Full Metal Panic!

TL;DR
Confused plot, wild tonal dissonance, can't decide what genre it wants to be. Boring characters, barely any romantic progression, and not much chemistry anyway. Do not recommend; I'd give this one a hard pass.

Story: 3/10
The manga reads like the author had two different ideas that they tried to combine simultaneously. It shifts between comedy gag manga and serious shounen action so rapidly and frequently that I'm experiencing complete tonal whiplash. Sometimes this happens mid-chapter! This confused plot undermines both concepts. You can't get into the romcom or comedy because suddenly Sagara just shot someone in the head. You can't get into the action because it's interrupted for shoehorned-in romance tropes. It's disappointing because there's potential for a good action spy story here. I could see the tense situations as the bodyguard tries to keep their identity secret from students while protecting their charge, but the author can't commit to it, ruining any tension and keeping the actual plot (romantic or action) very barebones as they juggle both storylines. You can be funny and have good action, but not the way this manga does it.

There are hints at bigger things that are never really explored. The main antagonists drop hints that they know Sagara and have done something terrible to him, but it's barely mentioned. The more supernatural aspects (oh yeah, that’s a thing too) are never fully explored, ending up more as Deus ex Machina and a reason for the plot to exist rather than an actual fleshed-out concept.

There is very little romantic progression between the two main leads. Lots of trope-type stuff, misunderstandings, assumptions, etc. Sagara doesn’t feel anything for Kaname until the very end, and even then, there is no satisfying conclusion.

Art: 7/10
Pretty good. I like the mechs (oh yeah, this is a mech manga at some points). Nothing much else to say.

Characters: 4/10
The main characters are dull, flat collections of tropes. Dense, tough guy, and violent tsundere. Can't really say much more about them; they're pretty boring. There are also side characters who have no personalities either. There's Kaname’s best friend, who exists so Kaname has someone to talk about Sagara with. There's Sagara’s boss, who is basically there for Kaname to be jealous of. There's so little character development here that there isn’t even much to criticize.

Overall: 3/10
Disappointing. A good idea wasted with terrible execution. I don't recommend this manga at all. I suspect the manga is so highly rated because it's one of the first many people will have read.

"I don't have any regrets. I'm glad I met you." This line from our heroine, Kaname Chidori, does seem rather romantic, doesn't it? Quite a lot.

What we have here is an intense romance and comedy manga mixed with action and mechas all over the place, making it quite a nice read. Looking closer, we see a story of a clueless guy and a strong-willed girl trying to survive, which seems nice. But let's add tons of comedy, deadly battles, and drama here and there, and we get a storyline that writer Gatoh, Shoji brought us—an unpredictable story filled with many twists and turns. It takes us from school to deserts, and from there to oceans and underwater places. It's bound to happen, or am I wrong?

Saving comrades, attending school, doing deadly missions, running after a girl that you like but just don't know because you're so clueless in life that it's hard to live outside the base—still learning new things. It's fun to watch how characters develop while being so good at one thing yet needing to learn about something they've never done before. It makes you laugh and cheer for the one who's trying. In this case, it's more of a laughing matter, I guess?

Boy meets girl? Or girl meets boy?

This was something I thought about while reading the manga because I didn't know from which perspective to look at it. Still, the first meeting was quite memorable. The first impression was amusing and well-captured. It was funny, it was nice, and it was something a bit new, I guess? A little bit dumb protagonist and strong-hearted heroine—what else do we need?

Action and a little bit of gore

Yes, you heard me right. Gore seems funny since I told you it was a really funny manga and such, but there are some gory moments that can't be left out, which actually spice things up a little bit but end quite quickly, sadly...

Overall

It was a nice read and a nice laugh. I read the manga when it was being released, so for me, it was quite different than nowadays—it was really something new and funny and dramatic just because I was yet to read today's mangas... But if I remembered it all this time, then it was a read worth the time!

Art

Well, what to say about art? It's quite older than any other, but it's still nice. All battles and backgrounds are drawn nicely; at some points, whole serious scenes are eye candy, and the characters show nice expressions, be it comedy or be it in action.

I noticed there weren't any reviews for this manga, so I decided to give it a shot. Just a heads up, this is my first review, so it won’t be perfect, but I hope it’s helpful nonetheless =P

Full Metal Panic! is a light mecha manga with a variety of other elements like humor and slice-of-life moments in some chapters.

Story - 6

The plot isn't particularly groundbreaking or new. The "boy protects girl" storyline has been done before, and the seemingly irrelevant slice-of-life chapters can make the story feel slow. However, as you progress, you realize those chapters tell their own story—an unlikely romance. While that's not new either, it remains enjoyable despite its familiarity.

Art - 10

This is shounen art at its finest! It's very detailed for a shounen series, and the action scenes are easy to follow.

Characters - 8

Most characters are quite simple. The main character, Sagara, seems incapable of learning anything and is socially inept to the point where he often ends up blowing up buildings or hurting people. On the flip side, Chidori, the female lead, is also straightforward in many ways. She’s strong, independent, and doesn’t need anyone, sometimes even despising Sagara. The combination of these two, along with some likable supporting characters, makes the story great.

Enjoyment - 9

Even though the story and characters are simple, it can be very funny at times. The main plot, while progressing slowly, is interesting. I found it highly entertaining and enjoyable.

Overall - 8

Full Metal Panic! can make you laugh out loud if you enjoy its simple humor. There are no masterminds orchestrating complex battles; most of the time, it's pretty straightforward. However, I must commend it for not being nine volumes of heavy mecha fighting. Despite the imperfect balance, the story is very enjoyable.

I began reading Full Metal Panic! already being a huge fan, having watched the anime adaptation first. This is also my first review, so I hope you enjoy it.

With that said, let's dive into this review:

Story - 10/10

The story revolves around a romantic comedy filled with hilarious situations between Sergeant Sousuke Sagara and a girl named Chidori Kaname. As the narrative unfolds, not only do we witness their evolving relationships, but we also experience some mecha action as we delve into Sousuke Sagara’s daily life, where he strives to protect Chidori Kaname and the rest of the Mithril crew from terrorists.

Art - 10/10

The art was excellent in my opinion. It was all well-drawn, clearly showing that Tateo and Retsu invested considerable time and effort into most of the manga scenes.

Character - 10/10

Sousuke Sagara's character development portrays him as a socially awkward individual who often resorts to military tactics instead of common sense, which he seems to lack. On the other hand, Chidori Kaname is a strong and independent woman whose normal life gets disrupted by Sousuke Sagara's arrival. We also have Kruz Weber, a sniper from Mithril, and Melissa Mao, a Second Lieutenant from Mithril, both of whom play great supporting roles. Lastly, there's Captain Teletha Testarossa of the Tuatha de Danaan Submarine, who is in love with Sergeant Sousuke Sagara, though he remains oblivious to her feelings.

Enjoyment - 10/10

The overall enjoyment was fantastic because the story contains numerous hilarious moments that will make you laugh out loud.

Overall - 10/10

Overall, it was an excellent read, and I highly recommend it if you haven't picked up this series yet. It's worth every minute spent reading it.