Rewind: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

It too me two years to finish Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood... and that's only counting the second time through. I feel sheepish admitting this. I'm an anime fan, and FMA Brotherhood is a highly acclaimed series. Why didn't I watch it earlier? I enjoyed almost every minute of the show, so it's strange that I went months--even years--without clicking on the next episode.

Ed and Al, pre-tragedy (flashback from ep 26). Love the character
development in this show.

For whatever reason, during my first attempt at FMA Brotherhood, I only made it through about thirty episodes. I started it up again in 2012. After twenty-three episodes, I wrote out a few of my reactions in a blog post. The characters in this show are magnificently done, so I dwelled on them in another post after the 28th episode. By the time I reached the 44th episode, the conflict was heating up, character stories were coming to light, and I was pretty excited about all of it.

I didn't get much further than that episode before I stalled the show. I'm not sure why--maybe, as my freshman year of college picked up pace, I was too busy and stressed to watch Brotherhood. That happens, sometimes, when I care too much about an anime's plot and characters. I eventually went to Hulu to watch the next episode... only to find that Funimation had taken most of the episodes down. Last month, almost two years after I last watched Brotherhood, I found it on Netflix. It didn't take long for the show to suck me right back in. And this time, I stuck with it.

There are a lot of dark, serious elements to Brotherhood. There are parallels to the Nazi regime, including genocide. Human experimentation has connections both to the Nazis and to modern ethical questions. And this is only a small fraction of the tough topics Arakawa Hiromu tackled in her manga-turned-anime. But it's not all dark. Somehow, there's just enough comic relief to keep this show from being completely depressing, without undermining the gravity of each situation.

[Big Spoilers next section]

Brotherhood is fascinating in all areas, including the mythology Arakawa develops in the show. God does not exist in this anime (there is a being described as "god," but it is not, by any stretch, like the God I know). Edward Elric is an atheist, and there are atheistic themes throughout. This is especially apparent near the end, after Father absorbs the "Eye of God," becoming, by all appearances, the most powerful being known to man.

Of course, our heroes don't have much respect for anything claiming to be all-powerful. Edward's the type to march up to the deity at the Gate of Truth and demand whatever trade he thinks is fair. Mustang and other characters are similarly bold, due to a combination of ambition, pride, and faith (whether in another god, like the Ishvalians believe in, or in humanity). So they face Father head-on, defeat him, and make a statement about how humans are basically the masters of their fate (with a slight bow to natural law) and can take care of themselves without the intervention of a divine being (in fact, in this show, they're generally better off on their own).

[Spoilers over]

Clearly, secular humanism plays a big role in this anime. The abilities of humans are lifted up, while supernatural or otherworldly beings--such as homunculi, deities, or deity wannabes--are systematically undermined and/or defeated. This is a popular worldview, and if you keep an eye out, you'll recognize its influence, especially in Western media. But it's not just the worldview in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. It's one of the reigning themes.

As a Christian, I must recognize when secular humanism is being promoted and reject the fallacies that come with it. There is an all-powerful God, and he is involved in our lives. He is our Creator, and he made the world--and humans in particular--to be in a relationship with him. As such, we are not better off on our own, and we can not completely solve our problems on our own--especially since the biggest problem any person can have is separation from God.

At the same time, there are glimmers of truth in humanism. (In fact, there's a branch known as Christian humanism, but I'm ignoring that term here, since it could confuse the compare/contrast of secular humanism and a Biblical worldview.) Humans are pretty special. Out of all Creation (including angels), we're the only ones created in the likeness of God. He gave us reign over everything else on earth (Genesis 1:26-29, Psalm 8). And if we believe in God, and in his son, Jesus Christ, then we will even be glorified with Christ, as co-heirs with him (Romans 8:14-17). I could spend an entire post on the blessings God gives us. But I won't. And, before I continue, I'd like to emphasize that everything that makes us special is a gift from God, and does not come from some human-generated ability. God is still infinitely greater than us in every way, which is what makes his love for us even more amazing.

