Steins;Gate Movie: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu

*Minor spoilers ahead*

How does one continue a story that has already wrapped up perfectly? The announcement of a Steins;Gate sequel film was inevitably met by both caution and anticipation. Like the concept of travelling backwards in time, Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu is a paradox. It does not need to exist, and yet it still has every right to.

It could have been an ordinary piece of fanservice, a throwaway story, and some would have been perfectly content with that. It could have been a forgettable prequel or even a retelling of the TV series' story. There were so many options available that you can't ... help but wonder, why on Earth did they choose to make a direct sequel of all things? It's almost as if they were asking, begging for a disaster.

The end result has proven to be anything but a disaster. This is a continuation every bit as compelling as it is justified.

Taking place exactly one year after the events of the main series, Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu depicts a seemingly blissful world. There is no SERN, no time machines, no unavoidable deaths-- but still something is amiss. Okabe's memories are distorted. His experiences with time travel have made him an unstable entity. Perhaps it's just a fit of emotional trauma, he thinks, but his worst fears are realised when he suddenly disappears from existence, trapped between multiple World Lines. Miraculously, Kurisu manages to remember Okabe's existence through a steady case of deja vu - determined now to do everything she can to stop him from disappearing forever.

Kurisu's role as the protagonist is the film's greatest strength. While the TV series primarily focused on her intellect and relationship with Okabe, the film instead decides to show a more human side to her character. Kurisu's emotional state takes the centre stage this time, her being subjected to many of the same horrors that Okabe previously experienced. Even when it comes to the light-hearted 'moe' scenes (and there's quite a few in the beginning), Kurisu's personality remains consistent and believable. She acts flustered and embarrassed not for cheap pandering, but because she's not used to having close relationships - she's dedicated her entire life to science. The term "tsundere" does not even feel appropriate. Kurisu is simply a human being with her own flawed personality... although, to be fair, she is pretty much the modern day Einstein.

Fans of Okabe will not be disappointed either. There is plenty of the usual banter and Hououin Kyouma shenanigans within the first thirty minutes of the story. It's only after that point that Okabe actually begins to disappear, and the minutes after still occasionally see him appear. What makes Okabe stand out, however, are the moments between him and Kurisu. We see the romance explored in much greater detail than the TV series, which more or less ended it at a single kiss scene. One of the most powerful moments in the entire series (not something to be said lightly) occurs as Okabe painfully convinces Kurisu to forget him, content with disappearing in return for her safety. Without an episode number to constantly remind us that there's more story to come, there is a perpetual feeling of anxiety not knowing what might happen. What if it actually ends that way? Nothing is for certain.

Also of note is a short scene near the beginning with a drunk Kurisu teasing Okabe and rubbing against his face. I may just nominate that for the cutest moment of the year.

The rest of the cast is largely ignored, but it is mostly for the better. The side characters have never been the series' strong suit, particularly with regards to Mayuri, so scatterbrained that you would assume she has brain damage. The @channel references are also kept to a minimum this time around, although there is still plenty of the ol' Dr. Pepper advertising.

For as great as Kurisu's and Okabe's characterisation is, there are still some minor faults in the story. My main gripe is that there is a lot of build-up and yet very little climax. The entire story builds up towards something grand... and then it all ends within about five minutes of talking on a bench. Compared to the last two episodes of the main series, it all feels a bit disappointing. Perhaps it simply needed an extra ten or twenty minutes of screen-time, as the rest of the film never felt like it was being rushed. There is also a short instance of melodrama (Kurisu running and falling as she chases after Okabe) and the changes made to the sci-fi canon would have benefited from a stronger explanation, but neither of these are bothersome enough to dampen the overall experience. Just don't be expecting much realism from the science aspect - this is a story about time travel, after all.

Much like the TV series, the soundtrack of Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu is stellar all-around. The score mainly comprises of ambient sound and moody piano pieces, subtle enough to add to the atmosphere without being overbearing. In the one scene where the music is most noticeable (a piano version of the main theme playing in the background), it is genuinely emotional, never melodramatic. Kanako Ito also makes a return for the opening song of the film, effectively creating a sense of familiarity for fans of the series. Special props should also be given to Asami Imai for providing some of the strongest voice acting in years.

The visual quality is about on par with the TV series. While there is little animation and few scenes that strike the eye, it never quite feels like it needed more than that. It is consistent and plenty adequate for an animated film. My only complaint is that it lacks colour - the original Huke artwork from the visual novel was so much more interesting.

Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu is a veritable triumph. Rather than simply exist as a superfluous sequel (or worse - a bad one), it succeeds in enhancing the overall story. Kurisu is now as strong of a character as Okabe ever was. The relationship between the two has finally been explored with the attention and detail that it truly deserves. This is the definitive end to the story and it proves difficult to let go. Maybe it didn't need to exist, but I'm still glad it was made. Some things are worth waiting for.

'No one knows what the future holds. That's why its potential is infinite.' - Rintarou Okabe (from Steins;Gate)

Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu is quite simply a thrilling, romantic and beautifully heart-warming experience.


The Story: 9/10
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Under the production of White Fox, the original Steins;Gate anime made in 2011 has received it's long waited movie arrival. The original Steins;Gate anime was under high critical acclaim, and was successful in both Japan and Western countries where it was the spotlight anime for the year. And it had such a great reason to be there. It was quite simply stunning. Shortly afterwards, the special of Steins;Gate was released and ... ranked to be the highest rated special on MyAnimeList. Here then, we have the next Steins;Gate addition. Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu. The actual story of this movie takes one year after the events of the anime series where Okabe has finished his assiduous, terrifying travel between world lines where he has miraculously reached the Steins;Gate world line. After a while, he starts feeling disorientated with the constant world line swapping which causes him to eventually dissolve and be forgotten from everyone's minds. Kurisu remembers him from déjà vu, and from there complications begin to arise.

The story was told in such a way that it could be said Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu could be a smaller movie version of the Steins;Gate anime. Similar to the start of the anime, Steins;Gate FRDV starts off with quite an identical kickoff, minus Kurisu dying. Then we have the meeting of the characters, all is well then next second you know it, the same intensifying thriller in Steins;Gate is met here in the movie. The overall story is quite similar to the normal Steins;Gate except shorter, and more focused on the relationship between Okabe and Kurisu and their ability to make decisions. It's good to see the rules of world lines are still intact in this movie, and they even mention it a couple of times and explain more about it (regarding Okabe's case, of course). But, you definitely need to focus in the explanations to get it. As the story progresses, it does get slightly more predictable at times but this can be dismissed quite quickly, as it is just as astonishing as if you didn't identify it. The pacing of the story, for a movie of only 90 minutes is extremely good and very little scenes were particularly rushed.

