Warning: The following contains spoilers for The New Gate episode #3!
Summary
New Gate sets itself apart by demonstrating the main character's strength through helping another character. The program successfully combines the orphanage crisis with specialized training elements inspired by ancient artifacts. The New Gate, while similar to Sword Art Online, is more inspired by In The Land of Leadale.
A new isekai is called New gate which many fans on Crunchyroll confused when compared to Online Sword Art now justifies the protagonist's uniquely overpowered state by the way he helps another character gain strength in an already emotional situation. In fact, The New Gate's aforementioned justification draws from its true inspiration, In the Land of Leadale, as opposed to Sword Art Online.
It's nothing short of remarkable for an isekai hero to find himself with incredible powers after being transported to a new world, as it's one of the most standard stories in the genre's long list.
However, The New Gate's Shin Kiritani stands out more because of him teleport to the distant future of a game that he was trapped in it and therefore, what he carries from his past separates him from others now. While the piece holds nicely to its main inspiration, the whole arrangement is more effective since episode 3 because Shin is using all of this. to help another character learn Purification so she can keep the orphanage from being closed.
New Gate's winning formula draws from the third series
This brand new series is heavily inspired by other isekai, while still remaining completely original
Clearly, when children's health is at stake, it's hard for viewers not to become at least somewhat invested. Having a bad actor proactively close the orphanage makes viewers feel disdainful, which will force them to continue watching to see that person fail.
However, instead of just having Shin save everyone on his own while they watch in shock, The New Gate uses Shin's unique origin to help support this other character through a special type of training, Its mechanics require a connection or understanding of the past that only he has: an artifact, expertise, and more importantly, power that only existed in ancient times. Even Shin was the same Possession of such an artifact is not out of the realm of possibility based on previous events.
Combining the orphanage situation with this specialized training, its mechanics may actually remind some viewers of Pokémon in terms of how trainers sometimes use stronger Pokémon to help level up for weaker Pokémon, clearly a winning formula.
Combining the orphanage situation with this specialized training, its mechanics may actually remind some viewers of Pokémon in terms of how trainers sometimes use stronger Pokémon to help level up for weaker Pokémon, clearly a winning formula. However, as the story then moves away from the orphanage as Shin goes on other missions, hopefully The New Gate will continue to develop his powers in a way that doesn't focus entirely on him. Luckily, he's forging a long-term relationship with an erratic and misunderstood hero from the present day and has tamed a cute girl. but the family is incredibly powerful, both can offer similar if not different compelling motivations.
Why New Gate Isn't a True Successor to Sword Art Online
Despite their innate similarities, these two series are too different to be perfectly similar.
Of course, this incredible situation is definitely officially inspired by the In The Land of Leadale series, as opposed to anything from Sword Art Online. In The Land of Leadale, Cayna is transported into the distant future of her game and thrown into situations that require the use of her unique knowledge, powers, and artifacts in a time period that she comes. Fans understandably called out The New Gate is the successor to Sword Art Online as its premise follows the original plot of the previous series almost word for word.. However, everything after that plot in The New Gate is so far removed from Sword Art Online and goes deeper into In The Land of Leadale territory that The New Gate cannot really be called a successor to Sword Art Online unless future developments change according to the present. Events are clearly guided.
Likewise, the determinant of New gate episode 3 presents another important plot point from In The Land of Leadale, which further emphasizes the fact that this is not a true continuation of Online Sword Artalthough it would certainly be an interesting and welcome development if it happened.