When "Full Metal Panic" was broadcast on Japanese TV for the first time, I was a 12-year-old kid. I do not know if I already knew then that anime are cartoons from Japan (at that time it was joked that they were "Chinese Fairy Tales"), but even if not, it was soon to change thanks to the TV series "Hellsing", and later "Neon Genesis Evangelion". Before these two series, I thought the anime were cartoons similar to "G.I Joe" or "Transformers", but a Franco-Italian-Japanese co-production. I don't know why I thought that, probably because the anime that was broadcast on TV was dubbed in French ("Mysterious Cities of Gold", "Captain Tsubasa", "Daimos", "Mahō-tsukai Sari", "Kaiketsu Zorro", "Yatterman", "The Jungle Book" etc.) + at a similar time I was in France and Italy with my family, where I had my first serious contact with "Neon Genesis Evangelion", "Gundam", "City Hunter" and a few others. The first was a serious one, because before that I knew the openings that appeared on various CDs - be it computer magazines, not related to M&A, or the Polish window on the manga world - Kawaii. My brain somehow connected French dubbing, huge advertising banners or TV commercials that I saw in the above-mentioned countries. A few years later, when my knowledge was a bit greater, I wrote on several forums before Facebook murdered most of them. Back then, "Full Metal Panic" was quite popular. I did not see him then, because my knowledge of English was poor + the anime is supported by Gonzo studio, which did not enjoy a good reputation at the time. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I guess it was because their anime is technically weak + they have too many ecchi elements - i.e. boobs exposed or a naked part of their body. Or at least that's how they were perceived. I do not know how much truth there is, I am not going to investigate it myself, because it does not really matter. And guess what? I am very glad that I missed this title and only got to know it now.
Why? Mainly because I won't suffer so much from not having an ending (the anime still hasn't adapted the entire comic) + I'm mature and educated enough to fully appreciate it. And what is it for! FMP is a title that I can classify into the real mecha genre (apart from one element that I could defend with my argument, at least I think so), which, combined with the atmosphere of the war anime, gives me a lot of fun! The atmosphere is not as dense as in LotGH or "Gundam the Origin" and I can say the same for the degree of realism. Or rather realistic depiction of reality, because it is difficult to talk about the former, as in our world we do not have such mechs yet, but I do not treat it as a disadvantage. It would be stupid of me, because apart from the elements to relieve emotions, or the character of Gauron, I found nothing that would prevent me from classifying this anime into this genre. At most, I would compare it to "Lupine III" or "Detective Conan" - you can see that the author knows the subject (at least like Sapkowski, who described the elements he wove into the world of "The Witcher", i.e. economic threads, well and in sufficient detail). description of the operation of various machines, etc.), but due to the specificity of this type of art and the good of history, he allowed himself to add a few looser elements.
The plot doesn't look too complicated at first. Well, there is the Mithril organization that acts like such a global policeman - they engage in some armed conflicts, save or guard important figures. Their main base is a huge nuclear powered submarine with unique content - a squad of the most technologically advanced mechs in their world. Mithril consists of some of the best soldiers from around the world - for example, Japanese, Europeans. One of their jobs is to protect Kaname Chidori. An ordinary girl who is also such a super advanced HDD with a lot of very important information. Sousuke Sagara was assigned to this task. A sergeant who is such a military McGyver, but since he has been inextricably linked with the army, he is overly serious, taking everything seriously. Up to the level of comicism, which is further emphasized by the fact that he has no knowledge of interpersonal relations, nuances of communication, not to mention his perspective in perceiving the world. Any loser who sits 24/7 at home is the life of the party and the master of contact with the rest of the people.
Since I started about the characters, a few words about them. I'll start with my favorite, Gauron. I heard about it for the first time several years ago, when my friend was delighted with this title. The description of his authorship (although it perfectly reflected his approach to life and personality) did not impress me. I don't remember exactly how it went, but it was something like this - "a fucking sociopath and psychopath who doesn't give a shit about whether he dies or survives." Over the years, I have seen many different titles that have intriguing characters of this type. The competition is fierce, and Sato from "Ajin" is currently at the top. Gauron, despite so many years and many titles that better or worse portrayed these types of characters, still makes a phenomenal impression. The opening episodes are perhaps not too surprising, just another muscular screamer who is apparently a fool. This, however, changes with each episode. He is not a titan of intellect like the above-mentioned Sato, nor is he a master of planning and intrigue, but in each of these aspects he shows a sufficiently high level. However, what adds to his charm and is not seen very often (at least in the titles I have seen) is his audacity and betting high on the prize with an even greater risk of failure. Many years ago, when I saw the 3rd season of "Vikings", I heard an interesting sentence in the context of Ragnar Lothbrok - nature or God (depending on whether you are atheists or believers) likes to reward people who believe in their success 100%. People who are not afraid to put their victory on the scales, people who are extremely audacious. This is the type that Gauron is. Especially the last episodes of the first season impressed me, but I will not spoil your surprises.
