Customer Reviews

Gate Keepers - Open the Gate (Vol. 1)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Pioneer pulled out the red carpet for this DVD by GONZO (Blue Sub 6). This is the nicest looking DVD I have seen so far by any anime distribution company. When I unwrapped this sweet little DVD, I just fainted. YES, I am a total DVD nerd but who can blame me.

First, I'll start ranting about the packaging. I have no problems whatsoever with it. It's magnificent, why can't all DVDs be this way? GUESS WHAT, the cover is reversible!! Front cover shows a picture of the first three Gatekeepers you see in action: Shun, Ruriko, and Reiko. The three are shown with weapons to use for battle with exception to Shun (he can fight without a weapon as well). In the background are the three enemies that are in the three episodes of this DVD. I really love the character designs for this anime by Keiji Goto (Nadesico). I like the designs better than Nadesico but that's just my opinion. The side has a picture of Shun from the front cover and the logo of AEGIS (the branch they work for to exterminate the Invaders) and the Gatekeepers logo as well. The back shows four pictures from the anime on a background of the black hitmen looking Invaders. It provides a very brief summary of the DVD and the episode numbers. I like the fact that they put in the list of DVD Special Features which I will talk about later. The reversed cover shows a picture of Ruriko on a white background with the logo and on the side is Ruriko with the text, "Vol 1" which the front cover does not have. The back has one page taken from what I'm assuming to be a film comic because it's a scene from the first episode where they have text in Japanese. I think I heard that this cover is the one they used for the Japanese DVD release (I could be mistaken). The insert (which folds out) shows the same background from the back of the front cover with the Invaders. It shows the chapter and episode listings. Inside is a picture of Ruriko, the same picture from the front of the Japanese cover. The back of the insert shows websites and contact info for Pioneer Animation as well as an enlarged logo for AEGIS. The DVD disc label is my favorite. It has a nice blend of the clear DVD that Pioneer is known for but with the colored logo for Gatekeepers. White print was used to outline a picture of Ruriko which gives it a nice, clean and clear look.

So a little info about the story is that the year is 1969 and we're introduced to our main character, Shun Ukiya, who after school, stumbles upon a battle between the Invaders and a girl his age who he finds out is his old friend from when he was younger, Ruriko. Seeing the battle near his house awakens his 'gate power' because he has a strong sense to protect his family. From these three episodes, I think that each person has a certain element of gate power (again I could be mistaken). I remember that Shun is referred to as having wind and Ruriko with light. In the opening scene, I also saw fire so it's a small assumption on my part. The first two episodes were really fun but the third seemed extremely lacking to me. The episodes open up very subtle questions and character development (while showing their pasts as well).

I listened to the Japanese voices and they are done really well as usual. I switched to English voice track to see if the dub was done well and from what I heard, Pioneer pumped out another good dub. I only recognized three voices. The ever popular Wendee Lee, (Yui - Fushigi Yuugi, Umi - Magic Knight Rayearth, Faye - Cowboy Bebop.. the list goes on and on) who seems to be in 90% of the anime that is out these days, plays Ruriko. Shun's sister is played by the voice of Sasami from Tenchi. And in the credits I saw Mona Marshall, who's roles I've come across was Izzy from Digimon, Ascot from Magic Knight Rayearth, and a small part in Trigun. She turned out to play young Shun. I don't really like how the dub voice of Shun is, it sounds a little too old for the character.

The video quality is simply amazing. Definitely the new wave of digitally drawn anime is coming and this series is one of them, but it is a little annoying seeing some parts move around or stand out a little by the lines flashing. The transfer was really clean and it shows in the opening scene.

I'm surprised at the number of extras in this DVD. Usually we are never treated to both creditless opening and ending scenes all in one DVD (plus there's more extras!). They show the Prologue, a special ending with the full version of the opening song (which is really catchy!) playing with scenes from the first episode. They showed all or a lot of the TV commercials to promote Gatekeepers narrated by the voice actors. If you're one of the lucky people who buy this DVD early, you might get the extras included inside which are Earth Defense Licenses which state that a person is part of AEGIS. They printed one for Ruriko with the front being in English adn the back being in Japanese. They have a blank license so you can be an agent of AEGIS too!

