Rio: Rainbow Gate!

Why would I give a 9? Because I liked it!

This review will be largely based on the first episode and the synopsis given from the other sites.

Story: The first episode doesn't have a deep story. This is a story about Mint who is a granddaughter of a very wealthy, casino-addicted Mr. Clark who decided to abandon his work and spend his vacation or slack off in a famous casino/hotel/amusement park/beach. This famous casino, Howard Casino, employs a very gorgeous lady named Rio Rollins Tachibana who is rumored to bring luck to any players/gamblers. Yup, this might sound absurd but this is the charm of this ... anime. Its absurdity and stupid humor make the story awesome and great that I watched this first episode 10 times in just a day trying to understand each and every dialogue. The jokes are pretty obvious, but that proposal scene and the last part really made me laugh (or just a half?).

I also learned by viewing other sites synopsis that Rio is competing with other dealers to collect all 13 "Gates" cards in order to gain the title "MVCD" or Most Valuable Card Dealer. This is not just your ordinary gambling, ecchi slice-of-life anime. This anime has a plot!!!!

Graphics: Nice boing here and there. The art looks good and the body proportion of each character is perfect, except for the large mouth of Mr. Howard. The fanservice is not that dirty but I could say its a bit mild but quite memorable that I couldn't get it off my mind. And Rio reminds me of Bazett and Mint reminds me of Kanon. The only flaw on this part is that sometimes the face of the character gets funny or weird. I still give this criteria a high grade because Mint is cute, lol.

Sound: I'm really amused with Rio's "Have a lucky day". The BGM give you a Vegas vibe and I noticed that there are lots of BGM's used just in this episode. Mint's voice is cute but sometime I get tired of hearing it but Rio's voice is just as awesome as her body. She sound like a mature, elegant woman like Sakuya (Touhou). The ED song is cute and reminds me of Ika Musume's OP song, maybe they are sung by the same singer? Lots of fanservice (and furries) in the ED theme but the song makes me hyper. Maybe because there is a hypnotizing pitch in it?

Character: Rio is so awesome I want her to become my older sister. I expect that she have many followers or fans that cult would be formed sooner or later (or maybe there is?). Rio's character is so embellished and she is really patronized by lots of other characters. But she is just mysterious as she is famous. Seiyuu casts are great, but I really didn't care about that. Mint is pretty smart for a child and some minor characters are pretty unique (I'm talking about Dunhild and Mr Howard.)

This anime is quite good and I plan to add this on my watchlist. For those who are dissapointed with the first episode, don't give up on it. Just watch 2 or more episodes and I guarantee that you might like it. (Really)

Ignore all the haters, this Anime is VERY GOOD and may even become GREAT!

I have to be honest, episode 1 is pretty boring and it doesn't give a good impression of what the story is all about. Episode 2 and 3 will make the story more clear and from that point onward it's only getting better and better.

Still, if you don't like fan-service, this is not the Anime for you.

Story:
Give it some time.

Animation:
... The Animation is pretty neat if I may say so.

Sound:
Good, nothing remarkably great about it.

Characters:
With so many characters there should at leas be one character you'd like.

I really recommend this Anime!

There are still 2 more episodes to go, how will it end, we have to wait and see. Then again it is expected that the protagonist Rio will be on top. So without further adieu, how do I rate this? Here's how.

Story- a dreadful number 2.

Well, the story is so simple that the genre described really did much live up, well the ecchi part is co'z every chica in the anime wore very kinky outfits and the ecchi is on the perverted owner of Howard Casino Resort, the comedy is too simple and comedy aspect here is on the fumbling Hellising Aya and the ... black hombre in a kimono. More is focus on the game genre which always involves the heroine Rio who is regarded as the goddess of luck and her quest (actually it was her perverted boss, Tom Howard who get's her into a lot of messy situations) to become the Most Valuable Card Dealer in the casino industry.

Art- a good number 7.

No need to explain since I'm a man who likes sexy bitches.

Sound - a good number 7.

No need to say something, except I like the opening theme.

Character- a good number 7.

