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FULL METAL PANIC? FUMOFFU COMPLETE SERIES DVD BOX SET |
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Tuesday, 02 January 2007 |
 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | ADV FILMS | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 4:3 FULL FRAME | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH DD 5.1 AND JAPANESE DD 2.0 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 300 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | TV PG | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 12/12/2006 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 01/03/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD | | |
SYNOPSIS:
Sousuke and Kaname are back in action! And this time, the battleground is the school ground! High-yield explosives and hilarity come together with a bang, as the somber soldier and his unwitting target brave everything from lovesick "terrorists" to an unforgiving teacher who is bent on revenge. But as good as he is with guns, Sousuke is one clueless commando when it comes to girls - especially Kaname!
The complete series of 12 episodes are contained on 3 discs in this box set.
REVIEW:
Based off of the characters in the original manga and the first anime series of Full Metal Panic, this is the story about boy meets girl. Specifically, it’s about a military hyper-focused soldier boy named Sousuke, who is sent undercover to a high school to protect beautiful but bossy Kaname, a girl who has an innate psychic ability that can help win wars. Sounds dangerous, doesn’t it? It definitely comes across as a sci-fi action. And it is. At least the first series was. Yet FUMOFFU steers away from the more dramatic moments of the original anime series and focuses on the outrageous happenings at the high school and the many crazy outcomes as Sousuke, a guerrilla soldier most of his life, struggles to understand what acceptable Japanese high school behaviour entails as he strives to meet his goal of being a bodyguard to Kaname.
I enjoyed the original Full Metal Panic! anime series very much. Although some fans of the original show might be wary of seeing a brief 4 volume series concentrating on the lighter, comedic moments only briefly touched on in the original series, there’s no need. Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU stays true to the beloved characters of the original anime while giving viewers a delightful ride along with them. We are introduced to a host of new characters as we see the day to day life of Sousuke and Kaname at Jindai high. In fact, one of the truly great things about this anime is that it is unrepentantly silly. It takes no prisoners, humorously speaking, and shows us a great time as we watch the hijinks ensue. From the start of the uplifting opening theme we are shown a lush animation style filled with warm colors and transported into Kaname and Sousuke’s slice of life. The romantic sweetness of Sousuke’s seemingly oblivious behaviour towards Kaname’s feelings for him, and his own for her, warms the heart even as it makes us laugh. And I can’t stress enough the hilarity of watching him struggle with what normal behaviour should be. Examples include his blowing up the locker room when he misconstrues a love letter as a potential lethal threat, or when he is asked to model for art class and he turns it into a dangerous obstacle course.
This is just the beginning of the series. With lush animation and beautiful, romantic opening theme, FMPF dives right into the enjoyably ridiculous. There’s also bringing the rugby team up to snuff via military strategy, trips to the hot springs, and a mistaken military delivery of a bio hazard weapon at the school which leads to hysterically funny results. As for the mascot Bonta-kun, you’ll have to watch the anime to discover what that’s all about. This anime is self-indulgence of the best kind. A thoroughly enjoyable comedy, it will thrill fans of the original series and new viewers alike.
EXTRAS:
The only bonus features is previews of other ADV titles.
IN SUMMARY:
Upbeat and unrelentingly funny, this anime series has a touch of romance, rich animation and a wonderful self-indulgent sense of fun. |