Final note: This disc was simply amazing, making me so happy yet frustrated to be unsure of which cover to choose (since both are nice in their own ways). A great part of this DVD is the menus. It was done very hi-tech and top-secret like, with computers and case files as part of the layout. The menu's load time was close to zilch which is very rare these days and just made the DVD even sweeter. A definite MUST BUY.

The first volume establishes the first three Gatekeepers - Shun, Ruripe (opps!) Ruriko-chan, and Reiko-chan.The basic plotline, teenagers with the ability to call up dimensional powers known as Gates to defeat a strange enemy, the Invaders. The series starts off very comedic at first then a little further on, it starts to get really serious (remember the name Reiji Kageyama).

What's good about this DVD release?
- Has a reversible cover, which is the Japanese release of Gatekeepers DVD.
- As usual with DVDs, dual language.
- If youre lucky, you get the A.E.G.I.S license card.

What's bad about this DVD release?
- This is the first DVD Pioneer release that I have purchased that has the dreaded MACROVISION!!!!!

All on all, Gatekeepers is a really fun series to watch. Can't wait to get the other DVDs and for the new Gatekeepers 21 series to begin. My favourite characters of the show are Bancho (literally means gang leader), who really livens up the show and Kaoru Konoe; both will be introduced in volume 2. Oh yeah, as you progress with the show, keep a look out for a reference to the Mahou Tsukai Tai series (the Japanese dialogue has it, we'll see if the dubbed version has it too?).

1.) Episode 1 - Begin the Defense of the Earth - The invaders are after a machine (the gate power amplifier) that A.E.G.I.S. is transporting, and have caused A.E.G.I.S. a lot of losses in the process. Shirei, Commander of A.E.G.I.S., decides to use the best he has - Gatekeeper Ruriko Ikusawa. Unfortunately, when the invaders attack, she can't defeat them even with all her arrows. That's when Shun Ukiya enters the picture, ready to fight the invaders in order to protect his family. In result, he unconsciously calls up his own, though unknown, gate power.

2.) Episode 2 - Stand up for Peace - Shun's shown around A.E.G.I.S. headquarters and is invited to join the Gatekeepers. He asks for more time to decide, to Ruriko's surprise. He has to move to another school, and away from his family, so it's something that he must consider carefully. Invaders are later reported attacking a type of gathering of the youth, the same gathering that Shun's sister and mom are at. Ruriko is sent to fight, and Shun follows on his own when he hears his family is in danger. After the battle, he finally reaches his decision on whether or not to join A.E.G.I.S.

3.) Episode 3 - Play the Dazzling Music - Shun and Ruriko are sent to investigate a potential recruit for the Gatekeepers. They meet Reiko Asagiri, a seemingly child-like and air-headed girl, who is said to cause people to see visions whenever they hear her play the piano. Ruriko and Shun attend her concert and confirm that they do in fact see visions when they hear her enchanting music. Invaders in the guise of humans, though, can't stand the music at all, so they come to put a final stop to it.

Fantastic animation, woderful characters, and an intriguing plot, this is a great series, even though it does fit in to the "been there done that" category. The only thing that is actually unique about the series, is that it happens in 1969 as opposed to other series that are set in the present and future. Even though it does seem like you've seen it before, Gonzo still makes it fresh and exciting. Highly recommended.

This show is one among many recent mainstream anime. It will not appeal to those wishing their anime to push the limits, but it is perfect for, say, a run on cable television. I personally like the visual energy Gonzo puts into its shows, and because I am a fan of Gonzo, I am starting to collect this series. Gonzo, before 1998 and Blue Submarine no.6, was making animation for video games. It comes as no surprise that their shows are science, not art. These guys take formulas and churn out anime with lots of girls and CG and more girls and more CG and...you get the picture. It doesn't matter that some themes are rip-offs from Star Wars(Vandread) or Men in Black(Gatekeepers), Gonzo knows how to make lighthearted entertainment.

Is Gatekeepers fine art? Hardly. Is it entertaining enough to check out, defintiely for those who have a sense of humor.

Basically the series follows a rather large group of teenagers with the ability to call forth energy for another dimension, called a Gate Ability. Of course giving a team of teenage heroes you need a villian to create chaos.

