GATE: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri

[Kraco]

Im not, either. And I still say: That´s now how anybody in the military, ANY military, does his/her job.

You think Itami doesn't know her by now? He does, and he selected her nonetheless or more likely specifically because of this. Thus, it's her job 100%. Like I said a bunch of posts ago, Itami couldn't possibly take a whole squad of men into the palace, lest it looks like an occupation, not a visit. So anybody would rather take a natural born killer than some average joe from an average street with average skills and an average mindset. He might have taken Rory as the number two guard if she had been around.

[Ryllharu]

Speaking of Rory, with the Empire soldiers and people of Whatsitcallednow Hill freaking out thinking Hardy was trying to kill them all, I expected to see Rory a lot more freaked out.

Instead we saw Rory comforting the harpy girl. She couldn't even handle the subway.

Consistency, where art thou?

[Kraco]

Speaking of Rory, with the Empire soldiers and people of Whatsitcallednow Hill freaking out thinking Hardy was trying to kill them all, I expected to see Rory a lot more freaked out.

Instead we saw Rory comforting the harpy girl. She couldn't even handle the subway.

Consistency, where art thou?

Isn't she 900 years old or what was it? She must have seen a whole bunch of earthquakes. I guess she would have been freaked out if she had fallen into some fissure to get trapped underground (but then again, who wouldn't?).

[KrayZ33]

He might have taken Rory as the number two guard if she had been around.

Nah, he wouldn't. She isn't part of the military and he wouldn't drag her into something when he doesn't have to.

[Kraco]

Nah, he wouldn't. She isn't part of the military and he wouldn't drag her into something when he doesn't have to.

You might be correct from Itami's pov, but on the other hand Itami fails 10 times out of 10 when Rory herself wants to do something (if they hadn't been disrupted, you bet he would have even slept with her in the end back in Japan). Besides, although Itami probably foresaw a possibility things could turn ugly, which is why he took the psycho woman along, this was primarily a diplomatic mission in the sense of escorting the diplomat and Pina. Rory is a revered person in that world, so she would have been a good mediator. They have taken the locals with them before just for that reason, so it's not like Itami would be dead against it.

[Buffalobiian]

Rory doesn't like the underground because that's Hardy's territory. Earthquakes are kind of different.

As for the whole shooting thing, I agree that it's a display. I'm not very resistant against Kuribayashi shooting soldiers down. They're armed and had an intent on hurting her. They had their orders, she had hers. Asking them to surrender is actually rather kind. I expect responsibility to fall on them to surrender rather than Kuribayashi having to ask for it.

[shinta|hikari]

More importantly, who the hell names a god Hardy? This show has horrible naming, like Rory for one. Tuka isn't very good either. Let's not forget drink princess.

[MFauli]

episode 15 is out
-------------------

waiting to see how Kraco will defend THAT. Lol. What a garbage episode. Nothing of significance happened. Instead Itami treats Tuka in a way no mentally ill person should ever be treated: He lies to her, and it´s an enormously big lie, too.

This was all so dumb. Playing her father. omg.

And it´s also dumb that he takes all the girls with him to slay the dragon. The only one that makes sense is Rory, cause she´s stronger than anybody and invincible. Leilei may be strong with her magic, but one mistake and she´s gone. Not even talking about both elves.

ugh

Only interesting scene was in the beginning when we found out that the prince is new officially announced the next king, and that bunny girl is plotting something. And dat foot fetish.

[KrayZ33]

Instead Itami treats Tuka in a way no mentally ill person should ever be treated: He lies to her, and it´s an enormously big lie, too.

I think it's cool that you know the answer for a question therapist, doctors and care workers struggle with ever since people came into contact with, for example, dementia.

[Kraco]

I consider my imagination pretty good, perhaps above average, but I can't come up with a single thing in defence of this episode. It was so stupid. The weakest episode of the whole series by far. Going along with the bishoujo knights or the foreign kidnapping military squads operating in Japan back in the first season were nothing compared to this idiocy. There would have been a whole bunch of perfectly valid reasons or excuses for Itami to use, one was even spelled out by the glasses dude, yet this is what we got instead. I'm very disappointed. I hope whatever the author was drinking when coming up with this was at least good; god knows he drank enough of it.

