History Headscratchers / Gate

** That one is answered. Dentures were built for him [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything from a local type of wood.]]

* I don't know how this was handled in the manga and light novels, but why do the foreign SF operators in the anime lack standard things such as night vision when the JSDF SF has proper kit? I understand this story is a JSDF wank but, for the [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks Americans]] especially, [[CriticalResearchFailure who have all the assets necessary located in Japan already]], undertaking a politically risky operation without the right gear and aerial/orbital observation to identify hostiles like the JSDF does with their observation helicopter feels ham-fisted.

** Plus Stargate as a series was actively critical of militarism and American imperialism in various episodes. Where senators and politicians made use of black operation organizations to outright steal technology or attempt to conquer worlds so they could use that technology against the other nations of Earth. O'Neill outright noted that America and Earth as a whole didn't need the technology of the alien cultures they met, but they did need the people if they wanted to protect themselves. Season 5 even has the Stargate Program ally up and cease being an American only institution with the nations of the planet now backing the program.

* This series has been often derided as a "right-wing propaganda", "Japanesewank" and "Painting JSDF in better light they really are", to sum up common complaints. Hell, even the description of the work compares it to LightNovel/OutbreakCompany claiming that Outbreak Company is more "civilized". However, as far as the series actually goes, nothing it does is not something that say, Series/StargateSG1 didn't do or any other "Nation X comes in contact with Y". So why is it that this specific work gets so much hate? Is it because, for once, it doesn't have [[AmericaSavesTheDay Americans]] as the pure and superior protagonist?
** Because we are talking ''IN'' and about the English-speaking segment of the Internet, which ''is'' heavily dominated by the Americans and their culture? And [[{{Eagleland}} they]] ''[[{{Eagleland}} are]]'' known to be the [[PatrioticFervor fiercely patriotic]] fans of CulturalPosturing (see the whole Manifest Destiny thing), who have a long and complex history with the Japanese. So, for a large number of American population, a mere though of Japanese revanchism (even as mild as GATE is) is, understandably, a very controversial thing.
** If this show was about America doing the same thing it would be just as hated. Michael Bay's Franchise/{{Transformers}} movies have been derided for over-glorifying the US military. GATE is no different in that respect.

** Even attempting to compare the nationalism in this series with American nationalism falls short. America does save the day a lot, but American media will tend to also portray other elite military organizations as competent and fierce, if for nothing else so that American special forces will look better for beating them. Hell, the Spetsnaz are often portrayed as something just under Franchise/JohnWick levels. Gate, meanwhile, has everyone else's special forces looking like bumbling buffoons, most of whom get taken out by faceless nobody characters because the JSDF is too good to even blink in the face of anything at all. As well, if this were an American series, the American military almost certainly would venture into the other side of the Gate, probably in the stated name of seeing what was there and if there was likely to be any more dangers/invasions and establish a defense so that they could be stopped, and it would leave it to the internet snarkers to make comments or jokes about America probably wanting to conquer the fantasy world for oil. This series just straight-up acts like the goal for the JSDF is global conquest of the other world, which is in modern fiction typically a motivation reserved for the villains; especially since, if Japan in this series thinks it's okay to use military might to conquer another world, what are they going to do back on our world when they get access to an entire planet's worth of resources and people they clearly don't care much about that could be used as cannon fodder? Someone could easily take most of the plot of Gate and use it, unaltered, as the story of how Japan decided to instigate World War 3.

** Because Gate is an [[{{EvilColonialist}} imperialist]] [[{{PowerFantasy}} fantasy]] where everything is made from the outset to make [[{{CreatorProvincialism}} Japan]] [[{{CulturalPosturing}} look good]]. The series starts by Japan [[{{ItsAllAboutMe}} unilaterally]] [[{{LetNoCrisisGoToWaste}} annexing]] the unknown lands and [[{{UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans}} proceeds]] to [[{{DirtyBusiness}} kill, intimidate and blackmail]] to [[{{TakeOverTheWorld}} control the lands]] and [[{{Plunder}} take]] their natural resources. JSDF is an [[{{TheAce}} absurdly competent]] infallible {{Mary Sue}} that doesn't [[{{Invincible Hero}} ever lose]] any of their [[{{CurbStompBattle}} hilariously one-sided]] battles. There is zero suspense in any action scene, the only question is [[{{NoHoldsBarredBeatdown}} if any]] of their opponents [[{{Senseless Sacrifice}} will survive]]. Their conveniently technologically [[{{EasilyThwartedAlienInvasion}} inferior opponent]] is denied [[{{HomeFieldAdvantage}} most]] [[{{OurMonstersAreDifferent}} assets]] [[{{MagicAndPowers}} that]] a [[{{WizardsAndWitches}} fantasy]] [[{{GeniusLoci}} world]] [[{{PhysicalGod}} might]] [[{{TheChosenOne}} provide]] them and make the conflict [[{{TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot}} interesting]]. [[{{TheAce}} Lelei]] and [[{{StoryBreakerPower}} Rory]] immediately join them to stack the odds further. As if this wasn't enough, everyone going against JSDF is just [[{{IdiotBall}} generally]] [[{{VillainBall}} inept]] to secure futility of their struggle. Natives are either [[{{ForeignCultureFetish}} fawning]] [[{{HollywoodNatives}} simpletons]] or [[{{AttackAttackAttack}} suicidally aggressive]] [[{{TheNativesAreRestless}} savages]] and no tears are shed for the latter as they are [[{{WhatMeasureIsAMook}} unceremoniously slaughtered]]. And [[{{ObstructiveBureaucrat}} nobody]] [[{{StrawmanPolitical}} is allowed]] to mount reasonable [[{{WhatTheHellHero}} criticism]] [[{{ProtagonistCenteredMorality}} against]] [[{{DesignatedHero}} them]], even when it's shown that they will aid natives only when convenient and will make zero sacrifice for them. [[{{LaResistance}} Opposing them]] is never presented as a justifiable action and the carnage they cause is [[{{GoryDiscretionShot}} hardly shown]]. As a result, JSDF come out looking just a bit better than their more [[{{RapePillageAndBurn}} traditional opponents]]. Oh, and they have all-but-explicit endorsement of Emroy, god of war and death.

