The Science Fiction Series “Full Metal Panic!” Quite Deservedly Returns
Full Metal Panic! was one of the first anime I saw that wasn’t Dragon Ball, Bleach, or Naruto, and it immediately became a favorite. The narrative is balanced between comedic moments and action sequences.
One episode will have me in tears of laughter, while the next will leave me reeling at the striking contrast between Sagara’s carefree high school days and the brutality of his mercenary work.
In 2002, ‘Full Metal Panic!’ began airing on anime channels, and it concluded in 2017. Since then, the anime’s devoted audience has been left wondering if it will be renewed. After seeing the final episode, I felt a void, and I’m sure many other viewers did as well. Thankfully, the gods of anime have heard our cries for more, and they have exciting news for us.
In honor of its silver anniversary, Shoji Gatoh’s Full Metal Panic! light book series, published by Kadokawa, will debut a whole new narrative this year. The original narrative was released in a book in 2010, therefore the new one is set in the present day, nearly two decades later. The adult versions of Sosuke and Chidori will carry on with their lives in the sequel.
On Friday, Gatoh said that while the impending sequel to ‘Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu’ would feature some humor, it would not be as slapstick as the original book. This book will be a collection of short stories for leisure reading.
He plans to introduce “various characters” after the first chapter. He joked that the sequel may wrap up in one book, continue for three, or “depending on how things go, become an epic saga lasting over 20 volumes”.
I still enjoy revisiting Full Metal Panic! every few years, years after I originally watched it. Spending time on television with Sagara, one of the best fictional characters ever conceived, is always a pleasure. My heart is full of joy and anticipation at what the future holds for us after hearing this news.
Full Metal Panic!
Shoji Gatoh and Shiki Douji collaborated on a series of light novels titled Full Metal Panic! (Japanese:, Hepburn: Furumetaru Panikku!, abbreviated as FMP!).
Japanese high school student Kaname Chidori is being protected by Sousuke Sagara, a member of the covert anti-terrorist private military organization Mithril. With the support of his friends Kurz Weber and Melissa Mao, he goes to Japan to enroll at Jindai High School, where Chidori studies. Sousuke’s lack of personal relationships has led to widespread assumptions among his peers that he is a militaristic extremist who sees everything through a war lens.
He runs across Chidori, who figures out that Sousuke is guarding her, but he doesn’t reveal the reason why, either because of instructions or because he doesn’t understand why Chidori is the target of multiple groups.
