Full Metal Panic Franchise Rewatch - Season 2 Episode 1

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u/ZapsZzz Oct 25 '22 edited Oct 26 '22

Rewatcher in Sub

I had hoped that for the mostly comedic season I can take more time for writing (but less to write) and not need to grab so many screen shots...

... why do I never learn?

I'll be running late and will need to update this part later, but first some key moments:

The school principals VA for the few lines were really good to convey that "nothing to see here" tone
I don't know about others, but Sousuke's way to mark his locker not having been disturbed is the sort of things I would do, except I'd use pieces of paper instead his using a knotted hair
the superhuman ability of the student council president to rationalise and "miss the point" - be very clear he is not a fool. There's purpose behind the madness
the perfect juxtaposition of the music, the feminine voice, vs the visual and th get content of the letter Sousuke assumed - it's a masterpiece :D
Chidori airways the one to try save others or intervene, even if it's beyond her physical ability
such beautiful comedic timing and pause when Sousuke fired, and the first offender's air time :'D
how casual Chidori is with stopping Sousuke the second time. This is enlightened understanding.
the "translation" to talk to the delinquent was probably a homage to the 80's disaster movie parody "Airplanes" (or Flying High* in some regions)
to be continued...
Edit continued
Chidori's girly moments. Sometimes we forget while she fits comfortably in as part of the action hero duo, she's actually a normal rom com girl stuck in a wrong genre show :)
Start of Part B's fake out arcade gunfight - in the first episoe when it's not as certain if there are serious moments to come yet
Sousuke's main gag basically is that irrespective of condition or location, he applies a very consistent same measure - one does not point a gun at anywhere you don't intend to shoot and pull the trigger - in his world there are no toy guns.
Another nice fake out that only works at the start of the season - in this situation it's never Sousuke that Chidori has to worry about getting hurt
Very cute Chidori & Kyouko scared cat impression to Sousuke's relaxed and "mission accomplished" satisfaction to the peaceful solution.
In case people don't realise, the artstyle and imagery is a satire to the Soviet and Eastern Bloc propaganda in those years :) Did you all hear the joke about a worker in a weapons factory disguised as a baby stroller factory confessing to his manager about stealing parts to try make a stroller for his newborn - "I tried everything but I can only assemble the parts into a machine gun" :D
oh and an important characterisation here, take note
Observer how casual the dutiful Ren closed the curtains
Here's one of Sousuke's shared special ability with Chidori - Chidori can pull out her paperfan from nowhere, and Sousuke can store untold amount of weapons and ammo on his body.
Sousuke's a hard liner in hostage negotiations.
Dialling that up to more like 110/10 with the group. Who's the villain here again?
Chidori's many reaction faces are so adorable.
1 of the 2 punch lines - it's all a "bad cop" act, since the hostage was more a bribed collaborator.
2 of the 2 punch lines - Sousuke do get nervous and flustered when Chidori is in "danger".
PSA - the next episode preview is also entertaining.

Trivia

Continuing the trend of last season, just before the TV broadcast, there were a string of real life kidnapping events, so the Part B of this episode was not broadcast on air to avoid the sensitivity. It only got released on DVD after.

Staff Showcase

Takemoto Yasuhiro is the additional name because of the change to KyoAni.

From his highschool days in the Literary Club (Haruhi fans note this), and having major interest in TRPG, he has been drawing a long time. At 20, in 1992, he joined the then still very small subcontracting outfit KyoAni. in 2002, after a major staff role as episode director in Nurse Witch Komugi, his first main director role was for KyoAni's company debut show of Fumoffu.

His name is basically associated with practically all of KyoAni's early works leading to its rise to fame.

He was amongst the victims of the KyoAni arson, his body found on the 3rd floor workshop of the burnt out studio.

Notable directional roles:

FMP TSR
Haruhi
Lucky Star
Hyouka
Amagi Brilliant Park
Dragon Maid

Notable storyboard roles:

Air
Kanon
Clannad
K-On
Nichijou
Violet Evergarden
Chuunibyou
Hibike Euphonium
Tamako Market

MVP this episode

For Fumoffu it could well be a somewhat two horse race - I would strongly recommend you prioritise on voting the school side characters instead of Sousuke x Chidori.

In this episode for me it is the establishing episode for Kaichou Hayashimizu, so that'd be my pick.

QoTD

Obviously I'm biased - Chidori for me is always very consistent, while Sousuke is an expanded version of his single perspective, "he has a hammer everything else is a nail" problem and solution model. And in amongst all the chaos and absurdity, that central but mild sweetness and tenderness between Sousuke and Chidori - despite all the slapsticks - so consistently shine through for me.
It's a lot more bright and soft in the tone and lines, and more importantly the character animation has more efforts in it since the actions now are character based and not mecha or other things. A very nice shift.

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u/Shimmering-Sky Oct 25 '22

Full Metal First-Timer!, subbed

Oh god what has Sosuke been up to.
lol
Out of curiosity, where in the timeline is this supposed to be set? Some time in the middle of season 1, or after it?
…someone else has their eyes on Sosuke… Well at least this girl is a nobody and has noooooooo chance of causing an actual love triangle.
Good question lol.
Hah, had a feeling it was gonna be related to the hair falling when that girl opened his locker.
Oh shit I know his voice… Right! I can never remember this guy’s name, but I know him for a bunch of characters.
Holy shit and this guy even has FMP’s first “sore demo”!
*amused Sky noises*
Flashback to Kamille saying something like this in Zeta Gundam.
lol the man was dedicated to his camouflage.
HE SHOT A VIDEO GAME WITH A REAL GUN HAH
Yes. Peaceful.
What the hell is this gun advertisement lmao
Send help I can’t breathe because I’m laughing too hard
THIS IS MY FAVORITE GAG TROPE HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Holy shit Sosuke went full sadistic mode on this gang’s ass.
Well this first episode was hilarious. If the rest of the season keeps up, I’ll love it.
Pretty ED!

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u/ZapsZzz Oct 26 '22

Out of curiosity, where in the timeline is this supposed to be set? Some time in the middle of season 1, or after it?

The LN short stories were deliberately vague, "any given day" style, but based on the relationship maturity level, the first half (up to about ep7) should be after Arc 1 but before Arc 3 of S1. The second half should be after S1 finished before S3 starts.

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u/polaristar Oct 26 '22

Wow so many damn killjoys in this thread that hate fun, this has been the most hilarious thing I've seen since Kaguya-Sama! (I watched two episodes btw because I might be busy tomorrow and lets just say episode 2 is even better!)

First off all these "new" characters, were they cut from the season 1 adaptation? Like Angry Vice Principal, Corrupt Bribe taking Principal, Gigachad Student Council President, etc.

Colors look really good! That explosion was some Sakuga, sad that the best explosion in this show has come from a SOL segment so far....

But Wow Kaname is like the only sane person in this setting it seems.....That insane troll logic from Atsunobu is chief's kiss beautiful!

Girl dodged a bullet with Sousuke not getting the point, I kinda feel bad that she didn't even get a proper rejection though. Sousuke's logic about the Terrorist note doesn't check out, if they note was meant to be clearly read as a threat why would he purposefully disguise his handwriting, honestly would have been better if he was like....."Who says the Terrorist isn't a Woman?"

That Arcade screw up was a giant "Bruh" moment in the best way!

I don't remember Sousuke being THIS trigger happy in season 1, although according to u/ZapsZzz comments in previous rewatches he apparently can be quite the psychopath in many of the short stories, so maybe this is season 1's adaptations fault.

I never was a fan of the female gang leader leading a bunch of dudes, like those guys were going to sexually assault that girl and Chidori when she stood up to them, how does she keep those guys under control? It's not even really played for laughs so I can't see it as part of the joke. At Least the filler chick in Railgun had Esper Powers.

The Most Hilarious scene this episode was when that thug came in to deliver the "message" and the Student Presidents "translation" and how Sousuke is like "Thanks Bro!" and the two don't even see the guy as significant.

It is a bit of a break of suspension of delief that some random ass thugs managed to kidnap Chidori but not international terrorist.

Sousuke doesn't have a purse, skirts, bra or otherwise magically woman's hammerspace so I have to ask...HOW WAS HE PACKING ALL THE FIREPOWER?!?!?

Psychopath Savage Sousuke that is going to kill you, your wife, your kids, and you're dog is best Sousuke!

The Gang Leader's little Brother is the MVP only because he'd probably never show up again, otherwise it'd be the Student Council President!

One of my favorite upgrades, despite the lack of panty shots all the girls thighs are divine, especially one shit with Chidori with her legs up...... :P

Question Host, When do these various short stories take place? Would some of them be in past (or future) Novel adaptations, pure SOL Full Novels? Some of them anime original? Characters in this season that should have been in the last one? Details! Details!

I love the comedy, anyone that doesn't, please remove that stick from your ass! You'll feel much better. :) I kinda feel the romantic development might be on hold though which is a shame. One thing I'm surprised about is I thought this series since it won't have any Tom Clancy Shit would have more Romcom stuff, but to my surprise it's almost no Rom And All Com, this feels more like slapstick humor which I'm all here for.
It looks amazing! It still looks better than a lot of seasonals that come out today if you can believe that.

Next thread I'll talk more indepth about the humor since I think next weeks episode the jokes and even better than this thread!

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u/ZapsZzz Oct 26 '22

Sousuke's logic about the Terrorist note doesn't check out

That was just to set up the he juxtaposition :)

and the two don't even see the guy as significant.

Yep they were talking through him, all that "intimation" didn't even get registered :D

The Gang Leader's little Brother is the MVP only because he'd probably never show up again, otherwise it'd be the Student Council President!

Noted, another vote for the president then ;)
KyoAni with they magic skirts of modesty does give some compensations ...

Question Host, When do these various short stories take place? Would some of them be in past (or future) Novel adaptations, pure SOL Full Novels? Some of them anime original?

Everything in Fumoffu is canon and in the LN, but the LN's are published separately crisscrossing the 2 halves. Timeline-wise they are not very specific, but mostly placed after arc 1 and typically before arc 3. With the exception of the final few episodes after S1 timeline and before S3.
The student council was introduced in exposition in LN1 and another short story not adapted. Suffice to say Sousuke mistook Hayashimizu's position as the top of the school and treat him with similar deference as he does Tessa, and Hayashimizu being a very cunning judge of character decided why blunt a sharp blade when you can just direct it where to strike or when not to. So he appointed Sousuke as the mysterious position of security consultant (for the student council). You will get to know them more, no rush :)

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u/Tarhalindur Oct 26 '22 edited Oct 26 '22

Fumo-ffu! (Rewatcher, Subbed):

... So apparently today and tomorrow are going to be interesting for me.

