Gate Manga Ends Main Run as Sequel and Spinoff Projects Revealed
The long-running manga adaptation of Takumi Yanai’s military fantasy novel series, Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri (Gate: The Self-Defense Forces Fight Like This in Another Land), has concluded.
The final chapter of Satoru Sao’s manga was published by AlphaPolis, bringing the adaptation to an end with its 18th collected volume.
However, the publisher simultaneously announced that creator Satoru Sao is already developing two new manga projects to continue the popular franchise: Gate 2, which will adapt the light novel sequel series, and Gate Gaiden, a new side-story manga.
Sao originally launched the manga adaptation on AlphaPolis’ website in 2011.
While the series was once published in English by Sekai Project, those releases were canceled in 2021.
AlphaPolis has since taken over the international publication and currently releases the manga in English under the title Gate: Where the JSDF Fought.
The original military fantasy premise captivated readers by beginning with the “Ginza Incident,” a shocking event where a mysterious gate suddenly appears in Tokyo’s Ginza district.
From this portal, an army of monsters, knights from a middle-age European culture, and other fantasy creatures poured out, causing mass casualties among the citizens of Tokyo.
In response, the Japanese government dispatched a small contingent of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to explore the alternate world found beyond the gate.
This special mission is led by soldier Yōji, an otaku, who quickly encounters a dangerous new reality, including a dragon attacking villages.
The unit is joined by an elf girl who survived the dragon’s rampage, and the story follows their travels and diplomatic efforts in this highly dangerous new world.
The source material for the adaptation comes from Yanai’s original novel story, which was first serialized online between 2006 and 2009.
AlphaPolis later published the story in five print volumes along with five side story volumes.
The series became a multimedia success, inspiring a television anime adaptation which premiered in 2015, followed by a second season in 2016.
The newly announced Gate 2 manga will be based on Yanai’s sequel novel series, GATE SEASON2 Jieitai Kano Umi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri, which expands the narrative focus.
After the mysterious Gate reopens, the JSDF continues its diplomatic and exploratory missions in the Special Region, a realm parallel to our own.
The Season 2 plot description details a shift in focus to naval action when an American journalist is kidnapped in the troubled seas of this alternate realm.
An elite Japanese Maritime unit is forced to embark on a high-stakes rescue mission, continuing the acclaimed saga’s blend of modern military action, political tensions, and fantasy exploration.
Yanai’s Season 2 novels were published in five volumes between 2017 and 2020.
The expansive lore of the Gate universe also includes a prequel novel series written by Yanai titled Gate 0.
This two-volume prequel series has itself been adapted into a manga by Ryohichi Saitaniya, which is currently ongoing on AlphaPolis’ website, further solidifying the continued popularity of the franchise.
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