Since the characters in this anime are mostly chicas and the setting is in a Las Vegas style casino resort, it's a perfect combination since gambling and gorgeous women go together. Here our heroine Rio epitomizes the gambling mantra "LADY LUCK," since she is the goddess of luck who happens to work as a card dealer in a casino resort which is owned by her perverted, extreme risk taker and overconfident boss Tom Howard, this tanned, fat and cigar smoking slob, knows how to put up a good show (and it always involves the heroine, Rio in awkward outfits), when he sees a situation worth sensationalizing, he's a good fiend of Mint Clark's grandfather who also happens to be a philanthropist and a skilled gambler, however Mint's role is more of a nuisance than anything else, since as a kid she's shouldn't not be even allowed to be anywhere near a casino....maybe in a arcade would for the kid. As for the 3 bunnies: Abbot Tiffany, Elle Adams and Illie Adams, they really go well in the casino setting not just as cocktail waitresses but as crowd teasers because of their playboy like attire, and as for the Hollywood actress working for Mr. Howard, Rosa Canyon, her role fits the typical Mamasan/ Matire'd as would be found in any casino resort. On the other hand there is the antagonist Goltshmit Cartia, who epitomizes the typical gambling cheat with the attitude of a loan shark and her protege/ nice Rina who is a poster girl for a "Lady Scorned"she hated Rio because according to her aunt Cartia, her father left her dying mother for Rio's mom. So a with such characters in there proper role places why should this part deserve a 7?

Enjoyment - a good number 7.

Ok, so I admit that I'm just after the fan service, but since this anime has a little bit of mystery in it and that involves knowing as to who's Cartia's accomplice is, it just worth giving it a benefit of a doubt.


Overall - a good number 7.

I need not say more.

Maybe I'm too easily pleased when it comes to anime and I'm nowhere near as critical as others, but hey, I liked Rio: Rainbow Gate. I found the concept of a show based in a casino to have been different, oh, sure, I'll admit there's nothing particularly deep or meaningful about this show, and that it's attractive star presents a fair amount of fanservice to viewers, still, I thought it was delightfully goofy, silly and innocent fun, and isn't fun an important part of the anime watching experience? I enjoyed the light, wacky, slightly racy nature of this show which clearly doesn't take itself seriously, ... ditto for the characters, and that's what I took out of Rio, and that's what made it a treat for me, and why I'm eager to watch more.

After following this particular series, I overall enjoyed it. The fan service was fan service. At the beginning it was very slow, but soon it began to form a plot, which I liked the idea it had. The ending wasn't as climatic as I expected but hey you can't argue with the whole world having good luck. Especially if Rio is responsible for world peace. I will say that I do look forward the next season. Mysterious man with a cape and red eyes with some little girl that has a bone to pick with someone. I would recommend this to anyone who just wants ... a feel good easy anime to watch to pass the time by.

Rio - Rainbow Gate! takes place at the tropical casino paradise called the Howard Resort Casino. The plot revolves around a tournament where Casino dealers challenge each other to various casino games to win the title of being the Top Dealer. Basic, simple, but it works for what it is. The main character Rio is called the Goddess of Victory, as she has uncanny luck and the ability to make anyone win whatever game they're playing just by walking past them.

The writing is, as you would expect, not the focus of the show. The plot is basic for what it is, ... and crosses into silly far more often than not. One must also question why the casino would employee a woman whose abilities actually help the gamblers to win money form the casino, but we see Mr. Howard lecherously uses Rio's sexiness and fame to promote his casino, so one can assume it's an acceptable loss for all the business she brings to his casino. However, that's probably my own fault of taking this show seriously.

Technically speaking, Rio - Rainbow Gate! is a beautiful show; and I don't just mean Rio herself. All the backgrounds and visuals are full of vibrant colors that really capture the feeling of a tropical paradise. The glitter and sheen on the casino floor also do well to captivate the eye and give the show a very energetic and feel-good mood. Rio herself is also gorgeous, and since this is an ecchi anime, the show does well to remind us of this and give us various camera angles and outfits to admire Rio in. The poker game in the first episode between Rio and Orlin is told through a mix of dramatized hand and arm movements, dramatic stares and card drawing, and trippy, psychedelic dream sequences of Rio being bathed in light like this was a magical girl anime, and Orlin exploring a gritty forest of poker cards looking for the four queens to add to his hand. The show is eye-candy in every sense of the word. The music of the show is composed of jazzy, up-beat tunes which are quite catchy and do well to establish the tropical casino setting. Rio - Rainbow Gate! is a treat to both the eyes and the ears.

Overall, this show doesn't take itself terribly seriously, and neither should you. If you want a beautiful, feel-good, sexy anime with some stunning visuals and catchy music, then this anime is worth a look. The dramatized way Rio and Orlin played poker was enough to make me check out next week's episode; it brought a silly Yu-Gi-Oh! and Death Note vibe with how they dramatized such a mundane game Perhaps other casino games like blackjack, roulette, and craps will be incorporated into the show in future episodes.

From "plot" to actual plot.

