posts tagged “Full Metal Panic”
[Editorials]
16 Feb 2008
Posted by Martin [Tags: Full Metal Panic, Over-analysis, Shakugan no Shana]
I’m not a huge fan of character archetypes at the best of times but if I had to pick one out that offers the most potential the tsundere is possibly the lesser of however many evils there are out there. Unlike the moe personality types and similar stock characters that I’ve grumbled about in months past, the tsundere concept has more going for it than the straightforward aggressive->gentle personality change or sensitivity behind a façade of belligerence. I’ll admit that these two are its main defining features, which is why many of us roll our eyes at yet another convenient blanket term to argue over. Nevertheless, it offers some things that stock characters rarely do: character development and some measure of depth.
You wanna argue with that? I thought as much
The tsundere is an extreme personality type and is somewhat over-used but it brings about effective insight into - and evolution of - a character’s personality when done right. Unfortunately I’ve yet to see the idea used much outside of the teen comedy or harem genres, which is a shame when the possibilities cover a wide range of character backgrounds and storylines (I’m not on about female characters exclusively, either). It’s also a manifestation of a character with depth; someone often suffering from some sort of inner conflict whose thoughts and feelings are, for whatever reason, not reflected in their words and actions. Both of these scenarios are to my mind interesting in themselves, and certainly shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand purely because the tsundere term is used to label a character or fit them into a pigeonhole.
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[Anime Reviews]
18 Sep 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Full Metal Panic]
FMP? FUMOFFU reaches its end with three full-length episodes that feature down-and-out yakuza, a dubious school club challenge and misplaced biological weaponry…a normal day at Jindo High School for Sousuke and Kaname, then.
With only three episodes on this disc and the individual stories taking up the entirety of each one, there’s a slight feeling of being short changed in terms of quantity of material on offer here. To its credit though FUMOFFU is, and always has been, pretty consistent in terms of quality. Comedy is a subjective thing of course (making it all the trickier to review at times), but this outing offers more of the same that we’ve come to expect from the series.
‘A Fancy Without Honor or Humanity’ is something of a retread of the rugby team episode’s premise in which Sousuke, in his now-familiar Bonta-kun guise, tries to whip a bunch of down-and-out tough guys into shape after Ren’s family gets caught up in a Yakuza turf war. This time the formula is spiced up with the gang rivalry and a butt-kicking finale when the girls are held captive. And you thought one Bonta-kun was bad enough…
‘Uncontrollable Bluebird’ doesn’t offer as much in the comedy stakes though. Sousuke’s inability to interact normally on a social level is one of the core themes of FUMOFFU but this sketch doesn’t really make as good use of this idea as many of the others; an appearance of his Mithril buddies wouldn’t have gone amiss here. As predictable as the more manic scenes are, it is a more tender moment towards the end that is this episode’s highlight: Sousuke’s uncharacteristically emotional reaction is utterly priceless.
Fortunately ‘5th Period Hot Spot’ ends the series on a high. It looks like the end of Jindo as well as the series when an unidentified canister is left in a classroom by Sousuke, only for some hapless student to open the lid and expose everyone to the unseen horrors within. Remember kids: don’t take your WMDs to school! This episode was downright hilarious - Sousuke tries in vain to calm his confined friends, as he seals the threat in a packed classroom with only one dose of the antidote. Despondency gives way to panic, then murderous revenge…
Summary
This was a suitably slapstick end to the series and just about manages to maintain the levels of hilarity that the earlier episodes did, with the absence of Sousuke’s Mithril comrades being my only disappointment. Nevertheless, it delivers the laughs and even throws in a more romantic moment between its two leads and somehow teases more comedy out of Bonta-kun. It seems that the comedy value of a gun-toting cuddly toy and Sousuke’s reliance on military tactics to get through everyday life never gets old!
