Gate Keepers - The New Threat (Vol. 4)

Rating:
Summary: Halfway There
Review: 1.) Episode 10 - Get Over the Devil's Dream - On the way home from a battle, the gatekeepers are taken into "hell" by a new enemy called Count Devil. There, they are seduced by illusions which Count Devil controls. His intent: to get them to give up fighting as gate keepers by awakening and satisfying their innermost desires.

2.) Episode 11 - Stop that Bullet Train! - Shun finally gets to have a break with his family, and they decide to take a ride on a bullet train. They have bad timing though, because it's taken over by another new invader foe, General Machine. The gatekeepers work on a plan to stop the train from crashing and killing the passengers as well as other innocent people, and they are especially determined about succeeding after hearing Shun is on the train too. However, things get a little complicated when Shun is taken 'hostage' by General Machine himself.

3.) Episode 12 - Fly to the Northern Land - The gatekeepers, separated into pairs are sent to locate an A.E.G.I.S. plane that crashed as a result of an invader attack. While Shun and Ruriko are romping through a beautiful flower-filled field, invaders attack. They fight back, but it's a young girl who turns the invaders into ice and ultimately destroys them with her gate. Everything becomes covered with snow afterwards, and when Shun reaches out to protect the girl, he ends up getting pulled with her into another place "outside the flow". Ruriko is left alone, puzzled, and stranded in an icy pit, while Shun learns more about the mysterious girl, and vice versa.

There isn't much progess as far as story goes, but there is some great character development. At the halfway mark the episodes still remain intresting which most anime fails at doing. This is also the first episode that you get to see fan service, and Gonzo amazingly does this by incorporating it into the story. Another great installment with excellant episodes.

Rating:
Summary: Silly, Yet Ominous...
Review: The fourth volume of "Gate Keepers" brings us to the midpoint of the series. More than that, though, it introduces the rest of the unmet characters - both good and evil. While not forgetting its silly, intentionally derivative roots, it breaks new ground in two of the three episodes.

This disc fares a little better than its predecessors in terms of extras - along with the usual art gallery, double-sided cover and AEGIS ID card, it also features the opening with the original Japanese credits (a nice touch rarely seen from Pioneer) and all of the script covers to all 25 episodes. The video and audio continue to be more than acceptable and the menus seem to be capturing the feel of the series better and better.

This is definitely a series to get into. While it starts slow, it learns from its mistakes and is now presenting good, quality work in most episodes. It continues to revel in its setting - 1969 Japan - but does so with such style that you like it even when it goes completely over the top. If you're waffling over whether or not to try more of the series, I recommend picking this disc up.

Rating:
Summary: Silly, Yet Ominous...
Review: The fourth volume of "Gate Keepers" brings us to the midpoint of the series. More than that, though, it introduces the rest of the unmet characters - both good and evil. While not forgetting its silly, intentionally derivative roots, it breaks new ground in two of the three episodes.

This disc fares a little better than its predecessors in terms of extras - along with the usual art gallery, double-sided cover and AEGIS ID card, it also features the opening with the original Japanese credits (a nice touch rarely seen from Pioneer) and all of the script covers to all 25 episodes. The video and audio continue to be more than acceptable and the menus seem to be capturing the feel of the series better and better.

This is definitely a series to get into. While it starts slow, it learns from its mistakes and is now presenting good, quality work in most episodes. It continues to revel in its setting - 1969 Japan - but does so with such style that you like it even when it goes completely over the top. If you're waffling over whether or not to try more of the series, I recommend picking this disc up.