Review of Full Metal Panic!

I first watched this show years and years ago. I've probably watched it four or five times now, including Fumaffu and Second Raid seasons (only seen Invisible Victory once). It's practically a comfort watch, which is weird because it's basically a mecha-military show with high stakes and a lot of discomfiting violence. Or is it a rom-com? Or is it a fish out of water? Or is it a high school slice of life? Or is it a cartoon-ultraviolence, farcical comedy that parodies rom-coms, fishes out of water, and high school slices of life? Depending on which season you're watching, it could be any or all of the above. Andthat's what makes Full Metal Panic so great. One episode you'll be laughing until your gut bursts and you spill your wine/apple juice, and the next you'll be biting your nails, wondering how Sousuke and Chidori are getting out of this one alive.

The thing that really makes it work is the chemistry between our two leads. He's a soldier who wouldn't know pop culture or romance (or common sense) if they slapped him in the face with a grenade. She's a tsundere who, honestly, has a good reason (or five) to smack him. He's also earnest, determined, and skilled. She's also smart, athletic, and more adaptable than she thinks she is. They both grow as people over the course of the seasons, and their romance is a slow, if comedic, burn.

The supporting cast is also fun and differentiated, though Tessa is irritatingly tropey, and there is the occasional fan service (but, in the spirit of equality, there's a bit for the ladies, too).

All of you, watch this show and love it. Watch it until someone looks at the numbers and decides to make a fourth season after Invisible Victory. Thanks.