Edit: All that bullshit made me forget the good thing in this episode: The warrior bunny. She seems to be quite a nefarious person with wicked plans set well in motion. Hard to believe she could control the prince as easily as she seems to be imagining, but who knows. Maybe she's indeed such a beast (despite being a bunny) in the bed that the prince can't help it.

[shinta|hikari]

But Itami's decision was consistent with everything so far. He prioritized the safety of his subordinates. He even explained the reasons why it would cost him squad members if he followed the plan glasses was thinking of. They weren't backed up by anything we've seen so far, but at least he made the excuses:

1) Enemy is powerful.
2) He can't send in a big enough unit.
3) Sending a small group will result in annihilation.

Unlike his subordinates, the harem girls are all personally invested in this red dragon hunting mission, so he let them go with him. So this is sort of a suicide mission motivated by his affection for jeans elf.

[Kraco]

It's not a fricking boy scout camp. It's the military. If the brass commands men onto a mission, they go onto the mission. End of discussion. I'm also 100% sure the psycho woman wouldn't be the only volunteer he would get, should he have bothered to ask. But instead he's counting on his MC status to be able to shoulder everything by himself like a bloody shounen hero and to get him out of trouble afterwards since what he did was desertion, plain and simple. Above all, with proper equipment, one stupid dragon would be nothing. I'm sure this dude could have acquired a nice 6x6 or 8x8 APC with a jolly 30mm autocannon and a proper crew for it. Now he's basically setting out, realistically speaking, with the intention of losing his own life, the car, and whatever weapons and stuff he took with him. Instead of just some ammo and gas if the mission was properly planned and equipped.

[shinta|hikari]

The assertion here is that it requires a large group, one Itami does not have, to kill a dragon with 0 casualties. We can't say that's not true because Itami, a person who actually faced the dragon once and some kinda super soldier, says it is so. Whatever we interpreted with the battle before, his opinion would logically overpower it.

He said it himself. No matter what choice he made, people would die. He just chose himself and Tuka as the sacrifices. The other girls just tagged along after that decision was made.

And even if some of his subordinates did volunteer to fight, they would be doing it for Itami and because of Itami's request, unlike the other girls who were with Tuka, the single motivating factor here, from the start. Dark elf has her own agenda.

That said, I find it weird how these girls seem to care for each other. I don't remember any scenes where they seriously bonded.

EDIT:
To clarify, I don't like how this went either, but they did try to explain why it did.

[KrayZ33]

It's not a fricking boy scout camp. It's the military. If the brass commands men onto a mission, they go onto the mission. End of discussion.

That's what he said too, but he didn't want to force his squad on a mission like that... which is what would've happened no matter how you look at it.
And he isn't deserting, because officially, he's scouting and looking for ressources.

I don't get the problem - it's obviously a way to get the plot and Itami's reputation going, but you shouldn't have any trouble understanding *why* he does it the way he does.

That said, I find it weird how these girls seem to care for each other. I don't remember any scenes where they seriously bonded.

They are from the same group of refugees. And they were together during the whole Italica mess, selling the scales they skinned from the dragons together. As an example.
Then there was the whole thing that happened in Tokyo, where they all went shopping together etc. etc.
This is Season 2

[shinta|hikari]

People shop together all the time. They don't risk their lives for each other, though.

I don't remember any scenes where the girls opened up to each other. Did they and I just don't recall? Or was it assumed as happening behind the scenes?

I can accept that. I just don't remember anything concrete.

[KrayZ33]

People shop together all the time. They don't risk their lives for each other, though.

I don't remember any scenes where the girls opened up to each other. Did they and I just don't recall? Or was it assumed as happening behind the scenes?

Hmmm, I'm lost at what you'd expect them to have said to each other.
They bathed quite a few times in season 1 and they've been the "girl squad" for the whole season imho.

You can tell they are BFFs, but I believe Leilei(?) and Rory are both going with Itami because of Itami, because he's da man.
Rory is obviously extremely interested in him.

[shinta|hikari]

Something like a scene where they talk about their pasts to each other or something? Let them go on an adventure without Itami? Those are pretty standard character development techniques. Just having them do stuff in the background leaves a much weaker impression in comparison.

[Kraco]

The assertion here is that it requires a large group, one Itami does not have, to kill a dragon with 0 casualties. We can't say that's not true because Itami, a person who actually faced the dragon once and some kinda super soldier, says it is so. Whatever we interpreted with the battle before, his opinion would logically overpower it.

He said it himself. No matter what choice he made, people would die. He just chose himself and Tuka as the sacrifices. The other girls just tagged along after that decision was made.

Nah, it's pretty safe to say this is simply the way the author wanted to take the story. It's more than obvious the author's extend of military knowledge is limited to what he has got from books and videos and other series. In reality armed forces send enough men and resources to get the job done. Only a nation fighting a losing war go for suicide missions and undermanned missions hoping for a miracle.

And even if some of his subordinates did volunteer to fight, they would be doing it for Itami and because of Itami's request, unlike the other girls who were with Tuka, the single motivating factor here, from the start. Dark elf has her own agenda.

No, they would volunteer for their own sake. Unless there was some gay person doing it for Itami, but so far we haven't seen any. He has no close female soldier underlings, except for the psycho, who would die laughing if it happened in battle. It'd be highly arrogant of Itami to imagine they would do it for him. The local girls are doing it for Itami, like KrayZ said, although like the psycho woman, Rory wouldn't turn down any chance to fight (except fighting Hardy, probably).

That's what he said too, but he didn't want to force his squad on a mission like that... which is what would've happened no matter how you look at it.
And he isn't deserting, because officially, he's scouting and looking for ressources.

As I understood it, he earlier refused the idea of a resource scouting party. You can't really expect anybody to take seriously that this one man is qualified for it unless he has a master's degree in geology as well in addition to everything else. Not that it would make this show any less hilarious.

He was supposed to be on his way to the capital, after being commanded to return there. Yet he decided himself he's not going there. Instead the HQ commander will soon learn Itami took a car, weapons, and food and went who knows where (since only the dark elf knows where). That is not how the military works.

[MFauli]

The overarching point is that WHY does the dragon need to be killed anyway? Why NOW?

If the military decides that the Fire Dragon is too big of a danger that randomly wreaks havoc where it appears, then that would be a valid reason to go after it, and it should have been the mission weeks ago. However, I find it offensive and insulting to even consider sending dozens of JSDF soldiers to risk their lives ONLY so that Tuka finds peace. Fuck her! She´s not that special. She has a trauma from (apparently; it´s all hear-say from the dark Elf, isnt it) losing her dad, something millions of people have to cope with every day. Sometimes those people get their revenge, sometimes they don´t. There´s a difference between catching a rapist-on-the-run who´s getting caught during a routine control when he tries to leave the country, and actively risking dozens of soldiers´ lives! (ofc I wouldnt put it past this show that there´d be like 100 male soldiers all being like "oh, ofc we´ll help you, Tuka (cause youre so hot)" :/

To conclude, the fire dragon is either a military matter, or it is not. Defeating it for a single girl´s sake is ... too shounen, as Kraco said.

[KrayZ33]

No, they would volunteer for their own sake.

That makes no sense imo. How would they benefit from doing that? The only reason why they'd volunteer is because they don't want to lose a friend/itami and be responsible for it because "they didn't go with him".

As I understood it, he earlier refused the idea of a resource scouting party. You can't really expect anybody to take seriously that this one man is qualified for it unless he has a master's degree in geology as well in addition to everything else. Not that it would make this show any less hilarious.

He was supposed to be on his way to the capital, after being commanded to return there. Yet he decided himself he's not going there. Instead the HQ commander will soon learn Itami took a car, weapons, and food and went who knows where (since only the dark elf knows where). That is not how the military works.

I'm pretty sure glasses guy changed the rules for him and the "ressource operation" was never fully out of the question (glasses guy even said that he'll be waiting), he just made it more troublesome because it was a last minute decision. They know where the dragon is so it's not "who knows where" either.

To conclude, the fire dragon is either a military matter, or it is not. Defeating it for a single girl´s sake is ... too shounen, as Kraco said.

And thats not what is happening. The whole episode was about how both the military and Itami couldn't afford to send poeple to their death officially.
In season 1 they even talked about how the military would've to invest troops and armor to destroy that beast and that its a difficult thing to do, even though they know how much trouble it causes.
It's not like the JSDF doesn't *want* to get rid of it, they even said that they would like to help, but can't because of political reasons.

So once again, that he goes alone is clearly all about him being MC and to keep his reputation going.. (if we'd have a problem with that, we wouldn't watch anime or movies, because MCs are gonna mc-ing the shit out of every show)
That the military doesn't officially make a move here however, is a totally different matter and the reasons have been given much, much earlier in this show.