The New Gate

Trapped with thousands of people in The New Gate, a virtual reality game, the elite player Shinya Kiritani resolves to clear the game and finally return home. However, after he manages to single-handedly defeat the final boss, Shinya is transported to a new world—seemingly indistinguishable from the one he just escaped.

Shinya discovers that as long as the game menu and his skills are unchanged, he cannot leave this oddly familiar world. In his search of a way to break out from this new dimensional prison, Shinya encounters Tiera Lucent, a hotel receptionist who happens to be a protégée of Schnee Raizar—one of Shinya's former party members. With this glimmer of hope, Shinya strives to reunite with Schnee and find out the truth about The New Gate.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Raizar, Schnee Main

Seto, Asami Japanese

Kiritani, Shinya Main

Ono, Kensho Japanese

Lucent, Tiera Main

Hondo, Kaede Japanese

Yuzuha Main

Okasaki, Miho Japanese

Estaria, Girard Supporting

Mikami, Satoshi Japanese

Bayreuth, Rionne Strail Supporting

Lynn Japanese

Heim, Barlux Supporting

Takatsuka, Masaya Japanese

Lindotte, Cilica Supporting

Takahashi, Minami Japanese

Lindotte, Celica Supporting

Takahashi, Minami Japanese

Kagerou Supporting

Hoshi, Yuuki Japanese

Aoi, Hiroyuki Producer

Ishiwatari, Akihiro Producer

Ozawa, Fumihiro Producer

Oogami, Yuuma Producer, Episode Director

Reviews

Jan 28, 2025

kibasnowpaw01

Recommended

The New Gate: A Frostbitten Dive into the World Beyond the Virtual Realm
Reviewed by Kiba Snowpaw, Alpha Ice Wolf of HowlStrom, Master of the Frostfang Howl, and Eternal Anime Aficionado

Introduction
Awoo~! Let me break the ice right here, my frosty friends—The New Gate is an anime that promises to take us on a journey through a world where games become reality, with stakes as high as the icy cliffs of HowlStrom! The series opens with a concept that should resonate with every gamer and adventurer who’s ever dreamed of wielding ultimate power in a virtual world. But does it deliver on its frosty promise or leave ... us howling in disappointment? Stick with me, Kiba Snowpaw, as we slice through the icy layers of this show and reveal its true heart!

Basic Plot Summary
Our boy Shinya Kiritani (aka Shin) finds himself stuck in The New Gate, a virtual reality death game that echoes the frozen terror of an endless tundra. After slaying the final boss with the precision of an icefang strike, Shin expects to wake up in the real world. But instead, he’s transported 500 years into the future of the game’s world. Now, with the mechanics of the game still at his paw-tips—menus, stats, OP skills—he must navigate this new yet familiar realm to uncover its mysteries. Along the way, he reconnects with NPCs (who now seem more sentient) and old companions, like Schnee Raizar, his loyal party member-turned-legendary hero.

It’s a blend of high-stakes survival, mystery, and a touch of romance. While it sounds like a pawfect recipe, the execution sometimes feels like a lukewarm hot spring rather than the biting thrill of an ice storm.

Originality
Now, I’m not gonna sugarcoat this (though I do like my snowcones sweet): originality isn’t The New Gate’s strongest suit. It’s like an icy fusion of Sword Art Online and Overlord, with a splash of Log Horizon thrown in for flavor. We’ve seen the “trapped-in-a-game-world” trope more times than I’ve seen snowflakes in a blizzard. That said, the unique twist of Shin being thrown into the future of his own game world does add a refreshing flurry of intrigue. It’s not groundbreaking, but it does enough to carve out its own pawprint in the snow.

