This is a short review so apologies in advance but…
Have you ever watch an anime series and wonder why it got so much hate on the internet, this was me with GATE.
I went into this series blind. When I started to watch the series I thought ‘Well this is rather interesting’ and it managed to capture my interest. Everything about it was what an anime fan would like: Great characters, interesting plot, unique situation of a gate being the link between two worlds/universes, decent animation and a killer soundtrack. So when I went on my exploring on the anime sites it actually shocked me to see the amount of hate that this series received from many anime fans. I kept watching to find out what was the issue and frankly I couldn’t find one. The story was captivating and all I wanted to do was binge watch episodes all night (of course this was impossible).
When a mysterious gate suddenly appears in Tokyo’s Ginza district and begins spewing armed warriors and flying monsters, the world is thrown into turmoil. Although the deadly attack is thrown back by Japan’s Self Defence Force, there’s now a new and entirely unknown land on the other side of the portal, and Japan is effectively at war with a nation on the other side. Determined to secure peace, the JSDF must send an armed force into the Gate, but ogres, dragons and a ruthless Empire populated by elves, humans, and half-animal warriors aren’t the only dangers they’ll face. With the resources of two worlds at stake, the balance of power on both sides of the Gate is destabilizing, and betrayal can come at any time, from any quarter. There, trapped right in the middle of the ensuing firestorm, stands officer Yoji Itami and the JSDF’s Third Reconnaissance Team as they plunge into the GATE.
-Madman Website
The winning factor for me was the English dub. ‘Sentai filmworks’ took this show and gave it a decent translating that was fun and close enough to the Japanese translation. While there are certain scene in the show that are questionable, it was easily ignored because everything else over rides the awkwardness. Is this one to watch with the whole family, probably not. That said it is definitely one to give a shot. I know I was left craving more towards the end. If you are a fan of ‘Sword Art Online’ and all things fantasy, or even military then this is the one for you.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3rJqoqk4gQ[/embedyt]
4/5 for me. I really enjoyed it and all I wanted was more.
If you are interested you are able to stream (Japanese sub only) right now on AnimeLab otherwise streaming the dub is indeed available on HiDive. Otherwise if you are like me, why don’t you pick up a copy from Madman entertainment. Links available on the pictures below:
