no FBI. When it comes to the technical aspects of the show, I have to say, the sound quality is simply fantastic. The opening theme song Fatima quickly rose to my favorite opening of the year, the endings were great as well, and the soundtrack just fits the anime perfectly. Steins;Gate also has my two favorite seiyuu, Mamoru Miyano and Kana Hanazawa, so that’s a big bonus. And the other voice actors do an amazing job as well. So yeah, I really have no complaints at all when it comes to the sound. My biggest issue with this show would be it’s visuals. So this anime came out seven years after it’s predecessor, yet there are absolutely no improvements with the visual quality whatsoever. Now they didn’t get worse either, and I can understand the need to keep the visuals similar and consistent between the two anime. But I still expected the animation to be at least a little more polished and detailed. Oh, and some of the action scenes near the end to me just looked really cringy, which is unfortunate. But the character designs are still great, and the artistic quality of the show is still pretty good, despite the flaws I mentioned. It’s just that I have to be a bit nitpicky since this wouldn’t be much of a review if I didn’t point out the flaws, right? Steins;Gate 0 is a great anime. Even with it’s male lead acting as a shell of his former self for some time and the female lead dead, it was still able to weave an exciting, albeit a bit unfocused at times, tale about the repercussions of time travel, and is filled with an endearing cast of characters. It may just be the telling of an alternate ending to the original anime, but it was simply an enjoyable ride. I was thoroughly entertained by every episode, and can definitely say that Steins;Gate 0 is one of the better anime that I’ve seen in recent memory.
XonyB
09/26/2018, 11:41 AM
Many who watched this series have missed the point of it, it isn't like the original, no it wasn't supposed to surpass it like many suspected here. It is here to complete it, you may have not noticed but the original had many things that we had yet to see. This isn't a what if story either, this is the story of Okabe who failed to find Steins Gate, the same one who fell under depression because of it. I'll start with story, the STORY WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS: Story obviously is a 10 for me. At some point during the Steins;Gate 0 I truly doubted if thiswas gonna live up to it's hype or fail like many sequels. Many hate it because they expected the mad scientist earlier, many were expecting too many time traveling and got sad. When the first episode of anime aired, it had a score of 9.16 I think, it was truly the best episode I had yet seen, it captured the mood perfectly, it shows us that Okabe of this world line is very depressed, but more importantly the scene where he sees many bodies of Kurisu shows us his fear. His fear that he will always fail no matter what, the fear that no matter what Okabe does, it will always result in him sacrificing somebody to save somebody else. We can see this during the rest of the show, till the point where he is forced to change the future yet again. At some point I thought too, where is this story going? How will it link to the OG Steins Gate, I really doubted the middle parts of the story honestly. One of the main important points of the story is how Kurisu is the one who even though dead starts a world war. It is always her curiosity that results in something bad to Okabe, in Alpha world line we had Sern which in a way it is both Okabe's fault and hers, in Beta we have WW3 which starts because of Kurisu's thesis. We see this through the Amadeus, we see a lot through Amadeus, why Okabe calls Kurisu Christina, how even dead Kurisu can change the world. I'm going to skip all this to the episode 16, where we get to see an actual character development in Mayushi, I really never saw her point in O.G steins gate but honestly in Steins;Gate 0 she became one of my favorites. The reason is simple, she always loved Okabe, she always thought of him as the one who can change the future, the one who can bring peace, she always regretted not having Okabe go back to save Kurisu, it really made me break down. After trying to go to time machine and being blown into pieces, Okabe goes back to time leap but ends up in PR, in year 2036. Okabe now has his eyes wide open, he sees what will happen to this world line if he doesn't find steins gate. I forgot to mention that he was in coma and he suffered a lot when waking up, and when he started time travelling again so he can go back to year 2011, it must have fking hurt waking up in that pain. The fact that he spent around 8 years (I'm assuming that is the time it took him, could be way more or less) to go back in time and save everyone must have been painful, he had to explain everything again and again and again. A strong character in my opinion, I would go insane (you all would). BUT THAT WAKES UP THE MAD SCIENTIST! You should watch the rest honestly (too lazy to explain). Art 8: This is the part which sucks, at times it is very good and at times it sucks. That is all about it honestly, the background though is even better than the original in my opinion, which I really loved. Sound 10: Many of the songs that played were awesome!!!! They set the mood perfectly, the first OP and ED are in my playlist now. Character 10 : Now this is the point that I wanted to get at. Many say that Okabe is a one dimensional character, honestly fk you all who said it. You just don't know why he is going through all that. To others it was like Okabe just went emo one day, nobody knows why, he can't tell anybody because who knows if Sern might listen. That is honestly very depressing in my opinion, we see during the 23B he looks very sad but at same time tries to look happy in front of Mayushi, that is a very strong character in my opinion. As the show progressed, we saw him slowly bounce back to his old self, the interactions between [Kurisu] and him were awesome, we saw other sides of him that we never saw in OG. And at end the mad scientist was still the same, the idiot who cracks up good jokes and has well out of this world delusions. Enjoyment 10 : Honestly as long as you liked the original, you're fine. Tl;DR: Hello, it's me. They didn't bother with the paragraph and went straight to the tl;dr. Shame there was nothing on it. El psy kongroo!
