I love how this episode showed that Izumi Curtis was really the one who taught the Elric brothers alchemy: their tricks are based on the same principles: manipulating their surroundings, often making them end up as a fist. I’m still not sure why Hohenheim and Father fight in the same way, though. Is it coincidence, or does this have something to do with Father’s plans of using Ed, Al and Izumi for something?
In any case, this episode closed off the first part of the finale: the takeover of the imperial castle. The annoying clone army seems to be decimated by now, Sloth is dead, and the good guys are at the moment in control of the main capital… just as Wrath gets back. I was hoping for a bit more on Hohenheim vs Father action, but their action-scene was surprisingly short, concluding on an annoying cliff-hanger.
As for the flaws of this series, Thomas made an interesting comment about it:
“Generic bad guys (looking at you, evil clone army that has no purpose whatsoever), illogical character choices and motivations, too many “last minute saves” and last but not least: too much repetition.”
I disagree about the repetition being a flaw: there has been plenty of new stuff amongst the repeated parts. The series so far hasn’t exactly started dragging to be bothersome, and it’s still all building up the storyline. I’m also not sure about the illogical character choices: I can’t recall having seen that many to really become bothersome. The “last minute saves” are becoming a problem, though. This episode again: the Armstrong siblings are about to be beaten… and who knows? Izumi arrives at the exact right moment to save their lives. The show is indeed at the point at which they’ve pulled a few too many of these twists, and I hope that it’s not a trend that’s going to increase for the rest of the series.
Nevertheless this again was an excellent episode. It was especially interesting how none of the major characters were in the spotlights: it really was all about the side-characters, from the major ones (Armstrong, Hohenheim, etc) to the minor nameless ones. It’s a great fun action-packed way to spend 20 minutes.
Rating: ** (Excellent)
Yes I admit there are a lot of “last minute saves” or I think it’s more that Arakawa likes her grand entrances (personally I like them too).
But I can say that this is also a strength in the way Arakawa shows that characters cannot do everything on their own and that they need help. And how many shounen series can you think of where adult characters get so much spotlight like FMA?
Not to mention Olivier, Izumi, Sig, and Armstrong is just one awesome team up.
I’ll just say this: The fun ends now. The meat of the plot will be served from the next episode..
I hope they’ve been saving up their budget for the last few episodes.
I like the series, but since episode 49 I have been overwhelmed by a sense of character-claustrophobia (too many characters crammed in too little time-space). A story as complex as this one should have been handled more leisurely and in greater depth. Hope, it gets better from here on. Somehow I feel as if I am being fed four – five teasers during the length of an episode.
@Alex
Don’t worry, it gets even better, though I thought the pacing was already much slower than the manga.
I think there will be maybe…two more “last minute saves” that I can remember from the manga. I never really was bothered by them, I guess cause with a month long wait for a new chapter it doesn’t seem like so many all together at once.
(you may or may not want to read this next part)
But yeah, after those last two (maybe one I’m forgetting) I think it’ll all be balanced out by a lot of last minute “oh shit, we’re doubly screwed” moments. Things really start to go down hill for our heroes.
King Bradly’s entrance was very powerful. For me, it completly crashed the sense of victory, after Sloth was beaten and HQ taken over.
As for series flaws, at this point I’m incapable of noticing them, since its just so much fun just to watch these past episodes.
Great episode indeed, very enjoyable action and story progression.
I enjoyed the clip with Wraith walking past AI and his company while they were trying to lift the car and he chose to ignore them, it seems to me somehow he isn’t interested in the whole sacrifice/father thing anymore, he is just pissed they hi-jacked his throne/country … i think this will be the point in which his human side will take over (since he actually is human from the beginning infused with a philosopher stone with father’s wraith in it).
I think i’m beginning to also understand why he is shown as if he is crying for a brief moment in the OP, i guess it has something to do with his awakening as a human and the only person he cared about (his wife) … I think Roy will try to use her as a last card aganist him as well.
——————
As for the flaws you mentioned (on behalf of Thomas), i have to disagree with al of them except the last minute save .. but believe i tried writing stories of my own in that genre it just kinda happens .. but i still think it is far from overdone compared to series like Naruto and Bleach.
As for the Clone army .. HOW does it serve no purpose, it seems Mr.Thomas hasn’t been following the story closely .. without the promise on an immortal army of soldiers by father he wouldn’t have been able to elude all the leaders of Amestris and keep them in check while hiding behind them in the shadows and letting them operate everything .. it is a crucial part of the plot and the battle aganist them while stretched out a little bit helped unify many unlikely allies together .. not to mention their entry was creepy as hell .. probably one of the creepiest scenes in the entire series until now (and goes to show how far greed and hunger for power could make normal humans do something this disgusting to gain more power) .. how is it useless after all that !!?
Hunter-Wolf, I couldn’t have said it better
I’m pretty sure Hohenhiem and Father fight the same since THEY ARE BASICALLY THE SAME BEING.
hmmm, i never gave much thought to the several last-minute saves, but then again that’s pretty much standard fare for shounen series, isn’t it? i mean we could practically rename the tactic “getting Bleach’d”. you know i’m right Bleach fans, just nod silently.
i think it does help the general narrative of FMA that the good guys, even if they are weaker and merely “human”, the fact that they always help each other out for the greater good enables them to defeat the more powerful but colder homunculi
Wrath is BACK!!! can’t wait. looks like there’s two chapter’s worth of action in the previews, should be something special.
The last minute saves are going to continue. I can recall at least a couple more times in the manga (and there’s probably more). But that’s okay, that’s about the only thing wrong with the plot from now on.
