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.03

By John Huxley
20th Nov 05

Wow...it’s been a while, hasn’t it? A bit like meeting an old friend in a supermarket, I’m outwardly embarrassed yet inwardly pleased to be reunited with Full Metal Panic after long month’s hiatus. And much like the hypothetical friend, I promise to catch up with the rest of the series as soon as I can (in-between reviewing the backlog of new releases, of course!).

So what’s happened since we last met? If I remember correctly, I was waxing lyrical about Full Metal Panic’s disjointed mix of comedy, romance and action and literally nothing in-between. And as the third volume proves so amiably, nothing much has changed.

After their little skirmish during the aborted school outing, Sousuke is back to his regular day job - cleaning the toilets...no, wait...disguising himself as a regular highschool student in order to protect Kaname from any potential military threat. And why are the enemy (whoever they might be...) so interested in a seemingly ordinary school girl? Well, as we discovered some time ago (at least it feels like a long time ago to me!), she has the unique ability to access ‘the whispered’ - an abstract databank hidden within her brain containing invaluable information regarding a mysterious lost technology. How and why she acquired said abilities remain a mystery for the time being, as this volume primarily focusses on a new enemy unconcerned with Kaname - a rogue terrorist organisation hell-bent on destroying Japan for their own reasons.

This storyline encompasses all four episodes on the DVD, starting and apparently finishing within the approx 100 minutes running time. Within that space of time several new characters are introduced, not least Captain Testarossa, Sousuke’s genius superior who just happens to be an attractive 16-year old girl. After capturing one of the terrorists, a botched rescue operation forces Testarossa to flee to Sousuke’s nearby apartment with said terrorist in tow, while the somewhat more experienced Commander Kalinin finds himself imprisoned by the terrorist’s comrades. With a dangerous tradeoff situation developing, Sousuke must deal with an irate Kaname before he even thinks about tackling the terrorists.

It’s a clear, concise storyline that really brings out the best in Full Metal Panic. There’s plenty of laughs to be had as the straight-faced Sousuke tries to explain to Kaname why there’s a beautiful semi-naked girl in his flat; and as Full Metal Panic has proved time and again, it will take full advantage of a situation such as this. Admittedly this may be a situation that’s perhaps a little too familiar to even the most fresh faced of anime viewers, but it’s hard to argue with such entertaining results.

Strictly speaking, Testarossa isn’t a new addition to Full Metal Panic. We’ve seen her plenty of times before, quietly giving orders from her Captain’s seat aboard a mammoth whale-like submarine. However, this is really the first time we’ve had the chance to spend some quality time with the fair-haired Italian born prodigy. Seemingly shy and retiring, her outwardly quaint demeanour would be unbearably, irritatingly cute were it not for her almost perfectly balanced juxtaposition with the boisterous Kaname. Though admittedly an unlikely double act, the combination of Kaname and Testarossa brings a kind of spice to the proceedings that really gives Full Metal Panic an added dimension. I’d wait until the series is finished before committing to that statement, but it’s certainly a very positive development.

Looking back on previous events during Full Metal Panic’s first three volumes, even though they may not be marked as such, there’s a clear divide between certain storylines that could distinguish them as definitive ‘chapters’. Much like Dragonball Z on a smaller scale, a storyline will start and end within a certain amount of episodes with few if any ties to the preceding ‘chapter’. We’ll have to wait and see if Full Metal Panic continues to make use of this segmented method of storytelling, but in the meanwhile it’s proven quite successful becanse it isn’t too obtrusive and actually helps to provide a little variety...not that Full Metal Panic was ever in great need of variety!

While comedy places high on the agenda during this volume with Testarossa and Kaname locking horns, there’s still time enough for some good old fashioned robot-bashing action. And while there’s nothing here to quite match the majesty of last volume’s kinetic-fuelled duel, we are amiably compensated with the appearance of a Godzilla sized mech stomping its way through Japan’s busy metropolitan streets (would a Godzilla sized mech have it any other way?). This may be more than a little cumbersome compared to the high-speed action we’ve become accustomed to, but it does make for some very entertaining scenes as Sousuke tries in vein to topple the giant using his comparatively fly-sized mech. And with a surprisingly involving (if a little thinly spread) story to back things up, these climatic scenes are actually more effective than the comic scenario might first suggest.

A Gonzo production may give a rough indication of some quality, but it doesn’t guarantee a certain type of experience in the same way you know exactly what you’re getting from a Saitoshi Kon or a Studio Ghibli film. Full Metal Panic, however, is Gonzo at their very best. In hindsight, Full Metal Panic was one of the best anime titles to be released in the UK over the past year. And considering how many truly exceptional titles those 12 months encompass, that’s really no hollow claim. I honestly regret waiting so long to pick up this third volume and can’t wait to watch the rest of the series. If you haven’t picked this up already I’d move it to the top of your ‘to buy’ list and catch up before ADV release the sequels.

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English 2.0/5.1 and Japanese 2.0 audio, English subtitles, clean open/close, production sketches, Japanese piracy warning, ADV previews

Release information: UK: Out now, ADV

Notes: The standard cover features the giant red mech looking rather imposing. Unfortunately you don’t really get a sense of scale because there’s no frame of reference, so it ends up looking a wee bit silly. Luckily the alternate cover is a little more successful, with the lovely Captain Testarossa, dressed in full uniform and looking a little coy, adorning the green-hued design. There’s also a fantastic little glossy fold-out poster that features full colour artwork of one of the terrorist characters on one side and a bunch of character profiles, production artwork and mech designs on the other. The extras may be nothing special - just a Japanese piracy warning and some production sketches - but the overall package is nothing less than excellent.

-- John Huxley 20th Nov 05

Full Metal Panic! Images