Full Metal Panic!

Mithril, a covert military institution using state-of-the-art technology to combat terrorist operations, assigns a specialized team to a sensitive mission. Under the command of superior officer Melissa Mao, sergeants Sousuke Sagara and Kurz Weber must secretly protect Kaname Chidori—a teenage girl who unconsciously holds breakthrough scientific knowledge and is considered a "Whispered"—from intelligence agencies and other organizations pursuing her abilities.

While Kurz and Melissa are to assist him remotely, Sousuke enrolls at Kaname's high school as one of her classmates to closely monitor her. However, his militaristic upbringing and poor social skills lead to a difficult adjustment to civilian life. Not only does he attract unnecessary attention, but his actions frequently make Kaname suspicious of him.

Despite the earnest attempts to fulfill his duty, a terrorist ambush further complicates Sousuke's task. Recognizing the vicious mastermind behind the assault, Sousuke abandons his orders to ensure Kaname's safety.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Full Metal Panic! adapts the first three volumes of Shoji Gatoh's light novel series of the same title, as well as content from the first three volumes of the spin-off series Full Metal Panic! Tanpenshuu. Among the differences between the light novels and the anime series, the most notable are episodes 14 to 17, which are anime original stories.

The series was initially scheduled to air on WOWOW before 2002, but it was postponed on account of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks. ADV Films, the licensor for North America, released the anime on the Anime Network on demand between 2003 and 2004. Full Metal Panic! is Gonzo's first anime to receive a dubbed version in Tagalog language.

In Japan, the series was made available on 12 DVDs between February 25, 2002 and January 25, 2003. In North America, seven DVDs were released from June 10, 2003 to February 17, 2004. Additionally, two DVD box sets including the complete collection were also published: one on April 19, 2004 and the other on June 3, 2008.

Episode Videos

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	Full Metal Panic!, Full Metal Panic!, Full Metal Panic! Tanpenshuu
Side story:	Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu
Sequel:	Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid
Summary:	Full Metal Panic! Movie 1: Boy Meets Girl, Full Metal Panic! Movie 2: One Night Stand, Full Metal Panic! Movie 3: Into the Blue

More characters

Characters & Voice Actors

Sagara, Sousuke

Main

Seki, Tomokazu
Japanese

Chidori, Kaname

Main

Yukino, Satsuki
Japanese

Testarossa, Teletha

Main

Yukana
Japanese

Mao, Melissa

Supporting

Neya, Michiko
Japanese

Weber, Kurz

Supporting

Miki, Shinichiro
Japanese

Gauron

Supporting

Tanaka, Masahiko
Japanese

Kalinin, Andrei Sergeivich

Supporting

Ootsuka, Akio
Japanese

Tokiwa, Kyouko

Supporting

Kimura, Ikue
Japanese

AL

Supporting

Murozono, Takehiro
Japanese

Kazama, Shinji

Supporting

Noto, Mamiko
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Cook, Justin

Producer

Takechi, Tsuneo

Producer

Chigira, Kouichi

Director, Episode Director, Script, Storyboard, Screenplay

Tsuruoka, Youta

Sound Director

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Opening Theme

"Tomorrow" by Mikuni Shimokawa

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Ending Theme

"Karenai Hana" by Mikuni Shimokawa

Reviews

Feb 13, 2022

lamaraptor

Recommended

Full Metal Panic is a unique blend of serious mecha military drama and high school slice of life the likes of which can only be found in the medium of anime. What other entertainment medium could flip so easily from a story about your entire platoon being wiped out in a horrible desert ops massacre to preparations for the school festival? It's actually a kind of black humor the way they treat Sousuke Bousuke as a joke for being so stiff and not understanding how a normal high school boy should act even though the reason he's that way is because he's only known the ...

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Apr 13, 2020

YuiHirasawa-

Mixed Feelings

Have you ever put up with something you really didn’t like, just because there was a singular, redeeming aspect that made the entire experience worth it? Maybe it was the pain relief that came with getting a tooth filled. Maybe it was the degree at the end of a long four (or five, or six) years in college. Or maybe it was Full Metal Panic S1, a show that I found so unenjoyable but stuck with entirely because of one character.