The individual elements of Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu is quite good. The Sci-Fi setting follows on from the Steins;Gate anime and the thriller and romance you find there are just as well done here. The suspense in the movie was done perfectly well timed which just accompanied well with the thriller. Romance in this movie plays quite a part in the plot/story and it's very well fleshed out. Feelings towards each other contribute to how the main protagonists make decisions and in turn helps to create the certain drama element Steins;Gate has acquired. The ending is entirely satisfying, one that will leave you with a feeling of peace and fullness in the Steins;Gate universe.

The Art: 8/10
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The art style is pretty much like the previous. The textures in the background shades were spectacularly made to attend to the main characters, whose expressions were done realistically and whose movement was fluid throughout the movie which was pleasing to the eye. This makes it it's own art style which is separate from other anime which were adapted from visual novels. The art style is very fitting for the story. The dark shades accompanied the mood in the scene very well and made the simplest streets look like the most eye-catching scenery. Background scenery was rarely ever lively, but it was this that made you feel how the characters might possibly have felt at that time. Character designs are similar to the ones met before in the anime. Each character design was different- from the plump Itaru to someone as small as Mayuri. And all were in high condition. Overall animation panels looked strikingly high in quality and led the story line very strongly.

The Sound: 8/10
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Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu has the same character voice actors as the anime, so instantly you can familiarize with them. Each voice fits the character they show and are each unique. From the 'nyaaa...' of Akiha to the 'tuuuturu...'s of Mayuri, each one was very likable in voice and performance. Background music blended in with the scenes quite well and helped to frame the certain atmosphere in the plot. Sound is a powerful tool in shaping the audiences emotions towards characters or story developments and here, it was used quite well. The opening song is worth mentioning, as the theme song performance was done by Kanako Ito- the same person who sung 'Hacking to the Gate' in the Steins;Gate anime. This is instantly recognizable in her voice, and makes her ideal to lead the anime with an opening sung by her. The ending is sung by Ayane, a change from Yui Sakakibara who sung the ending in the previous anime. This isn't much of an issue, but if you liked her you would probably feel a bit bummed. [Just one thing to note, at the moment this Steins;Gate movie does not have a dubbed. I’ll update this when I hear news of one and have confirmed it.]

The Characters: 9/10
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Character development started off with the assumption that you watched the anime and the special, as it mentions events in the two quite a couple of times. The characters were quite unique- each of them had a strength and a flaw. The supporting cast had its same use of bringing in a relaxing feeling into the movie. It's also good to know that they even have the same voice actors for the movie as they had in Steins;Gate. Though none directly contribute to the story line other than Suzuha, it was very welcome that they were shown. Each one of the supporting cast is quite likable in some way and they almost never seemed to be annoying. Their peacefulness contradicts with what the main characters are feeling, and this helped to emphasize the mood of the progressing plot. Of the supporting cast, Suzuha is the most fleshed out- mostly because it is her that actually has any major interaction to the main characters.

Mayuri's most obvious flaw has to be that she is a little blunt, but even that has strengths. Due to this, she is more open and contributes to the development of the story- power she didn't have as much in the anime- even by the random things she might say. Itaru is someone who can be said to be the 'tool' of the movie. People in the Lab give him things to do, and he does it. Otherwise he simply sits around on the seat clicking away at the computer. Okabe didn't have as much screen time as he did in the anime, and this is mostly because of the fact that he is meant to be the one saved by Kurisu. His absence in certain scenes attributed to this, and so Kurisu was able to mimic the feelings Okabe felt in the anime which, in turn connects to the viewers. Kurisu is probably the most versatile character in the movie. Her development as a person is clearly seen throughout the movie and is displayed in all the little to big choices that she makes. It's her choices and personal emotion that leads the direction of plot in the movie. She is given the most screen time and the producers have made use of this extremely effectively by making her the most pivotal character in this fragile story. Her decisions are mostly characterized by the emotion she feels in the given time and in this sense, it's very realistic.

The Enjoyment: 10/10
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Personally, this is the most enjoying movie I have ever watched. The thrill when a shiver is sent up your spine is such a surprising and addicting feeling and the romance was quite lovingly solid. Others who have watched Steins;Gate and have enjoyed it will also most likely enjoy it. I haven’t re-watched this, as I just finished watching but if you enjoy re-watching things, just go for it. Next time I do watch this though, heck, I’ll make sure to get the disk.

Overall: 9/10
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Overall, from the opening to the conclusion it's quality production. Inevitably, because this movie is only 90 minutes, it might not cover entirely everything as it achieved in the Steins;Gate anime. But for what it performed, it did an amazing job. Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu is a very memorable movie which serves to be the absolute final to the Steins;Gate franchise.

And it's a damn good one.

There are two kinds of anime movies from existing franchises. The first is made because the creators wanted to continue the story in movie format. The second is made because the original TV series gave them a lot of money and they didn't want to waste the brand. Steins;Gate is the second type. Of that second type there are three further types. The first is the rarely used complete rewrite where the creators decided to fuck the original story and make up an entirely new ones because they've got so much creative juices they can't be bound by canon. This was not the Steins;Gate movie, ... although I wish that is what they did do. The second type is the movie set randomly somewhere within the established canon where nothing of consequence ultimately happens and everything returns to the status quo at the end apart from the one character they introduced for that movie along. This is what Shounen Jump movies usually do. This was not the Steins;Gate movie, although it would have been preferable because at least then it tells a self-contained story.

The third type is movie hastily bolted onto the end of a story that was already completely wrapped up and the writers were just desperately trying to force some kind of conflict that tampers with the original ending and makes the whole thing feel pointless and silly. This is the Steins;Gate movie. Funnily enough, it wasn't very good.

The movie plays out in a very similar fashion to the Steins;Gate TV series, complete with the same animation quality as the TV series which was a little disappointing. I would have liked improved animation since they had the time and money for it, but whatever. I like the directing style in Steins;Gate enough to get a kick out of seeing it again, and there's a limited amount you can do with its grey muted tones by throwing money at it. Watching Okarin flail about like the nutter he is, interacting with Kurisu and Daru and co has all the same charm as it always did.

Due to the limited time it does have the problem franchise movies often have where they have to hastily reintroduce all the old characters and make them do their one character quirk before disappearing again. Not that I had any affection whatsoever for the stupid cat maid or the trap, but the scenes did feel rather forced. The earlier scenes between Okarin and Kurisu though do no feel forced. They work great and are ultimately the highlight of the movie. For all the dramatics and long monologues and time travelling that happen later on, the best part of this movie will always be Kurisu rubbing her face against Okarin's cheek.

Then, much like the TV series, after a period of characters mucking about and little weird things happen, time travel goes crazy and Okarin disappears. Sort of. I won't spoil why or how, but the upshot of this is that Kurisu ends up taking the reign as main character, which ultimately ends up being the downfall for the movie. I love Steins;Gate because of Okarin. It's his interaction with characters and his view of the world that makes this tale exciting. How his delusions turn to reality and the shift is his character from that. Strip that out and you have a decent time travel story that moves a little too slowly. And that's the main series. The time travel story in this one is even more nonsense than the original and doesn't have time to play around with the possibilities that made the slow pace interesting from the original.

