GATE: Season 1 – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
Episode 6: Ride of the Valkyries Overview As the SDF wages an utter massacre in Italica, so comes the issue of whether the SDF can become a friend to the people and not a foreign foe with dangerous weaponry. Characters & Story (with Commentary) Topic 1: An Utter Massacre – Princess Pina & Itami As we…
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Episode 6: Ride of the Valkyries
Overview
As the SDF wages an utter massacre in Italica, so comes the issue of whether the SDF can become a friend to the people and not a foreign foe with dangerous weaponry.
Characters & Story (with Commentary)
Topic 1: An Utter Massacre – Princess Pina & Itami
As we saw last week, the forces of Italica, now reduced to minutemen, are of no match to the opposition. Civilians are dying in masse, and even one of Princess Pina’s top knights are vanquished. Thus forcing her to realize that this may not only be the end for Italica, but perhaps herself as well. But then comes the SDF and just as they have done many times before, using their advanced weaponry, a massacre occurs. One in which nearly the entire opposition party is wiped out. For with a combination of Recon Group 3, Itami’s team, Rory, and then armed helicopters with rockets and machine guns, the opposition is made into mincemeat with a handful of survivors.
Topic 2: Negotiations and Retreat – Princess Pina & Itami
With the battle effectively over, so comes negotiations of peace. Not with the people who attacked Italica though, it is more so between the rulers of Italica and the SDF. After all, the SDF are the people who won the battle and it is them that everyone is worried about. Mostly due to how things would be handled traditionally with expectations of occupation and oppression. However, in the end, the SDF doesn’t ask for much but tax exemption, and for humane treatment of prisoners. Everything else is so minor that it shocks Princess Pina as well as her representative Hamilton.
Though, while things end in the city on a peaceful note, the peace is short lived. If only because Princess Pina’s Rose Knight Order finally makes it to the outskirts of Italica and upon seeing the SDF, things get tense. So tense that Itami decides to step out of his vehicle to try to smooth things over, but with it appearing one knight might get violent, and him now wanting the peace to end, he tells his group to leave and this forces him to be at the mercy of the Rose Knight Order.
Final Thoughts
With Princess Pina, despite the assistance, re-establishing she sees the SDF as the enemy, and now her knights order having Itami, it does bring to question of what may happen? Will they attempt some sort of hostage situation, in which between obtaining weaponry or dispelling to SDF, that is the only way Itami will leave their grasp alive? Much less, being that the SDF took some of the prisoners from the battle, such as the magic user, what is going to come of that? After all, while the SDF do have guns, magic likely trumps a bullet, and maybe even a missile.
Also, it has been awhile since we’ve seen the emperor, or know whether the USA, and other countries, may want a piece of what the SDF is exploring. So there comes the question of when, and if, the political aspect of the show may return in the future. Much less, if the violence witnessed in Italica is just a prelude to something bigger.
Things To Note
The magic user who was helping the opposition is taken in by the SDF.
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.