Zaber_san
09/26/2018, 11:30 AM
"WHERE ARE THE JAPANESE SHAMAN GIRLS LINTAHLO?!!" - Good Boi Leskinen Back in 2011, we were stunned by the hit-anime named "Steins;Gate" with its unique story-telling of Sci-Fi, which is time-travel in the anime industry. The industry doesn't have many anime that focuses on time-travel conflicts. So far, the only time-travel anime I've watched were Steins;Gate and ERASED, which both made me amused, excited and thrilled on their unique, individual scenes. Now, this Spring 2018, we were hitted by nostalgia with the return of the Steins;Gate franchise although, instead of it having a sequel, we get a "midquel" of the original Steins Gate. Thus, we getto watch the phenomenal dark story of the franchise named "Steins;Gate 0". Just a brief reminder, before you watch Steins Gate 0, keep in mind this is an alternate story of the original. After Episode 22/23 of the original series, watch "Steins;Gate: Episode 23 (B), Open the Missing Link", where this episode leads to the episode 1 of Steins;Gate 0. Story: We get to follow the story of a man once named "Hououin Kyouma" but then he suddenly changed with a certain incident, changing him back to only "Okabe, Rintarou." Hence, "Hououin Kyouma" was no more in this world. We are looking into a broken-man named "Okabe, Rintarou". With him not finding the goal which is the Steins;Gate world line, he was stuck to be in the Beta World Line, where Kurisu sacrificed herself for Mayuri. This is a story where Okabe failed to reach a good ending and was now stuck in a world line where WW3 was inevitable. If you want to expect more dark revelations like what the original Steins;Gate did, then you are on the right series because revelations are breathtaking on each episode of Steins Gate 0. We get to follow an Okabe who wears a dark suit, not a lab coat, depicting how his mental state is. Here, we get to see how he, a once delusional man, is now a normal college student. But, when "Amadeus" (AI Kurisu) was introduced to him, the peace that Okabe was longing started to get disrupted. Basically, everything up to the last episode, was related to "Amadeus" keeping the plot synopsis in tact and the characters as well. What I like about the story is the originality of the plot rather than copy-pasting from the original anime. Scenes that were anime-original that cannot be found in the VN were some instance, were there as well. Another thing was that the story keeps becoming dark and dark and as it goes darker, the characters are developing as well making the thrill of the story fitting to the characters not only Okabe but the others as well. Characters: What makes a great anime is a ton of great and well-developed characters and the Steins;Gate franchise always impresses us, including Steins;Gate 0 with their characters. Take our favorite mad-scientist for example "Hououin Kyouma". We were so attached to him on the original Steins;Gate that seeing him being so broken and fragile on Steins;Gate 0 makes me (and I bet the fans as well), hoping the great mad-scientist will return someday. But even tho he was so broken and fragile, due to the story's progression, his character development progressed each episode as well. Then we have Shiina Mayuri, who shockingly have the best character development of all. She did something so courageous that is out of her character and made us fans say "Great Job