Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu [TV]
The series focuses on the romantic tension between the oblivious military-minded Sousuke Sagara and the beautiful Kaname Chidori. Set in their school Jindai High, the couple is up for various crazy and hilarious misunderstandings, often caused by Sousuke’s ignorance.
About the Show
“Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu” is a comedy spin-off series based on the action anime series “Full Metal Panic!” by Kyoto Animation. Produced by the same studio, the series aired a total of 12 episodes between August 25, 2003 and November 18, 2003.
Characters
Sousuke Sagara
Sousuke Sagara is the main protagonist of the series. Prior to his arrival at Jindai High and the assignment to protect Kaname Chidori, he had known nothing else except about warfare. As a result, Sousuke’s social skills are terribly underdeveloped, which usually frightens his classmates or causes misunderstandings.
Kaname Chidori
Kaname Chidori is the main female protagonist of the series. She is a valuable asset to the Mithril organization, and thus Sousuke was sent undercover to watch over her. However, Kaname develops feelings for Sousuke, who was terribly insensitive and oblivious of her feelings. Despite often falling into argument or getting upset with Sousuke, Kaname always looks out for him and protects him from the troubles of a civilian life.
Teletha “Tessa” Testarossa
Teletha is a young Mithril member who has a crush on Sousuke Sagara. She later follows him into Jindai High when she was temporarily free from Mithril duty.
Episode Summaries
Episode 1: The Man from the South
Sousuke figures that his shoe locker was somehow tampered, and immediately blows it up. He then finds fragments of a letter, which he thought was a death threat, but was just actually a love letter from a secret admirer. Later, Kaname is taken hostage by a gang leader, who was humiliated by Sousuke earlier in the day. However, the gang’s plan turns against them when Sousuke kidnaps the leader’s little brother and demands a hostage exchange.
Episode 2: Hostility Passing-By
After the trouble at the school’s bread stand caused by Sousuke, he and Kaname are assigned to man the stand for lunchtime. Seeing this ignites the ire of a physical education teacher, and attempts to sabotage the breads. However, Sousuke is ahead of him by a step, who had already prepared booby traps for anyone who attempts to tamper with their breads. Later, Kaname and Sousuke frantically dash home to retrieve Kaname’s notes, which Sousuke carelessly forgot. Their efforts were thrown into the trash bin after they found out that their teacher fell sick and Kaname’s notes were no longer needed.
Episode 3: Summer Illusion of Steel
Kaname and Sousuke spends the day relaxing at the beach. However, Kaname runs off alone after getting upset with Sousuke. She then meets a boy who is infatuated by her. Unfortunately, Sousuke mistakenly thinks that Kaname was abducted, and proceeds to rescue her from her kidnappers.
Episode 4: The Hamburger Hill of Art
Sousuke’s class goes for a field trip to a park, and Sousuke was selected to be the model for their art class. Things turn immediately crazy after Sousuke misinterprets their teacher’s instructions and turn the class into a game of life and death. Later, Sousuke, along with Kyoko, follow Kaname who was on a date with her former classmate. However, a drunken yakuza threatens Kaname, and Sousuke rescues them while disguised as the amusement park’s mascot.
Episode 5: The Pure Yet Impure Grappler
Sousuke and Kaname are tasked to instruct their school’s karate club to vacate their dojo as it is slated for demolition. Instead of leaving their club, the members challenge Sousuke, who were defeated effortlessly. Sousuke is eventually challenged by the club’s captain, and they were to compete by caring for the school’s injured janitor. However, both their efforts caused more harm than good. There competition ends after the janitor loses his patience, after Sousuke and the club captain accidentally served him his prized Koi fish for dinner.
Episode 6: The Hard Sell Fetish
Sousuke and Kaname set out to investigate after several schoolgirls are attacked by a masked perpetrator, who gave his victims ponytails. With a help of a local policewoman, Sousuke and Kaname set a trap for their prey by using Kaname as a bait. Later, Kaname takes the seemingly unfeeling Sousuke to a haunted hospital to attempt and scare him, but her plan backfires.
Episode 7: The War Cry of Excessiveness
When their school’s rugby team is planned to be disbanded, Sousuke and Kaname decide to help the players train in order to win an exhibition game against a rival school. However, Sousuke finds that the players are not motivated in any way, so he subjects them to a grueling basic training.
Episode 8: A Goddess Comes to Japan (Part 1: The Suffering)
Tessa arrives at Jindai High, with the purpose of learning more about school life. Sousuke collapses from fatigue after stressfully guarding over his senior officer.
Episode 9: A Goddess Comes to Japan (Part 2: The Hot Spring)
Sousuke and the gang travel to a nearby hot spring to have a good time before Tessa return to her Mithril duties. The boys then attempt to catch a sneak peek into the girl’s bath, but their plan is spoiled by Sousuke who had already set up booby traps.
Episode 10: A Fancy Without Honor or Humanity
Sousuke – wearing his mascot disguise — trains Ren Mikihara’s yakuza members in order to defeat a rival gang. Later, Kaname and Ren were abducted, prompting Sousuke and the yakuza members to launch a rescue operation.
Episode 11: Uncontrollable Bluebird
Sousuke and his club is challenged to a competition, where their club room will be taken away by the winning club if they lose. Whoever recruits the most members win. Sousuke is put into a disadvantage, as his social skills is terrible. However, Kaname helps him.
Episode 12: 5th Period Hot Spot
Sousuke locks his classroom down into quarantine, after his classmate accidentally opens his biohazard container. Later, he learns that there is no pathogenic outbreak, and that it only caused synthetic clothing to be destroyed.
