Ooooooooh, because “IV” means 4!

This season covers Volumes 7-9 of the Light Novels, splitting each book into four episodes and skipping over the sixth volume that apparently didn’t contribute much to the story aside from more light-hearted action and comedy (still would’ve been nice to turn it into an OVA, but alright). It’s just as well, as the novels adapted here are very much about tearing down the status quo of the previous seasons and preparing Sosuke, Kaname, and the Mithril team for the final confrontation with antagonist group Amalgam. Unfortunately, while I’m unsure whether this is because of the change in studios, this tonal shift deprives the season of the balance of action and comedy that made those that came before it stands out. It still has a number of awesome and fun moments, but it ends up feeling like half the show I came to love, and sometimes a different show altogether.

The first arc breaks down the barrier between Sosuke’s death-defying soldier life and Kaname’s civilian life with thunderous explosions and unsettling violent turns, showing Amalgam is finally taking things seriously and calm and peaceful life the main couple had been enjoying is now over. It’s a hell of a way to return to the story, especially after such a long wait, and forces everyone involved to think on their toes. But even then, the protagonists all face utter failure at the onslaught, making a very distinct impression of where the show will be headed as they all try to recover and retaliate. It’s also the last time Kaname and Sosuke are together until the end of the season, and their bond is essentially the heart of the story, so losing it leaves a strongly felt hole for the remainder.

The second arc completely veers off into different territory, as Sosuke travels to a new location in order to hunt Amalgam himself with a new supporting cast while fighting in a giant robot fighting league. As I said when I covered those episodes, it’s a concept that’s already pretty cool on its own, and the way they handle it here is plenty fun, but the ending leaves it on a rather sour note. The fights are all just the right amount of intense, but considering that nearly nothing from this arc carries over to the next, it really makes me wonder why this wasn’t the novel to skip over.

Finally, the last arc of the season sees Kaname under Amalgam’s watch while Sosuke and the Mithril team fully recover and reunite to fight them. This shows many of the characters returning to their former glory, some showing new sides to them, and unveiling Sosuke’s Mid-Season Upgrade to the Arbalest, the ARX-8 Laevatein. Sadly, it also shows Kaname in nearly as much character nerfing as Asuna in the second arc of Sword Art Online, introduces several new characters that MIGHT be a threat later but aren’t here, gives the already boring main villain a really disappointing final scene, and muddies the understanding of Amalgam as a group to a considerable degree. Still, the moving last conversation between Kaname and Sosuke accompanied by music from the first season (not-quite A-Team theme and everything!) does inch this arc above the previous two by a slight margin, even if the lack of resolution makes it more frustrating than anything.

While Sosuke has never been the most expressive character in this show, he gets the majority of focus this season. Chris Patton still uses the sergeant’s usual stoicism to his advantage in showing someone who has much to protect but a hard time settling down. He begins living a happy balance between missions and being by Kaname that he realized was so important to him at the end of the previous season, only for it to be torn away from him by his enemies. There’s a moment of introspection later on in the second arc, where he finds himself weirdly comfortable in a life that allows him to put his child soldier skills in a mech to good use, but his drive to learn more about Amalgam ends up destroying the lives of those around him and nearly killing him. Though that’s really the extent of his development this time, as he’s pretty much single-minded in his quest to get his girl back.

This might be a bit of a reach, but there may be some correlation between Sosuke’s character growth and the many mechs he pilots and destroys across these 12 episodes. The season begins with him in his usual custom ARX-7 Arbalest, the Arm Slave he first gained at the climax of the first arc of the first season, symbolizing the beginning of a new life and strength he can pull from while setting himself apart from just being another gun for hire. By the fourth episode, that mech is completely destroyed, along with that life. The second arc sees him in a “Savage”, the type of robot he first piloted as a child soldier, which brings him back to his roots in a way. By the end of that arc, it too is destroyed when it becomes clear the peaceful life he could’ve lived in Namsac is now gone. Lastly, the Laevatein he receives in the finale represents his galvanized resolve moving forward, powered by the same AI as the Arbalest and guiding him towards saving Kaname again. And as long as you don’t think about the mech he piloted and destroyed in Ep 11, this metaphor works perfectly.

