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.