The Studio Behind the Chill
Yokohama Animation Laboratory and Cloud Hearts teamed up to bring The New Gate to life, and let’s just say the results are a mixed bag. On one paw, they deliver some stunning moments of animation—like Shin’s icy-blue sword slicing through hordes of undead—but on the other, the overall quality feels inconsistent, like a snowstorm that can’t decide whether to blizzard or drizzle. Compared to studios like Madhouse or Ufotable, Yokohama Animation Lab struggles to maintain a steady flow of high-quality visuals. But hey, even an Alpha like me can forgive a few missteps if the heart of the story is strong enough.

Analysis and Evaluation
Mechanics and World-Building
This anime does a solid job incorporating game mechanics into its storytelling. The menus, stat screens, and skill trees feel integrated rather than forced. Watching Shin strategize his abilities in battle gives me serious MMO raid vibes, and the way the NPCs have evolved into dynamic, fleshed-out characters adds depth to the game-turned-reality world. However, the lore surrounding the game’s origins and the 500-year time skip could have been explored more thoroughly. It’s like the frost on the surface of a frozen lake—beautiful but shallow.

Character Development
- Shinya Kiritani (Shin): Our main wolf—I mean, hero—is an overpowered alpha, but his journey is more about rediscovering his purpose in this new world. Shin is likable enough, but his “too cool for school” demeanor sometimes feels more like a frostbite than a refreshing breeze.
- Schnee Raizar: Schnee is a standout! Her loyalty to Shin and her struggles with her own sense of identity make her one of the most relatable characters in the series. She’s the warm ember in the icy world of The New Gate.
- Tiera Lucent: Tiera starts off as your typical shy and innocent sidekick, but her growth as a capable ally adds a nice layer of frost to the character dynamic.

Supporting Characters:
While some, like Girard Estaria, add emotional weight to the story, others feel as empty as a snowfield after a blizzard—visually impressive but lacking substance.

Structure and Impact
The anime’s structure is where things get a little slippery. The pacing is faster than a sled racing downhill, leaving little time to fully develop key moments. Emotional scenes that should hit like an avalanche instead feel like a light snowfall. The impact of Shin’s relationships and the stakes of the new world are dulled by the rushed storytelling. It’s a shame because the potential is there, buried beneath the snow.

Hook and Thesis
Here’s the hook: if you’re a fan of OP protagonists, game-world logic, and a splash of isekai romance, The New Gate will definitely scratch that itch. But if you’re looking for deep character arcs and groundbreaking storytelling, you might find yourself left out in the cold.

Praise and Critique
Praise:
- Stunning battle scenes (when the budget allows).
- Intriguing game mechanics and world-building.
- Schnee Raizar’s character arc is a highlight.

Critique:
- Rushed pacing leaves little room for emotional impact.
- Animation quality is inconsistent.
- Supporting characters often feel underdeveloped.

Personal Opinion
As an Alpha Ice Wolf who’s spent years prowling through over 2,000 anime, I’d say The New Gate is like a snowflake—it’s pretty and fun to watch, but it melts away quickly without leaving much of an impression. I enjoyed the gamer vibes and the frosty aesthetics, but the lack of depth and rushed storytelling left me howling for more.

Highlights and Drawbacks
Highlights:
- Strong visuals during fight scenes.
- Engaging game mechanics.
- Schnee Raizar’s development.

Drawbacks:
- Inconsistent animation.
- Rushed pacing.
- Shallow exploration of world lore.

Comparison
If you’re into Sword Art Online or Overlord, you’ll probably enjoy The New Gate. However, it lacks the emotional depth of SAO or the dark intrigue of Overlord. It sits somewhere in the middle—a fun, frosty watch that doesn’t quite reach Alpha status.

The New Gate is a decent addition to the isekai and gaming anime genres, but it’s not without its flaws. It’s an enjoyable watch for fans of overpowered MCs and game-world logic, but it doesn’t quite have the depth or polish to stand out in the frozen tundra of anime greatness. I’d give it a solid 6.5/10—a snowflake in the storm, beautiful but fleeting.

Reviewed by Kiba Snowpaw, signing off with an icy howl! Awooo~!

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Dec 30, 2024

gakuendo

Mixed Feelings

I don’t like making long reviews, so I’ll keep this brief. It’s not terrible, but it’s definitely borderline bad. While it doesn’t do much justice to the isekai genre, it was engaging enough to follow week by week to see where it was going. It tried its best to take notes from Overlord, but unfortunately, it neither surpassed it nor left a significant mark as a successor, which is disappointing. I expected more from something following in the footsteps of such a standout series, but it ultimately failed to deliver.

I haven’t watched Sword Art Online yet, but from what I’ve seen, this anime seems to ... be attempting to replicate Kirito’s vibe—and honestly, it falls short.

This anime serves as a good example of what happens when amateur producers don’t handle isekai properly. It teeters on the edge of being outright bad—slightly trashy and unpolished. I also think this show might be used by people who dislike isekai as evidence to argue that the genre is inherently bad.

So, in summary, this anime gives those who hate isekai more ammo for their arguments, which is unfortunate.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jan 11, 2025

AeroGunz

Not Recommended

“The New Gate” (finally a short title, I missed those) is what happens when an overused idea meets subpar execution.

I’m getting really tired of writing this but… this show is another example of no story and all plot with no long lasting consequences to anyone or anything, and a world that bends over backwards for the MC. Above that, it's so generic that I really couldn't tell You much about the plot or world without being certain that I’m not mixing things up with another show. It's devoid of originality that much. It’s just another self-indulgent fantasy of a cringe 13 year old. That’s me ... being nice to the show by the way.

Before we start I would like to explain something. I will be talking about “plot” and “story”. Many people use those terms interchangeably. I’m not one of those people, so to make sure everyone is on the same page…
I use the definitions for “plot” and “story” as Lisa Cron describes them:
“What happens in the story is the PLOT, the surface events.”
“STORY is about how the things that happen affect someone in pursuit of a difficult goal, and how that person changes internally as a result”.

The first episode left me with more questions than answers and not in a good way. It's prologue is actually the most lazy thing I’ve seen in a while. In short it’s Sword Art Online with even less sense and charm, if You can believe that. I call that an achievement. For starters how the fuck did the “If You die in game, You die in real life” worked? I give shit to SAO for being lazy with its writing but even that had an explanation, not a very good one but still, for its deaths. “The New Gate”? Nope. It uses the words of st.Todd Howard: “It just works”. At this point “The New Gate” should have “Made by Bethesda” slapped on somewhere. Eff off with this. If You can’t make it logical just fucking don’t do it. It’s not like the game world really matters in the grand scale of things. You could bring Shin - the MC, to the isekai part in a million other ways.

Second thing and this is the thing that most, both isekai and vr death games, share: Why would he want to go back? Seriously. We don’t see his “before” state. We have no idea if he has a family that worries about him, a girlfriend or even a damn cat. He has nothing as far as we know. And since we are on the subject, how long did the death game last? WHo is taking care of his body? Is his body still in his world after the isekai? Did his body disappear? If his body disappeared will he even be able to return home? Will he have his “new” body in the real world? If yes, what about his stats and skills? He’s just gonna show up one day, practically a demigod and work at mcdonalds? I can actually accept that he doesnt think about it, he’s an idiot in a lot of ways, but even his companions, who knows the truth of his situation? The damn NPC that got sentient, that knows about the game, the systems, the other players don’t even think about that? Even the one NPC that is in love with him? No one?

On top of that, what the fuck are the other “players” doing? I assume they also have their skills and stats from the game, which implies most, if not all, of them are far more powerful and knowledgeable than the inhabitants of the world. We later see that there are a few of them in the world and not one of them was a psycho killer, a tyrant or at least someone who created a nation with advanced magic and technology to resemble his home world? Everyone just thought “Hmm… maybe I’ll do nothing. I just survived a death game, why would I even want to have some sort of cosy life after that”, or even “Cool, the game is now real. Time for a killing spree!”?

