Story: 3
Spoilers
Time for the story. For the OVA's story to succeed, in my mind it has to do two things. One is show us what happened after the events and also tie up any loose ends (EG the end of the final episode), in a somewhat entertaining and unrushed manner. Unfortunately these events wizz past you so fast you'd think Esuno was a bullet train. After showing the end of the final episode, the show cuts to the third world Yuno lives a happy life two years in the future. Whilst I feel that showing the end of the final episode can be important and useful to give people a refresh and to keep the series chronologically anchored, when you only have 30 minutes I feel like the time could be used better elsewhere to fix some of the large plot holes. Then the show goes on to basically break all laws of common sense, as Yuno somehow is still friends with Hinata, Mao, Kousaka and Akise (Who shouldn't even be there as he died in the 2nd world and didn't have his data uploaded, and in the 3rd world Deus never needed to create him as he never made the survival game), after going through about 15 minutes of fan service where the girls all fondle each others breasts (Which is hyper annoying as the show managed to avoid overly gratuitous fan service most of the way through- Keep in mind these ar 14 year old girls folks.) and meeting all the characters apart from 8th in stupid, immersion ruining scenes (Tsubaki is stalking Kousaka because she has a crush on him, I mean how did she even meet him ever?), we finally start getting to some form of plot, with only half an episode to go. I'm fine with having what is essentially a catch up episode, but to have the characters all tie in so jankily is bizzare and stupid, however 12th's scene was genuinely funny to me, but that's only because of the over the top nature of 12th in general. Then the plot begins and Yuno basically starts recieving flashbacks of 1st world Yuno's memories, and wants to find out who the person she loved is. Menawhile Deus has decided to abandon a survival game and can't figure out who to make a new god. It's nice to know the god of space and time, who knows exactly when he is going to die and has knowledge beyond comprehension can't even begin to plan for (let alone actually pick) picking a successor before his death. Yuno then ends up throwing herself under a blanket and talking to Deus and then wakes up in the Akashiacikikikikik (wherever that place Akise was supposed to go) records. After Murmur trying to stop her and Ninth helping Yuno out, she walks down the corridor to find Akise, who in this world somehow has all his memories and says how much he hates Yuno, he then tries to kill her with a sword and somehow this world's Yuno (who is just a girl in every aspect, she has had no survival game training and isn't even hardened from killing her parents), manages to overpower him and take his sword. She then reaches the weird sphere thing and unlocks it, finding the 1st Murmur who has kept the 1st Yuno's memories and wants to give them to this Yuno. Sound bull yet? Because it really is. Also Deus has decided to 180 on his duties allowing Yuno to do this and infact aiding her. She then decides she wants to go see Yuki as her memories are all back and Deus just says "yolo" and smashes through space and time (not sure why he doesn't just time travel but needs to smash open a wall), and sends this 3rd world Yuno through to go see Yuki. This is wrong on so many levels. For a start this still isn't the same Yuno, why is she allowed to travel through space and time, why did any of this happen. It just seems a contrived way of allowing every character to be happy at the end instead of having the bittersweet ending of the actual show where Yuki and Yuno give up everything for the other to be happy (or at least another version of them). My favourite line comes from Deus where he basically says "I'm not going to pick a god, because I want fate to guide us instead of me for once." this may sound semi-profound coming out of his mouth, but we have seen what happens if he picks nobody. He crumbles and dies and then giant black spheres begin destroying everything, so he has basically said "I can't be bothered to pick a successor, so let's watch the whole world burn lol.". Still, at least it's better than the ending in the manga, where you get about three panels where Deus smashes down the barrier with a literal hammer and says that he is going to make Yuno god of the third world with no explanation as to why.
Art: 7
Not really much to say here. It's the exact same as in Mirai Nikki which is nice. The only real difference is because all the characters are good in this world you don't get any of those weird pupil contraction shots and the evil grins.
Sound: 7
Again, it's Mirai Nikki. If you liked the music there you'll like the music here. Nothing overly fast paced and pumped up as it's a nice episode again. Like a lot of OVA's it lacks an OP.
Character: 2
This seems like an odd score I know but I do have a good reason. The score of 2 isn't necessarily for the characters themselves, as I quite like a few of the characters in Mirai Nikki, but it's about their portrayal and how they act in this OVA alone. For example whilst I was never a particular fan of Tsubaki's character they completely ruined what they built by making her stalk Kousaka and basically being any harem anime girl ever. The characters are semi spoilt by this OVA, only not being completely spoilt as they're in an alternate reality, however Uryuu Minene and others that carry over between the episodes really dissapoint me on this one.
Enjoyment: 5
Why is the enjoyment higher than the story and the characters? Well that's simply because it's an end to Mirai Nikki. If you stuck around to watch all 26 epiosdes of the show chances are you became at least a little bit invested in it, and this does give closure to the series, ending it just about how everybody wanted it, with Yuki and Yuno together (even if it is an incredibly unsatisfying way of doing it). I can't say I left regretting watching it, as it ended it all for me, but I am dissapointed with it.
Overall: 4
Mirai Nikki Redial is an overly rushed, very fanservicey dissapointment that really fails to hit any of the notes the actual show did, however it does tie everything up into a not so neat little package and once and for all lays the show to rest.
Should you watch Redial? Only if you enjoyed the main show, because trust me this is far worse than it.
