Let's Watch FMA: Brotherhood

[Randomguy]

Selim
betwen that and 'Poenhighm', I'm starting to honstly wonder who trnalaed this, (because last I cheked Selene is definitively a girl's name, ain' it ?)

I watch the dub, so it's easy for me to mishear names or transliterate them incorrectly, especially uncommon names. But yeah, the name-gender mismatch confused me. Thanks for clarifying.

[Alleran]

At the end of the episode we get another surprise (as if there haven't been enough already) when we find out that King Bradley has a son, Selene, which means that homunculi can have children. (Unless he's adopted). Also, that bit at the end when Bradley says "Who knows, you might end up helping me out one day" seems ominous.

<snip>

Things to add to my List Of Stuff That Will Become Important Later:

• King Bradley is Wrath.
• The Father of the sins might be Pride
• The Father is trying to bring about the Promised Day.
• The Father looks suspiciously like Hohenheim. Perhaps he is a distant ancestor of Edward's?

His son's name is spelt as Selim, for the record. Others might have already pointed it out.

Also, this is great.

[Randomguy]

Episode 15: Envoy from the East

Watchthrough Thoughts

• The intro song / intro scene is different. I suppose it makes sense that the point at which the story diverges from its predecessor is the point where the intro song is no longer “again”. (Although to be honest I double checked to make sure I was watching FMA:Brotherhood and not the original FMA)
• Hey, it was the desert area to the east. And beyond that, a country called “Xing” (pronounced Shing).
• “Things began to move more towards the militaristic when the current fuhrer, King Bradley, came to power”. This is important.

Scar and May Chang
Scar takes out another state alchemist. He also meets up with May Chang, an alcahester from Xing, and her mini panda thing. We find out that Scar's tattoo symbolizes the basic principles of alcahestry: “the art of reading’s the dragons pulse. Of knowing the power that flows through the ground and how to use it”. This doesn’t seem that different from the “one is all, all is one” idea of alchemy. We also learned a bit about Scar’s brother: He was an alchemist and an alcahester.

It’s surprising that May knew Edward’s actual description, instead of thinking that he’s a tall man never seen without his full plate armour.


Colonol Mustang's Conspiracy
Hawkeye is ambushed by Barry the armoured soul serial killer and kicks his ass. I should probably have noticed that he escaped back in episode 8. Anyway, he gives information to Colonel Mustang’s conspiracy, so they now know that the 5th laboratory was being used to create the philosopher’s stone, that senior military staff might be involved and a little bit about Lust and Envy. Hawkeye asked a very important question: “Do you think this means they have what they need or will they try to make additional stones?" They might have just been cleaning up, so that the Elric brothers and their co-conspirators couldn’t get any answers from any of the researchers. It’s possible that they still need more stones to accomplish whatever they’re trying to do.
If all the researchers were used to make philospher’s stones, then who preformed that transmutation? Perhaps someone with even higher clearance? It might also have been The Father. Not that important, though, I’m sure that there are plenty higher ups that are good enough at alchemy to do the job.

It occurs to me that the homunculi might be trying to create a true philosopher's stone by sacrificing Edward/Alfonse/Izumi, since imperfect philosopher's stones are made by sacrificing humans, so they might get better results by sacrificing humans who know The Truth. This is just one possibility, though.
While we're on the topic of this sacrifice, I think it's most likely going to end up being Izumi. Like Julio Scoundrel said, the most likely scenario for the old mentor figure is to get killed off so that the hero can swear revenge.

Ling

I don’t like Ling. He’s greedier than The Avaricious himself, and doesn’t pull it off with as much style. Also, I doubt he cares as much about his minions. Hell, now that I think about it, Greed at least offered a peaceful(-ish) exchange of information, but Ling never did. On top of all that, the lucky bastard manages to run into two people who know a lot about the philosophers stone almost as soon as he got to the country, while Edward and Alfonse took years to find out anything.

There’s something off about his stated purpose. If he does discover immortality, and brings it back to his father the Emperor, then the king won’t be on the verge of death anymore, so it doesn’t matter if he’s the Emperor’s favourite child anymore. Unless, of course, the Emperor suffers a tragically fatal case of ninja-induced-stab-wounds, leaving the grief-stricken Ling immortal, rich and powerful.