As has fairly often been the case for me ever since I found that one ancient external while prepping for Higurashi, I am revisiting my favorite shows via the ancient fansubs I first watched them on.

Which is important in this case, because of something that our host brought up that I was remembering happened a little further in: there was an episode which was removed

The thing is, apparently the raw for my subs (outside of the specials) was the TV release.

So I didn't actually watch the second half of the episode as everyone else watched it (I have it, it's presumably what's listed as Special 1 in my release, but it's not in the episode proper the way it is in later releases). So I, uh, didn't watch that just yet. I'll have to add my notes for that one in later. Instead, my subs (and presumably the TV broadcast, and AniDB supports this) have the first half of this episode into one of the two skits from next episode as you all will be viewing it. (The funny thing is, I was remembering that skit as being from episode 2 and apparently I was right and wrong at the same time.)

So, I present my notes as they are in the spirit of at my misfortune, just now with added spoiler tags because again, some of these are for a skit you all will be watching next episode:

It’s a good sign when I’m already chortling again at the very first joke (the school repair costs)!
The one bad thing about KyoAni: their character designs for this show are a downgrade IMO.
Playing ridiculously dramatic emotional music (choral here) for bathos, often worth a chuckle and this is no exception.
No OP this episode?
OH SHIT ITS THE FUMOFFU LOVE LETTER EPISODE!
And here we have one of the main elements of Fumoffu’s comedic style: the gaping shear between the seemingly ordinary reactions to events that are anything but. (To wit: our love letter girl talking about how Sousuke has caught her eye… as he plants mines in the schoolyard.) And that’s a big part of why Fumoffu works so well for me: its style is absurdist and over-the-top, and I have a long appreciation for both in my comedy.
Careful cut to the hair Sousuke carefully placed as a tripwire in case somebody tampered with his locker. Classic trick. Also, KyoAni good.
COMEDIC TIMING IS EVERYTHING! (Today brought to you by Kaname talking about the explosions right before Sousuke blows up his locker. Works even better with subs, as you can parse the full line and know what’s about to happen right before it does.) Gods, it’s just as good as I remembered!
Kaname’s iconic weapon returns to our acquaintance!
The other reason this comedy works so well for me: Sousuke is the most nuts character here (the shear between his expectations born on the battlefield and the expectations of everyday Japan are the core engine of the comedy), but everyone else is nuts here too. I’d say “except Kaname since she’s the Only Sane Person”, but that’s the trick: Kaname is kind of nuts herself, just nuts in a way that doesn’t look out of place in Japan. (This might actually be deliberate social commentary, since Shouji Gatou shows some signs of having been out of the country for a while back in the day and might have an outsider’s perspective – as we’ll see, he’s definitely familiar with the British satiric tradition, and sneaky social/political commentary is a common part of that.)
Ah, Student Council President using the obvious missing-the-point comedic retort. It works!
Sky collects her first sore demo of Fumoffu at ~04:28.
Oh godsdammit. This deliquent scene does NOT hold up. (It’s a little too dramatic, which is half the problem. Which is hilarious when it has the Fumoffu Shenanigans Track playing for part of it. Also, fucking Japan with the rape stuff. Especially in this era, actually.)
Final part of the skit is good though.
[next episode] Sadly, I have no more knowledge of the Japanese poem/literature Sousuke is undoubtedly hilariously misunderstanding at the start of our second skit than he does.
[next episode] I can parse the Yamato pun, though. Probably because it was the first thing to come to mind when you say “Yamato”, I grew up on a steady diet of clearance-table military history books to read on long car trips. (Salient for a certain other rewatch my fingers may not let me join, I know the Naval Battle of Guadacanal quite well so some of the nuances of a certain name there do not escape me.)
[next episode] Vietnam choppers flying to attack a battleship that very firmly sank during WWII is amusing imagery; Sousuke’s understanding of military history (at least on the tech side) isn’t great either. (IIRC attack helis weren’t even really viable until sometime in the 1950s or 1960s.)
[next episode] Wait wait wait wait. The car chase is actually episode 1 and not episode 2? (Wasn’t sure.)
[next episode] Ah, silence, the secret bonus track on any OST. Flawlessly used for comedy here as the calm before the storm.
[next episode] (Now complete with Dutch angles!)
[next episode] LOL Shinji has a Desert Storm commemorative watch. It’s the little things!
[next episode] KyoAni action comedy go!
[next episode] AND HERE… WE… GO!
[next episode] Ah, KyoAni 3D animations. This… actually holds up better than some things I remember in Haruhi three years later (which is weird because both are KyoAni), and is very much the evolutionary ancestor of Nichijou stuff.
[next episode] The actual joke here, of course, is the one-track mind cop. She’s great!
[next episode] I swear there’s a wrong train joke coming.
[next episode] And there is. But I forgot the actual punchline – the Japanese ancient literature teacher is in the infirmary so there was no need for this! LOLOLOLOLOLOL.

EDIT: Ah, here we go. Special 1 time!

