Story: I won’t go into the specifics of the story, but the second season seems to focus less on the dangers to Chidori and instead focuses more on Sousuke’s life as a soldier as well as some new enemies he will have to face. As with the first series, I’ve always thought that FMP is weaker when it tries to focus on the mecha and military aspect of the show. I think the heart of the show is the comedy that usually goes with the pairing of Sousuke and Chidori, and since this season seems to be more focused on the military aspect, I think it loses something for that. On the flip side, there is a lot of growth for the characters in this season, particularly Sousuke who you really wind up liking more by end of the season. The enemies in this particular season are hit or miss, as I enjoyed the twin sisters as villains, but found myself utterly annoyed with the crazy bastard they’ve setup as the main villain. Despite the fact that I think the show once again strays from its real heart and lacks a truly enjoyable antagonist, it’s still a great season overall and one that fans of the series will love none the less.
Characters: I’ve already talked a bit about Chidori and Sousuke. Chidori doesn’t seem to grow as much in this season as does Sousuke, although she faces some challenges and she has some of the best moments in the entire show. This season is really about Sousuke, his growth as a person beyond his military career and his feelings towards Chidori. I think the best scene in the entire season is the haircut scene, which ironically other people have chided for being too slow. That scene really shows the growth of their relationship and again, these two and their relationship is the real core of this show, so the better that is, the better the show is overall. The side characters pretty much all take a back seat in this season though, as almost none of the classmates are even seen, and even Mao and Kurz have very minor roles, but largely that’s due to the shortened season I believe.
Presentation: Overall, there isn’t anything to really complain about when it comes to the visuals and audio of FMP. The animation is solid and the music is all around pretty good. The only downside is that nothing really stands out in either area. The people are all rather bland in terms of anime characters, and the robots are easily among the blandest mecha I’ve ever seen period. It makes sense within the confines of the show that you’d want them to be realistic looking, but they don’t need to be downright boring looking. In the end, the presentation isn’t anything to detract from the show, it just doesn’t add anything great to it either.
Enjoyment: This is where FMP really shines and picks up most of its score with me. Despite the fact that I still think the show waddles in the middle of doing anything in particular exceptionally, it still manages to be really enjoyable. The fight scenes are fun, if not spectacular and the comedy portions are still hysterical. Despite not finding anything in particular to really draw me into FMP, I still found myself loving this season. I think the reason that everyone loves this show is that it has some distinct charm, and that goes a long way.
In the end, FMP: 2nd Raid is another good season to a good show. I can’t classify it as great, as I think that there are shows out there that handle each of its respective parts better. But as a blending of high school comedy and mecha action shows, it works incredibly well. And it’s just a charming show that you always find yourself loving. Fans of FMP won’t need to be told to watch this season, so for everyone else, I can only say that if you give it a shot, this will probably win you over.
