Despite the fact that Sousuke has been carrying this season fairly well on his own, Episode 9 of Full Metal Panic Invisible Victory brings the welcome return of some familiar faces at just the right time.
Despite the twist being obvious from the minute Tessa was picked up, this was a deeply satisfying return for the crew as we watched Tessa work her magic playing bait for the bad guys. The crew all got their moment to shine in a short but effective fight sequence and all and all this was a really fun reunion for the audience with these characters who have so far only really had a token appearance in this season.
Then we jump to Tessa’s brother, Leonard, and for the first time since episode four we get a look at Chidori. It is nice to know that while she’s being compliant enough to not be chained to a wall that she hasn’t lost all of her attitude despite captivity.
Lastly, we return to Sousuke, where we are reminded of the events in episode 8 and see the toll they have taken. This is where the episode ends and it makes me really excited for what will come next now that all the players are back on the stage. I also really liked the parallel from the beginning to the end of this episode with Tessa on the hospital bed to Sousuke being on the hospital bed.
All and all, another solid episode (provided you don’t look too closely at Sousuke while he’s lying in the hospital bed – there’s some bad shots there where his neck looks like it has disappeared entirely).
Linked Reviews:
- Episode 8: Knowing How To Finish A Cliff-Hanger
- Episode 7: There’s Something Really Satisfying About Watching Sousuke Pull A Helicopter Out of the Sky
- Episode 6: There Is A Plan
- Episode 5: Restart
- Episode 4: The Early Failure
- Episode 3: Combining War and Battle with Teen Drama
- Episode 2: The Weight of The Drama Is Real
- Full Metal Panic Invisible Victory First Impressions
Thanks for reading.
Karandi James
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