Mayuri.". Of course we will not forget Hashida Daru. The perverted otaku and hacker who for some instance a dad, a caring friend and a scientist. If you finished this anime, you know why Daru really improved alot on this series not only on a romantic way but with Okabe as well. Then we have Makise Kurisu (Amadeus a.k.a AI Kurisu), again like Mayuri, Courage made her a great character in an instance even though she is just a computer version of the actual Kurisu. Or should I say, she is just a fake. Not to mention the "trap" Ruka to have some character development even tho her screentime is not that much. Along with Ruka (who is a supporting characters) are of course Mr Braun and Moeka. If you watched the original Steins Gate you would have known they are the villains (SERN's employees or like that) but it is a good fact that this two are allies of Okabe on this Beta World Line, so expect some revelations of villains ahead. Then we are introduced with some new characters like Professor Leskinen and Hiyajou, Maho. Maho, who is a colleague of Kurisu back in America shows lots of character traits but one of them was jealousy. Then this trait was shattered as episode goes on and on and we see her having more confidence to herself. Then there's Professor Leskinen who just wants her japanese shaman girls Lintahlo!!!.. Art: There's nothing to say about to visuals/art design of Steins;Gate 0 as it stays just what it was back in the 2011 adaptation of Steins;Gate, and of course I'm glad it stayed that way. However, if look at it, there are more action scenes on Steins;Gate 0 compared to Steins;Gate. If your an action fan you will be disappointed as the actions are pretty whacky and not so good. But since we all know Steins;Gate is more focus on the Sci-Fi and thriller stuffs, we can let it all slip. The visuals of the opening and endings are phenominal and matches the current state of the characters on the story. Not to mention, the Endings as well. But out of all those, the first ending which is entitled "LAST GAME" grabbed my attention both visually and musically. Its inferences and basis of Okabe and Mayuri to the first half of the story are all in that ED. Overall, the visuals are great. Sound: A good anime comes with good openings, endings and background music and oh boy..... Zero really made my ears feel the nostalgia back when I watched Steins;Gate and play the VNs. Aside from the openings and endings being good, the background music as I hear them some felt like I heard them before. Even tho they are reusing those background music, it doesn't affect the story and scene at all. It actually makes the scene more powerful and eye-catching with your ears hearing those nostalgic beats. Overall thoughts and Enjoyment: In conclusion, if you are a diehard steins gate fan you wil love this 23 episodes ride of Steins;Gate 0. It actually felt like I watched a whole another anime which should be because if I felt that I just rewatched Steins;Gate, then Zero would have lacked uniqueness with its plot and characters. But thank god I didn't felt that and I enjoyed it at the same level of the original Steins;Gate. Even tho it is more dark, it should be and will always be a good anime to watch if you feel like Steins;Gate was not enough. If you haven't watched Steins;Gate, do it now and then watch this. I assure you. You will not regret it. El..Psy..Congroo..
Natsuki_Hyundai
09/26/2018, 11:19 AM
Man, my feelings toward this anime- though mostly positive- are extremely complicated, which isn’t helped by the fact that I played the visual novel first. So get your popcorn, cuz this review’s gonna be a while! Also, there will be spoilers regarding the original Steins;Gate in this review, since you’re supposed to have played/watched it first anyway. Story- 9/10: So first, I need to establish context for this anime since no official description of it helps in that regard. Remember episode 23 of the original series, when Okarin was about to give up on saving Kurisu? Right then and there, he obtained a video D-Mail fromhimself 15 years in the future who disclosed the instructions to reach the ultimate happy worldline, Steins Gate. Steins;Gate 0 is THAT Okarin’s story- the Okarin who will have sent that video- picking up from a 3-4 month timeskip after the whole incident with him having murdered his loved one. Technically, Steins;Gate 0 is the second half of the full Steins;Gate story that was skipped over in the original, due to Steins;Gate 0’s own plot cancelling itself out (from OG Okarin’s perspective) through the video D-Mail having been sent. Right away there is the issue of the visual novel’s own structure. The original Steins;Gate was really easy to adapt since it was extremely linear for a traditional VN, and most of the endings were crap. Steins;Gate 0 is more like that type of VN which goes on several diverging and significantly different paths, most of which are integral for the overarching narrative. So, White Fox didn’t JUST have to worry about truncating the walls of text, but ALSO re-ordering the ENTIRE plot structure to work in a linear, cohesive manner. And for the most part, they succeeded. The events play out extremely well. Heck, they went the extra mile and adapted the various tie-in drama CDs and one of the few instances of genuinely good anime original content as well. They even fixed a good number of issues present in the original. Simulcasting this show was a blast, even as a VN player, because there was still some room for throwing me for a loop. But it wasn’t perfect. There were still a COUPLE of scenes that just do not mesh together as one linear arc, no matter how you slice it. It was still probably the best case scenario, so I didn’t mind those incoherent hiccups that much. Another thing about Steins;Gate 0 in general is that science takes a backseat in this one. By either some dumb miracle, meticulous planning, or plot convenience, there’s nothing new to learn, science-wise in this series. I know the description alludes to some kind of AI program, but that program is made using the same technology that went into the time leap machine from the original series. In fact, it’s even simpler than that contraption was! The real issue is that we never get to learn how they actually got to build a true, physically working time machine, so that one is forever filed under the “space magic” category. And as for how they handled the VN’s notoriously loose and anti-climactic ultimate ending, let me just say… that they actually freakin’ did it! As in, they did it WELL! Characters- 9/10: The characters are where Steins;Gate 0 shines (for the most part). We get to see full closure to Okarin and others’ character arcs, and a couple of newcomers. Okarin in this series is now a “sad scientist”, a dejected Okarin who turns a blind eye to the impending doom of the Beta worldline. We also have a new form of Suzuha, who is much colder due to war, compared to the Alpha worldlines’ Part-Time Warrior. In addition, we see Daru actually taking on a much more serious role than before. The characters are amazing* and it’ll make you realize who the true Best Girl of Steins;Gate is. *I put this footnote here because the “amazing” isn’t ENTIRELY true. First off, we have three of Mayuri’s friends who were only just names in the original, actually appearing. They’re bricks. Even though one of them is Suzuha’s future mom, they don’t really do anything of much importance. Also, due to the nature of the adaptation, a couple of characters who are legitimately likeable in the VN are now either crap, or they end up having no purpose AT ALL. (Poor Judy…) Art- Budget/10: This is where my issues start to arise with the anime adaptation of Steins;Gate 0. The 2011 anime blew me away with an artstyle that wasn’t quite as detailed as the VN, but still had a Steins;Gate-like film noir style that I loved. There was also a lot of brilliant post-production with the lighting as well as a lot of smooth animation uncharacteristic of most TV anime. Even in 2018, it hasn’t aged a day. And yet, a follow-up that AIRED in 2018 already shows more age than the original. Look, I’m not blaming the production team. I can tell that they tried. They were likely lacking in funds. It’s jarring how cheap parts of this show look. However, it’s mostly jarring only to VN players. The VN had some jaw-dropping artwork that make most of the anime’s renditions of these scenes look like crap. But again, if you didn’t even SEE that artwork to begin with, it shouldn’t bother you much (at least they executed THAT scene well). But