One of my absolute favorite moments in the entire series is the reveal of the Havoc General Store. It was indicated that Jean Havoc retired to his family's home in the countryside after he was paralyzed, and it seemed like he was out of the story. But no, he hadn't given up, and instead found a new way to help, and ended up being essential for the success of Mustang's team. Nobody is forgotten.
Seems like her book was like those old rpg's. The ones where everyone contributes to the ending. Where the town folk you met actually have something to say and the characters all have a life outside yours. It's ok for a story not to do that, it would be annoying to invest that much into every story i read lol, like the backlash on "villains who arent just evil" but it's fun to have a story do that. I will say the story the first time (FMA) is great, on second watch it's hard cause your likely watching with a pal and looking at them like ugh this is the slow part but trust me....trust...The last 10 eps are pure binge material. The middle is kinda maundering but i think it's cause i know what's happening, maybe new watchers are excited...just think the biggest flaw is the middle is just plotting cause the series got popular or the author wanted to separate time for the ending. The beginning minus the middle then ending is just pure adrenaline, though you miss characterization etc. lol
"This is my last act of alchemy as the full metal alchemist." That panel is one of my favorite in all of manga because of the weight it held but also because I was lucky enough to be reading FMA when the chapters were being released monthly and when I got to that page, I had to stop reading for a while because I wasn't ready for Ed to stop being the full metal alchemist. Such a great moment.
The way this tied to the ending dialogue of the story is also awesome. "There's no such thing as a painless lesson. They just don't exist. Though, if you can endure that pain, and walk away from it freely, you'll have a heart strong enough to endure anything. A heart made fullmetal." Also, you read FMA monthly? Can't imagine the absolute blast that would have been!
what was amazing was the manga ended and then one month later Brotherhood also ended, it was like we were all experiencing it at the same time. Both Manga and Anime, Idk how they planned that
@@krishbohra5536 as a monthly chapter reader myself, reading every panel and looking at every details in a page out of 30ish pages a chapter was an absolute blast. Especially because you know you don't get to see another chapter after a month. Then come the final chapter. I don't know how many times I read it over and over knowing there is no new chapter coming after that.. those were the days.
Yeah following this one monthly through the end was a really incredible experience. I’ve been reading manga for a long time and I’ve watched a lot of popular ones end. This one probably hit the hardest for me emotionally.
A small moment that has always stood out to me was the end of Kimbley - I really like this kind of unapologetically evil villain, but what really seals the deal is that even when absorbed into the Philosopher Stone, he manages to not only retain his ego and individuality, but also to screw over Pride. When normally it takes an immense effort and time for someone like Hoenheim to separate out and individually converse with souls. He lived and died absolutely self-absorbed and sticking to his fucked-up principles.
Kimblee acts as a foil to illogical notions and hypocrisy. Despite him being a homicidal manaic, he isn't wrong whenever he brings another character to task for their nonsense. When it was mustang and Hawkeye griping about the war in Ishval as if they weren't cognizant that their willing enlistment was their choice, this they ought not complain about the results. Or when Al is going on about his and Ed's determination to succeed without using the phiolsophers stone but Kimblee pointing out that there's an equally likely scenario (if not moreso) that Ed and Al do fail regardless. Or my favorite, when pride was about to abandon his own ideals in order to survive, but acted as an inhibiter to that plan. He was a villain no doubt, but throughly consistent and respected those who were also consistent even if they stood antithetical to his own ideals.
@@joeldykman7591 Kimblee is by far my favorite villain of all the stories I've seen. As you said, he may be evil, but his evil is still extremely principled. His behavior is the result of his beliefs, rather than his beliefs being chosen by what fits his actions like so many other villains (like Pride) do.
This story is timeless. Hiromu Arakawa is a storytelling genius. She has created a masterpiece with this story. I truly do believe this is on the level of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter in terms of it's value and storytelling. It has a beautiful epic story. Where characters get fleshed out and they mean something. They stand for something and they have to change and grow together. The core themes are so well articulated and she treats everything with an even hand throughout the story and everything is tied up so neatly. Fantastic. 10/10 work. Will always be one of the best stories ever.
@@vojtechtesar5767 eh, LOTR is truly a masterpiece, but it's full of really cheesy stuff that technically wasn't cliché at the time it was written but overtime has lost its novelty. It is deserving of the respect of pioneering many tropes and story beats but there's been better entries into the genre that jumped off of the shoulders of LOTR
You just mentioned Fu and Buccaneer sacrificing themselves to injure Bradley but that is one of my favorite moments because it is a rejection of Bradley's worldview. These two men made a difference as soldiers, not leaders directing the war. You can tell how Bradley feels about his government's soldiers by the way he enters the conflict, he goes in to fight alone because they would just be in the way while Ling fights alongside his companions and Olivier trusts her men to do the tasks assigned to them. Not only is this the moment that makes Scar's win possible, but it is also the moment that shows the flaws in Bradley's world view.
Every once in a while I'll go back to Hohenheim's death scene and it never fails to make me tear up. Never before has the anime ending kicking in over the last scene hit me as hard. Also, the whole bit of the Homunculi dying in ways ironic to their sins is great every time it happens but Wrath dying at peace with his life with no words left to be said to his wife has to be my favorite.
Episode 54 (i think) when Mustang and Hawkeye were talking about the war and we saw how she told him to burn her back..with that epic soundtrack "Crime and Punishment". This is definitely my fav moment in the series.
"The two brothers who wanted to feel their mother's warmth once more......The woman who sought to bring back her only baby......And then, the man who looked to change his nation.........Humans who would dare to play God must pay a steep price for their arrogance." (the full quote is much better) Oh man the first time I read Father saying that, I just had to stop reading for a bit just because of how amazing the symbolism was.
The scene with Mustang & Envy is my favorite in the entire series and I know it's powerful because 1) I got chill listening to you talk about it lol & 2) Even though I totally understand all the nuisances of it, even though I know it's not the morally correct decision, even though even Scar (of ALL people!) is trying to get him to stop, getthere's a part of me that still REALLY wanted Mustang to turn Envy into a black mark on the ground. Anytime a story can make me feel that conflicted internally I know the author has done a masterful job.
suddenly morally wrong when it's plot relevant. I just don't think it's that deep. It was a cool moment where they let the YA genre it's supposed to be in the first place slip in and ruin the moment.
And th end of envy, showing he is envious , that becaus he doesnt understand love makes him so sadistuic or its implied, that he in the end the pity (as much as he had it coming) :(
you don't want him to spare Envy because of Envy, since he is petty til the end, you want him to spare him because you don't want Mustang to lose control
@@DoggyP00 i don't think it is the morality of the thing, no one cared when he killed Lust, the problem in question is Mustang feelings, killing a harmless person again like in the civil war and the remorse it would cause him down the line
I'm glad you highlighted Scar in the Mustang/Envy scene, but what always hits me there is Envy themself. I love how it's revealed how Envy is envious of humans, reinforcing how Father's envy is also of humans and their family. Also, this shows how Envy being one of the most consistently vile homunculi comes from him constantly being envious of who he's fighting. He wants what our heroes have, which is what Greed can actually do. I love all the characters.
Scar is absolutely one of the best characters in this series. I often think about how much in common he has with Katara from Avatar (and Aang), but also their key differences. I feel like they would have a lot to discuss regarding forgiveness and their justified rage.
When Scar was first introduced I thought he was going to be a throw away character. just a midlevel boss on the way to the actual conflict. I never expected this series to be this well written to make every character so meaningful.
I love everything about Greed Ling. Their combined character development was just amazing to watch. Also I can't wait for the Yona of the Dawn reviews. It's quite a different experience from shounen manga.
Yepü they ar the best, and probably a big spart to spellout that the story isnt against being ambitious and having grand desires, its just againt abadoning your humanity for it . and raise the dead) and ling helping greed fionding what he wants, friends. :( He is great weep
During the series I thought there was no where it could give a satisfying conclusion where getting their bodies back wasn’t a deus ex machina but Ed giving up his alchemy was just absolutely brilliant. Phenomenal solution to a problem we’ve faced the entire story that isn’t devoid of consequences but overall leaves everything on a happy note. God I love this series, I rewatch the anime every year because it’s just so good.
I love the multiple symbolisms behind how the homunculi each met their end. Lust was burned by a womanizer Gluttony was eaten Envy was driven to suicide by envy Sloth died of overwork Wrath's final moment's were peaceful Pride was reduced to a pitiful state Greed sacrificed himself for everyone else Ed defeated Pride because he had conquered his own arrogance, which led him to try to use alchemy to play God and resurrect his mother. Scar defeated Wrath because he had overcome his thirst for revenge against Amestris and state alchemists for the Ishvallan genocide, while at the same time securing justice against the very man who caused it. Bradley was told by the Ishvallan leader that he would be struck down by the hand of Ishval's God, which came to pass in his defeat at the hands of Scar, a remaining son of Ishval proclaiming to act on God's behalf. GOD! Just the symbolism and the way everything in this story comes full circle, it's gotta be my favorite of all time! I'm so glad I could witness your journey with it.
I have a (not fully formed) theory that each Homunculus died when they lost the sin they embodied. Holds well for Greed and Wrath. The others are larger stretches.
I was in Japan when the manga ended and I went out of my way to buy the magazine where it was published to read the last chapter. At the end I stared at the last page for a good 10min taking the time to realize a huge arc of my own life had ended and in such a great way. I had been attached so much to those characters since I was a teenager and had spent so long following their adventures that it got me so emotional to see everything finally ending well for them. And that hug with winery and Ed is carved in my brain forever
I am on the same boat when it comes to endings. Most times the "happy, clean ending" feels cliché, or just tacked on for the sake of having that kind of ending. However, with FMA:B it just feels right. It feels like we (the characters and the reader) earned this ending. The story weaves and turns in such a way that the ending feels fitting. This is also one of the reasons why I love Code Geass as one of my top 3 series, along side FMA and Monster.
One of the things I like about Arakawa's works is that she's not afraid to let her characters fail in critical moments. And I think because she does such a good job of making sure that everyone's taking significant bumps along the way, that when the ending comes around and things wrap up nice and neat, it feels earned. I like to think that Hawkeye knew the gun was empty. She's a professional. Guns are what she does. Of course she knows to count her ammo. Can we talk about Ed's proposal? Real talk: That only worked because they've known each other for such a long time, and Winry knew how to translate Ed-speak. If neither of those conditions were present... I dunno.
This is one of my favourite endings from a philosophical perspective and it's clear of the authors love of philosophy. Because the entire goal was in the boys grasps the entire time. The entire time they had the solution to heal themselves. It was only on learning and letting their ego go that they could see the truth that was there all along.
I love how "God" is represented as the moon and sun together and as Scar and Wrath fight, Wrath constantly questions his god. Then at the end when the eclipse ends and the sun blinds Wrath it's as if "God" is helping Scar to win the fight there for punishing Wrath for his sins.
not only was mustang, one of the military dogs in front of Scar, but he was threatening to kill Envy, the person who fired the first shot and started the war disguised as an Ishvalian
"Others sacrificing themselves for each other's dreams" The ultimate equivalent exchange huh? I've pretty much grown up on this series, watched both anime,(It was one of my first actually), have read the manga and here you are reading first time opening my eyes to that message. Love ya Merph
I liked that original FMA had bittersweet ending. It suited the equivalent exchange theme, never thought anything would top that, but manga delivered it so much better. It was a complete victory and total satisfaction. Truly, this method of writing ending has been passed down the Arakawa family for generations!! On another note, my heart broke for Mei when she had to help Al sacrifice himself Now that you are done with a series, I highly recommend you watch Mushishi too
FMA brotherhood ending is wonderful, it is completely desirable and right, love the Ed and Winry family at the end. But I would love to see Merphy watching the 2003 version too! That bittersweet ending, the homunculi origin, that scene where Ed almost fall for the philosophers stone... it's shocking
I always recommend One Piece to FMA fans and vice versa. The interconnected world, fantastic characters, and strong themes just hit in a very specific way that many pieces of fiction struggle to capture. So happy to hear you enjoyed the series as much as you did.
Finally, cant wait to see how you feel about it. I always reread and watch the end half of fullmetal. Love sewing your journey through this sad and epic tale
So excited to hear you're starting Vagabond. It's right up there with Vinland Saga, and hits on so many of the same themes, even similar story beats, but leaves a lot more to be open to interpretation.
On the subject of Mustang losing his eyesight, I’ve always thought that showed the Truth was fair. Equivalent Exchange is the law of alchemy(amount X of Thing A turns into amount X of Thing B), therefore Mustang had to make some form of payment to exchange for the knowledge he gained from the Portal. _However_, there are 2 noteworthy differences between Mustang’s exchange and the others we see. Mustang is the only person we see that is forced to open the Portal against their will, and he’s also the only one who doesn’t lose a physical part of himself. Ed lost his leg, Al lost his body, and Izumi lost her reproductive organs, but Mustang didn’t lose his eyes. I can’t imagine that detail was unintentional. Also, completely unrelated, but I love that Ed’s appearance at the end has him with Hohenheim’s outfit and hairstyle.
I’m glad you liked it. Its still one of my favourite series even after many years and it does discuss some heavy topics, while still being light-hearted and fun for a younger audience. I adore all the characters and with Hiromu Arakawa as Mangaka, the female characters are especially well-written and fleshed out. One of my favourite badass moments is Izumi in chapter 95: “When someone asks “who” I am, I always say “a housewife”, that’s the polite response. But just for today I feel like showing off a little. I’m an alchemist!”
One thing to read that I’m not sure if you will or not is the house in Fata Morgana it’s a visual novel. It hardly feels like anime and manga though and feels more akin to a Shakespeare gothic mystery story with anime elements. The story is phenomenal and the characters were insanely in-depth made me cry more times than any piece of media. The setting and the themes of the world are everything you could ask for and the music accompanying it just brings it all together only recently finished it but it’s one of my favourite pieces of media ever hope one day you read the masterpiece.
I read FMA back in 2010 when it was ending and watched Brotherhood back around maybe 2015. Reviving this story through your eyes has been an amazing experience, definitely one of my favorite stories that I've read. I almost teared up with you telling us the climax. It might be time for a reread...
The Winry gun scene still makes me tense up. It's so, so powerful and thinking about the ~writing~ it took to 1) make the scene and 2) have it makes sense with the world, plot, and characters is extremely impressive. The plotting of the whole series is so good, but I feel it's often over shadowed by discussions of the character writing (which is also top tier).
It would be awesome to see you review your 3 favorite duos/partnerships in the Fullmetal series. I wonder what moments hit you hardest or made you instantly connect you to them
Fullmetal alchemist will always be my favorite series, its a masterpiece ♡ thank you so much for reviewing and analysing this! If you didnt come across it yet I recommend listening to Brothers song by Vic (Eds english voice actor), it's absolutely beautiful! Its an emotional song with Ed singing about his guilt towards Al for trying to bring their mom back to life, and Al singing about why he doesnt have to feel guilty because they are both to blame. Btw there are also funny bloopers from the english voice actors :)
I love how the beginning of Pride's fall is when he insults the *pride* of one of the few people capable of straight up overpowering him. To top it off, that person had been holding off on directly intervening against Pride up until that point.
