Review of Steins;Gate 0

The original Steins;gate series was my gateway drug to the world of anime, and what a drug that was. When I first watched the original show all those years ago when I was still in high school, it brought me to tears at 3 am on a school night because I had to know what happened. Steins;gate 0 is a return to the characters I loved, and as I matured they also have matured. The sequel, or I guess a "midquel" because it really fits in between series, is a loving, mature, depressing story of growing up. (Also, mild spoilers throughout). Story: 10/10 Our story beginsmelancholic; Okabe, in black? Gone was his white coat, gone was his demeanor. He has become almost normal, in a sense, if not completely depressed. Steins;gate 0 teases you like the first season, but in a different way; no mystery, just sadness. But as the story progresses, characters introduced, major events happen, everything starts to shift towards the tense moments Steins;gate is known for. The story arcs and curves and splats on the wall a few times, right when you think it all makes sense they throw another "time conundrum" into the mix and we're back to pausing the episode, thinking what exactly do the implications of such an event mean? I haven't rewatched the original Steins;gate since its release 6 years ago, but I still had a solid grasp of the story, and I think you will too. To be fair I've never been a huge fan of time traveling because of how convoluted it gets, but Steins;gate always explains it in an eloquent way despite its sometimes messy storyline. They easily could have simply copied the first season but they didn't, opting for a fresh take on events that have already happened, all while a mature cast struggles against the inevitability of failure.

Art: 10/10

Just like how the characters mature, the art matures too. It's smoother, more intense, well drawn, and up to date. The animation flows and weaves, with amazing facial expressions and wonderful shots of Akihabara in all its techno glory. Not to mention the "Lab" is still the same lab we fell in love with 6 years ago. I really don't have much to say here other than its a joy to watch the art, especially with its very dull color palate, but every now and then bright colors splatter the screen and you can't hope but feel hopeful for the beleaguered lab members.

Sound: 10/10

The OP, while not as epic as the first season, keeps the mood in check. The ED also is very sad and slow, indicative of the new change of pace this season has tried so hard to portray. This is a very lovingly crafted bunch of songs, and it shows. The background music, especially towards the end, changes subtly until its reaching a crescendo, a climax as the show reaches its peak. And the music, if anything, lets the mood really punch your gut.

Characters: 10/10

I think, what compels me to find Steins;gate my most loved anime of all time, are the characters. Some of the minor characters really are one dimensional, but the solid few the story focuses on have some of the most tragic, romantic, hilarious character arcs I've ever come across. Okabe Rintarou, nay, HOUIN KYOMA is the pinnacle of the seven stages of grief. He constantly cycles through them in this show, alternating between abject despair and...well more depression. But there is a redeeming quality about him that needs to be unlocked, and glimpses of it show through the cracks of his armored psyche. He drives the show simply by being so, so human, so relatable. Sometimes, we as a society expect our heroes to be flawless, without feelings of despair or depression. But if we were thrown into such impossible situations, we would most likely clam up and lay down, hoping for someone far braver than us to fix the problems. Okabe is ourselves in a mirror, how we would react to such situations. And what we hope to strive to be, in our wildest fantasies. Okabe is me, Okabe is you, Okabe becomes the hero we all see in ourselves at the lowest point of despair.

Mayuri, rightfully so, becomes far more important than a simple cute side character from the original season. Besides a wardrobe change, she flowers into an adult, far earlier than she should have. Despite not quite knowing what's going on, she has an innate ability to pull together the disparate lab members and deeply cares for Okarin. She becomes a perfect foil to Okabe, not in terms of an enemy, but an embodiment of all that he knows and loves. This timeline wouldn't be the same without her.

Suzuha, Rukaka, the newcomer Hiyajou, Daru, and others - if allowed, I could talk about them for hours on end. But I want to cut the review short - these characters all mature and grow like the series did over the years, and it's nice to see them all interact again in this world.

Overall 10/10

Steins;gate 0 is perhaps my favorite anime of 2018, a pure labor of love that shows in the brightest of ways. I didn't know I wanted a sequel to my beloved first season, but I'm so glad I got this. Seeing how I essentially grew up with this show, and it had matured in ways like I did, made the whole experience that much more poignant. Honestly, you should watch the first season before diving in this, and it does start off slow and deliberate like the first season. But it ratchets up the tense moments and becomes a truly magical thriller ride through time. Thank you, Steins;gate 0, for allowing me to relive my high school days while simultaneously maturing in such a deep way. This is truly the choice of Steins;gate.