A Clever Aftermath: The New Gate

Synopsis

It all began when “The New Gate” online game was released and trapped thousands of players into a new realm where everything was life or death. But after much struggle, Shin, one of the oldest players has finally managed to beat the final boss and set them free. However, his story is not over, for rather than returning to his home realm, he is instead swallowed by a light and awakens to find himself 500 years in the future of the game!

The Good

There have been many works where a regular character has been summoned, reincarnated or simply displaced into a different realm/game. Though different in plots and characters, all have similar concepts, either the hero has incredible power and slowly rises to the top as a revered figure, the opposite or they seek for a way back home.

The series takes the route of humans ending up trapped in a video game similar to the series, “Log Horizon” but the path that it takes makes completely its own for what it takes is, to this writer’s personal knowledge, something that has never been done before, the aftermath route.

Most often in these stories, readers/viewers will think of the end of a journey or the return of characters and how they deal with the impact that their adventure has had on them. As the synopsis states, the hero finds himself not taken back to his home but rather thrust forward hundreds of years later in the world he had found himself trapped in.

This is the main point that makes the story so interesting, the history that it holds and the premise formed from it. The lore and the development that it holds is very solid and well executed. The exposition on the passage of time and the story of the hero’s time is not too long winded nor too short. Simply put, the history, lore and system that the story presents holds a solid frame to it and a well developed setting for the hero.

On the note of the hero; is he overpowered? Yes, Does he step out of the common sense of the world he is in? Yes. But in comparison to other series, he has a concrete background that marks him as one of a many though revered and legendary beings they may be rather than one singular higher being. In addition to this, they way they use him stepping out of the realm of common sense as something of a comedic trope is a clever way to work out his character.

The use of certain expressions and how it presents as a type of body language in the story is also another plus. They way it is used in emotional moments such as reunions between the hero and old companions makes it far more impactful. Most of the aspects of the stories from the presentation of the hero’s strength to him helping others was handled with an intelligent and overall the story makes for a largely interesting read with its framework set-up.

The Bad

There are the general cliches like in any other fantasy story with a similar premise to this one but those could be put aside. The most prominent of “bad” points found in this series is with the fact that the hero almost never gets injured, like at all, not even a bruise or a slap for comedic effects.

With every other fantasy series where the character is set up in a medieval kind of setting, there is always a moment where they may either be injured from battle, faint in exhaustion, or for those involving beautiful/cute female side characters, a slap or hit for being perceived as a pervert.

None of this happens to the protagonist, not even when he goes against the big boss of the monsters. For a long time fantasy fan who is a bit of a sucker for these types of stories, it is a little bit jarring. What’s it makes the battle that he enters into rather one-sided, yes, he does struggle in the battle, but just about no mark is left on him afterwards and even with the existence of healing magic, it makes his battles rather anticlimactic in the end result and a little bit disappointing.

Another point off to the story is a nitpick but might not be to others, the dialogue and transitioning. Some parts didn’t work out that well with these little flaws but depending on the reader it may be a hit or miss.

Conclusion

There are many high pointed to be found with this series, from its premise to its characters and emotional handling but for every good story there is at least one flaw to be found no matter how big or small. The most prominent of this series is the fact that no matter the battle or even the skirmish, the hero just about never gets hurt, not even a bruise and that is just a little bit jarring and a little disappointing as it leaves a lesser impact in the battle.

However, it doesn’t change the fact that the story alone is a rare gem to find in the manga community and that it holds great emotional moments and solid worldbuilding and backstory for the character. Some may say the dialogue is a bit much but at times it also helps set the scene for many parts of the story and overall it brings an enjoyable ride for the reader.

Rating: 8.5/10