Full Metal Panic! is a light mecha manga with plenty of other elements, such as humour and a slice of life feel in some chapters.
Story - 6
It is not really ground-breaking and new. “Boy protects girl” plot has been done several times, and the irrelevant slice of life-ish chapters can make it feel like a very slow story, however later it becomes apparent that those chapters tell a story of their own; a story of an unlikely romance. Of course that’s nothing new either really, but even if it has all been seen before, it still ends up being enjoyable.
Art - 10
Shounen art at its best! It is very detailed for shounen, and the action scenes are very easy to follow as well.
Characters - 8
Most of the characters are really simple. There is the main character, Sagara, who seems to be unable to learn anything at all and he is so unbelievably awkwardly socially inept, that it’s a miracle if there’s a chapter without him blowing up a building or hurting someone. The female lead, Chidori, on the other hand, is just as simple in many ways. She is a strong and independent girl, who doesn’t really need anyone, and at times she absolutely despises Sagara. The combination of those two, and a bunch of likeable supporting characters, is really what makes it a great story.
Enjoyment - 9
Although it’s a simple story with simple characters, it can be very funny at times. And the main plot, although slowly progressing, is also interesting. I found it very entertaining and enjoyable.
Overall - 8
Full Metal Panic! is a story that can make you laugh out loud several times, if you can enjoy the simple kind of humour. There are no real geniuses pulling strings and making the battles complex, most of the time it is quite straightforward.
On the other hand, I must praise it for not being 9 volumes of heavy mecha fighting. The balance, although not perfect, makes the story very enjoyable.
