DESCRIPTION

CAST

OVA DramaSteins;Gate: Kyoukaimenjou no Missing Link - Divide By Zero
OVA ComedySteins;Gate 0: Kesshou Takei no Valentine - Bittersweet Day
MANGA DramaSteins;Gate 0
MANGA RomanceSteins;Gate: Hoshikuzu no Duplet

REVIEWS

• 

  lililovelilica

  80/100
  This anime needs Kurisu Alive

  Steins Gate 0 (Short Review)
  As the anime goes on, i feel as if Okabe Rintaro is choosing the Mayuri route, but this episode numer 9 have turned my mind around the other corner...the Kurisu route is more like a safe route in the game, even if the woman he loves is Kurisu in the anime, he still could'nt accept the death of his best childhood friend and went to the other world timeline witch Mayuri is alive and Makise Kurisu is dead, i still haven't watched all the episodes since the anime is still airing but i think it's a pretty awesome story, with the science experiments and logic, it gives thrill and expectation from the viewer, the best ending would be him finding the true answer (as he finds a world that mayuri and kurisu are alive and well), but to go there he needs to stop being afraid all the time, it's tiring after all this these episodes, he needs corage, and determination, this episode could have sent that message to him, he needed to meet Makise Kurisu one more time and have her encorage him, the kiss scene on the final minutes was amazing and i would not change it, just a line from him i would make him say:"I'll find way to see you again in a world where you are alive!" and make a badass face saying "see you again"...
  There are episodes where i know they are only Fillers and do not have that cherry on the top of the cake to make the story more interesting but all anime scens have one of these don't they?
  There must be a reason that Okabe Rintaro of the alternative wolrd have broken the time machine...he must had the premonition that the more a person uses it, the more he can't stay in that world for a long time, and you end up time leaping more times your mind can keep up...
  There must be a scientific theory that says that using too much of a time machine to change history is not a good thing for anyone, if you use it for personal reasons than it's even worse.
  Even in anime it is shown when he changed a little thing and akihabara anime world doesn't exist anymore, it's very shocking how little things can change how a person is gonna act or even if they are gonna be born, well getting back at the topic of the anime, i'm not very happy that Okabe preffers to stay in a world without Kurisu, because he trully loves her, and i can't change the fact that the creators made it that way to be more tragic and sad than it actually would be, so turning around the pace of the story like that is just like building the expectation of the viewer so that they keep looking for the next episode, i know that, i haven't played the game, and i expect the anime choose the Kurisu route in the ending...that would be the perfect ending for the anime!
  My critics are only that Okabe is being a Wimp guy since the first episode of this second season.
  They Must Kiss again!

  
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• 

  Pockeyramune919

  100/100
  A somber, tense sequel that’s a worthy successor to the 2011 classic.

  This review contains spoilers for Steins; Gate

  I only very recently completed the original Steins;Gate - Steins;Gate 0 had already begun airing by the time I finished my binge-watch of the first series. Watching the two shows back-to-back, I can say that Steins;Gate 0 is a worthy successor (kind of) to the 2011 masterpiece.

  I was excited just by the very premise of the show. Serving as a midquel (though you could argue that it's both a sequel and prequel (it's confusing, as time travel stories are)), the show follows an alternate outcome of episode 23 known as 23B, denoting it as the beta worldline. If you recall, in the original episode 23 Okabe becomes depressed after his failure to save Kurisu. He refuses to try again, but finds his resolve once Mayuri slaps sense into him. He then views a video sent to him from the future. 23B sets up the alternate timeline where Mayuri doesn’t convince Okabe to try again. This timeline is the one in which Okabe records the video for his past self to view.

  While it’s not vital, I recommend viewing 23B before watching 0. Furthermore, I do not recommend watching this show before Steins;Gate.

  Besides Steins; Gate, OVA, 23B, then Steins; Gate 0, a possible watch order is Steins; Gate episode 1-22, 23B, Steins; Gate 0,episode 23, episode 24, then the OVA. Steins; Gate opens up a new level of depth to Steins;Gate saga that fans are sure to enjoy.

  Like the original show, Steins; Gate follows Okabe Rintaro. In his depression,he’s retired the persona of Hououin Kyouma. It’s harrowing to see the difference. In 0, we see the depression he suffered in the original series taken to its logical extreme, and while it gives the show an air of dismalness, it’s quite interesting. You can even see the difference in clothing - with Kyouma of course sporting his white lab coat and Okabe donning a pitch black outfit.

  The characters you love all return for 0 with their personalities intact. Given that their personalities are the same, it’s always interesting to see how they interact with a completely different Okabe. While some characters (such as Faris) have slightly reduced roles, others (such as Moeka) enjoy more screen time. There are also some new characters thrown into the mix to keep the story fresh. Among these are the amnesiac Kagari and Hiyajo Maho, a former colleague of Kurisu’s who’s still reeling from her death. A character that many won’t expect even makes an appearance down the line.

  The animation and art direction is beautiful as ever. While there are some hiccups in action scenes, these don’t really detract from the experience.

  The music is still top-notch Their placement helped make certain scenes that much more poignant. The new opening and ending themes are up there with the original. Tracks such as Gate of Steiner make a return, further tying together the shows while providing emotional gut punches.

  Speaking of gut-punches, let’s talk about the story. It’s great, but it’s important to note that 0 doesn’t really have the same “punch” that Steins;Gate did. The first half is often stated to be slow, then episode twelve throws viewers for a loop with the sudden slaying of Mayuri. I want to emphasis that viewers shouldn’t go into 0 expecting this same type of “drop.” If they do, they’ll just have the feeling of holding their breath for a payoff that may not ever come. The big twists have already came, with Steins;Gate 0 dealing with their aftershocks. While this may make the show less “shocking” than its predecessor, it ensures that the feeling of dread and anxiety is always present.

  Still, Steins;Gate 0, does have some swerves, they’re just arguably not as impressive as the original’s. Part of this is due to the plot, but part of this is simply due to already experiencing the emotional roller coaster that is Steins; Gate.

  As far as things I don’t like...they’re aren’t many. In fact, I can’t really think of any. While the plot-twists arguably weren’t as big as the original, the show is still quite tense. Despite the somber mood, the show still somehow manages to have its lighthearted moments. While this would normally detract from a story such as this, the creators know how to use it well, serving as a breath of fresh air, but never feeling intrusive. Given that viewers are expecting a foregone conclusion, it’s quite telling that 0 still manages to be suspenseful.

  While I was inclined to state 0 as being slightly inferior to the original, there were parts towards that were even more awesome than the original series.

  Going in expecting 0 to be just like Steins;Gate will undoubtedly cause some disappointment. But even if you do, I’m certain fans of the show will quickly learn to appreciate the differences. Some sequels falter, some rise to be better than their predecessors. It’s hard to be just as good as a 10/10 show, but Steins;Gate 0 manages to get there, all the same.

  10/10

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• 

  TK8878

  45/100
  *Rose-tinted glasses required to protect against depression*

  

  This review contains unmarked spoilers for the original Steins;Gate.

  It does not spoil Steins;Gate 0 itself.

  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.

  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 the original’s slow start was acceptable and even enjoyable for many. 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). This 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. It doesn't help that 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.

  _This anime adapts Steins;Gate 0's "beginner" difficulty._

  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.

  _Gee I wonder why. If only Steins;Gate 0 could give us a ~~subtle~~ visual ~~metaphor~~ for the entire line of dialogue._

  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.

  Related reviews:

  # <- [Steins;Gate Episode 23 β](https://anilist.co/review/3557)
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