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R2 DVD Reviews
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Written by maehara
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Friday, 02 June 2006 00:00 |
 So, you thought the previous volumes of Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU had their funny moments? This latest volume may well be the best yet - but be prepared for a level of violence and general ecchi-ness well beyond anything that Sousuke's unleashed so far...
7 - The War Cry of Excessiveness
The Jindai High rugby team has fallen on hard times - mainly as they're a bunch of lily-livered wussies who are more into flower-arranging than scoring tries and couldn't tackle a flea, never mind win a match. It's gotten to be so embarrassing to the school that the principal is planning to wind the club up, but the team are to be given one last chance to break their 10-year losing streak - against local powerhouse Garasuyama High. Normally they'd have no chance - but Sousuke's just been assigned as the team coach. Can Sousuke's special training methods turn the team around in just five days? You betcha - in fact, "bloodbath" is more the word by the time he's through with them...
8 - A Goddess Comes to Japan (Part 1: The Suffering)
With the de Danaan undergoing heavy maintenance, Tessa's at a bit of a loose end for a few weeks - so what better way to spend her unexpected vacation than to torture.. er, visit Sousuke for a while? And so Tessa comes to Jindai High as a foreign exchange student, and makes herself at home in Sousuke's apartment. But how will Kana react to Tessa's unexpected appearance..? And will Sousuke survive the conflicting expectations of the two girls..?
9 - A Goddess Comes to Japan (Part 2: The Hot Spring)
Dealing with Tessa is all getting to be a bit too much for poor Sousuke, even if he does have Mao for help now. A relaxing trip to a hot spring doesn't look like it'll be much help, either - especially with Kurz planning 101 ways to catch the girls naked. Can Sousuke stop Kurz from following through on his plans? Will the girls' modesty be exposed? Can a rubber ducky ever be so strategically placed..?!
There's really not a lot to write about this volume, as any semblance of "story" is wafer-thin. The rugby episode is great fun, and on any other disc would probably have been the highlight - although I admit I'm a rugby fan and may possibly be a little biased there. Sousuke's approach to playing the game probably matches pretty well with what most fans would like to see on-pitch, if only the rules would allow it, but rules have never been something that's bothered him.
As the disc goes on, it just gets better and better. The second episode takes Tessa away from her submarine and places her in high-school. With her feelings for Sousuke abundantly clear it's not long before Kana's jealousy comes to the fore, while Sousuke is a man who's suffering - he's been well warned what will happen if he so much as lays a finger on the captain, while the laying of fingers, hands and anything else seems to be just what Tessa's wanting from him. It's probably the only time I can think of where Sousuke's seen as genuinely in fear, and it's great fun to watch.
From school we go the the hot springs - traditionally a time for creative camera angles and not much in the way of clothing, and this episode is no exception, with the animators using rubber ducks, dragonflies, fence posts and more to truly frustrate the fans. Tenamonya Voyagers managed to run the same trick for a whole episode a few years back and probably still retains the crown of "masters of the art", but the FMP? girls have a much bigger following in fandom so I can see this episode going down in legend. The efforts of Kurz and friends to get at least a peek at the women also bears mention as it's another example of Sousuke going completely over-the-top in his approach to making sure Kurz doesn't succeed, but somehow it's just not the same.
Overall, then, another great volume of FUMOFFU. For all that there's almost no depth at all to these episodes, it genuinely is hard to stop laughing. Great stuff.
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