Full Metal Panic! - Season 2

The Second Raid is a return to form for the series and an improvement on pretty much every aspect. Only 13 episodes, it feels tighter than the first season, rarely deviating from telling its story. The art and animation are markedly superior to that of the first run, much more fluid and stylistically pleasing. Part of this is thanks to the addition of two female antagonists, creepily emotionless and very adept at combat. The show is also more mature, more willing to show violence and sexuality than before. Sousuke and Kaname still aren't really together, but there's noticeable advancement in their relationship as they act closer to actual human beings around each other. His attitude gets a little annoying later on, but he comes back around eventually.

The story introduces a new, more-or-less insane villain and evil plot against Mithril, the military organization Sousuke works for. The new characters are interesting and they continue to keep the story exciting and tense. The stuff with Kaname is also handled very well, as her influence on him and vice versa becomes clear and she's the focus of one of the most tense anime episodes I've ever seen. The action scenes are cool and the climax is fitting, though I have to wonder if this is the end. There's multiple novels left to adapt and the whole story's still not really over, but it's been over two years since this was produced and there's still no word of them going back to work on it. I hope they aren't finish, because I think it's a tale that deserves to be completely animated.

Full Metal Panic? - Fumoffu

Fumoffu is pretty entertaining but not as good as the series proper. The serious military elements are dropped and the focus is on comedy, although there's still a fair bit of action, it just all happens with a goofy backdrop. Taken by itself, it's a little weird as a comedy, with Sousuke being his usual ultra-serious self, when normally the protagonist would have some other giant flaw like being too shy or an idiot. It works though, as the dynamic between him and Kaname is still pretty strong, as they slowly get closer despite his constant violent hijinks and her also-violent reactions.

Whereas the normal show has a strong continuity and basically one long story arc, Fumoffu is just a series of random events, which makes sense since it was adapted from some short stories instead of novels. They are fairly hit and miss, but there are some really entertaining moments. Sometimes Souksuke's misunderstandings get tiring, and I'm really not a fan of the whole Bonta-kun thing, but there are some funny episodes and surprisingly well-animated, goofy action sequences, like a race to retrieve Kaname's notes before class starts. For what it is, a simple comedy, it works pretty well.

Full Metal Panic! - Season 1

Full Metal Panic's first season is an unusual blending of two of anime's most common genres; romantic comedy and giant robots. I wouldn't call it the best of both worlds, since some of the pitfalls of both show up sometimes, but it's still an interesting mix and a very enjoyable show. The primary focus of the season is the action though, with the comedy aspect being mostly a subplot. Sousuke is a former child solider who's been recruited by a mercenary group to defend the world from terrorists. On a mission, he has to go undercover in a high school to protect Kaname, an apparently important girl. They quickly develop feelings for each other, but since this is an anime, their relationship is more of a series of blunders and misunderstandings than anything real. As the show goes on, they continue to butt heads as they encounter troubles that usually lead back to one man, Gauron, the season's villain. Their's a suitably dramatic and tense finale that wraps up the arc while leaving the door open for more adventures.

The show looks decent, not great, but not bad. Once in a while there will be a 3D-rendered vehicle, but most of the time everything is hand drawn and well designed. The animation is decent if rarely truly eye-catching. Despite a couple filler episodes that break the flow for a bit, the pacing is decent as the stakes are ratcheted up as it goes on. The comedy is pretty typical and not that unique, but it's never painful or boring. The characters are well developed and you get attached to the important ones, and you find yourself rooting for the guy and the girl to get together even though you know it's going to take forever if it even happens. The next season is more of a side-story that's purely comedic stylistically, so it will be interesting to see if they maintain the enjoyability without robots blowing each other up.