Steins;Gate 0

"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..

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.

''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.

“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.

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