Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
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What the fuck was THAT?
A recap episode right after a cliffhanger? That's some bullshit. Also it was a really weird recap episode that didn't do a very good job of recaping things. Also what the fuck is up with Hohenheim? Which is a stupid question to ask since I don't want spoilers.
Honestly, the most interesting part of this episode was the new Opening. While the song is pretty... not that great... the opening itself shows off a bunch of new shit. Like Hughes being in it for some reason.
New ending just plain sucks.
Speaking of endings, the moment they started playing the ending song in episode 26 was perfect. Made for such a great moment.
/done
A recap episode right after a cliffhanger? That's some bullshit. Also it was a really weird recap episode that didn't do a very good job of recaping things. Also what the fuck is up with Hohenheim? Which is a stupid question to ask since I don't want spoilers.
Honestly, the most interesting part of this episode was the new Opening. While the song is pretty... not that great... the opening itself shows off a bunch of new shit. Like Hughes being in it for some reason.
New ending just plain sucks.
Speaking of endings, the moment they started playing the ending song in episode 26 was perfect. Made for such a great moment.
/done
Yeah it did. 
I liked the recap as far as recaps go, but I too was disappointed that it was a recap in the first place and not an actual episode. However, we gotta keep things in context, Ben: this is the remake's first bullshit episode. Bullshit is bullshit no matter how you call it, but hey: at least it's got a ratio so far of 1:26 (or 1/27) as opposed to the original series' 1:2 (or 1/3). ^^;
As for Hohenheim, I'm guessing you at least figured out by the end of it (which is how long it took me to figure it out, too, despite my spoiler knowledge! XD) that it was all an intoxicated dream he had had. But once I realized that, it all made sense to me. If there's something you're still confused about, I can address it in two ways: spoiler and non-spoiler.
Non-spoiler: you know how sometimes you have a dream and your identity unexpectedly shifts during it? It's not a common occurrence (or at least not for me), but sometimes you might be (say) yourself, and then out of nowhere halfway through you become the very person to whom you were talking moments before, and you see you -- "Ben" -- only he's not you, he's now "Ben", and the identity of "you" now belongs to the second person. Anyway, that's what went down here. For most of the dream, Hohenheim is in his own body as he has a conversation with Dreamed-up Pinako. For a brief moment in the middle of the dream, and then all throughout the final moments of the dream, Hohenheim's body is taken over by his personal antagonist, and his own persona now takes over Pinako's body. Hence why the bad guy (when he rips off Pinako's face) reveals Hohenheim's face beneath it.
The idea is that Hohenheim, like his nemesis, cynically believes that humanity is a lost cause. So Hohenheim is expressing this view throughout the dream. However, the difference between them is that Hohenheim's nemesis truly believes it and is content with believing it whereas Hohenheim, despite believing it, does not want to believe it. Despite his belief that humanity's a lost cause, he wishes it weren't true. Pinako represents Hohenheim's subconscious love of / pride in being a human, and Hohenheim's subconscious (via Pinako) plays devil's advocate to all of Hohenheim's objections to humanity's vices.
Towards the end of the dream, Hohenheim finds himself comfortably convinced by Pinako's (i.e. his own subconscious's) arguments, so his cynical conscious now rears its head to join the argument -- and does so by usurping Hohenheim's own body. The views stated here are 100% in alignment with Hohenheim's nemesis, but they're also arguments which Hohenheim himself has mulled over and come to (more or less) believe in.
That's why, right at that moment of defeat, Trisha then shows up (within his subconscious), convincing him that there is some merit to humanity after all.
And then he wakes up.
Spoiler 1: [hide]the bad guy is Father.[/hide]
Spoiler 2: [hide]Father was created from Hohenheim's blood by an alchemist in Xerxes. Because of this, he assumes a form which looks almost 100% identical to Hohenheim's. Even though Hohenheim didn't create Father, he didn't stop Father, either, or do anything to even try to stop him -- he just let Father go ahead with his plan (of sacrificing the entire nation of Xerxes). This of course haunts Hohenheim to this day, and it's why he's having a nightmare on this topic and why Pinako [in his subconscious] is grilling him for it.
