Full Metal Panic! novels

Keops · Post by **Keops** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 5:19 pm

Hello. It's me again. I hope everyone is doing just fine.

I would like to get more information regarding the Full Metal Panic! novels. I suppose they are only available in japanese. How can I get them? Is there a website that contains full translations of the available novels? Are the anime and manga series like the novels or are the differences quite important? I'm kinda new to the whole universe of FMP! and these informations would help me greatly with my website.

Well, thanks in advance.

Ja ne!

Jae · Post by **Jae** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 5:35 pm

Amazon Japan
They carry the novels- you can search by ISBN for them- and that site is become alot nicer to use as they've added customer registration and help pages in english

There aren't any translations of the novels available right now.
However one of our members, ruri, has been reading them and has been very kind in posting about some of the info and events in the novels.
There is one thread called something like 'Interesting facts from the novels'- I think that one has the most novel info it in.

I can't remember if there is any more anywhere else, but you could search for all posts by ruri in the member profile.

As for differences...there are some differences between all of the versions.
The anime series only tells the first part of the novel story, and of course, like all anime based on a print version, a lot of things are left out. But the anime gets the basics down, I don't think there is anything *major* in the novels left out of the anime that would make a serious impact.

The manga is a similar situation- but is told even more from Kaname's point of view than the anime is. Some events happen a little differently, and there are a few minor differences, but it's the same story basics, dilemmas, ect. Currently the manga is only up to about half-way through the anime series, but has included a lot of little events and stories that the anime skipped.

The way the characters are portrayed seems to be the biggest possible variance- in the novels Sousuke's point of view and thoughts are more seen by the audience, whereas in the anime and manga, they aren't that obvious.

Well, I hope this was somewhat helpful...I really do wish there were novel translations- I think we all really wish that

Sagara · Post by **Sagara** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 8:26 pm

There's more than 5 volumes of the manga?

Jae · Post by **Jae** » Sat Feb 15, 2003 10:39 pm

Right now there are only 5 manga volumes.
But there will be more.
I don't remember when the last volume came out, but I'm guessing the next one will be out by early summer.

They just finished up (in vol 5) anime ep12.

Sagara · Post by **Sagara** » Sun Feb 16, 2003 12:34 am

Wow, I see. Therefore the anime is pretty fast paced then, if the manga is only currently on volume 5.

Katyusha · Post by **Katyusha** » Sun Feb 16, 2003 1:48 am

Might have something to do with having 2 mangas being worked on.

Jae · Post by **Jae** » Sun Feb 16, 2003 3:35 am

Well, It seems like normal production to me-
The 2 mangas- same author, different artists and publications.
They each run a chapter monthly(or so?), and so how long they each take depends more on what they decide to include, I think. Not much gets told in single chapters....so it can take a while to complete a story arc.

Whereas with the anime, they knew beforehand more or less exactly what they would do. It ran 1 episode weekly. It's easier to condense in anime, so each episode, or groups or 3 or 4 eps, could tell the same story that it takes a volume or 2 of manga to tell (each manga volume being, what? between 5 and 8 chapters?). The 9-12 eps story in the manga took 2 volumes to tell...

Both manga series have been running for a few years already, but that's pretty normal. It just takes less time to watch something than to read it

Locke · Post by **Locke** » Sun Feb 23, 2003 8:13 pm

Sagara wrote:Wow, I see. Therefore the anime is pretty fast paced then, if the manga is only currently on volume 5.

This happens alot,the Trigun manga wasnt even half done when the series completed its run.Same goes for Akira,the movie came out before the manga was finished.(I think Akira manga was finished in 1990 or something,the movie was released in 1988.)

Disciple · Post by **Disciple** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 5:31 pm

ya it's pretty dangerous to do a series if the author of the manga isn't proactive. Case in point is Rurouni Kenshin getting the shaft.

Katyusha · Post by **Katyusha** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 1:57 am

It was originally a story, then a novel, so all the major story bits where there already. In any case, he seems busy shuttling about between both Manga.

UssoV · Post by **UssoV** » Thu Feb 27, 2003 12:10 am

*Sighs* I would LOVE to get my hands on Anime Novels....I love to read, I love Anime....

Bewteen FMP and Gundam.....arent there ANY novels translates at all?

SagaraSousuke · Post by **SagaraSousuke** » Thu Feb 27, 2003 10:34 am

I don't know of any translated novels but well, there are quite a number of english translated mangas. http://tokyopop.com for example has released an english translated Initial D, and GTO and other works (like CLAMP) I don't have certain knowledge about. But I'm sure there's more

btw- I almost forgot to greet you a warm welcome as you are the newest member!

Report to Taurec at the BBQ thread^^ Or maybe at the bar....? People are usually found there lounging around

Katyusha · Post by **Katyusha** » Thu Feb 27, 2003 1:49 pm

I havn't seen any novel translated as of yet... and am currently struggling to read through the first one.

Jae · Post by **Jae** » Thu Feb 27, 2003 2:32 pm

Well, there aren't any novels at all yet translated into english, BUT the US companies have begun to look into it

Not anime, but I think it's ADV? (or VIZ?) that is bringing out the novel Battle Royale is based on.

In NewtypeUSA they were translating the Gundam 'For the Barrel' novel, but apparently it wasn't included in recent issues so AFAIK we aren't sure what happened to it.

ADV has hinted alot that they are getting into the publishing market- assumably manga (like FMP), but there have also been speculation that they may explore bringing novels over too. Many ADV tittles have novel versions- and it might help them quite a bit to bring them over (the novels for Nadesico and Slayers get mentioned quite frequently).

And, if they eventually bring over the FMP! novels (or at least some of them) it might help US fans understand and accept the FMP! anime.

But, right now, it does appear they are figuring out if they could make a profit doing that. I don't think book publication is as expensive as DVD authoring, but I can't begin to imagine what hoops they have to jump through to get the lisences.

Katyusha · Post by **Katyusha** » Thu Feb 27, 2003 3:11 pm

And I can't begin to imagine how crazy I would go if they mispell such simple names as "Danaan". Probably has something to do with my being a history buff (The Danaan civilisation was very important to Greek history afterall).