Basically, we've been put in an enviable position... which brings me back to Brotherhood.

[Some spoilers through ep 54 ahead]

In episode 54, Ed cuts to the heart of Envy's envy.

Meet Envy, the vain, shapeshifting homunculus. I don't have a screenshot of his preferred form, but, by the end of his battle with Ed, Mustang, and the others in ep 54, he's just a little green monster, both literally and figuratively. Until his defeat, he had power than most humans can only dream of. If he'd left Mustang's friends alone, or at least concealed his part in Hughes's murder and hightailed it out of the country, he could have been immortal. And yet, he's jealous of humans. Why?

In Brotherhood, we see many things humans have that Envy doesn't. Most notably, there's the relationships, which provide not only love, but support and strength. We may be weak at times, but, together, we can pick each other up and succeed (note the humanism in that statement). We have a warmth and a depth, a wellroundedness, and an ability to rule that Envy and the other homunculi don't.

When I saw Envy's envy, I though of Satan, a vain, jealous (now fallen) angel. He tried to set himself up as God, and was then cast out of heaven. We humans are much closer to what he covets that he will ever be, for the reasons I outlined above the screenshot.

... I want to go on, but I'm out of time.

Away from the Nest - College and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Well, my delightful year away from school has ended, and I'm adjusting to daily classes and homework. I'm so glad I spent those six months at my aunt's house. Thanks to my time there, I have no problem being away from home. Homesickness may have been a real problem if I went straight from my life at home to dorm life.

Granted, my school is only two hours away from home, and one hour away from most of my relatives. I saw my mom and sister just yesterday when Lil Sis had a volleyball tournament (thought she can't actually play, thanks to her knee). Aunt dropped by on her way to my parent's house just last week, too. I'm pretty sure I get to see my family a whole lot more often than most students here. But my point is that I don't need to; I might miss my family a little, but I'm just fine without them.

The girls in my dorm are all really nice, and I've recently learned that a couple of them even like anime, including one of my roommates. My older roommate loves Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood in particular. This Friday afternoon, after celebrating the end of the week's classes, I was watching episode 33 or so of Brotherhood. Roommate looked over and mentioned her enjoyment of the show. I took my headphones out, and we watched several episodes. Then we paused, went to the cafeteria for dinner, came back, and watched more. It was so fun!

I've watched through the 44th episode of Brotherhood now, and things are really heating up.

[Spoilers Ahead!]

I really like how the Elric brothers, Winry, and Scar are being forced to work together. I used to really dislike Scar, but I've come to love him. He's twisted, but I think his mind is slowly being straightened out. He killed the Doctors Rockbell, but his mind wasn't working right in the moment, and he seems remorseful when he looks back.

Scar pretending to take Winry hostage in episode 39 or so.

I can't wait to see what happens next. There are a lot of interesting, deep characters, and they're all doing something important right now. It's hard to keep track of, and I have a feeling I won't completely absorb all of it until I watch the series a couple more times.

Selim Bradley, aka Pride, is now on my list of most hated Fullmetal Alchemist characters. I don't hate him as much as Kimblee, the Crimson Alchemist (I shudder every time he enters a scene), but he's up there alright.

I call Father "Fuzzball" now, since I saw his test tube days. I think "Fuzzball" is an apt nickname for him, don't you? I actually liked Fuzzball in test tube days, until I saw him with an eye like Pride's. Then I decided I highly disliked the evil little ball.

Hohenheim is a very interesting character. I could see the sadness in him even a couple dozen episodes back, and now I've begun to understand why. He's seen so much and lost so many who were dear to him. He was so naive and trusting when he was young. Now, he's old, wise, and carries a burden that no one should have to carry. At the same time, he's clumsy; not physically, but with relationships. He doesn't know how to be a father, and his attempts are rather cute when you understand his reasoning.