The two men can be thought of as foils for one another insofar as:
- Father is strong of will, Hohenheim is weak
- both men are immortal (or are at least the closest thing to immortal we've yet seen in this series)
- Father is the über-Homonculus, whereas Hohenheim is a former human slave (i.e. the lowest of the low on the totem pole)
- Father spares Hohenheim for reasons I don't know myself (I chose to avoid that bit of spoiler info), and vice versa, Hohenheim spares Father for his own reasons (as explored in this recap episode) of feeling like it's pointless since humanity, as far as Hohenheim is concerned, is an evolutionary dead-end. So basically, the two have opposite ideals, but neither really gets in the other's way. They're not pals, though.
Even the name "Hohenheim" was given to the slave by Father, so that's partly the explanation behind why the Father in Hohenheim's dream so demeaningly calls him "Hohenheim" at that part where he's ripping off Pinako's face.
- Hohenheim's desire is the very opposite of most of the protagonists and antagonists in this series: namely, to find out the secret to mortality (instead of immortality). The reason he left Risenbool in the first place was to find out how to become mortal so that he could grow old with Trisha and the boys.
- Hohenheim is (according to Wiki) ~400 years old at this point, so the man's seen a hell of a lot of human suffering. I'd say he's a fair judge of the whole idea that men killing themselves off is nothing new and seems to be an endless cycle of bloodshed.[/hide]
I liked the recap as far as recaps go, but I too was disappointed that it was a recap in the first place and not an actual episode. However, we gotta keep things in context, Ben: this is the remake's first bullshit episode. Bullshit is bullshit no matter how you call it, but hey: at least it's got a ratio so far of 1:26 (or 1/27) as opposed to the original series' 1:2 (or 1/3). ^^;
As for Hohenheim, I'm guessing you at least figured out by the end of it (which is how long it took me to figure it out, too, despite my spoiler knowledge! XD) that it was all an intoxicated dream he had had. But once I realized that, it all made sense to me. If there's something you're still confused about, I can address it in two ways: spoiler and non-spoiler.
Non-spoiler: you know how sometimes you have a dream and your identity unexpectedly shifts during it? It's not a common occurrence (or at least not for me), but sometimes you might be (say) yourself, and then out of nowhere halfway through you become the very person to whom you were talking moments before, and you see you -- "Ben" -- only he's not you, he's now "Ben", and the identity of "you" now belongs to the second person. Anyway, that's what went down here. For most of the dream, Hohenheim is in his own body as he has a conversation with Dreamed-up Pinako. For a brief moment in the middle of the dream, and then all throughout the final moments of the dream, Hohenheim's body is taken over by his personal antagonist, and his own persona now takes over Pinako's body. Hence why the bad guy (when he rips off Pinako's face) reveals Hohenheim's face beneath it.
The idea is that Hohenheim, like his nemesis, cynically believes that humanity is a lost cause. So Hohenheim is expressing this view throughout the dream. However, the difference between them is that Hohenheim's nemesis truly believes it and is content with believing it whereas Hohenheim, despite believing it, does not want to believe it. Despite his belief that humanity's a lost cause, he wishes it weren't true. Pinako represents Hohenheim's subconscious love of / pride in being a human, and Hohenheim's subconscious (via Pinako) plays devil's advocate to all of Hohenheim's objections to humanity's vices.
Towards the end of the dream, Hohenheim finds himself comfortably convinced by Pinako's (i.e. his own subconscious's) arguments, so his cynical conscious now rears its head to join the argument -- and does so by usurping Hohenheim's own body. The views stated here are 100% in alignment with Hohenheim's nemesis, but they're also arguments which Hohenheim himself has mulled over and come to (more or less) believe in.
That's why, right at that moment of defeat, Trisha then shows up (within his subconscious), convincing him that there is some merit to humanity after all.
And then he wakes up.