Probably my favorite manga. Few stories I know of wrap things up so completely and satisfyingly. The only other one that comes to mind, though different, is Hero of Ages.
one of my favorites moments in fullmetal is when the truth says "Youre right! thats the correct answer! Go Ahead, take it all!" Like hes genuinely happy that Ed realizes even then alchemy is something incredible, its not everything.
Man, it’s been so much fun following your journey through this series. I love it so much. Its close to if not a perfect story and has basically become a must watch/read for any anime/manga fan.
One of my favourite thing about FMA is the fate of the Humunculi, directly opposite of what they "stood for" in life (similar the the "Law of retaliation" used by Dante Alighieri) Lust: killed not by someone enraged or overtaken by another emotion, but by someone cold and calculated (at least at that moment) Gluttony: eaten, like all of his victims Envy: killed himself because he couldn't bear knowing HE was most envious of humans and their bond. Sloth: fought until he used up every bit of his philosopher's stone Greed: sacrificed himself for pure altruism in order to save a friend (and lied for the only time in is life to do so) Wrath: died peacefully once he realize he could no longer fight, without remorse or regrets Pride: "killed" because he threw away his pride in order to save his own skin, and then was shown pity.
Following your reviews nearly as soon as they come out and as you made your way through the series and listening to your articulate all the reasons I hold it so high on my list has been an amazing trip. There's a million things I could say regarding every little detail, but I specifically want to mention it's nice sharing the same experiences and vicariously progressing through the journey one more time. Double points for that experience being shared with someone who really appreciates arakawa's writing being done with intent and experience being tied into the story
The Fullmetal Alchemist manga is both one of my favourites and the manga that got me into manga. There are few stories I can point to with better intentionality in their writing and plot. The way the author crafts this fantastic, living world filled to brimming with dynamic characters, and weaves the plot where every little thing all comes together in the end just blows me away! This is always at the top of my list of recommendations and is a joy to reread. Thank you for sharing your reactions they have been an absolute pleasure and I hope you have a great rest of your day :)
One detail I like that was pointed out to me when I first read is that, since he's the only one that didn't open the portal of his own volition, Mustang is the only one who doesn't get verbally scolded for his hubris by the truth. Sure, it still takes it's toll because of equivalent exchange, but since it wasn't a mistake Mustang himself was making, it didn't see the need to try and teach him anything.
I remember your first reviews, and you weren't feeling any time away from ed and al haha. Taking a break seems was such a good thing for you. I'm glad you were able to come back and enjoy one of my favorite series so much. I hope some day you'll also check out Nana and Spice and wolf which don't tend to get as much attention as the more action / fantasy series you're going through atm.
I can't pick one favorite scene, there are too many. The one that _gets me_ every time though, is when Pinako finds Hohenheim at Trisha's grave in the anime. There's a tiny little thing that the anime adds to it that makes it hit just that extra bit harder. Won't say what exactly it is as you haven't watched that far yet, but like... it shouldn't be hard to figure out.
Yeeessssss. I guess we're all mentioning our favorite bits? It's Ed's EQUIVILENT EXCHANGE O.O/ proposal to Winry, and her reaction for me. After everything they've been through, those two nerds being those two nerds together, it's one of my favorite resolutions In.... fiction.
My #1 in One Piece, my #4 in Fullmetal Alchemist, and my #7 in HxH. Feels like you're going through my favourites list and reviewing them. Hope to see more in the times to come.
@@abhikmoj5853 #1- One Piece #2- Tower of God #3- The Breaker/New Waves/Eternal Force #4- FMA #5- World Trigger #6- Ares #7- HxH #8- Beastars #9- Beelzebub #10- Toss up between JoJo's, Undead/Unluck, Dorohedoro, and Shaman King How 'bout your list?
@@MrSamurijackbauer I'm adding world trigger and ares to my 'to watch' list immediately, thanks ! Mine doesn't have a rigid ranking - #1 FMA #2 Shingeki No kyojin #3-#7 Code Geass HxH One piece Jujutsu Kaisen Mushoku tensei #8-#13 Stein's gate Magi Tower of God Hellsing ultimate Fumetsu no anata e Yuri on ice
The ending of Fullmetal Alchemist is so absolutely my favorite in Manga (with only Pluto's and Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer's coming close) and part of my fascination with it is simply because of the rule we got from the very first chapter: Equivalent exchange. We see through the series that most alchemists from Ed at the start of the series to Father tend to see the world as a problem to be solved, the Elric brothers set off to find a specific answer to their dilemma and very early they stumble into the wrong one: take things from another to make them your own, use their energy and get what you want because for someone to win something the same value needs to be lost by someone else. Indirectly the goal of the Elric's becomes to break the law of Equivalent exchange, they want to bring back something without losing something as valuable. That happens to be the goal of Father too, he wants to get everything within itself to control all without being limited by the rules. Ultimately Ed's solution, giving his alchemy so Alphons could return, was an example on how to defeating the law : you pass something into the next person and they give it forward and as time progresses everyone gets to have more. For me this gives the whole finale a beautiful poetic structure to put the ribbon on the amazing character moments.
I love hearing how passionate you are about all the characters. I bet a character tier list vid, talking about your favorite moments for each character, would be really interesting to see! 😄
I'm so glad you enjoyed the series. It's one of my favorite series. And I'm so excited for whatever you read next and idk why but I kept hearing Yoda of the dawn and I was super confused
It's been so much fun watching you experience FMA. I read it probably over a decade ago now and while a lot of details have faded from my mind, it has stuck so heavily with me. It's been wonderful to revisit the series through you, in a way, and you've made me want to go back and reread it, so thank you! And I'm so happy you've enjoyed it so much!
I agree 💯 FMA is all about the community and unity. Everyone has a part in the greater scheme. I always think that Fullmetal Alchemist is actually Hohenheim's story, with Ed and Al as the main protagonists.
I am looking forward to starting FMA soon!! December has been a great month for me because I am finally able to get to all the books I have been wanting to get to for the past few months!
Hi, I absolutely loved watching your journey through FMA. The author, Hiromu Arakawa, wrote another manga series called Silver Spoon. I am currently on volume 7 of 15, (volume 15 is the last manga) It’s really good and recommend picking it up. There is an anime adaptation as well however I have not watched it yet.
I know there isn’t a manga for it but I hope you get to watch the first anime. It still had the influence of the author backing it as its own stand alone story, so it’s a really interesting comparison and almost a completely different genre take on the manga/brotherhood story. It’s very character-study focused, specifically with Ed and Al’s character journeys and challenging Ed’s philosophies in an unapologetically adult world, instead of focusing on a more grand plot with a big cast like its more action/shounen counterpart with Brotherhood. It’s also more subtle with its foreshadowing and storytelling and tends to be quieter. But I honestly love it just as much and it had a lot of strengths in some story beats that I feel Brotherhood lacked in. Almost like an equivalent exchange of strengths and weaknesses…you could say lol.
I liked the series a lot when I read it a couple years ago but I really loved the last part. As you said, every plot and character comes together perfectly in that final fight, it's a very satisfying payoff for the whole story, and I don't think I've seen or read many other stories that felt so well rounded and satisfying.
So glad you enjoyed the series!! It's one of those that gets better each reread/watch. (Like ATLA) I've watched Yona of the Dawn and have been meaning to pick up the manga and just haven't yet. It's on my Christmas list! I really enjoyed the anime and can't wait to see where the series goes! Guess I gotta start now so I can enjoy it alongside you! 😁😁
This series has one of my favorite endings ever. It's happy but it's so well earned that it doesn't feel cheap in the slightest. There was loss along the way but things were made right in the end. Couldn't have written it better.
One of my favorite things about the series (and I have A LOT of things I love about it) is how poetic all the homunculi deaths are: Lust dies admiring a man (Mustang) and not seeing him as a pawn in her game (also, Mustang tends to play as a womanizer for the public eye, so...). Greed dies satisfied with what he has, the friendships he made. Gluttony is eaten alive. Envy comes to terms with the fact that they're jelous of humans and commit suicide. Sloth actually overworks himself to the point of exhausting the souls in his body. Wrath dies peacefully, with a smile on his face and actually at peace with the life he had. Pride is transformed into a "lesser form", much like the humans he hated so much. Btw, if I can recommend a manga for you to read, I would say Claymore. Not many remember it... which is a shame, because it has incredible character designs and story. (Also, 90% of the characters are women with giant swords, so...)
I cried listening to you, I love the series! Still remember finishing in the middle of the night, because with the last chapters I just couldn't stop. I absolutely loved how everyone comes together and even with characters that never met before - it just clicks and feels natural
There's just not enough I could say about this series. One of my favorite moments are definitely Mustang Envy Hawkeye Scar Ed scene. Everything that happened, seeing that darkness in Mustang and oain of the others watching him spiral. It built so well to that point. And the way the story makes you loathe Envy that you want him dead, but when Mustang's going after him, you can feel that dark rage is too far, that he's losing himself. I get chills every time! And another point I love is Greeling. Greed's growth and change is so great! I specifically love when Ling calls him out, saying that all he really wanted was friends. Then the homunculous who claimed he wanted everything realized that he had it and in the end sacrificed himself for it ❤️ What I love is this story's focus on the importance of family and friends, people and community. I love the culmination of it all when you see the contrast of Father facing Truth and Ed facing Truth. Father desired family but put power and knowledge above that and ultimately never grew or learned anything. While Ed understood everything. He knew what mattered. Fullmetal Alchemist has become one of my favorite stories of all time!!
Kimblee is my favourite character in Fullmetal Alchemist. Often underrated, I find him extremely complex for a side villain: he's an amoral sociopath with a moral code. He's aware of that and he accepts his own nature, developing a fascinating personal philosophy of sort, where if he survives then his lifestyle "won" over everyone else's. He's a ruthless murderer, but he rationalizes it as the job of a soldier and insists of remembering each person he kills; he's a vicious killer that betrayed his superiors, yet he never actually lies to any character and stays true to his ideal until the end. He genuinely respected Winry's parents regardless of what orders he may had at the time. When Al confronted him and mentioned that him and Ed wanted to achieve a different result in which they save everyone and don't sacrifice their bodies, Kimblee actually engaged in the conversation and asked what they would do about equivalent exchange and if they considered the alternative scenario of losing everything. And in the end, the only reason he stopped Pride was because of the Homunculus' hypocrisy and lack of strong principles. That was the natural and perfect conclusion for Kimblee's story, where he accepted and respected that Ed wouldn't have killed Pride. All in all, a fantastic character, often overlooked in a series full of amazing characters all around
Now that you've come out the other end of FMA, you really should read Silver Spoon, which was Arakawa's second manga. It is SO good and so entirely different, it is much more of a slice of life and fish-out-of-water taking place on an agricultural high school. We get to follow an inner city protagonist as he, and we with him, learn the ways of the japanese farm side, and the challenges and generational trauma that burdens those lands. It's one of my favourite manga of all time and that's coming from someone who has read a lot of it. Do yourself a favour and check it out!
I love to hear you are still watching it. i watched the end recently like mustang vs envi to the end. and the music and voice acting just bring all of it to such a emotional level. when Al begins to ask mei to make a path to help Ed. the voice acting just really. amped that whole scene for me. I hope it doesnt make you cry like it does to me even knowing what happens and he'll be fine. I still get choked up cause you can feel the desperation in there character and circumstance and they just wanna end it to save everyone. its so good
I felt like the zombie things were more for the side characters to deal with to keep them busy. We needed a reason why the entire military wasn't butting in on the major fights. I definitely dont think we needed the scenes of the main characters brawling with them though.
Please watch the 2003 version of FMA right after! Its a drastically different tone, and ending from brotherhood and the manga. Several characters are completely different too!
Love this series so much, so glad to see it covered here. It might not have been one of "the big 3" but there was a reason it got 2 anime adaptations, it is a very good series. oh no, not the live action. At least the original anime tries it's own thing, the live action adaption just...is. and is bad. Good luck! and Yona! Haven't caught up with that in a while, maybe this'll give me the push I need to pick it back up, looking forward to it!
I think one of the reasons Arakawa went with the immortal doll army is so the protagonists can fight bad guys without feeling bad for killing them. As powerful as the humonculi are, they did need some sort of army to fill out their ranks, and while some characters would be okay with killing human adversaries, Ed and Al wouldn’t
The later episode where Mustang and Riza are hunting envy...man that episode is by far my favourite to watch and that's saying something because Brotherhood has so many good moments.
Just one quick correction. Father wasn't using Al's body after his transformation. It's a body he produced and is supposed to look similar to young Hohenheim
What an amazing story FMA is, I've been a fan of it since I was a kid, and I read it monthly toward the end. I'm so glad you enjoyed it as much as many others!
![Masterful Worldbuilding - Greed island: Hunter x Hunter [cc]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YaG03eaAYSc/mqdefault.jpg)
![Chimera Ant: The End [Hunter x Hunter]](/img/n.gif)
One of my absolute favorite moments in the entire series is the reveal of the Havoc General Store. It was indicated that Jean Havoc retired to his family's home in the countryside after he was paralyzed, and it seemed like he was out of the story. But no, he hadn't given up, and instead found a new way to help, and ended up being essential for the success of Mustang's team. Nobody is forgotten.
Seems like her book was like those old rpg's. The ones where everyone contributes to the ending. Where the town folk you met actually have something to say and the characters all have a life outside yours. It's ok for a story not to do that, it would be annoying to invest that much into every story i read lol, like the backlash on "villains who arent just evil" but it's fun to have a story do that. I will say the story the first time (FMA) is great, on second watch it's hard cause your likely watching with a pal and looking at them like ugh this is the slow part but trust me....trust...The last 10 eps are pure binge material. The middle is kinda maundering but i think it's cause i know what's happening, maybe new watchers are excited...just think the biggest flaw is the middle is just plotting cause the series got popular or the author wanted to separate time for the ending. The beginning minus the middle then ending is just pure adrenaline, though you miss characterization etc. lol
@Leven Atries Agreed!
"This is my last act of alchemy as the full metal alchemist."
That panel is one of my favorite in all of manga because of the weight it held but also because I was lucky enough to be reading FMA when the chapters were being released monthly and when I got to that page, I had to stop reading for a while because I wasn't ready for Ed to stop being the full metal alchemist. Such a great moment.
The way this tied to the ending dialogue of the story is also awesome.
"There's no such thing as a painless lesson. They just don't exist. Though, if you can endure that pain, and walk away from it freely, you'll have a heart strong enough to endure anything. A heart made fullmetal."
Also, you read FMA monthly? Can't imagine the absolute blast that would have been!
Same... I remember reading it monthly... Man over a decade now... 👴🏽
what was amazing was the manga ended and then one month later Brotherhood also ended, it was like we were all experiencing it at the same time. Both Manga and Anime, Idk how they planned that
@@krishbohra5536 as a monthly chapter reader myself, reading every panel and looking at every details in a page out of 30ish pages a chapter was an absolute blast. Especially because you know you don't get to see another chapter after a month. Then come the final chapter. I don't know how many times I read it over and over knowing there is no new chapter coming after that.. those were the days.
Yeah following this one monthly through the end was a really incredible experience. I’ve been reading manga for a long time and I’ve watched a lot of popular ones end. This one probably hit the hardest for me emotionally.
A small moment that has always stood out to me was the end of Kimbley - I really like this kind of unapologetically evil villain, but what really seals the deal is that even when absorbed into the Philosopher Stone, he manages to not only retain his ego and individuality, but also to screw over Pride. When normally it takes an immense effort and time for someone like Hoenheim to separate out and individually converse with souls. He lived and died absolutely self-absorbed and sticking to his fucked-up principles.
Kimblee acts as a foil to illogical notions and hypocrisy. Despite him being a homicidal manaic, he isn't wrong whenever he brings another character to task for their nonsense. When it was mustang and Hawkeye griping about the war in Ishval as if they weren't cognizant that their willing enlistment was their choice, this they ought not complain about the results. Or when Al is going on about his and Ed's determination to succeed without using the phiolsophers stone but Kimblee pointing out that there's an equally likely scenario (if not moreso) that Ed and Al do fail regardless. Or my favorite, when pride was about to abandon his own ideals in order to survive, but acted as an inhibiter to that plan. He was a villain no doubt, but throughly consistent and respected those who were also consistent even if they stood antithetical to his own ideals.
He is such an asshole but damn he is so fun
@@joeldykman7591 Kimblee is by far my favorite villain of all the stories I've seen. As you said, he may be evil, but his evil is still extremely principled. His behavior is the result of his beliefs, rather than his beliefs being chosen by what fits his actions like so many other villains (like Pride) do.
This story is timeless. Hiromu Arakawa is a storytelling genius. She has created a masterpiece with this story. I truly do believe this is on the level of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter in terms of it's value and storytelling. It has a beautiful epic story. Where characters get fleshed out and they mean something. They stand for something and they have to change and grow together. The core themes are so well articulated and she treats everything with an even hand throughout the story and everything is tied up so neatly. Fantastic. 10/10 work. Will always be one of the best stories ever.
True but I think Alchemist tops both HP and LOTR when it comes to storytelling, emotions, character writing, moral messages.
@@vojtechtesar5767 I can definitely agree on the HP front but idk about LOTR.
@@vojtechtesar5767 defently HP (which Is not that good in many fronte), LOTR not really (in my opinion)
@@vojtechtesar5767 eh, LOTR is truly a masterpiece, but it's full of really cheesy stuff that technically wasn't cliché at the time it was written but overtime has lost its novelty. It is deserving of the respect of pioneering many tropes and story beats but there's been better entries into the genre that jumped off of the shoulders of LOTR
I think LOTR is top notch in the world building category but from the story telling perspective it's very basic
You just mentioned Fu and Buccaneer sacrificing themselves to injure Bradley but that is one of my favorite moments because it is a rejection of Bradley's worldview. These two men made a difference as soldiers, not leaders directing the war. You can tell how Bradley feels about his government's soldiers by the way he enters the conflict, he goes in to fight alone because they would just be in the way while Ling fights alongside his companions and Olivier trusts her men to do the tasks assigned to them. Not only is this the moment that makes Scar's win possible, but it is also the moment that shows the flaws in Bradley's world view.
Every once in a while I'll go back to Hohenheim's death scene and it never fails to make me tear up. Never before has the anime ending kicking in over the last scene hit me as hard. Also, the whole bit of the Homunculi dying in ways ironic to their sins is great every time it happens but Wrath dying at peace with his life with no words left to be said to his wife has to be my favorite.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is easily one of my favorite shows ever. Ed and Al’s sacrificial love for each other is just so beautiful
Episode 54 (i think) when Mustang and Hawkeye were talking about the war and we saw how she told him to burn her back..with that epic soundtrack "Crime and Punishment". This is definitely my fav moment in the series.
"The two brothers who wanted to feel their mother's warmth once more......The woman who sought to bring back her only baby......And then, the man who looked to change his nation.........Humans who would dare to play God must pay a steep price for their arrogance." (the full quote is much better)
Oh man the first time I read Father saying that, I just had to stop reading for a bit just because of how amazing the symbolism was.
The scene with Mustang & Envy is my favorite in the entire series and I know it's powerful because 1) I got chill listening to you talk about it lol & 2) Even though I totally understand all the nuisances of it, even though I know it's not the morally correct decision, even though even Scar (of ALL people!) is trying to get him to stop, getthere's a part of me that still REALLY wanted Mustang to turn Envy into a black mark on the ground. Anytime a story can make me feel that conflicted internally I know the author has done a masterful job.
That's so true! I still remember shouting "Kill Envy!" when I first watched that. But, the scene, in retrospect, is absolutely awesome!
suddenly morally wrong when it's plot relevant. I just don't think it's that deep. It was a cool moment where they let the YA genre it's supposed to be in the first place slip in and ruin the moment.
And th end of envy, showing he is envious , that becaus he doesnt understand love makes him so sadistuic or its implied, that he in the end the pity (as much as he had it coming) :(
you don't want him to spare Envy because of Envy, since he is petty til the end, you want him to spare him because you don't want Mustang to lose control
@@DoggyP00 i don't think it is the morality of the thing, no one cared when he killed Lust, the problem in question is Mustang feelings, killing a harmless person again like in the civil war and the remorse it would cause him down the line
I'm glad you highlighted Scar in the Mustang/Envy scene, but what always hits me there is Envy themself. I love how it's revealed how Envy is envious of humans, reinforcing how Father's envy is also of humans and their family. Also, this shows how Envy being one of the most consistently vile homunculi comes from him constantly being envious of who he's fighting. He wants what our heroes have, which is what Greed can actually do. I love all the characters.
Scar is absolutely one of the best characters in this series.
I often think about how much in common he has with Katara from Avatar (and Aang), but also their key differences. I feel like they would have a lot to discuss regarding forgiveness and their justified rage.
When Scar was first introduced I thought he was going to be a throw away character. just a midlevel boss on the way to the actual conflict. I never expected this series to be this well written to make every character so meaningful.
@@marshwiggle8364 Hiromu Arakawa is really good at the good old switcheroo. Her latest series is very similar the first chapter itself intrigues you.
@@atharvadeshpande4749 oh really? what's the series called?
@@marshwiggle8364 I gotta Look it up hold on.
Edit: it's Yomi no Tsugai.
I love everything about Greed Ling. Their combined character development was just amazing to watch. Also I can't wait for the Yona of the Dawn reviews. It's quite a different experience from shounen manga.
Yepü they ar the best, and probably a big spart to spellout that the story isnt against being ambitious and having grand desires, its just againt abadoning your humanity for it . and raise the dead) and ling helping greed fionding what he wants, friends. :( He is great weep
During the series I thought there was no where it could give a satisfying conclusion where getting their bodies back wasn’t a deus ex machina but Ed giving up his alchemy was just absolutely brilliant. Phenomenal solution to a problem we’ve faced the entire story that isn’t devoid of consequences but overall leaves everything on a happy note. God I love this series, I rewatch the anime every year because it’s just so good.
It's also a perfect juxtaposition to the dwarf in the flask and how it was willing to forsake humanity in order to gain knowledge and power.
I love the multiple symbolisms behind how the homunculi each met their end.
Lust was burned by a womanizer
Gluttony was eaten
Envy was driven to suicide by envy
Sloth died of overwork
Wrath's final moment's were peaceful
Pride was reduced to a pitiful state
Greed sacrificed himself for everyone else
Ed defeated Pride because he had conquered his own arrogance, which led him to try to use alchemy to play God and resurrect his mother.
Scar defeated Wrath because he had overcome his thirst for revenge against Amestris and state alchemists for the Ishvallan genocide, while at the same time securing justice against the very man who caused it.
Bradley was told by the Ishvallan leader that he would be struck down by the hand of Ishval's God, which came to pass in his defeat at the hands of Scar, a remaining son of Ishval proclaiming to act on God's behalf.
GOD! Just the symbolism and the way everything in this story comes full circle, it's gotta be my favorite of all time! I'm so glad I could witness your journey with it.
I have a (not fully formed) theory that each Homunculus died when they lost the sin they embodied.
Holds well for Greed and Wrath. The others are larger stretches.
I was in Japan when the manga ended and I went out of my way to buy the magazine where it was published to read the last chapter. At the end I stared at the last page for a good 10min taking the time to realize a huge arc of my own life had ended and in such a great way. I had been attached so much to those characters since I was a teenager and had spent so long following their adventures that it got me so emotional to see everything finally ending well for them. And that hug with winery and Ed is carved in my brain forever
I am on the same boat when it comes to endings. Most times the "happy, clean ending" feels cliché, or just tacked on for the sake of having that kind of ending. However, with FMA:B it just feels right. It feels like we (the characters and the reader) earned this ending. The story weaves and turns in such a way that the ending feels fitting. This is also one of the reasons why I love Code Geass as one of my top 3 series, along side FMA and Monster.
The end of FMA is an insta-cry moment for me, just like "I wanna live" in OP.
Ed's proposal to Winrey is still my second favorite confession scene of all time. Ed's such a dork.
Ed's such a dork? Kevin, is that you? 🤣
If you don't mind me asking, what's the anime that is your 1st favorite? I'd like to give it a watch
One of the things I like about Arakawa's works is that she's not afraid to let her characters fail in critical moments. And I think because she does such a good job of making sure that everyone's taking significant bumps along the way, that when the ending comes around and things wrap up nice and neat, it feels earned.
I like to think that Hawkeye knew the gun was empty. She's a professional. Guns are what she does. Of course she knows to count her ammo.
Can we talk about Ed's proposal? Real talk: That only worked because they've known each other for such a long time, and Winry knew how to translate Ed-speak. If neither of those conditions were present... I dunno.
I don't think Hawkeye pulls the trigger I'm pretty sure she just pulls the hammer back.
This is one of my favourite endings from a philosophical perspective and it's clear of the authors love of philosophy. Because the entire goal was in the boys grasps the entire time. The entire time they had the solution to heal themselves. It was only on learning and letting their ego go that they could see the truth that was there all along.
Fun fact: the final episode of the anime were released at the same time/period as the final chapter of the manga
I was excited knowing you were reviewing FMA. I now have a reviewer to point to when telling my friends how great and underrated this story is
This half of fma has some of my favourite moments in anime/manga. Mustang’s confrontation with Envy is still seared into my mind
I love how "God" is represented as the moon and sun together and as Scar and Wrath fight, Wrath constantly questions his god. Then at the end when the eclipse ends and the sun blinds Wrath it's as if "God" is helping Scar to win the fight there for punishing Wrath for his sins.
not only was mustang, one of the military dogs in front of Scar, but he was threatening to kill Envy, the person who fired the first shot and started the war disguised as an Ishvalian
It someone hasn’t told you yet: after the anime was over the cast for the English voice actors recorded some extra lines and it’s absolutely hilarious
"Others sacrificing themselves for each other's dreams"
The ultimate equivalent exchange huh? I've pretty much grown up on this series, watched both anime,(It was one of my first actually), have read the manga and here you are reading first time opening my eyes to that message. Love ya Merph
I liked that original FMA had bittersweet ending. It suited the equivalent exchange theme, never thought anything would top that, but manga delivered it so much better. It was a complete victory and total satisfaction. Truly, this method of writing ending has been passed down the Arakawa family for generations!!
On another note, my heart broke for Mei when she had to help Al sacrifice himself
Now that you are done with a series, I highly recommend you watch Mushishi too
FMA brotherhood ending is wonderful, it is completely desirable and right, love the Ed and Winry family at the end.
But I would love to see Merphy watching the 2003 version too! That bittersweet ending, the homunculi origin, that scene where Ed almost fall for the philosophers stone... it's shocking
I always recommend One Piece to FMA fans and vice versa. The interconnected world, fantastic characters, and strong themes just hit in a very specific way that many pieces of fiction struggle to capture. So happy to hear you enjoyed the series as much as you did.
Finally, cant wait to see how you feel about it. I always reread and watch the end half of fullmetal. Love sewing your journey through this sad and epic tale
So excited to hear you're starting Vagabond. It's right up there with Vinland Saga, and hits on so many of the same themes, even similar story beats, but leaves a lot more to be open to interpretation.
Fullmetal Alchemist is without a doubt a top 10 manga/anime and a well written story from start to end!
Favorite moment will always be; Ed comforting Winry for not being able to shoot Scar. Such a beautiful and powerful scene.
On the subject of Mustang losing his eyesight, I’ve always thought that showed the Truth was fair. Equivalent Exchange is the law of alchemy(amount X of Thing A turns into amount X of Thing B), therefore Mustang had to make some form of payment to exchange for the knowledge he gained from the Portal. _However_, there are 2 noteworthy differences between Mustang’s exchange and the others we see. Mustang is the only person we see that is forced to open the Portal against their will, and he’s also the only one who doesn’t lose a physical part of himself. Ed lost his leg, Al lost his body, and Izumi lost her reproductive organs, but Mustang didn’t lose his eyes. I can’t imagine that detail was unintentional.
Also, completely unrelated, but I love that Ed’s appearance at the end has him with Hohenheim’s outfit and hairstyle.
I’m glad you liked it. Its still one of my favourite series even after many years and it does discuss some heavy topics, while still being light-hearted and fun for a younger audience. I adore all the characters and with Hiromu Arakawa as Mangaka, the female characters are especially well-written and fleshed out. One of my favourite badass moments is Izumi in chapter 95: “When someone asks “who” I am, I always say “a housewife”, that’s the polite response. But just for today I feel like showing off a little. I’m an alchemist!”
You didn't talk about it but the moment where greed dies and he says "they gave me everything I could ask for" had me ugly crying
Lust saying she couldn't wait to see despair or agony in Mustangs eyes, oh boy if that isn't foreshadowing.
One thing to read that I’m not sure if you will or not is the house in Fata Morgana it’s a visual novel. It hardly feels like anime and manga though and feels more akin to a Shakespeare gothic mystery story with anime elements. The story is phenomenal and the characters were insanely in-depth made me cry more times than any piece of media. The setting and the themes of the world are everything you could ask for and the music accompanying it just brings it all together only recently finished it but it’s one of my favourite pieces of media ever hope one day you read the masterpiece.
I read FMA back in 2010 when it was ending and watched Brotherhood back around maybe 2015. Reviving this story through your eyes has been an amazing experience, definitely one of my favorite stories that I've read. I almost teared up with you telling us the climax.
It might be time for a reread...
The Winry gun scene still makes me tense up. It's so, so powerful and thinking about the ~writing~ it took to 1) make the scene and 2) have it makes sense with the world, plot, and characters is extremely impressive. The plotting of the whole series is so good, but I feel it's often over shadowed by discussions of the character writing (which is also top tier).
Fullmetal Alchemist is definitely one of the best anime/manga of all time. It currently is the most highly rated anime of all time which is amazing.