I like Kurisu a lot, don't get me wrong on this one. Having a movie from her perspective sounds like a great idea. Turns out that's not the case. Living in Kurisu's head is boring as fuck. The back third of the movie is spent listening to Kurisu monologuing incredibly boringly about how she's kinda sad. There's no dressing to this narration. It's just a bland boring monologue. Combine this with the grey artstyle and I honestly started to drift off during the movie. The oppressive grey art style only worked because it was combined with Okarin believing conspiracy theories. From the mind of Kurisu and her more sane view of the world, it just makes Akihabara look like the dullest place on the planet.

Finally, and arguably even more damningly than making Kurisu the main character, you can't help shake the feeling that this was just tacked on at the end because they needed to extend this series further. The entire central plot and what's happening to Okarin was clearly created long after the original script for Steins;Gate was written. I know this is all franchise movies ultimately, but there are ones that do it well without feeling like I've been suckered. Trigun did this really well with Badlands Rumble. Steins;Gate not so much. I do love me some Steins;Gate, but I would recommend just sticking to that original series.

Now I will start off by explaining this: I watched this movie in Shinjuku one week after it came out. Being my first real anime I saw on the silver screen, plus the fact that I am a Steins;Gate fan may impair my judgement. You have been warned.

Steins;Gate:Fuka Ryouiki no Deja vu, or "The burden of Deja Vu" is the absolute ending to Steins;Gate. Need I say more? Yes? Well, let's get into the details while avoiding as many spoilers as I can.

This movie is a sequel, after the bonus episode "Oukoubakko no Poriomania", and it acts as a finale to the series, closing loop ... holes in the story that were not closed, and giving it a last bit of closure. The emotional side of the story is almost masterfully handled, with the emphasis on Okabe and Kurisu's relationship to a pinpoint degree. I will say this though: The movie does not focus on the plot nearly as much as the character reactions, which is the strong side of Steins;Gate in the anyways. Unfortunately, that is probably the most I can say without spoiling anything in the story, as this movie is very tied to the Steins;Gate mythos.

The movie is rather short, less then 2 hours if I recall correctly, and it is a entertaining watch. However, like most anime movies based on a series, it would not hold a bucket of water if you watch it separately from the tv series, or have not read the visual novel.

Last word: Watch it if you have seen Steins;Gate. If you have not seen Steins;Gate, then go watch that so you can see this movie. You will not regret it.

"BURDEN OF NOT HAVING A 100/10 RATING ACTUALLY"

The Installment of the Anime:
Although actually it is classified as a simple story about Kurisu getting worried and all about Rintaro disappearing, the story of the film is much more than just that. Due to frequent journeys across multiple World Lines (or simply timelines), which we saw as a plot revolving around D-Mails in the anime (it’s the sequel to the anime series), Rintaro lands in the “Stein’s Gate” timeline. Actually, it all begins off with having images of other timelines, when Kurisu returns from America after her studies.

Details:
Grossing about 5,28,70,917 in Indian Rupees in the very first ... week, this 90-minute film is categorized under drama, psychology, romance, and sci-fi. Don’t you think that it’s the perfect-most combination a story can ever have? And actually that proves to be somehow true. Never that I thought Steins;Gate franchise can be so top-notch ideas. These genres, along with the other many strong elements in the story, are able to make something which is going to be a breathtaking experience no matter what.

It begins at the finale of the anime series. The story isn’t all about the plot. Encompassing enhancement of Kurisu-Okabe relationships by emotional drives and filling of loop-holes left out blank by the anime, the film serves as a must-watch for almost all Steins;Gate fans.

Analysis:
Due to not explaining the real story and sticking much to the themes, this film will be average for you if you don’t have a single-byte of data about Steins;Gate franchise (game or anime or manga) in your brain. But again, being “average” is much I guess, under such conditions where plot revolves around the series itself. I mean suppose watching the DBZ: Battle of Gods film without even knowing who’s Goku or watching Harry Potter Deathly Hallows directly, without ever watching any of the previous parts! Surely not something you’ll rate even “average”!

What’s there to Seek:
Besides the common storyline which highlight the film, it est, about Okabe’s side-effects of massive time-travel; this film heavily centres around other aspects which are clearly unseen in the main plot.

In another way, the film also relies on the series and thus non-Steins;Gate fans (because everyone who knows about SteinsGate is, as sure as heck, its fan) will have another reason to watch at least the anime series to get the proper meaning of this film.

Experts say, the film “The Burden of Deja Vu” is a mirror reflection of the anime series’ narrative. How? Well basically in the original anime, Okabe was the hero and Kurisu the princess-type who needed to be rescued. But here, the roles are reversed: pretty much the perfect framework for such a film.

The Gate of Decent Concepts:
Okabe’s role has always seemed to be the physical type: time-travelling to fix things and all, while Kurisu’s is the “internal” one. But the intensities don’t differ much. Even if Kurisu is being spotted frequently as just sitting and doing nothing but thinking, she of course is a major part.

Besides an active story, and the potential to make viewers think a lot, this film also tries to blur the difference between Kurisu and Okabe as the protagonist.

Various scenes like Kurisu’s complete breakdown at not being able to remember Okabe but knowing somehow he was gone, inflict a heavy emotional damage to you.

The Conclusion:
In all, the film spans over various kilometres of adventure and scientifically-emotional drives, while also provides much food for thought. Things which bugged, at least me, like the story not having a proper climax and all Kurisu doing being attempting to save Okabe and then just giving up again and again, could also be covered. Seeing they had 90 minutes only and not 24 30-minute episodes, this seems forgivable, for they can’t show minor details and let Kurisu do everything with ease without a sense of hurry (which here seems like useless repetition).

Senkei Kousoku no Phenogram...
Aforementioned phrase is the title of the spin-off visual novel accompanying the film. Naotaka Hayashi and Kotaro Uchikoshi (Zero Escape’s writer) have collaborated on this project. This novel’s main feature is that rather than being told from the perspective of the major protagonist Okabe, this is told from the perspectives of the various lab members.

Phenogram is also the title of a new game in the Steins;Gate video game series with very smooth graphics and really very nice art.

Steins;Gate ranks as my favourite anime of all time, a great cast, a great story and an emotional rollercoaster ride that ended perfectly.

I was not a fan of the OVA, which was the epilogue the series didn't need and was therefore nervous about the film. I wanted more, but the story was so perfectly self-contained, could they pull it off?

Unfortunately the answer is no. It's not a film without merit, there is the kernel of a good idea in here, but it's not well realised. The opening features too much fan service, and too many callbacks to characters traits without there being events to merit ... this. The emotional moments are simply repeats of things done more effectively in the series. And then the ending comes across as a rush job, sloppily trying to fit everything back in the box to provide the happy ending the fanbase wants.

The problem with the film is it never really gains its own identity, it's a lesser repeat of series moments with a different lead, and that's not enough to justify its existence.