Spoiler 1: [hide]the bad guy is Father.[/hide]
Spoiler 2: [hide]Father was created from Hohenheim's blood by an alchemist in Xerxes. Because of this, he assumes a form which looks almost 100% identical to Hohenheim's. Even though Hohenheim didn't create Father, he didn't stop Father, either, or do anything to even try to stop him -- he just let Father go ahead with his plan (of sacrificing the entire nation of Xerxes). This of course haunts Hohenheim to this day, and it's why he's having a nightmare on this topic and why Pinako [in his subconscious] is grilling him for it.
The two men can be thought of as foils for one another insofar as:
- Father is strong of will, Hohenheim is weak
- both men are immortal (or are at least the closest thing to immortal we've yet seen in this series)
- Father is the über-Homonculus, whereas Hohenheim is a former human slave (i.e. the lowest of the low on the totem pole)
- Father spares Hohenheim for reasons I don't know myself (I chose to avoid that bit of spoiler info), and vice versa, Hohenheim spares Father for his own reasons (as explored in this recap episode) of feeling like it's pointless since humanity, as far as Hohenheim is concerned, is an evolutionary dead-end. So basically, the two have opposite ideals, but neither really gets in the other's way. They're not pals, though.
Even the name "Hohenheim" was given to the slave by Father, so that's partly the explanation behind why the Father in Hohenheim's dream so demeaningly calls him "Hohenheim" at that part where he's ripping off Pinako's face.
- Hohenheim's desire is the very opposite of most of the protagonists and antagonists in this series: namely, to find out the secret to mortality (instead of immortality). The reason he left Risenbool in the first place was to find out how to become mortal so that he could grow old with Trisha and the boys.
- Hohenheim is (according to Wiki) ~400 years old at this point, so the man's seen a hell of a lot of human suffering. I'd say he's a fair judge of the whole idea that men killing themselves off is nothing new and seems to be an endless cycle of bloodshed.[/hide]
Ah, thanks for the info. I went ahead and read the spoilers this time because I figured I knew some of what you had to say, and I was right. I knew the first spoiler at the very least. But I was a bit confused thinking that Hohenheim was in two places at once (and by that I mean in reality, not in the dream). Luckily spoiler 2 clears that up. While I didn't know most of the information in spoiler 2, I don't really consider antyhing spoiled.
Wee.
Wee.
So now that you've read that, maybe go back and re-watch the episode, or re-watch it on 1.3x to 1.5x speed, or something. Should shed some light on Hohenheim's mentality.
Also, now that I know you've read it, I'll go ahead and say this: the dream appears to be the crux which pushes Hohenheim out of his 400-year funk and makes him challenge Father. (i.e. he now believes in a merit to human existence, and therefore it's now important to him to make sure the Amestrian sacrifice of Father's is thwarted). I don't know any more details than that myself, though, 'cause I didn't want to be spoilered any more than I allowed myself to be.
Also, now that I know you've read it, I'll go ahead and say this: the dream appears to be the crux which pushes Hohenheim out of his 400-year funk and makes him challenge Father. (i.e. he now believes in a merit to human existence, and therefore it's now important to him to make sure the Amestrian sacrifice of Father's is thwarted). I don't know any more details than that myself, though, 'cause I didn't want to be spoilered any more than I allowed myself to be.
Well, that was quite the episode. A few things of note:
[hide]
*Father is pretty bad ass
*Ling is Greed now. Will he stay as Greed, or will he be able to regain his former self? Hm
*How come Scar could still use Alchemy? Furthermore, how was Father able to stop the Elric brothers from being able to use Alchemy? Hm
*Gluttony is dead now, I guess?
*How the hell are they going to stop Father. Hm
[/hide]
Yep.
[hide]
*Father is pretty bad ass
*Ling is Greed now. Will he stay as Greed, or will he be able to regain his former self? Hm
*How come Scar could still use Alchemy? Furthermore, how was Father able to stop the Elric brothers from being able to use Alchemy? Hm
*Gluttony is dead now, I guess?
*How the hell are they going to stop Father. Hm
[/hide]
Yep.
Yeah, this is where I fear the show is going to swerve into Nonsense Territory the way that all drawn-out shounen stories tend to do. Father is just too powerful a being, and it doesn't make sense that the boys could defeat him. Maybe there's a way, but why would he even let them within 50 yards of it?