Kaname, sadly, is a long way away from the feisty spitfire she was in the previous installments. While Luci Christian made the role her own by having her emotional vulnerability compliment her aggressive and comedic moments, this season doesn’t really afford her much time for the latter. From the second episode onward, she’s exposed to the horrors of war as civilians are torn apart and crushed in front of her, with her friends and classmates also in the line of fire. This forces her to give herself up to keep Sosuke alive, and then she’s gone for four episodes (over the course of seven weeks thanks to the recaps), and then she’s just a textbook distressed damsel for the remainder. She has remnants of her fun side here or there, but the situation doesn’t allow for it to go too light-hearted. Even her Whispered abilities aren’t given much time to flex aside from her suddenly making mech software in the first arc and some small hints at her working on something in the last. I don’t know whether to blame the adaptation or the source material, but Kaname was wasted here and I pray to god she’s given better scenes in a possible future season.

Despite very quickly relegated to “Girl B” of the love triangle, Tessa still manages to get some shining moments this season, with arguably more than Sosuke and definitely more than Kaname. Hilary Haag reprises this role in full force, as being both the captain of Mithril and sister to the main antagonist Leonard gives her quite a lot of investment and motive to be active in these events, starting with Amalgam’s invasion of Mithril’s main base. Her age and looks often make many underestimate her made apparent when one of the pilots seriously suggests mutiny during the attack, but she holds her own and puts the instigator back in line completely on her own. Later on, she even makes use of that impression by playing the part of an abandoned commander who has mentally shut down, only to lure in Amalgam’s forces and get vital info and prove Mithril is still in the game. This is all despite the fact that the stress continues to wear on her, as shown in a scene where she can’t bring herself to sleep before a major mission. Tessa might’ve managed to come out the best out of the main cast as remaining dynamic and interesting as she used to be.

The villains of this season are a bit of a mixed bag, however. Kurama explicitly goes out of his way to set himself apart from previous series antagonists, then goes onto prove himself right by a country mile. Compared to cackling headcases like Gauron and Gates, Kurama doesn’t show more than the occasional smirk and walks this darkly hilarious line of a man who doesn’t really care about being a bad guy but is way too good at it to stop. Even the lines about him quitting smoking add so much to him without even trying, thanks in no small part to Chris Sabat’s excellent performance in the role. He’s the best kind of villain; the kind you love to hate and hate that you love.

Leonard, despite having so much going for him and being the ostensible main threat, ends up on the exact opposite end of that spectrum, being completely boring and flat by comparison. His attraction to Kaname and hatred of Sosuke seem to be based on nothing but being a possessive asshole, he has all of ONE scene with his far more charismatic sister in the first episode, and even his last scene of the season is a disappointment when he stupidly gives Kaname a gun and then is surprised when she accidentally shoots him. Not to mention he’s practically being usurped by “Mr. Gold” by the end anyway and MIGHT end up helping Mithril to destroy Amalgam but it’s really hard to say right now. Point is, dude is boring, something you never want in your bad guys. FMP has always managed to do exceptionally well with its character work, but it’s clear they were struggling with their villain structure.

Invisible Victory sadly ended up being more bitter than sweet when all’s said and done, but the name may still be more appropriate than it intended. After the first two seasons and the comedy spin-off Fumoffu (all of which are excellent and I highly recommend), the story was at a well enough place that the anime could’ve shut the book on it as the end. Instead, they decided there was enough reason to make this season, leaving us on this cliffhanger. Like Sosuke giving one last loving goodbye to Kaname, Full Metal Panic is leaving us yet again with no clear sign of its return. But with this last episode, its fans know there’s a chance it can come back and bring the final three novels to life. Maybe the Invisible Victory will be enough support coming from this season to finish the story in the next. I don’t know when I’ll be able to talk about this show in this capacity again, but whether it’s in two years or twenty, it’s still a great piece of work than any anime fan should watch, and despite its flaws, this season is no exception. I’ll see you when I see ya for the final season.

Score 7/10