I just finished watching Steins;Gate yesterday, and today, on 26/10/2024 at 6:57 pm, I completed all 23 episodes of Steins;Gate 0. For the first time this year, I’ve marathoned an entire 23-episode anime in a single day. That says a lot about how captivating and thoroughly enjoyable Steins;Gate truly is.

What I really admire is how the creators used Steins;Gate 0 to show how every timeline Okabe traverses has a purpose, each one building towards helping the main timeline’s Okabe finally reach Steins Gate. Every plot twist is crafted so carefully, and each twist smoothly transitions into the next. Watching this, it felt like the author must have had every single detail planned right from the start. The intricacy of this story speaks to an incredible talent—crafting such a complex, interconnected storyline like this truly is genius. I love how nothing is strictly "canon"; rather, every Steins;Gate timeline simply links up, in its own way, to achieve the ultimate goal: reaching Steins Gate, the main timeline.

At first, I honestly disliked Mayuri’s character in Steins;Gate 0, mainly because her actions seemed selfish, which led to so many of the events in that timeline. But I also recognize that, thanks to her actions, Okabe in the main Steins;Gate series ultimately finds a way to save both Mayuri and Kurisu. My feelings toward Okabe were complicated too, at least until the ending. Gone was the eccentric, delusional protagonist we knew from Steins;Gate—instead, we see an Okabe who’s abandoned the identity of Hououin Kyouma and seems far too willing to give up. But his return to resilience—especially when Daru gives him that reality check—revived the Okabe we all know and love. When Hououin Kyouma finally made his comeback, I got literal goosebumps. It was thrilling to see that delusional, "mad scientist" Okabe back in action.

By the end, Steins;Gate 0 completely redeemed both Mayuri and Okabe in my eyes. Their actions in that timeline became crucial to the main storyline, ultimately allowing Okabe to reach Steins Gate and save both Mayuri and Kurisu. For that, I’m deeply appreciative of the characters in both timelines. In the end, both timelines got their own versions of a happy ending, which is all that really matters—although it’s a shame we don’t see our beloved Assistant in Steins;Gate 0.

This show gets a solid 10/10 from me, the same rating I gave Steins;Gate. Everything about it is so well-done that I’d almost call it “the perfect anime.” I highly recommend it to anyone who loves time travel stories. Sure, the pacing is slow at times, but trust me—it’s worth it because you’ll find yourself totally engrossed and unable to stop watching. That’s all for my review—good luck to new watchers diving into this masterpiece.

El... Psy... Congroo.