The original Stein's;Gate had the good fortune to get an excellent dub. I think it's one of those dubs along with FMA and the like that manages to sit in the same seat as the original Sub as something unique and of deep passion and quality (essentially on the same level)... This movie is no different, Load Region of Deja Vu was a thoroughly emotional experience, and a very unexpected joy to watch considering how afraid I was before hand that it might get screwed up. I'm going to try to make this review as short as possible, Load Region has been out for over 3 years now so this review is for those new to Stein's;Gate and for those who mainly watch the Dubbed Version.
Story: 9/10
1 year after the events of the series Kurisu returns to Japan where she finds Kyouma, and he seems rather out of sorts. Unbeknownst to everyone but the audience, Kyouma has been suffering with violent time flashbacks and episodes of PTSD due to the trauma he suffered in Stein's;Gate. Once Kurisu begins to catch on that all is not well, Kyouma suddenly vanishes right before her eyes. When Kurisu returns to the Future Gadget Lab it seems that nobody even remembers who Kyouma is.
What follows is essentially Stein's;Gate Lite starring Kurisu as the lead instead of Kyouma. It is now up to Kurisu to fix the current world line and bring Kyouma back, but should she bring him back? As we already know, changing the past can severely damage the future. Should love take precedence over logic?
As I said earlier this movie didn't even have to be made, (and like current Hollywood infamy) revisiting finished properties can be risky... but once the credits roll you'll be glad this movie was made. A tight story, fans get exactly what they want, and it ends with the damn good sense not to screw up the peace we achieved in Egoistic Poriomania's conclusion. Major props to the writers, not just for the story but for individual character dialogue as well. Kurisu especially is given plenty of time to shine, with even a hint of tasteful fanservice every now and then.
Art: 7/10
Although being in my opinion the most plain element of the movie along with sound, the Art does manage to make some beautifully simplistic set pieces every now and then. It does it's job, characters looks good and so do the environments. I honestly expected a little more visual quality out of a full-length movie, but it certainly isn't bad by any means and is quite serviceable. It's just not on the same level of great production by studios like Madhouse, Kyoani, Ufotable, and Production I.G.
Sound: 7/10
I decided to include the Voice Acting review in the Characters section. As such I'm using Sound to outline music alone. As with the Art, the Sound is the least "amazing" part of this movie. Once again, nothing bad to say at all, but I wasn't exactly jumping out of my seat during a majestic musical concerto. The music sets the mood beautifully, and does its job. For that reason I can acknowledge it as above average and have even considered buying the OST for mood music.
Characters: 10/10
Everyone fits, everyone seems laid back and comfortable in their roles (especially Michael Tatum as Kyouma and Trina Nishimura as Kurisu), and the acting plays out in a very enjoyable manner. No complaints, everyone gives the performance they need to and it feels like we never left the show following Egoistic Poriomania. The best performance in the movie is easily Trina Nishimura as Makise Kurisu...
Make no mistake, Kyouma starts off as the lead, but this is definitely Kurisu's movie. Kurisu and by relation Trina both go through WIDE ranges of emotion throughout this movie, and Trina was thankfully up to the task of giving her all for this role. I loved her as Kurisu in the original series, but things are just taken to 11 with this movie. The latter half has Kurisu going through an emotional hell, and Trina brilliantly portrays this conflict. Subtle laughs and tsundere moments, to heartbreak and near insanity... Trina's performance in this movie should be seen as both refreshing as well as inspiring for the future of anime dubbing quality in the west. It only gets better from here people.
Enjoyment: 10/10
Due mainly to the content in the last category, I can say I absolutely Loved this film. I was a huge fan of the original Stein's;Gate, but didn't keep up with it enough to catch any info. about this movie back in 2013. As such, seeing the Funimation trailer for it a week ago came as a total shock to me. I ordered it and watched it last night, and I am so glad they didn't screw it up.
This could have easily been some lazy side-story for quick cash... this could have easily been some cancerous additional chapter which breaks the established story and ends things on a negative note...
Overall: 9/10
This could have been so many things, but I'm here to say that thankfully Stein's;Gate - Load Region of Deja Vu is a genuinely emotional little movie that adds so much more to the previous ending and gives Kurisu a chance to shine as her own Main Character. This movie made me tear up, it made me laugh, and it manages to do a hell of a lot in a relatively short run time.
Load Region of Deja Vu is essentially Season 3 of the main Stein's;Gate story, and if this movie is a once-and-for-all conclusion to that timeline...
I am proud to say it excels.
The fans get what they want, the story concludes again without damaging the ending, and we get a deep introspective look into Makise Kurisu as a character. Everyone wins. Buy it.
