Fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood episode 1

The new Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has already been released in Japan yesterday. This is a remake from the old version due to not following the second half of the story which is originally in manga. The first half of the original Fullmetal Alchemist was based on the manga. But after getting to the second half…

I haven’t seen any of the previous anime nor read the manga, so I have no familiarity with this series at all except recognising the two main characters from many pictures I’ve seen. This was the first introduction to the immensely popular franchise for years. I don’t know why but it didn’t really interest me that much before, but after Episode 1 I find it to be surprisingly good and hopefully the rest of the series will not be disappoining. I have yet to familiarise with characters and setting but the opening has been a good introduction to the series.

We have several character intro’s in this first episode, most notably the Fuhrer and Roy Mustang. The Fuhrer is deliberately shrouded in some level of mystery, making it very clear to the viewer that he is not all that he seems. It’s a great example of what the series is so good at; foreshadowing. We are hinted to very early on what character motivations and roles will be in the episodes to come.

The feeling this episode gave me is that not only were their bodies taken, so was there childhood. We’re presented with a pretty atypical childhood, albeit with Alchemy. The boys are children, but smart ones, and they have a life that is underpinned by their mother. To have that taken away from them is such a simple, but relatable reality, that their actions seem logical. Dealing with loss is a major theme of the series as a whole, and it’s pretty much introduced here.

Episode 2 really ups the ante for the series, and sets a real high watermark, one that I don’t think the show matches for a while. The weight of the Elric’s actions is evident, and the show makes sure we feel that. At the same time it gives so much more weight to their determination, just knowing what they’ve had to overcome even to get started on their journey.

To be honest, this is our first actual foray into the world of the present for the show. Whilst the first episode could have happened at almost any time, and the second is a direct flash back, this is where the main plot actually get’s started. Liore is a beautiful city, but one hiding an ugly underbelly.

The finale of the episode demonstrate’s Edward’s mercy, and more importantly, his drive. He want’s only to be able to regain his and Al’s body, and he is willing to fight for that. He isn’t willing to pay a life for his own gain, showing us that he has grown from the arrogant child who thought he could bring his mother back from the dead. Ending with Rose, the girl brainwashed by Cornello was a terrific choice. Her story is about letting go of the past and moving forward, serving as another mirror to the Elric’s. The past is the past, nothing can change it. You have to shape your future, by sanding up and moving forward.

This is the other episode that just has me in tears. And to be honest, it is a repeat in a sense of the second episode, showing us the weight of the Elric’s actions. It contain’s some of the shows darkest moments, and I’ll be honest it is one of my favourite episodes to hate everything that happens within it.

Scar is introduced in this episode, and it is immediately evident as to why he should be feared. Beyond his fighting prowess, he acts in the name of “god”, and is making alchemists pay for their “sins”. The weight of this is easy enough to connect to the Elrics, who quite literally wear symbols of their sin every day. The fact that he takes down a formidable alchemist with such ease is terrifying, and just serves to emphasise his role as an agent of god.

Scar closes out our episode in horrid fashion, especially with the emphasise being on the Chimera as he kills Tucker. her innocence in even this situation is a complete contrast with the perversion from which she was borne. Her innocence makes Scar’s actions even more reprehensible, but you are left with the question of what is the right thing to do?

This is a terrific episode, giving us great new characters, and ruthlessly dispatching them. Nina and Alexander are our emotional anchor, and Shou Tucker uproots that. It’s horrible, but it serves it’s point. Ed and Alphonse could have become this, and they still could. This is the evil that Scar is trying to rid the world of, even if he is a part of that evil himself without even realizing it.