HOUSTON, July 25, 2003—ADV Films today announced an October 14, 2003 release date for the fourth volume of the acclaimed anime series Full Metal Panic! The title deftly combines mecha combat, martial arts, international criminal intrigue, high-school politics and a dash of teen romance, with buyers and critics alike responding strongly.

Reviews of the first volume of Full Metal Panic!—released June 10—have only fanned enthusiasm. “Full Metal Panic! definitely has something for everyone…. Now I understand all the fan hype behind FMP…,” raved Phantasmagoriaonline.com.

The buzz around the title has been fanned by the appearance of the Full Metal Panic! manga, the first volume of which appeared in serial form in Newtype USA magazine, and which has recently been announced as forthcoming in its entirety from ADV Manga.

The Story:
Suit up! There’s plenty of AS (“Arm Slave” – human-controlled armored suit) action in this newest installment of Full Metal Panic! When tempers flare between Sergeant Major Mao and Captain Testarossa, there’s only one way to settle the score: an AS duel. The stakes are high, the price of failure a fate worse than death—a naked lap around the track on the Mithril base. Later, even high-schoolers Shinji and Kaname get a turn behind the controls of an AS!

But the summer fun grinds to a halt when Sousuke is called away for a top-secret mission at his old stomping grounds, where painful memories threaten to bury him alongside his fallen comrades. Will he make it out alive? Don’t miss a minute of the non-stop action that charges forward with both barrels blazing!

Full Metal Panic! Mission 04 (SRP $29.98 disc only) is a DVD-only release, including three complete episodes in both English- and Japanese-language versions, with English subtitles. Extras include production sketches; clean opening and closing animations; Japanese piracy warnings; and ADV Previews.

About ADV Films:
In 1992, ADV Films began to forge the international market for Japanese animation (“anime”) by combining unique titles, outstanding production values and efficient large-scale distribution. Today, ADV Films is the #1 producer-distributor of Japanese animation to the North American market, with the firm’s holdings including such premier titles as NOIR, Sailor Moon, Samurai X, Hello Kitty’s Paradise, RahXephon, Spriggan, Robotech, Full Metal Panic and Neon Genesis Evangelion. In addition, ADV Films’ product line has expanded to include other forms of genre programming, including live-action science fiction programs Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, Mutant X and The Jim Henson Company’s Farscape, and classic science fiction such as the updated Gamera trilogy. ADV Films’ parent company, A.D. Vision, Inc. also publishes Newtype USA, the premier anime and manga monthly in the English-speaking world, and operates The Anime Network™, broadcasting anime and anime-related programming via digital cable, 24 hours a day. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, USA, with additional offices in the EU and Japan, and distribution on four continents, ADV Films is fast becoming an international entertainment powerhouse. For more information, visit ADV Films on the web at http://www.advfilms.com.

FULL METAL PANIC! MISSION 04
Running Time: 75 minutes; Age Rating: 15+
Pre-Book Date: 9/16/03
Street Date: 10/14/03
Format: DVD
SRP: $29.98