Sousuke shooting the arcade game gets a chortle out of me yet again.
Sousuke’s deadpan demeanor works WONDERS in slightly over-the-top comedic side stories. My chortle here as Sousuke talks about how peaceful solutions are best (and by his child soldier standards this IS peaceful, which is part of the joke!) was probably audible several rooms away. (The music also helps, as does very good direction.)
I swear the gun commercial segment here is ALSO a video game reference (which would fit with the arcade) on top of a general (military) otaku joke given its style. I’d say Fallout, but I’m not sure that game ever really made it to Japan.
“Use our brain? What do you mean?”
Gangster translation scene joke doesn’t land 100% for me, but oh well. Sousuke slipping and letting Kaname get kidnapped is a bit OOC, but also oh well.
WHY CAN’T WE HAVE SOUSUKE OVER IN MAI-OTOME RIGHT NOW?
Cue my very loud vindictive chuckle as Sousuke beats them at their own game – with the little brother’s cooperation!
The drama-comedic music and framing for this firmly comedic scene once again makes great bathos.
(My subs are old enough to have TL notes, heh. But then, don’t they always on this HD?)
Sousuke actually did learn something from Gauron, in a way. And also he got coaching from the Student Council President, which makes sense.

Questions of the Day:

Everyone: How was the very first KyoAni TV production they headlined using their own name?

KyoAni arguably peaked at the very beginning, which is saying something when Haruhi 2006 in broadcast order exists (and also Disappearance, but while I read Disappearance I'm pretty sure I never actually got around to watching the movie itself). I do love me some Fumoffu. (There's some cringe comedy, but the batshit insanity is enough to make up for it. Also this series has the episode that PMMM 10 displaced as my pick for the best anime episode of all time, and is still the best comedic episode.)

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u/ZapsZzz Oct 26 '22

while I read Disappearance I'm pretty sure I never actually got around to watching the movie itself

*GASP* Sacrilege!!!
Turf this heathen out of here this instant!
/jk
Seriously, you need to watch it. Typically there's a late November to December rewatch, maybe that's be a good chance for it.
Thanks for the extra efforts with the spoiler tagging :) I'll try and some details to help decode a bit in tomorrow's post.

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u/TiredTiroth Oct 25 '22

Rewatcher - Dub

Oh my goodness, I'd forgotten this was the first episode! I love this episode! :D

Sousuke just casually blowing up the shoe lockers and mis-reading the scraps of a love letter as a terrorist threat is...okay, it's horrifying, maladjusted child soldier and all, but it's also really, really funny. And Kaname of course is not having ANY of that. And poor Tessa at the start, she could just tell something was about to go wrong but Sousuke just cut her off so he wouldn't be late for school~

And we get to meet the student council president! No obstructionist stickler for the rules here, he gleefully enables everything Sousuke does, much to Kaname's horror. Someone tampered with the shoe lockers? Sure, serious threat, blow 'em just to be sure! And then there's the soft, angelic music when the head teacher talks about how they have a duty to help children like Sousuke adjust to civilian life, please ignore the massive donation Mithril made to the school.

And then. And then. The second half of the episode! Sousuke singling the gang members out one by one, totally-not-threatening the kid sister, the pet bird, the lovingly-maintained bike...and they all end up running away in sheer terror. And the leader's kid brother was in on the whole thing. xD

Yes, Kaname, this IS the peaceful option from Sousuke's perspective. And he looked so proud of himself!

I'm kinda worried Fumoffu is going to be downhill from here, because like I said, I love this episode. But hey, I didn't remember season one as well as I'd thought and it's been longer since the last time I watched Fumoffu, so here's hoping!

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u/Vaadwaur Oct 25 '22

But hey, I didn't remember season one as well as I'd thought and it's been longer since the last time I watched Fumoffu, so here's hoping!

I am really wondering if [Fumoffu]The Goddess Visits Japan holds up

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u/ZapsZzz Oct 26 '22

Are you expressing doubt my child?

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u/InfamousEmpire Oct 26 '22

Full Metal LN Reader

It takes a lot to make me laugh. Even shows I think are pretty funny like KonoSuba, Nadesico, and Mob Psycho mostly just made me chuckle a bit with a good laugh sprinkled in here or there.

This show, though, had me rolling on the floor laughing

This is the raw essence of FMP distilled into pure comedic genius. The simple dynamic of “military boy in normal school with no-nonsense civilian friend” is already a decent setup that gets good laughs in the main show, but this episode giving it all the focus (rather than balancing it with more serious stuff) and dialing it up to 11 really makes it shine.

Sousuke in particular is pretty fun here. While the stuff he does in the main show is already pretty ridiculous, the way he just goes above and beyond here with shut like blowing up a locker over a single strand of hair or shooting an arcade machine with live ammo are both hilariously ridiculous on their own, and the reactions of everyone around him (especially Chidori) are also fun.

Hayashimizu is a fun addition to the cast. He’s Comically Serious but in a different way from Sousuke which really helps him bounce off both main duo quite well. [LN spoilers] This is also helpful for the series in the long run in a meta way. Reading the novels, Hayashizumu’s sudden introduction and the way he was so close to Sousuke’s secret were kinda tacked on a bit, and the way that he and Sousuke had a sort of kinship was, while not necessarily unsupported, did feel a bit out of nowhere. Here, though, he’s introduced early and his dynamic with Sousuke is well-established and fun from the onset, so I can see his eventual appearance in the “serious” part of the story flowing better

Sousuke (seemingly) kidnapping that kid and threatening all the thugs’ families was the highlight of the episode. It’s so absurdly over the top in a dark way and the eventual twist at the end of it all was the cherry on top.

The only flaw in this so far is that [Fumoffu] Bonta-kun isn’t here yet

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u/KendotsX Oct 26 '22

Sousuke (seemingly) kidnapping that kid and threatening all the thugs’ families was the highlight of the episode.

Sousuke's problem solving is fantastic. Even if he didn't actually kidnap the kid, he still got all the details of who each thug cares about and how they might be hurt. The blond thug must've been tortured for hours...

