GATE: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

GATE: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

The portal has opened.

Gate: Complete Collection is a fast-paced action series produced by Nobuhiro Nakayama (A Certain Magical Index, Alderamin on the Sky), Nobuhiro Osawa (Daphne in the Brilliant Blue, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?), and Teppei Ota (Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy, Eternity: Shinya no Nurekoi Channel). The series is an adaption of the original Japanese fantasy novel series by Takumi Yanai. The animation is produced by A-1 Pictures (Sword Art Online, Space Brothers). Gate was first broadcast in Japan on Tokyo MX. Gate has been licensed for distribution in North America by Sentai Filmworks.

The fate of the world is at stake. A mysterious gate opens up from another dimension and an onslaught of otherworldly monsters, dragons, and warriors emerge from the portal to fight the people of Japan. Attacking the citizens of Ginza, Tokyo, dragons and beasts wreck havoc, chaos, and destruction.

Determined to help save the city from annihilation, the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) embarks on a military operation to combat the threats from the gate. Enlisting any help the JSDF can get, 33 year old nerd-otaku Yōji Itami (Junichi Suwabe) decides to join the battle for the fate of Japan. Yōji is usually obsessed with playing video games and reading light novels. Yōji is now thrust into a dangerous war.

Determined to be a hero, Yōji helps save countless lives during the attack against Ginza, Tokyo. Yōji transforms from an ordinary JSDF solider to a lieutenant, ranger, and member of the Special Forces. Yōji helps save the life of Pina Co Lada (Haruka Tomatsu) from a dragon. When Yōji is selected as one of the first citizens to enter the gate and see what is on the other side, Yōji must fight even more monsters as new danger arises.

Yōji is eventually joined by the magic elf Tuka Luna Marceau (Hisako Kanemoto). Tuka is a 165 year old girl with her own magical abilities. Tuka loses everything when her father dies in an attack against her village. Tuka soon finds herself questioning her reality – as she skirts with insanity after losing all grip on reality after her personal loss. Can Yoji save Japan from the otherworldly invaders before all hope is lost? Can Tuka find herself and become whole?

The animation on Gate is impressive. The series has some compelling creative designs. For a science fiction anime exploring a strange gate (Stargate, anyone?) the anime does a solid job of showcasing otherworldly creatures. The series has impressive art direction by Maho Takahashi (Amagami SS, My Bride is a Mermaid). The art direction worked well for the production.

Yet the real highlight of the animation is the result of chief animation director Jun Nakai (Silver Spoon, Mardock Scramble: The First Compression). Jun brought forth good efforts from the animators. The series shines best when it showcases the strong background art and these components make the production feel more cohesive.

An age of dragons.

Another compelling element of the production is found in the character designs. The series bases the character designs on the original design art by Daisuke Izuka. The anime character designs by Jun Nakai (The Sacred Blacksmith, Memories Off) fit the genre well. The central characters are well designed and each character has a unique aesthetic that fits their personality. A solid effort.

The cinematography by Masaharu Okazaki (Occult Academy, Sound of the Sky) helps showcase the strange and surreal quality of the gate. The visuals are often dark and grim: making the series more intense. Okazaki brought forth an interesting visual concoction and has fun exploring the series cinematographic style.

The music composed by Yoshiaki Fujisawa (Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious, A Place Further Than the Universe) fits the material well. The score aids both action sequences and dramatic moments. The music provides the protagonists with interesting themes. Fujisawa helps the music find the right note.

Written by Tatsuhiko Urahata (Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere, Strike Witches), Gate is a spin on a classic science fiction trope. The series plays with the concept of an open portal and the strange ways the portal impacts life. The script highlights the dramatic tension as well as the sense of adventure. Considering the number of monsters unleashed on to the main cast of characters through the open portal, Urahata has fun with the concept and gives it some flair.

Gate: Complete Collection is enhanced by the action sequences as well. One of the core reasons the series works as well as it does is the action. The portal opens up a swarm of adversaries for the cast of characters to go up against. The action is well-staged and makes the series more invigorating. While the action on Gate might not be on the same level as classics like Dragon Ball Z or Yu Yu Hakusho, for a science-fiction genre show it has a pretty good handle on action.

Directed by Takahiko Kyōgoku (Love Live! School idol project, Land of the Lustrous), Gate is a compelling series from the unique filmmaker. While perhaps not a classic effort in the science-fiction genre, the production still has plenty of pizzazz and style. Kyōgoku wishes to take audiences on a big journey through the portal – audiences are in for a ride.

GATE: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Gate is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition. The series boasts a creative animation style and the presentation does a solid job of being faithful to the source material. The encode manages to showcase the colors well (providing colors featured on the series with quality reproduction). The animation looks crisp, clear, and well done. Detailed line art is showcased by the encode as well. The release only has occasional hiccups with banding and other such anomalies.

GATE: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: the original Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles) and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The high-resolution audio manages to help enhance the experience. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The music score sounds well reproduced and highlighted by the sound design. Though the release might not have a immersive 5.1 mix the stereo audio sounds proficient for the production.

GATE: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Clean Opening Animations (HD, 3:05)

Clean Closing Animations (HD, 3:05)

Animated Comic (HD, 2:02)

Japanese Promos (HD, 12:02)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Sentai Filmworks: 7Seeds (HD, 1:37), Babylon (HD, 1:34), Hero=Mask (HD, 1:31), and World Trigger (HD, 1:30).

GATE: Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gate: Complete Collection is a sci-fi anime series with an intriguing concept. Gate might remind some viewers of Stargate. Gate explores the dangers of a portal which takes the characters on a unique journey with otherworldly monsters and dragons. The Blu-ray release is worthwhile: picture and audio impress. Fans of the series will want to consider a purchase. Recommended.