Gate Thus The JSDF Fought There Episode 12 Review

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Gate Thus The JSDF Fought There Episode 12 Review – Quick Summary

In Gate Thus the JSDF Fought There episode 12, “What Would Itami Do?“, Yao Haa Dushi finally got to meet some of the Green Men at Alnus. However, it didn’t go the way she’d hoped. The gate guards she met could only say hello in her language. Within the town that had sprung up around the PX, she tried to find anyone who could understand both her language and Japanese.

However, the men who offered to help her had something else entirely in mind. As a warrior, she had no problem fending them off, but one of them went to the Military Police (MPs) to accuse her of extortion. Misunderstanding why the MPs wanted to talk to her, she got her hopes up again. Can she clear herself of charges, or will the language barrier be too much for her? Even if she can clear herself, can she convince the JSDF to mobilize on behalf of her village?

Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.

Favorite Quote from Gate Thus The JSDF Fought There Episode 12

Akira Yanagida tried to offer words of comfort to someone struggling with despair. He had no idea what he set in motion. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

I thought this episode’s techniques for showing Yao Haa’s growing desperation were crushingly effective. More so than any previous watch, I felt her anguish as her hopes first soared, then collapsed under the weight of an effective, correct military decision.

A decision that could cost her entire people their lives.

To his credit, Lieutenant General Kouichirou Hazama sympathized with her. He wanted to help her. But he could not come up with a way that didn’t either amount to a declaration of war or send troops to their certain deaths. I thought it also commendable that other officers felt the same way — both wanting to help her but unable to because of political realities.

Take Akira Yanagida, for example. While she sat with Lelei in the back of his vehicle, Akira said, “Itami might do it.” Then he uttered the words that gave me chills.

“If it was up to him, in order to save the people he cares about, he just might…” he said (11:36). From his perspective, he offered those words as comfort. But knowing what comes afterward, knowing the idea that his words gave Yao Haa… Poor Akira had no idea what he had just set into motion.

Best in Show Moment for Gate Thus The JSDF Fought There Episode 12

Lelei refused to give Yao Haa false hope. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Setup: Yao Haa Tried So Hard

I mentioned in my favorite quote above how poignant the story made Yao Haa’s plight feel. It started by showing her happily running towards the Alnus main gate, where she excitedly told her story to the two guards. They didn’t understand a word she’d said, which they proved by trying to haltingly say hi to her.

Yao Haa was a warrior. Her tribe’s elders chose her in part because of her resiliency. She pushed forward into town, where she met a man who offered to introduce her to the Green Men. In the next scene, we see him clutching his apparently damaged manhood as he ran for his life. This happened several times, and while it was kind of funny, it took its toll on the Dark Elf warrior. Then she happened to catch sight of a modern pen that someone had dropped in the middle of the road. Her curiosity led her to the PX, where, to her delight, she overheard Meia, working behind the counter, talk about what was on sale to two JSDF soldiers.

Yao Haa’s dramatic entrance surprised Meia. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Meia reacted with astonishment when the unknown Dark Elf ran up to the counter and begged for help. Meia had a book that helped her translate her words into Japanese, but if she gave it away, she’d be fired. That’s when two MPs walked in and saw that Yao Haa matched the description of an alleged extortionist. It seemed that one of the grope-y men had lied to the MPs about her, saying she threatened to hurt him if he didn’t give up his money.

Yao Haa, though, felt overjoyed when they said they wanted to hear her story. But that, too, just set her up for disappointment. She quickly realized that she was under arrest.

Delivery: Lelei’s Honesty

The MPs sent for Lelei to help translate, because, to their credit, they quickly realized they were in over their head. It didn’t take Lelei long to help sort out the situation, especially since Myutie and Rory Mercury, working as MPs, located the man and questioned him. Since he wanted to live and since he had a clear view of Rory’s pike, he decided to confess.

This is where things got even worse for our brave Dark Elf. She begged Lelei to not only translate, but to help her present her case to the Lieutenant General. He sympathized with her, and so did his staff. But through Lelei, the General explained the political and military considerations that prevented him from helping her. The encounter crushed Yao Haa’s spirit.

Lelei later took her to a cafe where she got her to drink some tea. Trying to recover from the shock, Yao Haa said that all of this didn’t seem real. She said that this must be a dream. Lelei, the ever rational young scholar wizard, just sipped her tea.

Lelei was trying to help in her own way — by being honest. I think the “brutally” part was subjective. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Yao Haa asked if there was anything Lelei could say. She almost begged Lelei to tell her “that this was just a mistranslation” (15:30).

Lelei wouldn’t give the Dark Elf false hope. Instead, she said that this was neither a dream nor a mistake. She went on to say (15:34), “The words you heard, the things you saw, they were all real.”

Despite Yao Haa’s frantic plea for Lelei to tell her it was all a mistake, Lelei held her ground. No matter how much it hurt, Lelei wouldn’t lie to her. I can’t imagine how Yao Haa must have felt. With despair that great, I couldn’t tell if Lelei’s approach helped or hindered. But I know this: Their emotional collision made me ache for what Yao Haa had to endure — and even made me sympathetic to her despite what I know she’s about to do.

What did you think of Piña’s dedication to art? What was your Best in Show moment? Let me know in the comments!d

Gate Thus The JSDF Fought There Episode 12: Other Posts

Other Anime Sites

• Reddit: [Spoilers] Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri – Episode 12 – FINAL [Discussion]
• RABUJOI: GATE – 12 (FIN)
• Chibi Reviews: Gate Jieitai Kanochi nite Kaku Tatakaeri Episode 12 Anime Finale Review – Till January 2016 (YouTube)

This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)

• Gate Thus the JSDF Fought There Episode 1: The Self-Defense Force Goes to Another World
• Gate Thus the JSDF Fought There Episode 2: The Two Armies
• Gate Thus the JSDF Fought There Episode 3: Fire Dragon
• Gate Thus the JSDF Fought There Episode 4: To Unknown Lands
• Gate Thus the JSDF Fought There Episode 5: The Battle of Italica
• Gate Thus the JSDF Fought There Episode 6: Ride of the Valkyries
• Gate Thus the JSDF Fought There Episode 7: The Princess’ Decision
• Gate Thus the JSDF Fought There Episode 8: Japan, Beyond the Gate
• Gate Thus the JSDF Fought There Episode 9: The Hakone Mountain Night Battle
• Gate Thus the JSDF Fought There Episode 10: Despair and Hope
• Gate Thus the JSDF Fought There Episode 11: Visitor
• Gate Thus the JSDF Fought There Episode 12: What Would Itami Do?