Steins;Gate 0: Season 1/ Episode 5 “Solitude of the Astigmatism – Entangled Sheep” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

While Shiina is introduced, so is the idea Okabe and Suzu weren’t the only ones looking for her. Which, with Moeka around, raises red flags. Network Crunchyroll Director(s) Kenichi Kawamura Writer(s) Jukki Hanada Air Date 5/9/2018 Weariness: Moeka, Okabe, Suzu, Daru With Moeka is Okabe’s presence, the alpha, and other world line memories, are running…

While Shiina is introduced, so is the idea Okabe and Suzu weren’t the only ones looking for her. Which, with Moeka around, raises red flags.

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Network
Crunchyroll
Director(s)		Kenichi Kawamura
Writer(s)		Jukki Hanada
Air Date		5/9/2018

Weariness: Moeka, Okabe, Suzu, Daru

With Moeka is Okabe’s presence, the alpha, and other world line memories, are running through his head and causing quite a bit of anxiety. After all, she was the one who killed Mayushii, was part of SERN, and is barely that different in this world line. Yeah, she is some kind of investigative reporter, but how much really has changed?

And all of Okabe’s awkwardness gets picked up by Daru and especially Suzu. Especially since she knows it likely has to deal with something which happened in a different world line. However, being that Okabe doesn’t talk about his timeline jumping much, if at all, he keeps rather coy.

Commentary

I feel like a lot of the shows we’re covering this season tease the idea of tension or a threat, but then pull the rug from under us. Moeka was someone to worry about in multiple world lines and with Okabe only able to go back but so far, it isn’t like he could have made it so she doesn’t join SERN or anything like that. Plus, who knows if the person who instead got the position would be much worse.

But, point is, us being reminded of when the series was more interesting is so frustrating. Especially when all you get are the relationships that, even as we talk about Kurisu and Okabe’s trauma over that, seem so slice of life. Not in a compelling, how sweet, I want friends like that, type of way. Rather the kind which are so mundane that those not a fan of the genre don’t get the appeal.

Hanging Onto a Memory: Maho, Kurisu, Okabe

After Maho’s reality check, Okabe hasn’t been picking up AI Kurisu’s calls at all. Which bugs her and worries Maho a bit. Not because he agreed to help but more so because there is this belief maybe she was a little harsh. So, she decides to travel and see him, something the professor teases and gets possibly stalked a bit along the way. Now, whether that stalker was someone dangerous, or it was all in Maho’s head? Who knows. One of her peers do pop up and it is thought maybe she was just imagining things, but who knows?

Either way, she has a chat with Okabe and takes note this seeing Kurisu thing may have been a bit too much for him so she wants to amicable give him the option to stop testing. However, he needs time to think it over.

Commentary

It’s weird in a way. Okabe dealing with Kurisu’s death should be interesting. There is the mourning, dealing with the trauma of not figuring out a way to prevent it, but then you remember, we went through that already. It’s just not we are watching him just accept it versus try to find some way to save her.

Making it so, again, there is this question of what can this show really offer over a 23 episode season? Because, frankly, between this and Sword Art Online, it’s like, I’m not swamped so why am I complaining about being bored of these shows, yet I feel like watching them elicits no excitement, no pushing for deeper meaning or theories, and they aren’t even that entertaining either. So, one can only hope with them speeding up the Kagari situation we may finally get some sort of hook here.

Shiina Kagari: Okabe, Ruku, Mayushii, Shiina, Suzu

Despite how Moeka made the idea of finding Kagari complicated and noting others were looking for her, Ruku ends up bringing her right to the lab. Thus shocking the hell out of Suzu and when Kagari sees Mayushii alive and well, this whole amnesia thing she has going seems to be gone and she faints.

Commentary

This may very well be the deciding factor. Whether they can make the most adorable character, Mayushii, and her relationship with Kagari sweet enough to want to keep watching. For, again, with us knowing what the good ending looks like, and this season not walking us through the bad ending but flirting with Okabe maybe trying again, it’s frustrating.

For, when it comes to a lot of programs, there is the hope that, similar to Dear White People, the issues and failings of the first season will be corrected in the second, or whatever may follow. Thing is, with this being so far removed from the first season, and not even a continuation but an offshoot of a storyline, rather timeline, not followed, it feels like certain issues weren’t noted and corrected. More so, perhaps the weak points were amplified and the strengths of the original series stripped away.

I mean, take away the mad scientist, calm down his eccentric friends, and kill off this idea we’re on a time limit or there is a threat and what do you have really? If someone was iffy about this show, seeing the first season or not, what do you have to sell them on? That’s the real struggle here.

Low Points

1. There isn’t anything presented which seems like it could consistently keep its audience engaged unless they are die-hard

On The Fence

1. With that said, maybe, just maybe, this Kagari thing, and Maho being talked, could lead to something. But I’m not holding my breath.

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