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While prepping a fic chapter for RAAC, I've become a bit interested in Full Metal Panic (the fic in question is a FMP/Evangelion crossover). I Wiki'd it, but just got confused. Right Stuf lists 3 different "hybrid"(?) DVD collections + an Ani-Mini DVD (whatever that is), 2 different graphic novel collections, and a novel on top of that.
Someone help me make sense of this - is it any good? How many "series" are there? Any particular recommendations?

Jeanne Hedge
www.jhedge.com

"Believe me, if I have to go the rest of my life without companionship, knowing myself won't be a problem."
-- Gabrielle of Potadeia

Try here..... students.uat.edu/ryagruve/

Yes, it is very good. The franchise started as a series of light novels, I believe, and was converted into an anime then a manga. Key plots are fairly to extremely closely mirrored between all three, but IIRC there are also lesser bits that show up in one but not the other two.
The novels and the manga are both self-contained. The Overload manga is essentially a for-kids version of the main lines; I haven't bothered with it. The Full Metal Panic anime and The Second Raid anime cover most of the serious plotline to date; the books are a bit ahead and the (english language release, at least) manga a bit behind. FMP: Fumoffu is essentially the light-fluffy comedy bits that were edited out of the manga and book versions to produce the anime.
Upside: IMHO, the beginning of the main anime is the best place to start, but any of the various versions will work.
Ja, -n

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"Reseeestunce ees fiutil. Yoo weeel bee Useemooletud. Borg Borg Borg."
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"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

The main anime leaves a few plot threads hanging, though, like the origin and nature of the Whispered...

-- Bob
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The Internet Is For Norns.

Valles has already listed the various series, so I'll concentrate on the formats.
Right Stuf uses the term "hybrid" to refer to a DVD with both subtitle and dub tracks. (It's a holdover from the laserdisc era, when you usually had to choose between sub or dub - nobody's bothered to update the system.) These are the box sets of the three series - FMP, FMP:Second Raid, and FMP:Fumoffu.
The "Mini-DVD" was an experiment of ADV's - put one or two episodes on a small-form-factor disc, and include a coupon for the list price of the mini-DVD, good only for buying the fill-sized DVD. This format never caught on, and they've since junked it in favour of the NewTypeUSA insert DVD.
Graphic novels are translated manga tankobons, and we all know what a novel is...

-Rob Kelk
"Read Or Die: not so much a title as a way of life." - Justin Palmer, 6 June 2007
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

Thanks to all.
It sounds as if one could easily skip Fumoffu (Film Off?) without missing anything much from an actual plot. Sort of like the YUA short collection ADV released after AnimEigo was done with the real series? (speaking of which - YUA: Full Throttle goes on the air in Japan in October)
Do the 1st and 2nd DVD series relate with the 1st and 2nd graphic novel collections? Are the DVD series direct continuations, semi-related (GitS) or did the great reset button get punched between them? (same question for the graphic novels)
Is the novel an actual novel, or another GN?

I honestly hadn't heard of anyone referring to sub/dub as "hybrid" since AnimEigo decided separate Japanese and English LD releases were dumb, and started putting them on opposite sides of the same LD.
Well anyway, maybe I should go ahead and invest in a couple of the GNs and give it a try.

Jeanne Hedge
www.jhedge.com

"Believe me, if I have to go the rest of my life without companionship, knowing myself won't be a problem."
-- Gabrielle of Potadeia

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It sounds as if one could easily skip Fumoffu (Film Off?) without missing anything much from an actual plot.

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Ayup. It's cute and funny, though, so I'd recommend renting it eventually or something.

