Full Metal Panic! (Seasons 1–4)

Full Metal Panic! (2002) is a mecha-action anime crossed with high-school comedy that you can watch online on iFILM. Schoolgirl Kaname Chidori has no idea that terrorists are hunting her for a secret she supposedly carries.

They believe Kaname is one of "the Whispered," carriers of forbidden knowledge. To keep her safe, the covert outfit Mithril plants teenage soldier Sousuke Sagara inside her school. In the cockpit of an Arm Slave mech he is a prodigy; undercover as a normal student he is hopeless, reading every locker and lunch break as a combat threat and driving Kaname up the wall. Half the show grows straight out of that mismatch.

Based on Shoji Gatoh's light novels and animated by Gonzo, the series spawned several follow-ups and still counts as a genre staple. Balancing serious mech battles with near-slapstick comedy is a tightrope few shows walk this steadily. It is a good fit for mecha fans tired of a relentlessly grim tone. Stream every episode of Full Metal Panic! online on iFILM.