4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good anime about fighting for love and peace, October 16, 2007
This review is from: Gate Keepers: Complete Brick Shrink Set (DVD)
This anime is set in the 60's, right in the midst of the political rise of communism. In the same guise as the red scare, Studio Gonzo brings us Gate Keepers, a story in Japan about teenage high schoolers who fight sunglass-wearing aliens known as Invaders. And yes, like the movie "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", these Invaders meld into ordinary human beings, just like you and me.
It's a silly concept, but the series shows this theme surprisingly well. This is a flashy anime that uses cool spy-gadgetry, such as a Japanese tour bus that turns into a tank, cool 60's automobiles, choppers and robots. Not only does it look good, but the theme is especially strong. This anime shows us how life isn't really about being the best, but about working to help the people you love.
While this anime might not have the emotional impact of Evangelion (it would be really, really hard to reach that level anyway), this is a strong series that I especially like. Most importantly, the anime is a great anime for teenagers, because it touches on issues that they can really connect with. There is Kurogane, the glasses-wearing lower-class girl who is jealous of the top girl in class, Ruriko. There is the evil Gate Keeper, who uses his ambition and good looks to crush other people. And there is tons of manipulation near the end.
I don't always like the intense tragedy portrayed in Evangelion and Fullmetal Alchemist all the time, so "Gate Keepers" is the perfect anime for me when I want cheery high schooler action. It is not the best, and the ending plays out more like an ultra-dramatic version of "Beauty and the Beast". However, it is still a good series that holds up well.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent !! Innovative anime production, July 17, 2007
This review is from: Gate Keepers: Complete Brick Shrink Set (DVD)
Gonzo's anime can never disappoint its fans. This set of anime can interpret advanced technology in anime production skillfully in a 1960's background and still harmonic. The screen and whatever are techonlogical. On the other hand, you can find that the buildings, etc in the cartoon are the 60's style. Even the enemy is the 60's style too. This is very cute because the face, etc of them seem to be old-fashioned but their way to be shown is computerized technologically. Story is exciting. I cannot imagine who can resist from watching to the end.
The sequel is interesting. The story is rather surprising.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Surprised!?!, November 2, 2010
This review is from: Gate Keepers: Complete Brick Shrink Set (DVD)
When I first bought this show I wasn't really sure what I was getting. The art work on the front cover the the dvd cases looked good. So, I went out on a limb and bought the complete series for a pretty cheap price. For those of you who don't know what a Brick Shrink set is, its all the indiviual dvd volumes in one nicely packed package. As for the show, I really enjoyed it. Season one maybe more kid to teen oriented, if an adult watches it, I recommend you keep an open mind. The art work is pretty good and in comparison to a lot of current shows its amazing. The story maybe mostly light hearted, but it does have some serious moments. While part 2 , Gate Keepers 21, was not near as good as the first. 21's story line is taken at a much later point in time, and is much darker. While the first is younger oriented, I'd mostly recommend this for teens. I also didn't find it as appealing due to the odd zombie movie theme, and it's rushed ending. I would have given this a Five out of Five stars, but due to Gate Keepers 21 unsatisfying story I knock it down to Four out of Five stars.
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