The plot of Gate Keepers can be compared to old school anime, probably because the story is set in the 1960s. The only difference is that Gate Keepers has the feel of contemporary anime – it’s set in the 60s, but it doesn’t really seem like it is. It’s really exciting and fun to watch. Some historical references were actually incorporated into the story, such as the moon landing, the world expo and maybe even hippies.
Another aspect I like about it is the comedy. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it was so funny, but that’s probably because most of the comedy came from Reiko and Bancho – the 2 characters I USED to hate. All of the characters are actually very likable. My other favorites are Megane and Fei, because they’re both so adorable. I still like Kaoru and Shun though (Shun’s hot!)
As expected of Gonzo, the animation is really impressive. I love the character design except for Reiko’s because she seems different compared to the other characters. They all have beautifully drawn eyes though – I especially like how the eyes look when they use their gate powers. The CG wasn’t as sophisticated and smooth as I want it to be, but it wasn’t that bad. There were repeated scenes and usually I’d say that’s a sign of laziness, but it’s minimal.
Some of my favorite seiyuus are actually in Gate Keepers. One of them is Takahiro Sakurai. I always seem to like his characters (especially Cloud Strife from Advent Children!). The other is Tomokazu Seki. I just think he’s a really talented VA. Other seiyuus I want to note are Chinami Nishimura (Fei) and Etsuko Kozakura (Megane). They really made Fei and Megane really cute and adorable. I just love it when Fei goes “Ayaya!”.
The music was great as well. Like the story, the music reminds me of old school anime as well (specially the mecha ones) except they’re more updated. I really love how the opening theme was made – it really describes the plot so well. Sometimes you can catch the characters quoting some of the lyrics. The ending theme wasn’t bad either. Yumi Matsuzawa did a great job in performing both songs.
Just to finish this review, I’m going to reaffirm my first point by saying Gate Keepers is definitely a must watch. I’m going to try the OVA and see if it’s as good as the series.
