One day as the MC (Itami Youji - an Otakou), was making his way to the Doujinshi festival in Tokyo in the Akihabara district of Japan, a gate opened in the middle of the Ginza district of Tokyo. Out of the gate poured soldiers and strange creatures (typical of monsters from a Dungeons and Dragons game), and began acting the Japanese citizens. Itami soon found himself trying to defend the Japanese citizens from this threat in an attempt to keep the Doujinshi festival from being canceled. After some investigation, it was found that the gate connected Japan to another world, where swords and sorcery were commonplace but were severely lacking in modern technology. The parliament of Japan decided that the Japanese Self-Defense Force (JSDF) should investigate this new territory and its plans (the Empire), the world, and the people.
Upon arriving in the new world they soon discover that the local inhabitants have set up an ambush that would prove to be a fatal mistake for the empire. After setting up a military base at the Gate it didn't take long before Itami was sent out on a mission to investigate this new land. In the beginning, they find that this new world looks similar to Earth with the inhabitants being mostly human. On their journey, they encounter ferocious dragons and conflict between the JSDF and the Empire. Itami will recruit several local females (i.e. elves (wood & Dark), demi-gods, and human mages) into his group. Through Itami's travels, he will learn what dangers exist for the JSDF in this New World.
Originality: 9
The author has presented us with a very unique storyline that showcases a fresh and creative way to travel in a world that isn't your own.
Plot: 8
The plot of the manga is constructed with a clear, concise, and compelling storyline that has a recognizable main arc with a convincing conflict and crisis. Throughout the storyline, there are several obstacles for the protagonist to overcome. With all the mini-arcs, which have conflict, crisis, and resolution, the tension between the JSDF and the Empire is constantly mounting throughout the storyline.
Theme: 8
The central theme is how the mighty have fallen (the Empire) and the strong will inherit the world (the JSDF). Throughout the story, the theme is made clear through the JSDF's (more specifically, Itami's)actions as he explores the new world. The storyline is conflict-driven.
Character Development: 9
The main and sub-main characters are memorable with unique and complex personalities. As an example; Itami is an otaku who has also accomplished gaining the ranger and special forces tab's in the military. His otaku side is thrilled that he gets to explore a unique new world that has swords and sorcery with the ability to meet and interact with demi-humans (elves, demi-gods, and cat people...). On the other hand, Itami is a soldier in the military with a talent for surviving during the most adverse conditions. He has also demonstrated that he can accomplish great feats, which helps when he ignores or goes against direct orders. As a result of the complex nature of the characters, the reader is typically torn between both positive and negative emotions for the MC. Throughout the manga, the dialogue contributes to the rich and vivid world created in GATE. The one problem that I had with this manga was that the characters tended to pick up foreign languages fairly fast and didn't struggle much.
Art, Setting, and Atmosphere: 7
The art style of Gate was done in the Seinen style, with the characters being drawn in a more realistic design, with much more details than other manga art styles. The colors tend to be darker as well since this manga art style tends to portray deep and complex storylines that are harder to grasp. The settings tend to be appropriate for the world that the characters are in and for the action that is occurring. The manga does have some anachronisms. More specifically, the use of electrical equipment in the new world where electricity doesn't exist. I understand the use of generators for electricity but the use of cell phones without adequate cell tower coverage would be impossible.
Mechanics: 8
I do not speak Japanese but in the translated version that I read, it was very easy to follow and understand what was happening with little to no spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors. However, they did not distract from the enjoyment of the manga and it was easy to understand what was meant.
Passion: 9
The author is very adept at making you care about what ultimately becomes of the protagonist throughout the manga. The plot and theme of the manga are interesting in that the protagonist travels to another world through a GATE which allows him to return home at any time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
