GATE: Cultural Exchange, and Cultural Imperialism

GATE as a story revolves around Youji Itami, who becomes First Lieutenant of the Japanese Self-Defense Force (JSDF) after an event occurs in Ginza (in Tokyo). In this particular incident, a variety of medieval figures suddenly appear in Japan, including some dragon riders and knights; and they come from this mysterious "Gate" (portal) that provides a gateway between Japan and a medieval land. The story progression features two basic sides: the Japanese, led by Itami, and the medieval forces, at least during the first couple of episodes.

However, the politics end up much more complex. For instance, the goals of Itami strongly differ from those of the Prime Minister or the Defense Minister. As a military leader, Itami makes an effort to interact with and collaborate with the local populations, which we increasingly see after the first two episodes. Rather than focusing on an eternal, fantastical battle, GATE offers some insight into the exchange of cultural soft power and cultural imperialism beyond the obvious.

Episode 1 focuses on Itami's disorientation surrounding the GATE and what lies on the other side (the medieval area). However, Episode 2 drops the viewer directly into the strife in this land, and offers little for cultural exchange; rather, it suggests the need for caution when dealing with the local populace. Tensions exist, after all, for mankind, whether medieval or not. Starting with Episode 3, GATE positions Itami as someone capable of working with (a subset of) the medieval people. Through the creation of a refugee camp, especially for people driven away by Fire Dragons or other menaces, the "Midori People" (the JSDF) are introduced to these natives. An odd troupe of Itami, Rory Mercury (priestess of the God of Death), Lelei (a teal-haired mage), and Tuka (an elf) forms, allowing for exploratory interactions. At the same time, the music transforms from serious, orchestral to upbeat and percussive, supporting the inter-cultural exchanges.

Some caveats can be offered. Itami interacts and gets along better with the medieval characters (Rory, Lelei, Tuka) than his JSDF counterparts. Furthermore, the reactions are limited by a language barrier: the Midori People and the Medieval People do not speak the same language, so they cannot interact well without help. Secondly, I am lumping multiple "cultures" into one heterogeneous culture that has many different goals and wants. Other than Itami, Shino (below; played by the excellent Maaya Uchida of Hajimessu fame) makes an effort to get along with the Medieval People, but her behavior is not representative of the group as a whole. For instance, Shino is one of the few JSDF members, asides from Itami, that acts as entourage for the foreigners during the mid-season visit to Japan.

Figure 1. Shino, though this facial expression is not entirely representative, makes an effort to understand the Medieval People across boundaries. She is a member of the JSDF under Itami's command. The two characters share a friendly but slightly contentious relationship.

The role of interpreter is played by Lelei (below), who I will focus on. She best represents the "in-between" for the GATE. Despite being in contact with the Midori People throughout the series, even in episode 12 (below), she still wears mage garb. Figure 2 depicts her conducting water magic, which manipulates the world but also suggests cultural expression. (Mages, I presume, also split off based off the groups they come from.)

Figure 2. Lelei facing her master (an offscreen wizard), right after performing an intensive water spell, that brought water down around her. Hence the hydrated appearance of the left side of the image. Also of note is Lelei's mage garb, which separates her visually from the Midori People.

However, though Lelei pursues magic fervently, she also considers potential improvements to her magic. In particular, what she witnessed in Japan inspired her to consider the use of science in conjunction with magic (below). However, science, like magic, is culturally influenced, so she is ultimately participating in cultural exchange, cementing Japan's soft power in this region.

Figure 3. Lelei ponders the physics and chemistry relevant to her practice of water magic.

In Lelei, we see a merging of science and magic - this meshing represents the marriage of Japanese and the region's culture. This role coincides with Lelei's task as interpreter for many interactions between the Midori People and the Medieval People - she holds importance within both groups, allowing her to pull them together. Truly the most diplomatic character in this show.

However, one concern I have, is that cultural exchange is the first step to cultural imperialism. GATE establishes the significance of the Medieval People's culture, but at the same time many of the Japanese view this culture as lesser. To add more confusion, some of the Japanese characters, such as Shino and Itami, place a strong emphasis on protecting and respecting their culture. This phenomenon is much more present among the JSDF in the Special Region than those in Japan - through practical interactions, the goals of both sides become quite clear. Though overall the Japanese culture is held up as pristine and holy, there is room to consider the local culture, and the local political environment. Thus GATE offers more insight into cultural imperialism by establishing an uneven but diplomatic relationship between the two cultural groups.

Through watching season two (eventually), I hope that GATE can offer a stronger sense of resolution with regards to the respectful carrying out of cultural exchange, instead of completing its progression down the Cultural Imperialism route. Here I also reduced the many cultures present amongst the "Medieval People" into one culture, but that does not accurately represent the many individual opinions present. With anticipation, I will wait to see how GATE deals with these themes in the second season.