Review of Steins;Gate 0

As with many sequels (or prequels... I don't know if there's a word to describe a setting like S;G 0...) , I think is more than clear this anime expects you to know the setting or the plot of the original series. Also, or so i believe, it expects you to have "played" the Visual Novel it adapts, as it isn't as self explanatory as the original series was when it comes to certain plot elements and events, which due to time constraints (of course) have little screen time. I'm a VN "player", I know what the story is about, I know the story iscomplex and intricate and more importantly, I know the story is GOOD.

However, as an anime, does this series translates the S;G 0 story in a proper manner?

yes... and no.

Story:
This series definetely gives you an insight of most of the routes, so is definetly not like you haven't grasped the whole deal. But the fact that it does becomes a problem in itself (extremely irregular pacing, few but noticeable loose ends, events not climaxing properly) and plus some sloppy directorial choices, make the end result quite a mess.

Funnily enough, the original S;G series was criticized for constantly cutting and adding lots of plot elements that weren't previously there. At the end of the day, that decision allowed the series to work as a cohesive, streamlined and balanced anime. Many of the best episodes of S;G 0 did exactly that, while the ones who tried the most to be faithful to the source material, were also the ones who suffered the most.

Art/ Animation:

Don't get me wrong. The character redesigns are welcomed (maybe the bust size upgrade not so much), the settings can be really, damn beautiful (Mayuri and Kagari singing by the railroad in the future or the constellation in episode 17). Nothing to worry about there. BUT...

The problem is the fact that this anime still looks like it was made in 2011 and kept in a vault for 7 years. You'd expect a slightly improved graphics since, but nope. I guess everything is more clear & HD now, and the bluish tint of the original series is gone. But again, getting rid of something can highlight underlying issues. In S;G 0 case, TONS instances of poorly drawn frames (Okabe calling Amadeus at the Airport), not-so-good, maybe rushed, animation (the god-awful Suzuha fight scene at the rooftop) and just plain inconsistencies (Amadeus constantly alternating between a CGI and a drawing).

The original S;G apparently had many animation/art issues as well, so the only thing that comes to my mind is that WhiteFox is waiting for the BluRay version to come out so they can fix this... thing.

Definetely the weakest part of the whole series.

Sound and Music:
The music sadly did not meet the incredible highs of the original Steins;Gate but I think that has more to do with the song choice by the directors and screenwriters, rather than the talented musicians who worked in the soundtrack.

The song by sung by Megumi (Kagari) and Kana (Mayuri) at the end of episode 12 (which I believe is called "A Song Played By The Stars") is a notable exception as it's perhaps one of the most soothing and emotional pieces I've heard all year. Other song that clicked, maybe not so much with me, but with the sentiment of the action is "Lyra", played at the end of episode 8, as well as the original series intro "Hacking Through The Gate", back again in episode 23.

The piano melodies that played throught the episodes fall on the same ground as most of the music, although they did serve their purpose to create a mood and a sentiment on given scenes.

Characters:
The characters in Steins;Gate are the reason you keep on watching. They were a 10/10 before and while in S;G 0 we see them grow and mature, their personalities are so well crafted from the beginning that even if they venture to take more outlandish decisions, they are still not only believable but lovable.

Of all characters, Daru is the one who appears to grow the most, his witty remarks and hentai personality, although not completely gone, move aside just enough so he can become a "Daru the Man", the resistance leader who in 2036 will create a Time Machine and most importantly, a father for Suzuha, who is haunted by the war and the loss of her mother, she's more agressive, strong-willed and cold, unlike the seemingly care-free Suzu from the previous show. It is only halfway through the show that she opens up to the point we realize the "old" Suzuha does exists within her.

Mayuri, being a major plot point as always, replaces her happy attitude with a worried look. Her goal, as it was in the previous S;G is for everyone to be happy, however we see a Mayuri that's saddened and full of regret, she will always be able to force a smile though. We slowly get to see how she experiences a major growth in her personality as she starts figuring out what's happening around her, culminating in her, for once, taking action... unlike Okabe, who struggles terribly to keep going, he's exhausted, battered and depressed. He repressed his happy go-lucky persona and he ought to realize the importance of it to actually turn things around.

On a similar note we have Maho, who considers herself inferior to Kurisu, but at the same time is terribly saddened by her passing, she being obviously more mature than the rest of the cast happens to be the most realistic character of them all. Like most of us humans do, she needs to realize her worth and that's precisely her individual journey.

Some of these characters shine more than others, but there's not really much of a problem as we already saw their backstories (Faris, Moeka, Ruka, Tennouji).

Although I recognize the importance of Leskinen to the plot, It's a shame to see characters like Judy Reyes (who plays a major role in quite a few routes) to be so underveloped. Other character who suffered the same fate is Katsumi, who also had an important role in other routes.

Finally I must recognize that most of this characters shine, not only because of a script and story, but their voice actors. S;G 0 features top of the food chain voice acting. Passionate, emotional and most importantly, (yes, even for a show about time machines) believable. From Mamoru's (Okabe) grunts and screams to Yukari's (Suzuha & Yuki) performance as both mother and daughter, to Kana's performance as a sorrowful Mayuri to Tomokazu's (Daru) going from 0 to 100 in episode 17.

Simply amazing voice acting.

Bottomline:
(implying you read this far)

S;G 0 still is a great series that any one who is a fan of S;G should watch and surely will enjoy. That being said, Im the kind of person who simply cannot overlook when there are many issues going on in a series at once, even less if it's a series I love such as Steins;Gate. But i gotta be mindful in this specific case, as S;G 0 is way more complex than the original, therefore many of the problems that the series had when it came to pace and story, could be expected. What i wasn't expecting was animation and art issues (that hopefully will be sorted out) which is something that did took me away from the immersion.

In short: S;G 0 is a commendable attempt to boil down a very difficult plot, with many stories into a somewhat streamlined experience, that nevertheless failed to recreate the highs of the more streamlined, more focused, previous series. Still though, the story is engaging just enough, with enough replay value, summed up with an incredible voice acting, so it can become a nice and welcomed addition to the S;G universe.