Full Metal Panic!

I was half dragged into watching this series, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. Much as the great title suggests, the series is mech based. It revolves around a special force called special "Mithril", and an elite specialist soldier named Sagara. Add to the mix a schoolgirl named Chidori and you've got the title - Full Metal Panic!

The mechs used in the show are far from the standard fare. They're unique enough and the Mithril force is unique enough that it manages to feel fresh. Sagara is a dead clone of Heero Yui, but that's not a bad thing. Sagara is described as the most "professional of the professional", an elite soldier through and through. Taking this pure military mind and placing him into a urban highschool situation is actually quite funny. There's some hilarious moments that alone make the series worth watching.

Chidori bugs me a bit, but she serves her purpose in the series. I just find her about impossible to like early in the show. I'm quite sure this is purposely done though, and as the series goes on she becomes much more likable.

The action sequences is where the show really shines. Elite forces, big mechs, guns, explosions, tanks... lots of fun for all. It's very well animated and very well timed. Being from GONZO, I would certainly expect this. They've done every bit as good as they did with the Vandread series.

If you like the title, you'll probably like the anime. It's really as simple as that. A Heero like main character, plenty of fan service, GONZO's wonderful artists, and a storyline that makes you want to watch just one more episode every single time. It's a refreshingly well put together show.

• Rirath_com

I got the imported DVD from Chinatown so I've seen the first 7 episodes of Full Metal Panic. I've also been reading the manga version in Newtype USA. Warning - the anime gives away the background of the story, namely who is Chidori and why does Sosuke have to protect her. In the comic after six chapters all we can tell so far is that Sosuke is a weirdo with a gun who has taken it upon himself to protect Chidori from all harm. I do recommend both versions.

In Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu! the episodes are shorter and more comical with less action and suspense involved, though some opinions may vary about how good it is. I myself like the military aspect of the original plot. But if you seen the first Full Metal Panic? at the end it talks about insurance at the last episode and just ties into Fumoffu. Though its more about high school life with Sousuke being Sousuke and with Kaname keeping him in line, though there are action parts its not really as suspenseful as the first but there are newer weapons and greater laughs. In the first few episodes Teletha Testarossa appears for vacation and goes to school with them and later goes away with. With those facts in mind I hope you can come up with your own conclusion by yourself. My opinion on the matter is its a fair show that is comical and pleasing to any anime fan. The only smack about it is that its short shows are well to short. Its basically like any second season of any basic anime show. I do like the original and the TSR which in my opinion are a little bit better then Fumoffu.

The sequel to Full Metal Panic, this series takes a new approach to the story. This time there are no mechs, and the Mithil organization takes a step back. Though nothing is truly cut completely, many characters make guest appearances and generally cause general chaos. There are many new characters as well, several of which are never fully explained. This doesn't matter too much, as they are the main source of new situations for Kaname and Souske. I found that the series started off well, and got better and better as it went on. The first episode was probably the closest to the original Full Metal Panic style comedy. From there however, the stories get more and more outlandish. The series actively states that it's worried that fans of the original might not like how outlandish it becomes. However, with the soon to be released third sequel series, it shouldn't be a problem. My biggest question is, where can i get the chemical from the last episode?

Anime is truly a genre of its own, but it should not to be mistaken as a linear or uniform genre. Fullmetal Panic is an all out anime with the distinct contrast between the more serious action related and the more humorous and everyday life orientated. The contrast is well told due to the story's plot. Kaname Chidori seems to be the average school girl, but there is more to her than meets the eye. Sagara Sousuke including his team from Mithril are set out to protect her because she is of great importance. Due to this Sagara is transferred to Kaname's school and has to deal with an environment that is quite unfamiliar to him since he is mostly used to be in the battlefield and lacks social abilities. It is Sagara's interaction with the school environment and his duty of protecting Chidori that creates the very charming and engaging contrast that is in the series. It has enough mystique to engage the viewer and enough humor and interesting details that leaves a feeling of hungering for more. It is definitely a series worth watching and a good series to start of with for persons who consider Manga and/or anime as a breath of fresh air. Full Metal also has some aesthetically beautiful scenery especially in the first episode, but it is not overambitious in any way and it has a very clean and simple look to it. The intro and ending themes are also very catchy and are both in the typical Japanese rock/pop genre. The instrumental music supports the different scenes as well. Maybe it is a bit of a risk to buy the complete collection at first, but if one wants to give it a chance then either buy Mission 01 or try to look it up at you-tube. It cannot be promised that the series falls in one's favor, but this certainly is a part of what Manga and Anime is all about.