Full Metal Panic Watch Order: TV Series, Fumoffu and Films

Watch Full Metal Panic! (2002, 24 episodes) first, then Fumoffu (2003, 12 episodes), then The Second Raid (2005, 13 episodes) and Invisible Victory (2018, 12 episodes). That is release order and it works as a story order too. The three recap films and the short specials are optional.

Image: Fan art (AI-generated)

Full Metal Panic! is a military mecha story that keeps a high school comedy running next to it, and the franchise has four TV series from three studios. That mix is why people ask where to start, whether Fumoffu is skippable and what the "season 3" and "season 4" labels mean. This guide answers each of those, lists every entry with its year and length, and marks what you can skip. If you like robots piloted by teenagers and soldiers alike, our mecha anime hub has more, and the same people who read this also tend to read the Gundam watch order.

The short answer: four steps

1. Full Metal Panic! (2002): the starting point and the base of everything else.
2. Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu (2003): a comedy side series that is set between the first and second seasons. Skippable for plot, hard to skip for fans.
3. Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid (2005): the direct sequel to the first series.
4. Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory (2018): the newest TV series, continuing the story.

That is 61 TV episodes in total (24 + 12 + 13 + 12). At roughly 25 minutes an episode, expect about 25 hours. That runtime is our estimate from the episode counts, not an official figure.

Full Metal Panic watch order, entry by entry

Dates below are Japanese broadcast or release dates. "Core" means you need it for the main story, "side" means it adds fun but no plot you need, and "skip" means you lose nothing on a first watch.

1. Full Metal Panic! (TV, 8 January to 18 June 2002, 24 episodes, Gonzo). Sergeant Sousuke Sagara, a soldier of a secret private army, is sent undercover to a Japanese high school to protect a student, Kaname Chidori. Core.
2. Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu (TV, 25 August to 18 November 2003, 12 episodes, Kyoto Animation). A companion series with a very different tone: school comedy built on Gatoh's short stories, with almost none of the mecha combat or political plot. Side. Not in our catalogue yet.
3. The Second Raid Episode 00 (TV special, 6 July 2005, 1 episode, about 5 minutes, Kyoto Animation). A short teaser for the second series. Skip, or watch right before the next entry.
4. Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid (TV, 13 July to 19 October 2005, 13 episodes, Kyoto Animation). The direct sequel to the first series, set three months after its ending. Core.
5. A Relatively Leisurely Day in the Life of a Fleet Captain (OVA, 26 May 2006, 1 episode, 29 minutes, Kyoto Animation). A humorous standalone story that takes place after The Second Raid. Skip. Not in our catalogue yet.
6. Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory (TV, 13 April to July 2018, 12 episodes, Xebec). A continuation made thirteen years after The Second Raid by a new studio. The series creator said at Anime Expo 2017 that it would not contain "explanation or expository episodes." Core. Not in our catalogue yet.
7. Invisible Victory Intermission and Intermission 2 (recap episodes, 11 May and 15 June 2018). Two recap broadcasts during the 2018 run, covering episodes 1 to 4 and 5 to 8. Skip. Not in our catalogue yet.

Where does Fumoffu fit?

Fumoffu takes place between the first series and The Second Raid, so release order and story order agree. Two ways to handle it:

• After the first series: the default. The cast is fresh, and the jokes land better when you know what Sousuke's "normal" is.
• After The Second Raid: a good choice if you want the serious story first and a lighter break before Invisible Victory.

Do not start with Fumoffu. It assumes you know who everyone is, and it hides how heavy the main plot gets. If someone tells you the franchise is "just a comedy", they have only seen Fumoffu; if they tell you it is "grim military sci-fi", they have skipped it. Both are partial descriptions.

The three films: a director's cut, not a sequel

Three films from Gonzo re-edit the first TV series. Wikipedia calls them director's cut films, and they were released in Japan between November 2017 and January 2018, about 100 minutes each. They arrived shortly before Invisible Victory, so they were a refresher for returning viewers.

1. Full Metal Panic! Movie 1: Boy Meets Girl (25 November 2017).
2. Full Metal Panic! Movie 2: One Night Stand (13 January 2018).
3. Full Metal Panic! Movie 3: Into the Blue (20 January 2018).

Our advice: skip them on a first watch. The TV series is the fuller version, and the films add nothing the later series depends on. They suit someone coming back after years who wants a fast catch-up, in which case watch all three, then continue with Fumoffu or The Second Raid.

