GATE: Season 1 – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
Episode 15: Tuka Luna Marceau Overview With Yao telling Tuka her father is dead, to try to force the hand of Itami, so comes the question of what to do with Tuka… who now thinks Itami is her father. Characters & Story (with Commentary) Topic 1: By Any Means Necessary (Yao, Tuka, and Itami) With everyone…
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Episode 15: Tuka Luna Marceau
Overview
With Yao telling Tuka her father is dead, to try to force the hand of Itami, so comes the question of what to do with Tuka… who now thinks Itami is her father.
Characters & Story (with Commentary)
Topic 1: By Any Means Necessary (Yao, Tuka, and Itami)
With everyone of Itami’s superiors denying Yao assistance, she decides to use Tuka in order to try to push him to help her. How you may ask? Well, by revealing to Tuka her father Hodolew is dead, thus causing some sort mental breakdown. One which leads Tuka to think Itami is her father, something he plays along with. Issue is, Tuka was a real daddy’s girl and makes a big deal out of her father being back. Leading to a lot of whispering and side eye moments. After all, watching Itami, a very visible figure, move about with an elf who calls him daddy, feeds him, and he has to leave the side of at night, is all rather odd.
Yet, with a flashback or two, you begin to realize that Itami isn’t going through all this simply to give in to Tuka’s delusions. If anything, it is because the way he dealt with his parents’ death seemingly wasn’t easy. So if he could alleviate that by pretending to be her dad, he’ll do it. But, according to Yao, Itami is no Hodolew and it is going to weight heavy on Tuka as she mentally fights against the differences.
Topic 2: Espionage and Succession (Diabo, Pina, and Tyuule)
With the reveal that Zolzal is to succeed the throne, needless to say Diabo is pissed. After all, he is smarter, possibly more accomplished military wise, and yet his idiot for a brother shall rise in power. So, playing his hand to his sister, yet attaching the name Zolzal to it, he accuses Zolzal of uprising against father in time. Something which we can’t really see if Pina believes for the focus on this scene is short-lived.
As for Tyuule, low and behold she is a spy. One which seemingly wishes to bring down the empire by ridding it of its royal family, or by simply controlling the heir. Leading to the reveal that her plan, alongside this thing called Bouro, is to have princess Pina kill Noriko. All in an effort to end the peace negotiations and to force Japan’s head to re-declaring war.
Topic 3: We’re Off To Slay The Dragon! (Yao, Tuka, Itami, Rory, and Lelei)
Though Itami finds the time to be himself while pretending to be Hodolew, there comes a point where his duties are to take him away from basecamp, and Tuka. Which he is at first ok with, but as the helicopter ascends toward the mission, he jumps off and decides to take Yanagida’s earlier offer. One in which he could justify the mission by saying they are searching for a resource like oil or diamonds.
An idea which Yanagida wish Itami took earlier, combined with his current mission, or did after. For while Itami is highly ranked, he still has superiors, as does Yanagida. So Itami being impetuous and thinking with his heart is a problem. Especially since he was thinking of slaying the dragon with just him and Tuka – a guaranteed suicide mission. But then Rory appears and demands to join, Lelei wants to join to help their odds, and of course Yao, who you think would have been exiled by now, shows up and wants to go too.
Now, as for the rest of Itami’s crew? Well, either they didn’t get the memo, or else they want no parts of this expedition. Which is strange since they seem rather loyal to Itami and, considering three non-soldiers heard about Itami going, you’d think they would have heard about this quest for the red dragon as well.
Highlights
A Glimpse into Itami’s Past: While it is brief, like less than a minute or 2 brief, I found it interesting to peer into Itami’s past briefly. Mostly because, as made clear by his ex-wife, Itami has a very odd past. One which could easily fill an episode or two as they breakdown how we came to meet this young man who went from a slacker to perhaps one of the most respected, and visible, men in Japan’s arsenal.
A Spy & A Disgruntled Son: Call me a fool, actually don’t, but considering how loyal Tyuule is, and how much she took from Zolzal, in term of physical and sexual abuse, and that she was some sort of slave, you had to figure she wasn’t something small time. Also, take into consideration they gave her a name and had her appear more than once, with a new important character.
Such a combination shouldn’t make it surprising she is a spy. Question is though, who is she a spy for exactly? Also, will we only meet her associate Bouro, or may we perhaps see what land she comes from as Itami journeys out into the world again?
As for Diabo, being that he is new, underdeveloped, and a bit uninteresting, I’m just waiting to see what kind of chaos he causes. After all, with him being second, or even third maybe, in line for the throne, you know that doesn’t sit well with him. So with him talking about uprisings, and I’m sure Tyuule not against creating a rift in the royal family, who knows how much damage these two may do separately or together.
Refocusing of Cast: Tuka, and especially Rory and Lelei, have been on the backburner and rarely seen or heard from since the first half of the series. So their seeming return to prominence should be an interesting change of pace.
On The Fence
So Yao Isn’t Going to Be Punished?: Maybe it is just me, but you’d think after Yao told Tuka her father was dead, then admitted she did it for selfish reasons, she would have had her escorted off the base.
Things To Note
Zolzal has been appointed heir and Diabo is pissed
I really wish there was another season of GATE for the simple reason that I’d like them to actually bring the conflict to a conclusion. I know there are issues with the story, but I was enjoying it and it just kind of left me hanging and that kind of takes the rewatch fun out of it.
There needs to at least be a ova, if not a full movie. This was the first show I saw go past 12 episodes and I honestly could have been cool with it going on forever.
The first season kind of reminded me of Stargate and realisatically, I’d have happily sat through 10 seasons of this. It is just kind easy watching.
And, in retrospect, it strangely was able to balance all the genres it touched on. Yes, there was a bit of ecchi, but the sci-fi/ fantasy elements were on point. Also, it had these rather epic action scenes, especially with the Red Dragon. Not to forget quality character interaction, relationships, and growth.
I also loved the soundtrack at times. But yeah, the character interactions were what made the show really enjoyable. Even when the story didn’t quite word as well as it should the characters carried it for me.