Full Metal Panic Invisible Victory - Episode 6 Discussion / Poll

[monir]

Welcome to the discussion thread for Full Metal Panic, Episode 6.

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[HunterSeeker]

The faces on the characters are a bit off, but we all prepared for that so it's OK.
As for the episode itself, now where're those who doubt the use of this arc in the last episode? They've explained as much and necessary as they could (including Sousuke recalling Chidori), I'm pretty satisfied with what they do.

Now the next episode will be a big one for those who didn't read the novel so stay tuned.

[Mad Pierrot]

Yeah, I also noticed the weird faces but at least it wasn't like Psycho-Pass 18. Also, Sousuke sure smiled a lot in the episode. It does seem weird to see him like that. Looking forward to this current mini arc

[Hiss13]

There's something amusing about seeing a mech gladiator fight where one of the of the mechs is sponsored by a waifu figurine manufacturer...and another by Bandai Namco.

[Klashikari]

At this point, I can't help but wonder if the schedule hell won't affect the second cour, even if they probably have a break right after the first one.
This episode was pretty much the worst to date in term of keyframes and direction all around. Sousuke and Lemon had a lot of extremely off cuts left and right. In fact, Sousuke got so much derp faces it looked like there are 4-5 different versions of him.

The direction was pretty lackluster, especially the prison scene and Sousuke/Nami discussion at the hotel.
In the prison cell, Sousuke talked in a very blunt and onimous fashion, but virtually nothing push that atmosphere in term of presentation: just having him smirking and talking plainly about joining the illegal matches.
Meanwhile, Nami/Sousuke discussion was really flat. Sousuke was just explaining his reasons, and the camera plainly switched between both without any angle change, without any flair whatsoever.

And before someone asks, "talking heads" can have some cinematography sense in them. This video, albeit about movies, explans it pretty well.
And this was present in both FMP and TSR to boot.

Thus far, FMPIV is probably one of the few weird example of adaptation: the adaptation process, as in staying faithful to the original material, is decent, pretty good even. But the directing is extremely abysmal. There is really no flair, and it hurts FMP quite a lot because a lot of drama is affected by the atmosphere and the execution of the scenes.
This was something which the manga adaptation, Sigma, was guilty of, but I never would have thought it would be the same kind of issue in an animated format.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Klashikari

Thus far, FMPIV is probably one of the few weird example of adaptation: the adaptation process, as in staying faithful to the original material, is decent, pretty good even. But the directing is extremely abysmal. There is really no flair, and it hurts FMP quite a lot because a lot of drama is affected by the atmosphere and the execution of the scenes.
This was something which the manga adaptation, Sigma, was guilty of, but I never would have thought it would be the same kind of issue in an animated format.

Eh, I think “extremely abysmal” is an overexaggeration (is that even a word?). “extremely abysmal” to me is a point where the direction has gone way past awful and became unwatchable to the point where you just want to turn off the screen (Uwe Boll's movies come to mind). I never feel that way watching FMP IV so far. Aside from derpy faces and rendering problem for the CG, all the shots have been harmlessly mediocre at worst and admirably pleasant at best.

And speaking of drama, don't you think you're being a bit too dramatic with the "extremely abysmal" line?

[Applehell]

Hmm, that list was in english, how weird. I guess Nami and co assume it would be easier to communicate in writing this way?

Originally Posted by Klashikari

At this point, I can't help but wonder if the schedule hell won't affect the second cour, even if they probably have a break right after the first one.
This episode was pretty much the worst to date in term of keyframes and direction all around. Sousuke and Lemon had a lot of extremely off cuts left and right. In fact, Sousuke got so much derp faces it looked like there are 4-5 different versions of him.

The direction was pretty lackluster, especially the prison scene and Sousuke/Nami discussion at the hotel.
In the prison cell, Sousuke talked in a very blunt and onimous fashion, but virtually nothing push that atmosphere in term of presentation: just having him smirking and talking plainly about joining the illegal matches.
Meanwhile, Nami/Sousuke discussion was really flat. Sousuke was just explaining his reasons, and the camera plainly switched between both without any angle change, without any flair whatsoever.

And before someone asks, "talking heads" can have some cinematography sense in them. This video, albeit about movies, explans it pretty well.
And this was present in both FMP and TSR to boot.

Thus far, FMPIV is probably one of the few weird example of adaptation: the adaptation process, as in staying faithful to the original material, is decent, pretty good even. But the directing is extremely abysmal. There is really no flair, and it hurts FMP quite a lot because a lot of drama is affected by the atmosphere and the execution of the scenes.
This was something which the manga adaptation, Sigma, was guilty of, but I never would have thought it would be the same kind of issue in an animated format.

I'm more warm to this season than you, but yeah I can't but agree with production being lackluster compared to TSR. There is definitely a sterilized feel about some of the scenes in the show. Perhaps has to do with scheduling but hard to buy that as an excuse considering the novels were finished a long time ago. That said I don't think it's that bad yet.

On the episode, now that Kurama knows that Sousuke is in town looking for them, I wonder if he just disengage from whatever operation Amalgam are running here. Unless they can't so easily this would be the best of course of action since as he said himself, unlike Gauron and Gates he's far more prudent and he knows first-hand that Soiusuke is too much of a wildcard to got up against without insurance he'll can be dealt with.

[Klashikari]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

...

I'd appreciate that you don't consider your own standards with mine. I have no problem considering something "extremely abysmal" when it comes to direction and stuff, and still watch it, hoping it will be fixed in a way or another. When something becomes utterly unwatchable, I usually say so, or resort to something more "colorful". So yeah, don't project your own idea of "abysmal" to me, thank you.
And before you might make that kind of mistake: I'm not enjoying being negative about IV. To the contrary, it is frustrating for me to be disappointed like that for a series that I've been waiting for a very long time, and no, I didn't expect a FMP bis or TSR bis considering the staff and its content. Based on its own narrative, it is really bad to me, that's all there is to it.

And that part was entirely about the direction, and I didn't even consider the sakuga issues or the CG issues for that appreciation. Those weren't great, but not 'abysmal' yet. It isn't something comparable to Qualidea Code or something. Those issues are apart from my main problem, which is the general direction of IV at large.

[Illsteir]

I love the the engineering porn in the beginning. It's not often that you see maintenance in mecha anime in that level of detail.
The Goodsmile decal was fitting for, out-universe, it's the company who acquired the license to produce the 1/60 Savage "Crosbow" model kit.
The matches were short but were on point showing that Sousuke's AS piloting skills are leagues above the others.
Also, defeating ASes via submission hold. How do they work?

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Illsteir

I love the the engineering porn in the beginning. It's not often that you see maintenance in mecha anime in that level of detail.

Indeed. The detailed repair job is certainly a welcome addition. It also helps that AS is not that big to begin with (Savage and Arbalest are only around 8-8.5 meters tall compared to the average Gundams which are 15-18 meters) so the maintenance can be done with fewer people, simpler tools and feels more personal and grounded.

[dasvik]

Either they paced it right this time around, or I'm getting used to the rushed pace, cause it didn't feel rushed. Sousuke smirking all the time during the interrogation was a bit off, since he's serious in the novels (here he looks like a brat), but I think they wanted to show that that was his objective all along, and couldn't find a better way to do it. Sousuke and Nami's talk at the end was ok, I don't think it has to be too dramatic - I do agree that the series lacks drama or feels somewhat flat / bland overall, I can't exactly say why, whether it's direction or something else - but I don't think that scene is something that can be used as proof of that. And once again I can't help but notice the detail they've put into certain objects, like the policemen's guns or the RK-92 in the opening shots - pity we didn't get so much detail for characters too.

[LeoXiao]

Originally Posted by Klashikari

Thus far, FMPIV is probably one of the few weird example of adaptation: the adaptation process, as in staying faithful to the original material, is decent, pretty good even. But the directing is extremely abysmal. There is really no flair, and it hurts FMP quite a lot because a lot of drama is affected by the atmosphere and the execution of the scenes.

Like I said in an earlier thread, it really feels like the producers are just going through the motions with a lot of the content. It's like they're going down a checklist of what scenes and dialogue they need and that's it.

I actually liked Sousuke smiling in the interrogation talk, even though the scene felt otherwise somewhat wooden. It showed you that Sousuke had returned to his element and was getting back into action even with his arms tied (literally).

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by dasvik

Sousuke smirking all the time during the interrogation was a bit off, since he's serious in the novels (here he looks like a brat)

Isn't it supposed to be the opposite? Sosuke smirking and able to calmly negotiate with the corrupt chief of police during a violent and oppressive interrogation shows how mature he is and how in-control he is. A simple brat would've broke down in fear during such occasion and probably even screamed and cried .

[dasvik]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

Isn't it supposed to be the opposite? Sosuke smirking and able to calmly negotiate with the corrupt chief of police during a violent and oppressive interrogation shows how mature he is and how in-control he is. A simple brat would've broke down in fear during such occasion and probably even screamed and cried .

Calmly negotiate? Yes. Mature? Surely. Smirking? No way, that's not Sousuke's nature or style (plus, say what you want, smirking is immature). He's an elite soldier, who basically spent his childhood fighting alongside guerilla forces. If anything, his life has been mostly dramatic, so he's not the type to think he's cool or something because of his skills, which would lead to him smirking. On the contrary, he's mostly direct or even bland about stuff like that, showing no emotions.