STORY
As you may expect from the synopsis of the series, Rio: Rainbow Gate is not a series that focuses all that much on the story.
The basic premise of the 13 "Gate Cards" and the concept of "Roll Rulers" is... pretty vague. It's certainly explained, but not in all that much detail.
Why are there 13 cards? What happens once someone wins all 13? Are they kept by that person? After all, if a Gate holder has to accept a challenge from another Gate holder, if someone has them all, it should mean that they can keep them until they die.
Are ... the Roll Ruler powers effective on everyone, or only other Roll Ruler users?
But questions like this aren't really what the series is about.
Though I must say, in fairness to the series, there is actual story development. As the show goes on, I was surprised to find that characters not only had backstories but by the end of the series the tone had shifted to become fairly serious. Maybe a little melodramatic, but certainly more serious than one would expect from watching the first few episodes.

ART
Do you like boobs? If you said yes then do I have a show to recommend to you!
The key focus of this series (at least, as far as I can tell) is the visuals. Well, and the characters too, but the visuals are certainly one of the points at which you'll either love the series for it, or dislike it.
The art direction is very much on the side of fan-service. The main character, Rio, is regularly shows in revealing outfits, along with the rest of the cast. All the women are generously endowed with more than enough jiggles and shots to demonstrate that there's a big focus on the female form. Overall, it does exactly what it sets out to do: it presents a cast of attractive girls to oggle while the plots slowly amps up around them.

SOUND
The voice acting is good. It's nothing spectacular but then it's not bad either. It... does the job. The characters sound like you'd expect. Shout out to Killer Bee's (of Naruto Shippuden) voice actor voicing a large stereotypical American.
There are also a lot of moans, shouts, screams and other lady noises that would maybe make people ask exactly what it is you're watching if you've got the anime playing on speakers, so watch out for that if you plan on watching it around people who do not understand the context.

The music is also serviceable. There are some happy, breezy sounding tracks, there are some intense, dramatic tracks and overall it fits the feeling of the show well. There are no standout OST tracks that I noticed, though in the final episode it did sound like they used a track from Naruto Shippuden (one of the Akatsuki's themes) which was a little odd. Maybe I was mistaken, but it sounded very similar...
The opening and ending songs are also, as you'd expect, pretty sugary, happy and overall sound like, well, generic J-Pop. The ending theme is certainly catchy and is almost too happy, but overall both fit perfectly within the show, adding to the "looks before substance" theme the anime goes for.

CHARACTER
As previously mentioned, the characters in Rio: Rainbow Gate do have some depth. Well, the main character does, along with one or two others. The series does focus quite heavily on Rio's past, and her links to Rina and Rio's mother, Risa (Yes, her name is Risa, it's not a mistranslation of Lisa, as she is known as "Double R" due to her first and last name starting with R).
The rest of the cast are fairly one dimensional in terms of personality and character, with traits such as "The clumsy one", "The younger sister who copies her older sister's last few words of a sentence" and "The robot girl with tan lines (How does a robot get tan lines?)". Though, as with many other things in this series, that's fine. Depth and intricacies are not two things Rio: Rainbow Gate aims to deal with in terms of plot or characters.

ENJOYMENT
Now this... THIS is the category where Rio: Rianbow Gate shines!
The anime is set at a casino resort, where having a good time is the top priority. And this anime has the same attitude.
It's not about telling an engaging story. It's not about memorable characters. It's not about a moving soundtrack, it's about fun and enjoyment.
In this sense, it actually feels a little like a trip to a resort/casino: You go there to have fun. You may not remember too many details. You may not have your life changed. But you'll more than likely have fun while you're there.
Personally speaking, this was a fun anime to simply unwind to. Put it on and just zone out, watch the pretty girls and the bright colours (which, by the way, are everywhere. It's always sunny in this anime. Unless it's night) and just enjoy being in a world where people have superpowers that change their odds at games of chance.

OVERALL
Overall this anime has a bit of a niche audience.
It's aimed at people who:
1). Like gambling or games of chance.
2). Like fan service.
and
3). Just want to have a good time and enjoy an easygoing anime.

It's certainly not the only anime to have done this. But what it does, it does well.
If you're looking for something serious, or something memorable, maybe look elsewhere.
Even if you're looking for something with plot progression, this may not be for you.
Honestly, if I had to compare it to something, I'd kinda describe it as a fanservice-heavy, colourful version of Yu-Gi-Oh.

Overall I give it a 7. It was good. It wasn't great. It wasn't bad. It was just fun :)

for god sakes stop eith the ecchi fansevice crap girl and guy(homos) it actually a breathe of fresh air from anime with weak leads and depressing things tha you see in other anime really fanservice is not new you know it exist and when you saw the trailer for this anime you should have expected it i actually enjoy this series because its is not bad good ecchi thats what i call am a ecchi peson i nomally watch action and ecchi anyway because im not a fan of love or depressing anime so you like it or you dont but dont get mad of ... of panyshot and breast dam morons if you want to wacth a anime with good characters and a lot of fansevice give this a shot