Good art, and songs don't help much when the 90 minutes or so the movie lasts are bursting by the seams from characters working so hard to remind us of their primary personality traits they seem like caricatures of themselves, and everyone's favorite running gags sometimes seeming to barely have time to be finished in their most basic forms before another one is brought up, perhaps in order not to disappoint anyone. The plot is not much but an afterthought, a new strange consequence of the trouble in the show thought up to give Kurisu some time in Okabe's well-covered original plight. The high points ... are two great emotional moments, one having to do with Okabe's willingness to sacrifice himself the way he would not let the characters in the original show, which makes for a great monologue, and another with Okabe's teens, which covers territory we've seen before, barely adding anything new, and definitely nothing of substance, but is nonetheless sweet. Of course, the time-travelling still absolutely makes no sense. Example: A character travels back into the past to warn another character about going back to the past because of the consequences small changes can have over a long period of time. Something seem wrong to you about this? The worst sin the movie commits though, is that they could make a second season if they wanted now, and having seen the movie or not would not change a single thing for the viewer. Everything is exactly as it was when the show ended, none of resolutions one might have missed in the original show finally given. The movie is a fair reminiscence, but little else.

The original Steins;Gate TV-series is without a doubt one of the greatest anime ever made, as its ratings goes to show. Given the masterpiece source material it is based on, you might reckon that it is only natural. Yet the sequel film, named Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu is completely separate from the original visual novel script, and with that in mind I went into this with a fair amount of skepticism. The mere brand label of Steins;Gate is enough to give yourself unreasonable expectations, and the last thing I wanted was to aim too high only to fall flat in the end.

Fortunately though, these ... worries were mostly for naught.

--Story--
Without a doubt, the main reason for the immense success of the original TV-series is how solid its story was all the way to the end. This time around, naturally there’s nothing close to that level in the way of mindblowingness (that’s a word, okay?) but that’s mostly to be expected given the timespan. You won’t find all that much in the way of shocking plot twists, but what little there is still feels very satisfying and, most importantly, in the spirit of the Steins;Gate universe. If you liked the original series, you’ll almost surely like the movie as well.

The story takes place in August 2011, roughly one year after the events of the TV-series. After reaching the Steins;Gate world line, the horrific journey that Okarin went through finally came to an end and a world where none of his friends had to die was found, the time leap machine and phone microwave were never invented and a future world ruled by SERN no longer seemed possible. At this point everything is playing out the way Okarin was hoping for; a normal life for him and his friends. However, before long he starts to have massive headaches and flashbacks of the past (interestingly enough they showed scenes from the side routes of the VN in them), and his existence in general starts to become unstable due to his memories from other world lines starting to overlap with the ones from the Steins;Gate world line. Gradually he starts to disappear until he eventually vanishes, and all of a sudden Kurisu finds herself in a similar position to the one Okarin was in during the hopeless incident regarding Mayuri’s fate. This is the overall premise of the story, as Kurisu has to find a way to bring Okarin back to the Steins;Gate world line for good this time around.

Or if you want the abridged version, this is basically Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu except in the sci-fi setting that is the Steins;Gate universe and that it’s the girl searching for the guy instead. Seriously, the number of similarities is actually staggering…

--Characters--
The characters consist of the same amazing lab member crew as before, complete with on-the-spot tsukkomi act, otaku culture references and crazy mad scientist acts. There isn’t really much to be said about this that doesn’t make itself evident in the original series, with one key exception, namely the substantial development in the Okarin x Kurisu coupling. If you’re a fan of either of the two of them (honestly cmon who isn’t?) you’ll have plenty to look forward to. That being said though, it’s not just fan service but actual depth given the somewhat grim premise of the story. You’ll most likely find yourself crying just as often as you’re smiling. Regardless though, no matter which, it’ll be more than satisfactory.

--Art--
The art is still as good as ever for the setting at hand. The somewhat grayscale atmosphere of the series might not be colourful but it is still very pleasing to the eyes. Personally I’m still annoyed that they never used the crazy art style of the visual novel, but for what it is, it’s still beautiful. Since there’s a lot less in the way of action though compared to the original series, you might not get its best parts quite as obviously shoved in your face but if you’re paying attention to details, you’ll find that there isn’t much to complain about.

--Sound--
Steins;Gate has always had a fantastic OST, but in Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu you won’t really notice it as much. This is not due to any drop in quality or anything however, but merely that this movie is actually pretty damn quiet. It goes with the theme and atmosphere that there shouldn’t be though, as the premise gives a lot of room for internal monologues and non-action based story telling. This movie is definitely not “epic” in any way; it’s merely a beautiful yet dramatic sci-fi mystery on the smaller scale. The soundtrack therefore serves mostly as atmospheric background music, but in that regard at least, it’s the same work of art as before. In addition, although this should go without saying for anyone who’s seen the TV-series (I.E. everyone who’s going to watch this movie I hope), the seiyuu part of the equation is just phenomenal. It’s a ridiculously clustered all-star cast who enrich the characters' personalities immensely.

--Enjoyment--
The enjoyment factor of the movie was something I found a bit peculiar to be honest. Looking at the big picture, it doesn’t actually look like much yet I found myself captivated by it for just about every second of it along the ride. The crazy mad scientist act, the deep, well-written and interesting time-travel concepts and the characters themselves are just so damn entertaining to watch no matter what they do, but with a great premise like this it’s everything a fan of the original Steins;Gate could ask for.

I wouldn’t particularly say Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu is a necessary addition to the original storyline, but if you’re a fan of the series it is definitely worth watching. Don’t go into it expecting that the original masterpiece is going to be topped in any way, however for the sake of closure it does its job flawlessly. Okarin and Kurisu make a fantastic couple, and this movie really felt like a tribute written for the two of them specifically while still maintaining the spirit of what makes the Steins;Gate franchise what it is.

--Overall--
Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu is a movie tasked with the nigh-impossible duty of continuing one of the greatest anime in history, so living up to the expectations is not exactly an easy feat, but overall I’d say it’s close enough to be a worthy successor to the series. Yes, it’s inferior, but that much everyone should be able to figure out for themselves before heading into it. What matters though is that if you’re a fan of the series, it is definitely a movie worth watching, you will not be disappointed. If you take a deep breath and try to keep those unreasonable expectations away for the 90 minutes required to get yourself through this, you’ll find yourself with a movie that will make you both laugh and cry without slouching in the objective aspects along the way either.

Is it better than the TV-series? No, of course not, that'd be ridiculous.
Is it a good movie? Certainly, try comparing it to something more reasonable and you'll see.
Is it a worthy continuation of the franchise then? Well that's the real question isn't it? In the end I'm going to say yes, but here's the thing: I think it's easier to think of Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu as a fandisc or an add-on rather than a direct sequel. The ending of the TV-series is perhaps the most perfect conclusion of any anime story-wise. This movie primarily gives you closure and serves as an epilogue to the already finished storyline. If you think of it like that, then there really isn't much to complain about anymore.

