I’m glad I’m watching this with someone in real life as it gives me a chance at the end of each episode to discuss my thoughts and turn them over and get a slightly different perspective on things. With that in mind, what are your thoughts on episode 2?
One point both myself and the person I’m watching this noted during this episode is that this anime is taking a lot for granted. It takes for granted that people are hugely invested in these characters already and so has not spent any real time trying to build in any sympathy for the situation. It assumes we love Kurisu and are sad that Okabe is in his current state. The problem with that assumption is that I’m not. I’ve seen the version where Kurisu is just fine and Okabe has saved her. As with most alternative story-lines, I’m finding it hard to care about the drama here because I already know that this worked out elsewhere. That said, there’s no reason why this anime couldn’t have re-engaged me with these characters and set the scene so that I felt something at Okabe’s and Kurisu’s reunion. Tragically, all I was reminded of was how annoying Okabe was when he called her Christine and so I was left with a scene where a protagonist was reacting strongly to events I wasn’t feeling very connected to.
That isn’t to say that this didn’t have some good points. The dialogue pace sped up in places and at times Okabe actually came to life in this episode which did kind of help me to re-invest in a character I’ve moved on from in the years between Steins;Gate and this. The set up with the AI is also potentially quite interesting though I don’t yet know where that is going. I’m interested. The other thing I realised this week is I quite like the OP. I’ll need to listen a few more times but I very much enjoyed it this week.
For me, this anime hasn’t been the lightning strike that the original series was. From episode one I was kind of hooked on the characters even though the plot took longer to get going. This time we’ve been dropped into the plot mid-way through the journey but the characters are taking their time to find their footing. I would however, love to know your thoughts on the episode so please leave me a comment below.
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Karandi James
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I give the show credit in that it creates a story arc that is less a spin-off and more an envisioned sequel. Perhaps that’s why it assumes the viewer is familiar with the sort of worldview that the series has and doesn’t feel the need to have to explain itself. And coming from the workhouse that is Mages, they’ve always produced stories that are relatively slow grinds. Even the original Steins;Gate is a very slow burner until it eventually delivers come the latter half of a double-cour run.
So yeah, this is one of those shows that NEEDS viewing the previous show to put things into perspective, if not to understand more the underlying motivations of each of its characters.
I wish I could have your take on it….I told myself I wouldn’t get too interested because I didn’t want the original tarnished if 0 was a disappointment, but here I am now…getting invested after just 2 episodes. It was never supposed to be this way.
Seemingly opposite of you, the original series didn’t win me over until maybe 1/4th of the way through. I actually put it on hold for a while after watching the first 2 or 3 eps.
I will admit, I’m liking this more than the person I’m watching it with. He’s been pretty scathing of how little effort they are putting in to audience re-engagement. I pointed out that given the strong fan-base, it probably doesn’t need to worry, but that just made him roll his eyes.
Yeah. Definitely seems like they’re assuming that if you’re watching 0, you know the deal already. I feel like Fate/Zero was similar. They definitely did a good jib developing the characters, but they didn’t really explain a whole lot, imo cuz the assumed most the viewers would already know what was up