This show, specifically S1 but the entire franchise in general, is a black sheep for me. I don’t like military shows, mecha shows, or ... anything with blood or extra violence. I don’t like shows with predominantly weakly-developed characters, annoying characters, or flat characters. I don’t like shows with wildly varying animation quality, questionable directing, or fanservice. Somehow, Full Metal Panic has all of this, and I’m giving it what’s close to an average rating. If you’ve read any of my other reviews in this franchise or know me personally, it’s no mystery what I’m hinting at. I watch this show for the MC, Sagara Sousuke, alone. Is it hilarious to put up with a show I sincerely dislike just because of a single character? Hard to understand? Cringey, even? Sure. But it’s equally funny, nonsensical and cringey to write a review of an anime only discussing one character, and that’s exactly what I’m about to do.

Like many others, I was born on KyoAni works. A few years after starting, I decided I would watch all of them, starting from the beginning – FMP Fumoffu. Being a context-driven person, I decided it would be reasonable to start with watching the first season, released years earlier and directed by Gonzo. What a shock for someone, having seen little beyond slice-of-lifes, to be thrust into a really mediocre military mecha show. Trust me, I wanted to drop it, but the male MC somehow kept me interested. Why? At first glance, Sousuke really isn’t an interesting character. He’s absolutely stereotypical in so many ways. He’s a military kid, orphaned (obviously), raised in war and a mercenary working for a mysterious organization. He has a complete misunderstanding of society and social cues, exacerbated by suddenly being thrust into a high school setting. His character is all focus, all the time, completely ignorant to social propriety for the sake of his mission and his duty. Most of all, Sousuke is apparently extremely flat, showing only this front of his character. Why then, would I be so attracted to such a character, and stick with the show (and franchise) despite its many shortcomings? I’ve got two theories – the first is what I’ll call “suggested development” and the other “admirability.”

First, I’d like to look into “suggested development” first, and to do this, I’ll have to take a look at some other means of characterization. One way of developing character is to do so explicitly. This occurs when character traits are either shown or explained directly, meaning that the audience does not need to work out the details on their own. And this, if done correctly, isn’t a bad thing! Lucky Star is an excellent example of this – all of the characters are more or less explicitly developed. Rarely does one have to sit and deeply weight how a scene impacts each individual player’s characterization, instead, it’s obvious from the beginning. Another way of characterization is implicit. Character traits are suggested, but not directly stated, and are not always obvious from the beginning. In this way, implicit character development takes more skill from the producer and more effort from the audience. Very good producers can also use implicit character development as a means of dramatic tension, where the audience is left questioning whether their interpretation of a particular characterization is correct. Serial Experiments Lain is perhaps the best example I have of implicit characterization, with regards to its titular character.

Where does Full Metal Panic fall on the characterization spectrum? The answer is actually surprisingly complex. At first glance, it may seem obvious that explicit characterization dominates. From the first few episodes, it’s no mystery that Sousuke exhibits traits such as social ineptitude, commitment to duty, and a worst-case-scenario outlook on life. That’s obvious, and I’m not debating it. However, I also feel that implicit characterization plays a small and subtle role. However, due to the extreme prevalence of the explicit method, the implicit method is much more difficult to distinguish, and that’s why I call it “suggested development.” Some examples: Sousuke demonstrates apparent inability to recognize social cues due to ignorance, being raised in and around war. True, but the second thoughts he sometimes exhibits seem to suggest that this social ineptitude is bolstered as much by personal choice as it is by ignorance. Another: Sousuke’s commitment to his job and his mission drives his incredible preparedness. True, but his interpersonal relationships almost suggest that he is subconsciously driven by loyalty rather than blind duty. Again, these suggestions are subtle. They lie beneath the surface and are absolutely up for debate. But they, for some reason, made me deeply interested in the character of an otherwise-flat character. If Sousuke is somehow hides a modicum of implicit characterization, could it also be possible that he hides a bit of roundness in his flat character?