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Do the 1st and 2nd DVD series relate with the 1st and 2nd graphic novel collections? Are the DVD series direct continuations, semi-related (GitS) or did the great reset button get punched between them? (same question for the graphic novels)

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The two formats are roughly parallel, yes, and the later two are direct continuations of the earlier ones.
The entire franchise started with a series of light novels - aimed at the high-school age bracket - about half a dozen of them, I think, and still being written. AFAIK they haven't been properly published in English, but there are fan translations available... though I forget exactly where.
Ja, -n

===============================================
"Reseeestunce ees fiutil. Yoo weeel bee Useemooletud. Borg Borg Borg."
===========

===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

I own all three series and enjoy each for a different reason.
The first reminds me a bit of Project A-Ko in that the series switches back and forth between high school comedy and larger than life sci-fi action before sending the two genres into a head-on collision in the third act.
The second seems to take place between the episodes of the first series and, while it is pure comedy fluff, itdoes so in an absolutely hysterical manner. Watch Sousuke as he grossly misinterprets the purpose of art class. Watch Sousuke as he acts as coach to the school rugby team (using highly inappropriate drill sargeant techniques). Watch Sousuke as he accidentally brings a bioweapon to class.
The third series is hard-core military action. You see lots of intrigue, blood, and graphic violence.
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"Anyone can be a winner if their definition of victory is flexible enough." - The DM of the Rings XXXV

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I own all three series and enjoy each for a different reason.

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Manga series? DVD series?

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The third series is hard-core military action. You see lots of intrigue, blood, and graphic violence.

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This comment is why I asked the question above - I had the impression that the 3rd DVD series was fluff.
btw - if anyone's interested, the EVA/FMP fic ("But Loyal to Ther Own") that I referred to at the beginning of this thread doesn't appear to be a comedy (at least not in the 1st chapter). And, after doing a bit of character research, I think the author could make things rather interesting if/when Misato Katsuragi and Melissa Mao cross paths.

Jeanne Hedge
www.jhedge.com

"Believe me, if I have to go the rest of my life without companionship, knowing myself won't be a problem."
-- Gabrielle of Potadeia

Quote:

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This comment is why I asked the question above - I had the impression that the 3rd DVD series was fluff.

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There is some "fluff", dealing with Captain Testarossa and Sousuke, that makes more sense if you've seen episodes 13 and 14 of Fumoffu. Also, Sousuke's reactions in the last episode were easier to understand, at least for me, after seeing Fumoffu. However, over all, the series is heavy in action and well worth watching.
Unless you absolutely have to skip Fumoffu for some reason, I recommend that you see it before seeing The Second Raid. It doesn't take too long to watch and gives you a "breather" before the action starts up again.

I meant the DVD series.
Also, the order of the series are:
1). Full Metal Panic!
2). Full Metal Panic? FUMOFFU
3). Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid
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"Anyone can be a winner if their definition of victory is flexible enough." - The DM of the Rings XXXV

Resurrecting a dead thread to say that I finally did track down the 1st DVD set at a reasonable price. I'm almost through it - still have to watch the last DVD (final 3 episodes), but I did skim and know how it turns out.
I'm finding just about everything set at or around the high school (comedy elements) awfully derivative. Guy does something to irk girl, girl beats on guy, repeat ad nauseum. We've seen this sort of thing for years and years - he's Ranma, she's Akane (she even *looks* like Akane - did Rumiko Takahashi have a hidden hand in the character designs?).
OTOH, I do like most of the comic stuff that has nothing to do with Kaname beating on Sousuke, and I like the action and/or dramatic stuff too. What I like best is the music, especially when it's ripping off "A-Team" or "Starship Troopers". ^_^
(so why does ripping Kurz straight from any number of series, and cloning Mao from Misato Katsuragi, right down to the English voice actress, bug me? are the anime/manga industries out of original character ideas too? stupid question -nobody in the entertainment industry, anywhere, ever does anything original any more)

Jeanne Hedge
www.jhedge.com

"Believe me, if I have to go the rest of my life without companionship, knowing myself won't be a problem."
-- Gabrielle of Potadeia

Oh... I didn't really like the first series. At some point it seemed to go on too long and Kaname was just ... very unsympathetic in it. I -love- FMP: The Second Raid though. --