Sergeant Sousuke Sagara returns to Jindai High School to protect the precious war asset, Kaname Chidori, from any threat. However, his lack of social skills and real-life experience result in comical yet dangerous situations, endangering the peaceful school life Kaname longs for. As Sousuke continues to bring a wide range of weapons to school as a means to solve threats—real or fake—Kaname struggles to fulfill her duty as the student council vice president all while keeping him in check.
To ensure a successful mission, Sousuke is occasionally forced to use the costume of a famous amusement park mascot called Bonta-kun. With his technical expertise, he eventually transforms the exuberant uniform into a cutting-edge exoskeleton that has only one dysfunction: the voice translator can only produce the sound "mofu."
Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu depicts the adventures of Kaname and Sousuke as they try to live their normal school lives despite the chaos they inadvertently cause.
FULL METAL PANIC? FUMOFFU : ANIME REVIEW BY THE ANIME CRITIC
From the minds behind the acclaimed “Full Metal Panic!”, comes an exhilarating roller-coaster of emotions, delightful quirkiness and just outright fun, “Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu”. It is an unassuming sidestory in the original military-heavy setting, that features the same beloved characters but leads us down a more school-centric, comedic lane.
In this separate installment, we still follow the lives of Sousuke Sagara our military-fiend protagonist, his love interest Kaname Chidori, and their myriad of friends and allies. However, the focus is not on secret military missions, armed slave fights and protecting the coveted “Whispered”, No! This time it’s about Sousuke’s misadventures as he tries to adapt into a regular high school life with Kaname, and that, to say the least, is quite ‘explosive’.
THE STORY
Understand this, “Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu” is not about a complex, riveting storyline, it’s the direct opposite. Fumoffu is about having fun, and it delivers that in spades! It sways from the military theme of the original series and focuses on the hilarious repercussions of having a military nut in a high school setting.
THE CHARACTERS
“Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu” delves in depth into our cherished characters and further explores their personalities. Sousuke’s robotic seriousness continues to humor us in this upbeat setting and Kaname’s ever enduring patience (or not!) adds to the vibrant dynamics. It’s the chemistry between these two familiar characters that truly ignites the series. The additional characters such as Sousuke’s fellow classmates and math teacher further add to the fun.
ANIMATION AND MUSIC
Visually, “Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu” is bright, clean and fun, mirroring the playful atmosphere of the series. The art style, the character designs especially Sousuke’s Bonta-kun avatar, are delightful. The animation quality by Kyoto Animation is top notch as expected. The soundtrack complements the lightheartedness of the series perfectly, enhancing the comedic sequences and creating a lively ambience which is hard not to enjoy.
FINAL VERDICT
“Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu” is an absolute joyride! It takes fan-favorite characters and puts them in ridiculously funny situations that are an absolute blast. It’s a lighthearted, comedic spin-off that treats its audience to a great number of laughs, but never deviating from the essence of the characters we’ve come to love.
If you’re a fan of the “Full Metal Panic!” series, or simply on the lookout for a feel-good, hilarious series to lighten up your day, rent, buy or stream “Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu”. This Anime Critic gives it a thumbs up!
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