The passage of time depends entirely on where youre standing. Relative Theory... its so romantic. But its just so tragic too. Makise Kurisu Seven years after the release of the original SteinsGate this sequel rises and sheds light on the events that took place behind the scenes. Yes the very events that made the Dmail video towards the end of SteinsGate possible. Just like the original entry things seems to be developing slower than usual. And yet a new air can be felt. One of stillness as if time itself has ceased to progress and the only things left are both pain and loneliness. Its in this world line that Okabe exists and from here the events of SteinsGate 0 begin. I was very skeptical at first to be honest I didnt know how such a complex plot could be even further explained. And even more I was afraid that the sequel just wouldnt measure up to the standards that the original had set. Within the first few episodes my concerns were growing ever more as I wondered where the story was going with seemingly little progress. Out of nowhere though the gloom and uncertainty of Okabes world is put to light and things start to fall into place. Just like the original entry this one just needed to warm up in order to go all out the whole way through. All of a sudden I found myself being even more immersed into the story and suspense I had once experienced before and the nostalgia of it all gave the proceeding events even more power. Its weakest points were also its strongest because while the plot made for a deep and interesting storyline it could easily and often leave you confused even if youve got a grasp on the original SteinsGate. Lets get on with the official scoring: Art and Animation: 9.3/10 While still providing realistic settings and unique character designs this animes main focus was never this department. It definitely had powerful moments that resonated with past events which had given the proper amount of emotion. But it had a few slip ups when it came to the art scenes with far shots of people had sometimes shown character models that were somewhat lazily drawn with features that were too generic. There were also a few parts where their eyes were looking slightly opposite directions giving them a chameleon face. While enjoying the nonstop pace and thrill of this anime this shouldnt affect your overall viewing experience too much. These though are the only mistakes I could find and in the big scope of things were very few in number. While the color palette may seem bland and stale I believe this was the intended effect. It had contributed to the overall mood and environment in order to create a world with an ominous and dark air. Storyline and Character Progression: 10/10 The very first anime to receive a perfect score in this department. The reason? Because of how flawless this anime was in clearing up the events of the prequel while staying accurate without any holes. With a plot using the time travel mechanic it couldve easily abused it to cover holes in the storyline but not once did this happen. Granted you may have to rewatch the series a few times and do some research to fully grasp the storyline but thats what made this anime so amazing in the first place. Its storyline had a depth to it that had incorporated so many things from thrills to psychological to romance and drama. None of these elements felt like they were just thrown in but they were given careful attention to detail. The storyline managed to have consistently fast pacing while also not feeling rushed. This gave viewers barely any time to breathe or recover from the last event or episode which makes this series a truly bingeworthy anime. I couldnt find anything wrong with this storyline it was perfectly written and executed down to the very detail. It had given an entertaining watch emotional impact and professional execution. Truly one of the best sequels Ive seen in a long time. Audio and Soundtrack: 9.4/10 This soundtrack had definitely added to the enjoyment of the experience. While the OP succeeds in being iconic and gives the anime even more energy the real beauty of it lies in the animated scenes of the OP. The storytelling that it accomplishes through its OP alone is something to take note of. The added incorporation of soundtrack throughout the sequel was used sparingly as well. In ONLY key moments were touching or nostalgic tracks played which added even more to the emotion or hype of the scene. I personally didnt care too much for the ED as it didnt connect enough to the series for me. When introducing a wider vocal cast the measure of quality didnt drop at all. With even more emotional elements being in this sequel the need for raw and earnest emotion to be expressed through the voice actors characters was needed. And every time the emotion could be felt at these moments. No annoying cast no awkward and out of place voice acting. It all fit as naturally as it could. Overall I personally feel like the entire SteinsGate series deserves a 10/10 at the bare minimum a 9.7/10. Ive yet to get a similar experience with a storyline to match the depth and thrill of SteinsGate. With all of its elements and the way theyve been executed this anime is no doubt a masterpiece. In spite of its many strengths though this anime did fall a bit short in the slightest of mistakes. Yes the plot takes a while to develop just as it did previously but the proceeding events make it long worth the while. Id have no problem watching this anime even 3000 times because every rewatch reveals a slight detail that keeps you entertained. Thats why this anime deserves the score of 9.6/10. Hopefully this encourages those of you whove seen SteinsGate to jump on its sequel because I can guarantee that youll be satisfied with how well it was handled. A Masterpiece Series like SteinsGate is hard to come by so take full advantage of it an pd prepare yourself for one of the best storylines in all of the anime Ive seen so far. Thanks so much for reading and Ill see you in the next one Streaming Platform: Crunchyroll