OP2 Sequence

OP2: OP: “Fatima (ファティマ)” by Kanako Itou

「弾性限界のリコグナイズ」 (Dansei Genkai no Rikogunaizu”)
“Recognition of the Elasic Limit: Presage or Recognize”

Steins;Gate 0 returns after an inter-seasonal break. And as with Boku no Hero Academia, I feel as if it was a show that needed one, albeit for very different reasons. There, it was a matter of just coming off an incredibly intense arc and conclusion and needing a little recharge. Here, we have a series that was really stumbling in my opinion – after a very solid start, Steins;Gate 0 seemed to be rather adrift. A hiatus week isn’t going to do anything to change that in itself of course, but it does help one approach the next episode in more of an open frame of mind.

Happily, we did indeed get a fresh start here. If not a masterpiece of an episode, this was at least a recovery – and it’s no coincidence that it came with the swapping out of Kagari (mostly) for the “new” cast. Maho, Amadeus and Leskinen have been missed – there’s something quite tired about the returning characters without their presence (some of them comes from how mopey Okabe has become, justified though it may be). When Okarin narrated that Kagari had been missing for several months, my first thought was that it couldn’t have come a moment sooner.

Maho was always destined to return to prominence in “0”, seems to me, and that very much seems to be the case. Suzuha has pretty much convinced Daru that they can no longer wait for Rintarou to return to the fold and drop his resistance to any time travel device – but Daru is pretty clear that he can’t get all the way there with the phone microwave on his own. Maho represents the living link to the person that made it all possible the first time – and even if she is Salieri, no one knew (movie) Mozart’s genius in the professional sense better than (movie) Salieri.

It’s really going to sting when Leskinen’s treachery (maybe he’s even “the professor” that Suzu refers to as torturing her comrades) inevitably comes out, because he’s a lot of fun as a character. In fact he injects some of the same goofy exuberance that Kyouma Houoin did in the original series. He keeps turning up like a bad penny and being suspicious, though – like at the hospital, arguing with the administrator about private rooms. He’s a good actor, and maybe his joviality and Japanophile routine isn’t all an act – but he’s hiding who he really is and what he really wants for sure.

Suzuha, meanwhile, is the one who finally finds Kagari – when she realizes someone is staking out her apartment and lays a trap. That person turns out to be Kagari, but Suzu is no doubt right that this Celty is different from the one who attacked Team Okabe the first time. The “voice of God” is almost certainly her brainwasher, whether that be Leskinen or not, but she seems to be fully under their sway. This just convinces Suzuha – and Daru – that much more urgently that Maho needs to be brought on board. I’m sincerely glad she finally relented, and the story should take another uptick with her return to Japan – she’s been missed.

 

ED3 Sequence

ED3: 「World Line」by (Asami Imai)

7 Comments

  1. To quote , Per the rules, ** Please use Show Spoiler ▼

    around any major spoilers. **

    Enzo, you posted a MAJOR spoiler in the opening sequence images. Please remove or spoiler tag Show Spoiler ▼

    Also it says OP2: 「Hacking to the Gate」 (歌詞付) by (Itou Kanako). Incorrect. That is the first season’s opening song. The song is still Fatima. The song did not change, just moved it to the second verse.

    Thanks.

    Vusal
  2. I really liked whatever personality Kagari regained after some of her memories came back (her teasing Mayuri was something no other character ever attempted, which was delightful). I’m gonna miss that if it doesn’t come back anytime soon, but for now, Maho is back to grace the story with her presence. No complaints so far from me. And Suzuha with her hair down was a welcomed touch. But I still need Okabe to become more active than he already is.

  3. I’m quite eager to see where this goes. There are so many other shoes waiting to drop, so I hope things continue to progress. We have the suspicious Judy Rodriguez, everyone’s favorite Leskinen, and some of these friends that always seem to be conveniently missing/ have convenient injuries. I’m pretty sure the cosplay buddies have nothing to do with this, but it’s always fun to make a couple of off the rail theories about how they are actually Russian sleeper agents. Ultimately, I’m wondering if they’re using Kagari as some sorta compatible body for Amadeus. The fact that she and Kurisu look so similar can’t be just a random thing. There has to be some sort of narrative reason for it.

    The Walker

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