Whoa, so many things happened in this episode. What an awesome way to enter the fifth and final season of this series; it was action-packed from start to finish and just about every side-story the creators showed here kicked ass.
The clone-army, which we saw awakened at the end of the previous episode, was indeed as intense as I expected. It had it coming that they would freak out, but I really have to give credit to Bones for animating this so well. It also was very nice to see not just Barry the Chopper’s body back, but also the same wall that was created in the same fight still standing. It’s the same as in Lior: these things ain’t gonna fix themselves, and it really adds to the setting to keep track of the damages that are done to buildings and surroundings during the past fights in the story.
The best animation in this episode definitely came from Envy, though. His scene was short, but incredibly powerful, especially considering that Mai Chang is going to have to face him all by herself. It may have been stupid of her to take Envy back to where he wanted to go, but at the same time this flaw does add to her character. What would be awesome now if for her to actually redeem herself, and learn from her mistakes.
Also, against my expectations it was Kimblee instead of Sloth who came to rescue Pride, but of course that makes all the more sense, since Kimblee could reach the guy a lot faster than Sloth would, and he also would not have any problems blowing up a wall. It’s still a bit of a mystery why Al let it all happen, though. Even considering that he didn’t know at all that this was possible, you would have to get some sort of clue after seeing Pride hit on his helmet for who knows how many hours. But then again, Al has been going through a rough time. My guess is that he was so relieved that he was able to something despite his condition, and I think that he was much more focused on not trying to lose his body. Which made his comeback all the more worthwhile.
So yeah, an awesome episode. If the rest of this series is going to be like this, we’re in for one hell of a finale. It’s just a shame that the new OP was a disappointment, though. Both the song and mood in my opinion failed to capture what this series is about, and instead made it look like some cheesy sentimental drama. All of the shots we saw were of people looking gloomy or angry, being sad or looking downward. What I got from this series however, was to look upward: don’t resign to your fate; instead you should do something about it!
Rating: *** (Awesome)
“All of the shots we saw were of people looking gloomy or angry, being sad or looking downward.”
–> Forshadowing much? Lol
You got it right that this series is all about hope and looking upward. But that is still portrayed in this OP as in the last scene: Ed smiling while sleeping peacefully and Winry watching over him; the rebuilt Elric house with green roof…
So yeah, I think the OP is great and creates the right mood for the final arc of this series.
I agree with you the opening was way too angsty. I hated how they made Winry cry. Winry promised Ed that the next time she would cry it would be out of happiness and so far she has kept her word and has not cried.
Heh. The momentum only keeps picking up 😀
I like this Opening for being “Calm Before the Storm”, and subverting from Epic Finale, but…eh, it’s underwhelming.
It might grow on me but I think I would have just preferred the flashy standard over-the-top light-hearted action Opening in the veins of AKFG or L’Arc en Ciel for the final opening. SID are rubbish and the melodrama is a bit much.
Al just thought that Pride was playing he had no idea it was bad
*PRAYS tmd comes out early again
The new OP and even ED are a disappointment. I like SID usually but the song just doesn’t fit the final battle between good and evil. I except something in the veins of “Sign” by FLOW
“All of the shots we saw were of people looking gloomy or angry, being sad or looking downward.”
As the first poster said, “Forshadowing?” What makes you think that this series will end happily? That amidst all the awesome fighting there won’t be a TON of despair? And things might not end well at all? But as the last scene shows, maybe they’ll live with that in some small form of happiness and rebuild upon what they’ve lost. I think the OP captured all that wonderfully, and (STOP)
as a manga reader, I think it definitely captured the mood of recent chapters.
I liked this new opening so much more than the last one. That was my least favorite one, it wasn’t bad, but not really cool like the last ones.
If I had to rank in order it would be:
1. Third opening
2. Fifth opening
3. Second opening
4. First opening
5. Fourth opening
I love the new opening theme, and the sequence that goes with it is great, aside from Winry crying causing a major continuity error. I love the facial expressions of everyone in the picture, particularly Pride, Roy, and Ed when he squints at the sunlight to see Tricia.
As someone who has read the manga, the new OP captures the feeling of upcoming episodes perfectly.
This episode had me so HYPED! i was yelling like a happy madman most of the way. LOVED Alex’s entrance and Al’s exit from the smoke, with Kimblies crazy look. one of the best episodes of FMA for me by far. it’ll be sad to see it end, but like Q from ST:TNG said : “All good things must come to an end.”
“Kimblee could reach the guy a lot faster than Sloth would”
you make wish to consider retracting that statement at a later date, lol
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i agree that musically the new OP/ED are pretty bleh… the OP gives away A TON of stuff LOL. sometimes, less is more, Bones…
great episode as expected. what the heck were pride/kimblee doing after al blew his legs off? taking a bathroom break?! FINISH THE JOB!!! now you got super-saiyan al on your case lol
“Al just thought that Pride was playing he had no idea it was bad”
Right, the cute little hommunculus was just playing with his head for a few hours by tapping on it with a stick.
Al’s ignorance really pissed me off – and so did Mai’s but at least hers resulted in the most badass scene of the episode.
Ed’s scene was a little disappointing, I wasn’t really creeped out by the army (the army reminded me a bit of the main baddy in Soul Eater, except that he’s actually creepy).
Unfortunately the OP did give away way too much, I can pretty much guess who’s going to die at this point. Dammit, Bones.
Overall I’m a little frustrated. Ah well, at least Envy was epic.
@Thomas
“I can predict what will happen”
That’s the one thing you can never say about FMA. Trust me, I know what the opening is pointing at, and you’ll still be surprised.
Woah, that was one incredible episode.
