Title: フルメタル・パニック！ (Full Metal Panic!) Vol. 1
Artist/Author:　館尾冽 (Retsu Tateo)
Original Creator:　賀東招二 (Shouji Gatou)
Book Size/Pages: A-5, 163pp., w/furigana
Original Serialization: Monthly Comic Dragon 2/00-8/00
First Printing: 9/1/00
Rating: 3/4

I guess Dragon Age hasn't been around that much and lived under a different title back in 2000. I'm starting this series so I can finally catch up on my subscription to Dragon Age.

Anyhow, I thought this was going to be a mecha series, but there haven't been any giant robots running around just yet. The story is set in this volume, but I still don't have a very clear understanding of what's going on, why she's being protected, and who are the bad guys. Maybe in some later chapters.

There's a bonus comic in the end and a few color pages to start the book off.

1. 転校生は危険なソルジャー！？ (The Transfer Student is a Dangerous Soldier!?): 千鳥かなめ (Kaname Chitori) is being protected by a 相良宗介 (Sosuke Sagara), despite her extreme displeasure. He jumps in whenever she screams, even if it's just a cockroach. Detonates her locker because he thinks there's a bomb inside, and harasses her teachers. However, when she comes under attack from overzealous stalkers, he comes to the rescue and she rewards him with a lunch.

2. 至上命令！かなめのヒミツを守れ！！ (The Prime Directive! Protect Kaname's Secret!!): There has been graffiti around in the bathrooms speaking ill of Kaname One of her fans, 白井悟 (Satoru Shirai) asks her for a date, and she promptly refuses, but this is enough to rouse Sosuke's suspicions. He has Satoru tied up in the bathroom under interrogation when one of the girls, 稲葉瑞樹 (Mizuki Inaba) rescues him, lets Kaname know her hate for her, and reveals that she's the one behind all the graffiti.

3. はじめてのおつかい刺客と百人組手!! (The First Hitmen and Hundred Person Kumite): Kaname is entrusted with some secret documents to bring to another school. Before they're delivered though, she gets accosted by the boys of that school who asks her to hand the papers over as they show an embarrassing aspect of their school. Sosuke quickly disposes of them with a flash grenade. Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, a group of officers receive news from Sosuke that Kaname is fine.

4. パンと弾丸（ブレット＆ブレッド） (Bread and Bullet): After an incident at the bread counter at school, Kaname and Sosuke take charge of the shop. Their PE teacher opposes students engaged in commercial activity at school and so he tries to ensnare them in traps. However, he himself falls for traps set by Sosuke including electrocution, tear gas, and finally, he gets caught by the principal as he tries to taint the bread.

5. 悪夢の胎動 (The Signs of a Nightmare): An order has been given to launch a cruise missile from the submarine in the ocean (now in the Japan seas?).

6. かなめの受難　陣代高校危機一髪！ (Kaname's Passion, Critical Moment at Jinshiro High): Sosuke has been acting even more high strung than usual, so Kaname has a talk with him atop the school roof. He explains she's is in even more danger now and that he's a special agent dispatched by Mythril to protect her. She leaves without much thought, gets him called to the office while she sneaks out. She then encounters someone.

7. 戦友来襲！？勘違いの午後 (Comrade Attack!? A Misunderstanding in the Afternoon): In the time Kaname was away, she partied with some foreigner she met. Sosuke finds out that two more agents have been sent to help him out, Kurutsu and Mao. During their perimeter search, they find a classmate going through Kaname's laundry, but then Kaname catches Sosuke clinging on to her underwear too. Sosuke admits he's a bit concerned about Kaname hating him.

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