Detailed updates regarding this and other stories are available in my profile.
Author's Note: On June 14, 2007, I screwed up the chapters of Wo Futari De. It's going to take me a little while to get them back in order. More importantly, a "new chapter" message will go out to the people on the alert list, which no doubt will get them excited over nothing. I hope they read this and accept my apology. The only thing that's changed about WFD is that I edited this foreword to include the fact that the novels are now licensed for NA distribution.
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Brief Foreword
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In an attempt to make this note as brief as possible, and avoid digressing significantly, I will limit it to two paragraphs.
This is a fanfiction set in the Full Metal Panic world, and it is the first of three "volumes" I ultimately hope to write. The setting is that with which we are all familiar: Jindai High School and the surrounding city. Most importantly, the time in the FMP world exists after The Second Raid anime, after Dancing Very Merry Christmas novel, and before most of Continuing on My Own novel. Look to the extended foreword for information on the series.
This "volume" (they are not, in fact, large enough to be called volumes but I use the term as in manga) is a romance. The second volume is a comedy, called Hitosawagase. Another volume (action) or a multi-part fanfiction is to follow Hito. These three subjects make up what I feel are the main genres that FMP resides in. Having said that, it is a romance, I should warn those who prefer the action and comedy of Full Metal Panic that it may not be to their tastes, though there is some of both in this volume.
Full Metal Panic Fan-fiction
Wo Futari De
Rating: PG-13 (for violence and romantic scenes)
Disclaimers:
I do not own or claim to own Full Metal Panic or any intellectual property therein.
This story contains two graphic scenes of violence, and one explicitly romantic scene (non-sexual)
(If you are satisfied with this foreword, proceed to Chapter 1. If you would like more information first, please proceed to the Extended Foreword)
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Extended Foreword
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This is the longer (meaning totally off base and rambling at every possible step) version of the foreword.
First, here is a listing of Full Metal Panic's history so those of you who have only seen the anime series are up to speed:
Year; Text; Manga; Anime
1998; "Tatakau Boy Meets Girl" (novel); Full Metal Panic!; Full Metal Panic!
1998; "Hanatte Okenai Ippiki Ookami" (shorts); Full Metal Panic!; Full Metal Panic!
1998; "Hashiru One Night Stand" (novel); Full Metal Panic!; Full Metal Panic!
1999; "Honki ni Narenai Nishi Manrui" (shorts); Full Metal Panic! Overload; Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu?
1999; "Jiman ni Naranai Sankan-ou" (shorts); Full Metal Panic! Overload; Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu?
2000; "Yureru Into The Blue" (novel); Full Metal Panic! Overload; Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu?
2000; "Doujou Dekinai Shimen Souka" (shorts); Full Metal Panic! Overload; Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu?
2000; "Owaru Day By Day" v1 (novel); Full Metal Panic! Sigma; Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid
2001; "Owaru Day By Day" v2 (novel); Full Metal Panic! Sigma; Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid
2001; "Dounimo Naranai Gorimuchuu" (shorts)
2002; "Ateni Naranai Roppou Zensho" (shorts)
2003; "Odoru Very Merry Christmas" (novel)
2003; "Anshin Dekinai Nanatsu Dougu" (shorts)
2004/5; "Continuing On My Own" (novel)
2006; (shorts)
2006?; "Burning One Man Force" (novel)
The credits for information on the novels go to Anime News Network except for the last three entries, which I added.
"Shorts" refers to short story compilations (usually comedy or romance one-shots, sometimes entirely unrelated to the main story)
The manga and anime relations to the novels are not exact. For instance, the "Yureru (to shake/sway) Into the Blue" novel was probably part of the original Full Metal Panic anime rather than Fumoffu. I just put the general associations there so you'll know what's what. The year obviously does not correspond to the manga or anime either. Manga was/is roughly one to two years behind the novels, and the anime series were roughly four years behind the novels.
Translated versions of "Owaru (End) Day By Day," "Odoru (to dance) Very Merry Christmas," and "Continuing (tousu?) On My Own" were available at boku-tachi (google it) or from one of the mirrors linked to on that site, but since the novels were licensed for North American distribution, they're no longer available (legally) in any form right now. Previously, I very highly recommended reading up to Dancing Very Merry Christmas before reading my fanfiction, as it picks up pretty much after that. Unfortunately this is no longer possible (at least until the novels are actually available to buy). You can try to illegally obtain the translations Brandi did (not advised), find some synopses, or just wing it. Nothing terribly critical happens such that you won't understand what's going on, but particularly in Wo Futari De, there are references to things that happened between Sagara and Chidori that haven't happened as of the end of Fumoffu. Since The Second Raid is out on DVD (though incredibly expensive), and was/is available in fansub form, anyone who has watched it is pretty much up to speed on the major events I'm talking about. And while I'm on the subject of the DVD's, you can buy them through deep discount DVD (a website... google it). They have good prices on the first two series, and they almost always have free shipping, and sometimes have a global 20 off coupon if you hunt for it or go to dealnews (another website).
Now, as you have gathered from my brief foreword, I intend to write three volumes of fan fiction eventually. "Eventually" is a very broad term here. I will mention that I started working on Wo Futari De (roughly translates to "of the two of us"—please e-mail me if you can give a better translation) in early August of 2005. It is now September of 2006, and I am posting Shougeki (the third).
Wo Futari De was intended to be an outlet for the feeling I had inside of me every time I would finish a new series or novel of FMP: "I realize the writer can't very well let them go out with each other, but this is ridiculous." The reality is that this teasing style and beating around the bush with the whole thing is exactly what makes the romantic element of Full Metal Panic so interesting. And, as a little teaser of its own, it is exactly what I used in this first volume.
The second volume, the comedy, is intended to throw us back to the days with Hayashimizu (the student council president) and Tsubaki Issei and such. The carefree lives of Sagara and Chidori that outside of Fumoffu we haven't seen as much as we might like in the anime. Fumoffu made a huge impression on me when I first saw it and I am currently convinced that it is the second funniest thing I have ever seen. Hitosawagase itself is not exactly a comedy. It's more of a situational comedy/drama.
The third volume is Shougeki, an action. It's meant to be a more mature sort of action focusing on Sousuke's work as a mercenary.
Although I occasionally refer to them as "final edits," these chapters are nothing of the sort. I do not expect them to be of a professional quality before I post them.
Before you finally get to start reading the story, I do need to put in a little blurb regarding feedback:
Please give me feedback.
I honestly would rather hear you e-mail me that my writing sucks and I should give it up than to hear nothing at all from anyone. Feedback, criticism (constructive or otherwise), praise (but don't fake it), whatever.
----edit: extra notes----
I understand that there is some confusion regarding the chapters and numbering. I included "Chapter 0, Foreword" because I felt my story required an introduction, most importantly to describe the setting so that those who had not seen The Second Raid or read the novels were not hopelessly lost. This site, however, did not intend for such a foreword to exist, and although I can name my chapters whatever I want, there is still a basic numbering system the site uses. Therefore you see "2: Chapter 1" which is, in fact, the first chapter of the story even though it is the second 'chapter' I've posted. Sorry for the confusion.
Again, look to the profile for more detailed information about WFD and other fanfiction.
Thanks and enjoy!