Full Metal Panic!-Mission.06 (2002)

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General		Extras
Category	Anime	Main Menu Audio & Animation Credits-Clean opening (1:31) and closing (1:31) Gallery-Production sketches (0:45) Unseen Footage-Japanese piracy warnings (1:06) Trailer-ADV Previews (6:10) Reversible Cover DVD Credits
Rating
Year Of Production	2002
Running Time	68:30 (Case: 75)
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Kôichi Chigira
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	Satsuki Yukino Luci Christian Tomokazu Seki Chris Patton Yukana Nogami Hilary Haag Masahiko Tanaka Mike McRae Michiko Neya Allison Keith Shinichiro Miki Vic Mignogna Mike Kleinhenz
Case	Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip
RPI	$29.95	Music	Toshihiko Sahashi

    This is Full Metal Panic! Mission.06. Before reading this review you should familiarise yourself with the background briefing material: Full Metal Panic! Mission.01, Full Metal Panic! Mission.02, Full Metal Panic! Mission.03, Full Metal Panic! Mission.04, and Full Metal Panic! Mission.05. (I'm sure there's a pattern to these names, if I can only discern it.)

    The episodes on this disc are:

    Yet again, a three episode disc. That's three in a row, and it looks like the final disc will only contain three, too. Grumble! They could have given us three discs of four episodes, instead of four discs of three, but I think we have to blame ADV, rather than Madman, for this transparent exercise in greed.

    This disc's copyright warning comes from the English language voice for Lt Commander Kalinin (Mike Kleinhenz). These are so much more attention-getting than regular warnings. I actually listen to these!

    The first episode here is entertaining, even if it is partly an excuse to get three naked women together (not that we notice such things, of course!): it throws a little illumination on Mithril's recruiting and selection process, as well as providing more back-story for Melissa, Kurz, and Sousuke.

    The second episode begins with an unexpected revelation. Then the Tuatha de Danaan arrives at the island base, and Mithril's ASs attack with devastating effect (rather interesting that they can come ashore underwater). Sousuke manages to function, despite constantly thinking of the Helmajistan battle. Things get worse when he learns who is piloting the AS they call Venom. He is torturing himself.

    The third episode? I'm not saying anything, save that this is probably the start of the final story arc. Rather a good one, judging by this episode — I am very happy that the final volume will be available shortly (it is scheduled for the end of June 2004).

    If you are amused by minor animation glitches, have a close look at (SPOILER ALERT: highlight with mouse to read) Gauron talking around 3:10 in the third episode — his jaw moves, but the scar does not; it looks quite odd when you look directly at it.

    The only bad thing about this disc is that the series will soon be over.

Video

    This DVD transfer is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. It is not 16x9 enhanced. That's the original aspect ratio.

    The image is clear and sharp, about as good as it can get. There is no film grain, and no low-level noise.

    Colour is drawn from an extensive palette, and is transferred well. There are no colour-related artefacts.

    There are no film artefacts.

    Pans show a little bit of aliasing, but it's quite mild (especially compared with other discs coming out at the same time). There is no moiré and there are no MPEG artefacts.

    The usual two subtitle tracks appear: both in English, with the first being a "signs and song lyrics only" track, while the second is full subtitles. These subtitles are yellow, easy to read, and seem at least as accurate as usual.

    The disc is single-sided and single layered, so there is no layer change.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The soundtrack is provided in English (both 5.1 and 2.0) and Japanese (2.0 only). The 2.0 soundtracks are Dolby Digital, not surround encoded, at 224kbps. The 5.1 soundtrack is Dolby Digital at 448kbps. I watched all the episodes in English 5.1, then again in Japanese 2.0. I didn't listen to the English 2.0 soundtrack at all, except to check that it was present and in English (not Swedish, although I must admit that I wasn't too worried about that possibility).

    The English dialogue is easy to understand, well-acted, and is synced well with the animation. The Japanese dialogue sounds clear enough, and looks to be as well-synced to the animation as the English.

    Toshihiko Sahashi has given us a varied and well-thought-out score. There's a nicely emotive piece during a montage in the third episode.

    The English 5.1 soundtrack provides directional sound effects every so often, and makes good use of the subwoofer, especially for underwater shots. The Japanese 2.0 soundtrack offers some decent stereo imaging, and is full range with some decent bass — good for a TV track, but not as impressive as a full 5.1 track.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Menu

    The menus are animated with music, with a neat introductory transition. They are easy to use.

Reversible Cover

    The cover slick can be removed from the case and reversed. The inside image has completely different cover art (this one featuring Melissa Mao, Sousuke's team leader), and the front cover and spine are (mostly) in Japanese. It has episode summaries instead of an overall blurb.

Clean Opening (1:31)

    The opening theme, in letterboxed form, without credits. Major déjà vu.

Clean Closing (1:31)

    The closing sequence without credits. More déjà vu.

Production Sketches (0:45)

    This is a free-running montage of images (mostly of characters) with music. High quality images, drawn from these episodes.

Japanese Piracy Warning

    Two warnings here: one from Kurz (0:35), similar to what we heard at the start of the last disc, and one from Kalinin (0:31), similar to the English warning at the start of this disc.

ADV Previews (6:10)

    As seems common for ADV Previews, this is a series of trailers shown one after another:

• Azu Manga Daioh
• Chance Pop Session
• Final Fantasy Unlimited
• Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi

    A couple of new titles there, one to be released in June, and one in July.

DVD Credits

    This page lists the American team who were responsible for assembling the DVD.

    The Region 1 version of this disc was released at the start of 2004. As far as I can tell, their disc is essentially identical to ours, even to the reversible cover. They get a mini-poster that we don't, with some notes about various kinds of AS, and a picture of Teletha.

    The R1 is reported to have a very good transfer, and I'd estimate that the two are pretty much equivalent.

    Once again, I'm calling this a draw between the Region 1 and the Region 4. I'm continuing to buy the R4s.

    High quality anime that mixes dramatic action by turns with comedy, presented on a good DVD

    The video quality is excellent.

    The audio quality is extremely good, particularly on the English 5.1 soundtrack.

    The extras are limited, but the copyright/anti-piracy warnings (both the English and the Japanese) are fun.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall