Let's Watch Full Metal Panic Together!

[Mugen26]

Ep 13 thoughts:

• Mao and Tessa's sudden, out of nowhere tension that turns to confrontation does play out somewhat realistically with an older perspective. I used to think it seemed more forced when I was younger, but the small annoyances that suddenly snaps into a more heated argument does happen between people, especially among those who share living quarters.
• The display of a green computer screen with pixel-like font being typed really makes Mithril's computer tech look dated, even back then in 2002. It never fails to bother me.
• Michiko Neya had way too much fun playing Mao for this episode. Especially got a kick out of her impression of Tessa! The animators really exaggerated her movements for greater effect.
• Tessa in her training attire. Need I say more? <3<3<3

• Originally Posted by Darthtabby

  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...

  I never thought about it like that, but it's certainly possible. He's still a 17 year old boy after all. I thought he was more concerned about the compromising position that that he and his superior officer they were in. I'll just think a mix of both haha.

• The bar scene really gives more perspective into Melissa's psyche and how she truly feels inferior to Tessa in many ways. Kurz and Mao really play off of each other well too.
• Despite her lack of pilot skills, we actually see Sousuke impressed at Tessa's strategic countermeasures. Maybe even some brief infatuation with her at that point? The anime certainly makes me think that. If so, it's certainly the only time I recall where he seems to be like that towards her rather than being awkward or indifferent.
• Sousuke and Kurz, while being neutral, still give off a vibe of rooting for the underdog Tessa during the match. Also, a giant mech paintball fight sounds super fun.
• Leave it to pervy Kurz to ruin a touching sisterhood moment. Sure, us guys were all thinking the same thing, but he was just vocal about it.

While this is nothing more than a side story with no real substance, this episode has it's charms and a few share of laughs. It always stuck out to me because of that. Overall 7.5/10

[Darthtabby]

Episode 14: "Is Narashino Burning?"



This is the first of the season one's anime original episodes, and the only such episode that's intended as a stand alone. I've tended to consider it the worst episode in the franchise. It's kind of ridiculous and the production values leave something to be desired, with the character getting kind of off model at times. My opinion of the episode softened somewhat after finding out that its something of a tribute to Gundam (which was a "common interest" among the show's staff) but even so I was a bit surprised that I didn't find it that bad this time around. Though I'm still inclined to consider it "non headcanon" due to the ridiculousness of things like untrained civilians operating Arm Slaves.

Is secretary really a proper translation of Shinji's dad's rank/title?

I wonder if Kaname was disgusted with herself when she realized she was correcting Mizuki about military terminology...

The idea of a two man AS isn't necessarily a bad one. A second crewmember could help manage sensors, electronic warfare systems, etc. However I think movement should generally be handled by a single person rather than trying to coordinate leg movements by one person and arm movements by another.

BTW, next week's episode might be delayed a day due to an anime convention I will be attending. I may try to do the write up on next week's episode in advance and post it via the hotel wireless but I'm not making guarantees.

[Dextro]

Sorry, I haven't had much time to jump in lately but I'm keeping up with the episodes anyway.

As for this episode I always loved it for some reason. I mean... Yes the animation is rather low budget with loads of stills and reused shoots along side some off model scenes and the entire premise and plot is hilariously hard to suspend your disbelief on but the combination manages to hit that sweet spot of being so bad it becomes good for me. I actually find this episode funnier than some of the fumoffu ones.

And like you darthabby I hadn't really noticed the Gundam connection when I first saw the episode but now it becomes rather obvious with the dude dressed in a red shirt with sunglasses as well as the model kit boxes with the "UG" logo and other minor references that would be rather glaring to the Japanese audience.

[Mugen26]

Episode 14 thoughts:

Oh ho ho...this episode. Even when I was young I noticed a severe lack in quality before I really picked up on stuff like that. It was only in my later years that I realized I wasn't alone in my observations and it was infamously known as a terrible one. Let's see how it holds up.

• Right off the bat, the mention of banpresto feels like a toy commercial. Can you say product placement?
• Is the title in reference to something? It reminds me of the green jacket Lupin III's first episode "Is Lupin Burning?" but it could be referencing something else.
• Speaking of references, that Ryunosuke Akag is like Char Aznable's lamer twin brother. And the Nerima Red Dragons is a nod to Char's Red Comet. I'm sure there are plenty other Gundam series references throughout.
• The premise of the AS teams competing in what seems like recreational games seems silly to me. Maybe that's intentional for the comedy but it didn't grab me.
• Sousuke's Cardboard box AS disguise is an interesting precursor to Bonta-kun in the short stories and Fumoffu. I would have much preferred the latter as the cardboard AS mascot is way to boxy and ugly in comparison. Also, the fumo talking filter would have added some much needed good comedy.
• I'm all for more side characters getting developed, but Kazuma's angst towards his dad being a secretary because of his lousy AS skills out of place to me. At least they find a way to come together as a team by the end.
• This is the only time the music track "Monster Film" is used that I can think of. It's an obvious nod to Akira Ifukube's military marches for the Godzilla series and other sci-fi Toho films.
• While I don't buy the random civilian recruitment as an excuse for the main characters to get involved, it's the only semi-fun part of that final AS competition. Kaname partnering with Akagi in order to beat Sousuke seems petty, but she's still very hostile about their "vacation" plans so it makes sense. I mean, all she wanted to do was have a summer experience with you Sousuke. You sure let that one slide, in typical fashion.
• Speaking of Kaname, Satuski Yukino is fantastic as always; her final line "Where has my summer memory gone?" is hella funny.

So yeah. Overall 3.5/10, and that's putting it favorably imo. The artwork is sloppy and off-model, the scenario is uninteresting (even ludicrous at times), and the comedy falls flat for the most part. There are small saving graces like the Gundam references and side character involvement but it's really scrapping the bottom of the barrel. This is easily still the worst episode of the series for me. But you know what, it can only go uphill from here.

[Darthtabby]

Episode 15: "The Wind Blows at Home, Part One"



This is the first episode of the anime original third arc. Shouji Gatou talked about novelizing this arc in his commentary on it in a fan guide, but he never did. I think it might present some issues for adaptation given the differences between the novel continuity and the anime one. The anime actually makes some changes to the next novel based arc in order to accommodate this one.

Gatou noted in his commentary that having Sousuke join another unit allowed them to do things they wouldn't normally be able to do with this arc. It shows us Sousuke in the world he used to be part of, without his current comrades there to support him. Unfortunately this means that Kaname get sidelined for this arc.

Overall I kind of like this arc but I have some issues with its execution. Perhaps the biggest is its lack of subtlety. In particular I feel the personnel from the other unit that Sousuke has to work with are way too blatantly hostile towards him. There's probably an argument to be made for being blatant given the medium and the limited run time this arc has to work with. But assuming it could be executed properly in the limited available run time, I think I might have preferred it if the hostility of the other soldiers towards the "star player" they were forced to take on was much more subtle.

[Yu Ominae]

I felt that arc was interesting in the sense of pitting the views of a child soldier who fought in the region vs those who started being soldiers in a legitimate age.

[dmaxzero]

In all honestly, that arc for me was what I was expecting FMP to be when I saw the first episode´s five minutes. Before I knew what was all about and the novels and everything. I wish that arc had one more episode telling us more about them, and a more fleshed out epilogue. But I loved it so much.

[Mugen26]

Thoughts on episode 15:

• Right off the bat, we get some nice flashbacks of the first AS battle against Gauron. It's a nice touch that helps spark the serious route we are about to take.
• Besides the one scene of a lonely Kaname on a crowded beach, she isn't the focal point of this arc. However, as if Gonzo was reminding you not to forget about her, there are these seemingly arbitrary shots of Kaname sprinkled throughout the episode. I'm all for shifting the focus back every once in a while, but I'm not sure why Gonzo does this so awkwardly. For example, it made no sense to me why you see a quick cut her standing up from the beach sandwiched between Sousuke meeting his new unit. The only clever one was when she made a finger gun and went "bang" right before the firefight initiated.
• Speaking of which, the new crew we get introduced to are all from international backgrounds. They come off more or less like walking stereotypes at first. I agree that, aside from the Russian lady Gray, they are way too standoffish. I'm all for some newcomer tension, but damn they are straight up dicks. This is also one of those moments where the English dub voice actors portray the western characters more naturally than how they were originally voiced in Japanese.
• I do like the desert-colored M9's the unit utilizes. Very tactical looking, feels sort of like US desert storm troops. It isn't entirely pointless either since they also mock how useless the ECS invisible mode becomes in certain conditions.
• Sousuke gets PTSD-like flashback of him as a child soldier. I love this exploration of Sousuke's past since you haven't really had any up until now.
• The introduction of the red Zy-98 Shadow AS with a formidable pilot shows that Gauron isn't the only real threat in this mission. He also recognizes "Kashim", making his connection to Sousuke and further establishing the overall theme of this mini arc overcoming the ghosts from the past.
• The crew quickly realize how they should've paid more attention to the little newbie as Gauron dispatches there commander and Batist gets gravely wounded.
• Interesting to note how Sousuke seems to use the Lamda Driver once more without Kaname's help this time around.
  Spoiler for future content:

  We know how much he struggles to properly utilize it later on and how begins to despise it

A solid start I thought, but a bit on the dry side. Besides Gray, the new unit comes off way too obnoxious and high strong, but get a slap in the face when faced against a Lambda Driver. The remainder of this mini arc gets even better however so I'm looking forward to it. Overall 6.5/10

[Dextro]

I actually always liked this arc. I felt it provided a great setting to explore Sousuke's past and his traumas and it told a very nice (if stereotypical) war story right down to the new guy being dismissed by the walking cliches. One thing FMP has is how inspired it is by the big Hollywood action blockbusters and this arc is yet another example of it.

Spoiler for future events:

@Mugen26 yeah, that lambda driver scene really stands out when one knows what's going to happen next. It's the real fly in the ointment here and it's a part that could easily have been left out. Gauron is dangerous enough even without a Lambda Driver for the arc to work (and they could have instead used the arc to further cement Sousuke's frustrations with the Arbalest).

[Darthtabby]

Might respond to some comments on the last episode later, but for now here's my commentary on this week's episode.

Episode 16: "The Wind Blows at Home, Part Two"



I guess the second OP doesn't come until the start of the next arc (despite having some visuals that refer to this one).

Anyway, I like this episode better than the previous one, due in large part to the squad's hostility towards Sousuke being dialed back to a more reasonable level. I can totally understand why Jackson would be ready to deck Sousuke after he misinterpreted what Sousuke meant by "burden."

I do think the scene with Grace suggesting Sousuke should join their unit was laying it on a bit thick though. I also found it a bit questionable that Sousuke didn't just straight up reject her offer. Aside from any attachment he may be developing to Kaname, he has good comrades in Mithril's Pacific battle group. Why would he throw that away to join a unit that has been so hostile towards him? Perhaps if he'd been shown being stressed out about his assignment in Japan earlier in the arc (which could perhaps have been tied in to the next arc) and the hostility last episode had been dialed back a bit (allowing it to be dialed down even more this episode).

This episode gives us a bit more information about Sousuke's former comrade Zeied, who wants to be on a "winning team." He's basically become a mercenary -a real one, not someone who is technically a mercenary but has strong ideals like many of the Mithril characters are. He's outright working with the guy who killed his comrades.

Anyway one more episode to go on this arc...

[Dextro]

btw it looks like FMP4 may have been delayed. Do you guys think we might have time to add in Fumoffu now? Maybe after The Second Raid to avoid having IV show up in the fall as originally announced.

[Darthtabby]

Until we get more concrete evidence of a delay than "the air date is no longer listed on the website" I'm sticking with the original plan. On the other hand if we get confirmation of a delay before the end of season one I might actually try doing all three seasons in order.

Anyway,

Spoiler for Discussion Pertaining to Future Events:

Yeah, Sousuke using the Lambda driver without difficult here is a bit weird continuity wise. But if they weren't going to include the Lambda driver in this arc, why bother with Gauron either? This arc is part of the reason people think he's such a bloody cockroach.

On the flip side including Gauron and the Lambda driver helps make this arc feel more linked with the rest of the season even if that link may be a bit strange continuity wise.

[Darthtabby]

Episode 17: "The Wind Blows at Home, Part Three"



This episode features more mech combat than any other in the first season. Too bad a lot of it strains credibility. Sousuke survives getting fired on at point blank range multiple times and there's quite a bit of technobabble. Its nice that the creators were thinking in enough detail to give the RK-92s sand filters, but I don't think taking out a sand filter is going to result in instant incapacitation.

It might not have been the writer's intention, but I'm sort of inclined to think of Grace Wiseman as an adopted name/persona. It doesn't really sound Eastern European.

Zeied was none too quick to take advantage of his opportunities to take out Sousuke. It might have been interesting if he'd been portrayed as hesitant to kill his former comrade. Or maybe that was the idea? He did prevent Gauron from pursuing back in Episode 15. Do you think that last scene was simply him giving up the ghost before finishing the job, or do you think he let Sousuke go?

This arc really is a bit awkward continuity wise for Sousuke's relationships with Kaname and the Arbalest. However I think his use of the Lambda Driver towards the end of the episode actually kind of works. At that point, he's not under pressure to protect the rest of his unit -he's simply enraged at Gauron.

Overall this arc has its issues, especially at the beginning, but I think it kind of works in the end. The staff set out to do something different in this arc, and the result is something a lot bleaker and more desolate than anything else in the first season.

[dasvik]

Originally Posted by Darthtabby

Episode 17: "The Wind Blows at Home, Part Three"
Zeied was none too quick to take advantage of his opportunities to take out Sousuke. It might have been interesting if he'd been portrayed as hesitant to kill his former comrade. Or maybe that was the idea? He did prevent Gauron from pursuing back in Episode 15. Do you think that last scene was simply him giving up the ghost before finishing the job, or do you think he let Sousuke go?

It's been some time since I last watched this arc, but from what I remember, yes, Zaied was kinda hesitant about killing his own comrade and friend, in all episodes. He was surprised when he first heard Gauron mentioning "Kashim" and his actions and expressions throughout the arc seemed to point to him not wanting to kill Sousuke. He was thinking about killing him because he was now his adversary, but it always seemed to me that if there were a way for both of them to live, he would've preferred that instead of killing him (allow him an escape route, to put it like that).
As for the end of it, I think he let Sousuke go. He knew he was going to die anyway, and killing Sousuke wouldn't have changed his situation, so he preffered to spare him, considering they were old friends and fought side by side numerous times when they were young.
That's my take on the events surrounding them.

[Darthtabby]

Episode 18: "Deep Sea Party"



We finally get the second OP. Actually its more like a different cut/version of the same song, but at least the imagery changes quite a bit. Kaname's little sister Ayame makes another cameo (she's also in the first ED).

How exactly did Sousuke convince his classmates to go along with his security gate plan? That scene always strains my suspension of disbelief a little because of that. In the source novel Sousuke and Kaname's conversation is not overheard by their curious classmates like it is here. That's a change I actually kind of like. It makes sense that their relationship would generate curiosity/gossip.

Sousuke seems relieved to be getting an unexpected transmission (which could potentially indicate a crisis). LOL at the expressions of the two women in the comm room with Kurz -I guess he actually is kind of popular with the ladies.

The skydiving scene is fun. I can understand why Kaname is a bit frazzled. I also rather like the scene where Kaname and the De Danaan crew exchange salutes though for different reasons. It really is quite an honor they're giving her, but then Kanames is a "heroine" who is actually heroic (I've had a minor beef with anime fandom using the term "heroine" to refer to any female character/love interest).

How did Kurz not get in trouble for the stunt he pulled with that bingo game? BTW, there are actually valid storytelling reasons for the anime to make Lian the third competitor in the three way bingo showdown, but in the novel the third competitor was Pave Mare (transport helicopter) pilot Eva Santos. Who is just as enthusiastic about the idea of getting a kiss from Tessa as her male comrades.

Sousuke is right that they're making an awful lot of noise (as many of you are likely aware, noise emissions have long played a critical role in the detection and tracking of submarines). Granted the TDD-1 has not actually ended the combat zone yet, but still.

Overall I actually rather like this episode, though the transition from the previous arc to this one is a bit awkward (the previous arc links into this one better later on).

[Mugen26]

Was away for another week so I am late for my homework again, so I'll just combine the remaining arc episodes.
Ep: 16:

• Right of the bat there is reused stock footage of choppers and Rk-92's getting destroyed. A decent way to save on animation, but noticeable none the less
• We get more fleshed out flashbacks of child guerrillas Sousuke and Zaied. These are some of the shining moments of this arc to watch as you get a great glimpse into Sousuke's rough past.
• The Indian ocean crew finally take note of Sousuke's experience in the terrain and with the enemy. By the end they at least take trust him enough to take command.
• I do like the back and forth of Sousuke's counterattack strategy and Zaied's anti counter attack plan for Gauron. It's a great set up to the tragic events about to come.

Overall 7/10. As I mentioned, it's a nice build up episode and seeing Sousuke's past in greater detail was a plus, but still felt like corners were cut from an animation standpoint. But it makes sense considering the effort put in the final episode of the mini arc.

Ep 17:

• There are some better production values with this one. Also really bold shadows/shading that give it a more noir like quality. Helps make the episode feel more dark to match the content.
• Gauron sneaks in to start picking off his prey one by one. He's quite deadly in his effectiveness and show how broken the lamda driver is.
• The battle between Sousuke against Zaied and other enemies is quite the spectacle. We see Sousuke dodging and using the Savages as a shield from enemy fire and it's very impressive looking.
• Gauron avoiding Batist's failed self destruction and coming down with a knife through the truck killing Jackson was a big holy shit moment the first time I saw it. It really hold's up. To top it off, Gray didn't have a chance and you could feel the utter despair and Gauron impales her cockpit with her own knife.
• Speaking of impalement, Sousuke's quick dodge of the gattling cannon and stabbing Zaied's AS is one of the most gruesome deaths of the first series. You know he wasn't living through that one after you see the results inside.
• They lack of music in the climax conveys an appropriate empty feeling as Gauron and Sousuke face off once again with a head to head lamda driver battle. Gauron's fate are left ambiguous but the winner is Sousuke once again.
• Even the reunion with Kaname still felt in tone with the rest of the episode, resulting in a somber yet bittersweet end.

Overall 9/10 - This is easily one of the best animated and directed episodes of the series, possibly the best of Season 1. The somber and dramatic tone was set up for the big climax and it sure delivered. Great job with this one Gonzo.

I'll come back sometime real soon with the current episode thoughts but have to leave now.

[Darthtabby]

Episode 19: "Engaging Six and Seven"



This is not one of my favorite episodes. The backstory about how Mao, Kurz and Sousuke met (which comes from one of the short stories) is okay, but having the girls take a bath together in a tub used to wash AS parts? While aboard the freaking submarine? They were really stretching for an excuse for some fan service there.

Kurz really is a bit of a creep at times, isn't he? I think I've become more aware of that over time. Though it could also be that I haven't rewatched the later parts of the series quite as much as some of the early stuff where it isn't thrust to the center quite as much. I did like the bit about him asking Mao if she was there to steal his underwear though.

I might have been inclined to handle the fight with the Rebels quite differently from how the episode itself does, as the way Sousuke and Kurz took down and used that RK-92 seemed questionable to me. Maybe have Kurz snipe the rebels while Sousuke leaps from a building onto the back of an AS to hijack it (like he did in a flashback in the previous arc iirc). But then that's more of a hard action approach, and this is kind of comedic material.

I do like some of the small details in this episode, like Kaname reflecting on Tessa being called away in the middle of the bath, and the way Sousuke revealed a hint of his real skill when he intervened in the confrontation between Kurz and Mao. BTW I seem to remember reading that the reason Sousuke and Kurz were hiding their true skills was because they weren't sure what to make of Mithril yet (though I don't know whether that's something that's explicitly stated in the original short story or whether that's just speculation).

[Mugen26]

Looks like I gotta double episodes again to catch up Here are my thoughts on episodes 18 & 19:

Ep 18:

• Second OP visuals ftw! I enjoy the focus of the AS battles in this, like a montage of Gonzo's greatest work with this series.
• For the anime only people, Gauron's sudden reveal may come as a big "wtf" since we had just him supposedly die the last episode. Two disposable clients of Gauron's explain he can't be trusted since he ran away in Helmajistan right before he off's them. However this is the first time we know he survived since the hijacking incident in the novels.
• Yeah, I agree Darthtabby that the security gate thing seems a bit crazy for the other students to be on board with it so easily. It's all for a good gag though but comes off as a bit much.
  We meet the Pasadena and Captain Sailor as Tessa and the De Dannan crew use them as bait for practice. Sailor's "We'll get revenge for this!" remark is actually kinda of funny because
  Spoiler for spolier for upcoming story elements:

  he unintentionally does by screwing up the plans of the SRT in the current audio dramas of Novel 6.
• The skydiving scene cracks me up everytime! Especially since how out of nowhere it was for Kaname. Her reaction's made that scene gold.
• The TDD's surprise salute for Chidori's previous acts of valor was very appropriate, and realistic if you think about it. You can't just brush off and forget about how brave and helpful a "normal" high school civilian was in those situations.
• The Bingo scene was amusing as well, especially with Kurz's hosting and commentary. Kaname clearly looked worried how close Sousuke was to winning the Tessa kiss prize lol.
• The episode comes to a close with Gauron easily dispatching the American M6 units unbeknownst to the crew of the TDD-1 and their karoke party. The juxtoposition of the two scenes works pretty well here.

Overal 8.5/10. I thoroughly enjoyed the episode despite some wonky gags at the start. Having Kaname being toured around by Tessa as a VIP guest in the De Dannan was a nice touch and we get to learn more about them and the crew in a non forced way. It was a fun episode as well as the calm before the storm of whats to come.

Ep 19:

• Kaname, Tessa, and Mao in a bath - The episode. Yep, they know who they were targeting for this one lol. The return of the fan service, but I much rather have it in a setting like this over unnecessary panty shots.
• Kurz could seriously face major consequences in a real life setting with his sexual harassment advances. But Mao being tough as nails would rather deal with it by beating his ass lol.
• So is the way Sagara is pronounced in Japanese close to how "Seagal" like Steven Seagal? This isn't the first time someone has confused it in the series. I can see that more in Japanese speech since L and R are interchangeable when spoken.
• Mao has some interesting insults to get someone angry. Very immature remarks like "Poo-Poo head" gets me snickering and face palming every time. Gives her some insight on her personality.
• Kurz proves how he was hiding his superb marksmanship skills with that rifle shot into the vent of the Rk-92. Sousuke also demonstrates his mastery of the Rk-92 and it's potential in the hands of an ace AS pilot.
• Just when you think the episode is over, we get some more pleasant scenes of Sousuke giving a final tour of the sub to Kaname. Little moments like these really make the episode for me.

Overall 7/10 - The flashback story is a neat one, but nothing too noteworthy. It at least gives us more insight on the relationship of our favorite SRT trio.

[Darthtabby]

Episode 20: "Venom's Flame"



I like the bit near the beginning of this episode where Tessa has a talk with Kaname about the Whispered. What isn't mentioned in the anime version of the scene is that Tessa is not authorized to share that information with Kaname. The anime version also cuts the first mention of the Intelligence Division operative who is assigned to observe Kaname -a character who plays a significant role in the next novel and its anime adaptation as The Second Raid.

I kind of like how this arc incorporates the events of the previous anime original arc. Even though that arc makes it seem a bit odd that Sousuke's issues with the Lambda driver are only cropping up now. Interestingly Gauron also indicates that he's motivated by events from the previous arc in this episode.

In the source novel the Venom looks essentially the same as the Codarl Guaron piloted in the first arc except for the color, but the anime director apparently wanted the Venom to look more badass so the mechanical director came up with a more heavily revised variant. Personally I'm not sure the blades on the Venom are as good a choice for heat dissipation as the "hair" on the earlier Codarl. Also in the novel the mechs piloted by Gauron's subordinates were not Soviet built "Shadows" but the French Mistral II, a design that would eventually make its anime debut among the forces of a warlord in The Second Raid.

I wonder if the battle with Venom would have seemed more tense if I was watching it for the first time rather than already being well aware of the outcome.

[Mugen26]

Thought for Ep 20:

• For the viewers, especially first-timers, we gets some much needed discussion between Kaname and Tessa about the Whispered and what they are able to do, such as resonance. This is still technically classified information the captain is exposing to a civilian, however I can understand Tessa's judgement to do so since they are both Whispered. Also love how the conversation derails from a serious discussion to a simple teenage girl rivalry over a boy's affection.
• There's a neat visual effect Gonzo does by compositing actual footage of milk being poured into the tea for the mix effect, while everything around it is animated. It's a bit jarring though since it looks super-realistic compared to the 2-D visuals. My guess is the animators had originally intended the footage to be used as reference but decided to compose it in the final version to save on effects.
  

  Originally Posted by Darthtabby

  The anime version also cuts the first mention of the Intelligence Division operative who is assigned to observe Kaname -a character who plays a significant role in the next novel and its anime adaptation as The Second Raid.

  While it's an interesting fact and plays into future events, it makes sense why Gonzo would remove this mention. They had planned to only cover the series up to the end of the story content from Novel 3 with no immediate plans for a sequel.

• There is a lot of pressure on Sgt. Sagara because only his Lambda Driver unit can combat the enemy Venom, and the success of the operation solely depends on him. Any sliver of doubt in his mind must effect his use of properly controlling it. When thinking about that, last arc makes a little more sense because he was likely more sure of himself at that time, resulting in him using the Lambda Driver more effectively .
• It's a minor detail, but I do like Kurz and Mao's concern over Sousuke and the effect his previous mission had on him, only for Kurz to hush about it after seeing Kaname and act like his usual playboy self to play it off. Even with it resulting in a typical elbow to the gut from Mao, it's a sequence that gives some depth to the character. Also we get to see a small glimpse of Nora Lemming interacting with Sousuke in the background! (Nora is bae btw)
• While the dialogue is interesting and the events should be more exciting, the odd perspective angles and clunky movements somewhat undermine the Mech action taking place. Gonzo proved they can do some great stuff with AS battles in Ep. 7 and Ep. 17, but these come off as less impressive here.
• What's funny is that I completely forgot that there was even a hostage situation involved in this mission. They mention the hostages plenty of times, but never SHOW them. If there was even a brief cut of Mao's M9 directing the hostages instead of just hearing her say it while the viewers continue to see a slow panning shot of the island, that would have made a difference to me. This wouldn't be a problem if it were Gatou and Takemoto at the helm with Kyoto Animation, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
• I do like the fact that Sousuke is suffering from PTSD because of his doomed Indian Ocean comrades during the bullet-flying fight with Gauron. It makes for some much needed drama. Poor Mao gets knocked out of commission because of it though.
• Way for Kurz to think on his feet with dropping a freaking building on Gauron's AS, causing it to overheat. That's smart thinking you don't get everyday in anime.
• Even in a bad situation while surrendering, Gauron is as smug as ever. "Why don't you shoot me? You'll regret it". Masahiko Tanaka does such a great job as Gauron, but hat's off to Mike MacRea too for his chilling delivery in the English dub. "Better shoot me now, you might regret it later Kashim." Perfect.

Overall 7/10. I liked the events, the setting, the dialogue, but just some issues on the visual side of things such as animation and direction prevented what could have been an absolute classic of an episode. It's a shame that it felt underwhelming considering everything it had.