24113


In _Full Metal Panic! Fumoffu?_ , we see Hayashimizu Atsunobu, the Student
Council President. When Sousuke addresses him, he always calls him "Your
Excellency" and stands at attention.

He seems totally fine condoning Sousuke interrogating the thug who passed on
the message that Chidori had been kidnapped (closing the blinds and not
stopping Ren or Sousuke).

While in a school environment, he is a figure of authority, but he is hardly
the highest authority with the teacher still above him, and Sousuke never uses
similar terms for any teacher.

So why does Sousuke call Hayashimizu Atsunobu "Your Excellency"?


CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-17T23:02:06.110
13492
2015-08-16T00:58:06.443
2015-08-16T00:58:06.443
1908
1587
question
full-metal-panic
In Full Metal Panic, why does Sousuke call Hayashimizu Atsunobu "Your Excellency"?


Hayashimizu's shall we say "extraordinary" tolerance for Sousuke's school
shenanigans is a separate question, so I will abstain from that and focus on
your primary issue:

The short answer is: it's a joke, based on Sousuke's inability to distinguish
between the nature of life in the school environment and life in the dangerous
geo-politico-military environment in which he's lived his entire life.
Hayashimizu is introduced to him as the school's President. In real life,
nobody is higher than a President (certainly not any "mere" Teachers!), and so
he defers to him accordingly, as if he were the President of an actual
country. "Your Excellency" is a formal way to address a President, or any Head
of State. The humor comes from Sousuke's exaggerated politeness and formality
whenever dealing with somebody who is in reality merely another student, with
some extra after-hours responsibilities!

(However, it should be noted that in the light novel, _"Continuing on My Own"_
, their conversations show that both have developed a very real and deep
respect for the other, based on their history and knowledge of each other's
personalities.)


CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-16T00:57:09.537
24113
2015-08-16T00:57:09.537
16253
13492
answer