Hey there, folks! Thanks for watching :) I hope you enjoy it. I just wanted to leave a note here for anyone who's unaware of what I've been doing on this channel: For a long time, I've been doing an analysis and comparison of Fullmetal Alchemist 2003, the manga, and Brotherhood. At the end of the last part of this series (part 6), I decided it would be best to do character analyses and other formats from here on out. These videos, of course, can be viewed on their own, but they are also part of that larger analysis. That being said, there will be many more FMA character analysis videos in the future, so if you enjoyed this one I encourage you to subscribe to the channel and hit the bell icon. Anyway, I have the link to the first part of my FMA series in the description, but I thought I should also leave it here in case anyone wants to go back to the start: th-cam.com/video/MdRIh0Em58A/w-d-xo.html Also, all the music I used is in the description, so if you find yourself wondering what the names of any of the pieces are, you can find them there ^_^ Again, thank you so much for watching, and I hope you have an awesome day :)
I was really looking foward to see what you'd do with the shows being so different from each other from the "izumi arc" to the end, this seems to be a interesting alternative to cover both stories at the same time
*gets shot by Envy* Hughes: Yeah, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I got into this mess. Well, before I tell you that, there’s someone important I need to talk to you about. MY WONDERFUL DAUGHTER ELICIA!! ISN’T SHE JUST THE MOST PRECIOUS LITTLE GIRL YOU’VE EVER SEEN?!
I love Mustang's line about the rain at the funeral. It has two meanings, one is the stoic facade to try hide the fact he is crying. But more importantly, mangahood establishes that his powers dont work in the rain, and the line about the rain is Mustang admitting to himself he was powerless to stop his best friend's death.
I also love that in 2003, Hawkeye instantly knows what he's talking about, without even a momentary pause, as if she knew Mustang so well that she knew how he thought.
It's the world's equivalent exchange, FMA has so many mediocre to awful dads that Hughes was created as a counter balance. Mr Hawkeye Hohenheim Father The xing emperor Shao Tucker The soldier that boned rose The cat that walked out on Chico Ect...
Gracia and Maes Hughes became the parents Edward and Alphonse lost. Maes Hughes is loving,loyal,frindly, hard working and devoted to those who knew him and his death hurt everyone.
Part 1: Father Cornello gets beat up by Ed Part 2: Shou Tucker is a bad dad and gets beat up by Ed Part 3: Hughes is a good dad!... but dies :( Ed doesn't want to beat him up because he is the best dad. Part 4: Ling comes to Amestris because he has a bad dad. The emperor of Xing is too far away for Ed to beat up. Part 5: Ed's Bad Dad(tm) comes back and Ed beats him up. Part 7: Scar is now Mei's adoptive dad. Ed wants to beat up Scar. Part 8: Oh shit the Führer (who is also a dad) is evil! He's too fast and powerful to beat up :( Part 9: the evil Führer-dad works for his even more evil dad who we all refer to as "Father". Still too powerful for Ed to beat up. Part 10: Hawkeye's dad sucks. Ed wasn't around at the time if he was he would totally beat him up. Part 11: Ed beats up Father (who also looks like his dad). Part 12: Ed becomes a dad. Fullmetal Alchemist; Fatherhood (Copying this from another comment I wrote)
Fatherhood is one of the main themes in the anime. ALL the fathers who died, died because they didn't put their family first, even Hughes that could whent to home and talk with Mustang later. Ed is awarded Al 's body because he puts his family above everything, even himself and what he believe is right.
If you put a child in a bubble, protecting them from everything, they will never grow. If the Alric Brothers never grow, they would be too shocked and mentally broken when things get bad. But dealing with pain, being told the truth, they grow, they learn, they prepare. They encounter those dangers, and don't snap, being calm, protected, and able to react in the best way. If Mustang got his way, 'Protecting' the brothers. Then when they encountered Scar, or the Humonculi, they wouldn't have been prepared and would have lost their lives.
I've learned it's a balancing act. Never give the child truly more than they can handle, but be confident in their abilities and let them spread their wings.
@@rhondahoward8025 Indeed, but even if you give them too much, so much that they hate you, at the end of the day they can take care of themselves. There is a reason why Batman, Flash, Iron Man, Punisher, Sasuke/Naruto, Pain, Bleach characters, and so many other 'Badass/Strong Characters' all have Tragic and dark Backstories, fucked in horrible ways. Cause while they are 'sometimes' fucked by it, they DO go on, they DO grow and get stronger cause of it. It's bad at that point, but anything else bad or even worse that happens AFTER that, they can take and be fine. There is a point when it is too much, and they shut down, but it's such a high room, it's practically 'Entire Family Died in their Arms', or 'Caused Family Member to Die'. Tragity, and not something you just 'tell' them or let them 'experience' on their own.
@@Jirodyne No, I don't mean tragedy. I mean abusive shit, like tiger parenting, and this time we're talking about real life. You CAN'T push a child too hard or they will have a mental breakdown. They can even commit suicide. Don't be THAT kind of parent. And actually, you're wrong. The child will NOT be able "take care of themselves" at the end of the day if you SCAR them. That's why abuse victims end up so helpless and dependent.
Tragedy works for batman, but not the fucking flash! The Flash has never been the same since Geoff decided to give him a tragic back story, because in his mind, all superheroes should have tragic backstrories. Choosing to be a,hero because it is the right thing to do is an alien concept at DC. Tragedy works for characters like the Elric brothers and their story arc was very powerful.
I will never get over Elicia’s line in the 2003 funeral scene. “Why are they burying daddy mommy? Daddy said that if they bury him he can’t finish all the work he has to do! Please! Mommy don’t let them bury daddy!” That scene literally scared me.
Hughes in FMA: acts like a father figure to Ed and is lenient towards many of Ed's actions and decisions and takes on other people's pain as if it were his own Hughes in FMAB: Dies early, but is able to still hold an importance in the series(the ishvalan war of extermination and conversations with mustang) and embodies mustang's positive reciprocity well.
Oh another ironic thing the last thing Maes Hughes sees is his wife shooting him. Envy uses his Hughes's love for his family against and that gets him killed.
Damn, that's ironic indeed. Just makes me feel bad for him even more. He truly did love his family, and those around him like they was in his family, for him to see a twisted version of his wife as the last thing before he dies, man that's just fucked up.
Well, he knew it wasn't his wife, but he couldn't bring himself to kill a lookalike of her, so Idon'tthink his last thoughts were of his wife killing him. It is poetic, though that one of the people he loves most is the last thing he saw.
Just a little note: Fullmetal Alchemist was a manga published in a monthly magazine and each chapter had around 40 pages total. One may think that 15 chapters is "too early" in comparison to the others, but in actuality you've read around 560 pages or more to get there. Not that early if you ask me tbh.
@@Vitz_atelier okay, so because I apparently have nothing to do with my time, I tried to count all the pages Hughes is in up until his death (not counting extras, just the main story). It was hard at times because sometimes the head is covered by a speech balloon even though context-wise it's gotta be him standing there... but anyway, by my count Hughes appears on about 70 pages (so way less than 400) between Chapters 6 and 15. I'm not really trying to make an argument here, I just thought it'd be interesting to know
Hughes was also shown to be much more involved in Ishval in the manga making his character's morals more questionable and dark. Despite having less "screen time" (page time?) I still think the manga version of him is my favourite because it doesn't censor his war crimes.
@@maikamaikamaikamaika Yeah, the extra detail it gives on him during the wartime adds a lot of context as far as his own motivations and guilt are concerned. It's the main reason why I like his portrayal in the manga quite a bit more than in Brotherhood.
In 2003 i find it really interesting that Envy was disguised as Ross, you know the *mother* figure for Elrics, before he killed Hughes who was the *father* figure It was probably not intentional but i find it really weird and interesting
Oof, pretty old comment but I thought I'd add something, not only is Envy disguised as a "mother figure" but just before he confronted Hughes he noticed that a photo of Gracia and Elicia fell out of Maes' pocket, a photo of a happy family which was something 03 Envy had completely lost, 03 Envy definitely felt pleasure in killing Hughes wearing the face of his wife and mother of his daughters
@@darlenebuck7825 Manga Envy is without a doubt genderless due to being an artifical humanoid but 03 Envy is distinctly male due to being created from the remains of Hohenheim's son (though in French dub, Envy describes his body as that of a 'Goddess')
Excellent video. What I loved about Mae Hughes across FMA was that outside of being a good father, he very much was the heart of Roy's group. Don't get me wrong; everyone in Roy's unit was great. Especially in 2003 with their filler bits. But Hughes was a perfect example of humanizing a solider. Hughes I always got the sense that he valued children not just they were the next generation, but rather because they were pure. That is many of them rarely have any understanding/ knowledge of war, violence etc. It is why when he took a liking to the Elrich brothers it was very evident he wanted to alleviate their suffering. That he recognized that they had gone through a lot but at the end of the day, they were children. They never should have gone through what they've gone through. And thus his "antics" while funny were very much his way of expressing his affection. And why in my view, Hughes death is so impactful. The Elric's took him for granted and when he disappeared, it was like they lost another parental figure. Much like how they lost there mother, father.
Part 1: Father Cornello gets beat up by Ed Part 2: Shou Tucker is a bad dad and gets beat up by Ed Part 3: Hughes is a good dad!... but dies :( Ed doesn't want to beat him up because he is the best dad. Part 4: Ling comes to Amestris because he has a bad dad. The emperor of Xing is too far away for Ed to beat up. Part 5: Ed's Bad Dad(tm) comes back and Ed beats him up. Part 7: Scar is now Mei's adoptive dad. Ed wants to beat up Scar. Part 8: Oh shit the Führer (who is also a dad) is evil! He's too fast and powerful to beat up :( Part 9: the evil Führer-dad works for his even more evil dad who we all refer to as "Father". Still too powerful for Ed to beat up. Part 10: Hawkeye's dad sucks. Ed wasn't around at the time if he was he would totally beat him up. Part 11: Ed beats up Father (who also looks like his dad). Part 12: Ed becomes a dad. Fullmetal Alchemist; Fatherhood
The girl that did the voice acting for Hughes daughter in the 2003 version should get some kind of award for the funeral scene. Seriously she captured the emotion, the sadness, the confusion, the pure heartbreak of a young child losing there father so perfectly. You have to be emotionless for that scene not to choke you up at all. And that to me is the biggest difference between 2003 and Brotherhood, 2003 made me feel and care, had emotion and depth where as Brotherhood to me was just gut of the deep emotion and replaced much of it with what amounted to fart jokes. At least that is how it felt to me.
Now I'm depressed Hughes (2003) was one of the only character deaths I actually felt bad because of I just love this guy and want to see all the pictures he can share : )
I finally watched 2003 FMA and it made me understand how important Hughes is. Its not just that we see him supporting the brothers more, it’s that we get to see how close he and Mustang really are and how deep into Roy’s plan Maes is. The flashback to Roy nearly killing himself until Maes convinces him that his dream is still achievable was a bit on the nose but much appreciated because it gives Hughes more of a stake in Roy’s plans beyond just making the world better; he wants ROY to make the world better and recognizes that Roy has the drive and talent to become furhur but he also needs inside help so Hughes digs in to the power structure every bit as far as Roy does. The first time we see him in 2003 he’s on a train but on the phone with Roy flipping out about his wife giving birth at any second. Roy indulges Hughes’s absurd calls both because theyre a front for passing information and because he legitimately cares about Hughes’s family (just not as much as Hughes 🙄.) In Mangahood this dynamic is only given a few scenes so Hughes just fades into the background of people who want to help Roy and the disturbingly lovable and zany yet serious character we get in 2003 is almost completely absent. He’s missed more because he was kind to Winry when she needed it and he talked to Roy a few times about his plan to become furhur. Get in the arobot has a great video about why each anime is complete when viewed without the other for reference which I think thoroighly explains it. Brotherhood is more Ed’s journey while 2003 includes a lot more Hughes, Roy being a sardonic jerk and tormenting the boys to toughen them up, Maria having more of a purpose, and Al being his own person instead of Ed’s sidekick. Oh and Leore being an absolute hell on earth-Rose becomes so integral and tragic that its horrifying.
I've seen the funeral exactly one time, just one, and even without the audio, his daughter's cries still make my throat tighten up, and I'm a 49 year old man, pathetic huh?
I wish you bit more of detail on what lead physically to his death in all 3 versions and showed the dual symbolisms they use in the 3 versions but I guess it's a mute point now, great video.
Maes Hughes is most certainly the most beloved character in all the stories because of who he is and what he stands for, which makes his death so heartbreaking. I love all versions. I'm happy to see more of him in the 2003 anime, but I also love him in Brotherhood, even if his role is short. His death scene in Brotherhood I found more heart wrenching as we watch him die in the phone booth because of his final words. "Gracia... I'm so sorry. Elicia... Remember daddy loves you... I'm sorry." Honestly that hits more for me. Also in the episode "Footsteps of a Comrade-in-Arms" is was truly sad when Ed, Al, and Winry discover Hughes' death. They found out together and that to me makes all the more saddening. I cried. I cried when I saw the look on Winry's face when she told Ed that she had hoped Hughes would've liked to try her apple pie someday... and he can't.
When I first watched FMA I started with 03 FMA. And I started watching it because I was drawn to Hughes character design because I really like it. As I watched 03 he really grew on me and I want to be a person like Hughes. The kind of person who’s always there for their friends, the kind of person who loves helping people. I was so distraught with his death and watching it and reading it in mangahood was so gut wrenching for me because he was gone so much sooner. Hughes is my favorite character in any anime ever.
Hughes is the kind of father I aspire to be once I have kids of my own. His character resonated with me so much that it pained me so much (and still does every time I watch the series) when he died. I was literally Armstrong during his funeral, especially when his little daughter starts freaking out when they start the burial. Literally one of the few characters in any anime that had such a profound effect on me. (edit: Also, how fitting that I stumble upon this video on Father's day of all days.)
Hughes is the sort of father that I would love to be when I grow up. I always loved being around kids and hughes is the example of the perfect sort of father. He's so kind and caring, but at the same time allows ed and al to go out and do their own thing even if its dangerous because he knows that not only can they handle themselves, but he's their to support them if they need help.
Maes Hughes death was one of the saddest one of the saddest in anime for me.. Saddest in Fullmetal Alchemist, along with Edward and Alphonse mother and when Envy turned into the small green thing and cried :(
Finding the actual music that plays after Hughes death is so hard, I did manage to find a cover of it though, nothing official. Fullmetal Alchemist - Brothers (Piano) 2 by Anzliii, very beautiful. I'm a little late but I didn't discover this channel until recently. I thought I'd share. Great work btw! Thank you for this.
I was going through a lot today. I saw this in my recommended and decided this might be interesting. This cheered my up so much. Great analysis! Thank you so much
You should continue this series! I’m currently rewatching it all with my fiancé and it’s still awesome! I agree that 03 has a lot more heart than bhood, though bhood goes a lot deeper into the lore and the larger scale of things
When I watched Brotherhood, I remember being so glad I had watched the '03 version first. I mean, the story felt better sure, in the way that the middle didn't get tangled up like the original anime, but it felt like it was made with the expectation that viewers had seen the other beforehand. It didn't flesh out the characters and their dynamics and such, so I wondered, "How could anyone new be sad about these deaths?" Like, Nina in Brotherhood was there for like one episode and it was the same episode she died in. Hughes had only ten episodes and he was only truly there for half of them, and immediately after, it was back to business. It didn't have the heartbreaking exchange between the brothers and Winry about Hughes, not knowing he was dead, and Edward seeing his spirit or something waving at the trio. It didn't have the flashbacks beforehand and the interactions to show the dynamic between Hughes and Mustang, opting instead to tell us after he died when there was no way to properly explore it. Not to mention Edward and the fact he still was a kid when Nina died and all. Him seeing the damage done and reacting felt raw, too. Even considered the taboo despite his experience due to his panic until Mustang all but lectured him on letting things go. The whole '03 series was just full of raw scenes and- I don't know. Brotherhood just felt a bit off. I know it had the better ending and stabler storytelling, but man, did it do its characters dirty by leaving out the big character stuff.
One thing that's imo super important is how right before the promise day coup when everything is gonna go down, where is Mustang but at Hughes' grave. It's a reminder of what he's ultimately doing all this for. He's doing it for the ideals his friend embodied and for the friend who gave his life for everyone else
Hughes was so damn disappointing in Brotherhood and that is unforgivable to me... All we see of him is the nice fatherly side of him until 3 minutes before his death. That is NOT doing Hughes justice. The reason why I love Maes Hughes so much is not just because he is a loving person, but because he is a badass, smart and genuinely good soldier, who also happens to also have the kindest heart in the world. This is all clear from his first episode in 03 ALONE, Hughes does more in that episode then in all of Brotherhood. Plus we see him actually do his job! While watching his part in Brotherhood all I could think was how the hell did he get to where he is now? Plus his death in Brotherhood was cheesy AF, talking "dramatically" before he died. The Aftermath for his death in Brotherhood was better but that is it. I asked a friend who only saw Brotherhood at the time and told him Hughes was my favourite character and he just looked puzzled. I knew EXACTLY why. The fact that 03 created such a bond with this character and the Mangahood bond is so underwhelming in comparison, and that that is the vesion most people see first, missing out on the true bond we feel with Hughes is such a shame. Doesn't help for me personally that I also hate the way Mangahood treats my other two favourite characters in the series...Izumi and Scar. Can't wait to see you cover those.
@@thekingdomofvincenzo2222 I mean his sacrifice on Lior killing Kimblee, the man who killed his brother and his sacrifice of saving Al with his Philosopher stone, because at the end he saw him self in the brothers, trying to protect each other, and at the end he didn't wanted that to happened to another person, his time had past, but Al could still save his brother, and it's beautiful, I also love his Ishvalan camp arc, helping the kids who had lost their mother and actually seeing why the Ishvalans admired him was great, and we can't forget about his relationship with lust, his brother's sin, his highest mistake and everything he had that scar didn't
Ah, my heart!=( Maes Hughes is a great character and I'm pretty sure the first character I cried hard, genuine tears for when he died! Elicia made it worse, I was a 12 yr old kid, I didn't sign up for this sadness! Fullmetal Alchemist has some many great moments, characters and development, its just too good! Thanks for the vid, man! Really well done!
Pardon me, but you did not cover literally the only thing I wanted out of this video. Maes best-loved character, huzzah. I've read the manga, it took me three complete reads over the course of 2 years to work through the five stages of grief with him. He's the only character to ever do that to me. *I get it.* All aboard the feels train. BUT, you didn't discuss the difference! What is the point to having this as part of a comparison series if you don't compare? So I'll ask the question: How does Hughes *not* being involved in the Ishvalan war of extermination in '03 change the nuances of his character? I have opinions, but I'm biased and know it. I come here for expansion of understanding. I was disappointed not to get any this time, even in the form of a brief mention.
I think that seeing the destruction and pain really adds to his (and by extension Mustang's) ideals of positive reciprocity. Of making a better world. It's easier for someone who's never experienced severe hardship to be optimistic and open like Hughes. Maybe that's just me, though.
I don't often get sentimental over fictional characters, but I was genuinely heartbroken when hughes died. He was easily the best character in the story IMO.
Part of the bond between the Elric brothers and Hughes comes from the fact that their own father left them when they were really young, so Hughes sort of became the closest thing to a father that the brothers had.
The very first episode of FMA Brotherhood was the episode right before Hughes death, and even then I fell in love with him imediately. So even though I knew nothing about him that much, I was still saddened when he died
Rest in Peace, dad. I continue to find parallels to your life no matter where I go. Thank you for dying doing the right thing and giving something to live on for. Thank you to the channel creator for this series.
hey, I really like your video. It explorers the themes of Hughes death masterfully and your video deserves more attention. The only problem with your video was that, once said you wifu instead of wife and this really throws the listener into confusion. Other than that one minor mistake it is a great video and love your videos.
Great video, as always. If you plan on doing another anime after FMA, I think you should talk about Steins;Gate 0 and Okabe Rintaros special character. From his insane and delusional persona to the ptsd broken one, trying to cope with his trauma by acting "normal". It would make for a great video
He's one of my favourite characters and I've wanted to do a character analysis for him since I started the channel! The only thing holding me back is that I want to play the visual novels first. But once I play those, I'm almost 100% sure I'll end up making a video on him (and possibly some of the other characters in Steins;Gate, too).
I always believed people just over-reacted to Nina's death. I did't feel sad at all as I never bonded with her in any medium, be it manga or any of the anime. Hughes death made me shed a tear as he was one of the smartest character (being the first to uncover the truth) and one of the best. His death had more of a impact n me than Nina's.
My first couple times watching FMA/FMAB, I didn't give him enough credit, just writing him off as a comic relief character. FMAB truly is just an absolute work of art.
I'm very glad I found this series. I love the 2003 anime, and not just because of nostalgia glasses. Thanks for being honest about both their ups and downs even with the divergence halfway through. I would love to see a comparison and your thoughts on the homunculi, Hohenheim, Father, and Dante in 2003 vs Mangahood, although I understand if you'd rather wait seeing as they're tied to the endings. Can't wait to see more in this series.
1:02- And even if Hohenheim points out that by having them call him Father- the aforementioned character does on some level want family, his goal-centric and vanity overshadows that potential love anyway.
it's literally been 10 year since I watched FMA for the first time and hearing the words "Maws Hughes, the good friend and father of Fullmetal Alchemist" makes my heart ache
Just finished binging this series. I love your analysis! I never read the manga but loved both the 2003 series and brotherhood. This made me reminisce so fondly over a series I adore and helped shape my love of anime 😁 keep up the great work! I look forward to the next installment.
This part struck me so hard that even after more than 10 years of watching it I still can't believe. Nina hit harder, but this one hit deeper. Hughes was such an simple character, yet a masterful fighter and mastermind in his own way, what we could call a "badass normal". He was an example of a character and death that caused a powerful wave thru several other characters in show, the Elric Brothers, Winry, Maria Ross and mainly for Mustang, to name a few. The movie Conqueror of Shamballa did played a bit on fanservice and an alternative happy ending for him, it was nice to see, yet very strange and bizarre at the same time, can't explain how. We can all agree that he is one of the most interesting characters in the show and as per usual, 2003 and Brotherhood both did him justice.
I watched 2003 first and immediately attached to Hughes because, well, he's Hughes. I admitted to myself that he was probably my favorite character during the end credits of episode 24, the episode before he died.
Yeah, same. He was a really likable character, I didn't expect for one second he'd be killed, and in such a harsh way with Envy mockingly using his wife's form. It hurts, but really in retrospect he always did go out of his way to help others, and that is a dangerous thing to do. I still love his character though.
Im really surprised that you didn't talk about the difference between the emotional investment between 2003 and Brotherhood. When I reached that point in Brotherhood it felt jarring how difference the emotional investment was.
I hope you mention how or go over how the Homunculi in 2003 were much more developed characters because of how they reflected the quests of our protagonists but in a much darker way, we had Al and ed looking for the philosophy stone just like the homunculi and in order to gain back a part of their humanity, 2003 managed to be darker on this aspect because Dante herself flat out stated that if alchemy were as common as gun powered the atrocities humans do to themselves over natural resources would amount to nothing compared to a world with alchemy, and Also how Sloth was a dark reflection of the elrics sin just like Envy who was created by Hoeneheim, the gate in 2003 was a bit more ambiguous and left to the imagination so it left a bitter sweet message that just like the homunculi who could never get their humanity back... Father was a villain who wanted to transcend his lack of humanity, 2003 made the fact of the homunculi having a lack of humanity the homunculis biggest flaw, Dante was more evil than father because she was a hypocrite who acknowledged what she became and didn’t care anymore.
Someone else finally noticed. Enjoying her own disgust. That's what makes Dante unique. She has no purpose. She just can't stop. There was almost nothing left of her soul, only her instincts. Vanity, lust and an absolutely animal fear of death. She ceases to think logically even after Hohenheim explains her how much she will soon come to an end.
Maes Hughes is a real man. He openly loves those around him and will do anything for them. Hughes Is a man, father, and friend everyone should aspire to be.
Full Metal Alchemist 2003 is one if those shows that shaped & defined me & my brother growing up in the 90s/00s. Very oddly & unfortunately my life imitated the art of FMA 😐. I sure as hell did not want to become an accidental Edward Elric, but I did. I'm serious too. When I was 14 in 2009 my brother & me watched our house disappear in Foreclosure, the following year I suffered severe injuries to my left arm & left leg. I had a metal pin put in my arm, and a ligament replacement in my knee.
I think you missed something, one could make the argument that Mustang also acts as a father figure to the boys. This is mainly in Brotherhood only, however. The other key, is Hughes is the Martyr that made the brothers success possible.
I think part of what makes Hughes and his death so compelling is that for both series 2003 and mangahood, Hughes is the personification of what Ed strives for. In 2003 where things are more morally ambiguous, Hughes sticks to his guns. He is a light that goes out in a world of darkness. Hughes is the father Ed didn't and now doesn't have anymore. Where Hohenheim left his wife and children, Hughes constantly dotes on his own and does all he can to bring the Elrics into that fold. Where Hohenheim never prepared Ed for the harsh world that he lives in, Hughes does all he can to support his 'sons' as they face that world. And his death serves as a point of emphasis for the moral tones of both series. In 2003, Ed and Al have lost one more light that once guided their already dim path. In mangahood Ed and the others have a legacy to live up to in their overall journey.
This was very well-produced, Lowart! I thought the use of music throughout the video was very effective. On a side-note, I really love Hughes and always felt sad at the lack of Hughes content in Brotherhood. Plus the inclusion of the, "threatening to shoot kids for trying to play with his little girl" scene wasn't a very good look. At least the manga had some bonus chapters devoted to him. :/ Keep up the great work!
Hugh's love for others is something to live by. Unlike mustang(at least from the early chapters) he tried to be the change he want in the world through his actions. A literal manifestation of altruism, overly protectiveness and a father to all.
8:21 at first I heard "His waifu helped him make it through the war" *Men at war, sitting down in the trenches looking down at a photo of their favourite anime girl~*
It's the fact that Envy killing Hughes isn't as focused on being punished for that action in 2001 in favor of getting what Envy wants in killing Hohenheim that it added to the catharsis of Envy getting that brutal beating on top of the Brotherhood version's own atriocittes. Even if it went against the message of vengeance is being inherently bad,- because Hughes died to such a repulsive being, there's some appreciation for the killer getting well-deserved karma in respect for that memory.
Hey there, folks! Thanks for watching :) I hope you enjoy it. I just wanted to leave a note here for anyone who's unaware of what I've been doing on this channel:
For a long time, I've been doing an analysis and comparison of Fullmetal Alchemist 2003, the manga, and Brotherhood. At the end of the last part of this series (part 6), I decided it would be best to do character analyses and other formats from here on out. These videos, of course, can be viewed on their own, but they are also part of that larger analysis. That being said, there will be many more FMA character analysis videos in the future, so if you enjoyed this one I encourage you to subscribe to the channel and hit the bell icon.
Anyway, I have the link to the first part of my FMA series in the description, but I thought I should also leave it here in case anyone wants to go back to the start: th-cam.com/video/MdRIh0Em58A/w-d-xo.html
Also, all the music I used is in the description, so if you find yourself wondering what the names of any of the pieces are, you can find them there ^_^
Again, thank you so much for watching, and I hope you have an awesome day :)
I was really looking foward to see what you'd do with the shows being so different from each other from the "izumi arc" to the end, this seems to be a interesting alternative to cover both stories at the same time
Do hxh in a recent poll the 90s was above the 2000s i couldn't believe it
thank you so much for the analysis! i’m trying to remember and write as much down as i can lol, i wanna make sure my future stories are great :)
Finally I was waiting for this
Best of luck with all your future stories! I hope you find fulfillment and success with them ^_^
*gets shot by Envy*
Hughes: Yeah, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I got into this mess. Well, before I tell you that, there’s someone important I need to talk to you about. MY WONDERFUL DAUGHTER ELICIA!! ISN’T SHE JUST THE MOST PRECIOUS LITTLE GIRL YOU’VE EVER SEEN?!
that's accurate
This is the best Fma joke I have ever read😂
a bit morbid but great non the less
God, its so fucking accurate. Haha
Nicodemus Edwards She sure is, Hughes. I’d love to meet her ☺️
I love Mustang's line about the rain at the funeral. It has two meanings, one is the stoic facade to try hide the fact he is crying. But more importantly, mangahood establishes that his powers dont work in the rain, and the line about the rain is Mustang admitting to himself he was powerless to stop his best friend's death.
Damn, I never thought about that second meaning.
I also love that in 2003, Hawkeye instantly knows what he's talking about, without even a momentary pause, as if she knew Mustang so well that she knew how he thought.
He felt useless
Brillant analysis
I’ve thought ab this so many times I’m glad someone else noticed too
Hughes is the definition of _Best Dad_
It's the world's equivalent exchange, FMA has so many mediocre to awful dads that Hughes was created as a counter balance.
Mr Hawkeye
Hohenheim
Father
The xing emperor
Shao Tucker
The soldier that boned rose
The cat that walked out on Chico
Ect...
because he's alive and there
Hughes is the perfect anime character you come to love.
It's so precious how excited Ed gets everytime he sees Huges.
Huges was undoubtedly the most reliable person they knew, their excitement was fully justified.
I mean, if I had an awesome father figure like Hughes I'd get excited every time I saw him too.
Gracia and Maes Hughes became the parents Edward and Alphonse lost. Maes Hughes is loving,loyal,frindly, hard working and devoted to those who knew him and his death hurt everyone.
Part 1: Father Cornello gets beat up by Ed
Part 2: Shou Tucker is a bad dad and gets beat up by Ed
Part 3: Hughes is a good dad!... but dies :( Ed doesn't want to beat him up because he is the best dad.
Part 4: Ling comes to Amestris because he has a bad dad. The emperor of Xing is too far away for Ed to beat up.
Part 5: Ed's Bad Dad(tm) comes back and Ed beats him up.
Part 7: Scar is now Mei's adoptive dad. Ed wants to beat up Scar.
Part 8: Oh shit the Führer (who is also a dad) is evil! He's too fast and powerful to beat up :(
Part 9: the evil Führer-dad works for his even more evil dad who we all refer to as "Father". Still too powerful for Ed to beat up.
Part 10: Hawkeye's dad sucks. Ed wasn't around at the time if he was he would totally beat him up.
Part 11: Ed beats up Father (who also looks like his dad).
Part 12: Ed becomes a dad.
Fullmetal Alchemist; Fatherhood
(Copying this from another comment I wrote)
genius
Yup that’s pretty much how that went down
And then, Ed beats himself
@@JabrielTimeline He beats his meat when Winry's not home
Fatherhood is one of the main themes in the anime.
ALL the fathers who died, died because they didn't put their family first, even Hughes that could whent to home and talk with Mustang later.
Ed is awarded Al 's body because he puts his family above everything, even himself and what he believe is right.
If you put a child in a bubble, protecting them from everything, they will never grow. If the Alric Brothers never grow, they would be too shocked and mentally broken when things get bad. But dealing with pain, being told the truth, they grow, they learn, they prepare. They encounter those dangers, and don't snap, being calm, protected, and able to react in the best way.
If Mustang got his way, 'Protecting' the brothers. Then when they encountered Scar, or the Humonculi, they wouldn't have been prepared and would have lost their lives.
I've learned it's a balancing act. Never give the child truly more than they can handle, but be confident in their abilities and let them spread their wings.
@@rhondahoward8025 Indeed, but even if you give them too much, so much that they hate you, at the end of the day they can take care of themselves.
There is a reason why Batman, Flash, Iron Man, Punisher, Sasuke/Naruto, Pain, Bleach characters, and so many other 'Badass/Strong Characters' all have Tragic and dark Backstories, fucked in horrible ways. Cause while they are 'sometimes' fucked by it, they DO go on, they DO grow and get stronger cause of it. It's bad at that point, but anything else bad or even worse that happens AFTER that, they can take and be fine.
There is a point when it is too much, and they shut down, but it's such a high room, it's practically 'Entire Family Died in their Arms', or 'Caused Family Member to Die'. Tragity, and not something you just 'tell' them or let them 'experience' on their own.
@@Jirodyne No, I don't mean tragedy. I mean abusive shit, like tiger parenting, and this time we're talking about real life. You CAN'T push a child too hard or they will have a mental breakdown. They can even commit suicide. Don't be THAT kind of parent.
And actually, you're wrong. The child will NOT be able "take care of themselves" at the end of the day if you SCAR them. That's why abuse victims end up so helpless and dependent.
Tragedy works for batman, but not the fucking flash! The Flash has never been the same since Geoff decided to give him a tragic back story, because in his mind, all superheroes should have tragic backstrories. Choosing to be a,hero because it is the right thing to do is an alien concept at DC. Tragedy works for characters like the Elric brothers and their story arc was very powerful.
You my friend need a writing career💥
I will never get over Elicia’s line in the 2003 funeral scene. “Why are they burying daddy mommy? Daddy said that if they bury him he can’t finish all the work he has to do! Please! Mommy don’t let them bury daddy!” That scene literally scared me.
What makes it worse is that Elicia in 2003 is voiced by an actual child, making the loss feel so much more real.
It's also in FMA Brotherhood as well
Hughes in FMA: acts like a father figure to Ed and is lenient towards many of Ed's actions and decisions and takes on other people's pain as if it were his own
Hughes in FMAB: Dies early, but is able to still hold an importance in the series(the ishvalan war of extermination and conversations with mustang) and embodies mustang's positive reciprocity well.
Oh another ironic thing the last thing Maes Hughes sees is his wife shooting him. Envy uses his Hughes's love for his family against and that gets him killed.
Damn, that's ironic indeed. Just makes me feel bad for him even more. He truly did love his family, and those around him like they was in his family, for him to see a twisted version of his wife as the last thing before he dies, man that's just fucked up.
Well, he knew it wasn't his wife, but he couldn't bring himself to kill a lookalike of her, so Idon'tthink his last thoughts were of his wife killing him. It is poetic, though that one of the people he loves most is the last thing he saw.
It's funny, I think it was in Mangahood that Mustang told Hughes that his love for his family would be the death of him.
Made me hate Envy
Maes Hughes is the Batman of the FMA universe if Batman's parents never died and also he wasn't a billionaire. And also he isn't Batman.
And he is also dead. Though depending on which Batman we're talking about, that might not be as much of a difference.
Batman WISHES he could be Maes Hughes
@@maladroit5581 I think every dad wishes he could be like Maes Hughes, me included only that I'm not a father yet.
“Let’s talk about Maes Hughes, the good friend and father of full metal alchemist”
Sounds like the beginning of his Eulogy
well he IS dead so...
in a way, it is, sadly
Just a little note: Fullmetal Alchemist was a manga published in a monthly magazine and each chapter had around 40 pages total. One may think that 15 chapters is "too early" in comparison to the others, but in actuality you've read around 560 pages or more to get there. Not that early if you ask me tbh.
Tbh Hughes only shows up in Chapter 6 and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t appear in every chapter in-between, so it’d be less than 400 pages
That's still quite a bit of pages worth of content to me, but I see where you come from.
@@Vitz_atelier okay, so because I apparently have nothing to do with my time, I tried to count all the pages Hughes is in up until his death (not counting extras, just the main story). It was hard at times because sometimes the head is covered by a speech balloon even though context-wise it's gotta be him standing there... but anyway, by my count Hughes appears on about 70 pages (so way less than 400) between Chapters 6 and 15.
I'm not really trying to make an argument here, I just thought it'd be interesting to know
Hughes was also shown to be much more involved in Ishval in the manga making his character's morals more questionable and dark. Despite having less "screen time" (page time?) I still think the manga version of him is my favourite because it doesn't censor his war crimes.
@@maikamaikamaikamaika Yeah, the extra detail it gives on him during the wartime adds a lot of context as far as his own motivations and guilt are concerned. It's the main reason why I like his portrayal in the manga quite a bit more than in Brotherhood.
In 2003 i find it really interesting that Envy was disguised as Ross, you know the *mother* figure for Elrics, before he killed Hughes who was the *father* figure
It was probably not intentional but i find it really weird and interesting
Oof, pretty old comment but I thought I'd add something, not only is Envy disguised as a "mother figure" but just before he confronted Hughes he noticed that a photo of Gracia and Elicia fell out of Maes' pocket, a photo of a happy family which was something 03 Envy had completely lost, 03 Envy definitely felt pleasure in killing Hughes wearing the face of his wife and mother of his daughters
actually, Envy didn't have a gender since technically they can shape shift into whoever.
@@darlenebuck7825 Manga Envy is without a doubt genderless due to being an artifical humanoid but 03 Envy is distinctly male due to being created from the remains of Hohenheim's son (though in French dub, Envy describes his body as that of a 'Goddess')
Maes Hughes is probably my favorite character from any piece of entertainment. He was written incredibly well. It's a terrible day for rain.
I understood that reference
He's my favorite character too.
Excellent video. What I loved about Mae Hughes across FMA was that outside of being a good father, he very much was the heart of Roy's group. Don't get me wrong; everyone in Roy's unit was great. Especially in 2003 with their filler bits. But Hughes was a perfect example of humanizing a solider. Hughes I always got the sense that he valued children not just they were the next generation, but rather because they were pure. That is many of them rarely have any understanding/ knowledge of war, violence etc.
It is why when he took a liking to the Elrich brothers it was very evident he wanted to alleviate their suffering. That he recognized that they had gone through a lot but at the end of the day, they were children. They never should have gone through what they've gone through. And thus his "antics" while funny were very much his way of expressing his affection.
And why in my view, Hughes death is so impactful. The Elric's took him for granted and when he disappeared, it was like they lost another parental figure. Much like how they lost there mother, father.
8:22 his waifu helped him make it through the war
That line was supposed to be "his wife who helped him make it through the war" but now I can't unhear "waifu". What have I done?
@@Lowart well let’s be real, Hughes would probably agree his wife is his waifu
Hughes’ death in 2003 is about 1000x more sad and impactful than it was in Brotherhood.
Just realized how awful fathers are in FMA. Adding to that list Riza's dad and the emperor of Xing.
How the fuck was Hughes awful? He loved his family and wanted to protect them. How is that awful?
@@tayojones9460 pretty sure this person meant in general in the anime. Not Hughes specifically
Part 1: Father Cornello gets beat up by Ed
Part 2: Shou Tucker is a bad dad and gets beat up by Ed
Part 3: Hughes is a good dad!... but dies :( Ed doesn't want to beat him up because he is the best dad.
Part 4: Ling comes to Amestris because he has a bad dad. The emperor of Xing is too far away for Ed to beat up.
Part 5: Ed's Bad Dad(tm) comes back and Ed beats him up.
Part 7: Scar is now Mei's adoptive dad. Ed wants to beat up Scar.
Part 8: Oh shit the Führer (who is also a dad) is evil! He's too fast and powerful to beat up :(
Part 9: the evil Führer-dad works for his even more evil dad who we all refer to as "Father". Still too powerful for Ed to beat up.
Part 10: Hawkeye's dad sucks. Ed wasn't around at the time if he was he would totally beat him up.
Part 11: Ed beats up Father (who also looks like his dad).
Part 12: Ed becomes a dad.
Fullmetal Alchemist; Fatherhood
Fullmetal Alchemist has a lot of fathers, but Hughes is the only dad.
Wait how was Riza dad bad?
The girl that did the voice acting for Hughes daughter in the 2003 version should get some kind of award for the funeral scene. Seriously she captured the emotion, the sadness, the confusion, the pure heartbreak of a young child losing there father so perfectly. You have to be emotionless for that scene not to choke you up at all. And that to me is the biggest difference between 2003 and Brotherhood, 2003 made me feel and care, had emotion and depth where as Brotherhood to me was just gut of the deep emotion and replaced much of it with what amounted to fart jokes. At least that is how it felt to me.
Tierney Titus. She was only around 10 or 11 years old when she voiced that episode.
I'm gonna cry aren't I?
1:46 already misty we'll see how long this takes.
Part 2 ripped my soul from my chest
BUT I MADE IT!
Im trying so hard not to cry.
Now I'm depressed
Hughes (2003) was one of the only character deaths I actually felt bad because of
I just love this guy and want to see all the pictures he can share : )
I finally watched 2003 FMA and it made me understand how important Hughes is. Its not just that we see him supporting the brothers more, it’s that we get to see how close he and Mustang really are and how deep into Roy’s plan Maes is. The flashback to Roy nearly killing himself until Maes convinces him that his dream is still achievable was a bit on the nose but much appreciated because it gives Hughes more of a stake in Roy’s plans beyond just making the world better; he wants ROY to make the world better and recognizes that Roy has the drive and talent to become furhur but he also needs inside help so Hughes digs in to the power structure every bit as far as Roy does.
The first time we see him in 2003 he’s on a train but on the phone with Roy flipping out about his wife giving birth at any second. Roy indulges Hughes’s absurd calls both because theyre a front for passing information and because he legitimately cares about Hughes’s family (just not as much as Hughes 🙄.) In Mangahood this dynamic is only given a few scenes so Hughes just fades into the background of people who want to help Roy and the disturbingly lovable and zany yet serious character we get in 2003 is almost completely absent. He’s missed more because he was kind to Winry when she needed it and he talked to Roy a few times about his plan to become furhur. Get in the arobot has a great video about why each anime is complete when viewed without the other for reference which I think thoroighly explains it. Brotherhood is more Ed’s journey while 2003 includes a lot more Hughes, Roy being a sardonic jerk and tormenting the boys to toughen them up, Maria having more of a purpose, and Al being his own person instead of Ed’s sidekick. Oh and Leore being an absolute hell on earth-Rose becomes so integral and tragic that its horrifying.
Ahhh man, all these years and thinking about Hughes' death still brings a tear to my eye D':
I've seen the funeral exactly one time, just one, and even without the audio, his daughter's cries still make my throat tighten up, and I'm a 49 year old man, pathetic huh?
I wish you bit more of detail on what lead physically to his death in all 3 versions and showed the dual symbolisms they use in the 3 versions but I guess it's a mute point now, great video.
Maes Hughes is most certainly the most beloved character in all the stories because of who he is and what he stands for, which makes his death so heartbreaking. I love all versions. I'm happy to see more of him in the 2003 anime, but I also love him in Brotherhood, even if his role is short. His death scene in Brotherhood I found more heart wrenching as we watch him die in the phone booth because of his final words. "Gracia... I'm so sorry. Elicia... Remember daddy loves you... I'm sorry." Honestly that hits more for me. Also in the episode "Footsteps of a Comrade-in-Arms" is was truly sad when Ed, Al, and Winry discover Hughes' death. They found out together and that to me makes all the more saddening. I cried. I cried when I saw the look on Winry's face when she told Ed that she had hoped Hughes would've liked to try her apple pie someday... and he can't.
Damn. That was deep! Seriously, your scripts are getting insanely better. Couldn't have added anything else onto Hughes.
Thanks! I really appreciate that ^_^
When I first watched FMA I started with 03 FMA. And I started watching it because I was drawn to Hughes character design because I really like it. As I watched 03 he really grew on me and I want to be a person like Hughes. The kind of person who’s always there for their friends, the kind of person who loves helping people. I was so distraught with his death and watching it and reading it in mangahood was so gut wrenching for me because he was gone so much sooner. Hughes is my favorite character in any anime ever.
Hughes is the kind of father I aspire to be once I have kids of my own. His character resonated with me so much that it pained me so much (and still does every time I watch the series) when he died. I was literally Armstrong during his funeral, especially when his little daughter starts freaking out when they start the burial. Literally one of the few characters in any anime that had such a profound effect on me.
(edit: Also, how fitting that I stumble upon this video on Father's day of all days.)
Hughes is the sort of father that I would love to be when I grow up. I always loved being around kids and hughes is the example of the perfect sort of father. He's so kind and caring, but at the same time allows ed and al to go out and do their own thing even if its dangerous because he knows that not only can they handle themselves, but he's their to support them if they need help.
Maes Hughes death was one of the saddest one of the saddest in anime for me.. Saddest in Fullmetal Alchemist, along with Edward and Alphonse mother and when Envy turned into the small green thing and cried :(
The quality of your work has improved so much recently. I'm really excited for the rest of this series!
Watching this 4 days after Keiji Fujiwara (Hughes' Japanese VA) passed away from cancer. RIP Keiji Fujiwara (1964-2020)
8:02 I need a 10 hour loop of lizard envy squirming under Mustang's boot.
Finding the actual music that plays after Hughes death is so hard, I did manage to find a cover of it though, nothing official. Fullmetal Alchemist - Brothers (Piano) 2 by Anzliii, very beautiful. I'm a little late but I didn't discover this channel until recently. I thought I'd share. Great work btw! Thank you for this.
Ah, yes. A video of my dad talking about my father. Exactly what I needed
Jokes aside, good shit man
Will never get over how Maes was the closest thing to a father to the Elric brothers
You're analysis is so beautiful and does justice to Hughes
I think if he were real and saw this vid of yours he will deeply appreciate it
I was going through a lot today. I saw this in my recommended and decided this might be interesting. This cheered my up so much. Great analysis! Thank you so much
I'm happy you enjoyed it, and especially happy that it cheered you up! I hope your day continues to improve!
You should continue this series! I’m currently rewatching it all with my fiancé and it’s still awesome! I agree that 03 has a lot more heart than bhood, though bhood goes a lot deeper into the lore and the larger scale of things
When I watched Brotherhood, I remember being so glad I had watched the '03 version first. I mean, the story felt better sure, in the way that the middle didn't get tangled up like the original anime, but it felt like it was made with the expectation that viewers had seen the other beforehand. It didn't flesh out the characters and their dynamics and such, so I wondered, "How could anyone new be sad about these deaths?" Like, Nina in Brotherhood was there for like one episode and it was the same episode she died in. Hughes had only ten episodes and he was only truly there for half of them, and immediately after, it was back to business. It didn't have the heartbreaking exchange between the brothers and Winry about Hughes, not knowing he was dead, and Edward seeing his spirit or something waving at the trio. It didn't have the flashbacks beforehand and the interactions to show the dynamic between Hughes and Mustang, opting instead to tell us after he died when there was no way to properly explore it. Not to mention Edward and the fact he still was a kid when Nina died and all. Him seeing the damage done and reacting felt raw, too. Even considered the taboo despite his experience due to his panic until Mustang all but lectured him on letting things go. The whole '03 series was just full of raw scenes and- I don't know. Brotherhood just felt a bit off. I know it had the better ending and stabler storytelling, but man, did it do its characters dirty by leaving out the big character stuff.
Hughes is a father, friend, mentor and a hero.
Nope. I didn't need my heart in one piece today. Crying? Who's crying?!
Great video like always! Looking forward to more!
My absolute favourite character
One thing that's imo super important is how right before the promise day coup when everything is gonna go down, where is Mustang but at Hughes' grave. It's a reminder of what he's ultimately doing all this for. He's doing it for the ideals his friend embodied and for the friend who gave his life for everyone else
Wow well I wasn't expecting to cry this morning but here we are
Hughes was so damn disappointing in Brotherhood and that is unforgivable to me... All we see of him is the nice fatherly side of him until 3 minutes before his death. That is NOT doing Hughes justice. The reason why I love Maes Hughes so much is not just because he is a loving person, but because he is a badass, smart and genuinely good soldier, who also happens to also have the kindest heart in the world. This is all clear from his first episode in 03 ALONE, Hughes does more in that episode then in all of Brotherhood. Plus we see him actually do his job! While watching his part in Brotherhood all I could think was how the hell did he get to where he is now? Plus his death in Brotherhood was cheesy AF, talking "dramatically" before he died. The Aftermath for his death in Brotherhood was better but that is it. I asked a friend who only saw Brotherhood at the time and told him Hughes was my favourite character and he just looked puzzled. I knew EXACTLY why. The fact that 03 created such a bond with this character and the Mangahood bond is so underwhelming in comparison, and that that is the vesion most people see first, missing out on the true bond we feel with Hughes is such a shame. Doesn't help for me personally that I also hate the way Mangahood treats my other two favourite characters in the series...Izumi and Scar. Can't wait to see you cover those.
Izumi i can understand (even if i prefer her mangahood version) but what about scar ?
@@thekingdomofvincenzo2222 I mean his sacrifice on Lior killing Kimblee, the man who killed his brother and his sacrifice of saving Al with his Philosopher stone, because at the end he saw him self in the brothers, trying to protect each other, and at the end he didn't wanted that to happened to another person, his time had past, but Al could still save his brother, and it's beautiful, I also love his Ishvalan camp arc, helping the kids who had lost their mother and actually seeing why the Ishvalans admired him was great, and we can't forget about his relationship with lust, his brother's sin, his highest mistake and everything he had that scar didn't
Just binge watched this whole series in one morning. Can't wait for the next part
Ah, my heart!=( Maes Hughes is a great character and I'm pretty sure the first character I cried hard, genuine tears for when he died! Elicia made it worse, I was a 12 yr old kid, I didn't sign up for this sadness! Fullmetal Alchemist has some many great moments, characters and development, its just too good! Thanks for the vid, man! Really well done!
Pardon me, but you did not cover literally the only thing I wanted out of this video. Maes best-loved character, huzzah. I've read the manga, it took me three complete reads over the course of 2 years to work through the five stages of grief with him. He's the only character to ever do that to me. *I get it.* All aboard the feels train.
BUT, you didn't discuss the difference! What is the point to having this as part of a comparison series if you don't compare?
So I'll ask the question: How does Hughes *not* being involved in the Ishvalan war of extermination in '03 change the nuances of his character? I have opinions, but I'm biased and know it. I come here for expansion of understanding. I was disappointed not to get any this time, even in the form of a brief mention.
I think that seeing the destruction and pain really adds to his (and by extension Mustang's) ideals of positive reciprocity. Of making a better world. It's easier for someone who's never experienced severe hardship to be optimistic and open like Hughes. Maybe that's just me, though.
Maes Hughes is literally an anime Markiplier... In looks I mean, probably shares some of the same morals come to think of it
He didn't die, he just became real
CapiBlu lmao
Figuratively
Now I want to see someone make Hughes scenes with Markiplier dub.
Soarel
This is my head canon now
I don't often get sentimental over fictional characters, but I was genuinely heartbroken when hughes died. He was easily the best character in the story IMO.
Part of the bond between the Elric brothers and Hughes comes from the fact that their own father left them when they were really young, so Hughes sort of became the closest thing to a father that the brothers had.
The very first episode of FMA Brotherhood was the episode right before Hughes death, and even then I fell in love with him imediately. So even though I knew nothing about him that much, I was still saddened when he died
My gosh, the tears started coming after part 2 started of this video
Haven't watched for a bit, haven't commented for longer... but you made a video on best dad! Go Hughes!
It's been years and I still cry every time I think of Hughes or how he died.
Underrated video
Facts
I needed him man
Rest in Peace, dad. I continue to find parallels to your life no matter where I go. Thank you for dying doing the right thing and giving something to live on for. Thank you to the channel creator for this series.
wow this was good and really makes me look forward to future videos with other characters
hey, I really like your video. It explorers the themes of Hughes death masterfully and your video deserves more attention. The only problem with your video was that, once said you wifu instead of wife and this really throws the listener into confusion. Other than that one minor mistake it is a great video and love your videos.
oh shoot the line there was "his wife who helped him make it through the war", but it does sound like waifu
The train scene where Ed saw ghost of Hughes after his death made me cry...
Great video, as always.
If you plan on doing another anime after FMA, I think you should talk about Steins;Gate 0 and Okabe Rintaros special character. From his insane and delusional persona to the ptsd broken one, trying to cope with his trauma by acting "normal".
It would make for a great video
He's one of my favourite characters and I've wanted to do a character analysis for him since I started the channel! The only thing holding me back is that I want to play the visual novels first. But once I play those, I'm almost 100% sure I'll end up making a video on him (and possibly some of the other characters in Steins;Gate, too).