Let’s go deeper. The author has no idea how time works. 500 years have passed. 500 yers. Let that sink in. Really sink in. It took humanity less than 100 years to have 2 world wars, develop an atomic bomb, send people to the moon and create the internet. These fuckers had 500 years and yet they still treat in game mechanics made real like “lost technology”. In 500 there was no one who could have had an obsession with those items and magic? No one who had the vision, intelligence and imagination to create even a pseudo version of them for anyone to use? Of course not. What am I thinking? That would make too much sense and our MC wouldn’t be that special. My bad. This isn’t a testament of Shin’a uniqueness but of the world's incompetence.

Seriously, eff this world. It has nothing to do with an actual, organic world and everything to do with dumb game logic that pauses everything until the MC shows up. I can’t believe I’m writing this but I think I miss Sword Art Online, it at least pretended to have a living world and some things were actually done without Kirito.

At least we get to see from the start what kind of person he is. He put’s himself in danger for others (I am not touching the idiocy of a solo player killing a raid boss, fuck that, it’s too stupid) and pretends it was nothing. Later we even see something that could actually be called a personality trait. Too bad it happens only on 2 occasions in the whole show and nothing really comes from that. He’s just another flavourless, nice gyu MC that gets all the babes. How original. Well ok, I’m not totally fair. In his case we do get a reason why he isn’t interested romantically in any of them. The problem? We get that in the last episode in the last scene. Too little too late for me to change my mind about him being an idiot.

If I had to name some good parts of this trainwreck… I mean show it would be a former NPCs. They actually have personalities and did something when Shin wasn’t around. Yes, the best looking one - Schnee took over his place, but despite that became a respectable combatant that most nations would love to recruit. It’s stated that some even used underhanded tactics to get her. This is something I would like to see. Not her acting like a love stricken moron that serves Shin. I want to see Schnee as an adventurer dealing with her own shit.
Same goes for Girard. He created a nation and lived far beyond the age range of his species. On top of that he’s so proud that he wants to die in battle against his friend and former master. This is someone who could have been an awesome MC. But what does the show do with him? Makes him an unimportant in the grand scheme of things background character for Shin to have a semi deep talk that changes nothing for him or the viewers.

Both Schnee and Gigard would work as amazing protagonists to show Shin around the new world. Leave Shin as a deuteragonist for 4-5 episodes. He’s so bland it wouldn't change much. He can regain his protagonist status after he’s up to date and only after he learns new respect for his former followers. The fact he created them means nothing in this case. They made something of themselves when they were left alone. He didn’t have a chance for that. Put the mofo in his place. Even if he is all powerful there are struggles that can only be done without violence. You just need to think about it a little. My favourite example that I really think more writers need to know about is “Superman: Peace on Earth”. There You see Superman - practically a demigod failing. It’s not a small failure either. He fails to help an entire nation. He is given a choice where there is no happy ending. In both cases innocent people will suffer. The difference is the degree of that suffering. This is how You should challenge an almighty being. Give him a struggle in which his power is the problem. I don’t want to see Shin soloing an entire horde of enemies, the fucker defieted tha last boss of a death game, You can’t top that, give him something that no matter what he does someone will suffer. Make him live with that. Make him live with the fact that it is his fault. That someone is suffering because he is what he is. All powerful, full of good intentions and absolutely naive to the world.

Sorry, I went into teaching mode by accident.
As it stands this show is about nothing. There are no consequences to anything and the only thing that does change is the number of busty chicks that would like to ride him like Mario rides Yoshi. The most competent, and yet still lazy, arc is the Gigard arc. It’s almost like when writers had a good idea and for some strange reason even skills to write something that is a start to a competent story. That didn’t last long and we got back to brain dead writing pretty fast but it is proof that there is potential in this. Shame a competent writer never got to work on it.

I'm giving it a 4 because I've seen worse shows. Far worse.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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