Comparison table

Why "season 3" and "season 4" both exist

Wikipedia's episode list numbers the TV series by story: season 1 (2002), season 2 (The Second Raid, 2005) and season 3 (Invisible Victory, 2018), and it keeps Fumoffu on a separate list. But Invisible Victory is also described as the fourth TV series in the franchise, because Fumoffu counts as a series of its own. Searches for "season 3" and "season 4" point at the same show. If you see "season 5", note that we found no announced new TV anime when we checked on 4 November 2026.

Three studios, three looks

Gonzo made the first series, Kyoto Animation made Fumoffu and The Second Raid, and Xebec made Invisible Victory. Directors changed too: Yasuhiro Takemoto directed Fumoffu and The Second Raid, and Katsuichi Nakayama directed Invisible Victory. If the art feels different from one series to the next, that is why.

Is it finished? Novels and what comes next

The light novels ran for twelve full-length volumes from 1998 to 2010, plus short story volumes. Invisible Victory adapts volumes seven, eight and nine, according to Wikipedia. That leaves later novel volumes that have no TV adaptation yet. We could not find a primary source that says exactly how many volumes remain, so check before you quote a number.

The franchise is still active in print. Wikipedia lists a new light novel series, Full Metal Panic! Family, running since January 2024, with a manga adaptation published in Japan from December 2024. We found no official announcement of a new anime in 2026, so treat anything beyond Invisible Victory as unconfirmed.

Where to watch

Wikipedia lists Crunchyroll as the licensee of the TV series, with Anime Limited in the UK. In April 2018 the first series, Fumoffu and The Second Raid joined Crunchyroll in the UK, and Invisible Victory streamed there as well. Availability changes by country and over time, so check Crunchyroll and JustWatch for your region instead of relying on a list that goes out of date. We could not confirm the current US catalog on 4 November 2026.

Content notes

The franchise is rated R in our catalogue for the original series and The Second Raid. Expect military violence and war themes in the serious series, and crude humor and slapstick in Fumoffu. The main cast are high school students, and the romance and fan service are played for laughs. Check the rating for your region before you watch with others.

Questions people ask

What order should I watch Full Metal Panic in?

Release order: Full Metal Panic!, Fumoffu, The Second Raid, then Invisible Victory. Fumoffu can also be moved to after The Second Raid.

Do I need to watch Fumoffu?

No, the main plot continues without it. It is a comedy side story set between the first two serious series, and fans often recommend it, so most viewers watch it.

What is the difference between Full Metal Panic and Fumoffu?

The first series mixes military action and a school setting. Fumoffu keeps the school and the characters but drops nearly all the action and politics for comedy, and was made by Kyoto Animation instead of Gonzo.

Is Invisible Victory season 3 or season 4?

Both labels are used. It is the third season by story, and the fourth TV series if Fumoffu is counted as its own series.

How many episodes does Full Metal Panic have?

The four TV series total 61 episodes: 24, 12, 13 and 12. Add one OVA, one short special, two recap episodes and three films if you want everything.

Are the Full Metal Panic movies worth watching?

They re-edit season one as director's cut films, about 100 minutes each. Skip them unless you want a quick refresher.

How many volumes of Full Metal Panic are there?

The main light novel series has twelve full-length volumes (1998 to 2010), plus short story volumes, side volumes and later spin-offs.

Are Fullmetal Alchemist and Full Metal Panic related?

No. They are separate franchises that share part of a name. Full Metal Panic! is based on light novels by Shoji Gatoh.

Is there a Full Metal Panic season 5?

Not announced as far as we could find on 4 November 2026.

Sources

• Wikipedia, "Full Metal Panic!" (series, dates, studios, directors, novels, director's cut films), en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Metal_Panic!, retrieved 4 November 2026.
• Wikipedia, "List of Full Metal Panic! episodes" (episode counts and air dates, Intermission episodes, OVA), en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Full_Metal_Panic!_episodes, retrieved 4 November 2026.
• Wikipedia, "Full Metal Panic! season 3" (novels adapted, recap episodes), en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Metal_Panic!_season_3, retrieved 4 November 2026.
• MyAnimeList, "(Full Metal Panic) Watch order" interest stack, entries and years, myanimelist.net/stacks/60996, retrieved 4 November 2026.
• MyAnimeList, "Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid Episode 00", special date and length, myanimelist.net/anime/6291, retrieved 4 November 2026.
• LiveChart, Full Metal Panic! franchise headlines (Invisible Victory 12 episodes, recap episodes, 2018), livechart.me/franchises/41/headlines, retrieved 4 November 2026.
• Anime UK News, "Full Metal Panic! Season 1, FUMOFFU & The Second Raid Now UK-Accessible on Crunchyroll", April 2018, animeuknews.net.

Last checked: 4 November 2026