even from an anime-only perspective, there are clear hiccups (*cough* episodes 17-18 *cough*). Although the art gets significantly better towards the bitter end, I know that the prospect of having to watch 80% of a crappy anime just to get to the good stuff is not a popular one. These hiccups will bother you depending on how much you care about the visual presentation of anime. Sound- 10/10: At least THIS is the same. We all know these seiyuus, and they’re excellent. Their performances (at least, of the ones who were central characters) were absolutely impeccable. It’s kind of sad that this anime is probably going to be their final performances as these characters… I wonder how they feel about that prospect right now. But if it IS their last time, then they definitely went out in a blaze of glory! The background music is- unlike the inconsistency of the first anime- entirely VN soundtracks. That’s good, since the original music is stellar to begin with, and White Fox knew as much. The new anisongs composed for this adaptation aren’t bad either. While no “Hacking to the Gate”, the new OP “Fatima” feels much more urgent due to the usage of a ticking clock throughout the track- a clock that’s ticking down to the inevitable start of World War III (at least I’m assuming that was the intention of it). Zwei’s “Last Game” is gut-wrenching, especially when you see a million Kyoumas shatter into pieces. Kurisu’s seiyuu also performs a techno-rock song called “World Line” which is also pretty good. However, these two ED’s should’ve been flip-flopped, given the circumstances of the first and second cours (with the latter being way more emotional). Or, they should’ve kept “Last Game”. Overall- 9/10: This anime had so much potential to surpass the source material, and it arguably DOES in those last four episodes. But I’m sorry, the artwork and the lower quality of the first 19 episodes just really jarred me. The two versions of S;G 0 have very different strengths and weaknesses to where I would say that they become equally viable. I didn’t mind that the VN had plot holes without the drama CDs since most (key word: most) of it could be derived from context anyway. However, I will insist that you get your Bachelor’s degree in Steins;Gate-ology. There were so many comments and criticisms on the boards when this was airing from people who clearly didn’t get the rudimentary basics of Steins;Gate, and they made me cringe. There are also a lot of subtle call backs that you will need to acknowledge in order to fully enjoy and understand the show. Regardless, this is the second half of the Steins;Gate story, which gives full closure to the characters that the original was not able to provide. Just ask yourself, “How much do I care about the visual presentation of anime?” If you do care, then maybe you should stray away from the anime version and play the VN instead. And if you ALREADY played it, then watch the anime since it’s still really well executed in its own unique way (although it still looks like crap).
Krunchyman
09/26/2018, 09:53 AM
“Theories are nothing more than words, accept what you’ve seen.” — Okabe (Steins;Gate) Reflecting on one’s past experiences can elicit a host of undesirable thoughts/anxieties that permeate to the surface, causing emotional stress and a feeling of helplessness. The upshot being: the simple act of thinking about said events will not alter the final outcome, making the exercise an unquestionably fruitless one. But in the case of Okabe (where time-travel and reading “steiner” are quite accessible), the ability to improve upon the past is well within the realm of possibilities, allowing for the veritable “happy ending” to occur. This inevitability zaps away aconsiderable amount of the intrigue for the viewer, especially when a ham-fisted love story is thrown into the fold, making the events to come, seem exceptionally contrived. If anything was surprising about the original Steins;Gate, it was the sweeping praise it received by the anime community. But I suppose an epic theme song combined with a bunch of sexy “LAYDEE’s” (channeling my inner Bill Burr) and “the most realistic time-traveling series I have ever seen” — said everyone on MAL; literally, everyone — will make an anime series quite popular these days, so why not turn back the clock and relive that success one more time. But before the anime staff can immerse itself into the meat of the story, we desperately need a sexy Christmas party with a few new characters……And, and, we need Okabe to communicate with a virtual Kurisu, because virtual girlfriends are a rising trend in Japan, so appealing to that growing sector will certainly increase viewership. Also, let’s throw in a handful of Ruka being a dude who looks like a girl jokes, because redundancy in comedy always kills. But redundancy is only half of the story, because for all the “misdirection” and “flabbergast-ery” the show is ceaselessly dull, imparting a loud and clear message to the viewer: Steins;Gate 0 has no identity. Is it a harem? How about an amnesia story? Are we still doing that time-traveling thing? Is Amadeus a social commentary on the proliferation of blue balled young men? Is it