* How did Zorzal regain all of his teeths back after losing most of them during his educational beatdown by Shino?

** Even attempting to compare the nationalism in this series with American nationalism falls short. America does save the day a lot, but American media will tend to also portray other elite military organizations as competent and fierce, if for nothing else so that American special forces will look better for beating them. Hell, the Spetsnaz are often portrayed as something just under JohnWick levels. Gate, meanwhile, has everyone else's special forces looking like bumbling buffoons, most of whom get taken out by faceless nobody characters because the JSDF is too good to even blink in the face of anything at all. As well, if this were an American series, the American military almost certainly would venture into the other side of the Gate, probably in the stated name of seeing what was there and if there was likely to be any more dangers/invasions and establish a defense so that they could be stopped, and it would leave it to the internet snarkers to make comments or jokes about America probably wanting to conquer the fantasy world for oil. This series just straight-up acts like the goal for the JSDF is global conquest of the other world, which is in modern fiction typically a motivation reserved for the villains; especially since, if Japan in this series thinks it's okay to use military might to conquer another world, what are they going to do back on our world when they get access to an entire planet's worth of resources and people they clearly don't care much about that could be used as cannon fodder? Someone could easily take most of the plot of Gate and use it, unaltered, as the story of how Japan decided to instigate World War 3.

* Goblins don't reside near Alnus. In Manga, [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment after Incident of Ginza you don't see may orcs, trolls, or goblins]]. The reason is those races don't reside near Alnus or southern Imperial area. While many both agile CuteMonsterGirl workers are Clan Formal's maids or even mercenaries and agile male PettingZooPeople are mercenaries that guard the trade caravan. Meanwhile, slower goblins and trolls are more suited to Empire's Army doctrine that battle like Roman Legion. Further evidence in noble POW's memory of Incident of Ginza, the goblins and trolls also marched back to Gate and captured.

*** Modern planes can be relatively easily disassembled for transport. Detaching the wings and empennage and reattaching them back is a maintenance task that any reasonably equipped airbase could do in a couple of days, and without its wings a C-130 can pass through the Gate without any problem.

* How do they reconcile the presence of Gods and magic in the other side of the gate when the anime and light novel makes it clear that the Earth there is basically the same as our real life world? Does the light novel franchise imply that magic and God also exists in our world but that we simply focused on science? Or that the magic on the other side can be explained by scientific reasons and the Gods (Hardy, Enloy) are simply powerful creatures worshipped as deities by the population?

** For that matter, how did they get transport planes that look like C-130's through the gate, let alone helicopters and F-4 Phantoms? Where did they set up an airstrip capable of handling those planes?

* Assuming that the new Alnus-Ginza gate that Lelei opens at the end of the first round of the novels has the same dimensions as the previous gate, how are they managing to get an Oyashio-class submarine through the damn thing? And assuming it does fit, how are they going to transport it from....for example, Yokosuka, all the way into the heart of Tokyo, through the Gate, and then from there to the closest body of blue water?

*** Not sure about Japan, but in most of the world night vision equipment ''isn't'' a controlled technology and is freely sold through the nomal commercial channels, mostly as hunting supplies. The fancier thermal vision gear would cost you an arm and a leg, of course, but it ''is'' available, as are the more pedestrian image intensifiers. In fact, sometimes a ''better'' tech can be bought in a hunting store than the country's military is using.[[note]]It got to the point that a subculture appeared among the soldiers, whose members spend most of their income on a commercial gear like better radios, better body armor, better uniforms, better ''guns''… In the current civil war in Ukraine both the rebels, the government troops, and the nationalist paramilitaries are mainly equipped by the commercially available gear funded by the volunteers.[[/note]] And as for the drones, you can buy a reasonably priced quadrocopter, perfectly suitable for a forward recon, ''in a toy shop''. Of course, it hasn't been ''that'' easy to get all that gear [[TechMarchesOn ten years ago when the novels were originally written]], but it ''was'' possible to field a much better equipped team that is still deniable, so it's still probably more of the oversight/haste than the conscious planning.

** One of the things which irks many non-Far Right Japanese who watch this series is they go quickly from "We defend our nation from hostile forces who come from mysterious gate." to "Let's conquer the land at other end of gate and find resources!"
*** While their stated goal to "Find the ones responsible to attack to Ginza and make them pay" do progress alongside "go there and resources" yet it take "backseat" spotlight. They know the attack must be approved by Emperor or, at least, a bunch of prominent Imperial men and they take diplomatic actions seriously but the military actions are very prominent.
* Assuming that the new Alnus-Ginza gate that Lelei opens at the end of the first season of the novels has the same dimensions as the previous gate, how are they managing to get an Oyashio-class submarine through the damn thing? And assuming it does fit, how are they going to transport it from....for example, Yokosuka, all the way into the heart of Tokyo, through the Gate, and then from there to the closest body of blue water?