Gate S2 Final Episode (24): Final operation

The dream team is finally back together again! I’ve missed Kurata’s comments…

Oh yeah…I keep forgetting the emperor is still alive. Anyway, sounds like a decent-enough plan to me…

Poor guy…though if people aren’t surprised by this, I guess servants are regularly asked to handle these kinds of tasks alone. And did Itami say something about an engine? Is he pulling the Humvee he was driving before?

So…the engine’s on, right? Is Itami faking like he’s pulling a heavy cart or are they purposely not driving because protagonist torture is fun?

Pina was the true villain all along! Also, how convenient that the soldiers take Pina out of her cell just as the rescue group is arriving. It feels like this makes things more convenient for the main characters to find her…

Ahh, yes…Yao doesn’t have sleep magic, so she has to use the magic of boners to take care of the guards.

I get the feeling this is going to be important later in the episode…

Let me get this straight. This ogre was in earshot of the throne room and no one in the main party noticed it? I mean…this guy showed up nearly instantly. You’d think with the stomping sounds it makes when it shows up, Lelei and Rory would have noticed it sooner. And it’s apparently intelligent enough to know when it’s summoned by Zolzal? I dunno about this one, guys…

Well…that was easy…

Uhh…is this kind of threatening normal for military operations? This sounds more like a mob negotiation…

Kurata being Kurata.

You’d think at some point, they’d figure this stuff out instead being surprised by the same stuff over and over again…

Oh hey…the emperor’s conveniently awake now that he’s left the capital. So…he’s a good guy now, right?

Now that I’m awake and can do things, I’m going to make Pina do all of the work to defeat Zolzal! What a great father!

Also, what even is a crown princess? I imagine that’s not a queen, so…does it just mean she’s the next in line for the throne?

I’m asking the same question, Tyuule…why are you crying? Don’t tell me this is Stockholm Syndrome. I was going to give you the benefit of the doubt…

…what??

Not surprised by this one…

Ahh…love at first stab…

Being in Itami’s harem is suffering…

Meanwhile…

Gate S2 Episode 23: Not a chance!

Sure, let’s just charge right in! The only way to win is to cut off the head, right?

This dude’s face…

Wow…they’re really mowing everyone down.

Zolzal has seen the airplanes, right? I suppose he just never consider the possibility that people would jump out of them. Still, he should have predicted the possibility of the planes landing close and dropping off troops…or maybe I’m thinking from too modern of a frame of reference.

The “strength in numbers” strategy worked so well for you guys when you first encountered the Japanese military…I’m sure it will work again.

Aww…look how much Itami cares about his unit.

They shot so many arrows and this guy was the only one to get shot? Either these guys have horrible aim or it just really sucks to be this guy.

This scene looks hilarious…for all the wrong reasons.

Are you sure about that, buddy? Because I definitely recall a number of the soldiers fleeing from the Jade Palace.

What exactly is her plan here? To fight through all of these soldiers by herself in a straight-on fight? Because I’m pretty sure that’s not in her favor. Either that or she’s a character in an anime and she’s expecting someone to show up to save her at just the right time.

That went well…

Looks like the Corporal found himself a girlfriend…

Yeah! We lost units and killed none of them, but we sure showed them! Woohoo! Look at them flying away in their helicopter!

If only there was a soldier with a history of ignoring his orders that would be willing to run into the capital to save Pina…but who would do such a thing??

The hero arrives?

Since next week’s episode is the last one, I’m guessing Itami will save Pina…they wouldn’t leave that as a loose end, right? This week’s episode felt like a hurricane…the JSDF just flew in and took out a chunk of the Imperial army. We’ve all been waiting for this and it was cool to watch…why can’t we have more episodes like this?

Gate S2 Episode 22: Assassins everywhere

Someone had a lot of fun making up this line. Also, how did this battle manage to turn into straight-up men vs. women? Surely, Pina didn’t restrict her hiring conditions that much…

The giant army of the Oprichnina funnels its troops into a thin corridor to attack the few soldiers of Pina’s forces? Wasn’t this the premise of 300?

Is this really the Pied Piper? Please don’t tell me finding the culprit was that easy. This woman has to be the assistant or something, right?