It would be awesome to see you review your 3 favorite duos/partnerships in the Fullmetal series. I wonder what moments hit you hardest or made you instantly connect you to them
Fullmetal alchemist will always be my favorite series, its a masterpiece ♡ thank you so much for reviewing and analysing this! If you didnt come across it yet I recommend listening to Brothers song by Vic (Eds english voice actor), it's absolutely beautiful! Its an emotional song with Ed singing about his guilt towards Al for trying to bring their mom back to life, and Al singing about why he doesnt have to feel guilty because they are both to blame. Btw there are also funny bloopers from the english voice actors :)
One of the best endings to a manga/anime ever. I wish I could go back and relive the reveal at the end again.
I love how the beginning of Pride's fall is when he insults the *pride* of one of the few people capable of straight up overpowering him. To top it off, that person had been holding off on directly intervening against Pride up until that point.
Probably my favorite manga. Few stories I know of wrap things up so completely and satisfyingly. The only other one that comes to mind, though different, is Hero of Ages.
one of my favorites moments in fullmetal is when the truth says "Youre right! thats the correct answer! Go Ahead, take it all!" Like hes genuinely happy that Ed realizes even then alchemy is something incredible, its not everything.
Man, it’s been so much fun following your journey through this series. I love it so much.
Its close to if not a perfect story and has basically become a must watch/read for any anime/manga fan.
One of my favourite thing about FMA is the fate of the Humunculi, directly opposite of what they "stood for" in life (similar the the "Law of retaliation" used by Dante Alighieri)
Lust: killed not by someone enraged or overtaken by another emotion, but by someone cold and calculated (at least at that moment)
Gluttony: eaten, like all of his victims
Envy: killed himself because he couldn't bear knowing HE was most envious of humans and their bond.
Sloth: fought until he used up every bit of his philosopher's stone
Greed: sacrificed himself for pure altruism in order to save a friend (and lied for the only time in is life to do so)
Wrath: died peacefully once he realize he could no longer fight, without remorse or regrets
Pride: "killed" because he threw away his pride in order to save his own skin, and then was shown pity.
I haven't read any manga yet, but I, too, was quite surprised by just how good FMA really was. I think it's as good as ATLA, and Tim can fight me.
Following your reviews nearly as soon as they come out and as you made your way through the series and listening to your articulate all the reasons I hold it so high on my list has been an amazing trip. There's a million things I could say regarding every little detail, but I specifically want to mention it's nice sharing the same experiences and vicariously progressing through the journey one more time. Double points for that experience being shared with someone who really appreciates arakawa's writing being done with intent and experience being tied into the story
Now you know why Hohenheim's face was covered in the photo! I love FMA so much 😤
The Fullmetal Alchemist manga is both one of my favourites and the manga that got me into manga. There are few stories I can point to with better intentionality in their writing and plot. The way the author crafts this fantastic, living world filled to brimming with dynamic characters, and weaves the plot where every little thing all comes together in the end just blows me away! This is always at the top of my list of recommendations and is a joy to reread.
Thank you for sharing your reactions they have been an absolute pleasure and I hope you have a great rest of your day :)
One detail I like that was pointed out to me when I first read is that, since he's the only one that didn't open the portal of his own volition, Mustang is the only one who doesn't get verbally scolded for his hubris by the truth. Sure, it still takes it's toll because of equivalent exchange, but since it wasn't a mistake Mustang himself was making, it didn't see the need to try and teach him anything.
I remember your first reviews, and you weren't feeling any time away from ed and al haha. Taking a break seems was such a good thing for you. I'm glad you were able to come back and enjoy one of my favorite series so much.
I hope some day you'll also check out Nana and Spice and wolf which don't tend to get as much attention as the more action / fantasy series you're going through atm.
I can't pick one favorite scene, there are too many. The one that _gets me_ every time though, is when Pinako finds Hohenheim at Trisha's grave in the anime. There's a tiny little thing that the anime adds to it that makes it hit just that extra bit harder. Won't say what exactly it is as you haven't watched that far yet, but like... it shouldn't be hard to figure out.
Yeeessssss.
I guess we're all mentioning our favorite bits?
It's Ed's EQUIVILENT EXCHANGE O.O/ proposal to Winry, and her reaction for me. After everything they've been through, those two nerds being those two nerds together, it's one of my favorite resolutions In.... fiction.
My #1 in One Piece, my #4 in Fullmetal Alchemist, and my #7 in HxH. Feels like you're going through my favourites list and reviewing them.
Hope to see more in the times to come.
I'm curious about your missing numbers
@@abhikmoj5853
#1- One Piece
#2- Tower of God
#3- The Breaker/New Waves/Eternal Force
#4- FMA
#5- World Trigger
#6- Ares
#7- HxH
#8- Beastars
#9- Beelzebub
#10- Toss up between JoJo's, Undead/Unluck, Dorohedoro, and Shaman King
How 'bout your list?
@@MrSamurijackbauer
I'm adding world trigger and ares to my 'to watch' list immediately, thanks !
Mine doesn't have a rigid ranking -
#1 FMA
#2 Shingeki No kyojin
#3-#7 Code Geass
HxH
One piece
Jujutsu Kaisen
Mushoku tensei
#8-#13 Stein's gate
Magi
Tower of God
Hellsing ultimate
Fumetsu no anata e
Yuri on ice
The ending of Fullmetal Alchemist is so absolutely my favorite in Manga (with only Pluto's and Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer's coming close) and part of my fascination with it is simply because of the rule we got from the very first chapter: Equivalent exchange. We see through the series that most alchemists from Ed at the start of the series to Father tend to see the world as a problem to be solved, the Elric brothers set off to find a specific answer to their dilemma and very early they stumble into the wrong one: take things from another to make them your own, use their energy and get what you want because for someone to win something the same value needs to be lost by someone else. Indirectly the goal of the Elric's becomes to break the law of Equivalent exchange, they want to bring back something without losing something as valuable. That happens to be the goal of Father too, he wants to get everything within itself to control all without being limited by the rules. Ultimately Ed's solution, giving his alchemy so Alphons could return, was an example on how to defeating the law : you pass something into the next person and they give it forward and as time progresses everyone gets to have more. For me this gives the whole finale a beautiful poetic structure to put the ribbon on the amazing character moments.
I love hearing how passionate you are about all the characters. I bet a character tier list vid, talking about your favorite moments for each character, would be really interesting to see! 😄
I'm so glad you enjoyed the series. It's one of my favorite series.
And I'm so excited for whatever you read next and idk why but I kept hearing Yoda of the dawn and I was super confused
god, I got so emotional listening again, this story just really hits everything I can think of right.
I love that the law of equivalent exchange, the magic system, is also the main theme of the show. Everything is about sacrifice
It's been so much fun watching you experience FMA. I read it probably over a decade ago now and while a lot of details have faded from my mind, it has stuck so heavily with me. It's been wonderful to revisit the series through you, in a way, and you've made me want to go back and reread it, so thank you! And I'm so happy you've enjoyed it so much!
I agree 💯 FMA is all about the community and unity. Everyone has a part in the greater scheme.
I always think that Fullmetal Alchemist is actually Hohenheim's story, with Ed and Al as the main protagonists.
It's not the action packed romp like FMA, but you should definitely check out the Author's other work "Silver Spoon." Super cozy and fun story.
I am looking forward to starting FMA soon!! December has been a great month for me because I am finally able to get to all the books I have been wanting to get to for the past few months!
Hi, I absolutely loved watching your journey through FMA. The author, Hiromu Arakawa, wrote another manga series called Silver Spoon. I am currently on volume 7 of 15, (volume 15 is the last manga) It’s really good and recommend picking it up. There is an anime adaptation as well however I have not watched it yet.
It’s always a delight watching you review series, Merphy! You should do a character tier list next 👀
I know there isn’t a manga for it but I hope you get to watch the first anime.
It still had the influence of the author backing it as its own stand alone story, so it’s a really interesting comparison and almost a completely different genre take on the manga/brotherhood story. It’s very character-study focused, specifically with Ed and Al’s character journeys and challenging Ed’s philosophies in an unapologetically adult world, instead of focusing on a more grand plot with a big cast like its more action/shounen counterpart with Brotherhood. It’s also more subtle with its foreshadowing and storytelling and tends to be quieter. But I honestly love it just as much and it had a lot of strengths in some story beats that I feel Brotherhood lacked in. Almost like an equivalent exchange of strengths and weaknesses…you could say lol.
I liked the series a lot when I read it a couple years ago but I really loved the last part. As you said, every plot and character comes together perfectly in that final fight, it's a very satisfying payoff for the whole story, and I don't think I've seen or read many other stories that felt so well rounded and satisfying.
Thank you doing this series 😭
So glad you enjoyed the series!! It's one of those that gets better each reread/watch. (Like ATLA)
I've watched Yona of the Dawn and have been meaning to pick up the manga and just haven't yet. It's on my Christmas list! I really enjoyed the anime and can't wait to see where the series goes!
Guess I gotta start now so I can enjoy it alongside you! 😁😁
Unrelated but im still shocked how good the shambala movie was considering it wasn't brotherhood
This series has one of my favorite endings ever. It's happy but it's so well earned that it doesn't feel cheap in the slightest. There was loss along the way but things were made right in the end. Couldn't have written it better.
Phenomenal reviews as always. FMA is truly a masterpiece. It is so well rounded and I’m glad you enjoyed it
One of my favorite things about the series (and I have A LOT of things I love about it) is how poetic all the homunculi deaths are:
Lust dies admiring a man (Mustang) and not seeing him as a pawn in her game (also, Mustang tends to play as a womanizer for the public eye, so...).
Greed dies satisfied with what he has, the friendships he made.
Gluttony is eaten alive.
Envy comes to terms with the fact that they're jelous of humans and commit suicide.
Sloth actually overworks himself to the point of exhausting the souls in his body.
Wrath dies peacefully, with a smile on his face and actually at peace with the life he had.
Pride is transformed into a "lesser form", much like the humans he hated so much.
Btw, if I can recommend a manga for you to read, I would say Claymore. Not many remember it... which is a shame, because it has incredible character designs and story. (Also, 90% of the characters are women with giant swords, so...)
Perfect timing! I just rewatched your last FMA review last night while I was going to bed. Love your videos!
I cried listening to you, I love the series! Still remember finishing in the middle of the night, because with the last chapters I just couldn't stop. I absolutely loved how everyone comes together and even with characters that never met before - it just clicks and feels natural
There's just not enough I could say about this series. One of my favorite moments are definitely Mustang Envy Hawkeye Scar Ed scene. Everything that happened, seeing that darkness in Mustang and oain of the others watching him spiral. It built so well to that point. And the way the story makes you loathe Envy that you want him dead, but when Mustang's going after him, you can feel that dark rage is too far, that he's losing himself. I get chills every time! And another point I love is Greeling. Greed's growth and change is so great! I specifically love when Ling calls him out, saying that all he really wanted was friends. Then the homunculous who claimed he wanted everything realized that he had it and in the end sacrificed himself for it ❤️ What I love is this story's focus on the importance of family and friends, people and community. I love the culmination of it all when you see the contrast of Father facing Truth and Ed facing Truth. Father desired family but put power and knowledge above that and ultimately never grew or learned anything. While Ed understood everything. He knew what mattered. Fullmetal Alchemist has become one of my favorite stories of all time!!
I’m so glad that you did this series and enjoyed it so much, it was my introduction to manga/anime and is still one of my favourites to this day
How amazing was it! The world wide transmutation circle! AND THEN THE COUNTER CIRCLE! I was like 🤯🤯🤯
Kimblee is my favourite character in Fullmetal Alchemist.
Often underrated, I find him extremely complex for a side villain: he's an amoral sociopath with a moral code. He's aware of that and he accepts his own nature, developing a fascinating personal philosophy of sort, where if he survives then his lifestyle "won" over everyone else's. He's a ruthless murderer, but he rationalizes it as the job of a soldier and insists of remembering each person he kills; he's a vicious killer that betrayed his superiors, yet he never actually lies to any character and stays true to his ideal until the end. He genuinely respected Winry's parents regardless of what orders he may had at the time.
When Al confronted him and mentioned that him and Ed wanted to achieve a different result in which they save everyone and don't sacrifice their bodies, Kimblee actually engaged in the conversation and asked what they would do about equivalent exchange and if they considered the alternative scenario of losing everything.
And in the end, the only reason he stopped Pride was because of the Homunculus' hypocrisy and lack of strong principles. That was the natural and perfect conclusion for Kimblee's story, where he accepted and respected that Ed wouldn't have killed Pride.
All in all, a fantastic character, often overlooked in a series full of amazing characters all around
Now that you've come out the other end of FMA, you really should read Silver Spoon, which was Arakawa's second manga. It is SO good and so entirely different, it is much more of a slice of life and fish-out-of-water taking place on an agricultural high school.
We get to follow an inner city protagonist as he, and we with him, learn the ways of the japanese farm side, and the challenges and generational trauma that burdens those lands.
It's one of my favourite manga of all time and that's coming from someone who has read a lot of it. Do yourself a favour and check it out!
I love to hear you are still watching it. i watched the end recently like mustang vs envi to the end. and the music and voice acting just bring all of it to such a emotional level. when Al begins to ask mei to make a path to help Ed. the voice acting just really. amped that whole scene for me. I hope it doesnt make you cry like it does to me even knowing what happens and he'll be fine. I still get choked up cause you can feel the desperation in there character and circumstance and they just wanna end it to save everyone. its so good
Yona of the Dawn let's go!!!!!!!!!! can't wait for the next HXH update video either. so much happened recently
I can't tell you how much it means to us the community that you game FMA a second try. Thank you Merphy love All your vids.
I felt like the zombie things were more for the side characters to deal with to keep them busy. We needed a reason why the entire military wasn't butting in on the major fights. I definitely dont think we needed the scenes of the main characters brawling with them though.
Please watch the 2003 version of FMA right after! Its a drastically different tone, and ending from brotherhood and the manga. Several characters are completely different too!
Love this series so much, so glad to see it covered here. It might not have been one of "the big 3" but there was a reason it got 2 anime adaptations, it is a very good series.
oh no, not the live action. At least the original anime tries it's own thing, the live action adaption just...is. and is bad. Good luck!
and Yona! Haven't caught up with that in a while, maybe this'll give me the push I need to pick it back up, looking forward to it!
I think one of the reasons Arakawa went with the immortal doll army is so the protagonists can fight bad guys without feeling bad for killing them. As powerful as the humonculi are, they did need some sort of army to fill out their ranks, and while some characters would be okay with killing human adversaries, Ed and Al wouldn’t
The later episode where Mustang and Riza are hunting envy...man that episode is by far my favourite to watch and that's saying something because Brotherhood has so many good moments.
Just one quick correction. Father wasn't using Al's body after his transformation. It's a body he produced and is supposed to look similar to young Hohenheim
What an amazing story FMA is, I've been a fan of it since I was a kid, and I read it monthly toward the end.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it as much as many others!
Every reaction to FMA ends in tears.
Great reaction, Merphy!
Glad to hear you will be reading Vagabond!
Hoping it makes a trend of you reading a series and it coming out of an indefinite hiatus.
I watched the anime but haven't read the manga. It was such a good story! You've made me want to read the manga.
It's been so long since I've consumed FMA
Great recap as well as reminding all the great character notes that Scar has
When you finish the show, you should definitely watch the Dub outtakes. They're hilarious