Story: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Art: 9/10
Sound: 9/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overall: 9/10

It’s romantic. It’s intelligent. It’s simply beautiful.
It’s Steins;Gate.

El Psy Congroo.

So let me ask you a few questions:

Have you ever regret something you’ve done in life?
Ever done something you thought maybe you could take back or wish it never happened?
What if you could travel through time and erase that memory, or better yet take it all back?

I’m sure it’s a thought that might have crossed sometimes in your life. In the Steins;Gate world, that is all possible with a handy dandy tool – the time machine.

Taking place on year after the Steins;Gate world line, this movie serves a continuation from the franchise bought to you by NitroPlus and White Fox. The ... movie sets about one year after the original series. It takes place in Japan with the main characters making their return including our all adorable tsundere Kurisu Makise. It’s a time traveling adventure but this time, she plays the role of a heroine to save who she cares about the most.

Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu follows the path that our characters chooses. In this movie tells a story where time travel becomes both part of the problem and solution. It presents itself as a form of experimental movie because of the various trials the characters goes through. The movie itself begins with a lighthearted mood with nothing out of the ordinary at first. After all, the setting is not only in Japan but also in a world line where SERN is not ruling the word. All of the lab members are alive and well with a party to give a warming welcoming back for Kurisu Makise. Things aren’t all too well soon as we find out about a mysterious phenomenon involving Rintaro Okabe. It’s clear that there is something wrong beforehand although it’s hard to depict what exactly it is. As previously mentioned, the movie is like an experiment and the characters tries to go through trials/circumstances to solve the problem. For Makise Kurisu, she realizes there’s something wrong and tries to find the solution.

That solution doesn’t come easy as Okabe himself knows it all too well. It serves a pivotal factor that drives the duo’s relationship in this movie as they realize their bond, similar to the original series. They are put into a circumstance in that any outcome will have a consequence. The time machine plays a vital tool but also serves as a double edge sword because Okabe knows about the ominous result it can bring. Among other factors, the Reading Steiner, a scientific term plays an imperative role in the experiments. Kurisu also meets another character whom we might be familiar with from the original series that gives her clues on how to save her friend. But that’s not all she gets hints based on experiences. Part of the movie’s title also gives her big clues on getting her solution. It’s like solving a math problem with missing variables and Kurisu has to do it with the clues she has on hand. There’s that sense of mystery and anticipation on what happens throughout the movie that will drive you in. The story brings that sci-fi thriller atmosphere back with the visionary like scenes of Okabe, Kurisu’s anxiety, and how other characters plays their roles in an almost theater-like play.

The strength of this movie also comes from the relationship between Kurisu and Okabe. It’s clear that they deeply care about one and another beyond just the friendship level. Despite their awkward reunion, they share a powerful bond that drives Kurisu to save Okabe at no matter what the cost. On a more comical level, Okabe still pokes fun at her at any chance such as giving her various nicknames: Christina (emphasis on the TINA), Assistant, Da Zombie, Pervert, and American Virgin. There’s also some awkward scenes in the beginning relating to their relationship on a ‘closure’ level. However, the way Okabe struggles with his existence puts Kurisu on a very stressful level. She struggles with her own sanity on what a world would be like without him. There’s even moments in the movie where she reflects on Okabe’s absence with the others to be worse than death itself. Their relationship is the pivotal factor with a mixture of drama, romance, and science that ties them together. Now, that’s deep.

As emotional the movie gets, there’s many comical scenes. Besides the interactions of our lovable duo, there’s many humorous dialogues relating to Internet culture, ‘trap identity’ involving Ruka, cosplay gags, and the return of the ‘tututu’. It’s surprising how a movie like this can tie everything together with its well-researched time travel phenomenon. After all, it’s not an original concept. Other anime works such as Reborn, Haruhi, and the well-known Girl Who Leapt Through Time also plays on this theme. I think what sets this movie on another scale is the thriller like presentation along with its small yet colorful set of characters. Some of the supporting characters does get less emphasis than others but all of them ties together in the end to create this scientific thriller. The way Steins;Gate works with its characters is groundbreaking on various levels with moments that captures memories you won’t forget.

White Fox also does well with its artwork once again. Even as a relatively new studio, the production of the S;G movie proves to be decent in terms of presentation. The main characters are designed with aesthetics that sets apart them from the typical norm. Makise Kurisu’s scarlet hair, Okabe’s signature lab coat, Faris’ neko ears, etc are just a few examples that makes them look memorable. The background lacks concrete details with shaded gray to convey more of a scientific tone. It shows the movie as in a black and white theme although I find it to be appealing because it portrays the sorrow Kurisu goes through.

The movie doesn’t move too fast of a pace so the music isn’t as intense as you might imagine. Still, the eerie moments and relaxing touch of the OST during the calm scenes will capture the tone of this movie. The romance aspect of the movie is conveyed well thanks to the instrumental softness of its background music. The OP and ED songs both delivers quite effectively to convey its scientific theme as well. Finally, Kurisu’s VA Asami Imai does a great job portraying her role. Her voice captures a refreshing tsundere that balances itself between joyful (when she reunites with her friends), depressing (during her experimental journey), and comical scenes. Speaking of comedy, Okabe’s voice also mimics the mannerism of a mad scientist well whether he’s talking to his trust cell phone or Kuri-, I mean ChrisTINA.

Overall, this movie is definitely impressive that serves as a way to conclude the franchise. I would highly recommend to watch the original series before checking this movie out because some scenes will not make sense. It’s also a good idea to get a general background on the main premise of the Steins;Gate, its formulas, and quantitative ideas into all place. Some of the characters might not be as dynamic as others but you’ll definitely take notice of their roles as well. Even they realize the problem and treasures their closeness as a lab group. Of course, you’ll realize the problem too with the new trouble Okabe develops. The term ‘déjà vu’ becomes a term that you’ll hear quite a bit but it’s not just technically speaking on science values. Instead, it’s what Kurisu believes in to save her beloved friend. The driving force with everything that builds up sets Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu on a level you will definitely not forget, just like a déjà vu.

Now what are you waiting for? Grab a Dr. Pepper, sit back, and enjoy the ride.

Signing out, EL PSY CONGROO.

I enjoyed the Steins;Gate anime series a lot. Despite it's slow start, it turns into a complex thrilling story which is one of the most logical and intelligent stories I've ever seen that dealt with the mysterious concept of time travel. This movie threw away all of the logic that the anime had and creates a "What if Okabe was doomed to suffer after all his hard work" scenario. It just seemed like an unnecessary edition and, unlike how things were resolved in the anime, it solves things in a very unintelligent way that isn't fitting of this mature series. Sorry in advance that this ... review turned somewhat into a rant, but I couldn't help but compare it to the anime series.

