DRAGON APOCALYPSE NOW
→ JULY 8, 2015 Gate (full name Gate: Jietai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri) is a bit of an odd duck. It's story about the Japanese army entering a mysterious portal and exploring the land beyond it is an intriguing premise. But while the first episode features great action and art direction, its slightly oblivious hero and uneven tone hold it back from its full potential.
The Self-Defense Force Goes to Another World introduces us to Youji Itami, a 33 year-old Otaku who loves his anime hobby more than his duty as a soldier. How much does he love his hobby? When an army of dragons and medieval knights appears in Tokyo via a mysterious gate and starts terrorizing the populace, his first concern is that the invaders will cause a giant doujinshi (self-published works) sale to be cancelled.
It's a funny gag at first, but even after Youiji helps beat back the enemy, is promoted to second lieutenant for valiant deeds, and his unit tasked with exploring the land beyond the portal, all he does is worry about missing another doujinshi sale. It made me roll my eyes. Come on, man! You just saw dragons and knights invade your city! Let that sink in for a minute.
Youji's priorities off the battlefield are a little out of whack, but on the battlefield he's one heck of a soldier. Case in point: while battling a raging warrior, he had zero qualms about taking out the enemy with a knife. (A violent act that served as an effective contrast to his normally mellow character). He was also impressively quick to direct people away from danger, and even helped a child reunite with her family. Youji may be a bit of an oddball, but when it counts, he is more than capable of being a hero.
The majority of the battle focused on Youji, but there were some choice shots of the action happening around him, as well. My favorites were of a dragoon hurtling through the sky on a wyvern (I liked the various camera angles used in this scene), and a helicopter taking out a dragon with a turret gun. A-1 pictures did a really good job with the battle's art direction.
While the action played out well, I thought the tone stumbled a bit after the fight was over. It was strange to see Youji stabbing a guy in the chest one minute, then chase a fellow Otaku around like a love sick puppy the next. I laughed during the latter scene, but the dead serious battle that took place beforehand made the transition from serious to silly a bit jarring. Hopefully the tone will even out as the story progresses.
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