Steins;Gate 0 - Part Two Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

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

A decent continuation of the Steins;Gate 0 anime

The sequel to the acclaimed and cult-favorite anime series Steins;Gate, Steins;Gate 0 works as a unique follow-up offering in the anime realm. The series doesn't follow the typical pattern of an anime sequel and actually works as a alternate conclusion to the sequence of events which occurred in the original series. Directed by Kenichi Kawamura (Black Lagoon, Goblin Slayer), the series takes viewers on a unique follow-up to the original.

The anime sequel is produced by animation studio White Fox (Steins;Gate, Tears to Tiara) and features breathtaking, stylized animation with stylistic flourishes to keep audiences engaged from start to finish. The second set of episodes in the re-tooled Steins;Gate 0 concludes the sequel and while it doesn't have a pitch-perfect conclusion, the journey taken is entertaining and worth a trip.

The second season once again explores the journey of Okabe, a mad-scientist genius who came up with a way to travel through time. The first half of the sequel focuses on Okabe reuniting with Kurisu as an A.I. The plot-line goes down a different direction in the second half with the characters fighting to stop what looms ahead: World War III. As events spiral madly out of control in the second half of the season, with a shady organization in the pathway to doom, can Okabe save the world from total annihilation?

"You wanted a perfect resolution?"

The animation in Steins;Gate 0 is one of the best elements of the anime and there are some truly stunning visuals on display: the Gothic undertones of the anime are visualized successfully. The character designs are effective and seem to match the quirky personalities of all of the characters. Distinctive layout and background art also look impressive to behold. The art is detailed and gives nuance to the production.

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) remains a compelling aspect of the production. The upbeat energy in the second set of episodes is guided by the music: bringing a sense of excitement to the action scenes.

Screenwriter Jukki Hanada (The Girl Who Leapt Through Space, Love Love! Sunshine!!) doesn't seem to know how to wrap up the show as successfully as possible. Fans were likely hoping for a perfect conclusion that would have a nice-and-tidy bow on top to resolve every question and scenario. The ending isn't so clear-cut (and the final episode doesn't feel conclusive, in my estimation). Yet the series remains entertaining (even if the A.I. concept explored in the first half seems more compelling than the WWIII plot-line explored here). Kenichi Kawamura directs the conclusion with as much creativity and passion as the series needed yet the story-arc simply isn't all there: revisiting the characters is good fun in Steins;Gate 0 but the conclusion seems unfocused and may leave fans a little disappointed Even so, the series is worth watching once (despite said imperfections).

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

Arriving on Blu-ray from Funimation, Steins Gate 0: Part 2 features a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. A impressive presentation which capably handles the color palette of the animation, the anime has a stylized visual aesthetic and the encode on the release manages to capably showcase the Gothic undertones of that style with ease. The action scenes also look impressive and the last act of the production has a lot of unique sequences which ramp up the visual flair of the program, all of which seem well presented here. The set is a solid effort by Funimation.

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

The release includes two separate lossless audio options: English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD and Japanese 2.0 Dolby TrueHD. Either option will provide audiences with an impressive high-resolution audio track which capably preserves the sound-stage. The English dub track is especially fun to listen to (and though I enjoy subs & dubs, I found myself preferring the English dub actors on this anime). The surround sound is well implemented on the dub and it expands the sound effects and music score effectively. Dialogue reproduction is similarly impressive and vocals are crisp, clear, and easy to understand. Funimation has done a solid job with the audio options.

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

Disc One:

Episode 20: Audio Commentary featuring Jad Saxton (Rumiho Akiha), Lindsay Seidel (Ruka Urushibara), Tyson Rinehart (Itaru Hashida)

Disc Two:

Episode 18 Video Commentary (HD, 23:52) featuring Trina Nishimura (Kurisu Makise), Christopher Wehkamp (Alexis), and Emily Neves (Judy Reyes). Emily also serves as the English script-writer for the series.

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

Textless Opening Song "Fatima Ver. 2 (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song "World-Line" (HD, 1:32)

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

While the second half of Steins;Gate 0 isn't as focused or compelling as the first half, the anime remains an impressive series with compelling sci-fi concepts at play. The animation is visually engaging and the characters are enjoyable. Though not a perfect end, Steins;Gate 0 is still an entertaining enough experience to give it a spin. The Blu-ray features a quality audio-video presentation and some supplements to please fans. Check it out.