And for the people expecting AI to figure Pride’s tap code thing .. HOW i ask you .. how would AI know a military tap-code … he has no way to figure that .. not only this .. but people seem to have forgotten he is still very young (despite being an alchemist and a soul trapped in a huge armor) .. being that young he is pretty damn naive (way more than Ed) … so naive he is still treating Pride like he is a child … he even considered him “PLAYING” with his head .. there is no way whatsoever AI would have figured what Pride was really doing on his own.
And what’s with the hate to the new OP, i think it was impressive, and it captures the mood of this final arc perfectly … how come it doesn’t when we have so much destruction, chaos and death happening and the entire country of Amistris it threatened with obliteration .. with all that who wouldn’t look gloomy .. the characters indeed have to look gloomy, sad and in despair .. it still doesn’t mean they won’t fight back.
The best scene i really loved is the one with Pride looks as if he promptly crying a tear before confronting an angry Scar .. it shows that among all the homunculus he is the only one that has an actual human side .. despite his ferocity in combat (it seems he is crying his wife or something).
Remember people .. these is the Darkest hours in the story .. and the OP captures that mood very well .. as they say .. it is DARKEST before the DAWN (the dawn which we see in the final scene of the OP with ED’s new house and Winry smiling while the sun shines on her and in the ED too) .. simply perfect.
And like i said … the ED complements the OP with it’s cheery song quite well too … great choices really.
I Knew this episode would be good, but… wow that was… more than I was expecting >.> I rewatched it three times already x.x’
As many people have said the new OP does actually suit the finale arc, even if it does contain a few spoilers one of which is fairly big and make me luagh when I saw it in the op. Which makes me wonder how many people will figure it out before the scene happens.
Also the Ending theme works pretty well especially starting up in that final epic moment of the episode which I enjoyed much more than the Envy scene.
Hey, Thomas. If you come back around I’d love to hear your predictions for what’s going to happen. Just for a good laugh. No really, I’m just curious to see what a none-manga reader thinks will happen now, and maybe you’ll surprise me and be right. 😉
I actually don’t get people saying the OP is full of spoilers. Really I think only a manga reader could pick up on what most of the stuff means, and some of the other stuff is purposefully misleading, and was misleading in the manga as well.
I’m with you here when you say you don’t like the new OP. Personally I think it’s horrible.
The Envy regeneration scene was so beautifully animated, I don’t think I could have even imagined a better way for that to happen.
As a non manga reader, I don’t know WTH people are complaining about major spoilers in the OP aside from one about the final sacrifice when the big eyeball showed up.
Seriously, you only know it’s a spoiler if you already know what’s gonna happen…in which case it’s no longer a spoiler for you.
Did anyone else think the music in the entire episode just wasn’t as epic, as it felt like when you read the chapters?
As a manga reader, i was BLOWN by Al’s entrance from the smoke (BADASS!!) but it the music sounded….. a little.. corny here.
The OP is OK, but the ED just plain sucks….the OP also sucks for the music…though the visuals are great….not spoilerific, mind you 😀
FMA:B has a good soundtrack, I wish they would upgrade it a bit for the finale..
Also, Envy’s entrance was a lot more awesome than in the Manga
scytheslash
y’know what? i have to agree just about everything you said. i thought the ep was good, but it wasn’t as good as i expected.
in terms of background music IMHO the best themes in the entire series are “next chapter” (roy/hawkeye fighting last week) and “battle scherzo” (olivia killing the general last week)… both were absent this week and the replacements were nowhere as compelling even though there was more action.
plus i think envy’s mannerisms after getting back to normal were overdone.
i definitely think the manga did al getting the stone better than the anime, but the manga is the superior product anyway. i really liked the simplicity of the panel in the chapter he fought pride/kimblee with the “fight with me” line. (http://www.onemanga.com/Full_Metal_Alchemist/92/03/) it wasn’t animated like that but it can still happen i guess (i hope? LOL).
still a decent adaptation as always.
The opening sucks.
I was waiting for the new op to be all action and I got this.
Just check Naruto new opening for an example of an opening for a series that is gonna have a epic fight.
The funny thing is that the previous ending was all action IMO way better than the op or this one.
^ Leave it to a Narutard to state a piece of crap opinion.
Go back to your Naruto, loser.
@cornwiggle: you can say about Naruto whatever you want but I would be a little cautious at the moment. psgels is blogging shows like Angel Beats! und that Maid-show, not to mention he thought B Gata would have some potential. I’m sure Naruto is EPIC compared to the mentioned shows. Well, I’m not really a fan but I appreciate the work of the manga author and about the music in the anime: it was very good in Naruto, cannot say much about Shippuuden (I didn’t watch it). The openings were always great!!! The Giant Killing opening is similar to an old Naruto opening, must be the same artist.
Cornwiggle: no insulting people just because they have a different opinion than yours. 😉
MarieLuise: I’m actually glad that Kaichou wa Maid Sama and Angel Beats are much less epic than Naruto. It allows for a much more down to earth series in which there isn’t some sort of forced plot about trying to save the entire world.
I was confused that Kimblee didn’t know about Gluttony. I guess Pride’s message was just an SOS? I was afraid for a minute that Pride was sending some other message entirely — which would make me feel a little better about Al’s negligence. But nothing has come of it.
@ Hagaren
I’m not Thomas, but I am a non-manga reader. I wanted to wait until after the show finished in case I somehow accidentally guessed right.
The way the opening is set up, back then to me it looked like Winry (because of the silhouette), Al (because his body was in the gate), and Roy (because of the clip with Hawkeye crying) were going to bite the dust.
Roy being one of the sacrifices wasn’t really much of a surprise, since there weren’t a lot of skilled alchemists built up to be a potential fifth sacrifice. The way it happened though, was unexpected.
All in all, if you don’t know what’s coming, I think the openings tended to not spoil as much as people claimed they did.