Full Metal Panic!
Full Metal Panic! (Katakana: フルメタルパニック!, often abbreviated to FMP!) is the name of an anime series which originally aired in 2002. It is based on a light novel series by author Shouji Gatou and arts illustrated by Shiki Doji. The anime was produced by GONZO Digimation.
There also exists a manga, which was serialized in Newtype. Both the anime and the manga were based on a series of novels. Different parts of the novels form the basis for the Full Metal Panic! anime and the sequels, Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu and Full Metal Panic!: The Second Raid. The manga is published in English by ADV Manga. The anime is a combination of near-futuristic combat and teen antics and relationships.
Despite the similar name, it has no relation to the anime and manga series Fullmetal Alchemist. Template:Spoiler-other
Synopsis
The series is set in a modern, parallel world where the Cold War has yet to end and the KGB and other secret governmental agencies are running rampant. It follows the events of Sousuke Sagara, an unduly disciplined member of Mithril (an anti-terrorism organization which often operates under the guise of the UN), and Kaname Chidori, the schoolgirl whom he was assigned to protect. Chidori is considered to be one of the "Whispered"; that is, she possesses an inherent understanding of advanced Black Technology. Such knowledge was implanted genetically upon birth, of which she herself initially remained unaware of and consequently which she has access to only when in a near-comatose frenzy (which is generally induced through fear of harm). The Lambda Driver is an example of Black Technology which allows pilots of select Arm Slaves (combat mecha) to manifest their desires in defensive and offensive manuveurs. Therefore, the knowledge of the "Whispered" is highly desirable to both terrorists and governmental agencies alike.
In-depth Plot
While carrying out his mission in an environment previously foreign to him, Sagara assumes the identity of a high school student at Jindai High School. His inability to "blend in with the crowd", however, is quickly made transparent by his peers (though ultimately to no consequence as they merely regard him as being a miltary obsessed otaku). Chidori had initially mistaken him to be a stalker of sorts as he was always "coincidentally" nearby. The fish-out-of-water Sagara continues to pester Chidori -- albeit with good intentions -- until she finally realizes his purposes in doing so.
Throughout the span of the anime, Sagara's battle-hardened demeanor is matched -- often accompanied by a quick blow to the head -- by Chidori's overtness of discontent towards his lack of any experience outside of military fanaticism. It is this attitude, however, which drives potential suitors away from her, appropriately rendering her "the most popular, yet dateless". As the story unfolds, their lives intertwine through a series of dramatic events, and both are able to gain insight into the other's composure and state-of-mind, as well as some facets of life which were previously incomprehensible to them.
Ultimately, the relationship between Sagara and Chidori is perpetuated by Mithril's ongoing war against terrorism, particularly the A21 faction. Chidori gets into some rather extreme situations, though she is rescued each time by the steadfast Sagara and the crew of the Tuatha de Danaan (TDD-1), a billon-dollar submarine and the pride of the Mithril fleet, first envisioned and then brought to fruition by Teletha "Tessa" Testarossa. Tessa, the Captain of the TDD-1, is similar to Chidori not only in age but in that she also possesses the "Whispered" traits, although she is much more proficient at having access to those skills. At a later point in the anime, she is revealed as being involved in the unlikely love triangle between Chidori, Sagara, and herself.
Subplots
An important subplot revolves around the rivalry between Sagara and Gauron, a diehard terrorist who happens to be highly adept at utilizing the Lambda Driver. Although he views Sousuke as a worthwhile enemy, he feels that Sousuke is a barrier to his goals and must be disposed of. For this and other purposes, he goes to such lengths as hijacking a plane and employing use of Sagara's onetime comrade-in-arms. He is ruthless and self-absorbed, quick to act and often with pensive judgement, which makes him a deadly foe. He is presumably a member of a secret faction known as Amalgam, although it is in his personality to not acknowledge any authority other than his own. Sousuke manages to overcome difficulties onset by this worthy enemy, however, having been empowered by his difficult past and having the full backing of his two fellow soldiers, Kurz Weber and Melissa Mao.
Characters and Cast
Sousuke Sagara
(相良宗介 Sagara Sōsuke)
Seiyū: Tomokazu Seki / Chris Patton
Sousuke, the unwitting hero of the story, is a Sergeant in the Uluz regiment of the Mithril anti-terrorism force and uses the callsign Uluz 7. Raised as a guerilla fighter since the age of eight, he hones his survival instincts which enable him to become a highly skilled AS pilot and an elite soldier. He is the only Mithril pilot who is capable of piloting ARX-7 Arbalest, the only AS in Mithril's armament that has the Lambda Driver. However, his current mission to protect Kaname forces him to cope with an unfamiliar and peaceful lifestyle, forcing many awkward and comical situations. His over-protectiveness usually annoys Kaname to no end but later in the story, they grow fond of each other and a hint of a romantic relationship develops.
Kaname Chidori
(千鳥かなめ Chidori Kaname)
Seiyū: Satsuki Yukino / Luci Christian
The main female protagonist of the story is a "normal" high school student. However, the discovery of her Whispered abilities attracts the attention of terrorist organizations. As a result, Sousuke has been assigned by Mithril to protect her. While Sousuke's battle sense generally saves her from tight situations, she often considers Sousuke's instincts an irritating in daily high school events, leading to comical situations. Due to her background, she has developed a "tough-lady" attitude, perhaps a façade to protect herself from being hurt again. Sousuke's appearance aids to soften her character.
Kurz Weber
Seiyū: Shinichirou Miki / Vic Mignogna
An over-the-top fellow soldier of Sousuke, Kurz makes numerous failed attempts at flirting with and/or peeking at girls. Despite his eccentricity, he is -- oddly enough -- Sagura's most trusted friend. His skill in marksmanship is probably unrivalled by any member of Mithril's personnel which is why he is most often the sniper in the team. He is part of team Uluz (the callsign of their regiment) with callsign Uluz 6.
Melissa Mao
Seiyū: Michiko Neya / Allison Keith
Melissa Mao, a former US marine and a Chinese American, is the second-in-command of team Uluz and works with Sagara and Kurtz to protect Kaname. She is a tough lady that does not tolerate nonsense, especially from Kurz Weber. Her callsign is Uluz 2. She personally chose to have Kurz and Sagara assigned to her squad after seeing through Sagara's fake test scores (Sagara was purposely scoring low) and Kurz's attempt at pretending to be a poor marksman. Occasionally, she provides Sagara with keen insight on attracting members of the opposite sex.
Teletha “Tessa” Testarossa
Seiyū: Yukana Nogami / Hillary Haag
Being the charming yet seemingly fragile Captain of the revered TDD-1 (Tuatha de Danaan) "Toy Box" submarine, she is a child prodigy who rose to such a high rank at the age of only sixteen. Her high level of mathematical and scientific adeptness is dwarfed only by her brother's, which seems to have given her a sense of inferiority. She is also fairly clumsy, but she has shown to be a very good swimmer. It is later revealed that she is also one of the Whispered. She also seems to have an interest in Sousuke, thus making a love triangle between her, Sousuke and Kaname.
Andrei Kalinin
Seiyū: Akio Otsuka / Mike Kleinhenz
Sagara's commanding officer and one of Tessa's military strategists. He is also the foster father of Sagara. He and Sousuke were once enemies, as mentioned in a two part episode by Sagara himself. The foster father status may be on the school's official papers only but Kalinin is certainly a very fatherly figure to Sagara.
Richard Mardukas
Seiyū: Tomomichi Nishimura / Andy McAvin
An overly protective aide of Tessa's who insists on guarding her with his life. He holds the rank of Commander and is in charge of Mithril's TDD-1 when the captain, Testarrosa, is not on board. Mardukas is often seen wearing a hat bearing the name of the HMS Turbulent (S87), a real British submarine.
Kyoko Tokiwa
(常盤恭子 Tokiwa Kyōko)
Seiyū: Ikue Kimura / Monica Rial
Chidori's camera-touting best friend. She is constantly trying to bring Chidori and Sagara together, however impossible it may have seemed given Sagara's tendency to blow things up at whim.
Shinji Kazama
Seiyū: Mamiko Noto / Greg Ayres
Sousuke's AS loving classmate. He shares the same amount of passion to AS as Sousuke and could be considered Sousuke's best school friend other than Kaname. His father is Shintaro Kazama and a secretary of Narashino's Assault Machine Troop, his love for AS began when his dad failed to become an AS pilot. As a result of his father's failure, Shinji strives to discover the result of the failure and to fulfill his father's dream of becoming a pilot.
Ren Mikihara
Seiyū: Rie Tanaka
By first glance, one would never expect this charming schoolmate of Chidori's to be the daughter of a Yakuza boss. Nevertheless, she remains dignified and upstanding (though somewhat naive), especially when placed in comparison with Chidori.
Mizuki Inaba
Seiyū: Sayuri Yoshida / Mandy Clark
A classmate of Chidori who initially blames her for having stolen her boyfriend. She becomes one of her closer friends later on in the story.
Arm Slaves
M6
Used by the UN and other countries. Mithril also owns several models.
M9 Gernsback
Used by Mithril, features ECS (Electromagnetic Camouflage System) and better mobility than the M6. Harder to operate, though.
RK92 Savage
Made by Russia and used on its army. Low manteinance. Very popular.
ARX-7 Arbalest
Prototype unit used by Mithril. Piloted by Sousuke Sagara. Features the Lambda Driver. Also comes with ECS(Electromagnetic Camouflage System)and an AI Al which is far more advanced than the usual. It can be sent by the Tuatha de Danaan to where its needed using an ICBM.
"Shadow"
Mass production model of Amalgam. It comes equipped with an ECS(Electromagnetic Camouflage System) and is not equipped with the Lambda Driver. Given the codename "Shadow" by Mithril. It was designed by Leonard Testarossa.