a modern day reinterpretation of the rivalry between Mozart and Salieri? Is it a slice-of-life retelling of Back to the Future, with Daru starring in the role of George McFly? How about a Japanese, female-driven John Wick story with Suzuha as the main lead? No! To all of the above. The anime staff had one goal in mind, and one goal only: to flaunt Okabe’s chic new black suit. And I must admit, as a fellow man, it looks stunning! But enough tickling your tits for one afternoon, because the criticism about the show’s identity is an entirely valid one. The deviation from the themes that made the original Steins;Gate mildly interesting, abated the enjoyment of the viewer, giving the show a banal texture that did not bestow anything of actual substance. Okabe was reduced to an impassive, aggrieved individual who became disturbed at the end of several episodes to feign genuine interest. Kurisu was relegated to an inactive participant due to her amnesic circumstances, and was used as a means to trigger significant events in the series. Suzuha preached about the imminence of World War III like she’s one of those homeless domesday clairvoyants. Maho was the Salieri to Kurisu’s Mozart, in the sense that she was an untalented tsundere, despite her best attempts. And, well, everyone else was….um, present? They certainly were there, but they felt more like cogs in a machine, with little to no freedom to act on their own accord. Having a deficient cast of character’s is one issue, but having a story that felt like it was blended together by multiple writers with no communication with one another, is just inexcusable. The show felt reminiscent of Mirai Nikki, where “shocking” events would occur, but the cohesion of said events never felt homogeneous. Also, there were a considerable amount of “fluff” episodes, where nothing of actual importance took place. The lull between critical events became excruciating at times, and even when a pivotal moment would happen, it felt over-the-top, cliched, and generally out of place. Furthermore, the staff’s eagerness to exhibit their female characters in erotic situations ad nauseam, highlights how the show was never meant to be taken as a serious intellectual endeavor; but rather, a fun project to elicit some laughter, and intermittent moments of heart-pounding drama. Sadly, though, it wasn’t particularly entertaining, and it failed to engage the viewer time and time again. The final few episodes ratcheted up the intensity to the point of becoming Hollywood-level ridiculous. There was a protracted exposition by the evil scientist, where he explained his “master plan” to the last detail (yet another old scientist who ends up being the bad guy). Unbelievable action sequences, not in the sense they were breathtaking, but just plain unrealistic. And the return of the “sleeping” protagonist to his status of Hououin Kyouma, because the fans need to be hyped up for that “epic” finale. Speaking of “hype,” that is the optimal word for describing this series, as it built itself up on sheer optimism and excitement from the anime community; yet, for all of its grand ambitions, it was nothing more than a used car salesman convincing you that it was better than it really was. But as Okabe said, “accept what you’ve seen,” and if it wan’t overtly obvious, we have seen a bad show.
Syureria
09/26/2018, 09:50 AM
Time is the whole series when the process, action, or situation is in place or takes place. In this case, the time scale is the interval between two states / events, or it can be the duration of an event. when we are traveling or sleeping we don't know what happened to the situation out there in other words if we pull out a hair what happens to our head? it doesn't have much effect on us to imagine when a piece of hair gets pulled one by one over a long period of time what happens? of course we will feel the impact of asingle hair. in the world we live there is nothing that can stop time as our will is like a spinning wheel we live always spinning and experiencing some heavy process and if the wheel loses the chain what happens? the wheel will stop spinning like a world that stops spinning and only shows day and night forever. and so on and on ... Originally a visual novel by 5pb and Nitroplus, Steins; Gate 0 tells the story of Okabe Rintaro (the crazy scientist known as Hououin Kyouma) who fails to save his lover and cannot stop the occurrence of the third world war. Okabe spends the rest of his time lamenting sadness after losing his lover and time spent with his "friends". The gadget is the name of the laboratory that Okabe founded to experiment on tools that could be said to be like the tools of the future. After experiencing Okabe's failure to save his lover he no longer visits the laboratory he founded with his colleagues. after he gave up he threw out the name of chunnibyou "Hoounin Kyouma" and decided to become an ordinary student after three months of studying / as a student he met with the assistant professor at the place where he studied "Maho Hiyajo" a woman aged twenty-one years. the woman Okabe attended the brain intelligence seminar created by "Alexis Lexinen" in the seminar appeared Okabe's