Full Metal Panic! FUMOFFU Vol. 1: Full Metal Pandemonium 2002 ADV Films Official US Website Buy It Now Official Japanese Website

I know that there were some people that were a little disappointed that the first Full Metal Panic, simply because it didn't embody the usual standards that most associate with an anime that is supposed to be from the mecha genre. While the series did in fact feature some giant robots here and there, for the most part, Full Metal Panic played itself out like a comedy much of the time, with some action and intrigue thrown in for good measure, If you weren't pleased with the presentation of the original series, then I'm going to urge you right now, STOP READING! For those of you that loved Full Metal Panic however, the follow-up series, Full Metal Panic FUMOFFU goes right to the roots of the series, namely; laughter.

We've seen Sagara Sousuke in some precarious predicaments in the past. We've seen him organize some brilliant rescues, become involved in dangerous mecha combat, but now the battlefield has placed him somewhere that he has little knowledge of . . . . real life. FUMOFFU is something of a fan service series, but not in the way that you might expect. We're not talking about gratuitous panty shots (though there are a few), shots of Chidori running around in her bra and panties, or anything like that. No, instead we get something that is a little different.

As seen in the original series, when it comes to life at school or working with the fairer sex, Sousuke is completely in the dark, and this is what FUMOFFU capitalizes on. There are no mechas, there are no terrorists, save for the imagined ones that Sousuke comes up with, and the world isn't in danger. But, when you have a guy around that has been labeled a military nut, you know that there are going to be problems. We see Sagara setting traps at school to stop thefts, we see him using his expert marksmanship to destroy helpless watermelons, and most importantly, he just cant' seem to get a clue as to the fact that Chidori likes him. Of course, he's clueless when any girl likes him. Love isn't his specialty; it's all about his military training.

Full Metal Panic doesn't necessarily rely on a major plot to work its magic. The first two episodes actually are something of an old school presentation. Instead of a full-length episode, you will find that the first two episodes of the FUMOFFU series play themselves off much like the early Urusei Yatsura episodes in the fact that there are two mini-episodes here, and plenty of laughter. FMP in all instances, the original and the newer series, has been set up in an Osaka comedy fashion, and we find that time and time again, Sosuke is the recipient of a paper fan to the back of the head . . . . quite a few times actually.

But, does it work? Yes, it works, and quite well actually. It isn't too much of a departure from what the original Full Metal Panic had to offer, and instead of balancing out comedy and action, laugh-out-loud humor is really the name of the game here. And what of the other cast members from the first FMP? Well . . . . . . I saw them in the opening credits. A this point, only the high school classmates show up, including a new character, Atsunobu Hayashimizu, the current class president who actually seems to understand where Sousuke is coming from, much to Chidori's dismay. Tess makes a minor voice appearance, but this is really all about Sagara and Chidori, and at this point, not necessarily in a way that is improving their relationship. I'm sure that will change by the end of the series, although there is a part of me that really hopes that isn't the case. I know that FUMOFFU is a shorter series, and I realize that a big part of Full Metal Panic has been the relationship between Sagara and Chidori, no matter how strange it may be, but this is one I would love to see continue on.

Visually, Full Metal Panic FUMOFFU looks no different from the original FMP series. The animation is identical in every way to its predecessor. While it's a little odd for a series that has gone from borderline action to full-fledged comedy to have a more sophisticated appearance, and that's not to say that FMP is trying to replicate a series like RahXephon, you do still have large, round eyes and spiked hair, changing the look of the series in terms of appearance really wouldn't work. You still have moments of action here, and there are a handful of explosions (Sagara loves explosives) but the appeal really is the imagery as well as the comedy.

Now, you're probably hoping that there are some extra materials included with the first volume, and there's no reason to get up in arms and plot some secret mission to initiate revenge. The first volume does have some goodies for you. First off, there is The Mysteries of FUMOFFU section. This talks about the fact there in Japan; the on-air episodes differed just a little bit from what was released on DVD. I'm not going to go into details on this. You can read it for yourself (at least, I'm hoping that's the case.) There are also clean versions of the opening and closing animation, both of which are done marvelously. There are also collections of the original Japanese television spots for the series as well as a look at the character art. If that still isn't enough, the DVD comes with an enclosed board game (err . . . . paper game) that you can play as well as an exclusive offer to save 50% on the new Full Metal Panic thinkpak edition of the original series, something that we're hoping to get a look at soon.

Again, for those that really didn't like the fact that the first series blended in comedy with action and didn't necessarily take the "full metal" title into a part of many of the episodes, I really don't think you're going to be happy with the comedy aspect of FUMOFFU, and I'd actually be surprised if you're even reading this portion of the review. For the rest of us though, FUMOFFU is an outrageous comedy that shows that just about anyone can be at a complete loss when it comes to affairs of the heart, and even more so when you've got a pair of blinders on that allow you to only see the ways of war, and in that case, FUMOFFU proves that in fact, love really is a battlefield.

Episode 1 - The Man from the South / A Hostage With No Compromises

Sousuke encounters what he believes to letter from a terrorist planning to kill him, and he prepares to stop it. Unfortunately, his beliefs may be a little inaccurate, and Chidori knows what's really going on. Later, Sousoke finds Chidori taken hostage by a gang wanting revenge against him, and he knows just the way to even the playing field.

Episode 2 - Hostility Passing By / A Fruitless Lunchtime

With the local bakery temporarily out of action, Chidori and the other students have taken to selling snacks, but one of their teachers has it in for them, or rather, Sousuke, and will do anything to make their sales plummet. Next up, Sousuke has taken Chidori's notes to complete his homework, but when he leaves them at home, they make an emergency trip to get them back and it seems that everything is standing in their way.

Episode 3 - Summer Illusion of Steel

It's summertime and the perfect opportunity to spend some time at the beach. As usual though, Sousuke makes a fatal mistake, driving Chidori off and makingher more than willing to accept an invitation to tea by a young boy. But, when Sousuke goes looking for her, he fears the worst and rushes out on a rescue mission.

-mike-
 

Genre: Action Comedy   Series Director: Tasuhiro Takemoto   Directed by: Episode 1 - Takamasa Kitanohara Episode 2 - Hiroshi Yamamoto Episode 3 - Ichiro Miyoshi   Written by: Episode 1 - Shouji Gatou Episode 2 & 3 - Fumihiko Shimo   Based Upon the Manga by: Syouji Gatoh & Retsu Tateo   Voice Cast: Tomokazu Seki (Sousuke Sagara) Satsuki Yokino (Kaname Chidori) Toshiyuki Morikawa (Atsunobu Hayashimizu)

DVD Features: Dual Language Japanese/English English Subtitles The Mysteries of FUMOFFU Clean open and close Character Sketches Original Japanese Promo Spots Board Game Contains Episodes 1 - 3