But at least it was a fun ride up until this point.
But at least it was a fun ride up until this point.
Well, I did watch all of Season 2 of the original series, didn't I? ;p So far, so okay. FMA is vacating "awesome! " territory and entering "good but not great entertainment" territory for me. I'll still watch it when it hits "decent" territory b/c I've already invested all of this time (and episode count!) into watching it, and I'll probably hang around if it enters "bah! >_<" territory so long as the "bah!" territory is right towars the very end, just like it was with the original. If we hit "bah! >_<" territory at like episode 39, then I'm out. lol I am so out.
But for now, so far, so good. You've still got an enthusiastic talking partner in me.
" territory and entering "good but not great entertainment" territory for me. I'll still watch it when it hits "decent" territory b/c I've already invested all of this time (and episode count!) into watching it, and I'll probably hang around if it enters "bah! >_<" territory so long as the "bah!" territory is right towars the very end, just like it was with the original. If we hit "bah! >_<" territory at like episode 39, then I'm out. lol I am so out.But for now, so far, so good. You've still got an enthusiastic talking partner in me.
Episode 29 was okay. Not great, not bad. Not really a filler, and yet not really a big mover-forwarder either.
Yeah, more or less. And the next episode looks to be more backstory. Bah. This episode did bring up a few questions though.
[hide]Isn't it odd how the Elric brothers, and Mustang both seem to have given up on trying to fight against Father and the Homonculi for now? Seems weird that they just talked with Wrath then went on about their business as if they didn't just meet up with the big baddie. I mean, I guess there was nothing they could do against them, so it would be pointless to fight. But I can't really think of many times where the heroes have just walked away. Weird.
Also, I figured as much in the previous episode, but it seems like Eastern alchemy, or whatever Scar and May chan use is going to be the key to stopping Father. Almost seems like a dark side, light side kind of thing if that is the case. Cliche, but whatever. [/hide]
[hide]Isn't it odd how the Elric brothers, and Mustang both seem to have given up on trying to fight against Father and the Homonculi for now? Seems weird that they just talked with Wrath then went on about their business as if they didn't just meet up with the big baddie. I mean, I guess there was nothing they could do against them, so it would be pointless to fight. But I can't really think of many times where the heroes have just walked away. Weird.
Also, I figured as much in the previous episode, but it seems like Eastern alchemy, or whatever Scar and May chan use is going to be the key to stopping Father. Almost seems like a dark side, light side kind of thing if that is the case. Cliche, but whatever. [/hide]
Well, Scar was supposed to be using Component 2 of 3 in Western alchemy -- deconstruction -- but it seems like you're right that his brother may have added in something decidedly Eastern when he came up with his master theory, given that Father couldn't strip Scar of his powers. (Edit: I just saw something on an FMA Wiki that more or less confirms that we're going to find this out in next week's episode. XD Scar's brother was apparently quite the intellectual!!)
I think the cooperation-with-the-Homonculi situation is a complicated case of both parties believing they know more than the other knows. I think the Homonculi are like, "Look, we know you want to destroy us, but we also know that you puny bugs can't, so we're happy to let you go on your stupid missions so long as it means you stay out of our way and don't get yourselves killed before we need you. Oh: and we will need you, whether you want to be used or not." On the other hand, I think the humans are all like, "Look, we're gonna pretend to be submissive to the Homonculi when really we're still plotting rebellion." The humans look dumber in this scenario I've painted, to be sure, but there's probably going to be some deus ex machina magic knowledge from Xing which turns the tables on the Homonculi. "Oh no! Now they do know more than we do! And we can't control them! Crap!" Seems predictable and dumb to me -- it's that retarded scenario so frequently seen in Western comics where the villains allow the heroes to come up with the means necessary to emerge victorious, means which the heroes weren't anywhere close to having at the start of the story -- but that's just me personally. If you can ignore it, or if you even like these sorts of things, hey, great, good for you then. ^^;
I think the cooperation-with-the-Homonculi situation is a complicated case of both parties believing they know more than the other knows. I think the Homonculi are like, "Look, we know you want to destroy us, but we also know that you puny bugs can't, so we're happy to let you go on your stupid missions so long as it means you stay out of our way and don't get yourselves killed before we need you. Oh: and we will need you, whether you want to be used or not." On the other hand, I think the humans are all like, "Look, we're gonna pretend to be submissive to the Homonculi when really we're still plotting rebellion." The humans look dumber in this scenario I've painted, to be sure, but there's probably going to be some deus ex machina magic knowledge from Xing which turns the tables on the Homonculi. "Oh no! Now they do know more than we do! And we can't control them! Crap!" Seems predictable and dumb to me -- it's that retarded scenario so frequently seen in Western comics where the villains allow the heroes to come up with the means necessary to emerge victorious, means which the heroes weren't anywhere close to having at the start of the story -- but that's just me personally. If you can ignore it, or if you even like these sorts of things, hey, great, good for you then. ^^;
I've watched the first half of 30 but I keep stopping at the part where King Bradley mocks the Godfearing Ishbalans because of various reasons. (Phone calls, homework, eBay auctions, whatever.) And then I don't pick it back up. lol I've got 31 already, started to watch it, and then realized, "Heeeeeeeeeeey, wait a second ... I have no idea what exactly Riza Hawkeye shared with Edward that would have made him grateful!! All I saw was her telling him she was a sniper in the war! XD"
I just caught up on episode 30 and 31 myself.
30 was pretty good, gives us some Mustang and Hawkeye back story. I like Riza a lot, she's my favorite female character since Lust died. Lan Fan is a close second. Anyway, back story episode, not bad. Ends pretty brutally though.
31 looks like things are getting back on track. The Elric brothers' goal is to find out about eastern alchemy. And I'm willing to bet everyone will be heading North into some new territory from the looks of things. Which means we'll see what's up with the blond chick with the big lips from the opening I'd imagine. Also this episode ended brutally again.
Edit: Oh yeah, New Opening is already growing on me. I always start off not liking the openings, but then loving them after a few episodes. That ending though... meh.
30 was pretty good, gives us some Mustang and Hawkeye back story. I like Riza a lot, she's my favorite female character since Lust died. Lan Fan is a close second. Anyway, back story episode, not bad. Ends pretty brutally though.
31 looks like things are getting back on track. The Elric brothers' goal is to find out about eastern alchemy. And I'm willing to bet everyone will be heading North into some new territory from the looks of things. Which means we'll see what's up with the blond chick with the big lips from the opening I'd imagine. Also this episode ended brutally again.
Edit: Oh yeah, New Opening is already growing on me. I always start off not liking the openings, but then loving them after a few episodes. That ending though... meh.
The 2nd ending of the FMA remake's openings and endings is by far and away my favorite one so far. I'd put 'em like this:
OP1 = loved the video sequence, wasn't a big fan of the song. Grew to like the song somewhat more with time.
ED1 = totally okay. Not bad, but not at all great, either. Animation and song both were one smidge above "tolerable." Just a smidge. ^^;
OP2 = just like OP1. Identical rating, identical sentiments.
ED2 = really liked the song the first time I heard it, and loved it pretty much every time thereafter. Unfortunately, this was one of the weaker animation sequences. It has some good moments, but they're few and far between. Like, I like both parts with the Xing squads (Ling's trio, and then the little chibi girl). But every time the singer says "aru kedo~o~OOOOOOOOOOO" (right before the chorus), it just generates a big swell of positive emotion in me. The song is tight. And it was fucking amazing at the end of Episode 26. "MATTERO~OOOOOOOOO! *slam*"
OP3 = weakest song of the three OP songs so far in my opinion. :\ I love the beat to this song, but I dislike its chorus and its lyrics. Just ... blah. I dunno. I especially dislike the chorus, and since OP songs are so short in their TV versions, that's probably what's killing this song for me. Oh yeah, I hate the inclusion of the word "poker face" in the song, too. I know it probably has no relation to Lady Gaga, but still. :\ It's like, fuck guys, it's called a bluff. Why you gotta go callin' it "poker face" all of a sudden? It's only a poker face if you're -- surprise! -- playing poker. -.-
ED3 = Gag me. DX Worst song of the six by far, worst animation sequence of the six by far. Winry's always been one of my least favorite characters, and this song's atmosphere is pure Winry. Probably why they put it with an animation sequence that's got nothing but Winry in it. The Chinese chibi might be impetuous and short, but I definitely think that Alphonse is being set up to get the better of the two girlfriends. Poor Ed: what does he see in this girl!? >_<
OP1 = loved the video sequence, wasn't a big fan of the song. Grew to like the song somewhat more with time.
ED1 = totally okay. Not bad, but not at all great, either. Animation and song both were one smidge above "tolerable." Just a smidge. ^^;
OP2 = just like OP1. Identical rating, identical sentiments.
ED2 = really liked the song the first time I heard it, and loved it pretty much every time thereafter. Unfortunately, this was one of the weaker animation sequences. It has some good moments, but they're few and far between. Like, I like both parts with the Xing squads (Ling's trio, and then the little chibi girl). But every time the singer says "aru kedo~o~OOOOOOOOOOO" (right before the chorus), it just generates a big swell of positive emotion in me.
The song is tight. And it was fucking amazing at the end of Episode 26. "MATTERO~OOOOOOOOO! *slam*"OP3 = weakest song of the three OP songs so far in my opinion. :\ I love the beat to this song, but I dislike its chorus and its lyrics. Just ... blah. I dunno. I especially dislike the chorus, and since OP songs are so short in their TV versions, that's probably what's killing this song for me. Oh yeah, I hate the inclusion of the word "poker face" in the song, too. I know it probably has no relation to Lady Gaga, but still. :\ It's like, fuck guys, it's called a bluff. Why you gotta go callin' it "poker face" all of a sudden? It's only a poker face if you're -- surprise! -- playing poker. -.-
ED3 = Gag me. DX Worst song of the six by far, worst animation sequence of the six by far. Winry's always been one of my least favorite characters, and this song's atmosphere is pure Winry. Probably why they put it with an animation sequence that's got nothing but Winry in it. The Chinese chibi might be impetuous and short, but I definitely think that Alphonse is being set up to get the better of the two girlfriends. Poor Ed: what does he see in this girl!? >_<
Well, haven't been talking about this for a few episodes now. I guess there hasn't really been anything super exciting to talk about though. Kind of a lull in the action right now while everyone is trying to accomplish new things.
Highlights would include Scar vs. Kimblee on the train, meeting Olivier Mira Armstrong, and seeing Sloth for the first time. The lady Armstrong is a cold hard bitch, but I guess she could be a cool character. Though it seems like she relies on technology to do any of her fighting so far, so that's kind of lame.
Hopefully things get more interesting in a few more episodes.
Highlights would include Scar vs. Kimblee on the train, meeting Olivier Mira Armstrong, and seeing Sloth for the first time. The lady Armstrong is a cold hard bitch, but I guess she could be a cool character. Though it seems like she relies on technology to do any of her fighting so far, so that's kind of lame.
Hopefully things get more interesting in a few more episodes.
I really, really love Kimblee's character development in episodes 31-33. I haven't seen the newest (34) yet, but 33 contained one of the best climaxes in the FMA franchise I have ever seen. I used to hate Kimblee. A lot. I thought he was a retarded maniac in the original show, and I thought he was a creepy maniac in the second anime up until his major debut (i.e. once he got released from jail). But now that I've gotten to see the man at work, I have got to say that he is one motherfucking classy villain.
(1) The guy is smart as fuck. In totally believable ways, too. He's like Sherlock Holmes -- amazing powers of deductive reasoning -- and not at all like a lot of deus ex machina intellectuals who reveal information which while teeeechnically possible to figure out in the manner that they do is sooooooooo, so unlikely. Kimblee's conclusions are all very rational ones which I could see a real-life detective or military man making. Major respect for him here. Respect I never thought he'd have.
(2) I love how (in the remade anime) he is the perfect model of a maniac. In the first anime, he just behaved like a blathering bloodlusting idiot. A lot like #43's old body. ;p But in the new anime, he's just like how I would expect a man with a bloodlust to be: he is cold, calculating, and sharp-tongued. But he doesn't go around blowing people up willy-nilly. Whereas the old Kimblee would have blown up his lackeys just for shits and giggles, the new Kimblee is way more slick precisely because he doesn't blow them up. He has self-restraint. And that's what makes him believable. Real-life serial killers don't go around slicing up every person who they meet. People who try and do that get caught real quick and put down real quick.
(3) I love how he acknowledges that he is weaker than Scar right now, but how at the same time he accurately (without trying to be arrogant) points out that he's at the unfair disadvantage of having been out of combat for years whereas Scar hasn't known a day without bloodshed since the moment they last lay eyes on one another.
(4) Fucking awesome when he tells those guys who find him skewered to the train car, "Who told you you could stop this train?" (or whatever his exact words were). Man, just cool.
I agree that the Major's sister is a bitch, but having not seen 34 yet I really can't say any more than that having only seen her onscreen for about 3 minutes.
(1) The guy is smart as fuck. In totally believable ways, too. He's like Sherlock Holmes -- amazing powers of deductive reasoning -- and not at all like a lot of deus ex machina intellectuals who reveal information which while teeeechnically possible to figure out in the manner that they do is sooooooooo, so unlikely. Kimblee's conclusions are all very rational ones which I could see a real-life detective or military man making. Major respect for him here. Respect I never thought he'd have.
(2) I love how (in the remade anime) he is the perfect model of a maniac. In the first anime, he just behaved like a blathering bloodlusting idiot. A lot like #43's old body. ;p But in the new anime, he's just like how I would expect a man with a bloodlust to be: he is cold, calculating, and sharp-tongued. But he doesn't go around blowing people up willy-nilly. Whereas the old Kimblee would have blown up his lackeys just for shits and giggles, the new Kimblee is way more slick precisely because he doesn't blow them up. He has self-restraint. And that's what makes him believable. Real-life serial killers don't go around slicing up every person who they meet. People who try and do that get caught real quick and put down real quick.
(3) I love how he acknowledges that he is weaker than Scar right now, but how at the same time he accurately (without trying to be arrogant) points out that he's at the unfair disadvantage of having been out of combat for years whereas Scar hasn't known a day without bloodshed since the moment they last lay eyes on one another.
(4) Fucking awesome when he tells those guys who find him skewered to the train car, "Who told you you could stop this train?" (or whatever his exact words were). Man, just cool.
I agree that the Major's sister is a bitch, but having not seen 34 yet I really can't say any more than that having only seen her onscreen for about 3 minutes.
You make some good points about Kimblee. Now I'm thinking I should re-watch those last few episodes again and pay more close attention to his roles. I certainly like him more now than I did when we just saw him in flashbacks though. Point (4) is very true, that was a bad ass moment. Though for a moment I thought he was going to kill the guys. That wouldn't have been very smart though, so that supports point (2).
Watched 34. It was meh-okay material.
Very disappointed with their portrayal of Sloth since, well, he's not really lethargic. He only fits his name insofar as a sloth (the animal) moves slowly, and so does he. But the sin of sloth is, like ... procrastinating, for example. Being lethargic. "I don't wanna get up." "I don't wanna do it." That sort of thing. This guy only superficially bitches, but really, he actually does his work without any complaints, it seems, and he does it very well. Sure, he walks slowly, but that doesn't mean he does his work slowly. I dunno. Maybe I'm wrong? I could totally be wrong. But I pictured the idea of "sloth" being a guy who gives a shit about something in life but not enough to actually get up and do something about it. I guess that's pretty hard to write a villain around (lol!), so I guess I can see why the author did what she did, but ... still. :|
Armstrong's sister = yeah, sort of boring, really. I've never much cared for the automail side of the story, and it looks like the Briggs arc is going to be automail-heavy. Sigh.
