Steins;Gate 0 Episode #09 Anime Review

© 2018 MAGES./KADOKAWA/ STEINS;GATE 0 Partners

The world needs Hououin Kyouma.

What They Say:
“Pandora of Eternal Return -Pandora’s Box-”

It will take time for Okabe to identify the attackers and their motivation, but the impending crisis of WWIII forces Suzuha to resort to desperate measures.

The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Episode 8 was almost standalone in many ways, taking us entirely outside of the reality this series was predicated on for precisely its full run, no more (aside from the brief tease following the credits of its predecessor) and no less. Ultimately, the events of another world line needn’t have any true effect if Okabe returns to the exact same one he left, but the implications of how that shift occurred in the first place are in some ways even more disconcerting than the violent attack of armed gunmen a few episodes ago. With a greater idea of how these things work than anyone had at the beginning of the original Steins;Gate, Okabe has to dig deep into trying to figure out what’s going on and what it means for the future of the world line he chose, the one in which Mayuri is still alive and there’s not such a heavy sense of loss surrounding his group of friends that is entirely his fault. This is where Okabe has decided he belongs, a world in which his suffering can only find commonality in a comrade he met only after the tragedy in question, Maho, and he’s not going to let it endure even more pain.

Suzuha has been waiting with relative patience for Okabe to decide that he’ll join her in stopping World War III, but after realizing what has occurred, she knows that all signs point to that eventuality developing to a point that will soon be irreparable. She can’t be passive anymore, and appears to Okabe more threatening than either of them ever wanted to see, somewhat mirroring the young Kagari’s own cryptic stand against her before her disappearance. It’s a painfully intense moment, but Suzuha’s perspective is just as easy to understand as any of the reluctant choices Okabe has had to make through his ordeals.

One important aspect of any anime that I haven’t discussed much for this series is music. So far, Steins;Gate 0 has followed its predecessor by using both music from the original visual novel and new tracks composed for the anime, depending on what feels most appropriate. Naturally, there are a great deal of new arrangements of the most prominent themes of classic Steins;Gate, most notably the leading tune “Gate of Steiner.” This episode may have some of the strongest new pieces outside of “Gate of Steiner” arrangements, and the dramatic confrontation between Okabe and Suzuha is made far more effective by it.

While the tone of the already very somber series has become more and more serious as these major plot developments continue to unfold, some levity can be blended in on occasion. Moeka can be the center of the most disturbing scenes, but her signature quirks are still entertaining when she’s not a threat, and Okabe’s investigations bring her into the fold for a few minutes of relatively pleasant content. It’s particularly amusing that the stickers she uses in her discussions are actually of the Steins;Gate characters, which really makes no sense when you think about it but is a ton of fun to see.

It’s unlikely that we’ll top Kurisu’s screen time from the previous episode any time soon, but for a dead girl, she still gets to appear pretty often. Okabe has seen visions of her here and there, but perhaps spending an actual day with her so recently triggered the memories of her that he had been repressing enough for him to vividly imagine her giving the advice that only she could give as he struggles to decide what makes the most sense for him to do. The only constant in Steins;Gate 0 seems to be that Okabe’s suffering must continue to increase more and more, and even if he’s not always perfectly in the right, his feelings are always viscerally palpable.

Additionally, I would be remiss not to mention the beautiful bonding scene between Daru and Suzuha in this episode. Their relationship as father and daughter of the same age has always given them a unique dynamic that I’m glad can be explored more in this series, so it’s greatly appreciated to get this tender development of that without any of Daru’s creepy comments.

In Summary:
A return to the intended world line by no means implies that everything is fine and normal. Something clearly went wrong to shift them in the first place, and Suzuha is done sitting around and waiting for Okabe to join her willingly. Much of the episode is speculation, investigation, and discovery, but it makes plenty of time for intense drama to ensue between fellow protagonists whose experiences put them at odds with each other’s desires. The music supplies a memorable accompaniment to embellish upon the tension, and the aftermath offers a variety of new opportunities for many of the best members of the cast to display valuable character growth. Kurisu may have had her episode last time, but her presence is felt as strongly as ever thanks to how heavily she weighs upon Okabe’s mind. With the indications of major forward momentum coming soon, Steins;Gate 0 continues to be a thrill to watch.

Grade: A+

Streamed By: Crunchyroll

Review Equipment:
LG Electronics OLED65C7P 65-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart OLED TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick