Gate Keepers 21, Vol. 2: The Final Gate [DVD]

Features

• Type: DVD
• Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]
• Language(s): english, japanese
• Director(s): Akihiko Nishiyama, Akio Sakai, Hirotoshi Takaya, Keiji Gotoh, Kôichi Chigira, Masahiro Hosoda, Shigeru Motomiya, Shin'ichi Shôji
• Actor(s): Dan Lorge, Alyss Henderson, Johnny Yong Bosch, Peter Lurie, Randy McPherson, Lia Sargent, Wendee Lee, Sherry Lynn, Barbara Goodson, Dave Mallow

Miu continues to shun the AEGIS Network because she hates the idea of hurting people, but Satoka, a Gate Keeper Kageyama recruited from Kobe seems to be the opposite - she hunts them for pleasure! Unfortunately, the Invaders don?t allow the Gate Keepers the luxury of time for debate: Ayane is ambushed and goes into a coma, Count Akuma returns, stronger than ever, and Ghost Girl can?t wait to turn everyone into Invaders... but why does Ghost Girl have a soft spot for Ayane?! The filmmakers introduce a raft of flashy CG special effects as the Gatekeepers OVA reaches its conclusion: explosions, sparkles, powerful gates, armies of winged invaders, and a gargantuan mecha that straddles Tokyo. Satoka, who wields the Gate of Swords, joins forces with alienated Ayane and infantile Miu. Although the Invaders are distillations of human greed and corruption, the mysterious Ghost Girl unleashes the climactic battle. Like Yugi in Tenchi in Tokyo, she plans to destroy the world to create a playground for herself and her supposed friend, Ayane. Somehow, Ayane gains the power to destroy Ghost Girl, returning the world to normalcy. Despite the elaborate effects, this incoherent OVA is far less entertaining than the original series: the viewer can't help missing the rambunctious good humor that made Shun and his friends so appealing. (Rated 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, minor profanity, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon