Cheap Gate Keepers - Open the Gate (Vol. 1) (DVD) Price

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Customer Reviews of Gate Keepers - Open the Gate (Vol. 1)

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.

Great series! Great DVD!
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.

STRANGE INVADERS
The year is 1969 and Japan is experiencing an economic boom but underneath this prosperity is a horrible secret. Aliens, called Invaders, are living disguised as humans, waiting to strike against us. An organization has been formed to fight them, A.E.G.I.S, and it is assembling a band of "Gatekeepers". Gatekeepers are people who are able to open gates to other dimensions and harness incredible powers from them.

Shun Ukiya is a unambitious high school student who lives with a younger annoying sister and a mother who pines away for their dead father. He finds himself in the middle of a battle between some Invaders and an AEGIS gatekeeper, and when the Invaders come close to destroying his home, his own Gatekeeper powers are activated. Astonishingly enough, he even knows the first Gatekeeper. Her name is Ruriko Ikusawa and Shun only remembers her as a kid whose nose was always dripping. How things have changed. Together they must hunt for other candidates for the Gatekeeper team before the Earth's time runs out.

I haven't made up my mind about this series yet. A lot of it makes no sense or is stupid. The Invaders are robotic looking guys who wear sunglasses and cowboy hats with machine gun cannons that fold out of their suitcases. There's really no explanation of their motivations or origin here. They seem to attack things for no reason in particular. What's the deal with the bandaid over Shun's nose? What is that exactly? He seems to have this white line across his nose even in his flashbacks as a child. At one point in the series, the Invaders, who can join together and make a much larger being, turn into a giant bowling ball and a super-huge ghetto blaster that shoots albums...oh gosh, how goofy.

The thing that Gatekeepers has going for it is some absolutely gorgeous animation by Gonzo. I would almost watch it and turn the sound down. Not quite though. Some of the comedy elements actually do well and are quite funny. I might try to watch one more volume before deciding.