Final thoughts
I’ve always considered the comedy side of FMP! to be little more than filler so it was a pleasant surprise to discover that this ‘filler’ is entertaining enough in its own right. With the conflict and conspiracy storylines disregarded entirely, the writers were able to play around with the characters and place them in situations too outrageous to fit into the FMP! universe otherwise. It also turned out to be the perfect length too: had there been any more episodes than this, the gags would have been over-used and predictable. As it is, FUMOFFU was an absolute blast that didn’t outstay its welcome; it doesn’t deliver the character development that FMP fans were craving but succeeds in being very funny indeed.
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[Anime Reviews]
10 Jun 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Full Metal Panic]
Since I’ve already written the review for this for Anime UK News and I’m feeling especially tired today, I’ll just reprint that.
Kaname and Sousuke are drafted in to help the school’s flagging rugby team win their next match to prevent the school closing it down. When they see the state of the team and its collective morale however, it appears that they have their work cut out and Sousuke’s military-style training tactics might be the only way to assure success. Meanwhile Tessa takes some time out from her post as the Mithril submarine’s captain to pay a visit on her hard-working comrade and his short-tempered classmate…
In true FUMOFFU style the rugby team episode had me in stitches. Sousuke’s decidedly individual approach to whipping the lads into shape was as shocking as it was funny – had the expletives not been bleeped out to great comic effect as they were, it probably would not have managed to get away with a 12 certificate! The transformation from wimpy losers to hardened sporting brutes is a truly memorable sight, but of course Sousuke takes things a bit too far.
The two-part ‘Goddess in Japan’ story arc is probably the highlight of this disc. With not one but two attractive young female classmates to protect, poor old Sousuke may have been tasked with an impossible mission. Tessa doesn’t exactly go out of her way to prevent Kaname getting jealous and her naivety of school life (which almost matches Sousuke’s at times) only makes matters worse. Of course, it’s laugh-out-loud funny and the appearance of Tessa, Kurz and Melissa will please fans of the original series as well.
The second part of this story had me groaning with disappointment at first: it turned out to be the classic fan service-filled ‘hot springs’ episode, an apparent comedy anime staple these days. Cue communal bathing, strategically-placed plants and household objects that would do Love Hina proud and of course Kurz’s plan to get a glimpse of the action. For some reason, Sousuke seems to be oblivious to the events that are unfolding and, for once, is sitting back and enjoying the holiday. As Kurz drags the other guys into his shady mission though, it soon becomes clear that Sousuke has planned for his lecherous buddy’s behaviour well in advance!
It is perhaps inevitable that a series such as FUMOFFU would include a hot springs episode (after all, having Kaname, Melissa and Tessa in the same scene with Kurz in the background, it would have been too good an opportunity for the writers to pass up) but I found it much less tiresome and predictable than I expected it to be. For all the gratuitous camera angles, the whole episode doesn’t exactly go to plan for Kurz and co and leads to them really hamming up the military melodrama while trying to complete their ‘mission’. As unnecessary fan service episodes go, this was the funniest example I’ve seen in a while.
Summary
FUMOFFU continues to deliver the laughs as it enters its second half and there are even appearances of some characters from the original FMP! series. At that point in time the jokes could have become repetitive but the arrival of Tessa, Melissa and Kurz injected new life into the formula and as a result this instalment is consistently and outrageously funny.
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[Anime Reviews]
22 Apr 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Full Metal Panic]
I’m reprinting the review I’ve just written for Anime UK News since there’s no point rewriting something I’ve already written, especially @ this time of night…enjoy!
We have three more helpings of the FMP! comedy spin-off as undercover military operative Sousuke and his reluctant charge Kaname find themselves in more scrapes and madcap adventures. An art trip goes awry when Sousuke’s habit of turning everyday events into a military-style operation causes his classmates to rise up against him; Kaname goes to a theme park with an old friend, only to be tailed by a strangely familiar figure in a Bonta-kun outfit; an evening in an abandoned haunted hospital turns up a few surprises and irate school caretakers and creepy stalkers cause our heroes more problems.