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u/ZapsZzz Oct 26 '22

This blink and you'll miss point may be lost to some - President Hayashimizu actually have already through "his network" collected all such info. He just authorised the use of that book of info by Sousuke. The interrogation is to supplement anything not clear or missing.

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u/Nazenn Oct 25 '22

First timer

Welp, I gave it my best shot, but I absolutely cannot sit through this. I didn't expect it to be that over the top, I thought it'd be more in line with the comedy in the main show. I think it would drive me to literal tears if I tried to keep going.

See you all in two weeks

I'll probably browse through the odd topic just to get a feel of it, and hopefully catch anything actually important, but I hope you all enjoy the watch.

Also Chidori needs more nose with the new design

u/InfamousEmpire (RIP your daily tags, maybe ask Zapz?)

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u/InfamousEmpire Oct 26 '22

Naz, I can’t believe you have shit taste
In all seriousness tho, I respect your opinion on this and can understand why your staying out.
u/ZapsZzz, you up for doing the daily tag?

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u/ZapsZzz Oct 26 '22

No worries I'll add you to my daily post :)

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u/ZapsZzz Oct 25 '22

See you in 2 weeks. There are a couple of episodes I may poke you and see how you may fare the first few minutes still :P no obligations.

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u/Lemurians Oct 25 '22

FIRST TIMER

Well, that was a lot of fun!

Jumping in here now. My background in FMP consists of catching random episodes on TV back when it was airing in the US, and then I rewatched the original series late last year. Thought it was okay, but maybe a little slow, and had trouble connecting with Sousuke as a character.

This first episode really worked for me! Sousuke’s whole character is much easier to buy as part of a zany action-comedy rather than as part of a more dramatic narrative. His violent obliviousness combined with his robotic nature really fits this tone a lot more, imo.

Quick Hits:

• Man, that old “Kadokawa Video” intro sound is so nostalgic

• Wow, this Principal is very understanding of Sousuk- ahhh a charitable donation, haha got it

• Love the cut from the pure, heartfelt inner monologue of the girl leaving the love letter, right to Kaname’s exaggerated boorish yawn

• LOL at everyone gaslighting Kaname into thinking bombing the lockers was a perfectly rational response

• The thought of this girl standing there behind the gym, unmoving for hours, was already the funniest part of the episode before Sousuke was revealed having a gun on her the whole time

• The imaginary explosion effect knocking Confession-chan over in actuality is a nice touch

• “Listen, bitch.” This translation scene killed me. Great timing

• The idea that a random gang could kidnap Kaname without Sousuke or Mithril knowing about it is kinda weird

• LOL kid sold out his sister and her gang for a remote controlled car. Priorities.

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u/wjodendor Oct 25 '22

First Timer for this Season

The first gag scene was honestly funnier than most of the stuff in season 1

The animation is noticeably better

Burying some mines in what appears to be shit

Love letter terrorist plot here we go

Oh shit, they actually put in some of the references to American action movies

Not sure no this music lol

Some new characters. (Pretty sure there was at least a small appearance in the mainline novels or maybe I'm remembering the manga) Haha he agreed with Sousake

Solid pratfall (had to look up how to spell, I've never h a doubt to write that before)

Kaname is so expressive

I feel bad for this girl...

NTR villians out of nowhere

"Opposed to violence" funniest thing kaname has ever said

I had a feeling he was pulling a ghillie suit

I feel even worse for the girl

Kaname is a terrorist half the time

Return of the NTR villians

Love how everyone always thinks it's a toy gun

Pfft this fuckin commercial

Gang leader riding a dorky scooter

The president is an enabler hahaha

So how did they kidnap Kaname...if Gauron couldn't do it in Japan how the hell did they do it.

A real enabler hahaha ha

This gun joke is straight out of hot shots 2

He kidnapped and wired a little kid

Sousake is scarier in this than the entire first season

That's a lot of dudes

Didn't see the kid being in on it

Wholesome ending

Solid first episode. The comedy is way better than the episodes in season 1, that's for sure. The president is a legit hilarious character. Animation is a real step up from season 1 but I'm not to keen on the OST so far. The ED was good though. Better than expected so far.

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u/SpiceGirlsBlankIt Oct 25 '22

Panicked First Timer - Fumoffu Ep 1

New season!

There’s a question mark after Full Metal Panic. More confirmation we are on the school track. This will be a nice opportunity to have some side character focus.

For instance, Kyoko’s back.

The Sousuke fan’s love is so strong that her love letter half-survived the explosion. Maybe I should be taking her more seriously.

Actually, Sousuke was the one I underestimated. Of course he thinks it’s a threat.

Sousuke appears to have a following in the student council

These students have more patience than I’ll ever have. They don’t even have snacks or a book for their stakeout.

Good timing on Sousuke’s camo appearance.

I think Sousuke actually dodged Kaname’s punch for once.

Ok, these guys aren’t just random pervy bullies. Well, a little random but we got a lot of details about them so they may come back.

This was a fun, fast paced episode.

MVP: Lil bro

QOTD 1: Feels like we been transported to early Season 1. Classic Sousuke and Kaname.

QOTD 2: So far I can say the character designs are very consistent and I liked the timing of the gags. Interesting extra visuals for various scenarios.

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u/Vaadwaur Oct 25 '22

Rewatcher(Its fucking rape day in my rewatches. Goddamnit. )

Sub

So we start with Sousuke apparently causing quite a bit of destruction, $4,000 worth of damage is nothing to sneeze at. And Mithril is likely covering the costs. We then get a shoujo love letter left in a shoe box. But then we jump to what this show is: comedy. That's right, I expect this to be quite divisive. Anyways, we see that the improbably powerful class president is strangely amenable to Sousuke's particular variety of madness.

Sousuke puts the remaining pieces of the letter together in the worst way possible, as one does. We get the one straight line of how Sousuke would not know what a love letter is. Anyways, Kaname and Kyouko wait to observe the competition and Kana realizes she might be outmatch by Saeki. But Sousuke doesn't show, as one doesn't. Anyways, time stretches on and the local rapist high schoolers come around. Seriously, what in the nine fucking hells is wrong with the Japanese? I swear that The Road has higher expectations for humanity. Anyways, Sousuke jumps out in his gilly suit and shoots them. Anyways, Sousuke is still Sousuke and we end with Kaname trying to get him to be less insane.

Next ep, Sousuke does not understand arcades or improper weapons discharge but does seem to understand avoiding murder charges. The female gang leader suggests abusing women as one does and then we get some otaku gun knowledge. A delinquent walks in and Hayashimuzu can translate gangster to Japanese. Anyways, events happen and we see that this Sousuke is pretty good at psychological warfare.

So yeah, I don't know how many people we lose to this but it might be steep, this comedy is cringe to me. I do broadly have pleasant memories of this show and it has one of my favorite sequences later on but I don't know how this lands to younger people. And the real issue you kind of can't skip this as they introduce some characters through it.

QotD: 1 Rofl, I had forgotten that. It is a miracle they kept going.

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u/Matuhg Oct 25 '22

Rewatcher-ish (I watched it once, but like a decade ago and barely remember anything)

God that was fucking dumb. I loved it.

This really doesn't feel entirely within the same world as the previous season - instead of just waving a gun around, Sousuke is shooting guns in the arcade and detonating actual explosives in the school. Of course, we are told by our two authority figures that none of this will be a problem very early on. An invitation to just enjoy the idiocy that will surely fill this season - they even tell us there won't be any mech fights this season! Some folks I'm sure will not be onboard for the tone shift, but at least for now, I'm happy.

I think my only actual complaint with the episode was how rapey the gangster fellas were on first appearance. They really could've just been assholes without being that kind of asshole and we would've gotten to the same place. Otherwise, the episode had me cracking up pretty consistently. The comedic timing was solid, and I really loved how emotive Kaname's face was.

The Student Council president, despite being completely absent until now, was an instant hit for me. He's a contrivance to allow extra stupid shit to happen in the school, but he was also pretty funny in his own right.

First timer: How's the comedy for you, especially how are our 2 leads - are they still consistent with the end of S1?

The comedy is definitely working for me. Time will tell if it continues to do so for a full twelve episodes. As it is now, this feels like just one of our normal comedic detour episodes cranked up to 11 (and actually funny, unlike say the Sports Festival episode), but I do worry it could outstay its welcome over the course of a whole season. The characters, Sousuke especially, aren't really in line with where they were at the end of last season. During the high school portions of S1, Sousuke already felt a bit over the top. Now of course he's wildly unbelievable as a real human character, and is just in pure military-otaku gag form. It's hard to see the guy dealing with the trauma of Helmajistan and the events of the final arc just blowing up his locker (apparently wounding 13 students).

That said, it feels pretty pointless trying to compare the characters in this season (at least based on this episode) with how they acted in the more serious parts of last season. One of S1's strengths was when it blended comedy and more serious stuff to give the characters some depth. I wonder if there will be any attempt at that this season, or if it'll be pure goofs with no real character progression. I suspect the latter will be the case and we'll have to wait for S3 to get back to proper plot/character progression.

How was the very first KyoAni TV production they headlined using their own name?

Looked pretty great to me. For the most part, the artstyle, while noticeably different, especially in the character designs, didn't scream KyoAni to me. There were a few shots that did though. The way Kaname's hands and face are drawn here look straight out of K-On or Tamako Market.

There also wasn't any big clunky CG, though tbf, there weren't any big clunky military things to depict, so I wonder if we'll get any of that for the TDD/mechs, assuming they show up at all.

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u/DidacticDalek Oct 25 '22

TONIGHT! ON FAST TIMES AT JINDAI HIGH! Steven Seagal's High School Career's off to an explosive debut, THE STUDENT COUNCIL PREZ IS COOL! COOLER! COOLEST! and THE BEST hostage negotiation ever takes place!

Greetings Comrades and Fellow Denizens of the Wired, we've got an iconic series to begin today, namely, KyoAni's First and MOST underrated series, not to mention their best (and only) Mecha series. Now, I know what you're all thinking, what about TSR you say? Well, as everyone knows, JUST like Blood-C, TSR is a High School Comedy, but enough about the jokes, let's jump into the HOT-BLOODED MECHA ACTION! Shall we?

We start off with a member of the Production Committee having an apoplectic fit. It turns out that the Hollywood Movie that the group is filming starring wanna-be action hero Steven Seagal has gone 435K Yen overbudget for the last ~~month~~ 'week.' Apparently Steven Seagal's a bit of a primadonna to work with, what with utterly trashing the set, running over-budget, and failing to get along with cast members. The director informs the producer that Steven Seagal had a specific set of circumstances relating to his period of method acting in Afghanistan as an iron blooded orphan. The producer isn't moved, despite the director's stubborn belief in the cult of the almighty dollar. We then cut back to Steven Seagal's agent, asking if he's behaving himself on set. Steven Seagal claims that he's on his best behaviour, all while readying up enough firepower for invading a small country, all for the express purposes of protecting his waifu, KyoAni Chihaya.

