Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid, ep. 1: “The Ending Day by Day” (2006, ADV Studios)
When it comes to action dubbing and action scripting, there is a certain quality needed that is quite different from situational drama or comedy. [Script writer, George] Manley did a good job bringing something of a military flair to the words, as the actors on both sides (the evil Balic army and the heroes of Mithril) bark out orders and give reports on their status during the fight. The actors provide a good simulation of the even-toned and deadly-serious way that soldiers speak, at least what we civilians expect military folks to sound like when engaged in combat. Actors like to emote, they like to go big and grab attention when they can, but here they have to dial it back, hold it in a bit and play the role, even if it is not going to make a big splash. This everyone does quite well, projecting an air of professionalism that keeps you in the fight and in the frame, where any sign of overdoing it would likely knock you out of the experience.
Perhaps the key dynamic in this first episode is the interplay between Sagara (Patton) and his mecha’s artificial intelligence unit, whom Sousuke calls AL (voiced by Andy McAvin, with some filtering to sound robotic). The two of them have tense, short bursts of dialogue as Sousuke, who finds himself cut off from the rest of his unit and increasingly looking to be trapped by the enemy, moves around the field of battle. Their dialogue carries you through the bursts of gunfire and the loud blasts caused by rockets and artillery shells exploding.
Action dubbing is its own special little niche, and of action dubs dealing with formal, professional combat, this is one of the best.
– Hitsugi Amachi