Da5id: No, he’s asking why Hohenheim and Father use the same techniques that Izumi, Ed, and Al use, not each other. We all know that Hohenheim and Father are the same.
Perhaps the question should be rephrased as, “Why do Izumi, Ed, and Al fight like Hohenheim and Father?”
“Why do Izumi, Ed, and Al fight like Hohenheim and Father?”
Because that’s how alchemists who have seen the truth fight? xP
Actually, I think Hoho and Father were just warming up/greeting each other, they haven’t shown their real tricks yet, that’s for sure!
Great ep although i’m looking forward to next week so much more. Like a few people have already mentioned, bones had better put the money into it looking absolutely amazing.
The only thing I really didn’t like in this ep was the preview. Usually they don’t really give much away but this weeks had loads of spoilers. Very annoying and I read the manga
@Hunter-Wolf Bradley crying in the op does not fit his character at all and that’s all I’ll say.
Otherwise I agree with your assessment of the clone army. Yes on one hand the clones themselves are pretty generic but they do represent something to the story. I love when Olivier tells the Amestris soldiers “that you could be turned into that.”
@Kim
But fact is, we only know about Wraith and how good at combat he is when he is pissed off, but we don’t know much about Bradley the “human”, and from what we have seen (and i think in one conversation) he valued his wife greatly as she was the only “not fake” aspect of his life, so seeing him break down and go sentimental for a moment isn’t unlikely if something befalls her … he is also the “only” human among the homunculus too.
Even the homunculus Envy (who was never human at any point and was an arrogant bastard) did cry when he realized how pathetic his existence is in his final moments.
One of the greatest flaws in Fullmetal Alchemist is in my opinion the character of May Chang. It falls under Thoma’s category of “illogical character choices”, she’s just so out of place in this series. It’s not nearly enough to make me hate the series, but it could have been so much better without her, and without the last minute saves… But still, there’s plenty to love, so whatever!
The last min saves seem to be a trademark thing in Japanese cartoons. That and destroying/remaking the world, although we all know they aquired that mental hangup from getting nuked at the end of World War 2.
As for last min saves, I couldn’t say, except for the fact that they are very tasteful in this. Unlike several Super-Sentai series I can think of where it happens EVERY EPISODE WITHOUT FAIL IN THE EXACT SAME WAY. No, FMA:Brotherhood did a good job in all respects when compared to the downfalls of other series.
May Chang as a part in the story is very important. Arakawa is all about setting up different characters in the right spots so that it all comes to a head in a significant way.
Unfortunately, May Chang is a very bland character. She’s really important since shes the only Xing alchemist…but she could be a little less one-dimensional
I respect people’s right to disagree (I can’t make someone like a character) but I don’t find May bland at all. I love her character.
>>Zaric
“That and destroying/remaking the world, although we all know they aquired that mental hangup from getting nuked at the end of World War 2.”
…What.
Right, becaus American movies or books never deal with remaking the world or ending it either and it’s a purely Japanese concept.
Seriously, what the fuck are you even talking about.
I was in fact mostly refering to May Chang’s sudden decision to go back to central. But there have been a lot more (some only bother me a little, but add them together…) and it just seems like the mangaka is trying too hard to get all the characters at places at the same time, sacrificing logic and motivation along the way.
Psgels did leave out the part where I said I think it’s one of the better shounens out there, though. I am still watching it despite its flaws, after all. But hey, thanks for the shout-out 😉
I actually don’t think May Chang’s decision to go back to Central was illogical at all. She had grown to care about the people of Amestris. She never wanted to leave in the first place (look at her reaction before she left) so it was not hard for Envy to trick her.
Now I guess it was a bit convenient for her to get back with Envy at the same time Mustang arrived but it was not illogical for her to want to come back. In fact I think it presents an interesting conflict for May because she wants to help both her own people and the people of Amestris. It also says a lot about her character.
Sig and Alex Armstrong, best scene in this episode. Also the most powerful scene was wrath reappearing, to all those who said that wrath wasn’t really “wrathful” next episode should make everything clear 🙂
Ebod: What, you’re getting insulted because he mentioned the atomic bomb? What he said is true. The Japanese do tend to get hung up with city-wide/country-wide/world-wide waves of destruction. Other cultures have stories like that too but if your at least vaguely versed in Japanese media you’ll see they have a particular fixation with it.
Not really a bad thing, just the way it is.
You think “Fist fighting” is like a style of martial arts or something?
Wha?
You know, if you’re going to transform the ground into SOMETHING to either ensnare or immobilize the enemy, why not a hand? It’s not a “style”, it’s just a logical choice.
It’s the same as putting up a wall when someone fires stuff at you. That’s not a “style” either, is it?
“I hope that it’s not a trend that’s going to increase for the rest of the series.”
Unfortunately there will be. Including one major one that isn’t exactly last minute but appears to be as te preparation was very secretive. I’m looking at you, chapter 104-105 D:
Oh come one, you can’t count 105 as a last minute save. It was premeditated. Plus what else were they gonna do? The battle doesn’t end there anyway.
p.s. by the way, someone kill me now. First time in my life I’ve consciously decided to not look at the raws of a chapter. 107 will be the death of me.
I think the way they fight is the most straightforward for them since they have all seen the truth and require no former preparation. All other alchemists have tattoos gauntlets or gloves with transmutation circles on them and which serve a particular purpose. The last minute saves are not ridiculous and the twists are clued, you know a body wasn’t found you see a hint earlier in the episode, you know a certain people are going to show up because it is part of the plan in the first place, they just like dramatic enterances.