"Venom" (Codarl ; Silver with a long hair-like tail attached to its head, Gauron's 2nd Arm Slave; dark red, single eye upgraded Codarl)
Amalgam's AS in the Cordal series. Given the codename "Venom" by Mithril. It has a high mobility and comes with the Lambda Driver. Also equipped with an ECS(Electromagnetic Camouflage System). The Codarl-M overheats more quickly than the dark red upgraded Codarl-M. Also designed by Leonard Testarossa.
Behemoth
Gigantic red arm slave with Lambda Driver. Can be piloted by Takuma Kugayama because of the special drugs given to him. The unit used by the A21 terrorist group was given to them by Amalgam.
Episodes
- That guy is a sergant?
- I Want to Protect You.
- Lingerie Panic
- Kidnap
- Whispered - The One who Whispers
- Still Alive
- Boy Meets Girl
- Part-Time Steady
- A Dangerous Safehouse
- Run, Running, Ran
- Behemoth Awakes
- One-Night Stand
- The Cat and the Kitty Cat's Rock and Roll
- Is Narashino Burning?
- Rising Wind in the Homeland, Part 1
- Rising Wind in the Homeland, Middle Story
- Rising Wind in the Homeland, Final Book
- Ocean Party
- Engage: Six-Seven
- Venom's Fire
- Deep Trap
- Jack-in-the-Box
- A Giant's Field
- Into The Blue
Soundtrack
Opening
Tommorow, by Mikuni Shimokawa (下川みくに Shimokawa Mikuni)
Ending
枯れない花 (Karenai Hana), by Mikuni Shimokawa (下川みくに Shimokawa Mikuni)
Full Metal Panic OST 1
- Tommorow
- Arashi No Mae
- Subtitle
- Sasayaki
- Check List
- Tatakau M9
- Conspiracy
- Kokonotsu No Ryu
- No Mercy
- Black Operation
- Eye Catch
- Plan 1056
- Torio No Shokutaku
- Wareraga Manabiya
- Shisseki To Benkai
- Cool Running
- Kaname No Kitchen
- Kaname No Pajama
- Kakumo Heiwana Yoru
- Jojireru Mondai
- Komeko No Sanpo
- Kadokawa Gorou To Suppin Girls Desu
- Tokkou Yoraou
- Karanai Hana
Full Metal Panic OST 2
- The Man Who Came In From The Cold
- Scoundrels
- Under the Surface
- A Picture
- The overture of a reckless run
- Attending School
- Safehouse
- Let's go home together...
- The captain is 16 years old!
- Tuatha De Danaan
- Exective Orders
- Lady Chapel
- Passing each other
- Sad Little Bird
- Warmth
- The empire of darkness
- Monster film
- Creeping
- The savage beast presses
- Run silent, run deep
- Pursuit
- Counterattack
- Fire at will
- Direct action
- Hit & Run
- Hate is exceeded
- The end of the fight
- Epilogue
- Take me out Marina trench
- Eye catch
Curiousities
- Full Metal Panic! was to premiere shortly after the 9/11 terror attacks, however it was delayed due to a terrorist plane hijacking being an integral part of the first major plot arc.
- The employers of Gauron's services has been changed to a fictional country in the anime, while the employer is North Korea in the manga. This is probably to avoid political issues.
Tuatha De Danaan SRT Team name
The correct spelling of the TDD-1 SRT team name in this series is "Uluz". This can be seen in episode 6: "Still Alive" when Sousuke activates the Arbalest for the first time after it was sent by the TDD-1 inside an ICBM. The Arbalest's screen identified him as "Uluz-7". However, in episode 6, "Edge of Heaven" of Full Metal Panic!: The Second Raid, an E-mail sent to Sousuke identifies him as "Uruz-7". Both forms of the name are correct.
This confusion and consequent double transliteration is caused by the fact that the Japanese language doesn't distinguish between R and L. Words in english beginning with L (like lion), when converted become R sounds (rion). Also, because Japanese speakers tend to add vocal sounds at the end of Rōmaji words, in the anime it is pronounced as "Uluzu" (or "Uruzu". Both sound the same in the Japanese language).
In the DVDs released by ADV Films the term used in the english subtitles is "Urzu", which can be argued that when read in english it sounds the closest to the original Japanese sound. This term is used by some fansub groups for Full Metal Panic!: The Second Raid. A similar transliteration problem caused by Romanization can be seen in the name of the character Alucard, from Hellsing.
Non-Japanese Releases
- North America: The anime series was licensed by ADV Films, and has been released by its total of 7 volumes of videos on DVD.
Sequels and Side Stories
In 2003, a side-story to FMP! was released. Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu, also known as FMP? Fumoffu, focuses (almost entirely) on the high school life of Sagara and Chidori. Although it does include more slapstick humor and randomness, it is not a complete spinoff of the series as its events develop the relationship between the two main characters.
The series continued in July 2005 with Full Metal Panic!: The Second Raid, which continues the events of the original. It is an adaptation of the two "Full Metal Panic! End of Day By Day" novels.