You know when you watch a terrible show and then you look at its IMDb and you're amazed by the people praising it? I started watching Gate expecting it to be bad as the friend that suggested it. He often suggests bad anime for me to laugh at and to be honest after the first episode I was feeling two emotions. The first was a sense of excitement as I thought that this was going to do something interesting with a worn out concept of traveling to a fantasy world and the second emotion being dread as I saw all of the brightly colored girls in the op.I choose to focus more on the excitement. This was a bad idea. The first episode had no tension what-so-ever and there were multiple points where it failed to make any sense. I could explain this in detail but - to be completely frank with you - I didn't care.What actually made me realize just how bad this show was lies in the second episode. The first half of the episode consists of a kingdom luring the other nearby kingdoms into a battle with the self-defense force, (because the SDF are gods in this anime). In this we see multiple commanders that don't realize the trap they're walking into besides this commander that makes sure his army isn't on the front line as he has a bad feeling about it. As cheesy as this was I held onto my hope.They then try attacking the IDF and during this he watches all of the other armies get slaughtered by mortar/fire. This was at this point I thought that this was an overall cool concept, and that they would do something with his character. I didn't expect anything groundbreaking, but I was expecting him to be a middle man in the conflict. I thought that he would lead his kingdom remembering both what the SDF did to his people whilst also being weary of the other kingdom remembering what they did too.I was further baited into this idea by the fact that he pulled his army back to regroup and probably retreat. But no. He then re-attacks and dies because why would you need interesting characters when you have guns and waifus?There are a few other moments like this where I think "oh that's cool," but then they do something different and uninteresting (like how I thought that the village they visit later in the episode would hate them but would be explored). BUT NO. the villagers love the INVADING army that killed literally one hundred and twenty thousand of them (AND I'M NOT KIDDING WITH THESE NUMBERS).Anyway, long review short this anime constantly teases you showing the potential depth it could have and then goes out of its way not to have it.

As this fantasy series begins a portal, dubbed 'The Gate', to another dimension opens in the middle of modern day Tokyo; an invasion force of mythical beings and monsters comes though… and is promptly defeated by the Japan Self-Defense Forces and its modern equipment. Japanese forces then go through the gate and establish a base on the other side in the so-called 'Special Region'. Some of the locals fight back but they are swiftly defeated. Protagonist Youji Itami is soldier who just happens to be a bit of an otaku, he leads attempts to befriend the local population and quickly establishes a harem of female fighters that includes a demigod and a couple of elves. As time passes the Japanese get more involved with the local people's problems such as dealing with a menacing dragon and ultimately taking sides in a local war against the megalomaniac who has taken over the empire that ruled the area before the JSDF arrived and still controls much of the territory beyond the gate.This is an enjoyable action/fantasy anime; the way it combines traditional fantasy elements with modern military equipment was rather fun. Some people have said that it is far too nationalistic but to be honest I couldn't see that; it is certainly no more so than many Hollywood action films. The characters are well designed and likable where we are meant to like them. Youji is a good protagonist and the girls he acquires are fun without being mere cyphers. They are each distinctive, strong in their own right and bring something to the story. There are plenty of secondary characters but not so many that the viewer gets confused. The animation is of a high standard and the action is exciting. Overall I'd recommend this to those looking for an action anime with a fantasy setting.These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

If I had to liken Gate to another television show, it'd be Stargate SG-1/Atlantis. Of course, Gate is (besides being an anime) more fantasy than sci-fi, but Gate has the same sort of character dynamics and plot. The leader/main character has a very cavalier attitude and acts like he really couldn't care less about his work, but in reality he's a do-gooder at heart. The fantasy land is plagued by the Empire which doesn't think twice about sacrificing its plebeians, and the people of the fantasy land are of a medieval era and think that the earthlings' technology is magic. The main character(s) go around rescuing the common people and expect nothing in return, but their superiors are more interested in the gains that an unexplored and easily conquered territory can offer. Of course, Gate is an anime, so the main character has his own little harem conveniently drop into his lap (I'm not complaining; that's 90% of what makes anime awesome).The specifics of the plot: Tokyo suffers a surprise attack by forces of the "special region," who arrive via a suddenly opened gateway that links Earth to their world. Although the invaders have tamed dragons, their weapons are of the medieval era, and their forces are easily defeated by the JGSDF. However, the sneak attack results in massive civilian casualties. In order to prevent this from happening again in the future (with some obvious ulterior motives), the JGSDF sends troops to the other world to occupy the other side of the gate. In order to get the lay-of-the-land, the JGSDF sends Lt. Itami and his squad to make contact and initiate negotiations with the locals on the other side of the gate.I'd say that the animation is 9/10, and the plot is, while somewhat unoriginal, also a 9/10. The characters (or at least the main character) are a 10/10, as they're easy to relate to and like. The action, while not being of the typical anime mecha or superpower clichés, is a 10/10. Just my personal opinion, but there's something about medieval action sequences that's just awesome, and this anime has the added bonus of exploring what a battle between medieval weaponry and modern weaponry might have to offer. The result: a very subtle, unique, and almost philosophical juxtaposition regarding how very efficient we as a species have become at the art of killing (with a lot of anime charm thrown in).Overall, in my opinion, this is the best anime of 2015.