I'll Cry Kongroo
Entry posted by Pahrak Model ZX
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Recently a reshowing of the Steins;Gate anime has been streaming online as a lead-up to Steins;Gate 0, and included as part of that was a new version of Episode 23 with an alternate ending! The episode is mostly the same, but when Kyouma and Suzuha come back after their attempt to save Kurisu, it diverges and shows what occurred on the beta worldline that Steins;Gate 0 will take place in, and after the credits there's a brief teaser for the 0 anime! English subs are now available, so, of course, I had to watch it.
Given what we already know about 0, what happens isn't really a shock, but I'll put in spoilers just in case.
As with the regular episode, Kyouma is overcome with despair and accepts that he won't be able to save Kurisu due to worldline convergence. This time, Suzuha is the one who moves to slap some sense into him, but Mayuri stops her, saying that she shouldn't force Okabe to carry the whole future and they can't ask him to keep trying when he'll only get hurt. Okabe breaks down sobbing, and Mayuri holds him and tells him she's there for him. It's heartbreaking.
It jumps ahead a bit and shows Okabe in his 0 attire meeting Mayuri again, talking like a normal person and having a phone conversation that might be for real. He tells Mayuri that he's becoming more social and he didn't expect college life to be this busy. So, even after all he went through and how messed up he's become, even dropping his Kyouma persona, he's still doing all he can to stop Mayuri from worrying about him, this messes me up a little okay. They show a few shots around Akihabara (one of which provides a cameo for a character who will be important to 0, pay close attention to the crowd behind the store), and then Mayuri tells Okabe he should come visit the lab sometime since he hasn't been there in a while. He says he will, hands her a bag, and they part ways, Okabe saying that Mayuri's safe and nothing has changed. (YEAH RIGHT)
Then the ending rolls, and when it reaches the last shot of Kurisu, the colors return to normal and she opens her eyes. Zoom out to reveal Amadeus Kurisu introducing herself to Okabe, who is overwhelmed for a moment before using another Kyouma internal monologue to calm himself down. And, of course, "El Psy Kongroo."
The visual novel releases in Japan really soon, and there hasn't been any word yet on when the anime adaptation will air. If they're airing this episode, though, I hope it means they'll start it soon. The next anime season starts in January, right?
I'm excited and kind of destroyed right now. Later I'll probably rewatch the whole of Episode 23 but switch over to this ending and see if I can survive that,
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