The story of the movie takes place a year after the events of the anime as well as after the events of the OVA. Kurisu returns to Japan and is welcomed back by everyone, despite Okabe being a bit of a tsundere. Okabe, however, begins seeing "flashbacks" to events he saw during the anime in other timelines. These events build up until eventually his entire existence is erased from the Steins;Gate timeline. With only vague deja vu-like memories to go on, Kurisu attempts to find out what has happened and fix everything.

I enjoyed the beginning of the movie which is rather lighthearted and it takes a while for the real story to set in. The issue I had was that I felt like Okabe's disappearance was handled very differently than anything that happened in the anime before dealing with time travel. He just disappears right out of his lab coat rather than it showing the entire timeline being adjusted all at once, which makes it very strange when the people around act like things have always been the way they were even though Okabe just disappeared moments ago. Another problem has to do with how Kurisu handles her situation as she takes over the protagonist role for most of the movie in place of Okabe. It's understandable how confused she would be, but her methods of solving everything make no sense. All in all, the movie's ending left something to be desired that I felt the series' ending had.

Aside from Kurisu and Okabe, the rest of the characters are mostly there just to show the effects of Okabe's disappearance and to provide a time machine for Kurisu to use to help fix everything. None of them develop at all and most of them are just bland. Moeka especially does nothing except mumble quietly and say about ten words total.

The animation is the only aspect that stays fairly consistent from how it was in the series, though I was expecting the movie to have a much better animation budget than the series. While the time traveling animation is hardly included in this at all, the character designs, city scenery, and dreary atmosphere all work nicely to give the movie a similar feeling to the show. Though, I did feel some scenes were a little too dark and skimped on details. The opening song is performed by the same artist as the brilliant OP from the anime which gives the movie a nice nostalgic feeling right at the start. The rest of the movie was a little lacking in music, but a few of the scenes were better because of the background silence.

Story - 3/10
Animation - 7/10
Soundtrack - 4/10
Characters - 4/10
Enjoyment - 4/10
Overall - 4.4/10

The anime ended much better than the movie did and resolved things in a much more logical fashion. What was originally a very thought-provoking anime was turned into finding the right childish method to save Okabe from a problem that really doesn't make much sense in the first place. The lighthearted beginning is entertaining simply because it's fun to watch the characters are all having fun together, but once the story sets in everything slowly falls apart leaving the Steins;Gate series with a weak conclusion.

An excellent film and also the only way to keep a masterpiece like Steins; Gate going. The plot is excellent and immediately intrigues you.

Music -
I found the music perfect and very suited to the situation

Animations -
The animations are the same as in the first chapter but they are much more fluid and enjoyable (also because it is a film)

Characters -
They are the perfect and well-built characters of the original, but with a deepening of Kurisu <3
...
Personally I found it a 9 film, because Steins; Gate is based on history and mystery, which in a film is very difficult to tell and build .. but my love for this series led me to vote 10

Do you know why I don’t usually like character-based stories? Not because I have anything against strong casts or whatever. It’s because most anime seem to think that you can just do what most films do with Robin Williams: just put them in your product and somehow you’ll make a good watch out of it. To which I say, “oh, so you’re one of those fans aren’t you?” You know, the fans who support the “let’s talk about cool stuff whilst focusing on dull character development and interaction that doesn’t really go anywhere instead of doing cool stuff” anime that I absolutely loathe with a ... passion? Why do people like that kind of storytelling?

I’m not one to judge other people just because they don’t think the way I do, don’t get me wrong. But that doesn’t change the fact that the Steins;Gate movie is just not very good.

This thing was dialogue-heavy. I know that a bunch of Steins;Gate’s charm is supposed to come from the character interaction, but a ton of it is just random exposition regarding the Steins;Gate timeline and shit that (surprise, surprise) goes absolutely nowhere to the point that it felt like nasu moved on to quantum physics or something. Also, a bunch of the interactions felt way too much like fanservice that doesn’t really add to anything. I was fucking sick of Ruka and Feyris even faster than I was in the show, and they didn’t even show up all that much. Not helped at all is the cryptic direction this movie tries to go for, filming most of the scenes like one of Mamoru Oshii’s atmospheric shows. Steins;Gate was never an abstract show akin to something like The Tatami Galaxy, another anime that uses time-travel, so trying to make it that way when the charm is supposed to be on the characters is jarring.

Without the characters to hold the thing up, the stupidity of the time travel story stands out all the more. Let’s face it, none of the 5pb semicolon stuff is all that well-written in any way. The actual details show some sign of education, but a bunch of it comes off as stupid and is not delivered very well. And even if it was, what it’s in service to is kind of shit.

The plot is so flimsy and contrived it might as well not exist. Okabe is suffering from trauma due to all the timelines he went through and this leads to him disappearing from the characters’ lives one day. Kurisu is the only one who remembers him and thus tries to save him through the same methods that Okabe tried to save Mayuri in the series. This means that Okabe is absent for a majority of the movie, and even when he’s not, he’s not very enthusiastic and his trauma feels forced. Like the writers felt they needed a conflict and erased his character growth from the series. Kurisu manages to hold up the movie on her own somewhat, but because most of the film is her being fed exposition by other characters, she doesn’t get much of a chance to be fun. The movie literally gives the characters nothing to do and they’re all left wondering aimlessly when we’re not being fed with info-dumps. And when something does happen, it goes absolutely nowhere or is told in a “oh we’re being so deep and cryptic” way that I can’t understand what’s going on (in a bad way).

This really is like one of those awful early to mid 00′s anime that tried to cram so much symbolism and ideas into the thing that they forget to be fun and have actual progression, only made into a movie, isn’t it? And yeah, I know there is a film version of Rahxephon out there. You don’t have to remind me. I haven’t seen it, but I know enough about it to know I probably wouldn’t like it.

I’m not going to say the movie is without its moments. The part where Kurisu pretends to be Hooouuiinnn Kyoouuummmaaa is alright. I guess the idea of the ending is cool, but the execution was a goddamn mess and it wasn’t at all worth the tedium that came before. If I were to judge the anime movies I saw this year, Steins;Gate would be one of the worst ones. I mean I’m not a big fan of Aura, which is basically just one of Romeo Tanaka’s VN routes adapted into movie form, but it had way more life and story to it than this shit. The Steins;Gate movie is a 90 minute-long slog of awful. It’s basically one of the Iron Man movies except Robert Downey Junior’s charm is played waaaayyyy down, which leaves you with not much reason to see those films other than to see a really long preview to something that may not deliver. And there’s nothing else coming out from Steins;Gate after this (thank god). Just let this series die already. Please.

On a random tangent, White Fox is getting so lazy nowadays. I don’t like their ambitious series or anything, but nowadays it feels like they’re not even trying to be interesting. That fucking idol anime? That moe slice-of-life comedy coming out sometime? I mean there’s nowhere to go but up after making Jormungand, but you can go up further than that.

Disappointing compared to Steins;Gate. Could not live up to the original masterpiece.

Story -

Story brought nothing new or interesting. It focuses a lot more on Makise Kurisu and her journey. It felt like a boring repeat of past events with nothing new added. It dragged on and I am sad to say that it is just average. Not much stands out!

Art - Again with the art this is the same standard as Steins;Gate. Some scenes have great lighting and the character designs remain flawless.

Sound - Sound was good but I found the intro to the original a bit catchier. Still a good score throughout the ... film.

Character - Relies too much on old gags of the anime. Nothing new and the amazing cast of the anime seems to only be here for jokes rather than development. If they were cut completely I probably wouldn't notice which is a real disappointment as characters from the anime and their interactions were astounding. The whole film seems to be Makise Kurise fan service if I am honest.

Overall -

Sounds like I am hating. It is a decent film when it stands alone. I am not sure if I was overhyping it but the anime is in another league and this just does not do it justice. Real shame as I was so exited for more Steins;Gate. If I am honest I wish this was never released as it has caused me more pain than not having anything new.

Oh my, how does one go about reviewing something like this? What we have in Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Deja vu ('The Burden of Deja Vu') is a very welcome addition to a very beloved franchise of visual novel, anime, and manga. The original visual novel/anime was outstanding to a degree few series can ever hope to achieve, and the special 25th episode kept up the pace flawlessly and tied up the story in the best way imaginable. Did we really need a movie to go along with such perfection? No, but every fan wanted it--anything to keep Steins;Gate alive.

I went into Fuka Ryouiki no ... Deja vu without expectation. The film didn't need to accomplish anything for me except to be Steins;Gate, and that it was. All the familiar pieces of the puzzle are here in true form, so much so that seeing the anime is an absolute prerequisite. Even the new elements, such as the opening and ending themes, for example, distinctly belong in the Steins;Gate world. And truly, I enjoyed it for that. Nothing is cheapened as movie spinoffs often are. I want to rate it higher than an 8, I really do, but I can't, and for one simple reason:

While the movie doesn't actually unwrite anything established in earlier productions, it spends the majority of its 90 minutes making you think it will.

Granted, this is a series about time travel, and it would hardly do for the creators to release a movie without fitting in some of the trademark D-Mails and time leaps, and to do that they had to create a scenario where they were absolutely necessary. And on the bright side the nature of the plot's central conflict allows us to spend more time with Kurisu than we've ever gotten before, and she shines just as radiantly as expected. But even though the problems the characters are faced with makes some sort of sense within the narrative and stretches your mind a bit in that good Steins;Gate way, in the end they amount to an hour of emotional turmoil that feels more like defeat than a fight for love and all that's good in the world. The story arc is much flatter this time around, building the action just enough to keep you interested, but not so much motivated--just desperate to see the end through to make sure the tremendous ending of the anime/visual novel wasn't torn back up and left an open wound. Sadly when the relief finally comes (and it does), the movie is over with almost no time to bask in the resolution.

If all you're looking for is an affirmation of the film's quality, then fear not--it is as good and solid as you hope. Indeed, it is worth seeing for fans of the series. However, I can't help but feel it would've been better off being a good deal shorter. Fuka Ryouiki no Deja vu's story is pure emotional tension, and carries closer to the point of despair than back around to a determination to see anything through. Overall it's not a bad way to end the series' storyline (thus far) but what it possesses in pure quality it lacks in progression. You won't like Steins;Gate as a whole any less, but you probably won't come to love it any more, either.

Meh.

For the 1 1/2 hour run time, the movie executes the finale to the anime series, but sacrifices some consistency in the process.

Some of the events and devices seen were modified to fit into the plot of the movie, but there was little groundwork to build up to them and they were more or less inserted into the story for their function alone.

The actual story itself was a little awkward, after the midpoint of the movie, the lull never builds up into a climax and in a monotone style, the movie ends.

The animation, artwork, and sound was about the same as the ... tv series', and this isn't a really problem. There's not really a need to spend more or less on this.

The characters unfortunately, were stripped down to their core traits and weren't as fleshed out save for the two leads of course. Their interactions felt like something a fanfiction author would've written.

Overall, it was ok, but if I were to rewatch the series, I would probably skip the movie.

I was so exited for this movie, but after watching it I felt very disappointed. It lacked character development and throughout most of the movie nothing was going on.

The issue I had was the movie was very slow, then wrapped up quickly at the end. It also seemed to lack any sort of development.

Just like the original story, the art was amazing. If you have seen the original then there isn't much to say. The characters had the same art style as the series, which was good. The movies animation was good to. Overall, the art and animation is the best part of ... this film.

The movie didn't have a lot of music, but the music it did have was good. It helped try to bring emotion to the plot. My favourite sound tracks were played at emotional times.

The group of characters was not the best. The only two characters important to the story were Okabe and Kurisu. The rest were just there, I guess. We didn't see to much of Okabe, since he was disappearing. I feel Kurisu needed to be more developed. We development, but in the end she didn't seem like a different or changed person.

I felt the reason this got so popular is because it is literally screaming Okabe x Kurisu. I have to admit the movie is cute, but that is all I found interest in. If it wasn't for that, I would probably have stopped watching half way through.

Overall, I give this movie a 6. It was brought up by the art and sound. If you haven't seen the original series, I would suggest you watch it because it is way better then this.

**REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE ORIGINAL "STEINS;GATE" SERIES, BUT NOT FOR THE MOVIE THAT IS BEING REVIEWED**

Considering that Steins;Gate is my favorite anime series of all time, I was both very excited and very worried at the same time once I finally got the chance to watch Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu (henceforth referred to as FRD).

On one hand, the original series got everything single possible thing exactly right; there was absolutely no room for improvement and the series had nowhere to go but down. FRD had all the setups of a major let down that could taint the masterpiece that is the original. On ... the other hand, it's freakin' Steins;Gate! We are talking about one of the best written plots in anime history coupled with strongly developed and likeable characters intact before the movie even begins. We should trust that the writers know what they are doing.

Well, after watching the movie, I am pleased to report that FRD is is well written, immensely enjoyable, and worthy sequel to a legendary anime series that gives the show a better ending than the original or the OVA had. Is it JUST as brilliant and emotionally investing as the original? No, but it manages to recapture a lot of the magic. After all, we would be fools to expect them to be able to recreate their previous genius perfectly.

Story: 8/10
This time around, the shoe is on the other foot: After Okabe finally arrives on the Steins;Gate world line, serious problems begin to develop. His collection of memories from other world lines are causing him to indiscriminately flicker in between random world lines until finally, he no longer exists in Steins;Gate at all. Everyone forgets that he ever existed, except of course, for Makise Kurisu. This time, Kurisu is the one doing the time traveling in an attempt to bring Okabe back into existence without disrupting the Steins;Gate world line.

There are two reasons that this setup is brilliant: one reason being that the plot is still centered around the intriguing time-travel theories and applications that the original was, and the other reason being that the deep and complex character development that Okabe received during the series is now given to Kurisu, effectively making them (in my opinion) the most developed anime couple in existence.