My favourite aspect was Reiji Kageyama, the dark gatekeeper. He is a little bit of every anime character rolled into me. He is smart and goes to take over Japan.

Rated 13 up: violence, mildly risque humor

A few years ago I bought the first volume in the manga series. Basically, when I bought this I expected it to be an anime form of the manga but was slightly disappointed. The manga and anime are a lot diffrent, with diffrences in storyline, and characters mostly, but both are great. The anime series is funny, but still has a good plot, and some good action scenes, even if it wasn't much like the manga series, however diffrent they are in story.

I found the premise of this show to be very interesting. An alien series taking place in the Japan of 1969? Teenagers with incredible powers? So I gave it a try. But it didn't grab me like I thought it would.

The characters don't work well together. Like most heroes and their heroines, Shun and Ruriko fight with each other ALL THE TIME. That gets old after a while. Reiko is my least favorite of the characters, given that she is the type of person I can't stand; a silly, clueless girl who can barely remember her own name, much less form a coherent sentence. About the only thing she has going for her is her ability to play the piano. Megumi is your typical antisocial bookworm, and Fei acts like a child. None of the characters have any chemistry, and that makes it hard to watch them.

The story is an old cliche, and the story writers didn't do much to try and change it. The teenagers are the only ones who can save the world, using their powers. But if you have seen Sailor Moon or Pretear, then these powers are nothing new. Shun's power of wind, Kaoru's super-strength, Ruriko's healing ability, Fei's fire-blowing power--all have been used before.

The aliens look like Men In Black gone bad. They carry suitcases that conceal machine guns, and all of the bad guys look exactly the same. They don't even *look* like aliens, much less attack like aliens. They are always led by a guy in a red suit and a hat--he is the means of destroying the entire set. So you have the Men In Black being led by a Man In Red.

The show had the potential to be a great show, but I feel that too many cliches were used.

I actually read up on this series in Animerica and thought, 'Hey, an anime set in the Sixties, that ought to be interesting to the eyes...' So yeah, I checked it out and I found it quite surprising. The settings may not have been as detailled as I imagined them to be (I'm thinking along the standards of Venus Wars and Akira here! O_O), but I really felt as if I was living in the series! It's true! Plus, I always look out for strong character development (or decent, at least) and Gate Keepers didn't disappoint me at all. Sometimes personal dilemmas can get on your nerves a bit - especially among female characters - but you guys won't be annoyed with Ruriko or Shun... (Well, maybe with Shun... It's that damn voice!)

And the uncanny thing is, the humour doesn't catch on! It's so subtle! I didn't laugh once because the humour was so smooth, I had to watch the scene twice! (You'll know about the 'Rurippe' thing soon enough, but when you find Ruriko suddenly wacking Shun after a normal exchange of words or some gentle conversation, I bet you might wonder why...!) However, the soundtrack or the occasional speedline scenes might make you smile. (And check out the weird end credit lyrics...)

The storyline's pretty believable because, after all, they do throw you straight in there. You want to know who the Invaders are and why they're around in the Sixties bothering the Japanese, but the truth is, you'll never until you watch the entire series!

Well, hopefully I've humoured someone enough to motivate them into giving this DVD a chance. I'm all out.

While the anime has nice quality graphics, the story is fairly generic: middle school kids saving the world from evil invaders. I would recommend renting it first before buying. Oh, and the story doesn't really get any better. The entire series is fairly generic.

There is something about this show that i find interesting. What that is, i don't quite know yet. However, it had enough intrigue and mystery to keep me wanting to go to the next episode. Every review has gone into the plot, so i will keep it light. The show takes place around the WW II era, or a little after it, and there are teens out there that have special abilities. An agency (known as AEGIS) tries to recruit these teens with special abilities, so that they can combat the evil forces that are trying to take over the world. Pretty much your run of the mill 'good versus evil' storyline. I am only on episode four, so my insight about the plot is limited and not much is revealed as of yet.

The show is really well animated. The animation is smooth and crisp. The English voice actors are not bad either. It is light-hearted and serious when it needs to be. Junichi Sato, who directed the first two seasons of Sailor Moon, has some involvement in the show and that is probably why this series has been able to keep my attention. The DVDs are currently discontinued, but i'd definitely recommend picking them up for an enjoyable show.