Hello and welcome to my blog for the second episode of Gate! In this episode we are shown more the Special Region and a main character gets introduced…..well sort of.

We start this episode out by seeing how the Emperor responds to the threat of the people (Youji and company) from the land beyond the Gate. It’s like this: It doesn’t matter that these people massacred the forces we sent to attack them! Let’s forgo all strategy and try to overwhelm them with sheer numbers!

Now we have the different Generals arguing who’s going to be on the front lines and only one who has the sense to want to stay away because he doesn’t like the look of this battle. He’s the one smart guy in the group. Of course, they all attack and almost half of the original 100,000 men are massacred before they can really even reach Arnus Hill. Then we find out that the Imperial Army never shows up to help fight. The General whom I said has some sense declares that the next attack will be a night raid. They are massacred and the General shoots one arrow in retaliation to the machine guns before he is blown up.

After the massacre, the buzzards have a feast! It is estimated that they have killed a total of 120,000 men from the Special Region since they first started defending Arnus Hill. It’s really sad……

Now we find out that the reason the Emperor didn’t send the Imperial Army to help at Arnus Hill is because the Emperor was using the soldiers there to kill off any force that might threaten his empire. If that doesn’t sicken you then this will. He also orders every town and village to have their wells poisoned and then to be burned. He’s so evil. Soon afterwards, Pinya comes in and the Emperor orders her to take her Order and scout out the enemy to try to learn more about them. You can tell he doesn’t think much of his daughter or her order.

Now we get a glimpse of how other countries are viewing the Gate situation. The USA has decided not to involve themselves (That’s how you know this is definitely a made-up anime. The USA gets involved with everything. :P) and other countries anticipate the defeat of Japan.

Youji is ordered to lead one of six recon teams to investigate the natives and learn their industries, religion, and politics and to try to establish a friendly relationship with them. This is sensible although it’s obvious that Youji would rather not lead a recon team. He really needs to get over it.

The mystery of Stonehenge has been solved! People from the Special Region came to Earth via a Gate and built it and left us to wonder about it forever! Now if only I could find our side of the Gate and go there to see Rory.

At first everybody in Coda village is afraid to approach them but that doesn’t last long and they start interacting before they leave to visit a village that the Coda Village Chief told them about. You would think the natives would be more frightened of outsiders but apparently not.

As they approach this village, they notice tons of smoke pouring from the forest. They then spot a huge dragon that continues to add to the flames. It is my suspicion that the dragons are controlled by the Emperor since he ordered all the villages and towns burned. The dragon flies off and Youji and his team go to investigate the village only to find it completely destroyed by the fire. Youji throws a bucket into a well to get some water only to have the well hit the bottom with a loud clank. When he looks inside he sees an elf girl. I’m just glad the bucket didn’t hit the elf girl. She had obviously been through a lot already.

Overall, it was a pretty good episode. As usual, thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time!

~Ryuji