In all of this we finally find out why this series is called FUMOFFU: it is the nonsensical catchphrase of the show’s mascot, a life-size version of the cuddly toy that Kaname had at home in the original series. The sight of Sousuke disguised as a giant cuddly toy running to Kaname’s rescue screaming “FUMOFFU!” with all guns blazing (above) is the highlight of many laugh-out-loud moments during the course of this disc. As with the first FUMOFFU outing the episodes are all of half length so while the running time is equivalent to three full-length ones there are still six instalments of madcap comedy to enjoy.
Those who enjoyed the first disc will be pleased to know that here there is more of the same: in addition to Bonta-kun going postal on Yakuza henchmen and horse-headed stalkers there is a re-appearance of the over-enthusiastic police officer from an earlier episode and number of bizarre supporting characters. Sousuke, Kaname and the other FMP! regulars offer plenty of laughs on their own but there a fair few new faces appear who give a new and fresh feel to the show.
My personal favourites include the over-the-top art teacher and the school caretaker. The latter is the unfortunate soul at the recieiving end of acts of kindness from Sousuke and a young martial artist who put him to no small inconvience: his patience for the two of them inevitably wears thin, to spectacular and comic effect (above).
It’s something of a surprise to see a bit of progress in the Kaname/Sousuke relationship amidst the mayhem, even if it’s a modest amount. The emphasis of FUMOFFU is of course delivering rapid-fire explosive comedy but it’s great to have a little reminder of the original series’ romantic subplot occasionally. The regular cast are all really funny and engaging but sadly there’s still no sign of any of the Mithril bunch: their absence is the only major criticism I can aim at the show at this stage.
Once again FUMOFFU hits the mark in terms of delivering the laughs despite working (mostly) within the constraints of the ‘high school comedy’ genre. Frantic, imaginative and undeniably silly, the second instalment of FUMOFFU makes good use of the zany characters and outrageous situations to make it at least as funny as the first offering.
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[Anime Reviews]
03 Apr 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Full Metal Panic]
I never could make up my mind about Full Metal Panic!. Sometimes it was a mecha drama with brilliantly animated scenes of combat in which the heroes of the peacekeeping organisation Mithril blasted the hell out of terrorists and saved the day; at other times it was a teen comedy in which one of the aforementioned Mithril agents was sent undercover at a high school to protect one of the students from an organised crime ring. I enjoyed the more serious side but even so the show as a whole was a bit inconsistent and lacked focus. Recently a spin-off series, Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU has been given a UK DVD release and promises to deliver the comedy aspects of the show without the mecha storylines appearing at all.
As much mindless as FMP!’s action scenes sometimes were the comedy element never held as much appeal to me. Imagine my surprise, then, when I found that the slapstick comedy works better on its own than I ever dared hope. Maybe it’s some fresh scriptwriting or, more probably, the simpler setup, but FUMOFFU is one heck of a lot of fun. Stripped down to being a simple high school comedy it is downright hilarious: the undercover agent, Sousuke Sagara is, as he was in the original FMP series, trying to protect the fiery Kaname Chidori with precious little experience of civilian life. This ‘fish out of water’ premise is the main reason why FUMOFFU is so laugh-out-loud funny: Sousuke doesn’t know any better than to treat a high school like a battlefield, which creates a string of gun-toting, explosive-rigged misunderstandings.
As in the original series it is Kaname, the supposed ‘victim’, who has to pick up the pieces of such situations - often literally! Her quick temper that results from Sousuke’s well-meaning but totally inappropriate attempts to protect her no longer come across as insensitive or out-of-place; in fact her overreactions are completely justified. Because of this she isn’t nearly as annoying as I remember her and is much funnier for it.
Of course comedy is subjective at the best of times, and if you’re not a fan of high school slapstick as a genre you won’t get much out of this. On the other hand, it is very good as far as that sort of show is concerned and you don’t even need to have seen FMP! to appreciate it. The only downside is the low episode count but at least two out of the three eps are split into two separate stories to prevent the fast paced gags outstaying their welcome.
Overall I found this disc to be completely daft but consistently enjoyable, and will be looking forward to the next instalment. I’m not yet sure why it’s called ‘FUMOFFU’ though.
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