Proven appeal of subject: First printing of Collector's Edition 2 sold out at wholesale in four months and spurred a sell-out of Collector's Edition 1, sending both into reprints! Four unique anime adaptations (plus a series of compilation movies) have been made, granting the franchise long-term visibility within fandom. Two manga adaptations were previously published in the early 2000's.
Genre staying power: A blockbuster action adventure series, Full Metal Panic! starts with fish-out-of-water comedy amped to 11, endearing characters to the audience before ratcheting up the intensity to keep the reader coming back for more. The serialised storytelling also encourages returning for the next volume!
Artwork: Multiple full-page illustrations (including color frontmatter) add extra value and provide crossover appeal with the manga buying audience.