Full Metal Panic!

Publisher
ADV
Director
Koichi Chigira
Production
Gonzo Digimation, WOWOW
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
24 episodes
Year
2002

Full Metal Panic! Mission.01

By John Huxley
28th Apr 04

Sousuke Sagara is not your typical sixteen year old. Most teenagers merely dream of piloting gigantic mechs and fighting heroic battles against the evil of the world - to Sousuke it's just an ordinary day working for the specialist anti-terrorist group Mithril. A hardened military veteran, he's fought wars in Afghanistan, sold himself to the highest bidder as a mercenary for hire and could recite the inner workings of the M9 Gernsback Arm Slave like it were the back of his hand.

When Mithril uncover a plot to kidnap the Japanese schoolgirl Kaname Chidori they send in the youthful Sousuke to act as one of her classmates and protect her from potential harm. The terrorists believe Kaname is one of the 'the Whispered', that she carries within her the latent knowledge of an unknown technology. After several uneventful days watching Kaname's back (read: stalking her) it seems the only thing Sousuke will be fighting is a bad report card. That is until the school trip takes an unexpected detour in to Russian territory...it looks like Sousuke might have a battle on his hands after all.

Primarily a fish-out-of-water comedy with hints of schoolyard romance and a little mech action, the premise of Full Metal Panic! is as ludicrous as it is ingenious. These early episodes are set in and around Kaname's typical Japanese utilitarian highschool building where Sousuke tries his very best to blend in with the crowd. Unfortunately his best isn't very good at all; his militaristic mannerisms and constant surveillance of Kaname land him in many an awkward and embarrassing situation. Embarrassing for the average student - Sousuke is blissfully unaware of his own predicament, to him this is just another mission.

Well, not quite any other mission. As Kaname and Sousuke inevitably spend a lot of time in close proximity to each other they begin to develop a relationship that could (and probably will) blossom in to a romance. Watching Sousuke develop feelings for a girl is akin to watching a computer learn how to love; his fine-tuned military brain cannot comprehend these illogical thoughts that could jeopardise the mission. Kaname is similarly confused, but in a more regular 'how could I be attracted to this buffoon?' way. Even at this early stage it's a sweet relationship (if you could call stalking sweet) that will bring out the romantic in even the most hardened action junkie.

If you're interested in Full Metal Panic! for the mechs and the mechs alone you may well walk away disappointed - this is far removed from the likes of Gundam. Throughout the first four episodes there are scant few fights involving the appealing Patlabor style robots which are relegated to aiding Sousuke's surveillance of Kaname, utilising their fantastical ability to become entirely invisible to stand around outside the school unnoticed. Don't despair just yet...the final episode on this disc ups the ante, showcasing some of Sousuke's hand-to-hand combat skills and giving us the promise of more to come.

Besides, the importance of action is negligible in a comedy driven anime such as Full Metal Panic!. Most of the humour stems from Sousuke's inability to adjust to his environment and his over zealous attempts to protect Kaname from harm, although secondary characters such as Sousuke's lady-killer comrade Kurz Weber provide a few laughs along the way. I doubt you'll be rolling around on the floor in hysterics (the dramatic undertone prevents this series from being a whole-hearted comedy), but you'll find a lot to make you chuckle.

The animation, the artwork and the overall presentation are close to faultless. The bright colour palette and vibrantly painted backgrounds echo the style of the series perfectly while the CGI enhancements (including some beautifully rendered CGI backgrounds) are as impressively well implemented. If I was full of praise for RahXephon's animation then I can do nothing but offer Full Metal Panic! a similar accolade - of all the series being released at this time it is easily on par with the best.

There's certainly a lot to like about Full Metal Panic! - it's got comedy, romance, action, pretty girls, mechs and some great animation. I could be a spoilsport and suggest that it's a 'jack of all trades, master of none', and to a certain extent this would be true. But in doing so I would be ignoring the bigger picture; although it may not be the funniest or the most exciting anime around, Full Metal Panic! is greater than the sum of its parts. An enjoyable show with something for everyone...recommended.

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English 5.1 and 2.0 audio, Japanese 2.0 audio, English subtitles, reversible cover, fold-out poster, clean opening and closing, production sketches, Japanese piracy warning, ADV previews

Release information: UK release date: 20th October 2003, ADV

Notes: When you tear off the cellophane wrapping and click open the plastic DVD case you will find a nice little surprise. Not only does Full Metal Panic! have a rather attractive A4+ poster but it also has a neat reversible cover. The poster is also double-sided: the front shows a close-up of the M9 Gernsback mech and the full-colour back has a selection of character profiles, artwork and other information about the series. So if you make use of the poster or not you're probably going to spend a good deal of time staring at it either way. The revisable cover offers two very different alternatives. The first is a dark black and blue design with a picture of the Gernsback and the English logo on the front, the second is a light, mostly pink design featuring an image of Kaname in her school uniform and the Japanese logo. Both are attractive designs, which you use is entirely up to you. The features on the disc are nothing extraordinary but are nonetheless welcome additions. As is expected from ADV, both audio and visual quality are top-notch, with the English soundtrack even boasting a Dolby Digital 5.1 option. Along with the poster and the reversible cover this is a fantastic package that should cater for even the most demanding of fans. Now I just have to decide which version of the cover to display...

-- John Huxley 28th Apr 04

Full Metal Panic! Images