Have questions, please help me out

[Rhys]

Hey,

I was just recently introduced to FMP at an anime convention last weekend when during a pause in cosplay contests, ADV officially premiered Full Metal Panic Fumoffu. The little that I saw made me immediately hit the internet when I got home and search out and all info I could find on this series.

Though I was at first confused by FMP and FMP!Fumoffu (seeing two different episodes labeled as episode 3, for example) I have come to understand that there was TWO seasons of FMP and I had only seen the first and the first-part-of-the second ep from season 2.

After seeing most of both seasons through, er... certain channels, I have now started reading fanfiction and trying to find out more about the FMP novels and manga


Hopefully, you've gotten through my long, uninteresting ramble, and there are still a few of you reading this that are able to help me. ^__^v


Question one: Who or what is 'Wraith'?
I came across his/her name in a few fanfics. Is this a cannon character or simply an original fanfic one? If he/she is cannon, are they in the actual anime or just in the manga/novels? What exactly does Wraith do? Is he/she like Sousuke and assigned to protect Kaname?

Question two: Exactly how many novels are there and in what order did they get released? When did the manga start (year)? Has it ended yet?

Question three: Are Kaname and Sousuke together yet!? Or at least have they recognized their feelings for the other? What's the latest on their 'relationship'?

Question four: I tried downloading the translations from that site Boku-tachi and whenever I try to load them it brings up my photoshop and asks for a password. What am I doing wrong?

Question five: I heard FMP season three is coming to Japan this summer. Will it continue from Fumoffu or from the first season? (The reason I ask is because the second season seems more like an 'omake' or sidestory while the first seems to be following a steady plotline.)


Eh, I think that's all for now.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

[Jae]

Question one: Who or what is 'Wraith'?
I came across his/her name in a few fanfics. Is this a cannon character or simply an original fanfic one? If he/she is cannon, are they in the actual anime or just in the manga/novels? What exactly does Wraith do? Is he/she like Sousuke and assigned to protect Kaname?

Question two: Exactly how many novels are there and in what order did they get released? When did the manga start (year)? Has it ended yet?

Question three: Are Kaname and Sousuke together yet!? Or at least have they recognized their feelings for the other? What's the latest on their 'relationship'?

Question four: I tried downloading the translations from that site Boku-tachi and whenever I try to load them it brings up my photoshop and asks for a password. What am I doing wrong?

Question five: I heard FMP season three is coming to Japan this summer. Will it continue from Fumoffu or from the first season? (The reason I ask is because the second season seems more like an 'omake' or sidestory while the first seems to be following a steady plotline.)

Howdy.. someone else will come in to fill the blanks for me- but

#1- I understand there is an unknown individual who is Kaname's 'real' assigned protector. This is (so far) only in the novels. I don't know if Wraith is the cannon nickname for this individual, or if that name is a fan-invented thing.

#2- There are currently 15 total books. 7 or 8 of them are full length, plot novels. The rest are short story collections. The first anime series, and the new one, are both drawn from the plot novels. The Fumo material is short story stuff.

The manga is still being published. 8 volumes are out, the 9th will cover what is the end of the first anime series. Throughout it's current run, it also covers many of the Fumo stories. Unknown is how long the series will run. The manga was first published in 2000 and the first novel was 1998.

#3- Hmm.. the story is progressing. This isn't a 'romantic' story

#4- Do you have Adobe's Acrobat Reader? Once you have it, set your .pdf file type 'open with' preference for that instead of photoshop.
(I think the files are protected from being edited, but can be read, which would be why one program can open but another can't)

#5- The new series will pick up the plot from the first series. It'll be based (at least) on the first novel translation that's available.

[sj4iy]

Question one: Who or what is 'Wraith'?
I came across his/her name in a few fanfics. Is this a cannon character or simply an original fanfic one? If he/she is cannon, are they in the actual anime or just in the manga/novels? What exactly does Wraith do? Is he/she like Sousuke and assigned to protect Kaname?

Question two: Exactly how many novels are there and in what order did they get released? When did the manga start (year)? Has it ended yet?

Question three: Are Kaname and Sousuke together yet!? Or at least have they recognized their feelings for the other? What's the latest on their 'relationship'?

Question four: I tried downloading the translations from that site Boku-tachi and whenever I try to load them it brings up my photoshop and asks for a password. What am I doing wrong?

Question five: I heard FMP season three is coming to Japan this summer. Will it continue from Fumoffu or from the first season? (The reason I ask is because the second season seems more like an 'omake' or sidestory while the first seems to be following a steady plotline.)


Eh, I think that's all for now.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

1. 'Wraith' is a character who has not appeared as of yet in the anime or manga, but appears later in the novels. In the novel with the sea-jacking, when Tessa is talking to Kaname, she tells her that someone else is actually guarding Kaname, and that Sousuke is just the decoy (ie. he would take the first hit). This isn't in the anime (I guess they left it out so as to not leave a loose thread). Wraith officially shows up in "The End of Day by Day"...he/she is assigned by the Intelligence Department.

2. There are 15 novels, with the 16th currently being written. I'm not certain as to when the manga started, but it was much later, and it's much slower about being released. Neither have ended yet.

3. That is a question depending on where you are in the story. I don't know how much to give away, since many people read the novel translations which are a little behind the current story in Japan.

4. You need adobe acrobat to read the files. You can download it for free here:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

5. The only for certain thing known about the storyline of the next series is that it will cover "The End of Day by Day" novels...they may add more stuff to it, but that's all that's been reported so far.

[Rhys]

Thanks much for such quick replies! The 'Wraith' thing sounds really interesting... does Sousuke know he's not Kaname's 'real' protector and that he's just a decoy?