The second theory is that of “admirability.” I think that while not necessary to create a good story, many excellent piece of media involve a character that is somehow admirable in one way or another. And I’m not merely talking about a surface-level impressiveness that makes you say “wow” at huge explosions, but a deeper sense of appreciation that actually influences you as a viewer. Sure, maybe you’ll never train as hard as your favorite Shonen hero, but doesn’t something about their commitment to kicking their nemesis’ butt leave you with a sense of motivation? This ties into a much more complex personal theory that I have regarding the relationship between fiction and reality, but I think it’s obvious that admirable fictional characters can inspire real-world audiences in meaningful ways. And even if you don’t buy that, it seems to me that an admirable fictional character is much easier to root for than one who lacks anything to look up to. For me, Sousuke is that character. I’m never going to spend my life fighting terrorism, but something about his commitment to duty and others is personally inspiring to me and turned the entire watching experience from unbearable to even enjoyable at parts. It was enough that I could overlook my revulsion for the genre and even the other characters while watching the show, and it’s why I’m going to watch S4 if any foolish studio decides to pick it up.

Weird review? Sure. Am I greatly overstating Gonzo’s ability to subtly sneak in implicit characterization and admirability? I guarantee you I am. Is all this stemming from a bizarre and somewhat creepy over-obsession with Sagara Sousuke? Maybe. Is this review 1000% reading too much into things? Just wait until you hear my theories on some of the KyoAni shows.

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Jul 3, 2018

Rinar

Not Recommended

I don't even know where to start. For the first 2-3 episodes it was actually good with all the misunderstanding and accidents that Sagara caused but that's it. Is this a school comedy or a serious military action anime? This feels weird saying this since Fullmetal Panic came out first, but it's like one big discount version of Code Geass, which actually succeeded in mixing those two genres.

The plot is sketchy at best and makes no sense at worst. I think it's about people born with information inside them and they call give this information via telepathy but I don't know what is those "Whispered" ... people have to do with anything, feels like some fancy way to make a bond between Kaname and Sagara because nothing else fuels their romance. It feels like one of those series where a girl meet a badass guy and falls in love with him like Rurouni Kenshin except it totally fails here. There is also the black technology which I'm not even sure is seen in the anime, unless it's those AT field rip-offs used by the main antagonist. I'm not even sure if the antagonist has a plan since it's all sadism, killing, evil for the lulz, I got a secret cd, I kill my allies and I don't care if I die if something expensive explodes at the same time. I don't know what he tried to accomplish.

The characters are all uni-dimensional and the very little character development feels out of character more than anything. You got the socially retarded military guy that cannot understand why people are angry at him after he tackled them into the ground or groped their boobs by accidents. His unawareness is funny for a little while but then you realize that's his entire character. Chidori is your basic tsundere who can't understand her feelings and you're not even sure if she has any feelings. She's also stupid and pretty shallow. Wurt or whatever his name was is a womanizer. Mei is a alcoholic. The captain commander with white hair is a bizarre character with no explanation behind her existence in the anime, she's clumsy and poor at military stuff so why is she a commander? Did she inherit the rank from a relative who was foolish enough to use someone inexperienced as his replacement? Who knows, it's not explained. Why is her advisor not the commander?

Sometime the show likes to introduce some lowkey pedophilic humor about 30+ years old men fantasizing to get kissed by an underage girl or even receive her panties, sometime they introduce mediocre characters to create contrast and make the MC look good. I think if I went on to explain how stupid anything is in this show, I'd go into spoilers territory so I'll stop here.

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Sep 19, 2017 9:18 PM by Vindstot | Discuss (10 comments)

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Poll: Full Metal Panic! Episode 21 Discussion notestinet - Apr 25, 2008	36 replies	by Foreall908 »» Jun 4, 3:46 PM
Poll: Kaname or Tessa? ( 1 2 3 ) Xinil - Feb 2, 2007	121 replies	by Foreall908 »» Jun 4, 3:41 PM
Poll: Full Metal Panic! Episode 4 Discussion notestinet - Apr 23, 2008	46 replies	by foxbat »» Nov 19, 2022 2:47 PM
Poll: Full Metal Panic! Episode 24 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) notestinet - Apr 25, 2008	113 replies	by Kiken-chan »» Aug 29, 2022 11:23 AM
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