Gate Keepers - Open the Gate (Vol. 1)
Like Shinji inEvangelionand Akito inNadesico, Shun Ukiya is an initially unprepossessing hero--a goofy kid who's read too many comic books. In 1969, as Japan enters its postwar economic boom, sinister alien invaders are attempting to take over the Earth. The lock-stepping aliens can only be defeated by the Gatekeepers, young men and women with the psychic power to channel energy from other dimensions. These teenagers are sought out and trained by the Earth Defense Force, A.E.G.I.S. Being recruited by A.E.G.I.S. forces Shun to face his troubled relationship with his late father and his family responsibilities. At the special high school, he meets other agents he'll be working with: mechanical whiz Megane, infantile musician Reiko, and Ruriko, whom he knew as a child. An appealing mixture of comedy and sci-fi adventure,Gatekeeperswill appeal to fans ofEvangelion,Nadesico, andGenerator Gawl. Rated 13 Up: Violence, mildly risqué humor.--Charles Solomon