Interview with Full Metal Panic Creator

Hey gang! It has been really busy, but I still become aware of things from time to time. This time, the British anime distro company All the Anime did a video with Full Metal Panic creator, GATOH Shoji. They posted the SHORT, first part of the interview on YouTube.

I really wish they could go for a more in depth interview. We’ll see how many parts there are in this interview, though I don’t expect a ton. I did like hearing about the inspiration for Full Metal Panic.

Full Metal Panic Retrospective

Speaking of Full Metal Panic, lets talk briefly about the anime series. The first series was done by Gonzo, who opted to mix the comedy short stories with the main story. And then they went for their own ending. I mostly really liked the series, but I do know there was a rubbish episode in there.

Kyoto Animation came in to rescue the franchise and rectify Gonzo’s mistakes by putting the franchise into a two-path system. The additional comedy short stories were released in the Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu series. They then “fixed” Gonzo’s ending to get the main story on track with Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid. They also created the OVA A Relatively Leisurely Day in the Life of a Fleet Captain.

I don’t know why Kyoto didn’t opt to continue the anime adaptations, but a little over ten years later, Xebec announced their intention to adapt the rest of the light novels into anime. They go the ball started with Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory.

I know there was some controversy here, as the story is much darker, and the world of the story is turned upside-down. However, in terms of story writing, this stuff was the darkness before the dawn comes, so I know things would have been wrapped up

Alas, Xebec went out of business, so the plans to continue the series were halted. Some of Xebec was sold to Sunrise. However, Production I.G may have the rights to Full Metal Panic, as both Production I.G and Xebec belonged to the same, umbrella corporation. Unfortunately, it is impossible to say who, if anyone, will finish out the anime adaptation. However, if you are curious, click here for a summary of the different light novels.

Maybe All the Anime will actually ask Gatoh-sensei those questions. In the meantime, if you haven’t checked out Full Metal Panic, it is a pretty good series.