Great to see this series back again, especially after that cliff-hanger after the previous episode. Like most people expected, it was set in stage. I really like how Ed and Al are gradually gathering more and more allies in their fight against father. With things like these, there are plenty of people who would oppose his ideals, and the challenge is to unite them without causing suspicion, and that’s what this episode did really well.
A for Kimbley, he got a much better role than in the first series. In the first, he never really served a purpose. And even though most of his actions have failed in Brotherhood, he still has this air of danger around him, rather than devolving into that deranged homicidal maniac. At this point he still has the potential to screw all of Ed’s plans up.
And also, in this episode something happens that gives a complete new twist to Al’s story: for some reason, without ever initiating it, he walks through a very cold environment and suddenly sees his real body at the end of the gate. This is about the first time that the gate appears to someone who hasn’t called it, and it was more like an illusion anyway. What was behind it?
Speaking of which… that gate may have a completely different meaning in this series. At the end of this episode, we see Father list Ed and Al among Hohenheim and probably even Izumi. Could he have some sort of plan that involves people who have seen the gates? Does this also involve his plans of blowing up the country? And more importantly: who is going to be that fifth person to see the gates? Apparently, homunculi don’t count, even those who were human once.
Also, the new OP and ED are pretty good. Probably the best of Brotherhood so far, however there are nasty spoilers in them about Pride. If someone who’s behind were to watch them, he’d be totally spoiled about their identity. My question therefore is to the people who post them on sites as YouTube, etc, to include some sort of spoiler-warning.
Rating: ** (Excellent)
Al seeing Gate, I think, has to be interpreted as a result of the whole “soul rejection” theory, in that his body is alive and “calls” for his soul to separate from “incompatible” armor.
As for sacrifices and fathers plan – oone can easily figure or quess the fifth sacrifice, if one has seen episodes up until now, however Father’s plan remains as one of biggest enigmas in this series, oth in anime and in manga.
lust said back in episode 19 that mustang was candidate for sacrifice then when she saw Al and how he could do alchemy she said so you opened the gate forget candidate you are confirmed sacrifice
@Clinton
If Mustang had opened the gate before what did he loss? everyone else had to loss something.
@Necromancer
hence why mustang is refered as “sacrifice candidate”. he is a POSSIBLE sacrifice. He would be sacfrifice IF he opened the gates.
There are only two people in the the storyline at the current episode, to be possible as fifth sacrifices. Mustang is one of those two.
What do you think of Winry this episode? She finnally made herself useful. ^_^
You just mentioned one of my absolute favorite things about FMA (and something reflective in the new OP) that Ed & Al are continously gathering more and more allies. This is such a big point in the story. Unlike most shounen series it’s not the main teenager going at it alone against impossible odds. It’s Ed and Al growing up and realizing they can’t do it all alone. I also love how the adult characters in FMA are never pushed to the side but they stand beside the kids.
And when I say this is reflective in the opening you see Ed & Al alone and suddenly they are surrounded by more and more people, all working together.
As for the 5th sacrifice if you were paying attention the two people it could be have already been mentioned
And what is happening to Al again this is something that has already been mentioned in the series. Think about some things Barry told Al.
You like this Op more than AGAIN? BLASPHEMY! 😉
I totally loved Again and while this is quite a good OP it can’t beat it.
Also Mustang had not opened the Gate.
I don’t understand why everyone’s so in love Again. Yeah, it’s an awesome song, and the OP was beyond impressive, part of that being because it was the first of the series. But I don’t see what was so special about the actual Opening. It wasn’t nearly as involved as this new one, or the last one.
well about people posting the op on youtube…its been like what 3 weeks since the last episode telling about the truth about pride?
(especially when those three weeks were during the winter holidays where people would have had some time to watch a 24 minute episode. . .
if someone hasnt watched to that point in that time (given how popular this series is now) its really just their own damn fault if they get spoiled by some youtube clip. Theres no excuse really.
the whole thing with Al is just his soul and the iron suit rejecting each other, barry mentioned it before. his soul is getting rejected, and is starting to go back to the only other place it can go, his body.
