Full Metal Panic Fumoffu Vol. 4: Full Metal Mania (DVD) - Anime Reviews


	Number of Episodes 3 Language Options English/Japanese/English Subtitles Released by ADV Films Extras - Where’s Bonta-kun?! Game - The Mysteries of Fumoffu - Clean Opening/Closing Animation - Character Artwork - ADV Previews
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Full Metal Panic Fumoffu Vol. 4: Full Metal Mania (DVD)

Here it is the full-on, all-out crazy finale to Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu! And it seems that EVERYONE has gone completely mad!

First, a laugh-out-loud yakuza war brings gangster stereotypes to life, risks the lives of Kaname and Sousuke, and enlists an unlikely army of Bonta-kuns to save the day!

Next, there’s a turf war on the school campus, and it’s nerd against nerd, in an ill-inspired contest to see which group of misfits can seduce the most girls!

And finally, it’s scandal, scare, skin, and screamin’ hilarity – as a whole classroom of students discards common sense… just before they unwittingly discard their clothes!

It’s a fitting finish to a frenzied frolic in full-metal frivolity – and you definitely don’t want to miss it!

The finale has come up already… what a shame. Well, we might as well enjoy the final disc of this craziness and start preparing for the eventual licensing of Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid. Let’s go!

Episode 10: A Fancy Without Honor or Humanity

Sousuke’s having a bad day – his side project to design new weapons has failed and he’s been stuck with the leftovers. So Kaname decides to help make it a little better by treating him to an after-school snack. The pair are joined by Ren, and along the way, they witness a fight between rival gang members. As the defeated member is left behind, Ren runs up to him and check on his well-being; the man recognizes her and defers to her position (she’s an important family member). It turns out that she’s the daughter of a yazuka boss for the Mikihara Gang, and the members that were defeated were ones that previously harassed Kaname at the amusement park

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(with Bonta-kun showing up for the save). The member realizes that they will require more firepower if they intend to win the day, and asks Kaname if she will summon Bonta-kun to help… but first, they must run this by the boss. He is less than impressed to see the new hired gun is a giant stuffed animal, despite the sickness that he’s feeling, he charges Bonta-kun. He ends up hip-tossed for his troubles and left with no choice to defer to Bonta-kun’s judgment.

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He begins to train the soldiers of the Mikihara Gang, but his goal is not to make them a devastating fighting force – but to make them an efficient enough of a force that the enemy will not attack them (thus preventing a potential gang war). But his options become limited when the opposing gang makes the first move – they kidnap Ren with Kaname, and so now they are going to have to respond. Sousuke unveils his secret weapons – the Bonta-kun suits and outfits his entire team with the suits. There’s something special about watching a team of stuffed animals clearing rooms with grenades and suppression fire. The team manages to save both Kaname and Ren without anyone being killed, and getting the entire enemy gang arrested.

Episode 11: Uncontrollable Bluebird

Tokiwa calls out Sousuke for some help – she’s trying to get ready for softball practice, but they cannot get into the utility shed because it has been locked from the inside. So using a forced entry (complete with stun grenade) he finds that Kazama and the members of the photography club have been using the shed as a dark room – and consequently all of their hard work has now been ruined. Meanwhile, Kaname is dealing with the downhill problems of the Karate Club (Tsubaki’s group) using the Biology Club’s space – which subsequently moved them into the same space as the Cooking Club… eww. The school president has a partial solution – the social sciences club does not have enough members and is willing to surrender their club space, but only on one condition: Each club must draw the most members of the opposite sex – whoever draws the most, wins the room.

So it’s going to be an open competition for the room – and the rules allow for 3 members of each team to flirt with members of the opposite sex. So Kazama, calls in a favor from Sousuke and has him join the photography club and join their attempt. Tsubaki isn’t real torn up about it, especially when he sees that Sousuke is in SWAT gear for the mission. Members of the Music Club make a bet with him – if he can entice 1 girl, he gets lunch for 2 weeks; if he fails, he must swim naked in the lake. And so the mission is on – each team has it’s problems. The modeling club ends up being shot down by a pair of Ganguro girls, the Karate Club uses a staged attack to attract them, the Music Club uses a traditional approach… and Sousuke and the Photography Club is using money as a lure, then cages to trap their women. Kaname is not pleased at all to find out what Sousuke is up to, and beats him repeatedly to get her point across. So, Sousuke heads out once again to try… but isn’t having any luck with anyone and things don’t look particularly well when he heads to the meeting point alone. He’s about to be called on the bet when a beautiful girl in a kimono arrives and takes him away under the guise of dinner – he does not know who the girl is, but goes nonetheless. As soon as the girl’s voice relaxes, he finally realizes that it’s Kaname who has come to save his bacon again.

Episode 12: 5^th Period Hot Spot

Sousuke has ordered a new sight for his rifle, but instead, an unidentified thermos arrived (with a biohazard sticker?) and he’s not too happy about it. He gets called away, so he leaves the thermos under the care of Kazama – but in the meantime, one of the classmates bought a Hot Curry Bread and went searching for something to drink, and opens up the thermos. So the spill is now on the floor…

When Sousuke returns, he notices that his thermos is opened and prepares for the worst – he implements chemical contamination protocols and seals off the classroom to prevent any additional casualties. The class does not take particularly well to the possibility that they will die well (who would?) and quickly rebel. Kaname is able to keep the group inside the classroom with an excellent speech about self-sacrifice, which is promptly ruined by Sousuke’s announcement about an antidote dose which came with the sample. So anarchy rises again, and Kaname is able to stop the potential flare-up by raffling the one dose off. As each person becomes resigned to dying from their tickets, once Sousuke draws the winning ticket… things turn ugly and the sample is broken in the ensuing melee. The huge battle draws the ire of the vice-principal, who opens the door demanding to know why all the noise is being made – with the seal broken, everyone rushes out to die in their own way. I won’t ruin a good ending, so you’ll have to watch it on your own.

This last disc of Full Metal Panic Fumoffu was just awesome. Very funny series and an excellent addition to any comedic anime collection.

- Tazman

(November 3, 2005)

"But if you do figure something out, we'll name the discovery after you like they did for Johnny Flyswatter or Doug Reacharound."

- CIA Head (American Dad)

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