Tuesday, March 7, 2006

   Full Metal Panic - Reviews & comparison /*Spoiler Alert*/
I am straying from the educational track for a moment. I just finished watching Full Metal Panic - The Second Raid. If you are confused, don't worry - it hasn't been released yet in the U.S. I have watched all 3 series and read the manga and had a sudden urge to do a comparison.

First off, the manga. Don't bother. There are a total of 2-3 pages in the 7 volumes that I felt added something to the anime series. A little more information on the Whispered. They start hearing whispered voices when they get older & those voices tell them about the technology. The second was a single frame where they mentioned that Sagura and the Lt. Commander Kalinin were being harbored by some Islamic militants because they were both on the run from the KGB. And the third - well, kinda silly actually. They mentioned that they tripped the override switch on the microwave when they were trying to deactivate the transmitter without surgery. That bugged me in the anime series. A microwave doesn't work with the door open. There, now you don't have to read the manga. It was a mix of storylines seen in the original anime series and storylines from Fumoffu, so it had an uneven feel to it. They also do not have the desert storyline which is such an integral part of the first anime series. Overall, not as entertaining as any of the anime series.

My second favorite series is the original anime series. I think that this has a good storyline with interesting characters, even if I did get tired of seeing Gauron. I like the interaction between Sousuke and Chidori & Chidori and Tessa. Not as much growth in the characters as I would like to see, but a very nice mix of lighthearted episodes and serious action episodes.

Next on the list, and unfortunately my least favorite of the anime series - Fumoffu. They decided to go all out humor on this one - and they did succeed in a number of episodes. Episode 4 where Sousuke first dresses in the Bonta-kun outfit had me laughing out loud. The episode with the art field trip was also very amusing, but mostly because I have listened to enough artists to be highly amused by the art teacher. The rest of the episodes are mostly slapstick and jiggle humor. Amusing, but nothing I would go out of my way to see.

And finally - The Second Raid. Wow. This one exceeded my expectations. This is a complete 180 from Fumoffu & I would have to say an 'R' rating if it were released in the U.S. This is a very serious series examining the characters and watching them grow, or at least change. Sousuke breaks the mold of the "perfect" soldier always following orders. The biggest shock was probably when he picks up a hooker in Hong Kong while walking around with a bottle of Scotch after abandoning a mission. Yeah... this series is a little different. My one complaint of the series, is that they added some unnecessary sexual deviancy to some of the villains. Specifically, for those of you have seen it, a scene with the 2 chinese sisters and the scene where Dr. Gates is watching the film with the cute critters. My favorite scenes were 1) Sousuke's thoughts while in the salon as well as his conversation with Chidori following the incident. 2) Sousuke's conversation with "sensei" (serious mind games) & 3) Sousuke's conversation with Tessa near the end. I know - all my favorite scenes in an action series are conversations, but that's how it goes.

I hope they come out with another series (or spinoff series). I am interested in seeing more of Leonard. I also think it would be interesting to see Sousuke try to start a real relationship.

Well, I am interested in hearing other people's opinions of the different series. Until next time...
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