Other Notes

Alfonse can do alchemy without the transmutation circles! Who knows what other alchemical secrets he learned? I’m surprised no one ever tried to fake this ability by hiding their transmutation circles. On second thought, it would make that person a target for the Sins as a possible sacrifice, so I suppose good thing no one did.

Two people appear from Xing at the same time, both seeking immortality? No way this is a coincidence. Made more suspicious by the fact that May has a pet, Shao May, and an image of Shao May's face appears on Ling's hankerchief. It's possible that they're related, since the Emperor of Xing has so many kids.

The fact that the country only started with the military alchemy when King Bradley took over means that one of The Fathers goals was achieved through this. I think it's probably that having military alchemists means that there are alchemists under the governments (and therefore in The Father's) control, so it made it possible for him to start mass producing philosopher's stones.

I'm going to take a moment to point out some parallels between what's happening in the show overall and the corresponding real life events that happened at this time, namely World War 1. The Father and his homunculi have been working for at least 100 years to stir up trouble. They've made one country a military power, made the citizens of that country riot and essentially brought them to the verge of revolution and they quite possibly had a hand in making sure Armestice had uneasy relationships (at best) with all its neighbouring countries. I could easily see the situation turning into a war, especially if someone sufficiently important, like Ling, gets killed.

I wonder what was happening in China during WW1. I'll do some research.

Things to add to my List Of Stuff That Will Become Important Later:

• Ling's hankerchief has a panda face on it, which looks just like May's mini panda. Maybe it's a really common pet in Xing, but it might also be a clan symbol, or a symbol of royalty.
• The Xerxes ruins.

[Yana]

Nice catch on the panda with Ling and May. I doubt many people would have spotted that at first glance.

There are five separate intro sequences for FMA:B, they typically occur during major transition points for the show. In terms of the images they actually show and the music, I'd say the 2nd and 3rd are my particular favorites.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Spoiler: the pieces are falling into place...

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He's slowly putting the pieces together



And it will be glorious once he completes the puzzle

Spoiler: Wild mass guessing time (haven't seen past Ep. 14, but have been reading spoilered stuff)

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Hohenheim is Pride. Created in Father's own image, his favorite creation.

Anyway, I started watching Episode 15, and... I think Toonami's skipped episodes. They're bringing up stuff I know was in the original anime, but I hadn't seen in it in Brotherhood. Mainly involving the town with all the automail mechanics. Not sure about that though.

[SaintRidley]

Give it some time, and you'll learn to really like Ling.

[Randomguy]

Nice catch on the panda with Ling and May. I doubt many people would have spotted that at first glance.

Actually, I didn't catch it at first. I only noticed it when I went back to rewatch Edward's conversation with Ling to make sure I got the quote about King Bradley right.

[TheSummoner]

Spoiler: Big spoilers. Stay away if you haven't watched the show from start to finish.

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I don’t like Ling. He’s greedier than The Avaricious himself, and doesn’t pull it off with as much style.

Anyone else grin at this? He's way off about Ling not caring about his followers, but the fact that he immediately compared Ling to Greed makes me laugh.

[Closet_Skeleton]

I'm going to take a moment to point out some parallels between what's happening in the show overall and the corresponding real life events that happened at this time, namely World War 1.

To be honest, the Europe parallels in FMA are kind of deceptive.

Spoiler: not really spoilers but could spoil

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Much like how the fantasy Japan in Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado is actually a parody of Victorian London, the fantasy Germany of Amestris is more rooted in the history of Japan. Hence Amestris' neighbours being a China analogue across a great sea (just one of sand rather than water) and a stalemate with a Russia analogue in the cold north. The author of FMA is from Hokaido and while Ishbal appears middle eastern and something of a reference to the wars America fought when the manga was running, interviews with the writer have her claim that the Ishbalans are based on the Ainu of Hokaido rather than the Jews of Europe.

The military government of Amestris has a much closer analogue in Japanese militarism than in either the Junkers or the Nazis.

I wonder what was happening in China during WW1. I'll do some research.

An awful lot. Nothing to do with clans or Emperors though. The monarchy was taken out in 1912 to be replaced by a very weak republican government and lots of warlords rose to power in far from the capital.

[Xondoure]

Spoiler: Big spoilers. Stay away if you haven't watched the show from start to finish.

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Anyone else grin at this? He's way off about Ling not caring about his followers, but the fact that he immediately compared Ling to Greed makes me laugh.

Oh absolutely.

[Forrestfire]

Agreed 100%

[Ravian]

Spoiler: Big spoilers. Stay away if you haven't watched the show from start to finish.

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Anyone else grin at this? He's way off about Ling not caring about his followers, but the fact that he immediately compared Ling to Greed makes me laugh.

I am so waiting for his reaction to that event.

[Rodin]

Spoiler: Wild mass guessing time (haven't seen past Ep. 14, but have been reading spoilered stuff)

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Hohenheim is Pride. Created in Father's own image, his favorite creation.

Anyway, I started watching Episode 15, and... I think Toonami's skipped episodes. They're bringing up stuff I know was in the original anime, but I hadn't seen in it in Brotherhood. Mainly involving the town with all the automail mechanics. Not sure about that though.

Some of the events which happened early in the manga have this weird situation where they were covered in the original anime but Brotherhood skimmed over them or skipped them entirely in the interest of not repeating what they already did. They basically rushed through the first little bit in order to get to the divergence point.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Spoiler: Big spoilers. Stay away if you haven't watched the show from start to finish.

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Anyone else grin at this? He's way off about Ling not caring about his followers, but the fact that he immediately compared Ling to Greed makes me laugh.

I grinned massively when I read that.

[Yana]

Spoiler: Big spoilers. Stay away if you haven't watched the show from start to finish.

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Anyone else grin at this? He's way off about Ling not caring about his followers, but the fact that he immediately compared Ling to Greed makes me laugh.

That's still a ways off though, I'm more interested to see the reaction to

Spoiler: Future Spoilers ect.

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The outcome of the Lust vs Mustang and Hawkeye battle. I still get chills whenever I hear the Lieutenant lose it.

[CWater]

Liking this thread very much.

Spoiler: Big spoilers. Stay away if you haven't watched the show from start to finish.

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Anyone else grin at this? He's way off about Ling not caring about his followers, but the fact that he immediately compared Ling to Greed makes me laugh.

Oh, I grinned so much too.

[Randomguy]

A brief pre-episode comparison of Xing and China
I briefly looked into what was going on in China during WW1. From my understanding of it the country was neutral during the war, mostly because it was too divided and weak to take a side. They jumped in with the winning side towards the end for their own benefit, but it didn't work out well for them. I suppose that if the emperor of Xing dies without choosing a successor, then all the clans will be divided and the country would be weak, allegorical to how China was divided in real life. Even if this doesn't happen the comparison could still be made, because all the clans are squabbling to ensure one of their own becomes the successor.

Episode 16: Footsteps of a Comrade-in-Arms

Watchthrough Thoughts

• I'm paying a bit of attention to the intro thing this time. I'll just note that there was a scene with Wrath holding his own against Ling and BOTH his bodyguards simultaneously. Whether or not this actually happens in the show, that's pretty darn impressive.
• You know what: Never mind. My threat estimate of the bodyguards has just plummeted. How did they manage to lose Ling? He was on a train carriage, there were like three exits, tops.
• Oh geez, Winry's heart crushing reaction is coming up. Also, everyone else's.
• Oh dear oh no Colonel Mustang's tired and Envy's going to try to assassinate him oh no oh no...

Episode Notes



This was a sad one.

This is the first episode that's made me start to entertain the possibility that in the end, the bad guys win. The situation looks very, very grim. The only reason Colonel Mustang got his promotion in the first place is because the homunculi knew he was plotting things and wanted to make him easier to keep an eye on, and they've already identified everyone in his pathetic attempt at a conspiracy.
Even when some of the protagonists have relevant information, the Fuhrer's clever speech is stopping them from communicating. Major Armstrong, Colonel Mustang and the Elrics all have information that the others could benefit from knowing, but none of them are sharing anything! Well, Edward might have talked to Hughes, but Hughes is dead and Colonel Mustang took about five seconds to give Edward a reason to distrust him. It's even possible that, when Edward finds out about Lieutenant Ross, he'll think that Colonel Mustang framed her!