Sigh…these guys fall for this. It’s almost comical how stupid the plan is…”Lelei pretends to be dead”.

The “real” Pied Piper seems a bit bland, don’t you think? Surely, this is another misdirection…

Yes, this is exactly what we’re saying.

It’s not like I care about my sister or anything!

I suppose the subtle implication in this scene is anyone applying for a PhD is an upstanding person, huh?

So do the Master applicants have to submit a title or synopsis of their dissertation? I guess not if he really thinks Lelei stole his research…

Do dissertations usually have this many people participating? I get invited to some from my university every now and then, but I would never expect this level of participation. That being said, if those e-mails inviting me said “you can throw paint-filled balloons at the guy if his research is crap”, I’d probably be there in a heartbeat. This looks fun!

Holy crap…this is like the audience you’d see at a high school graduation, not a dissertation review.

Is he saying he can’t possibly hit a target moving that quickly? Or is he admitting that magic somehow can beat a bullet in this situation?

Yeah, this magic explosion is just right for this situation. Shooting her in the arm would have been overkill, right? There’s no way this magic explosion is lethal…

I was expecting this to go a bit differently, but having Shanty stab Lelei while everyone’s guard is down works too. She was gone for four days suspiciously, after all. Still, it’s weird…that blow was clearly non-lethal and she must have known that Lelei would wear armor. Perhaps they’re trying to carry over the other girl’s plan and pretend Lelei is dead to draw out the real Pied Piper after all?

Is this supposed to be Tyuule’s motive? Some sort of vengeance for being imprisoned?

Wow…so she was just being stupid? Well then…

Interesting…it’s starting to sound like she wasn’t tricked by Pied Piper and was acting autonomously for the benefit of Pina.

I like the way this guy thinks. Killing Lelei is too hard…we should do something easy like organize a full-on assault on the palace instead!

Move out! Time to save the day!

Looks like next week will be the first time we get to see the Japanese military in action for quite a while (I’m starting to think it’s the first time this season).

Gate S2 Episode 21: Let’s go to war!

Getting right into the action, I see.

Wow…this is a massacre. Also, why did these guys advance in a perfect line so that the spear formation would skewer them at the same time?

Never mind what I said about action earlier…getting right back into the politics. Also, in what universe does Japan not have the power to take over the entire Empire right now? I mean…they probably don’t have the soldier count to occupy every outpost in that world, but I’m sure they could take on the Empire pretty easily.

Don’t worry, guys. It’s totally fine that Sugawara agreed to marry this girl because we made her more mature than most adults!

Oh hey! That guy’s okay too…I guess he must have gained sanctuary too despite not being betrothed to Sugawara. Lucky guy.

*facepalm* There are literally three words on screen and only one of them is not a name. Dude…you had one job.

Apparently Noriko is becoming a journalist? Meanwhile, we still don’t know anything about the guy who almost died trying to save her. Also, I agree with this guy’s statement about jounalism, but I still think a journalist should strive to put forth as many objective facts as possible despite the subjective nature of the profession…maybe I’m just naive.

Oh I see…we’re supposed to hate this guy. Got it!

Haha what is this face?

Someone who tricks otherwise innocent people into committing crimes? Where have I heard this before?

I don’t see why people are so surprised. Lelei’s choice to stay at the same inn should be the natural response. They know that they can trust these guys now and they’d be putting themselves into a much more uncertain position if they went somewhere else.

I find this surprising…given that the Pied Piper tricked them into believing the main characters were a group of a wanted criminals, I find it hard to believe that would work again. I can agree with the Pied Piper approaching the same guys again, though…that’s plausible.

Lelei’s newfound fame is a complication, right? If they’re staying so she can do her dissertation, how does she know that the fame won’t pollute the opinions of her reviewers? I’d be a bit worried if I were an academic in this situation.

How could they possibly be able to see and count/estimate that many people from the front door of the palace?

Is this really something a Japanese politician would say? If so, I give my respect…an American politician would never say this.

Looks like it’s time for war! Also, the title of next week’s episode (Empress in Slave’s Clothing) makes it sound like Tyuule’s cover might be blown.

Gate S2 Episode 20: Sherry’s struggles

I guess flipping a coin would be too obvious…still, I approve of this method of choosing the path.

Yeah, kick out those Mexi- err Special Region refugees! That’s the way we do things in the modern world!

Yeah, Pina…I’m sure this conversation couldn’t have waited until you were finished with your bath.

That’s what the Oprichina look like? That’s not sketchy at all. Zolzal basically hired hunters to…secure the senators. Also, the maids stupidly scream when these guys kick in the door, basically giving away the lords’ positions.

That’s either a death flag or a lie that he’s telling Sili-Sherry so that he can stay behind and give himself up.

And now, she can go crying into the arms of Sugawara…they’re really trying to push the lolicon role on him, huh?

Seriously…where else would he go? I say just send everyone to the Jade Palace.

Did she really just convince this guy to buy fewer of her pearls because his wife would force him to buy more if he took all of them? Wow, Sherry is shrewd…

God damn those RPG protagonists looting all the villager houses!

Oh hey…I forgot about these girls.

All of that talk about the changing of the guard and they just walk in the front door? What was even the point of that conversation then?

Given how Sugawara has been trying to keep Sherry at arm’s length up until now, I find it funny that she says that he will act as her future husband. There’s no way she- WAIT! Did she say the captain’s name is Beef Eater? HAHAHAHAHAHA

Did Sugawara really say no after hearing Sherry was one of the refugees in question? I mean…I think that it’s the correct move not to act on his emotions like that when there’s a war brewing. That being said, I get the feeling I’m going to be eating my words soon.

Yup. Though, this was starting to become obvious given how desperately Sherry was begging him.

This scene is all kinds of weird, right? Also, it begs the question…is only Sherry saved here? What about the other guy?

But yeah…not really much else going on in this episode. I suppose next week’s episode is just dealing with the ramifications of what Sugawara just did.

Gate S2 Episode 19: Mage battle!

So given everything we’ve seen up to this point, Zolzal is still stupid enough to go to war with Japan?

Wait…isn’t he the emperor right now? Doesn’t that give him the right?

I’m not saying this plan won’t work…it probably will. But people should really be suspicious if there are people attacking them with medieval weapons dressed as the Japanese. Do they even have guns to perform this operation well?

It seems scummy, but it really is the only way they can hope to win. I’ll give them that.

This scene seems pretty ironic. Zolzal is using espionage to circumvent the power of the Japanese, whereas his brother is attempting to use brute force to take on Zolzal. The roles seem a little backwards, given their personalities.

So, I guess this means Rory makes it a habit to mess around with mortals, huh? Seems very…ungodly?

This scene is funny and all, but I just want to point out that evidence would indicate that common citizens in our world really don’t read these books.

Typical college student…making copies of textbooks because it’s cheaper than buying them.

First off, Lelei’s face. And second, which one is the elder sister again?

Professor Rory!

Interesting, so the gate is a recurring phenomenon that brings new species to the world. I’m sure this will be useful for peace talks in the future. But what’s more interesting is the fact that this must mean that the gate will close at some point. Shouldn’t Itami be worried that they have no idea when that might happen?

Uhh…no. Lelei’s sister has no way of knowing that a laptop stores information, so she would have no way of knowing that a laptop could replace books. This line is a bit premature.

She sounds like she’s preparing to propose to Itami (like pretty much everyone else in the cast).

Wait…what???

Oh…the third date rule. Nothing I haven’t heard before…

And now, we officially have a harem…

Poor Rory feeling so left out…

Wait…is that “Flight of the Valkyries” playing in the background?

This sounds very impressive at first glance, but you have to remember that magic, by its very nature, has to break the laws of physics (otherwise, it would just be physics). So, this line is really saying “Arpeggio can use minerals to do magic”.

Whoa, that wasn’t just a hallucination? Good thing that guard was here to save the day.

We destroyed your house, but take this apology and basket of fruit!

Wait…so now there’s only one more assassin?

Haha…typical Itami!

Not many hints for next week’s episode. Looks to be more political, given that it’s focusing on Silica.

 

Gate S2 Episode 18: Back to school!

Well, I’m glad he doesn’t just get away with his reckless gallivanting…

So basically, he can do whatever he wants?