Ahhh… the 5th sacrifice. Manga readers themselves are a perplexed bunch over that. We know who the 5th sacrifice in but Arakawa-san has thrown such a spanner in the works that as of the latest chapter (103), the situation is not fully explained.
the new op/ed at 1st listen aren’t really my style (although i didn’t initially like the last op and it gradually grew on me). i like the “opposing teams” part in the ed showing the major players on both sides though, esp. the good guys, VERY cool, similar to how mustang’s subordinates are shown in the 2nd OP.
in the manga i always thought that the reasoning for the chimeras changing sides so abruptly was kinda weak, and that weakness translated to the anime as well. and what’s the big deal with “getting their old bodies back” when they can CHANGE BACK ANYWAY from beast to man ANYTIME THEY WANT!!! if anything they should be happy for the upgrade, they’ve got extra strength/abilities if they need it, and if they don’t need it, don’t use it!
nice ep regardless. poor kimblee should invest in a hat strap to keep his damn hat on (lol). he looooooooves that hat.
on another aside, is it just me or based on the current manga chapter does it not seem ENTIRELY possible that arakawa can stretch the story at least another 10 chapters (and therefore all of this year)? maybe brotherhood WON’T be able to cover the entire storyline b4 it’s all resolved (jeeez).
Your missing something about the 4 chimeras.
They where never evil, they where following orders, and once they found out those orders they switched sides to protect Amestris, and their families. Their lives where ruined by the military and Al showed them a path that would restore their lives to normal.
@Charred Knight
i hear what you’re saying about Jelso and Zampano but my beef is with the execution. it just seemed kinda contrived, one minute they’re fighting and the next its kumbaya because al gives some (happy) little speech about getting their “original bodies” back? like i said, as far as i’m concerned, they HAVE their bodies, except they have an evolved form that they have TOTAL CONTROL over, i.e. shouldn’t be a hindrance in everyday life. just my warped perspective i guess (LOL)
Does the guy who lost his eyes in that special OVA count as fifth sacrifice?
I guess they don’t know about the Blind Alchemist because he never became a State Alchemist/got involved with the military. The Homunculi aren’t all-knowing. They didn’t know Izumi could be a candidate and only found out about her because of Ed and Al’s connection to her.
Apparently since you’re having trouble realizing what the Al part was completely about, they didn’t include a voiceover, cameo of Barry (like in the manga) saying once again “A soul can’t stay on a body that’s not it’s own for very long”. That was in the same part where that scene happens to make it perfectly clear. They should have included at the very LEAST Barry’s voiceover saying it again, just so everyone could get it.
The new OP and ED REALLY like Pride don’t they?
The OP and ED are as good as always. I always like to try and pick apart any hidden meanings or subtle clues in the animation. At the end of the ED, we see hands clasping together, whose hands are those supposed to be? It looked like either an adult hand and child’s or a male hand and a woman’s hand. Could it be Hohenheim and Ed’s or Ed’s and Winry’s? Or even worse just random hands? I wonder…
I have this feeling it’s Hohenheim and Trisha for some reason.
That’s just what it’s telling me.
The hands….confuse me. I mean, most likely it would be Hoho and Trisha, but even if they are some specific person’s hands it’s still just random. To me the hands would have more hidden meaning if they were no specific person’s hands. They just sort of represented the struggle and grasping at hope that so many people in the story- and all the people of Ametris even if they don’t know it- are facing now that their whole world is at stake. And also, because initially what the hands made me think of were all the people that died at those ruins in the desert (for some reason) because of the same thing that Ametris is facing up against, that’d be a nice parallel sort of thing….And they’re an adults and child’s hands for more sort of symbolism….and of course I’m just speculating and rambling here.
Kimbley has a far greater role than in the first series, which I think is a good thing. The first homonculus (the kid) is such a beast, can’t wait to see them fight each other (if they do, which I assume from the OP).
I take back my last comment. I just saw it. They included Barry’s cameo. :-! Yay.
Are you going to blog about the new OVA?
there’s a new OVA?
Yeppers. Simple People. It’s about how Winry got her earings.
http://www.animelime.com/fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood-ova-2/
I agree that tha change of side of the chimera’s was a bit too sudden, but I felt there was a little bit more explaining in the Anime, Mracoh thretening them with the death of their loved ones sounded kind of convincing.
I liked the introspection on Scar’s mind, they may be developing his character even better than in the Manga. I didn’t like though to see such an imposing guy saying docilely: I understand, I understand so many times…
Heads up for manga readers did you nocice the little scene from next chapter when someone is using Xerxe’s transmutation circle. A MAJOR plot deviation may be coming next week (or at least some new material never dealt with in the Manga).
Lan Fan’s automail looks badass!
Well, the episode finally arrived. Next episode preview looks good.
Hint: next episode will be heavy (but not really)… 😉
Did you watch the second OVA, Simple People?
I have yet to watch it. My fridays are busy!