After viewing the first Full Metal Panic series with its mixture of madcap hijinks and action-packed plot, I was expecting more of the same from Fumoffu, the sequel to Full Metal Panic. As it stands, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found in Fumoffu.

All of the main characters in the first Full Metal Panic series return in Fumoffu, though there is little establishment given for why they are there, much less why Sousuke is armed to the teeth: it appears that Fumoffu is a dedicated sequel set after Panic. For those viewers who might not be aware, Sousuke and Kaname Chidori were figure elements in a scheme by Sousuke’s old enemy to create advanced weapons by implanting and then unlocking data within certain individuals, namely Chidori. Of course, with the lack of the Arm Slaves, to which the data pertained, and the establishment of the characters, first-time viewers may be a bit confused.

The opening of the first episode presents us with one of the school administrators delivering a laundry list of destruction (attributed to Sousuke) to the principal. From this standpoint, viewers of Fumoffu without the refrence of Panic may find trouble in following the story, figuring out why Sousuke is allowed to run amok with high explosives and handguns, though thoughts of this will soon be left behind as the comedic hilarity ensues.

Suffice it to say that Fumoffu relies upon the zaniness generated by the "military freak" Sousuke and the irate responses produced by Chidori. Despite this, the introduction of new characters—previously unseen in the first series—tends to aid in the comedy as the driving force behind the series; there is no plot which I can discern from all the ridiculous antics created by the characters.

Of course, plot really isn’t necessary when you’ve got a pair of characters with chemistry like Sousuke and Chidori’s. The Japanese version manages to retain their te-a-te from the original series without much modification: the absence of the serious plot places more emphasis on the comedy and that suits the series just fine. The English version manages to duplicate the chemistry with some of the better voice acting I’ve heard out of ADV lately: they’re to be commended on their selection of a remarkable voice cast.

All the hilarity is presented in crisp sound, without the tell-tale shifting of volume when one switches to different audio tracks, and the subtitles are clear and easy to read: they even managed to catch the slurring of a gang member’s accent. The original score from the first series remains unchanged; the same harmonic elements underscore the light hearted second series as they did the first..

The DVD is Spartan with extras: a simple preview for the next chapter of Fumoffu is all that viewers will get, though that’s hardly the reason to purchase the DVD. If you’re new to the series, I suggest that you start out with the first Full Metal Panic to get a feel for the characters before diving into Fumoffu: you’ll save yourself some confusion that way. All in all, I would recommend anyone who wants a good laugh out of their anime to check out Fumoffu.

Distributor: ADV Films
Creator: Kyoto Animation
Released: 2003

Video Quality: A
Audio Quality: A
Presentation: A
Content: A
Overall: A