lover who had died a while ago but his lover was in the form of AI (Artifical Intelligence). Steins; Gate 0 is a good series, but unlike the previous series in this series it seems not too tense. White Fox is the maker of two series of Steins; Gate, this studio gives a good impression in adapting Novel Visuals and Manga (no need to be surprised because the studio this is a studio that produces Akame ga Kill and Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seiketsu which until now has become the best-selling series). aside from the matter above now an anime series will not be good if it is not supported by voice actors, song themes, and song background (BGM) like a car if there are no supporters like wheels then it will not work well. Thanks to the voice this time of course only this matter did not escape Miyano Mamoru's voice talents as "Okabe Rintarou", Hanazawa Kana as "Shiina Mayuri", Imai Asami as "Makise Kurisu" (although she did not play many roles and was AI), and Seki Tomokazu as "Hashida Itaru "once again I thank the series voice this time for struggling in carrying out their duties. for the opening theme "Fatima" sung by "Itou Kanako" she has already contributed in the making of the opening theme song in the previous series. For the music background it's pretty good especially when the "twenty-two" episode starts from music that makes the audience get excited and sad This series gets three new characters, "Hiyajo Maho" as the, "Shiina Kagari" (she is a person from the future who came with Suzuha to stop the third world war), and the last is " Leskinen Alexis ". This series has the impression of being funny, sad, tense, and so romantic, it's no wonder the viewers are confused by the nets of the story. Although this series focuses more on the daily life of "Okabe Rintarou" who fails to save his lover, compared to the fight itself it may this might have an effect on the value or ranking down in this series even though in this series it is also no less stressful than the previous series. even though Steins; Gate 0 is an anime science fiction it is not denied even though the time we passed from this moment we cannot return or repeat and change it according to our own desires because it is something that is contrary to the universe. it is strange if the final winding is regret or happiness
Stark700
09/26/2018, 09:32 AM
There comes a time when fans of a franchise should ask themselves if an established franchise deserves a sequel or not. Let’s face it. Steins;Gate made an impact back in 2011 when it became one of the critically acclaimed adaptations that year. Visuals novels aren’t easy to adapt and in fact, most recent series really proved themselves to be a catastrophe in that territory. Steins;Gate is one of those properties that didn’t really need a sequel although fans have been asking for years. And it’s a bit painful for me to say….but Steins;Gate 0 didn’t truly live up to the name it made for itself. Asa true sequel to Steins;Gate, this series is the canonical anime that once again shows us the world of time travel, hypothetical theories, and scientific creativity. It’s essentially a sci-fi adventure that brings back our lovable character cast while also introducing some new ones who really makes their own impact in the story. Rintarou Okabe returns in the Alpha World line without Makise Kurisu after events of the first season. What we see from Okabe’s point of view is how he deals with living in a world without her. It’s a constant everyday struggle as the man is filled with despair. However, an AI (known as the Amaedus) once again reminds Okabe of the memories he tried to bury. Much of the season takes place in Japan and in the Alpha World line. Fans who have seen the first season will quickly realize that Kurisu is gone but Mayuri remains along with the rest of her friends. Okabe also meets Maho Hiyajou, a researcher from Viktor Chondria University. As an assistant, she works under Professor Leskinen and is the one who introduces Okabe to the Amaedus. What is the Amaedus? It’s designed and developed by Makise Kurisu herself alongside Leskinen and Maho. The program is built based on her likeness that is able to make use of human memory and converts it into digital data. As such, the AI greatly resembles Kurisu not just in her behavior but also personality and mannerism. Obviously, this reminds Okabe of the real Kurisu who no longer exists in his timeline. Steins;Gate 0 features Okabe dealing with his own personal demons, guilt, and trying to overcome his past in order to save the future. The first season capitalized on its sci-fi elements such as time travel and conspiracies. Unfortunately for this sequel, it felt like the show took a step backwards and really didn’t manage take a step forward. At first, the show took on the approach that I felt familiar with and really embraced in. There’s a bit of dark drama and comedy that takes a realistic approach at human behavior. It’s what I thought the original season did so well when it managed to make every character distinctive from each other. For Steins;Gate 0, there’s not much change for any of the main cast at all. Okabe’s constant self-loathing