@@Lowart Thanks man
Keep up the great work ;D
Only 15 chapters, but 90% of my heart ❤
Hughes is by far my favorite character from fma I was so sad when he died I almost cried
You made me cry again
Roy: it's going to rain today
Riza: Yes
F*** actually almost cried just watching this vid
This video helped me realize it doesnt take that much to make me cry about Hughes death.
He gonna continue this series? I only realized today that this was a part of it and now I totally want to see more lol
I always overlooked Hughes but of his lack of screen-time but, its nice to see his contributions to the story as a whole
I always believed people just over-reacted to Nina's death. I did't feel sad at all as I never bonded with her in any medium, be it manga or any of the anime. Hughes death made me shed a tear as he was one of the smartest character (being the first to uncover the truth) and one of the best. His death had more of a impact n me than Nina's.
My first couple times watching FMA/FMAB, I didn't give him enough credit, just writing him off as a comic relief character. FMAB truly is just an absolute work of art.
I just started rewatching FMA for the 10000000th time yesterday.
Thank u for the vid😊😊
I'm very glad I found this series. I love the 2003 anime, and not just because of nostalgia glasses. Thanks for being honest about both their ups and downs even with the divergence halfway through. I would love to see a comparison and your thoughts on the homunculi, Hohenheim, Father, and Dante in 2003 vs Mangahood, although I understand if you'd rather wait seeing as they're tied to the endings.
Can't wait to see more in this series.
I cried. I subbed. I cried some more. Well-written. I love Hughes.
1:02- And even if Hohenheim points out that by having them call him Father- the aforementioned character does on some level want family, his goal-centric and vanity overshadows that potential love anyway.
it's literally been 10 year since I watched FMA for the first time and hearing the words "Maws Hughes, the good friend and father of Fullmetal Alchemist" makes my heart ache
Just finished binging this series. I love your analysis! I never read the manga but loved both the 2003 series and brotherhood. This made me reminisce so fondly over a series I adore and helped shape my love of anime 😁 keep up the great work! I look forward to the next installment.
This part struck me so hard that even after more than 10 years of watching it I still can't believe. Nina hit harder, but this one hit deeper. Hughes was such an simple character, yet a masterful fighter and mastermind in his own way, what we could call a "badass normal". He was an example of a character and death that caused a powerful wave thru several other characters in show, the Elric Brothers, Winry, Maria Ross and mainly for Mustang, to name a few. The movie Conqueror of Shamballa did played a bit on fanservice and an alternative happy ending for him, it was nice to see, yet very strange and bizarre at the same time, can't explain how. We can all agree that he is one of the most interesting characters in the show and as per usual, 2003 and Brotherhood both did him justice.
I watched 2003 first and immediately attached to Hughes because, well, he's Hughes. I admitted to myself that he was probably my favorite character during the end credits of episode 24, the episode before he died.
*Uploaded : 1 minute ago*
Me : OWO
Also I really like Hughes, the death scene made me really sad and still does.
Yeah, same. He was a really likable character, I didn't expect for one second he'd be killed, and in such a harsh way with Envy mockingly using his wife's form.
It hurts, but really in retrospect he always did go out of his way to help others, and that is a dangerous thing to do. I still love his character though.
Im really surprised that you didn't talk about the difference between the emotional investment between 2003 and Brotherhood. When I reached that point in Brotherhood it felt jarring how difference the emotional investment was.
That was as sad as i expected but still really good thank you
I hope you mention how or go over how the Homunculi in 2003 were much more developed characters because of how they reflected the quests of our protagonists but in a much darker way, we had Al and ed looking for the philosophy stone just like the homunculi and in order to gain back a part of their humanity, 2003 managed to be darker on this aspect because Dante herself flat out stated that if alchemy were as common as gun powered the atrocities humans do to themselves over natural resources would amount to nothing compared to a world with alchemy, and Also how Sloth was a dark reflection of the elrics sin just like Envy who was created by Hoeneheim, the gate in 2003 was a bit more ambiguous and left to the imagination so it left a bitter sweet message that just like the homunculi who could never get their humanity back... Father was a villain who wanted to transcend his lack of humanity, 2003 made the fact of the homunculi having a lack of humanity the homunculis biggest flaw, Dante was more evil than father because she was a hypocrite who acknowledged what she became and didn’t care anymore.
Someone else finally noticed. Enjoying her own disgust. That's what makes Dante unique. She has no purpose. She just can't stop. There was almost nothing left of her soul, only her instincts. Vanity, lust and an absolutely animal fear of death. She ceases to think logically even after Hohenheim explains her how much she will soon come to an end.
Maes Hughes is a real man. He openly loves those around him and will do anything for them. Hughes Is a man, father, and friend everyone should aspire to be.
Full Metal Alchemist 2003 is one if those shows that shaped & defined me & my brother growing up in the 90s/00s. Very oddly & unfortunately my life imitated the art of FMA 😐.
I sure as hell did not want to become an accidental Edward Elric, but I did. I'm serious too. When I was 14 in 2009 my brother & me watched our house disappear in Foreclosure, the following year I suffered severe injuries to my left arm & left leg. I had a metal pin put in my arm, and a ligament replacement in my knee.
I think you missed something, one could make the argument that Mustang also acts as a father figure to the boys. This is mainly in Brotherhood only, however. The other key, is Hughes is the Martyr that made the brothers success possible.
I love this so much.
I think part of what makes Hughes and his death so compelling is that for both series 2003 and mangahood, Hughes is the personification of what Ed strives for. In 2003 where things are more morally ambiguous, Hughes sticks to his guns. He is a light that goes out in a world of darkness. Hughes is the father Ed didn't and now doesn't have anymore. Where Hohenheim left his wife and children, Hughes constantly dotes on his own and does all he can to bring the Elrics into that fold. Where Hohenheim never prepared Ed for the harsh world that he lives in, Hughes does all he can to support his 'sons' as they face that world. And his death serves as a point of emphasis for the moral tones of both series. In 2003, Ed and Al have lost one more light that once guided their already dim path. In mangahood Ed and the others have a legacy to live up to in their overall journey.
This was very well-produced, Lowart! I thought the use of music throughout the video was very effective.
On a side-note, I really love Hughes and always felt sad at the lack of Hughes content in Brotherhood. Plus the inclusion of the, "threatening to shoot kids for trying to play with his little girl" scene wasn't a very good look. At least the manga had some bonus chapters devoted to him. :/ Keep up the great work!
Thanks! I'm happy you didn't disapprove haha
Lowart lmao
His death never fails to make me cry like a baby
Hugh's love for others is something to live by. Unlike mustang(at least from the early chapters) he tried to be the change he want in the world through his actions. A literal manifestation of altruism, overly protectiveness and a father to all.
Yusssss Thank You Now Time To Enjoy The Video
These are awesome! Please keep it going?
8:21 at first I heard "His waifu helped him make it through the war"
*Men at war, sitting down in the trenches looking down at a photo of their favourite anime girl~*
Rest in peace General Maes Hughes 1964 - 2020
It's the fact that Envy killing Hughes isn't as focused on being punished for that action in 2001 in favor of getting what Envy wants in killing Hohenheim that it added to the catharsis of Envy getting that brutal beating on top of the Brotherhood version's own atriocittes. Even if it went against the message of vengeance is being inherently bad,- because Hughes died to such a repulsive being, there's some appreciation for the killer getting well-deserved karma in respect for that memory.
My first though after seeing the thumbnail: OMG MARKIPLIER ANIMATION!!!