Steins;Gate: Open the Missing Link - Divide By Zero

This Steins;Gate alternate episode cuts into the main series and changes the story completely to make it possible to have Steins;Gate 0. It's hard to rate or review something that is simply another episode of a series. It's not like the sequel special (Steins;Gate: Oukoubakko no Poriomania) where that has a beginning, middle and end. It's just a convenient replacement for episode 23. I don't know if to rate it the same as the main series or try to dissect it as a stand-alone. It fits perfectly, picks up just fine, and feels very natural to the main series; but, it doesn't do anything initself other than undo the original ending. By itself, it's not better or worse than the original episode 23.

Review in brief: White Fox, wanting to show the world that Steins;Gate 0 would be adapted into anime, decided to go the extra mile and made this alternate version of Steins;Gate episode 23. While this special was carefully made to blend in with the original episode and give a subtle peak at what’s to come, it forgets one very important thing: to properly cement itself as an ending of Steins;Gate. Review in full: I've always seen episode 23 as one of Steins;Gate's best episodes. Re-visiting the events of episode 1 and revealing just how much was actually going on gave credence to the sudden turn ofevents at the end of episode 22, and Okabe mustering the strength to try one last time to set things right despite all that he had been through was one of his defining moments. Heck, what Okabe ended up having to do led to what was perhaps the most defining moment of the entire story. The reason I consider Steins;Gate to have a good ending, or even an acceptable ending, is because of how episode 23 played out. Of course, the reason this alternate version of episode 23 exists is to show where the path splits to allow Steins;Gate 0 to happen. It certainly looks and feels like it came straight out of the original show despite being made four years later, and considering the original's quality it's impressive that way. Whether Steins;Gate 0 changes the artistic style from this point is to be seen, but what’s on display here cements it as being just as much a part of this Steins;Gate as it will be a part of the next installment. For that same reason it's somewhat understandable for it to reuse 2/3rds of the original episode 23, but it doesn't leave itself much time to show the difference. Maintaining the old episode until the path splits gives it authenticity, but it should have allowed itself to be longer than a standard episode to fully explore its alternate direction because it leaves a few gaps in its wake. It ends up feeling like a partial showing, one that was meant to create confusion rather than provide resolution, and considering the time skip it contains there’s little chance that Steins;Gate 0 will clear things up. **Spoilers for both this special and the original Steins;Gate follow** First of all, there's no particular reason given as to why Mayuri decides to comfort Okabe after his failed attempt to save Kurisu instead of snap him out of his depressive state like she did in the original. Every other time different events have occurred at the same point in time in this series (aside from Okabe meddling with them using time travel of course) it's been across two different world lines, whereas that isn't the case this time. Meanwhile Suzuha does nothing to change what's going on despite knowing that the failed first attempt was necessary and that future Okabe was going to send a message to the past with further details (details she seemed to have known herself even!) Despite these unanswered plot-holes, this special nails the sense of failure Okabe initially finds himself drowning in. His loss and regret are strikingly portrayed, and it only took a couple scenes to convey this thanks to the ever-well coordinated and fitting visuals and sound work. Then, as depressed as Okabe is that night, we don't get to see how he brings himself to (partially) recover in the next month or two, which is a shame because Okabe simply doesn't receive the extra development he did in the original (and for that matter Mayuri didn't either since we already knew her nurturing side.) **No more spoilers beyond this point** We get to see what Okabe became as a result of this alternate experience, which is important in its own right and got the attention it needed, but without a smooth transition it ends up looking like Okabe suddenly wiped his memory to alter his habits instead of consciously changing himself as life continued around him. With no indication that he intends to revert back to the way he was before, the episode as a whole comes off as incomplete or unintentionally cut. Of course fate might have other plans for him, especially with how this special ends (or rather teases the beginning of what’s to come) but the unnatural presentation of Okabe’s self-change still left a sour aftertaste. I can appreciate this special for how it’s bridging Steins;Gate to the new story to come but I’m not pleased with the one-way nature of it. By lacking the story detail needed to provide proper closure it fails to be the keystone that the original episode 23 was to Steins;Gate. It works well as Steins;Gate 0 episode 0 but it’s not a proper ending to Steins;Gate despite containing the plot and production values to have managed it with the proper direction & length. Perhaps the missing details will be further explained in Steins;Gate 0 but I wouldn't blame it if they aren't. It's not a sequel's job to provide a concise endpoint for its prequel, alternate timeline or not. Verdict: While this special does a brilliant job of feeling like an alternate outcome for the series (and bridging it to Steins;Gate 0) it lacks the story detail and development it needed to be complete. As such, it doesn't serve as a proper ending for Steins;Gate, which is what it was presented as and is therefore supposed to have managed.

With this special you are treated to the typical Steins;Gate feel. The story, albeit one episode was fantastic. The Art and Sounds are remarkable yet again. For the Characters, you get the simple step into. Nothing too exceeded, neither sucked to dry. Really nice enjoyment. To go further with the story, well firstly it's an amazing way to have a little preview for the upcoming Steins;Gate 0. In spite of it being a mostly recycled episode, the subtle additions at the end were fantastic. Giving me more and more hype for Zero. To mention the characters as well, well they are the same. Except a nicelittle change for Okabe at the end. Gave him a little more "come to terms with it" look. Until he realized it's not over yet. Really the enjoyment was top notch, even with it being a mostly recycled preview to Zero. To finish the Art and Sounds. The sounds are a mirror, recycled. But not put dull. But did seem to be a bit sharper, so it seemed more lyrical to the ears. And the art, again recycled but a sharper view. It was more absorbing, you saw and felt it was nice. With the extra scenes the art seems great, advanced but still sticking to the Steins;Gate style we all come to love. Again this earns a perfection from my thoughts.

(SPOILERS!) This episode was simply great. Why? That's 2 reasons. 01) The change of the Okabe we know to a completely sociable and grown person, with some responsabilities, studying in a college, and making "normal friends". This show how the universe was unexplored, and there will be more to come, and show us the "other side" of Okabe. 02) All the characters can be reformulated too, and can be really outstanding to think on a world line where the things of the main worldline have never happened, leaving the possibility of the start of a entire series. I, personally, wouldn't like to see this universe to change, becauseI love the characters how they are in the original series, but this can be a "front door" to the person that doesn't know about the series. I love this episode, and I recommend to every fan of Steins;Gate to watch it and see "the other ending".