Russian Guard: [on the floor, paralyzed by the stun device] You...
Who... Are... You...
Sgt. Sagara Sousuke: The garbage boy.
As I said in my earlier review of
Full Metal Panic!, it is an anime that succeeds on the merit of the superb interactions between it's colorful cast of characters. It's a show thats definitely not like many others out there and it's protagonist, Sousuke Sagara, is a hero that many shows don't really have. He's the perfect balance of humor and badassery. He's also the main focus of one of the most unique mecha animes out there.
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| The standard problems of putting a hardened soldier in high school |
Sousuke arrives at the high school with the mission to protect Kaname Chidiori, who as it turns out is one of the "whispered". So theres that plot, but we don't really care so much about him protecting Kaname do we as we do about the most ridiculous ways that he can ensure her safety. This is includes taking down panty thieves, stalkers with cameras, and the regular high school student just trying to ask her out on a date. Yes, Sousuke Sagara can use his badass military training to make even the most mundane of criminals pay for their crimes, with hilarious results. Of course, this shouldn't overshadow the fact that he might be the best Arm Slave pilot on the face of the planet. Not only that, but he's the only who can make the absurdly powerful Arbalest work. Sousuke is one of the few characters who can balance being hilarious (though most of the time he never means to be) and a serious badass. Sousuke will be making you laugh one minute then making your jaw drop with how awesome he is the next. Theres also not many main characters in mecha anime who can kick ass when they're out of the cockpit either. Lets be honest, Shinji Ikari and Amuro Ray would struggle when not supported by their high class mechas. Sousuke on the other hand is a trained soldier who can cut through enemies like it's nothing. It's that fact alone that separates Sousuke from the crowd.
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| With help from Kaname, Sousuke develops greatly as a character |
What makes Sousuke such a hilarious character may also be his biggest character flaw and his main source of development throughout the series run. He's been trained since he was very young to be a soldier, knowing nothing else other than how to fight and advanced military tactics. But for all of his military genius and skill as a soldier, Sousuke still has no idea how to fit into normal Japanese society. This fact is played mostly for laughs in the first season but is then treated much more seriously in
The Second Raid and becomes his main source of growth in that season. Kaname points out that Sousuke isn't even comfortable getting his hair washed at a hair saloon because it leaves him completely vulnerable. Over the course of
Full Metal Panic! we slowly see Sousuke humanized, rather than simply being R. Lee Ermey's child. Like Balalaika earlier on this list, Sousuke is a commentary on the damaging effects of war. Sousuke is only of high school age and yet he has more than a decade of battle experience under his belt. That is why later in the series it is so rewarding to see him finally shed the military act and become more of a regular guy. Kaname is the main source of his character development, mostly because she's the main love interest. However, this being
Full Metal Panic!, the two characters really bounce off of each other and have amazing chemistry. Sousuke is a fantastic character and one that is unique, even in a mecha anime, a genre which runs on cliches. I found his character development to be really well done and I couldn't help but love his character.
Full Metal Panic! separates itself from the often generic genre of mecha anime on the basis of having amazing characters. Sousuke Sagara is the main proof of this. For all the sweet mecha fights, for all of his badassery, Sousuke's character is less about that than seeing the tragic, broken soldier deep down. Sousuke is an awesome character because he's unlike any other mecha protagonist.
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