“Smart character is a bad driver” cliche. She gets a pass, though, since cars aren’t a thing in this world.

Mages in the magic town are illogical…I see what you did there.

The manservant treatment

How much more fun would PhD dissertations be in our world if the reviewers got to throw stuff at you if they didn’t like your paper? Wouldn’t it make you want to become a distinguished professor so much more?

So, the masters (or academics of this world) are isolated in their (ivory) tower? Yeah, this episode isn’t making jabs at the state of academia at all…

This face…

Oh boy, a sibling rivalry! I guess they had to have some sort of conflict in the Lelei story.

This is kind of a random time to be switching to Sugawara’s relationship with Sili- err…what was her real name again?

She’s thinking what we’re all thinking…

What exactly is going on here? So what if Zolzal talks to a group of people on the side? I have no idea why Pina would have a problem with Zolzal doing this. Shouldn’t she be happy that he makes the effort to gain the trust of the people?

This scene looks like Zolzal is preparing to go to war. Does he really think that will work? Or is this just preparation for more espionage tactics like the attempted assassination of Noriko?

Why does she just refer to the people in this group by first name? Does she expect the emperor to know who they are? I can see him knowing Itami’s name because Japanese names are probably unique in this world and Rory’s name because she’s a demigod, but I see no reason for him to know any other names.

You see how she has to go through and describe everyone in the main cast? She could have made this entire thing simpler by saying the fire dragon was defeated by a Japanese man named Itami Youji, leading a group including Rory, the Apostle of Emloy, an elf, a dark elf, and a student of Kato. That would have avoided any possible confusion. There’s absolutely no value in giving their names.

Yeah, forget the other characters…Lelei is the only one that’s important because she’s an American Imperial citizen!

So, it looks like Tyuule’s plan was to poison the emperor so that Zolzal becomes king? It’s not a bad plan, but the only question I have is: why did Zolzal just now become the crown prince? He hasn’t been doing anything up to now…

The preview for next week’s episode seems to highlight Zolzal and his siblings, but the title of the episode suggests that the focus is Lelei and her sister.

 

Gate S2 Episode 17: Dungeons and Dragons

Wait…the battle against the dragon just ended? The dragon dodged the rocket and just ran away?

That’s an awkward way of wording it. I get that what they’re trying to say is that more food will become available for the dragon while it’s sleeping because time will pass, but this sentence makes it sound like the food will magically regenerate in the dragon’s body while it sleeps. Also, convenient hibernation habits to explain why the dragon hasn’t killed everyone in the world yet despite being an overpowered mess.

This is like some kid’s fantasy on the screen. “Imagine there are these elves…and they have rocket launchers!”

Oh yeah…Rory hates being underground. Forgot about that.

 

 

Well…what did you expect? Ever try getting a cell signal underground? You would think the military either had equipment for this situation or would know it would happen. This just feels like a cheap way to force Rory to run into the cave when the dragon shows up.

Using the weapons they found as shrapnel…that’s actually a pretty good plan.

Wait…you mean there’s a giant hole in the top of the mountain and the radio signal couldn’t get through?

Okay, I know that C4 is a very stable explosive, but I’m pretty sure that heat breath should have been enough to set it off.

And, of course, Tuka wakes up just in time to see the death and destruction that initially gave her the trauma they’re trying to fix. I’m sure this will end up being a convenient way of making her accept the truth.

 

Whoa whoa Leilei…you’re letting your emotionless face slip.

I feel like I’ve seen this attack before…

First off, spirit bomb. Secondly, that thing I said before about this being a convenient time for Tuka to get over her trauma.

This electrical current somehow DOESN’T SET OFF THE C4.

Okay, so the electrical current going through this dagger into the INSULATED WIRE is what sets off the C4 instead of the electricity sparking off of the dragon RIGHT ON TOP of the C4. Unless you’re telling me the dagger managed to land right next to the piece of wire Itami stripped earlier…and to that, I say dagger ex machina. Someone please tell me I’m misunderstanding how C4 works because this is seriously pissing me off.

Well, we killed the fire dragon, so we should just go straight into the next story. I thought they mentioned the eggs in the dragon’s nest for a reason…no one’s going to worry about that?

