Full Metal Panic! Director's Cut Part 3: Into the Blue - A thorough review of Journey to the Deep Sea

Full Metal Panic! Director's Cut Part 3: Into the Blue Review

■Overview of the work

Full Metal Panic! Director's Cut Part 3: Into the Blue is the final chapter of the director's cut of the anime series based on the light novel by Shoji Gato and Douji Shiki. It was released in theaters on January 20, 2018 and distributed by KADOKAWA. It is made up of 120-minute episodes and produced by GONZO. It is directed by Koichi Chiaki, and new cuts and retakes have been added to further deepen the worldview of the original work.

■ Story

The story begins with a scene in which a girl fleeing from an enemy military helicopter is rescued. The girl is saved by Sagara Sousuke, a soldier of the anti-terrorist organization "Mithril" who pilots the arm slave "M9 (Gernsback)". The rescued girl is a "Whispered" with special abilities and possesses black technology. Sousuke is then ordered to guard a Japanese high school girl, Chidori Kaname, as part of a new mission. She is also a "Whispered", and Sousuke is confronted by his former enemy Gaurun. Gaurun uses his arm slave to corner Sousuke and Kaname.

■Explanation

"Full Metal Panic!" was first broadcast as a TV series in 2002. In spring 2018, a director's cut version of the first season was produced in preparation for the broadcast of the new TV series "Full Metal Panic! IV." This director's cut version was produced in three parts, with director Koichi Chiaki in charge of everything from offline editing to sound production, and 24 episodes in total. New cuts were added, the 4:3 screen was edited to 16:9, and some parts were cut at the top and bottom and trimmed to fit theater screens. In addition, the new technology "FORS" was used to up-convert again, and the DA88 analog audio material was completely digitized to convert 2ch stereo to pseudo 5.1ch. New theme songs were created for each part.

■Cast

• Sousuke Sagara: Tomokazu Seki
• Chidori Kaname: Yukino Satsuki
• Teletha Testarossa: Yukana
• Kurtz Weber: Shinichiro Miki
• Melissa Mao: Michiko Neya
• Andrei Kalinin: Akio Otsuka
• Gaurun: Masahiko Tanaka
• Leonard Testarossa: Daisuke Namikawa

■ Main staff

• Original work: Shoji Gato, Shikidoji
• Director: Koichi Chiaki
• Offline editing: Koichi Chiaki
• New Part Conte: Koichi Chiaki
• Directed by: Koichi Chiaki
• Recording: Koichi Chiaki
• Character design: Osamu Horiuchi
• Chief animation director: Osamu Horiuchi
• Theme song: Yamada Tamaru
• Produced by: GONZO
• Produced by: Mithril 2017

■ Main Characters

• Sousuke Sagara: The protagonist of this work, a member of the Mithril SRT. He belongs to a mercenary organization that secretly suppresses conflicts around the world.
• Chidori Kaname: The heroine of this work, a Whispered special ability user. She is being pursued by organizations and companies all over the world.
• Teletha Testarossa: Commander in Chief of the Mithril Operations Division's Western Pacific Fleet and a Whispered user. In the feature-length story, she is the secondary protagonist.
• Kurtz Weber: A bright, cheerful young man, he is good-looking and has worked as a magazine model, but he also has a vulgar personality.
• Melissa Mao: She is currently the president of a company, and the reason she enlisted was because she was being forced to marry the person her father had chosen for her.
• Andrei Kalinin: Commander of the Land Combat Command of the Mithril Operations Department's Western Pacific Squadron, and the person who had the greatest influence on Sousuke's life.
• Gaurun: Sousuke's arch enemy, he uses arm slaves freely.
• Leonard Testarossa: Teresa's older brother and an important character in the story.

■Subtitle

• Full Metal Panic! Director's Cut: Part 1/Boy Meets Girl (2018/02/28)
• Full Metal Panic! Director's Cut: Part 2/One Night Stand (2018/03/28)
• Full Metal Panic! Director's Cut: Part 3/Into the Blue (2018/04/25)

■ Theme songs and music

• Part 1 theme "Every Magic": Vocals: Yamada Tamaru, Lyrics and composition: Yamada Tamaru, Arrangement: Yamashita Yosuke
• Part 2 theme "Two of us": Vocals: Tamaru Yamada, Lyrics and composition: Tamaru Yamada, Arrangement: John Kanda
• Theme of the third part: "You are my friend, my number one love ~way to love you~": Sung by Tamaru Yamada, lyrics and composition by Tamaru Yamada, arrangement by Takeshi Masuda

review

"Full Metal Panic! Director's Cut Part 3 Into the Blue" is a work that reconstructs the story from a new perspective while maximizing the charm of the original work. In particular, Director Koichi Chiaki's attention to detail is evident everywhere, and the quality of the visuals and sound has been greatly improved. The newly added cuts and retakes not only add depth to the story, but also more clearly depict the characters' feelings and backgrounds.

The story revolves around the relationship between Sousuke Sagara and Kaname Chidori. The way Sousuke's cold-hearted soldier side intersects with his kindness and compassion towards Kaname leaves a strong impression on viewers. The confrontation scene with Gauron is also tense, and the action scenes are impressive. The Arm Slave battle scenes are detailed and well-detailed, which is unique to the director's cut version.

The acting of the cast is also excellent, especially Tomokazu Seki's role as Sousuke, who expresses calmness and passion exquisitely. Satsuki Yukino's role as Kaname is also charming, as she plays a character who combines strength and vulnerability. The supporting characters Kurtz, Mao, Teresa, Kalinin, and others also have their own distinctive personalities that add excitement to the story.

Music also plays an important role, with Tamaru Yamada's theme song resonating to symbolize the themes of each part. In particular, "You are my friend, my number one love ~way to love you~" in the third part is a moving song that deeply expresses the relationship between Sousuke and Kaname. In addition, the background music is used skillfully to match the development of the story, enhancing the emotions of the viewer.

Recommendation

"Full Metal Panic! Director's Cut Part 3 Into the Blue" is recommended not only for fans of the original work, but also for those who want to enjoy a fusion of action and drama. In particular, if you watch while paying attention to the character growth and changes in relationships, you will be able to understand the work more deeply. It is also recommended for those who want to enjoy the Arm Slave's battle scenes and visual beauty. This work, drawn from a new perspective, will provide fresh surprises and impressions even for fans of the original work.

Furthermore, this work can be considered a culmination of the entire series, so you can enjoy it even more by looking back at past episodes while watching it. The new cuts and retakes that are unique to the director's cut version not only deepen your understanding of the story, but also allow you to enjoy the visual beauty. Be sure to experience the power of this film on the big screen in the theater.