Let's Watch Full Metal Panic Together!

[Dextro]

Yeah, the novel for this arc isn't my favourite and the Anime team was smart to cut some stuff out. I also love how Tessa seems to have a knack for getting Sousuke in awkward situations hum?

[Ithekro]

Well she is the Captain after all.

[Mugen26]

So wow, I'm 3 weeks late for my feedback. Sorry guys, life stuffs. Anyways for the sake of not effing up this thread where it's currently at, I'll just give super brief thoughts on the episodes I missed out on. I'll post Ep. 9 thoughts on it's own post.

Ep. 7 follow up a near perfect episode with a great finisher to the story arc. Great animation/short cuts of effects. Soundtrack on point, especially the "Run Silent, Run Deep" song usage. Intense drama with sprinkles of great comedy at the end. Overall 9/10

Ep. 8 is a super fun, comedic episode. Characters like Shirai and Mizuki are annoying but at we learn about what makes Mizuki's the way she is. Sousuke dating sim ftw! His blatantly obvious comments on how "lowly" of a guy he pretends to be are hilarious. Ends with Kaname subconsciously imaging her sharing a kiss with Sousuke haha. Overall 8/10

[Mugen26]

My thoughts on episode 9: It's the beginning of the A-21 arc in the anime, and it starts off on a relatively good note. I'm a little iffy on this part of the story but it serves it's purpose to introduce some more fun elements to the series. Here are things I noticed:

• The opening segment of Takuma getting upset by the crooked tie was quite memorable to me. Sure it's the side effect of the TI-971 drug, but it's some serious OCD and showcases how unpredictable and short fused the boy is.
• It's always cool to see more Mirthril missions. I question why Sousuke is using an M9 instead of Arbalest though. It's guess it's because it's still new to him so he uses the standard SRT equipment. However you think he would want try getting used to the Arbalest.
  Spoiler for Later story plot point:

  From what I understand, he doesn't despise it just yet.
• People like to point out how b****y Kaname is in this episode, but Sousuke sure didn't exactly help when he forgot about her meet with her. To girls, especially high school age, getting stood up is the ultimate sin.
• Kalanin is a bad mofo. After getting severely injured from shielding the captain with his body, he still had the balls to say "I'm your enemy" when asked who he was by Seina and crew.
• Kaname really lets Sousuke have it, but she's the type to explode like a volcano and then come to her senses, as she feels bad for going off on him. Especially after his gift to her. Motive aside, it was still a nice gesture.
• This is the first time Sousuke and Tessa interacted on a personal level, and it's a superb scene right off the bat. Tessa doesn't take long to warm up to Sousuke's stiff personality and already playfully teases him, much to his confusion lol.
• There are still hints to Sousuke's human/male side as he gets a bit sidetracked after Tessa starts using his shower. It's most likely because of the heavy situation at hand, but something tells me there's a small part of him that regards Tessa as being similar to his female classmates after their chat.
• The ending has to be the most memorable part of the episode. Sousuke is glad about Kaname apologizing but quickly understands the complexity of the situation wouldn't sit well with her. And Tessa is sly too, coming out with nothing but a towel. She knew what she was doing lol. Poor Sousuke! How will he get out of this one?

Overall a solid start to the new arc. 8.5/10

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by Mugen26

It's always cool to see more Mirthril missions. I question why Sousuke is using an M9 instead of Arbalest though. It's guess it's because it's still new to him so he uses the standard SRT equipment. However you think he would want try getting used to the Arbalest.

Spoiler for Later story plot point:

From what I understand, he doesn't despise it just yet.

If I remember this right...

Spoiler for future events:

...Sousuke hasn't technicaly been assigned to the Arbalest. As far as Mythril is concerned Sousuke is still technically assigned to a "run of the mil" M9. I think it's only after this arc that they will officially assign him to the Arbalest.

[LeoXiao]

The North Korea arc is overall the best-conceived in the series IMO. It combines a good amount of drama and suspense with well-placed action and resolution. Hong Kong was good as well but the fighting was a little too subordinated to Sousuke's Heroic BSOD and the drama around that. Of course this is just looking at the individual arcs and not the story as a whole.

[Mugen26]

Originally Posted by Dextro

If I remember this right...

Spoiler for future events:

...Sousuke hasn't technicaly been assigned to the Arbalest. As far as Mythril is concerned Sousuke is still technically assigned to a "run of the mil" M9. I think it's only after this arc that they will officially assign him to the Arbalest.

Ah ok. It's been quite a while since I've seen this part of the story so I might have forgotten a few minor details.

[Darthtabby]

Thanks for being so active with the discussion last week everyone. I should have tried to be a little more of an active participant in last week's discussions myself.

Episode Ten: "Run, Run, Run"



The title of this episode comes from the first part of the title of this arc's source novel, Hashiru (Running) One Night Stand. Tokyopop's English market release shortened the title to just One Night Stand.

I mentioned last week that I think the anime adaptation of this arc made some smart cuts. This episode covers a pretty big chunk of the novel with a reduction in the number of characters and setting changes. However watching it again I found it moved so quickly that some of the material it covers doesn't really have much impact. Then again, I've seen this material before -perhaps to a first time viewer this episode would seem more shocking -particularly with that ending.

Perhaps because I've been reading the source novel recently I really took note of hints about how dangerously sharp Takuma is. I tend to think of him as rather small fry compared to Gauron but that sharp intelligence is actually a (for lack of a better word) good trait to see in a villain. I think him getting hold of Kaname's cell phone worked a bit better in the novel though (where he pick pocketed it while everyone was hiding under a table to try to escape the notice of a school janitor ).

Speaking of Kaname, I can understand why she was sceptical about Tessa being the Captain. Of course Tessa herself didn't help the situation with the way she decided to play to Kaname's misconceptions. Something I like about this series is that neither heroine is perfect. Though I'm actually a bit bothered by Kaname's meanness towards Takuma of all people during this episode. Granted she was already annoyed by Tessa and the whole reason she took issue with him was that he was smirking at her when she was annoyed, but still.

Actually I have to wonder what Kaname thought when she saw Takuma handcuffed to the bed like that, considering that she assumed Tessa was Sousuke's girlfriend and all...

[Mugen26]

Here are my thoughts for Ep. 10:

• First thing's first, Yukana is absolutely adorable when she playfully acts naive towards Kaname. But then again, when is she not?
• I agree with Darthtabby, Kaname was unnecessarily harsh towards Takuma for no valid reason other than being irked by Sousuke and Tessa. It felt a bit uncalled for. However it did lead to Sousuke finding the transmitter on Takuma after knocking him out again. Gatou pretty much used her rudeness as a plot device.
• Kaname's ingenuity proves to be useful by using the microwave to fry the transmitter, no doubt a product of living on her own and having to fend for herself. Sousuke's prior reaction telling her to stay back since he was busy was quite funny and somewhat satisfying.
• The whole slightly tripping Kaname so Takuma could pick pocket her phone seems a bit too unconvincing, but I can see why the anime staff went that route since stealing it while hiding from the school janitor isn't as quick and to the point. They had time constraints to manage to get on with the story.
• Tessa opens up to Takuma and company about having an older brother who she feels inferior too. Obviously the whispered power has helped them both become geniuses in their own right though, but her complex helps humanize Tessa even more.
• Spoiler:

  Pretty cool how early on Tessa mentions her brother Leonard, well before he makes his debut in the story itself. Gatou planted those seeds early on
• Seina and A21's revenge plot point seems a bit extreme to me. I don't really find them all that particularly interesting either, so it hinders the tension. Meh.
• Sousuke big decision for whether or not to let Kaname or Tessa get released from being a hostage is more interesting. His thought process seemed to make sense but I can understand why Tessa didn't approve of her getting release first over the civilian Kaname.
• The plan goes to crap, leaving the end of the episode with Kaname and Tessa captured by the terrorists and Sousuke's fate unknown. Yeah it's supposed to be an impactful cliff hanger, but come on, do any of us really think/thought Sousuke is dead? Probably not.

Overall 6.5/10. The interaction's with the 3 main characters and Takuma where the most interesting parts of the episode.

[Sackett]

The plot is not nearly as interesting as the ones involving Gauron, but it's mainly a device to develop Tessa's character, which is interesting.

Spoiler for Justifications for Tessa being Captain:

I always thought the best argument for Tessa being the captain of the Tuatha de Danaan would be to simply claim that it insisted on Tessa being the captain.

Add a scene during the North Korean arc with Tessa doing that Whispered link thing that Chidori does later. Probably during the rescue of Souske, Kurtz, and Chidori. Tessa even says that the timing needed to be perfect and that no other submarine could do it. Well, that seems exactly why that whole direct link up thing must have been invented.

You know drop a few more hints about how this Whispered thing works.

This of course implies that the Tuatha de Danaan is somehow partially biological, so imputing to it a demand that Tessa (her effective creator) be her captain is fitting.

That would also explain the tension she has with Mardukas. Basically you'd have Mardukas as the representative of the more traditional naval command, placed there because the higher ups aren't happy about the Tuatha de Danaan installing a 16 year old as the Captain (even if she is a genius).

There, now you have a strong motivation for Tessa to prove herself, and an explanation as to why she tends to look to Mardukas for approval despite technically outranking him. It would also make it so when Tessa runs into conflict with regulations it would make it particularly difficult for her in a way the other Special Forces tend to not understand. As even technical violations for justifiable reasons are black marks against her because of the irregular nature of her command.

If you want to add a fun twist to it, have the Tuatha de Danaan be voiced by a toddler when Chidori first pilots it, sounding very confused because Chidori is not "mother" so how is she talking with her like "mother" does.

[Darthtabby]

Once again my apologies for not participating in discussion very much. I'll try to do better this week.

Episode 11: "Behemoth Awakening"

Originally Posted by Mugen26

Sousuke big decision for whether or not to let Kaname or Tessa get released from being a hostage is more interesting. His thought process seemed to make sense but I can understand why Tessa didn't approve of her getting release first over the civilian Kaname.

This episode he ends up discussing what happened with Kurz, who has a very different view of how such a situation should be handled.

While not the most memorable of scenes, Kaname and Tessa's conversation in the cell aboard the freighter provides some important insight into Kaname's character and how she deals with the challenges life throws at her. She views them as enemies and fights back. Perhaps its not the best way to deal with things, but it gets her through.

Actually that's one scene which I think worked better in novel form. Another is Kurz and Sousuke's Big Damn Heroes moment when Kaname, Tessa, and Kalinin are about to be killed. The anime version of this scene seems clumsy compared to the novel version, which I think has a better set up and is more dynamic. Also:

Spoiler for Novel Version:

Because Sousuke is wearing a ski mask, Kaname mistakes him for one of the terrorists and attacks him with a crowbar. Then after she realizes who he is she dives into his chest and starts sobbing about how scared she was. Then Sousuke has to interrupt her to shoot someone, and when he turns his attention back to her she decides that "This really isn't the time for this kind of thing."

The novel version also has a more logical reason for Kalinin not to evacuate the sinking ship with the others.

Spoiler for Novel Version:

He tries to stop Takuma from piloting Behemoth. In fact in the novel he's the one who fires the shot that wounds Takuma, not some terrorist with bad aim. Selena shoots him in response to that.

I still think some of the cuts made earlier in this arc were smart, but I kind of prefer the novel version of this part of it.

Of course this is also the episode that marks the appearance of the aptly named Behemoth. I appreciate that it makes a good "boss" mech and a change of pace from the Codarl, but I don't like it very much because its probably the least logical mech design in the series. Its just too resource intensive to make sense. On that note:

Spoiler for Novel Spoiler:

The novel has a scene that reveals that A21 was provided with the Behemoth by another organization. They didn't built it themselves.

[Dextro]

I was about to ask if anyone remembered how the A21 got the Behemoth, thanks for giving me the answer before I even did so darthabby

Also there's yet another nod to future events in this episode, it's very minor but I always find it funny everytime I rewatch the episode.

Spoiler for future events:

Mao saying that she would run away if she were asked to pilot an AS in Hong Kong is rather funny given that Sousuke does run away in Hong Kong. I'm not sure Gatoh-San did it on purpose but either way it's an amusing sentence for those of us who've seen the second season.

And yeah, I agree with you: I don't remember much from the novel but now that you mention it those particular scenes really did work better in the original. Win some, loose some I would say.

[Mugen26]

My thoughts for Ep 11:

• With all of the ruckus Sousuke and the terrorists made at Jindai High, you think the local police would be on the scene soon. Mao, Kurz, and Sousuke better get moving fast

• Originally Posted by Darthtabby

  This episode he ends up discussing what happened with Kurz, who has a very different view of how such a situation should be handled.

  This is why I enjoy Gatou-san's work. His characters always feel alive when they can offer their perspectives about things like this. It's also a very Kurz-y thought process too haha

• Originally Posted by Dextro

  Spoiler for Spoiler for future events:

  Mao saying that she would run away if she were asked to pilot an AS in Hong Kong is rather funny given that Sousuke does run away in Hong Kong. I'm not sure Gatoh-San did it on purpose but either way it's an amusing sentence for those of us who've seen the second season.

  I found this rather amusing too. It's nice to see a quick image of that place; almost gives me a "what if Gonzo animated TSR" in my head scenario.

• I like the conversations between Tessa and Kaname, especially how they relate to their common view of Sousuke being "weird". Also, the bgm playing here called "A Picture" and is one that I enjoy a lot from the first season. It's essentially the "Kaname no Pyjama" theme just slighty different with a more melancholic sound.
• Seina mentions how Kalinin talks more like a preacher than a soldier, to which he replies how he wouldn't mind that career change. I just keep thinking what a badass preacher he'd make. He'd give Monsignor Martinez from King of the Hill a run for his money.
• While I appreciate Gatou's thoughtful response on how the JSDF would react to an unidentified AS attack, the scramble scenes in the anime was just a tad too long for me. I feel like a good cut off would have been after the whole "screw the Maritime Safety Agency! Get me the Defense Agency!" I didn't need to see the rest of the scramble and know their call signs.
• As pointed out, many scenes where changed and quickened from the source material, much of which would have made it more intense and interesting. I would have taken some trimming in other places (the JSDF scene) in order to more resemble the novel's take on it.

• Originally Posted by Darthtabby

  Spoiler for Novel Version:

  Because Sousuke is wearing a ski mask, Kaname mistakes him for one of the terrorists and attacks him with a crowbar. Then after she realizes who he is she dives into his chest and starts sobbing about how scared she was. Then Sousuke has to interrupt her to shoot someone, and when he turns his attention back to her she decides that "This really isn't the time for this kind of thing."

  They did the same in the manga version too I always enjoyed how it played out lol. Too bad it's omitted from the anime
  
  Spoiler for manga panels:

  
  

  Images

  panel 1

  Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

  Images

  panel 2

  Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

  Images

  panel 3

  Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

  Images

  panel 4

  Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?
• The episodes ends on a memorable cliffhanger this time around, both with Kalinin's fate unknown after Seina's gun goes off, and how you truly get to see the size/scale of Behemoth as it's giant hand tears through the ship to grab Mao's M9.

Sorry for my constant long-winded posts everyone . Overall a step in the right direction, but the way the episode plays out compared to the source material would have made it far better. I give it a 7/10

[Darthtabby]

Episode 12: "One Night Stand"



Those JSDF pilots just encountered an out of context problem. Do any of you get the impression this arc takes some inspiration from monster movies?

I'm not too big on some of the "stunts" in this episode (or the equivalent section of the novel). I don't think a rifle caliber bullet would destroy a gattling cannon like that. Sousuke's jumping out of a moving vehicle also seems like a good way to get seriously injured, though I guess he is wearing an AS pilot's anti-shock suit...

Some of you may recognize Tokyo Big Sight from other anime. It shows up a lot in works about otaku.

I don't want to get too caught up in doing novel to anime comparisons, but the portrayal of Kaname's whispered abilities is quite different between the two. The novel version has some weird stuff that I'm not sure later installments picked up on. Also:

Spoiler for Novel Comparison:

In the novel version, Sousuke's grenade triggers the capsule's explosive bolts to detonate and blow away the shell.

In the anime, it seems like the grenade causes the Arbalest itself to stir, which I think I actually like better.

Overall I think this is one of the weakest arcs in FMP in both novel and anime form. The novel has some content it could stand to lose, but the anime version could have used a stronger second half. That being said this arc did at least dig into the characters a bit.

Since we haven't got much discussion going the last few weeks I'm going to suggest that we can use this week to discuss the arc as a whole rather than just the current episode (though it depends a bit what people want to discuss).

Also I should correct/clarify something I said last week about Behemoth's origins:

Spoiler for Novel Comparison:

While the novel makes it clear that another organization besides A21 played a key role in Behemoth's construction, there is dialogue that implies that A21 had input in the development process.

[Dextro]

I'll have to disagree with you there, I personally find it far more believable that the grenade would trigger the explosive bolts as a chain explosion that causing the capsule to rock... At least it's more plausible than what we saw in the Anime.

One thing I don't remember very well is if the novel explains a bit better what Seira saw in Kalinin. Did she really fall in love with him or were her memories altered much in the same way Takuma's were?

[Darthtabby]

The grenade caused the capsule to shift (before settling back into its original position) in both versions though. Its just that in the novel it triggered the explosive bolts, while the anime gave me the impression that it "woke up" the Arbalest. I rather like the idea of the Arbalest breaking itself out of the capsule.

The novel provides a bit more detail about Seina but I didn't get the impression she got her memories screwed up like Takuma did. But yeah, her referring to Kalinin as "darling" in the anime version is strange. By contrast I liked what she said about wishing she'd met him earlier. It seems to me that if that had happened maybe she'd have ended up working for Mithril rather that putting her skills to use as part of a terrorist plot. An interesting what if.

Actually I'd say this arc actually had some interesting ideas but that the execution (in both novel and anime form) had issues.

[Mugen26]

Ep 12 thoughts:

• The animation was fairly decent, but I felt the story-boarding could have used some work. Certain aspects of the episode felt oddly lacking in intensity. Maybe that's just me though.
• The whole chase sequence from the Behemoth reminds me of kaiju/tokusatsu films, but with a giant mecha instead. Pretty interesting concept Gatou-san!
• Mardukas comes through in the clutch by having the Arbalest loaded in a Ballistic Missile. He certainly knows how to prepare for the sticky situations.
• While it's debatable whether or not Kurz's sniper rifle would jam a gattling cannon, it's a neat concept to have him do that and showcases his ace sniping skills. Until then, even Kaname thought he was more of a big talker with little substance lol.
• Only having previously seen the dub of this episode, Seina didn't use "darling" to refer to Kalinin in English (I choice I agree with). We knew she had some interest in his character, but even so the use of the word darling seems out of left field. I mean, this isn't Urusei Yatsura or Kimagure Orange Road dammit! Since she didn't have a family, maybe she had a need for a strong father figure type? And it developed into an attraction at some point, despite her claims of hating him? Her character is far more complex than I realized I guess.
• I loved Sousuke's line to Takuma, "licking you lips in front of your pray is something only a third-rate would do".
  Spoiler for future events:

  A line that Sousuke repeats to Kaname in the later seasons, which she recalls during a crucial life or death situation. I'm glad it was established so early on to help bring consistency to his character.
• Tessa has a comforting final moment with Takuma before his death. He had a major sister complex, but at least he found peace in the end thinking she was his sister.
• This is the official start of the "love triangle" trope after Tessa boldly challenged Kaname for Sousuke's heart, much to Kurz's delight. The voice acting was on point with that scene, especially Shinichiro Miki's hilarious reaction as Kurz.

Overall 7/10. I agree with the consensus: great ideas, iffy execution, especially in the anime adaptation. But it served it's purpose at least, which was introduce Tessa to the core cast of characters so what more can you ask for

[Darthtabby]

Originally Posted by Mugen26

Ep 12 thoughts:

• The animation was fairly decent, but I felt the story-boarding could have used some work. Certain aspects of the episode felt oddly lacking in intensity. Maybe that's just me though.

It's been a week since I watched the episode so my impression has gotten a little fuzzy again, but "oddly lacking in intensity" does seem to ring true to me...

Until then, even Kaname thought he was more of a big talker with little substance lol.

I liked that line too. Interestingly its one that isn't in the original novel. So I guess even here there are some positives to the anime version of this arc.

[Darthtabby]

Episode 13: "A Cat and a Kitten's Rock and Roll"



I've tended to think of this episode as one of the worst in the series -better than the next episode, but not much else. I'm just not very fond of the prominent "cat fight" aspect of this episode. Looking at it now though there are actually some things I like about it though. I particularly liked the scene with Mao and Kurz conversing at the bar, and I do kind of like Tessa coming to appreciate what her subordinates do a little more even if I find the set up rather forced.

Wait, is Sousuke worried about getting aroused after Tessa falls on top of him? I'm not sure I'd noticed that before. Kind of mixed feelings on the idea if that is actually what's going on...

Perhaps oddly for a side story episode, this one provided some additional detail about the Arm Slaves. Ingress/egress has actually struck me as a bit of an issue given how tall Arm Slaves are. I find the idea of Arm Slave sized side arms rather questionable though. How are you supposed to get any real armor piercing capability out of such a short barrel? Wouldn't an extra magazine or two for the primary weapon be more effective? I guess there's something to be said for having a back up weapon given the difficulty of trouble shooting Arm Slave scale weapons in the field, but a mecha scale handgun just doesn't seem that useful. Maybe Mao armed her mech with duel pistols to show off and/or humiliate Tessa -after all its not her normal loadout elsewhere in the series.

Anyway, we're basically half way through the first season now. Brace yourselves, because next episode is arguably the worst one in the entire series...

[Yu Ominae]

I thought this was pretty funny, especially when they teamed up to kick Kurz in the face. XD