Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri

The theme of Gate is what would happen if a modern country somehow connects to a Medieval Fantasy World, a clash of automatic guns against swords, a Humvee vs Cavalry, a modern fighter jet vs dragon. It is a fun world making for the fans of genre with the modern world having realistic take on politician, press and otaku's, all having their own agendas. Lots of interesting and fun characters, this anime really surprised me with its storytelling. At times kiddish other times too mature for kids, so I am not sure who the target audience it, still a fun watch. Ended up binge watching both the Two Seasons.

When it comes down to it, GATE is a show that opens a gate with wealth of interests. There's the certain "it" factor that makes this show stand out with both sides of the world. It blurs between the lines of fiction and reality with what it has to offer. And to be quite honest, GATE does it quite well on most parts with its creativity. This show is definitely not one that matches anyone's tastes, though. Certain audiences such as those interested in political or military affairs may find this more enjoyable than others. For action junkies, GATE can appeal to that side as well, although it's not a main investment of the story. When it comes to characters, there's a colorful range of them and by the end of the season, there's likely one or more that you may like to find out more. The first season is set as 12 episodes, but many of the ideas and concepts opens up potentially for more.

Well, I can't say that season 2 of GATE is miles better than what the first season offered. However, what it does have is concrete storytelling that builds more and more. It makes viewers anticipate what's to happen next while skillfully adapt with some of its controversial content. I am a bit disappointed that it does omit certain content, though. (read the LN and manga for more details) And to add on to the fire, GATE still has characters that can make people pull their hairs out. That aside, GATE Season 2 maintains a nice balance of storytelling and characters. With less comedy and more serious business picking up, it's a show that just keeps on giving.

This series fluctuates between a care free attitude and brutality quickly, this can be a bit jarring for some (as can be seen in the reviews) but I suggest an open mind and looking at it from the view of a "survivor" using copping mechanisms to keep sane, and keeping real world history in mind.

Conquering nations were rarely kind and slavery and the abuse of the captured was very common, if anything "Gate" downplays how bad it really would be.

Here's to hoping there will be a 3rd season.

Another surprising tv series from japan and this is a goodie. It grabs you from episode one and for the bulk of season one you are always wanted to find out what happens. The character development is good, so you begin to care for the princess and the various JSDF troops involved. The only issue is by season two it becomes a bit too predictable, as well as have a number of good characters missing. Apart from that there are a number of simple things which could be done to put the tension back into the show, but as of now there is no season 3. SEason 1 and 2 are well worth a watch. Parents will need to be careful letting their children watch as this show, like many from japan, deals with very adult and confronting topics. But there is no fan based content here, so nothing too naughty.

"A gate to another world opens, and..."

Anime that start out like this are a dime a dozen these days, and this one starts out exactly the same. However, it soon takes that familiar start and does its own thing with it. What would *really* happen when the world discovers a gate to another world? Would politicians want to make peace with these new people, or would they want to scavenge this new world's resources? Would everyone welcome the newcomers to their respective worlds with open arms, or would there be fear and distrust?

If you were to just judge Gate by some random screencaps, you would be hard-pressed to tell it apart from any other anime like it. A lot of the tropes it uses have been done a million times before. Cute, big-breasted girls fawning over well-intentioned, cool-looking guys. Fantasy creatures galore. Wonder at the differences in their respective worlds.

But Gate takes a much more realistic approach to what would happen if something like this were to occur for real, and that's why I'm okay giving it a 7. It's still tropey as hell, but it manages to stand out from the rest because of its realism.

Do I recommend you watch it? It's only 2 seasons for now, and there's a lot of stuff out there that is better, but if you're wanting to watch something isekai-ish that is not just the same thing repeated for the 1000th time, Gate is for you.