Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

The tone of the overall series shifts in a mature direction, and the results are fantastic.

Reviewed by Dustin Somner August 8, 2009

Considering it’s been nearly four years since I watched the original Full Metal Panic! series, I was somewhat concerned that I’d be lost in this viewing of Second Raid. I remember enjoying aspects of the original, but felt slightly disappointed in the number of “filler” episodes that enhanced the comedic feel of the show, but didn’t serve the main plot. There was still sufficient action in the series to hold my attention through the full 24 episodes, but I found a general lack of tension and focus in the overall series to deserve high marks when compared to other anime series in the genre. Then came the follow-up spin-off Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu, which stands as a disappointing departure from the elements that made the first series enjoyable. From a personal standpoint, the level of over-the-top comedy mixed with fluffy storylines just didn’t do it for me, and I ended up giving up on the series after the second DVD installment. Upon hearing the true follow-up to the first series (Second Raid) would be directed by Yasuhiro Takemoto (who also directed the Fumoffu series), I kept my expectations tempered regarding the tone of the third Full Metal Panic! production. Much to my surprise, Second Raid is nothing like Fumoffu and even bests the quality of the first series.

There's nothing more invigorating than staring the down the barrel of the loaded gun.

The overall story arch of Second Raid begins three months after the conclusion of the first series, with Sousuke still splitting his time between protecting Kaname at Jindai High School and serving as a mercenary in the counterterrorist group Mithril. During the course of a couple early skirmishes, the leaders of Mithril learn that an organization known as Amalgam possesses Black Technology that rivals their own and indicates they may have obtained Whispered abilities from other sources. This worries Sousuke, since he believes Kaname’s Whispered ability could be their next target. Unfortunately, he’s unable to be in two places at the same time, creating an internal battle within Sousuke between his duty to pilot the Arbalest for Mithril and his growing feelings for Kaname. When this internal conflict becomes apparent to his superiors, he’s taken off the task of protecting Kaname and replaced by a mysterious agent known as Wraith. This only furthers his feelings of inadequacy as the chosen pilot of the Arbalest (since he can’t get the Lambda Driver to work when needed) and sends Sousuke down a path of self-destruction at a time when his skills are needed the most. Can Sousuke pull himself together in time to support his Mithril pals in their campaign against Amalgam, or will he crumble under the weight of his diminished self-worth?

Since I didn’t mention it in the plot synopsis, I should briefly state that Kurz, Melissa, and Tessa are back in this series, though the main storyline of the plot stays firmly centered on Sousuke and Kaname. The bad guy element is ratcheted up significantly with the introduction of Gates, as the psychopath agent representing Amalgam. Gauron was a decent baddie in the first series, but Gates surpasses him in every way possible. Killing indescriminantly without any remorse, Gates is the ultimate villain (don’t get me started on the weird scene involving a naked Gates and the bunnies or squirrels on his television screen), and gives this series an appropriately darker edge. The introduction of twin Chinese sisters named Yu Fang and Yu Lang is also a nice touch, with their cool, calculated attitude and constant reference to a beloved sensei, they’re the polar opposite of their maniacle counterpart (Gates), and present an interesting side-story arch that connects the first series to this one. I wish their parts were developed in greater detail, but you can only do so much with a season that runs a mere thirteen episodes.

Without a doubt, the glue that holds this production together is the building relationship between Sousuke and Kaname. I was a bit disappointed to see them separated after episode six, but it became a necessary element for the overall plot of the show and allowed each character more room for introspective analysis of their feelings for one another. Kaname realizes the extent she relies on Sousuke to take care of her and he in turn gains a greater understanding of how much she truly means to him. I’m probably making this out to sound far more sentimental than it really is, but I think it’s a testament to the storytelling in Second Raid that the show delves into such emotional depth without it feeling like a detriment to the overall arch of the plot. Their relationship is no longer treated as a side-story to elicit cheap giggles, it becomes the primary element that ties the entire series together.

As far as the structure of the series, this is an entirely different experience than the first series. Aside from a portion of episode 2 and several other snippets here and there, this is designed to be a serious production, without the “filler” episodes that plagued the initial series. Personally, I enjoyed the change immensely, especially when you consider Second Raid is only a mere 13 episodes. If four of those episodes had been dedicated to Fumoffu style antics, there simply wouldn’t have been enough time to let the plot develop into an entertaining and memorable experience. As it stands, Second Raid passed with a swiftness that contradicts the 5+ hour runtime and left me wanting more.

From an animation standpoint, the series is a pleasure to watch from start to finish. As with most television productions, budgetary contraints prevent it from achieving the the heights of theatrical anime, but the Kyoto Animation Studio still managed to infuse the show with enough visual flair to make it worthy of the upgrade to high-definition. Fight sequences rival the best I’ve seen in the mecha genre, character models are sufficiently detailed with adequate emotional expression, and movements are replicated in a fluid fashion that demonstrates a high level of care on the part of the artists. This is the first production from Kyoto Animation that I’ve had the pleasure to watch, but I’m looking forward to checking out some of their other releases if they make their way to Blu-ray.

Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 26Mbps), Full Metal Panic! Second Raid is another solid offering from Funimation. Fine object detail is well defined with crisp lines and smooth textures that rarely appear blurred or hazy (unless it's an intentional aspect of the animation). Colors are equally solid, offering a spectrum that contains bold, bright hues that add to the visual pop of the animation. Black levels maintain a solid depth throughout the various settings of the series, and contrast appears entirely stable from shot to shot. I never noticed the presence of aliasing, macroblocking, or other digital anomalies, though I did detect some occasional banding from time to time. There also appeared to be some intentional shimmering in an early shot of a cityscape (mostly buildings), but it was pronounced enough that I'd tend to lean toward it reflecting an effect in the source material rather than a transfer deficiency (perhaps indicating the glass we are looking through is somewhat warped). Overall, fans of the series will be delighted in the image quality on Second Raid, and I'd expect to see a flood of DVD editions hit the second hand market when this release lands on store shelves.

Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Anime-lovers will rejoice at the inclusion of equally proficient Japanese and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 tracks, that sound nearly identical aside from a slight reduction in the volume of the dialogue on the Japanese track. This is in no way comparable to the difference noted on the Origin Blu-ray, and likely a by-product of the dubbing equipment used to record the english voice cast for the North American release. As usual, I listened to the majority of the series in the native language of Japanese, and it was truly a pleasure to soak up. The dialogue, effects and music are all afforded appropriate weight in the mix, but it was the use of the surround speakers during the action sequences that really peaked my attention. For a television production there's an incredible amount of spacial separation in the sound field, bringing your speakers to life with the sounds of metal on metal during the combat scenes. Not wanting to be left out, your subwoofer will also earn a decent workout with the LFE channel on the mix emitting a smooth rumble during the film's many explosions. I doubt many audiophiles will be disappointed in the audio experience throughout the series and I hope more anime television productions show this level of improvement with the step up to lossless audio.

Of note, the OVA included on the disc has some odd audio issues that I wasn't nearly as impressed with. It appears the dialogue is shifted to the right and left speakers in the front of the room (rather than the center channel), so it's much louder than what we're given in the episodes that comprise the main feature. It shouldn't be a deal-breaker in your enjoyment of the OVA, but is still worth mentioning.

Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Bonus Episode 000: (480p, Dolby TrueHD 5.1, 5:52 min): This brief episode has the heroes from Second Raid descending onto a terrorist camp to save a group of hostages, followed by clips from the full series (with a brief clip devoted to each character).

Bonus OVA: (1080p, Dolby TrueHD 5.1, 29:26 min): Perhaps fearing the series didn't contain enough comedy for die-hard fans of the first and second season, this OVA was created as a follow-up to the last episode of the Second Raid series. Titled "A Relatively Leisurely Day in the Life of a Fleet Captain", this extended episode has Tessa hitting on Sousuke while sleepwalking, and other various embarassing situations affecting main characters from the show. It wasn't really my cup of tea, so didn't add much value from a personal standpoint, but if you enjoy over-the-top comedy in your anime you'll probably appreciate this addition.

Dawn of the Light Novel (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 26:02 min): This lengthy featurette is narrated by Mikuni Shinokawa (who performed the songs for all of the FMP anime series) and focuses on the history of the Fujimi Fantasia Bunko "light" novel series, (a light novel is different than manga, because it's a text-based publication with animated pictures included only on certain pages), which has been developed into three anime series thus far. I found it fascinating to hear the opinions of all the individuals involved in the creation of the novels, but the best portion of this featurette is the last half, which includes a tour of Kyoto Animation Studio and a brief look at each step in the animation process of the Second Raid series.

Location Scouting in Hong Kong (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 2:26:22): In case you thought your eyes deceived you, that isn't a misprint regarding the length of this extra. Narrated by director Yasuhiro Takemoto and writer Shoji Gatou, we're shown candid footage of the filmmakers as they scout out location ideas for the series. Without the constant commentary this would become old rather quickly, but both men are absolutely hilarious through the majority of the 146 minute runtime (especially with Gatou apologizing repeatedly for his onscreen antics).

Rounding out the extras, we're given a textless version of the opening and closing theme songs and eight trailers for other Funimation releases.

Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid: Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Full Metal Panic! Second Raid may not be anime perfection, but it certainly stands out as one of the better productions in recent years. If you haven't seen the first season, there may be elements of the plot that won't seem fully developed, and the emotional impact of the relationship between Sousuke and Kaname will likely be blunted, but don't let those small quibbles prevent you from giving Second Raid a shot. There's enough to enjoy about the stand-alone plot of the series regardless of whether you're a newcomer or veteran to the Full Metal Panic! universe. From a technical standpoint, this high-definition edition should offer a substantial upgrade over the DVD version (which is priced almost the same as the Blu-ray collection), making this an easy recommendation for any anime fan with a Blu-ray player.