Gate is popcorn watching.<p>The vibe that I got off of it is that the creators really, really, really wanted to glorify the Japanese military and imperialism. Unfortunately, Japan having not been in a significant combat role for many decades, there was no actual concrete thing to reference.<p>So, instead, they had to fabricate a civilization so far backwards that the military could show off uncontested (hence Bronze-age tech) but which could still be portrayed as an aggressor (hence the portal and attempted invasion of Tokyo).<p>And that&#x27;s not even touching on the weirdness of the normal harem tropes (things like a gothic lolita demigod, etc.) that interrupt an otherwise entertaining if absurdist portrait of military operations.<p>The <i>funniest</i> thing in the series is how the other countries are portrayed, especially the United States. Then again, I&#x27;d much rather watch a show about the US doing an Iraq peacekeeping mission in fantasyland than what Gate has to offer.<p>It&#x27;s pandering.