On an equally slightly less note: I think Ling has some sort of illness. Perhaps anemia? Something that makes it easy for him to collapse after being out on his own for too long. It must be something that alcahestry can't cure. That might be the real reason (or another reason) why he's looking for the philosopher's stone: To cure his own illness, or give himself immortality before his own untimely death.

I suppose there's still some hope. Scar is doing pretty well for himself, and it's possible that some of the people he's wiping off the face of the planet might be working for the Fuhrer. Actually, never mind. All the state alchemists who worked on the philosophers stone have already been killed. I guess you could argue that he's taking out alchemists that the Fuhrer might use against the good guys, but you could also argue that he's taking out alchemists that the good guys might recruit to their side, so really he's just killing off people. At best, he'll go after the homunculi when he gets to central rather than more state alchemists.


Things are going to get much, much worse for the protagonists before they get better.

Things to add to my List Of Stuff That Will Become Important Later:

• Officer Cigarette is dating Lust.
• Lieutenant Ross is being framed.

[Yana]

Things to add to my List Of Stuff That Will Become Important Later:

• Officer Cigarette is dating Lust.

That's Lieutenant Jean Havoc.

[Gettles]

Spoiler: Ling's fainting and the future

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Now that I think about it, is that ever given an explanation? I can only remember it coming up twice (in the episode just mentioned and in Gluttony) and is never comes up again, is it a bigger thing in the manga or something?

[Cizak]

Spoiler: Ling's fainting and the future

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Now that I think about it, is that ever given an explanation? I can only remember it coming up twice (in the episode just mentioned and in Gluttony) and is never comes up again, is it a bigger thing in the manga or something?

Spoiler

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It also came up when they met him. But, isn't just an act/lazyness? It never even crossed my mind that it was supposed to be some sort of illness or something.

EDIT: Oh, and it happens when he takes back his body from Greed after attacking Wrath. It doesn't seem to happen when Greed is in control. Either homonculi don't need to eat or Greed just eats more regularly than Ling.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Spoiler: anaemia

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Its only the 'malnutrition' kind of anaemia, not the chronic problem that can't just be solved by eating iron rich foods.

He just collapses from hunger because he doesn't eat well regularly and is kind of hyper-active, its really just a joke that doesn't make too much logical sense.

[John Cribati]

Spoiler: Shrugs and mumbles about ling and fainting

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I always figured that ‘Ling keels over from hunger or whatever’ is just the same sort of darkly humorous running gag as ‘Izumi coughs up blood.’

[Prime32]

Spoiler: Image, not a spoiler

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[CarpeGuitarrem]

Spoiler: Next episode

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Mwaha, haha, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Sorry, I'm just looking forward to Maria Ross' "death". I remember seeing that for the first time, feeling really put-out by Mustang's actions, and then accidentally spoiling myself on TV Tropes.

[Helanna]

Spoiler: Image, not a spoiler

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My favorite thing here is that she actually cited it. That's hilarious.

Spoiler: Next episode

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Mwaha, haha, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Sorry, I'm just looking forward to Maria Ross' "death". I remember seeing that for the first time, feeling really put-out by Mustang's actions, and then accidentally spoiling myself on TV Tropes.

Spoiler

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I can't wait for the reaction. When I watched it, I was just beginning to really like Mustang at that point. And then that happened and I was absolutely horrified. And then vastly relieved the next episode.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Spoiler: Image, not a spoiler

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Wouldn't that be Elric A. 2003?

[Forrestfire]

Probably 2001, honestly. Unless it was a specific quote.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Probably 2001, honestly. Unless it was a specific quote.

I'm pretty sure it's part of what Al says in the 2003 anime opening.

[ryuplaneswalker]

I'm pretty sure it's part of what Al says in the 2003 anime opening.

I think somewhere in the manga he said it as well, but it has been years since I have read the manga.

[TheSummoner]

Assuming the citation has the date right, the line would've had to have been in the manga (which started in 2001). That said, the quote probably should've been attributed to Hiromu Arakawa, the author/artist, rather than Al...