Watching FRD felt like watching Steins;Gate for the first time all over again, and that is VERY much a good thing. The formula is almost exactly the same; it gets off to a pretty slow start, but once it gets going, it just absolutely slays you. Fans have come to care so much about these characters that the reboot of the series is just as emotionally gripping and powerful as the original series. Most notably, we get a lot more character development for Kurisu. She was already a fantastic character to begin with, but after FRD, I think she just might be on the same level as Okabe. In short, if you loved Steins;Gate's plot, you will love FRD's plot just as much.

The only legitimate complaints I have are minor. For instance, as previously mentioned, the movie gets off to a pretty slow start; it takes quite a while to get to the meat of the plot, just like the original did. Secondly, there is a bit less suspense then original series had, as FRD opts to focus almost entirely on the emotional aspect instead. That isn't bad thing, but I feel like they could have gotten both elements incorporated equally if the movie was just longer. It's only an hour and a half, and while I think it was the perfect way to end the series, I wish the experience had lasted for more time.

Art: 8/10
Looks a tad different then the original series, and I don't think that is a good thing. I mean, it still looks great, but I think the original did a better job of capturing the show's style.

Sound: 8/10
Great music (minus the iconic OP of the show), but more importantly, the same LEGENDARY voice acting that the original had is replicated. Good luck finding a better voice acting cast.

Characters: 9/10
What can I say about these amazing characters that I haven't already said (If you want details, read my review for the original series)? The characters don't shine as brightly as the did in the original, but they still shine brightly. The only problem I had with the character development in the original was that Okabe was the only character that showed any true dynamic traits, which is an inevitable outcome of the show's time-travel theme. Now that a character besides Okabe has gone through the epic journey of time travel, the cast now feels stronger in a way. Again, I can't stress how FANTASTIC the characters of Steins;Gate are, we simply don't get to see them in all their glory during this movie.

Overall: 8/10
In conclusion, most Steins;gate fans will NOT be disappointed with the sequel to one of the highest rated anime of all time. The story of the Future Gadget Lab is just as emotionally investing as ever and the spectacular cast of characters is only made better. FRD is a MUST WATCH for Steins;gate fans; I really could not have asked for a better sequel to my all-time favorite anime.
El Psy Congroo

This review is more or less spoiler-free.

First of all I'd like to say that I'm a huge fan of Science;Adventure franchise. I am familiar with nearly every entry in the series in every medium, be it visual novels, anime, manga, Drama CD, or light novels, etc. Now, I'm not saying this as justification of why you should pay attention to this review or how it is substantial or whatnot. The reason why I'm telling this is because I want reader of this review to understand how important the series is to me, how am I in love with it, so I'm ready to dedicate enormous ... amount of time to it. Yes, you can call me a fanboy, this would be complete truth.
And this is important for reader of this review to know because of what I'm going to say about the movie in subject. It's awful.
And of course, I am going to explain why it is awful.
The main reason behind this movie being a failure is it's far-fetched story, which contradicts all canon established before, which violates main rules of the setting.
I assume that you are already aware of what's going on in the movie.
It's basically "The Disappearance of Okabe Rintarou". After a year from the events of the original visual novel and anime series, Okabe Rintarou and everyone else are leading a normal everyday life, but one day Okabe just disappears in broad daylight and nobody remembers him. Except there is a barely perceptible feeling inside Kurisu that something is missing.
So far up to this point in the story, everything was pretty alright, if you forget about how fast pacing is or how poorly characters interact. Well, it's not completely as bad as I'm painting it. The movie tries really hard to appeal to watchers, tries to create funny situations and make characters interact like in the original, but poor time management makes it less believable. Even if that's so, movie is still very cute and enjoyable to some degree.
But from the point where you learn the real reason of Okabe's disappearance, it all goes straight to hell.
Because the real reason, as I said before, contradicts main rules established in story. There're basically two main interpretations of ongoing events. The one of this interpretations actually makes sense and from its point of view, no rules were violated. Except this interpretation builds upon assumption that everything characters are saying is incorrect or a lie.
And that can't be the case, the reason is very simple: this is not how storybuilding works.
If the writers really knew what they were doing, they would have planted a correct explanation to the story unless there is a significant reason for the plot to not to have the correct explanation. Which isn't like that in this movie, because such method only makes plot to be nonsensical. More to that, if we start to assume that everything characters said in the movie may be incorrect, why won't we go further in our assumptions and say that every other rule established in the original might be incorrect, since we have no solid proof that anything said in the original is truth.
And the other interpretation doesn't even need to be analysed to make no sense, you just have to keep in mind what Suzuha said about world lines in the series.
And because of how story has such significant plot holes I couldn't enjoy it at all. It had couple of great scenes, though. For example scene on the train station where Okabe and Kurisu were talking, mimicking Houoin Kyouma, the ending... and... and... well, that's it.
The other significant flaw of the movie are characters. Yup, you didn't misread it. That god-tier character cast which the original had are turned into something... I don't even know. Maybe the reason is that the movie had only 90 minutes, which clearly isn't enough to reveal characters. Maybe the problem is that there isn't anything new in their interactions, because basically 90% of all "good" (not really good) moments are a copypaste from the original.

The movie tries too hard to pander to the audience through pure fanservice, forgetting about everything else like plot or characters.
And yeah, well, it's pretty enjoyable fanservice-wise. So, if you really are able to not think while watching the movie and enjoy just how camera angle showing Kurisu's flat chest or how tearjerking forced drama moments are... well, you may even like this.

Steins;Gate - Fuka Ryouiki no Deja Vu - 6/10

Pretty good movie, lots of very nice character development as it focuses on Kurisu's attempt trying to save Okabe.
Brings back the atmosphere Steins;Gate had, but in a better way.
Set after the series and the OVA.
The art is pretty much the same with a bit more 3DCG scenes especially in the crowd, the dialogue is well-written and seriously it's just a fun thing for fans of Steins;Gate to watch.

I love this anime. I recommend it to every anime otaku to please watch this anime series. From the start every minute until this movie end each minute. I just loved it all and am totally grateful that I became an anime otaku for with I got to watch an awesome movie like this.

Story :-
I can tell that I was satisfied by just watching the series at start, but it was not 100% satisfaction. Even though the whole anime series - 25 episodes were awesome I could tell at the 24th episode that Okabe will go mad because of all the experience he had ... with the timelines and will be always lonely from inside because only he remembers about different timelines and even carries that feeling, which no one he can share or no one can understand it. I finished the 25 series anime 1 year back but thought of seeing this movie later and forgot it totally. At last feels totally awesome. Good for Okabe Rintarou, now he has someone who shares the same experience of seeing different timelines.

Sound:
Music and sound effects were perfectly synchronized for the timing and situation.

Character:
Got to see a bit different Kurisu, at starting full of Tsundere and by the ending fully honest to her feelings.

Enjoyment:
Total satisfaction and totally amazing feeling. I am glad to be a fan of this anime.