I finished up the first disc of Full Metal Panic! Tuesday night, all four episodes.
It was…well, it’s hard to describe. The concept is brilliant — a screwball romantic comedy set in a giant mech universe. It’s Love Hina in the world of Gasaraki. The first two episodes set this up and milk it very well. The series is funny, but also has the strong emotional core so necessary to make a romance work.
But then the execution falters. Episodes three and four are unexpectedly turgid; each scene drags on with unnaturally long pauses and empty dialogue. This is partially due to the introduction of a villain, which consumes a good chunk of these episodes. Also, the protagonists are separated for both episodes, so we don’t get to laugh at their interactions.
Overall, I still like Full Metal Panic!, and will definitely buy disc 2. I just hope it can recover from the
(I can’t find good artwork for this series, unfortunately…I’m tempted to scan a screenshot.)