Review of Full Metal Panic!

Introduction Full Metal Panic doesn't do anything new, it just does everything better A lot of mechas alternate between school and action trying to be two different animes at once but were always lacking in one respect. Full Metal Panic is the exception. True, the young Sergeant moonlighting between school and working as a mercenary seems cliche at first, but there's something different about Sousuke and his personality that makes him interesting as a fighter as well as a student. Full Metal Panic does the best job of balancing the two so it never feels like the school episodes are fillers but are necessaryand entertaining.

Story 8/10
Straightforward, easy watching action comedy but has a good balance of suspense and fun.

The story is simple and straightforward. A young sergeant becomes the bodyguard of an important high school girl while also piloting the most advanced mech unit for a secret mercenary organization whose mission is to stop terrorism. The story never tries to extend itself so far as to explore the philosophy of life or the human condition. There are various devices used such as the secret advanced technology called "Black Technology" and a group of natural born geniuses called "Whispered" that exist merely to move the original plot along.

Unfortunately, for those hoping for a series like Code Geass where there are many twists and turns, they may become disappointed. However, the series does become more intense and more secrets are revealed during The Second Raid. The current series, however, focuses purely on entertainment.

So what makes this anime so good? It's the style. The pacing of the anime is fast during the action sequences and slower and more mellow during the school sequences. The transitions between civilian life and military battles are seemless. They come at appropriate times and contrast well with each other. Sometimes the contrast is done so perfectly that it can be considered artistic. For example, in one scene, during a heated battle the camera pans on Sousuke's look of intensity during battle and then flashes back to the quiet and relaxing beach with Chidori looking off in the distance as if she could see a wonderful future with Sousuke. Scenes like that vividly and subtley communicate the thoughts of each character without verbal expression.

In terms of action sequences, the series is good but not spectacular. The main problem is that some action sequences end very abruptly. The battle ensues for quite awhile but then at the last second they pull out their ultimate move (Lamda Driver) and it ends 5 seconds later when one person is left standing.

Despite that, I think the action sequences are still entertaining to watch because of its simplistic nature. The battle strategy is not as elaborate and mental as they are in animes like Code Geass and the fight scenes aren't complicated with a lot of special power moves. Instead, the action relies on Sousuke's decision making abilities and superior combat reflexes to win each battle as well as Kurtz Weber's accurate sniping ability. Both are legitimate abilities that are not only entertaining but are a solid basis for determining the outcome of each battle.

Characters 8/10
Simple but likable and entertaining.

Sousuke Sagara looks like your typical strong, justice-seeking shounen lead. He is simple, straightforward, honest, and courageous and during action sequences he reminds you of characters like Ichigo Kurosaki. However, something strange happens when you take a typical shounen character and place him in everyday situations without changing his tone and personality. Where his strengths were once desired, they become cumbersome and akward, and all that was once typical about his character dissipates in the cheerful, relaxed environments. He become's like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarden Cop. His do-or-die, everywhere is a battlefield personality conflicts with a normal person's perspective of common sense. This makes Sousuke's serious personality the butt of most of the jokes and one of the most entertaining characters to watch.

Opposite to Sousuke, Kaname Chidori is a typical, strong tsundere character whose main target of aggression is Sousuke Sagara. Most comedic moments stem from Sousuke's mistakes and Chidori correcting him, sometimes with a harisen. Fans of tsunderes such as any of the characters played by Kugimiya Rie will love Chidori. I'm not a tsundere fan myself, but I found Kaname Chidori's character be tolerable since she is somewhat more open and obvious with her affection towards Sousuke.

Fortunately or unfortunately, this anime lacks characters who overcome grave character flaws such as weakness and arrogance. If you are looking for character development similar to Neon Genesis Evangelion then you will not be happy with Full Metal Panic. Full Metal Panic tries its best to make characters likable and strong from the beginning to the end. This lack of depth and development may make the anime less realistic for some, but in terms of entertainment the characters leave nothing more to be desired.

Animation/Art 7/10
Good art and animation from that time period but nothing ground-breaking.

My view towards mecha is that once you've seen one, you've seen them all so I may not be the best judge when it comes to judging how cool the designs are. That being said, I've always felt that the fact that Gauron's mecha had hair was a bit odd and out of place and that the Arbalest looked very similar to the other M9s and wasn't distinguished enough as a special unit. However, I must say that they definitely look better than the mecha from animes like Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann since they are more professional and more realistic.

The use of CGI was well integrated and I didn't feel like they went overboard which seems to be a common problem with Mecha animes such as the other Gonzo mecha series Kurogane no Linebarrels.

As for the characters, they seem to have a little old fashion style to them indicative to anime from the 90s and early 2000s but I enjoy the fact that their proportions are realistic. The men aren't too bulky and muscular while there aren't any women with unrealistically big breasts. In addition, they vary a lot of the facial features for the men such as eyes and bone structure so most characters differ by more than just hair color. However, if you take away the hair, most of the women look exactly the same.

Sound 9/10
Great utilization of music and talented voice actors enhance the realism and accurately portray each mood.

The background music for the action and suspense sequences are chosen well and timed to perfection. I couldn't help but think that if John Williams was doing background music for anime, it would be similar to instrumental background music used in Full Metal Panic. Great use of brass crescendos to build the suspense but even more important was their use of pauses and silence right before an explosion to create the added tension during crucial moments during battle.

I was a big fan of the OP music. Mikuni Shimokawa has such a soothing and beautiful voice and does the theme song for all three Full Metal Panic series. In addition, they synchronized it with the animation very well.

The voice acting cast does a good job of portraying the characters accurately. Masahiko Tanaka's voice is very suited for villains like Gauron with his deep voice and sinster laugh. Also, Tomokazu Seki does a great job of making a character like Sousuke believable and amiable. As for Chidori, Satsuki Yukino does a great job utilizing her vocal range to express every bit of emotion expressed in her character's face. She really feels alive and three dimensional rather than just a stereotypical tsundere.

Enjoyment 10/10
It has a certain charm that you can't find anywhere else.

Full Metal Panic is a series that draws you into its pace and never gives you the feeling that it drags on too long or ends too quickly. Instead, it keeps pushing forward every episode so there is always something exciting to look forward to at every turn. In terms of comedy, this series is the best of the mecha genre and perhaps one of the best comedies ever. The laughs were neither cheap nor overplayed but felt fresh and unique to the series itself. In addition, they were neither hard to comprehend nor overly reliant on obscure parodies. Most of the comedy stems from Sousuke and his lack of common sense but oddly enough you never get tired of this scenario since it seems to be unique to the series itself. Whenever I am laughing at Sousuke, I always feel more like I am laughing with him than at him, and this makes all the difference since male leads need to seem reliable during serious moments.

Conclusion 9/10
If you like mecha action and comedy and aren't looking for something thought-provoking and ground breaking then Full Metal Panic provides just the right amount of pure entertainment value.