Full Metal Panic!
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Template:Infobox animanga/Header Template:Infobox animanga/Anime Template:Infobox animanga/Footer Full Metal Panic! (Katakana: フルメタルパニック!, often abbreviated to FMP!) is an anime, manga, and light novel series.
The series is a combination of near-futuristic mecha combat accented by teen antics and relationships.The novels are written by Shouji Gatou and illustrated by Shikidouji and have been published in Kadokawa Shoten's Dragon Magazine since 1998 <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>. The manga series was originally serialised in Newtype and later released in eight volumes illustrated by Retsu Tateo <ref>Merida Island, [1]</ref>, and the anime series originally aired in 2002, produced by GONZO Digimation. The anime series was licensed for North American release in 2003 by ADV Films, and the manga released by ADV Manga. Different parts of the original graphic novels and manga form the basis for the Full Metal Panic! anime and the side story Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu and the sequel Full Metal Panic!: The Second Raid.
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Synopsis
Image:Full Metal Panic Title.png
All three versions of the series are 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. Each version of the story roughly follows this plot, with some slight differences. The manga follows the novels closely, but the anime focuses on the military and action aspects of the story, sequestering the majority of the high school comedy into the side series Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu. They follow the events of Sosuke 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. Initially the relationship between the two is rocky, with Chidori frequently angered by Sagara's displays of aggression and violence which she deems unnecessary and dangerous. However, the relationship between the two slowly softens, eventually blossoming into a genuine friendship when she realizes Sagara's purposes for protecting her.
Chidori is targeted because she is thought to be one of the "Whispered"; that is, she possesses an inherent understanding of advanced Black Technology. She had this knowledge since birth, but initially remained unaware of, and consequently has access to it 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 maneuvers. Therefore, the knowledge of the "Whispered" is highly desirable to both terrorists and governmental agencies alike. Ultimately, the relationship between Sagara and Chidori is perpetuated by Mithril's ongoing war against terrorism, particularly the forces under Gauron, a man from Sosuke's past. 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). The Tuatha de Danaan is a billion-dollar submarine and the pride of the Mithril fleet, first envisioned and then brought to fruition by Teletha Testarossa, or "Tessa" for short. Tessa, the Captain of the TDD-1, is similar to Chidori not only in age, but in that she possesses "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.
Additionally, an important subplot revolves around the "relationship" between Sagara and Gauron, a diehard terrorist and psychotic, who also happens to be highly adept at utilizing the Lambda Driver. Sousuke was a young child soldier and a trained killer when Gauron first met him, and the man saw in him a type of purity which quickly grew into an obsession--how one so young could, quickly and without feeling, kill friend or enemy alike because it was necessary. Gauron decided at that point that he wanted Sousuke to be the one to kill him. For this and other reasons, 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 he cares nothing about it or its goals, only obeying them as it assists him. Sosuke manages to overcome difficulties put forth by the maniac, however, having been empowered by his difficult past and having the full backing of his two fellow soldiers, Kurz Weber and Melissa Mao. Template:Endspoiler
Episodes
First title is from Japanese release; second title is from English version.
- That guy is a sergant?/The Guy I Kinda Like is a Sergant
- I Want to Protect You./I Want to Protect You
- Lingerie Panic/Lingerie Panic
- Kidnap/Kidnap
- Whispered - The One who Whispers/Whispered
- Still Alive/Still Alive
- Boy Meets Girl/Boy Meets Girl
- Part-Time Steady/Part-Time Steady
- A Dangerous Safehouse/Dangerous Safe House
- Run, Running, Ran/Run Running Run
- Behemoth Awakes/Behemoth Awakening
- One-Night Stand/One-Night Stand
- The Cat and the Kitty Cat's Rock 'n' Roll/A Cat and a Kitten's Rock & Roll
- Is Narashino Burning?/Is Narashino Burning?
- Rising Wind in the Homeland, Part 1/The Wind Blows at Home, Part 1
- Rising Wind in the Homeland, Middle Story/The Wind Blows at Home, Part 2
- Rising Wind in the Homeland, Final Part/The Wind Blows at Home, Part 3
- Ocean Party/Deep Sea Party
- Engage: Six-Seven/Engaging Six and Seven
- Venom's Fire/Venom's Flame
- Deep Trap/Deep Trap
- Jack-in-the-Box/Jack in the Box
- A Giant's Field/Field of Giants
- Into The Blue/Into the Blue
Soundtrack
Opening
Tomorrow, 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
Composed by Sahashi Toshihiko
- Tomorrow
- 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
- Karenai Hana
Full Metal Panic OST 2
Composed by Sahashi Toshihiko
- 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
Trivia
- Full Metal Panic! was to premiere shortly after the September 11, 2001 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.
- In the episode, "Is Narashino burning?", the lead AS of the Red Dragon team performs a special move called the "Red Stream Attack". This is an obvious reference to the "Jet Stream Attack" used by the Black Tri Stars in the original Mobile Suit Gundam TV series.
- The mystery girl who's in photographs with Kaname is Ayame Chidori, her sister who decided to stay in New York with her father
Tuatha De Danaan SRT Team name
Image:Full Metal Panic Uluz Arbalest.jpg Image:Full Metal Panic Uruz Email.jpg 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".
This confusion and consequent double transliteration is caused by the fact that the Japanese language doesn't distinguish between R and L. Also, because Japanese speakers tend to add vocal sounds at the end of Rōmaji words, in the anime it is pronounced as "Uruzu" (or "Uluzu". 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 the anime Hellsing.
"Uruz" happens to be a letter of the Runic alphabet. In neo-Paganistic circles such as Wicca, Uruz represents strength. It is likely that this is the origin of the team's name, considering the scattered references to ancient mythology throughout the franchise: Ogma (the call sign for one of Mithril's operatives), Tuatha de Danaan (the name of Mithril's submarine), etc.
Non-Japanese Releases
- North America: The anime series was licensed by ADV Films, and has been released on 7 volumes on DVD. A thinpak collection has also been released, which contains all 7 discs.
- Europe: ADV Films UK released the series on DVD in Europe in at least two versions, one of them being Scandinavian.
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.
In June 2005, a spinoff manga was released by ADV Manga, called Full Metal Panic!: Overload! The plot, which involves Sousuke losing his memory, has little to no relation to the main storylines, and the series focuses on slapstick humor, overly cute characters, randomness, and, as the manga proclaims, has "More laughs! More Explosions! More Panic!"
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.
A The Second Raid OVA has been announced for release on May 26, 2006.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
| Previous installment: | Next installment: | |
| None | Full Metal Panic! | Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu |
Notes & references
External links
- ADV's Official Website
- Review at THEM Anime
- Comprehensive overview of FMP on animesuki
- The Anime Place FMP Entry (includes review)de:Full Metal Panic!
es:Full Metal Panic! fr:Fullmetal panic! ko:풀 메탈 패닉! it:Full Metal Panic ja:フルメタル・パニック! pl:Furu metaru paniku! zh:驚爆危機