"I'm not an amateur," the young man stated flatly. "I'm a specialist."
His tone wasn't resolute, nor his attitude overbearing when he said that. He simply spoke as if his being a specialist was only natural. His presence held a silent persuasive power making the way he spoke unimportant.

That's from when he first met Nami (It's also a nice recall of his conversation with Kaname, using the same words, from the first novel volume). Does that look like someone who would smirk when being interrogated?
Smile - as in, when he was in Tokyo, with his colleagues, or with his Mithril friends - yes, but smirk, no way.

Here are 2 fragments from the novel's interrogation scene that also show he isn't exactly the smirking type (in the novel there are 3 policemen at the interrogation):

Even though it was called an interrogation room, the only things in the room were a pair of pipe chairs and a naked light bulb hanging from the ceiling. Many dark red stains decorated the bare concrete walls. More than likely blood that splattered during 'police questioning' between the officers and prisoners. It was not just blood. In the corners of the room, blending in with the dust and rubbish, there was something that looked like brown pebbles scattered around.
Those… were teeth.
(Were they pulled out with pliers? Or were they knocked loose from being hit too hard? How many 'guests' must have been here in order for so many teeth to be collected? Did they leave the room like this, without cleaning it, hoping to stir the next victim's fear?) he wondered silently.
But rather than being affected by the dreary scene, Sousuke was strangely nostalgic.
It's true it was strange, considering that that place was supposed to be his own personal graveyard. Nevertheless, he couldn't help what thoughts passed through his mind.
A warm Tokyo apartment. A classroom overflowing with light. A good home-cooked meal and the feeling of laughter. Those, of course, were happy memories. But it was a world he no longer belonged to. Especially the way he was right then.
Expressionlessly, Sousuke sat in one of the chairs and fixed his gaze on a spot on the wall. His heart slowly became cold, and his feelings became dry. His eyes stared blankly, and his nerves sharpened.
Sharper. Colder.
In that way, he turned back into 'Kashim.'
It was a process he had been perfecting little by little, ever since he had left Tokyo. It was essential for him to do so, even if it had been a hindrance while living with Nami and Lemon.
After waiting for roughly an hour, a man finally entered the room. It was the Chief.


Even when Lemon and Nami were threatened, Sousuke didn't lose his cool. On the contrary, he was seriously considering, with his hands cuffed behind his back, whether or not he could kill the two officers and the Chief.
Yes, he could.
If he'd kill the three men and remove the handcuffs, he wondered if he could commandeer a weapon and escape.
It wouldn't be that difficult. Break Lemon out of the detention cell, run to where Nami was, and then leave town? In all honesty, it would be easy.
But there would be no point. So instead Sousuke answered.

So yes, he was calm and relaxed, but I don't see any character trait described there, or in any other part of FMP, that would make him smirk.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by dasvik

(plus, say what you want, smirking is immature).

You don't even need to add such long explanation in your post. The one line above pretty much explains why you disagree with me. I frankly don't know where you get that "smirking=immature" concept. Smirking is an expression fits for almost any age. A lot of adult characters smirk in movies & IRL. In fact, little kids tend to do less smirking than adults. Smirking is a sign of "confidence", "condescension" or "having fun", and I think what Sosuke did fits the first description (and probably a little bit of the second).

[HunterSeeker]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

You don't even need to add such long explanation in your post. The one line above pretty much explains why you disagree with me. I frankly don't know where you get that "smirking=immature" concept. Smirking is an expression fits for almost any age. A lot of adult characters smirk in movies & IRL. In fact, little kids tend to do less smirking than adults. Smirking is a sign of "confidence", "condescension" or "having fun", and I think what Sosuke did fits the first description (and probably a little bit of the second).

To me, Sousuke smriking isn't out of his character for too much, as back in ONS he has been actively taunting Takuma. Him smirking at the officer is to make sure the officer isn't enjoying an advantage over him, and that he will not yield easily. It's basically a sign of confidence.

[BluePhirePB]

Funny ep. LOL @ poop detail.

[ditn]

wow thevengineering detail was great.
cleaning the rods and pistons for second i though i was watching car show

[Yu Ominae]

Damn. Good Smile Company gets a shoutout in the advertising segment of the episode.

[Guido]

This is building-up for the upcoming inferno to get unleashed at the climax for this current arc.

Sousuke winning streak wasn't for show, but it was bait to lure out Amalgams' agents and fell for it hook, line, and stinker. Nevertheless, the short end of the tradeoff is that Mr. Kurama is deducing Sousuke's every move, leaving the latter on quite a bind.

Under those circumstances, Sousuke must come to fully realize to trust and depend on whatever few allies and comrades he has managed to make in order to secure an immediate victory over Amalgam on Chidoris' whereabouts.