Full Metal Panic!

Writer: Shoji Gatoh
Director: Koichi Chigira
Production House: Gonzo
Review Type: Anime
Status: Completed
Genre: Mecha, Romantic Comedy, Action
Vintage: Jan-June 2002
Episodes: 24

Synopsis

Sagara Sosuke may look like a high school boy, but he is anything but your average teenager: hardened by years of battle, he is now one of the most skilled (and humorless) operatives of the secretive and powerful paramilitary MITHRIL organization. All this changes, however, when he, along with the lecherous sniper Kurtz Weber and ornery commander Melissa Mao, are assigned to protect pretty young Chidori Kaname, who may be one of the mysterious and sought-after 'Whispered'. Trained assassins, mech-piloting psychopaths, and booby traps, Sagara can deal with... it's infiltrating a Japanese high school and trying to blend in that's the real challenge. And he will learn that an enraged girl can be the most lethal opponent of all.

Full Metal Panic is a story that combines this romantic comedy with futuristic military combat (mechas included), and it tells the story of a teen-aged army sergeant (Sagara) who grew up as a child soldier that ends up protecting a not so regular high school girl (Chidori). These two really are the reason why you would want to watch this series: even though the series is seven years old by now, they’re still fresh and dynamic, and the relationship between the two of them really grows on you. Sousuke’s socially inept antics will delight any fan of deadpan humour, while Chidori herself quickly sets herself apart from all other overused tsunderes with her wit. The two shine in the comedic part with some fresh jokes, but they definitely impress the most when they get serious.


Chibi's Panicking Comments

I actually came across Full Metal Panic about 2-3 years ago by mistake. I was looking for another series with Full Metal in its title (does Edward Elric ring a bell?) and accidentally picked up the DVD to Panic instead. Realising the mistake I made a little too late (I'd already reached home when I found out), I decided to leave it on the shelf so I could watch it when there's nothing else to do. Finally after neglecting the series for a long time, i decided to give it a shot. Then it dawned on me, I should have watched it as soon as I bought it. Here's why.

Full Metal Panic takes a decidedly fun twist to the mecha genre by blending in a few romantic comedy elements to the plot, with an already amazing story laid out. It's almost unavoidable to not burst out laughing at Sagara's extremely serious demeanor and intent on protecting Chidori through any means necessary via guns, live explosives and also smoke grenades. It's also quite amusing to see Sagara, who never had a proper teenage life trying to cope with the daily routine of high school, and he always comes off as the deathly serious new guy in class. However, it is when the laughter stops that the action begins, and we are treated to some amazing battle scenes reminiscent of Evangelion and a few Gundam OVAs.


The entire setting to this series is just awesome. With mouth-watering animation and character design, Full Metal Panic also has impressive music. As with other Gonzo releases such as Vandread, there is always a catchy song provided to properly capture the mood, from the J-poppy theme song to the background music during battle and even on normal school days, the compositions are truly phenomenal in their conception. As Gonzo had been famous for its emphasis on detailed art and animation, Full Metal Panic does not disappoint, with pleasing character designs and sharp animation complementing the already gripping action scenes.

Although the main plot is pretty well written and ropes you in from the start of the series, the real appeal of Full Metal Panic is the character relationships. Sagara and Chidori are perhaps in my opinion one of the best couples in anime. Seemingly the exact opposites to each other, delving a little deeper into their backgrounds suggest that they are more similar than expected, with their difficulties in integrating themselves into the school populace. Of course this is more glaringly obvious in Sagara, but Chidori herself is noticeably different from the rest of the girls in school, and its this back and forth relationship between the two is what really makes Full Metal Panic such a joy to watch. Think some of the sitcoms' romantic tension between the lead male and female (ala Friends for example) and you kind of get the point I'm trying to make.


As with previous Gonzo titles, Full Metal Panic did not actually reel me in from the get-go, i was still skeptical whether it was just another fan-service title taking itself a little too seriously (ala Vandread) and throughout the first 6-8 episodes it was exactly that, seemingly confused in itself not knowing which direction to take, be it engaging mecha battle royale or fan-service laden comedy, and there were times where I wanted to actually stop watching for fear of wasted time. The comedy, while in itself is very funny, kind of takes away the tense moments during the first half of the series. It's hard to believe that Chidori and Sagara are in danger when they were in a romantic comedy laden episode just before, and there was very little progression in the plot during the first half as it gets broken up with filler comedy episodes (not really a bad thing, but for die-hard mecha freaks it probably is).

Fortunately, the show does makes its mind up and decidedly focusing on the action in the second half of its run. The plot develops steadily, and more personality is further added to the main characters, making them more than just comic relief. The superb animation and well choreographed action sequences are readily present to back up the plot. The final stretch of the series kept me glued to the screen all the way to its end, which made me wish that the series was like this from the get-go.


All said and done, I do recommend this series to mecha fans, even the humorless ones, as the battles are truly something else. Full Metal Panic remains as one of the better mecha anime titles that had been out in recent years, and will provide the viewer with hours of entertainment, provided they approach it with a pinch of salt and an open mind (you know who you are, mecha purists). Great for a weekend filler and also good to watch at your own pace.



Chibi's Review


Storyline: 3/5
Character Development: 4/5
Art: 5/5
Originality: 3/5