Steins;Gate 0 - Part One Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Steins;Gate 0 - Part One Blu-ray Movie Review

An interesting sequel to the original Steins;Gate anime: a sequel with a twist

Steins;Gate 0 acts as an alternate-ending (and creative sequel) to the cult favorite anime series Steins;Gate. Produced by acclaimed animation studio White Fox (Steins;Gate, Tears to Tiara), the series changes the course direction of the original Steins;Gate anime and takes fans on a new journey. Combining science-fiction, action, and comedy into one series, Steins;Gate 0 is an entertaining and compelling experience which often outdoes the original.

Okabe decides to let go of his past obsessions with time travel and live on in the timeline where Kurisu died. However, Okabe soon finds himself meeting her colleagues Maho Hiyajo and Alexis Leskinen, who are working on a project known as Amadeus. A mysterious scientific undertaking which delves down the rabbit hole of artificial intelligence, the pair have reconstructed their lost friend as an A.I. Capable of thinking and feeling, the resurrected Kurisu (in A.I.) begins having conversations with Okabe. What does the future truly hold?

The story-line takes on an even more serious tone at times during the first part of the sequel. The concept of one of the lead characters being resurrected through artificial intelligence was a truly compelling idea and one which is given adequate breathing room for the storyline to be explored fully. These ideas make up a huge portion of the first half of the sequel and the way in which it impacts the scientist Okabe is one of the most compelling aspects of the production.

A.I. at the corner of the universe.

The production values are improved upon in the sequel and surpass the original. The animation looks even more impressive and complex in the follow-up saga. The art work and character designs appear more detailed than the original. While the overarching style follows in the footsteps of what the first anime created, the universe seems expanded in a way that seeks to build on the original and make it better. This is a nice change of pace from anime that simply aims to mimic the original (or re-do the previous versions). The animators certainly put forth a lot of effort in the program.

The music by Takeshi Abo (Phantom Breaker, Chaos;Head) Nobuaki Nobusawa (Kanata no Astra, Meet Me After School) and Moe Hyūga (O Maidens in Your Savage Season) is also a breath of fresh air. The series can get intense during some of the action scenes and towards the end of the set, the music is certainly part of the reason the series becomes so intense. The opening and ending themes are similarly wonderful and feature great tunes by Kanako Ito (“Fatima”) and Zwei (“Last Game”).

Kenichi Kawamura (Black Lagoon, Goblin Slayer) manages to surpass the original anime with his efforts. Though Kawamura is not the same director who helmed the original series, I felt that he brought a fresh perspective to the anime and made it his own at the same time. The series doesn't attempt to merely repeat the original or re-write it entirely, either. Steins;Gate 0 is experimental with the original story and the pacing and creativity of the direction are superb. Screenwriter Jukki Hanada (The Girl Who Leapt Through Space, Love Love! Sunshine!!) has enormous fun playing with these concepts: artificial intelligence is very much at the core of Steins;Gate 0. An entertaining sequel.

Steins;Gate 0 - Part One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation Entertainment, Steins;Gate 0: Part 1 has received a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The release looks absolutely stunning and the visuals have received a big boost since the original Steins;Gate anime. The animation production clearly has received a visual upgrade from the first season and the new episodes have more depth, detail, and clarity than the first season.

Colors are more vibrant as well (with more color hues utilized in the animation than what one can find during the original). The encode quality by Funimation is similarly effective and looks quite pleasing (with only minor banding to report). The episodes consistently have a sense of depth and pop that is compelling and makes it easy to get absorbed by the series. A top-notch presentation.

Steins;Gate 0 - Part One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes two lossless audio presentation options: English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD and Japanese 2.0 Dolby TrueHD. Either option will provide viewers with an excellent listening experience which is excellent at enhancing the experience. The English dub track is particularly fun to listen to (with the surrounds adding to the action sequences and helping the music soundtrack to take on a even fuller presence). The clarity of the audio is outstanding. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. Funimation has done a solid job with the release.

Steins;Gate 0 - Part One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The set picks up with a full-length episode prelude to the start of the sequel series: Steins;Gate 23B (HD, 23:59). The episode is a special production which fans should consider as essential to watch before the sequel series is started.

Episode 2: Video Commentary (HD, 23:55) featuring English dub voice-director Cris George and accompanying contributors: Monica Rial (Maho Hiyajo) and J. Michael Tatum (Rintaro Okabe)

Episode 8: Audio Commentary featuring J. Michael Tatum, Alexis Tipton, and Trina Nishimura

Textless Opening Song "Fatima" (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "Last Game" (HD, 1:32)

Promo Video (HD, 00:37)

Steins;Gate 0 - Part One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Steins;Gate 0 is an entertaining and thought-provoking follow up to the original Steins;Gate anime. The animation is impressive and the storyline provides a clever alternative time-line to the events from the ending of the original. The music remains of vital importance to the experience. Characters are explored in new ways that are compelling. Featuring an impressive audio-video presentation, Steins;Gate 0: Part 1 is worth a watch.