Not Another Mecha! Exclamation Mark!

Written by hibbardangela on March 2, 2012 at 7:01 PM

As this is one of the first series that got me into anime, I am a little biased towards it. Although I have seen many series since then, I still refer to this one as a benchmark. The story focuses on Sousuke Sagara, a teenage soldier assigned to guard a high school student, Kaname Chidori, from people who are hunting her for her mysterious powers as a "whispered". The global peacekeeping organisation Sousuke works for, Mithril, fight using their advanced mecha suits, but when a new suit is discovered called the Arbalest which is driven by unconscious will rather than force, Sousuke is forced to become its pilot.

The action is impeccably done, and the realistic nature of the fight scenes gave me shivers the first time I watched it. It is a true mecha anime, but at the same time it's backed up by well rounded characters and an interesting (if poorly explained) magical plot twist, in the form of the "whispered". The chemistry between Sousuke and Chidori is palpable, and the gentle way their relationship develops over the course of the series feels natural and unforced. The humour that comes from Sousuke's inability to fit in with Japanese student life relieves serious nature of the series, which can sometimes get a little bogged down in depressing fight scenes. The comedy is of course continued in Full Metal Panic! Fumofuu!?!, which breaks the action of this series and Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid.

The deliberate use of the exclamation mark in the title should give you a good indication that this is not a regular mecha anime. In many ways, it's so much more than that.