Gate Keepers is a Japanese manga series written by Hiroshi Yamaguchi and drawn by Keiji Gotoh in 1999. The manga was adapted into anime series produced by Gonzo, and first aired on April 3, 2000. The series was also produced into a role-playing game for PlayStation.
A six episode OVA sequel Gate Keepers 21, was released in 2002. The main characters in the OVA sequel were the next generation of Gate Keepers.
All incarnations of the titled "Gate Keepers" series, follow the same basic premise and share most of their characters, with some major discrepancies (mainly involving the character Reiji Kageyama). A character from the game, Francine Allumage is completely absent from the anime. Another character from the game Misao Sakamori, was replaced in the anime with the new original character Megumi Kurogane (though Misao does make a guest appearance towards the end of the anime).
The story is set in 1969, a period of time in which Japan is experiencing intense economic and social development after the end of World War II in 1945. Unbeknownst to humans, alien/interdimensional beings have emerged with plans to take over the world by sending numerous agents to wreak havoc in cities, turning people into robotic minions. They are referred to as "Invaders".
In an attempt to confront the Invaders and defend the planet; an elite but highly secret organization of peace-keepers called the Alien Exterminating Global Intercept System (more commonly known as A.E.G.I.S.), was set up with special funding from the government. They rely on the ability of "Gate Keepers", who have the power to open dimensional "gates" of a paranormal energy that give them their superpowers. These superpowers are the only weapons that have any effect on Invaders.
Although A.E.G.I.S. has branches around the world, the series focuses on the Far East division in Japan. The headquarters of the Far East branch of A.E.G.I.S. lies beneath Tategami High School, a facade created by the organization to mask the active recruitment of new Gate Keepers. Since many of the candidates were High School students, the location allowed the agents to be enrolled in school and be available for a mission at a moment's notice.
CHARACTERS:
- Shun Ukiya: The series focuses on Shun Ukiya, a young Japanese schoolboy (who permanently wears a bandage over his nose, the only exception being his appearance in the final chapter of Gatekeepers 21) with a deep passion for kendo. Ukiya discovers that he has the ability to open the Gate of Gales in a chance encounter with an Invader attack near his hometown, where he meets fellow Gate Keeper and childhood friend, Ruriko Ikusawa. He is subsequently invited to join A.E.G.I.S. after discovering the existence of Invaders and of A.E.G.I.S.
- Ruriko Ikusawa: Ruriko is one of the first Gate Keepers recruited in Japan by A.E.G.I.S. and controls the Gate of Life. Ruriko is the unhappy bearer of the nickname 'Rurippe' (pronounced "RU-RI-PE"), which holds no real meaning except that Ukiya relates it to her childhood appearance as a sniveler (or one who always has a runny nose). Viewed as a model student and an active participant in school activities, Ruriko only snaps when Ukiya uses her nickname in public. Her original ability involves a healing light and she utilizes it for combat through the materialization of a bow and arrow.
- Reiko Asagiri: Despite the fact that Reiko is an extremely forgetful and absent-minded girl (perhaps a result of the shock from the divorce of her parents), she is an extremely talented pianist who discovered her Gate of Illusion when Invaders attacked her during her very first public recital at a theater. Her ability to create illusions while playing music does not go unnoticed by Invaders, who suffer intense agony when they hear her melodies.
- Kaoru Konoe: A tomboyish athlete, Kaoru was tormented by her previous stint in the track team. She awoke her own Gate of Close Combat, which increases her natural physical abilities to insane proportions, to create such a logic defying world record for sprinting that it was revoked. She jumped at the chance to join A.E.G.I.S. so that she could use her abilities without restraint, and to 'steal Ukiya from Ruriko'.
- Misao Sakimori: A small German-Japanese girl from A.E.G.I.S. Germany who maintains the Gate of Perception. She resembles Megumi Kurogane in some aspects but their personalities are totally different. She operates Gate Robo Unit 03. In the game she plays a bigger role and is one of the first characters to join the player. In the game Misao controls the Gate of Wall. Her role was replaced by Megumi in the anime who is an anime only character.
- Feng Fei Ling: Wielder of the Gate of Fire, Fei hails from the Chinese (Shanghai) branch of A.E.G.I.S., and joined the Japanese branch to help out with the high concentration of Invader activity. Her companion, a golden monkey called Ukiya (a licensed A.E.G.I.S. agent--but was once confused with Shun Ukiya), often helps her target Red Invaders.
- Jun Thunders: A fashion model from the United States of America who is affiliated with A.E.G.I.S. (in the game she actually joins the A.E.G.I.S. branch quite early on as she has been transferred there from the American branch). She controls the Gate of Lightning and is the operator of Gate Robo Unit 02. She plays a bigger role in the game and has a lot more character development since she is one of the main characters.
- Francine Allumage: Francine only appears in the game. She controls the Gate of Heat and Explosion (Fei actually uses this gate in the anime whereas in the game Fei's gate was the Gate of a Hundred Animals). Francine was originally assigned to the French branch since she is French. She is later assigned to the A.E.G.I.S. branch. Despite being French in origin, she is actually a western film lover and speaks fluent English.
- Choutarou Banba: The over-enthusiastic Osakan gangster-turned-good, Bancho was recruited into the team only because Ukiya believed Bancho 'has the eyes of a Gate Keeper'. With the mindset of a samurai, Bancho likens the girls in the Gate Keepers team as princesses and himself as their hero.
- Kanetake Meguro: The head of the mechanics department of AEGIS. Megane, as he is fondly called, is a genius kid who can easily repair machines. In both the game and anime he helps the Gate Keepers by bringing the Gate Engine or Gate Robo to them, even restoring an out-of-commission Gate Robo (after the battle at the Tokyo Tower).
- Commander: The Commander of the A.E.G.I.S. Far-East Branch oversees the operations and deployments of Japan's Gate Keepers. He was an Ensign in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, and was supposed to fly an Ohka piloted bomb on a suicide mission in 1945, near the end of World War II. However, his mothership was shot down, and ironically, he was the sole survivor. When he attempted to commit suicide after being rescued by the US Navy using a Nambu pistol, he was restrained by a sailor who told him two words: "Stay alive." This changed his life and after the war he was one of the first members of the Police Reserve (later the Japan Self Defense Force). In the PlayStation Gate Keepers RPG and the Gate Keepers 1985 novel, it is revealed that the Commander's name is Tetsuya Tokiwatari and he has the Gate of Time and Space.
- Keiko Ochiai: The private secretary to the Commander (Shirei) and is practically Second-in-Command of A.E.G.I.S. Far East (in Shirei's absence). She is also the school nurse at Tategami High School.
- Yukino Houjou: She is the oldest Gate Keeper in Japan, having been born in 1169. However, she has stopped aging and appears in 1969 as a young girl in a white kimono (and again in Gate Keepers 21 without any trace of aging). Like her name Yukino suggests, she commands the Gate of Ice and Snow, being able to summon blizzards and hail. She is one of the most powerful Gate Keepers in the series, being referred to as a 'top-secret, High-Level Gate Keeper A.E.G.I.S. has been hiding' by Reiji Kageyama. One of her unique traits is the fact that she converses in Tanka poetry. Though she does help the A.E.G.I.S. members, she is not an official member of A.E.G.I.S.
The gameplay is the usual in a tactical rpg: There is a range of movement and a range of attack. Different kind of attacks and special attacks. The game is divided into missions and to clear each mission the player have to defeat all the enemies.
Manufacturer's description:
Finally appeared latest Keiji Goto "Nadesico" that. Is compelling characters drawn by Mr. Goto, currently become one of the best creators, large activity freely. In addition, the music and the like fairness Tanaka, staff & cast ultra-luxurious gathered. Combat simulation and high-quality animation, simulation school has the perfect blend of romance, it's a new game cut Millionaires entertainment!
Features:
- First & third person perspectives.
- 2D graphics
- Cartoon graphics
- SCI-FI, Fantasy & Anime themes.
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