Gate Keepers 21, or the GK21, is the first OVA after the Anime TV series. The first episode was sold in Japan on 24th April 2002 while the final episode, after many delays, was sold on 8th January 2003. The OVA had 6 episodes. While the TV series took place during 1969-70, this OVA series started on May 2001 (32 years after the beginning of the TV series). This OVA, however, did not feature on the original GKs. Instead, the most of the old main characters did not appear in the series. In these 6 episodes, a group of new Gate Keepers appeared.
* BE AWARE OF THE INTRODUCTION
BELOW!!! IT CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILER! *
* YOU HEAR ME RIGHT?! H E A V Y S P O I L E R!!
*
As I've said, most of the old characters did not come back, but there's still a few of them who played a big role in these 6 episodes. They included:
Kageyama Reiji, the former Invader boss. He was now the leader of the AEGIS Network. And he owned quite a lot of business as well. My guess was that he's using his ability of foreseeing future for his business since he mentioned in episode 3 that, "when has my perception been wrong?" Back to more serious matter, now he could use both his positive and negative gates: the Gate of Darkness AND the Gate of Discernment. But actually, his body was slowly being wore out because of overusing the gate (I will explain a bit later).
Houjou Yukino, the ageless Gate Keeper of the Gate of Ice and Snow. Okay, she's ageless in a sense that she didn't seem to get old. But (I think) she age about 2 or 3 years during the time from the Anime to GK21. Her ermine Hisame was still by her side. She was also, like Kageyama, slowly being wore down by the gate. In her case, her "time" was being absorbed by it, which explained why she didn't age. But Kageyama mentioned that if she uses her gate just a few more time, her life will be absorbed by the gate as well...She didn't like Yuurei Shoujo and get along quite well with Miu, the new Gate Keeper (see Brief Characters Introduction).
They had new enemies too. For those who had watched the TV series, you should be quite familiar with Kikai Shogun and Akuma Hakushaku, who appeared in GK21 in episode 2 and 4 respectively. Their appearance, however, had changed quite a lot, especially for Akuma Hakushaku. When he appeared, he had somehow turned himself into some kind of big magical tree which have the ability to turn human into Invaders. But their appearance were really...very brief. Only about half an episode. Since their biggest enemy was no other Yuurei Shoujo.
Yuurei Shoujo was a character from the game who didn't have a chance to appear in the TV series. Her appearance was very different from that of the game. Not only the hair and eye color were different, they even have different Seiyuu (voice actress)! It was really difficult to think that they were the same person. Well, about her ability, it was revealed in the later episodes that she was really a Gate Keeper when she's alive. When she's alive, she used her gate too much therefore her life was being absorbed by the gate. And is there anyone who wondered why she's holding a skeleton all the time? Actually, it was the skeleton from her own dead body! She had the skeleton in GK21 too--inside the crystal ball that she was holding.
And now some mysteries of the Gate. As you all know, "Gate" is the door to another dimension, where the Gate Keeper can summon different kind of energy from it. AEGIS saw them as the last hope for human being to defeat the Invaders. But actually, it had a very heavy price. Maybe you have already noticed that many Gate Keepers were come from broken families: Ukiya Shun's father was dead, Asagiri Reiko's parent maybe divorced, Konoe Kaoru was bring teased because her ability was not being recognized, Fen Feirin's family was being arrested even they didn't do anything wrong...The cause of these unfortunates were actually the gate. In the early stage, when the power had not awaken, the gate would absorb their happiness in the future. In the later stage, when the power had fully awaken and being used by the Gate Keeper, the gate would slowly "eat" away the Gate Keeper's body or time. For Kageyama, actually his left arm, right leg and even some of his organs were only man-made because they were already destroyed by his gate. The same goes to Yukino whose time was being absorbed and Yuurei Shoujo who died because of using gate power too much.
There are still many mysteries in the GK21. Like about the new heroine Isuzu Ayane (see the introduction below). As in episode 4 has revealed, her father indeed is Ukiya Shun. And the last name "Isuzu" was her mother's maiden name. Is that mean her mother IS NOT Ikusawa Ruriko? Then first of all, who's her mother? How come Kageyama could survive after being absorb into the Black Hole thing in episode 24 of TV series? I think the answers to all these question can only be found in Gate Keepers 1985 the novel...
Brief New Characters Introduction
Isuzu Ayane: The heroine of the OVA. Her appearance strongly resembled Ikeda (Ukiya) Saemi, but her attitude problem was too similar to that of Kurogane Megumi's. She's very good at studying and battling the Invaders. She was said to be the strongest "Invader Hunter" in the AEGIS Network. She was good at using Imitation Gate, which was generated from cell phones and controlled by laptop, to blow up the Invaders. At the same time, she is also the Gate Keeper of the Gate of Gales. In fact, she is the daughter of the former keeper of the aforementioned Gate: Ukiya Shun. But for some reason, she hate her father very much. That's why her last name is "Isuzu" instead of "Ukiya", as "Isuzu" is her mother's maiden name.