Wait…did Giselle just say “Her” Highness? Are you telling me Hardy’s a girl? And apparently Rory’s betrothed?

Oh…never mind about the eggs. The dragons are right here!

HAHA THESE FACES!

Hey…remember when that general mobilized basically everyone to help Itami when he found out that Itami was going to fight the fire dragon? Convenient reinforcement timing saves the day!

Oh…not Rory’s story after all. That ended quickly.

Given that next week’s episode is about a magic city, I’d guess the next story is focused on Leilei instead of Rory.

Gate S2 Episode 16: Dragon fight begins

The kill order? I mean…she is a bunny girl too…

Guess so. An order to kill Noriko disguised as an order from Pina? This feels like the weakest plan I’ve ever seen…and yet, it seems to be working.

So Itami goes on an unsanctioned operation and immediately gets backup? This has to be the most influential otaku I’ve ever seen.

Looks like this guy was important after all.

And suddenly political negotiations. What exactly are they looking for in these mines? Coal?

Aaaand it actually rains…nice.

What a convenient thing to say when someone has just been ordered to kill you…

A real warrior would know that people only show their true feelings about death when faced with its reality…instead she reveals herself because Noriko randomly mentions letting herself die.

I guess she must really not want to kill Noriko if she’s being so bad at her job.

At this angle, there is literally no way he hits her. I’m pretty sure his gun is pointed at her scabbard right now.

 

I can’t tell whether everything is going according to Tyuule’s plan, but it looks a lot like she didn’t realize that the Japanese could actually do forensic analysis. Then again, tracking things back to Zolzal probably won’t help since he won’t know anything. Maybe they’ll go confront him and they’ll notice Tyuule acting strange while they’re talking…or something.

Meanwhile, Zolzal is being distracted by meat.

This entire scene was really cool to watch…using the fighter jets to scope out the dragon’s specs.

Wait, you’re leaving them alone, Yao? What if your clansmen show up and think they’re intruders?

Yeah…like this.

Convenient dragon saves the day…I think?

I think I’d actually go to therapy if I got to shoot a rocket launcher…

So the preview seems to suggest that next week’s episode will end the battle against the fire dragon…if so, that’s a lot quicker than I expected. Also, who’s the blue face in the preview? New character or just new transformation?

Gate S2 Episode 15: And so the quest to slay the dragon begins…

Oh right…I forgot that Itami hasn’t actually met Yao (the dark elf) yet. Man, the first half of this series feels like it aired forever ago…

So many jokes could be made right now…

Whoa whoa, Yao…that’s quite a sadistic smile. I’m assuming it’s because you’re taking advantage of Tuka to help mobilize the Japanese against the dragon, but this looks super sketchy…

Am I nuts or does the room in the background look strange? All those diagonal lines? Maybe I just haven’t been paying enough attention up to now…

The way she describes the dragon in this scene, it makes it sound like the dragon should be treated like a natural disaster…so blame your god? That’s what people usually do, right?

So she’s not crazy…looks like she has been manipulating Zolzal from the start. Also, did she just say that Pina will be the one that kills Noriko? How does she expect to make that happen? Unless she’s implying that Noriko will be killed by one of her minions and Pina will be framed…

Who treats their father like this? Seriously?

Hahahahaha those reactions!

Wait…day off? What job does she think her father has in this military base?

Say what you will about Yao’s methods, but she’s actually the voice of reason in all of this.

Typical Rory…

Wait…is this guy actually a psychiatrist? Because if not, then why are you asking a general practice doctor about human psychology? I guess armies can have psychologists, right? Maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh on this…

Yeah, I have to agree on this one. You really expect to kill a dragon with only the aid of a mentally unstable elf? Sounds like a solid plan…

RUN! SHE’S RIGHT BEHIND YOU! And of course, we can’t have Rory join in without…

And the team is assembled!

I can’t tell whether this was just tying in the “wise old geezer” conversation from earlier in the episode or whether this guy is actually supposed to be important in the future…

So next week, we face the dragon? Given that this half of the season is supposed to be the “fire dragon arc”, I can’t imagine it will go down the first time.