I could examine several other characters, but I'd like to leave you with a scene I imagined with Roommate:

Scar is at the beach. He must have been ordered to have a vacation or something, but that tense frown just won't leave his face. He wears brightly colored swim trunks and lounges stiffly in a beach chair. A colorful umbrella shades him, and he holds a tropical drink with a little paper umbrella in it. Happy-go-lucky tourists swarm on the beach around him.

Are you laughing yet? We found the idea of Scar on a beach vacation very amusing.

Now, I'm off to either watch anime or do homework. Not sure which yet.

Quick Thoughts on "Father," Hohenheim, Scar, and Ling after 28 Eps

Just finished watching episode twenty eight of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, entitled "Father."

What a fascinating episode. Things are really getting different from the other series by now. This "Father" guy is quite interesting.

I think I'd only watched the first 25 episodes of Brotherhood before, so my full attention wasn't held until episode 26 and this one. I'm very curious to find out more about Hohenheim and "Father." Hohenheim seems a lot more tenderhearted than he was initially portrayed. His story must be a long and hard one. Hundreds of years long, to be exact. I look forward to more of him. I suspect he will remain a little mysterious all the way through to the end of the series.

I only recently started to like Ling, so having the new Greed take over made me frown. It made sense, though, and I still have hope.

I'm also starting to like Scar. He's hurt and bitter, but I have hope for him, too.

That's all for now. The young cousins are probably getting restless, since I told them quiet time would be over after a half hour. Can't write (or watch) anymore until later.

Thoughts as I Re-watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

After at least a year of saying I'd do it, I've finally restarted Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I think I watched about thirty episodes of it two years ago (maybe more) before stalling it and watching Fullmetal Alchemist instead. I can't remember why exactly I stalled it. Maybe the dark and bloody parts had gotten to me (the last scene I remember watching from that bout of Brotherhood was a scene in Gluttony's stomach). Maybe I just wanted a cleaner, more straightforward storyline. I don't know. Now that I've restarted it, I find the plot in Brotherhood quite understandable.

I re-watched Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: The Conqueror of Shamballa a week or so ago and decided, "Hey, I still haven't finished Brotherhood. I should do that now. I want to see more of Ed and Mustang and all of those cool people."

I've re-watched the first twenty three episodes of Brotherhood now. Since I haven't blogged about anime in a while, here are a few thoughts:

1. I forgot how bloody and serious parts of this anime are.
The setting and plot are deeper than most anime I've watched. This show deals with racism, government corruption, genocide, human experimentation, grief, and revenge, along with other topics. It's interesting, thought-provoking, and at times hard to watch. Poor Nina...

2. There are some religion pieces in this series.
As a Christian, I take special note of the episodes near the beginning of this series (episodes two and three, I believe). How can I not? There's a corrupt priest misleading the people and betraying their trust. And the main character, whom I happen to really enjoy, denies the existence of God.

On the first point, I can relate the corrupt priest to several charlatans and corrupt churches throughout history. The fictional evildoer frustrates me almost as much as the real ones. I get quite annoyed when people try to use God's name for their own gain, particularly when they hurt thousands of others in the process.

On the second, I can't do anything about a fictional character's perspective on the universe. And I probably can't convert a mangaka who I won't ever meet. I can pray for her, but that's about it. So I enjoy Fullmetal Alchemist, atheist characters and all.

3. The humor and sketchy/diminutive art provides a nice contrast to all the serious and dark parts of the show.
Ed's prickliness about his height never grows old. Nor does Winry's reaction when he bangs up his automail. ^_^

4. Al had a particularly epic scene in episode 19. I had to take a screenshot for my background.

Well, that's about it for now. I thought it was about time for me to blog about anime again, so here it is. A few unrelated notes: I start college really soon. I'm refreshed after my year off and ready for school! I wonder how it will effect my various hobbies. I already have a hard time juggling anime, blogging, At His Whim, other writing, other TV, reading...