English Dub Season Review: Steins;Gate 0 Season One

The time travel odyssey of Okabe Rintaro continues, with mixed results.

In the world of anime science fiction, few shows are held in as high regard as “Steins;Gate.” This landmark visual novel turned anime charmed the hearts and minds of millions when it released back in 2011 with its charming characters, pop science background and brilliant blend of humor and existential tragedy. It’s the kind of show that has earned its place in anime history and continues to be a “Must-see” for anyone who enjoys a good anime, or even just a good story.

You can imagine the excitement, then, when word spread that an anime adaptation of the sequel/spin-off Steins;Gate 0 was being released this year. Picking up near the end of the climax of the original “Steins;Gate”, 0 follows an alternate timeline where Okabe Rintaro, the show’s main character, fails to find his resolve to save the future and the love of his life, Makise Kurisu. Fast forward a couple years, and the once-enigmatic Okabe has become little more than a shadow of his former self. Traumatized, broken, and depressed, Okabe has drifted away from his friends and his old “Mad scientist” persona of “Hououin Kyouma.” Now, Okabe just wants to live a peaceful life and pray that his dark visions of a future destroyed by the advent of time travel never come to pass. However, Okabe’s trials aren’t done just yet. He crosses paths with Maho Hiyajo, former assistant to the now-murdered Makise Kurisu, who is developing an AI program named “Amadeus.” Amadeus, in addition to being an incredible step forward for artificial intelligence, is more than just a computer. It has its own free will and character and is modeled after none other than the voice, face, and personality of Makise Kurisu. Okabe, faced with the tragedy of seeing his deceased friend’s face again, is once more submerged into the dark world of time travel. He must face his fears, conquer his demons, reunite with his friends, and somehow save the future.

Honestly, it’s a great setup for a spin-off. Okabe is such a compelling character who endures so much pain that it makes complete sense there’s a world where he fails to rise to the final challenge. This series has everything to do with that most human condition, failure, and how we cope, grow, and move on from our past mistakes. But, let’s face facts, the original series was a masterpiece, does this new show manage to stand tall against the enormous shadow of its big brother series?

Well, not really, but its a nice try.

I would love to come into this review and announce that Steins;Gate 0 is a follow-up that matches the emotion and wonder that the original series filled me with, but the simple truth is that Steins;Gate 0 comes up somewhat short. It’s not bad; it doesn’t ruin the characters, it doesn’t bring down the plot of the original, but most of it feels extraneous to a story that was already really damn good.

“Steins;Gate” was a tight story which mirrored the slowly expansive approach to storytelling that is characteristic of a visual novel. It was more than just an exciting science fiction plot, but a discovery of Okabe’s relationships with his friends in the Future Gadget Lab. Through their relationships with each other, Okabe gains an inner strength that pushes him through the horrors of time travel, and since we’re along for the ride, we feel the hills and valleys he faces and learns from.

Steins;Gate 0, however, doesn’t have that kind of tight structure. It begins with the events of the original had already happened, so there is far less to learn and discover about everyone to keep the story moving. At the story’s start, the cast is already too weighty for the show to keep the focus on everyone, and the plot doesn’t have enough for everyone to do. Because of that, the story mostly focuses on Okabe’s internal struggles which, while dramatic, get a bit tiresome after a while. Okabe in this series doesn’t have the charm and presence he did in the original. It’s for reasons that make sense, of course, but without Okabe as the heart and soul of the show, things feel scattered, like different pieces without the glue.

Not to mention, the show has a problem with pacing. Many of the episodes feel inconsequential to the larger story, and there’s a lot of what can only be described as filler that drags things out. “Steins;Gate” had moment after moment filled with mystery and intrigue; I couldn’t stop myself from watching episode after episode. With Steins;Gate 0, I found myself hoping that each new episode would be “The good part.”

That good part does come, eventually. The climax of the series is easily the best part, which brings Okabe’s character back to life and ties the story back to the plot of the original in a nice little bow. Yet, without the buildup of the series before it, it never reaches the heights that its progenitor creates.

But again, the series isn’t bad. There’s still plenty to like here, and if you’re patient, the story does unfold pretty well. Maho is a great addition to the Future Gadget Lab, and the English dub cast captures the same essence they did back when the dub of the original came out.

This is a 26 episode show that should have been a 14 episode show. It had a good story, but not enough content to fill out the time without ruining the pacing of an otherwise serviceable plot. If you liked the original and really want more “Steins;Gate”, you’ll find some enjoyment here, but don’t go in expecting too much. It gives it its best shot, but Steins;Gate 0 can’t fill out the lab coat that Hououin Kyouma left behind.