https://i.ur.com/7qIdRNC.png This review contains marked spoilers for Episode 23 and for SteinsGate as a whole. They add context but can be safely skipped while still understanding the review. Review in brief: White Fox wanting to show the world that SteinsGate 0 would be adapted into anime decided to go the extra mile and made this alternate version of SteinsGate episode 23. While this special was carefully made to blend in with the original episode and give a subtle peak at whats to come it forgets one very important thing: to properly cement itself as an ending of SteinsGate. Review in full: Ive always seen episode 23 as one of SteinsGates best episodes. Revisiting the events of episode 1 and revealing just how much was actually going on gave credence to the sudden turn of events 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 SteinsGate 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 SteinsGate 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 originals quality its impressive that way. Whether SteinsGate 0 changes the artistic style from this point is to be seen but whats on display here cements it as being just as much a part of this SteinsGate as it will be a part of the next installment. For that same reason its somewhat understandable for it to reuse 2/3rds of the original episode 23 but it doesnt 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 theres little chance that SteinsGate 0 will clear things up. Spoilers for both this special and the original SteinsGate below. 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 whats to come but the unnatural presentation of Okabes selfchange still left a sour aftertaste. Verdict: I can appreciate this special for how it bridges SteinsGate to the new story to come but Im not pleased with the oneway 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 SteinsGate. It works well as SteinsGate 0 episode 0 but its not a proper ending to SteinsGate despite containing the plot and production values to have managed it with the proper direction length. By both showing Okabe try to leave this specials events and not showing what led him to that course of action episode 23 forgets some of the elements it needed to be cohesive and comprehensive even if the rest is wellpresented. Related reviews: SteinsGate 0https://anilist.co/review/3587