Some shows are always remembered and acknowledged, however old they get. After thirteen long years, Studio Xebec revived the legendary mecha anime, by releasing its fourth season. As of now, fans are waiting for Full Metal Panic Season 5. Will it ever return? Fortunately, there’s enough hope for the renewal of the anime. Here’s everything you need to know.
Full Metal Panic! or FMV! is an immensely popular 1998 series of light novels written by Shoji Gatoh and illustrated by Shiki Douji. It is also acclaimed by critics in and outside of Japan. Due to its global fame, the light novels were eventually adapted into several mangas and a series of anime. The 2002 anime installment worked wonders for its production studio, ADV Films.
A year later, Kyoto Animation produced the second season, Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu, which was a companion series to the debut season. In 2005, a continuation of Season 1, released in the form of a third season called Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid. After the third season, Kyoto Animation did not work on anime any further. As a result, thirteen years later, Studio Xebec acquired the production of the fourth installment. The studio revived the fan-favorite anime in April 2018, and released a 13-episode season, Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory.
Will ‘Full Metal Panic Season 5’ Ever Come Out?
Well, the popular mecha anime has had an unstable history. From shifting studios to long gaps between seasons, the series has always kept the audience confused. By 2018, fans had already lost hope for a fourth season. Yet, author Shoji Gatoh supported the revival of the anime adaptation. Hence, it’s hard to lose hope for the fifth installment.
All four seasons, including the 2018 FMV! Invisible Victory, were incredibly profitable for their respective producers. As per expectation, Full Metal Panic Season 5 might do good business for its studio. In fact, based on its popularity, any animation studio besides Xebec will be interested in making a fifth installment. Therefore, one way or another, chances for its renewal are still pretty high.
On the other hand, one major hint about the return of the anime lies in the last moments of the fourth season. FMV! Invisible Victory ends on a vague message thanking its viewers for watching till the end. The message continues that they hope to get a chance to meet the viewers again in the future. Well, from the looks, the creators of the series seem quite interested in producing more episodes.
Besides, the fact that the installment ends on a major cliffhanger, suggests that the makers are planning to continue the story with another season. Speculations hint that Full Metal Panic Season 5 can actually be the second part of the FMV! Invisible Victory arc. The story of the upcoming season may continue where the fourth installment left, by resolving the crazy cliffhanger. However, FMV! Season 5 may end up consuming all the remaining volumes of the original light novel series.
Is There Enough Source Material?
The legendary 1998 light novel series consists of a total of twelve books. Writer Shoji Gatoh and illustrator Shiki Douji wrapped up their masterpiece back in 2010. Although, Gatoh continued working on several manga adaptations of his story. The author also wrote FMV! spin-off light novels, alongside Full Metal Panic! Another light novel series.
The 2002 debut season of the anime adaptation covers the first three LN volumes into 24 episodes. The second installment, FMV! Fumoffu consisted of 12 episodes, which weren’t directly adapted from the light novel series. Therefore, Season 2 was only a companion series in the franchise. The original story was then continued by FMV! The Second Raid arc which was called the third season of the anime. It consisted of 13 episodes alongside one OVA episode and covered the plot of LN Volume 4 and 5.
Studio Xebec skipped Volume 6 while producing the fourth season. Hence, the sixth book was instead used to create a Japanese audio drama. The Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory series ran for 12 episodes adapting Volume 7 through 9. Hence, as per the expectations, Full Metal Panic Season 5 might cover the plot of light novel volumes 10 to 12. The remaining source material will be enough to create a full 13-episode installment. However, the fifth season might end up consuming the entire plot of the original light novel series.
Full Metal Panic Season 5: Release Date
Most of the FMV! installments take around two to three years in production. While Studio Xebec is yet to announce a renewal, the new episodes are likely to premiere sometime around late-2021 or early 2022. We will update this section with a firm release date as soon as it arrives.