Manaduru Miu: She seemed to be a normal high school girl: she liked to hang out with friends, had a boyfriend and stuff. But actually she is the Gate Keeper of the Gate of Leap. Ayane had discovered her when she first used her Gate ability, thus making her an Invader Hunter as well. But Miu did not make a good battler because she always get scared and panic when there's Invaders. And she has doubt about her own ability as well. She was a bit slow and a girl who never gets angry.
Tachikawa Satoka: She was another Invader Hunter of the AEGIS Network. She came from Kobe to Tokyo because of Kageyama's request. She was Gate Keeper of the Gate of Tearing, which allows her to summon swords from it. She saw Ayane, the supposedly strongest Invader Hunter in the AEGIS Network, as her rival. Also, she was one of the very few persons who knew Ayane's real last name is "Ukiya" instead of "Isuzu". Just a little side note, sometimes when she's talking to Ayane, she may get too absorbed in her own speech and Ayane will be gone by the time she finished talking.
Gate Keepers 1985, or simply GK1985, is a novel which was published by Kadokawa Sneaker Book Collection. The book was first sold in Japan on 1st February, 2003. This novel was acting like a connecting line between the Anime series and GK21 the 6-episode OVA. Even it was called the GK1985, it mentioned more about what happen in the year of 1970 instead. But some of the mysteries in the earlier series was finally solved. Like,
How come Kageyama had
survived in the hurricane thing that Ukiya had created in episode 24?
It was mainly because Megumi saved him before he was really absorbed
into that hurricane thing.
Who is Isuzu Ayane's mother?
A woman called "Isuzu Youko". Not much details about this
woman though.
How and when did Ukiya Shun died?
He died in a battle between himself and the new enemy, Shinikami
Shinshi. The first time they fought each other was actually in May of 1970. At
that time, no main character died but many AEGIS personals were killed. It was
until 1988 they fought each other again. Even Shinikami Shinshi was defeated,
Ukiya died in an explosion as well. By the way, the actual date and time he died
was 4:40am, 11th February 1988: *groan* same date as the opening of this
unworthy site!! (What an annoying
coincidence!)
Where did Megumi go after protecting Ruriko from being absorbed by that
hurricane?
She went and rescued Kageyama Reiji with her Gate of Iron Wall. Then she
stayed with him and they fought the Shinikami Shinshi together with Ukiya Shun.
After Shinikami Shinshi retreated in the battle in 1970, it seems that she
continued to stay with Kageyama. Whether they got married or not nobody knows.
But from Kageyama's line, "Megumi's gone..." (from the Epilogue of the
novel), I think Megumi had died before 1988.
What had happened to the rest of the Gate Keepers?
The information only updated to the year of 1985...
- Asagiri Reiko had married a musician who played violin, and she had
moved to Switzerland.
- Fen Feirin went back to China after Kageyama's defeat. Then she and her
family escaped to Hong Kong because of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).
- Ikusawa Ruriko had entered the university after the High School
graduation. Later she got a teaching license, and left to teach in an outlying
island. And she got married with someone in 1983.
- Konoe Kaoru, Banba Choutarou (Bancho), Megane, Ochiai Keiko (Ms.
Secretary): Unknown
How come AEGIS Fareast Branch was totally destroyed by the year of 2001?
It was because of the huge fight between, again, the Gate Keepers and
Shinikami Shinshi.
What had happened to AEGIS and how did AEGIS Network formed?
What is the relationship between Yuurei Shoujo and Houjou Yukino the
ageless Gate Keeper?
What had happened during the time where Ayane was unconscious in episode
5 & 6, or rather, what had her dreamt about, which was related to Ukiya Shun
(the "Damned Old Man")?
What the **** made the son of ***** a.k.a. Ukiya Shun choose other woman instead
of Ikusawa Ruriko?!
(Don't mind the swears, they were mine and sorry for using such language. But
just can't help it)
And some trivial matters...
What is Shirei's real name and did anything happened between him and Ochiai
Keiko a.k.a. Ms. Secretary?
Shirei's real name is Tokiwatari Tetsuya. His last name
"Tokiwatari" had a meaning of "to go across time". The
reason why the name was related to time was that Shirei was actually a Gate
Keeper in the game, where his gate was the Gate of Time and Space.
And no, nothing happened between him and Ms. Secretary. Shirei fell ill after
the first battle between the Gate Keepers and Shinikami Shinshi (the one in
1970). And no news about Ms. Secretary.
Where is Tategami High
School?
It was located in Mejiro of Toshima District, Tokyo. It can be reached
by the taking the Yamanotesen. But mind that, even it's disappointing, TATEGAMI
ISN'T REAL!! Also, for those who had read/watch Love Hina, you should be quite
familiar with the word "Mejiro": It's Naru's home!