Gate Keepers
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Gate Keepers [ゲートキーパーズ] is a Japanese anime series produced by GONZO. It was broadcasted in Japan in the year 2000.
Gate Keepers also has the distinction of being one of the few games that actually started out the franchise (the anime, manga etc came out after the game).
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Plot
The story revolves around the year 1969, a period of time where Japan is experiencing intense economic and social development at the end of the Second World War. Unbeknownst to the humans, alien beings have emerged with plans to take over the world by sending numerous robotic aliens to wreck havoc in cities, even turning some of the people into robotic minions as well. They are called Invaders.
In an attempt to confront these Invaders and defend the planet, an elite, but highly secret, organisation of peace-keepers called A.E.G.I.S., with special funding from the government, was set up. They rely on the ability of Gate Keepers, who have the power to open dimensional "gates" of a paranormal energy that give them superpowers. These superpowers are also the only way to defeat Invaders.
The headquarters of A.E.G.I.S. (Eastern Division) lies beneath the ubiquitous Tategami High School, a facade created by the organisation itself to mask its active recruitment of new Gate Keepers, many of whom were still high school students. Hence, Tategami High School is the perfect front for A.E.G.I.S., since these students can be enrolled into the school and be called into operation at any time.
Globally, A.E.G.I.S. has many other branches both in Europe as well as America. It's reach is only rivalled by that of the Invaders, whose influence has been steadily increasing over time.
A.E.G.I.S. members
Shun Ukiya - The series focuses on Shun Ukiya, a young Japanese schoolboy (who permanently wears a bandage over his nose) with a deep passion for kendo. Ukiya discovers he has the ability to open the Gate of Wind in a chance encounter with an Invader attack near his hometown, whereupon he meets fellow Gate Keeper and childhood friend, Ikusawa Ruriko. He is subsequently invited to join A.E.G.I.S. after discovering about the existence of Invaders and A.E.G.I.S. Among the skills used to open his gate are 'Ultra Whirlwind Slash' and 'Vacuum Missile'. The Gate of Wind is considered to be among the most powerful Gates in the world.
Ruriko Ikusawa - Ruriko controls the Gate of Life. Being probably the first Gate Keeper in Japan (since at that period of time, Gate Keepers were still mostly undiscovered), she was A.E.G.I.S.' most valuable member. Ruriko is the unhappy bearer of the nickname 'Rurippe', which holds no real meaning except that Ukiya relates it to her childhood appearance as a sniveller (or one who always has a runny nose). Viewed as a model student and an active partipant in many school activities, Ruriko only ever snaps when Ukiya uses the dreaded nickname on her in public. Her original ability involves healing, and she utilises it for combat by the materialisation of a bow and arrow.
Reiko Asagiri - An extremely forgetful girl, Reiko is also an extremely talented pianist who discovered her own Gate Keeping ability of Illusion when Invaders attacked her during her very first public recital at a theatre. Her ability to create wonderful illusions while playing music for humans does not go unnoticed by Invaders, who conversely suffer intense agony when they hear her melodies.
Kaoru Konoe - A tomboyish athelete, Kaoru was tormented by her previous stint in the track team, when she awoke her own Gate of Strength to create an incredible world record for sprinting such that it was completely revoked. She jumped at the chance to join A.E.G.I.S. only to be able to use her abilities without restraint, and also to get to 'steal Ukiya from Ruriko'. Her skills include 'Kaoru Kick' and 'Kaoru Punch', among other equally appropriately-named close combat fighting styles.
Megumi - An antic-social girl who literally has the ability to set up force fields around herself to keep people out with her Gate of Walls. Megumi has a secret loathing for Ruriko, whom she feels steals her limelight as the smartest girl in class. She is also a member of A.E.G.I.S. but does not socialise with the others willingly.
Fen Feirin - Wielder of the Gate of Fire, Feye hails from the China branch of A.E.G.I.S., who joined the Japanese branch to help out with the great concentration of Invader activity there. Her companion, a golden monkey called Ukiya as well, often helps her sight out Red Invaders. Her skills include 'Da Xiong Mao' (Big Panda) and that of a fiery dragon.
Bancho - The over-enthusiastic Osakan former-ganster-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. It is only much, much later in the series (at the end, actually) that he reveals his latent Gate Keeper ability. It is reminescent of the style of a samurai.
The Invaders
Reiji Kageyama - Known to A.E.G.I.S. intelligence as Shadow, Kageyama wields the Dark Gate, which is the reverse of the normal Gate Keeper ability. Traumatised at a young age by many tragedies in his family, his original Gate of Light that enabled him to see the future and reads minds warped into the Gate of Shadow. The Gate of Shadow lets him see the dark side of the future as well as 'bring that future to the present'. A formidable enemy, Kageyama's secret idenity is not discovered till too late, not before he befriended Ukiya as a student of Tategami High School
Count Akuma - The evil Count is a top ranking Invader who manipulates the minds of people into believing false ideas and twisting their hearts to suit the needs of the Invaders.
General Machine - This Hitler-like character is a top Invader with power over machinery. He first appears trying to control the first Shinkansen and send it to a destructive maiden journey.
Invader Soldier - The Invader soldier unit usually resembles a humanoid robot in black suit, hat, dark glasses and holding a suitcase. Combined together in Fusion Mode, they create the more powerful and larger versions of Invaders of which can take multiple forms like centipedes, balls, and fake highways. Their weakness is the Red Invader, who initiates the Fusion and if destroyed, will also cause a similar chain reaction to the other Invaders in the same form. Some humans can be turned into Invaders, the full transformation being completed when they are forcingly putting on dark glasses.
The Weapons
Gate Engine - A special engine that amplifies the abilities of a Gate Keeper, it is a large and unportable prototype of the original Gate Engine.
Gate Robot - An upgraded version of the Gate Engine, on which it runs on, it is a mecha Gate amplifier. Ukiya uses the 00 Robot, which is known for its extreme unstability. The other three are used by different Gate Keepers elsewhere in the world.