As for the rest of the heroes, I like Captain Teleth Testaross, Kurz Weber, Kaname Chidori and Sousuke Sagar. Teletha is a sweet, yet clever and intelligent girl who knows how to use what she's seen. There wasn't a point in the first season where she made a strong impression on me, but overall my feelings are positive. Initially, I was afraid that FMP would be another anime in which a cute girl with a goofy character (turning into an extremely intelligent girl when the seriousness of the situation demands it) takes a high position because yes, but luckily it turned out otherwise pretty quickly. I've seen better characters of this type, but I can't cite any example right now. As for the Chidori, I have similar conclusions. Also, at first I thought it would be another lady in need that Sousuke would have to save frequently, but it turned out that Kaname is brave and can handle problems. At least with those that are clearly not too much for her. What I like the most is the fact that this is not another indecisive, overly shy heroine (like Hinata from "Naruto" or Orihime from "Bleach"), who became infatuated with the protagonist and is unable to tell him about her feelings or at least about them inform. This makes her relationship with Sagara a pleasant experience and I hope that they will enter the next stage in the coming seasons. However, I have some concerns about this, not because of her, but because of Sagara, who, for the aforementioned reasons, has no idea about male-female relationships. Before I go to it, I will write briefly about Weber. I liked him, although he didn't have many situations that I liked. Sure, I liked him for his light approach to life while still being serious (like Saeba Ryo from "City Hunter"), but otherwise he didn't show much to me. He is definitely an effective sniper, which he showed several times by neutralizing the mechs of his opponents. I've already described Sousuke, so let me just mention that it was nice to watch a soldier actually acting like a soldier. It does not expose its back, it does not walk in a thoughtless way, like some heroes from several similar anime, relying more on luck, plot-armor than actual skill. He also carries out orders as he should - that is, he does not carry them out in a stupid way, he can protest when commanders show their ignorance.
When it comes to graphics and CGI, you can see that FMP came out several years ago, but it's not ugly anime. It stands the test of time well, which can be seen in computer effects, animations and lines. People who care about good graphics may be bothered by the age of this anime, but for 24 episodes I found nothing to complain about. The soundtrack is good - it's hard for me to single out one, distinctive and at the same time good track, but otherwise I have no objections. In this respect, FMP presents a solid, good level. The music is well suited to the events that we observe on the screen and appropriately emphasizes the appropriate atmosphere.
The anime is not intended for a younger audience, so the creators could afford a few bloody scenes. We have more blood, some brutal deaths or scenes. While some look polite and censored, there aren't too many of them. I also like the fact that in FMP we also see fights between tanks, mechs and other machines, e.g. helicopters. Previously, I only saw it in "Gasaraki", which I do not recommend - the anime has a great start, but the farther on, the more mystical elements in it, which in my opinion only spoiled the anime. I'm not an expert on the real mecha subspecies, so I'm not going to be smart. For obvious reasons, mechs have greater combat capabilities than tanks and all other combat machines known to me, but that does not mean that they are immortal and cannot be destroyed with them. Admittedly, in Season 1 I haven't seen too many examples of this (if any), but it has been properly outlined. If anyone is curious about the result of this type of battle, I recommend "Gasaraki", which in my opinion presented a better comparison of the combat capabilities of the above mentioned machines. All in all, this is a very good title that does not follow the patterns of other anime with giant robots or mechs. They are pleasant to watch, and the plot can surprise you even when you have high expectations. The graphics may not be amazing, but it's far from being described as "poor", "ugly" etc. I rate them on +8/10. As soon as I finish the 4th season of "Castlevania" I will definitely watch a sequel.
They thank Karol for the proofreading and expertise.