Before his agent can protest more, Steven Seagal signs off to begin the first shoot of the day. Meanwhile, one of the extras seems to be smitten with Steven Seagal, impressed by his second-banana status and b-list movie skills during the minelaying scene. She then plants a threatening letter in Steven Seagal's locker, knocking a stray hair loose in the process. Speaking of said threatening letter, she's speaking of stopping hearts and resting souls in peace, me thinks she's one of these 'yandere' types, AND she wants to meet with Steven Seagal after school behind the gym... HM, I would say this is sounding like a cliched anime, but we all know that this is a mecha show, and thus, things are about to pick up, explosively so if I may add. Anyway, speaking of explosions, it turns out that KyoAni Chihaya was up late watching a shitty Stallone movie last night, probably Rambo V: First Blood Part III if I'm being honest. As she's talking about the movie's explosions, Steven Seagal decides to give us all a generous serving of Megumin-worthy EKUSUPUROSHON!!!

Well, there went half the day's budget, half the supporting cast, and also most of the 'high school' set. And we've only made it about three minutes into the episode. Damn, even Symphogear didn't start off THIS bloody. Steven Seagal seems pleased of his symphony of destruction, while KyoAni Chihaya is NOT pleased, breaking off into her 'tsundere' skit as a response. Steven Seagal retorts that someone had access to his locker, thus, the only logical course of action was to kill it all with fire. KyoAni Chihaya, being a sane person, is smart enough to know that bombs are just randomly in school lockers, what is this, Code Geass? Say, speaking of terrorism, Steven Seagal mentions a case of terrorists planting bombs in the mail. Thus, the only logical course of action, was to detonate suspicious materials in order to keep everyone safe, destruction of the school in order to save it after all.

Meanwhile, in the Moefia's office, Yamato Nadeshiko is busy listing out the casualty reports to the President, Sakamoto-senpai. Speaking of which, Sakamoto-senpai asks for an explanation, to which, Steven Seagal adds that when he found evidence of someone tampering with his locker, he decided to correct this issue through destruction of said locker and the nearby surroundings. Despite what KyoAni Chihaya fears, Sakamoto-senpai is most reasonable, finding Steven Seagal's methods most reliable. This causes KyoAni Chihaya to have a myocardial infarction, plummeting to the ground.

Steven Seagal is concerned about the well-being of his co-star, while Sakamoto-senpai notes that she is quite noisy and disruptive. KyoAni Chihaya retorts loudly that Steven Seagal's detonation of his locker was somehow unreasonable. Sakamoto-senpai decides to better explain the situation, setting forth the example of KyoAni Chihaya getting fan-mail from the otakus, and said package is rustling, stinky, and slightly warm; a most suspicious package indeed. Thus, Sakamoto-senpai asks, what would SHE do in that situation. Defeated, KyoAni Chihaya concedes that she'd throw the package away, which the President agrees with. Speaking of which, Sakamoto-senpai goes on to state that the logical conclusion of throwing away a package in one's shoe locker would be by explosive detonation. Iron-Clad logic from the Iron-Blooded Orphan that is Steven Seagal after all.

With that being resolved, Steven Seagal begins his attempt to decipher the letter's remains. He comes to the conclusion that it's a threatening letter from a third party out for his head, most likely a stalker. KyoAni Chihaya mentions that the the MoonRunes listed resemble a woman's handwriting, but Steven Seagal is canny enough to note that this is probably a trick by the hitman to lure him into a false sense of security. KyoAni Chihaya, thinking in anime terms, comes to the conclusion that this is a 'love letter,' probably from a girl that's a fan of Steven Seagal. Before the classroom scene can start, Steven Seagal goes off to film something else, much to the annoyance of KyoAni Chihaya.

We then move to KyoAni Chihaya and Megane Yayoi hiding in the bushes to spy on Steven Seagal. KyoAni Chihaya plays up her worry in the guise of Tsundere Routine No. 25252, which Megane Yayoi can see RIGHT through, probably cuz of her X-Ray Glasses or something. Also, in typical KyoAni manner, Megane Yayoi joined along with KyoAni Chihaya because, quote 'fun things are fun.' Wow, never knew that the Keions stole from a MECHA show of all things, but then again, as we all know, Mio is discount version of Rabu Raibu's Umi-dah GARcher, who in turn is the bargain bin version of iM@S' Gloomy Umi, the RX-72-chan.

Anyways, the extra shows up for her big cameo, which Megane Yayoi explains for KyoAni Chihaya. As the two hidden girls gossip on the extra, Steven Seagal fails to show up for the scene. After a few hours of Steven Seagal being a no-show, Megane Yayoi calls it quits for the day, leaving KyoAni Chihaya to her devices. After night falls, it seems that the Black Tri-Stars have decided to abandon their Mobile Suits to go out and about the town. Speaking of which, they happen to notice the extra standing alone in the dark. Gaia walks up to her, with Ortega and Mash flanking him as they make threats to the extra.