gets tiresome after watching it so many times. Ok, he feels guilty about what he had to do to save someone but the season overemphasizes on this direction. To me, it felt like the show constantly needs to remind us why Okabe is like this and it’s repetitive storytelling. In the meantime, we do get some fresh faces such as Maho and Leskinen. Both characters are intelligent although contrast greatly with each other’s personalities. Maho seems similar to Makise Kurisu with her tsundere personality and there’s often a recurring joke about others mistaking her as a child. She develops an important relationship with Okabe although I didn’t feel the impact of it as much as I had hoped for; at least compared to Kurisu anyway. On the other hand, Leskinen introduces himself as a lighthearted guy who often jokes with others while demonstrating a degree of intellect. The show also does a fair job at disguising his true intentions but we don’t find out about it until fairly later on. His relationship with Okabe and others often contrasts the mood of the show especially in early episodes. In later episodes, the series gets darker and darker as startling revelations are discovered that once again deals with time travel. It’s a core idea of the franchise after all. Now I have not played the visual novel for this sequel so this was more of fresh experience to me. The season feels rather moody even with characters like Mayuri and Faris with their roles. Others such as Suzuha also become much more important as they take their own initiative to protect what’s at stake. Still, coming in this as an anime only viewer, I felt the story is a thriller at best and dry storyteller at worst. To me, this franchise really explored everything it needed to and didn’t even need a new season to prove that. The dialogues and character interactions are interesting to listen to but doesn’t truly make this season worthwhile in the end. As a huge fan of the franchise, Steins;Gate 0 feels like it took way too much of its previous ideas and didn't make an upgrade. White Fox is still in charge of this project and they bought out their talent once again.Thankfully, they earned my trust as the studio proved itself capable of recreating character emotions. That’s important as every character needed to express themselves as credible as they can be. This especially applies to Okabe as we see him drown in despair. Character interactions are captured wisely by the studio’s directive synergy to make them memorable. The design of the characters didn’t evolve much although it’s clear that Okabe has abandoned his lab coat for a more casual wear with his dark shirt to reflect his change in character. Others such as Maho may evoke some lighthearted laughter when certain characters makes jokes about her short height and appearance. The Amaedus is designed in the likeliness of Makise Kurisu so in terms of physical appearance, they look identical. As a series with sci-fi themes, it’s only fitting that Steins;Gate 0 gets decorated with some colorful soundtrack. Indeed, the sequel combines thrilling theatrics with some emotional OST and melancholy. The OP song “Fatima” by Itou Kanako highlights a bit of character journey for the cast and how they feel in this season. There are several different ED themes too that makes clever usage of its sci-fi elements. On most parts, I think character voices also did a stellar job. Okabe’s personal values are often expressed by his dialogues that are important for his evolving personality. Others such as Maho, Mayuri, and Suzuha made me appreciate their character roles more when they really say what’s on their mind. At 23 episodes, Steins;Gate 0 became a 2-cour show that could of done a better job at making itself more distinctive. Instead, it tried to rely far too much on its previous established concepts while forging a story that seems too similar to the previous. However, I will say that this sequel will be a treat for diehard fans of the franchise. The episodes in the first half bought back the mood of the original show like yesterday. Even in some of the later episodes, it still has a bit of taste of sci-fi thrilling style of storytelling. The new characters may also be worthwhile for your time if you accept them for who they are. So give it a shot if you want. It may not be perfect but it’s still freaking Steins;Gate.

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20th Episode of 'Steins;Gate 0' to Delay Broadcast

Spring 2018 Simulcast List [Update 5/6]

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Spring 2018 Preview

TV Anime 'Steins;Gate 0' Announces New Cast Members

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Sequel Game and Anime 'Steins;Gate 0' Announced [Update 3/29]

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20th Episode of 'Steins;Gate 0' to Delay Broadcast

Spring 2018 Simulcast List [Update 5/6]

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Spring 2018 Preview

TV Anime 'Steins;Gate 0' Announces New Cast Members

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Sequel Game and Anime 'Steins;Gate 0' Announced [Update 3/29]

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