I just got into FMP, but I'm going to immediately buy the graphic novels ADV released. I believe they're up to volume 7, if amazon is up to date.


*sigh* I guess this means it's time for me to thin my collection a bit and see if I can raise enough cash for the FMP dvd boxset.

Ah! And thanks for the adobe acrobat link! I can't wait to read the novels (even though I'll be spoiling the graphic novels for myself I guess. )


EDIT: What is Full Metal Panic! Overload! ? Is that another type of graphic novel coming out soon?

[cultnirvana]

The 'Wraith' thing sounds really interesting... does Sousuke know he's not Kaname's 'real' protector and that he's just a decoy?

He finds out about it in the novels set after the first season, 'End of Day by Day' (these seem to be the novels that are being turned into FMP! Second Raid).

On the Kaname/Sousuke thing? This really develops in both 'End of Day by Day' and the novel that takes place after that, 'Dancing Very Merry Christmas', which is being translated at the minute. GO READ!! They're brilliant.

[sj4iy]

The 'Wraith' thing sounds really interesting... does Sousuke know he's not Kaname's 'real' protector and that he's just a decoy?

Tessa told Kaname in the novels that Sousuke has been aware that he was just the decoy...it makes Kaname that she has been ungracious to him when he's been so willing to lay his life for her so easily.

[Weltall Elite]

I really want to read those earlier novels. >_< There's a lot of things here that I didn't know about. Have you actually read them sj4iy?

So Sousuke's a decoy. And he knows it. And that means Wraith is supposed to be the real protector, but he doesn't make a move. He must be waiting for something. Makes me wonder what his real deal is.

[sj4iy]

I really want to read those earlier novels. >_< There's a lot of things here that I didn't know about. Have you actually read them sj4iy?

So Sousuke's a decoy. And he knows it. And that means Wraith is supposed to be the real protector, but he doesn't make a move. He must be waiting for something. Makes me wonder what his real deal is.

Yep, I've read the earlier ones ^^

That's why in ODBD Sousuke is so upset with Wraith, cause he thinks he/she is using Kaname to lure out the bad guys instead of guarding her.

[Weltall Elite]

Well, get to work, man! Go translate that stuff! Poor Brandi will be doing this until for the next 30 years on her own!

j/k

[Pyrite]

I really want to read those earlier novels. >_< There's a lot of things here that I didn't know about. Have you actually read them sj4iy?

So Sousuke's a decoy. And he knows it. And that means Wraith is supposed to be the real protector, but he doesn't make a move. He must be waiting for something. Makes me wonder what his real deal is.

Yep, I've read the earlier ones ^^

That's why in ODBD Sousuke is so upset with Wraith, cause he thinks he/she is using Kaname to lure out the bad guys instead of guarding her.

Well, get to work, man! Go translate that stuff! Poor Brandi will be doing this until for the next 30 years on her own!

j/k

Currently, my mood's somewhere in between and , because Weltall has probably written some of the most ironic words I've seen in the past week. So I'll stick to .

My present understanding is that "FMP Overload" seems to be how "FMP! Ikinari" was translated, so you'd be better off searching for that term. Contents include more slapstick, targeted at a younger audience, etc.

[Weltall Elite]

Oh, shut up! >_<

[AEmer]

Greetings Rhys! - I just got into FMP! too!, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing I'm not the only newbie...

After much pondering I also decided to purchase the manga's, and you're right, there are only 7 available as of now.
Well. Tonight I looked over a large number of sites, did some froogle searches, checked out ebay, so on and so forth, and it seems the release date of volume 8 will be during this summer.

I've no idea what to expect though, it seems FMP isn't all that popular in the west, and that naturally reflects upon how popular it is among the...less legitimate. I found it rather suprising that the stock of amazon.com for the first 5 volumes was empty - it's production is apparently discontinued there. But the result of the search, all the same, was absolutely nothing except for many nice front pages.

Unfortunately, it seems the only way to delve into this series as far as it goes is to learn japanese and - well, this is obviously my personal oppinion - that might prove quite difficult.

The series of novels that FMP! is based upon are a lot more in depth, but after reading the translated parts of the novels last sunday (yeah, I didn't get much sleep that night, nor that morning) I'm not sure entirely what to think of them. You'd better see for yourself... but I can reveal as much that I was both suprised, glad, and kinda dissapointed. Very much worth the read if you're into books though.

[Rhys]

Heh, I've read all the parts to both the novels boku-tachi has at least three times through (multiple more times on just the parts I like the most) and the first night I was able to get the things to load I stayed up until 1am to finish reading the Day By Day novel.

I am now COMPLETELY hooked on FMP. I can't seem to learn enough about it.

I, too, have been stalking ebay for the FMP manga. Unfortunately, only the first and (rarely) second volume has been up so far. Past that, everyone seems to be hoarding their copies or something. lol
I suppose there is always adv's site. They seem to have all the manga volumes in stock. Though at $9.99 a piece... I need to start saving more of my paycheck. ><

[Wild Goose]

I live to study and read FMP novels.

I can't wait for DVMC Chapter 5A to come out...

[AEmer]

3 times through in 3 days?...that's...I'm not sure what to say lol...then again, it's been years since I read an english novel, so maybe I'm a little out of shape when it comes to reading, but I spent all of last sunday on just one go...

Though, I recon your FMP spree is about to end pretty soon lol, there isn't an infinte amount of it you know

and heh...I purchased my manga for 100dkr a piece - that's equal to more than 15$...
But yeah, that ate nearly half of one months state scholarship allowance, which is my only income, so it better be good...