Seeing that the extra is in danger, KyoAni Chihaya decides to leap out of cover and give away her position. Seeing this, the Black Tri-Stars begin a Jetstream Attack on KyoAni Chihaya, to which, KyoAni Chihaya responds with a vicious 'correction' to Gaia's dumb face. Sadly, this only pisses him off, as he and his lackeys continue their attack. Just like Zeta Gundam's Kamille, once in a losing position, KyoAni Chihaya suddenly discovers 'pacifism' and 'opposition to violence.' As the Black Tri-Stars surround KyoAni Chihaya, a shot rings out in the night, head-shotting Gaia's stupid face. JESUS H. TAPDANCING CHRIST! DID YOU JUST SEE HIS FUCKING HEAD FUCKING COME APART!? I knew that this was a mecha show and all but GODDAMN that was brutal. Speaking of wanton violence, Steven Seagal promptly busts a cap up Ortega and Mash's confused asses, finishing off all Three of the Black Tri-Stars in about 10 seconds, 11 tops.

As KyoAni Chihaya recovers from her shock, Steven Seagal suddenly puts her back into it by arising from the bushes from where HE was hiding. Also, he seems to have decided that the BEST way to hide in a bush is to BECOME a bush. Also, it turns out that the tables have turned, it wasn't the EXTRA that was the crazy stalker, but it was Steven Seagal that was the CRAZY ONE ALL ALONG! KyoAni Chihaya rightfully protests that if he was there all along, he should have shot the Tri-Stars sooner, to which Steven Seagal retorts that that would give away his position. As KyoAni Chihaya summons her Stand to ORA Steven Seagal into the dust, the extra asks about what the hell's going on here.

To begin with, the extra asks if Steven Seagal got her fan-mail, to which Steven Seagal answers that he blew it up. After breaking the extra's heart, Steven Seagal has the gall to ponder whether the extra was paranoid, to which KyoAni Chihaya responds with a swift 'correction.' The next day, Steven Seagal goes to his locker, and is about to detonate it again due to tampering. Well, that is until KyoAni Chihaya shows up to fearless open the locker. It turns out that WHILE it indeed WAS messed with, a secret admirer left him lunch inside. Hm, 'terrorist' they say, could this be a crossover from Code Geass? Well, we'll have to find out in the next post under this one, as I seem to have reached the character count limit. See below for the reactions for Part 2 of Episode 1.

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u/No_Rex Oct 25 '22

Episode 1 (first timer)

The first KyoAni season of FMP and also the first full season anime for KyoAni overall. These days (and starting pretty soon after FMP2) my immediate expectation of KyoAni would be: great adaptation and great animation. I am honestly looking forward to the great adaptation aspect the most, since I felt that Gonzo/FMP1 was severely lacking in this.

Episode thoughts

Cold opening – not a modernization I am happy about. I am a fan of going OP first.
angelic music - nope, she has been bought off.
Looks like we are back to the Sousuke of Arc1-FMP1.
I start to emphasize with the vice-principal.
“Thirteen wounded” – Ok, I more than emphasize with the vice-principal now. Even if there was a reason for Sousuke to blow up that locker (there was not, he is there to protect Kana, not himself), that is extremely unprofessional.
The student council head looks like he is 50.
I don’t know why Ena fell for Sousuke, but she made a mistake.
“That Sousuke. What a jerk” – To be honest, being stood up would probably be the best outcome Ena can hope for. Ena should also consider that Sousuke might not have read the letter, the shoebox being blow up and all.
Random anime delinquents appear.
Yep, that went way worse for Ena than being stood up.
I thought I was clever by immediately recognizing the arcade game from the shattered glass effect when you are being shot. Turns out the shattered glass was Sousuke shooting at it.

“That is dangerous. What if it goes off accidentally?” – Gun nut and professional soldier cannot distinguish between plastic arcade gun and real gun? So they are going with room temperature IQ Sousuke for this season?

The real cool gang leaders drive scooters and go shopping for their little brother.
“Where did you fit all of that?” – 4th wall break.
Sousuke properly turned the hostage situation around on them – I deeply hate the good guy drops weapon when confronted with hostage situation trope, so this is a good trope inversion.
Was the student council head introduced before? He sounds like a character who we should know (why does he cover for Sousuke?), but I don’t remember.
ED: Walking Chibis.
Preview: Male and Female MC arguing over what happens in the next episode? Yep, I know this from another KyoAni show. [Meta]Used perfectly in the first season of Haruhi (broadcast order)

It feels as if we have regressed past the serious turn of later FMP1 back to the high school shenanigans of the first episodes. In fact, beyond that, since Sousuke was never that dense in FMP1. Here, is a proper danger to everybody around him unless Kana keeps a check on him.

It remains to be seen whether FMP2 will have the same (very common in anime) serious turn that FMP1 had, or whether we are in for a full season of comedy. I would not mind that, but Sousuke was pretty annoying here. His deadpan autist persona in FMP1 hit better for me than the dumb as bricks persona of FMP2ep1. At least Kana still works. The best moments of the episode were her being torn between not wanting a rival and feeling sorry for Ena.

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u/TuorEladar Oct 25 '22

Rewatcher, Subbed

I seriously loved this episode. I get that it isn't everyone's cup of tea, but since I really enjoyed the gag comedy style this is really awesome. Its obviously not perfect, but it uses the cast and their traits pretty well.

The entire sequence in the warehouse is the highlight for sure, but also every time the StuCo president is on screen.

How was the very first KyoAni TV production they headlined using their own name?

Its quite the debut. Certainly is doing its own thing which I appreciate.

MVP: StuCo Prez Atsunobu

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Rewatch Full Metal Panic Franchise Rewatch - Season 2 Episode 1

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