GATE: Season 1 – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
Episode 21: With the media and a multitude of nations visiting the SDF, it makes the situation at the Jade palace horrible, especially in combination to how aggressive Zolzal is being. On top of that, there is another attempt on Lelei’s life. Trigger Warning(s): Characters & Story (with Commentary) Topic 1: Lelei Despite the assassination…
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Episode 21:
With the media and a multitude of nations visiting the SDF, it makes the situation at the Jade palace horrible, especially in combination to how aggressive Zolzal is being. On top of that, there is another attempt on Lelei’s life.
Trigger Warning(s):
Characters & Story (with Commentary)
Topic 1: Lelei
Despite the assassination attempt, Lelei finds herself back in Rondel for Itami wants her to do her discertation. During their time there they thwart another assassination attempt, but learn that since the Pied Piper uses weak hearted people than does the job themselves, their fight against this being is going to be long and hard fought.
Topic 2: The SDF w/ Princess Pina vs. Zolzal
It is utter chaos at the Jade Palace and while Gimlet eventually retreats, Zolzal sends his army to the Jade Palace to recover from yet another embarrassment. But before he plans a second battle, he asks his sister Pina to call of her knights, which she denies the request of so she seemingly will be treated as a traitor. Meanwhile, somewhere in Japan, there are back and forth arguments over the SDF doing something. One one side there is Morita whose party is up for election and wants to wait a week so that the media and other natiosn can’t report on what essentially is a restart of the war. On the other side is Kanou who doesn’t want to see his men and women, especially VP Shirayuri, possibly be killed due to inaction.
After sometime Kanou gets his way and is given the go ahead. However, with 1000 soldiers, give or take a few hundred, at the lawn of the Jade Palace, will they make it in time to save everyone? Much less keep Sherry and the Marquess alive?
Topic 3: The Media & Other Countries Visit The Special Region
Since the beginning of the series there has been sporadically noted pressure from other nations, and the media, to get to know those of the special region, much less see it. So, being that it is election time, and because I’m sure the other nations are pushing for sanctions, if not violence, many are finally allowed to see the special region. Well, at least Alnus. Something which upsets some, like journalist Kazunari Komurazaki, who is looking for negative press, but with all that is happening at the Jade Palace, and the order to defend it, you can bet he, alongside recently freed Noriko, are going to discover something worth reporting.
Highlights
Japanese & World Politics: Off and on the show reminds us that while the special region is perhaps the main focus, there are things going on within our world. For whether it is elections or the curious minds of other nations on what the special region holds, things don’t solely revolve around Itami. But perhaps the most interesting thing which can come from the week long opening of the special region is how other nations react to it, how the press reports it, and whether these other nations may push, or even fight Japan, for a piece of the pie?
On The Fence
The Zolzal vs. SDF Storyline Is Already Losing Steam and It Just Started
Question(s) Left Unanswered
When will the gate close? For as all these issues begin to bubble, on top of the interest of Earthlings, you have to wonder when will they be cut off from the special region? For while we have learned the gate opens every 100 years, in episode 19 we aren’t told when it will close and that is continuously bugging me since that maybe the next serious turning point in the series. The day the doors closed and the gate disappeared.
Collected Quote(s)
All a man can do is choose the sin he feels most satisfied with.
— “Deadline” Gate
Reporting under the assumption that there has to be negativity doesn’t seem very objective to me.
— “Deadline” Gate
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.