Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid 1

[cerusee]

I'm watching this more or less on a whim. I loved Fumoffu, but a brief encounter with the FMP manga convinced me that I wouldn't enjoy the original series (too much standard mecha-y drama, not enough funny). However, I've been hearing good things about this, so, what the hey. (If anybody on my flist has seen the original series and is watching this, too, lemme know how they compare. I might be persuaded to run out and rent the first one.)

It looks and sounds pretty good. The production values are nice and the voices sound right, that sort of thing. It's interesting to see Sousuke in a battle. He seems so natural! In Fumoffu, he was always out of place--that's the joke. But this is where he was raised, where he belongs--his speech, his skills, his mindset, everything is appropriate for his environment.

...that is, up until he's separated from his unit, and casually tells his commander that he'll be fine, and he can't die here because he has to hand in school work the next day.

Yeah, I'm sold.

Comments

[cerusee.livejournal.com]

As I'm sure you've heard, Fumoffu is all of the funny of FMP without anything else. And it's really, really funny. I'd save it until after you've watched the series, though--not because it spoils anything (I have no freaking clue what happens in the original, and for all I know, it doesn't even't fit into the official timeline, despite cameos by some of Sousuke's army buddies, and the wretchedly dull Tessa), but because if you like the funny more than the mecha, it might be hard to go back. Says the girl who did just that and is still going to watch the series.

Gee, so far, that's a unanimous "mecha=boring, Sousuke=good, Tessa=bad" opinion from all...four people I know who've watched any of FMP, myself included. Okay, maybe that's not a good statistical sample, but anecdotal evidence is just as good, right?

[thawrecka]

Bah. Statistics. What are they really good for? Four people giving anecdotal evidence is good enough for me.

Tessa is not only irredeemably dull, she is also deeply unproffessional, has no figure and has an annoying voice. I hate her.

[cerusee.livejournal.com]

When it comes to recommendations, I'll take the opinions of one or two people whose tastes I know over a rating board anyday.

Tessa: hee! My dislike for her probably stems mainly because she likes Sousuke, and HELL NO WAY, it's Sousuke and Kaname all the way for me. But then there's nothing about Tessa to counteract that.

[thawrecka]

Tessa annoys me more and more all the time. I have to not watch scenes she's in because otherwise I just yell at the TV. It's bad.

Sousuke/Kaname is a pairing I find both unspeakably hot and hysterically funny at the same time. They're adorable together.