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.04 & 05

By John Huxley
20th Nov 05

In an effort to catch up with my ever-increasing backlog of reviews, I’ve decided to cover several volumes in one fell swoop. Hope you don’t mind.

First up is Full Metal Panic volumes four and five, which sees the popular mech action/comedy series pass through the half-way point. But instead of celebrating this milestone, in a slightly concerning turn of events I find myself forced to reassess my previously glowing opinion of the series...

Unfortunately this is due in no small part to the quality of the episodes ADV have included on this disc. With the excellent terrorist storyline done and dusted, the first episode on this disc sees Full Metal Panic’s protagonists take the time out for a bit of R&R. Working in such close proximity, it proves that the prissy young Testarossa and all-action Melissa have a clash of personalities, resulting in an impromptu AS duel in which more than their reputation is at stake (hint: it involves panties). With Melissa the firm favourite, Testarossa enlists the aide of one Sousuke Sagara in a bid to improve her almost nonexistent AS piloting skills before the fight starts.

If my synopsis wasn’t clear enough, this is 100% Grade-C filler material. With little or no connection to the previous episode (What? We were almost killed by a giant mech operated by a psychotic brainwashed teenager? I don’t remember anything!), this episode takes us through a painfully trivial series of events that does little or nothing to further the overall story.

Okay, fair enough. One episode of filler material I can handle. So when do we get down to the good stuff? Heartbreakingly, things are about to get a whole lot worse before they get any better...

The second episode takes Sousuke, Kaname and rest of the gang to a summer festival of some variety. I presume it’s a robot festival because there are AS’s everywhere and they seem to be competing in a ‘fun’ contest of some kind. I say ‘fun’, because my idea of fun would be to have the robots smashing each other up. But apparently these guy’s idea of fun is a robot tug-of-war and some irritatingly girly game involving balloons and not hitting each other.

There is a backstory of sorts, but sadly this thinly veiled attempt to provide substance to an otherwise hollow episode falls flat on its face. Basically, if your experience of anime is more than Urotsukidoji and Spirited Away, you can probably write this episode for yourself...just remember to include the tear-jerking finale in which the underdog triumphs over adversity.

Now, Full Metal Panic is really no stranger to filler material - we’ve already had a couple of unnecessary deviations into this territory - but it’s the quality of such episodes that’s really under question here. Whereas previous filler episodes concentrated on Sousuke and Kaname’s unusual relationship, expanding and exploring the central characters in their supposedly natural school habitat, here we’re forced to endure some entirely frivolous events that only serve to, well, fill time.

Admittedly there is an attempt, particularly during the first episode, to explore Testarossa’s character and her relationship with Sousuke, but this only meets with limited success as the majority of the episode is focussed on Melissa’s little fued.

Thankfully this worryingly lacklustre volume is rescued by an near-return to form with the final episode which sees Sousuke embark on a dangerous new mission. Leaving Kaname and his friends behind, Sousuke joins up with an American AS team attempting to capture a nuclear warhead that’s currently in the hands of a certain Mr Gauron. Although Sousuke has had plenty of previous experience with both territory and enemy, the arrogant US soldiers refuse to listen to his advise and promptly find themselves ensnared in a trap. Nice going.

Although the change of pace is certainly a welcome one, Kaname and other characters central to Full Metal Panic’s proven formula are noticeable by their absence. In their place comes a fresh set of faces, none of which can boast the depth, personality or plain charm of the characters that Full Metal Panic has spent the past fourteen episodes developing. And with Sousuke reduced to little more than a blank canvas without the foil of Kaname or her classmates, this does make for some honestly dull viewing.

Nevertheless, things do begin to liven up when the action finally kicks in. This is really the first time we’ve seen Sousuke and the AS’s in a genuine warlike scenario, which is nothing if not revealing. Here Sousuke appears to be in his natural habitat, focussing all his energy on defeating the enemy and protecting his fellow soldiers. It’s not exactly a laugh-a-minute, but it does show enough quality to give other, more dedicated anime such as Gundam a run for their money.

This storyline also delves into Sousuke’s past as he relives his troubled formative years thanks an unexpected reunion with an old comrade. Trite and overly predictable, this sepia-toned, flashback driven subplot is hardly the most engaging that Full Metal Panic has had to offer, yet somehow there’s a certain amount of satisfaction to be had from unravelling Sousuke’s past. Besides, it’ll probably be expanded upon, or at least utilised in some way at a later date, so it’s hardly time wasted.

Volume five brings this storyline to a close, and the cumulative two episodes up the ante with some pretty decent action to counterbalance the otherwise unspectacular storyline. Again, there’s nothing to really match the astounding action first seen during the series’ second volume, but it’s never anything less than entertaining. After all, how can you go far wrong with robots smashing each other up?

The final episode on volume five steps down a gear to find a more relaxing pace, as Sousuke invites Kaname to join him on a little private excursion. Kaname has high hopes for the romantic encounter she’s been anticipating all summer, but come on, be realistic! This is Sousuke we’re talking about here!

Perhaps this isn’t the best of episodes, but with the entire cast reunited, Full Metal Panic definitely finds its form again. And with a few tantalising tidbits towards the end of the episode, there’s a promise that we’re building towards something spectacular during the final two volumes. It’s been a slightly disappointing ride over the past two volumes, but hopefully Full Metal Panic can finish on high note. There are two new series waiting around the corner, so I’d certainly hope so!

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: Both standard covers feature a rather statutory mech alongside their more colourful alternatives - volume four featuring the snap-happy Kyoko against an orange colour scheme while volume five yellow hues play host to one of the American AS team. They’re hardly the most spectacular of designs, but each cover is nice enough and does a good job of reflecting the content of the series. Things get even better when you snap open the cases and fold out the glossy posters included inside. Volume four presents us with a couple of flash-looking mechs surveying the damage on the battlefield, while volume five lets us take a sneak peek inside the innards of another damaged mech. They’re both lovely pieces of artwork in their own right, but the highly detailed illustration of the mech’s exoskeleton is particularly noteworthy. Plus there’s all the usual character profiles, production artwork and mechanical designs included on the reverse, with a few episode notes thrown in for good measure. Once again the lack of any real substantial extras are amiably compensated for by the excellent job ADV have done with the presentation on Full Metal Panic.

-- John Huxley 20th Nov 05

Full Metal Panic! Images