Lack of Kimblee + lack of Scar = double the disappointment.
And with the way they keep barking to Edward, "Are you a Drakman spy!?", I'm beginning to wonder if the author can back up Drakma's bark with some bite. I mean, seriously, wtf: (1) why are they so fucking scared of Drakma? Better have a good explanation. (2) why are they so fucking scared of two puny spies (were they spies in the first place) who are on their turf with 500+ Amestrin soldiers? (3) why would they even think that Drakma could know what Edward and Alphonse look like, could know the boys' status, and could successfully pass off as them?
I mean, seriously: the author is making Drakmans out to seem scarier than homonculi. And that's a tough pill to swallow. Especially since (no offense to her) she hasn't exactly created very fearsome foreigners in Xing ("we heal you!"), Xerxes ("we be long dead!"), or Amestris's peripheral states like Ishbal ("yeah, we're basically Palestinians") and North City / Briggs ("we're like Cossacks. And we have snow-proof automail.") To date, her two best team powers have been the Amestrians' western alchemy and Father's homonculi.
Very disappointed with their portrayal of Sloth since, well, he's not really lethargic. He only fits his name insofar as a sloth (the animal) moves slowly, and so does he. But the sin of sloth is, like ... procrastinating, for example. Being lethargic. "I don't wanna get up." "I don't wanna do it." That sort of thing. This guy only superficially bitches, but really, he actually does his work without any complaints, it seems, and he does it very well. Sure, he walks slowly, but that doesn't mean he does his work slowly. I dunno. Maybe I'm wrong? I could totally be wrong. But I pictured the idea of "sloth" being a guy who gives a shit about something in life but not enough to actually get up and do something about it. I guess that's pretty hard to write a villain around (lol!), so I guess I can see why the author did what she did, but ... still. :|
Armstrong's sister = yeah, sort of boring, really. I've never much cared for the automail side of the story, and it looks like the Briggs arc is going to be automail-heavy. Sigh.
Lack of Kimblee + lack of Scar = double the disappointment.
And with the way they keep barking to Edward, "Are you a Drakman spy!?", I'm beginning to wonder if the author can back up Drakma's bark with some bite. I mean, seriously, wtf: (1) why are they so fucking scared of Drakma? Better have a good explanation. (2) why are they so fucking scared of two puny spies (were they spies in the first place) who are on their turf with 500+ Amestrin soldiers? (3) why would they even think that Drakma could know what Edward and Alphonse look like, could know the boys' status, and could successfully pass off as them?
I mean, seriously: the author is making Drakmans out to seem scarier than homonculi. And that's a tough pill to swallow. Especially since (no offense to her) she hasn't exactly created very fearsome foreigners in Xing ("we heal you!"), Xerxes ("we be long dead!"), or Amestris's peripheral states like Ishbal ("yeah, we're basically Palestinians") and North City / Briggs ("we're like Cossacks. And we have snow-proof automail.") To date, her two best team powers have been the Amestrians' western alchemy and Father's homonculi.
35 was better than 34, but it ended at what felt like more of a mid-episode cliffhanger than an end-episode cliffhanger. Then again, the episode (as a whole) felt like 1½ episodes, so I guess that may be part of the reason why, and also a reason why I shouldn't be complaining. (Better 1½ than ½!)
Sloth proves to be really, REALLY unimpressive in this episode. :\ It's like, "Okay, we get it -- he was digging the transmutation circle under Amestris all these years. And har har har, because he's so slow -- "Sloth," get it!? XD -- it took him five centuries to get the job done." All the same, though, that's all he adds up to: a giant moleman, a brute who digs subterranean tunnels and thazzaboutit. :\ We don't need another super-strong homonculus (Greed, Wrath) and we don't need another retard homonculus either (Gluttony, which is one retard too many). What good is he, then? :\
Is it just me, or does Armstrong's sister seem to not be an alchemist? Something tells me she's just like Maes Hughes was -- a respected member of the military but one without alchemical prowess. Maybe that's part of the reason she loves automail and militant stuff (like armies) so much: because she can't do magic? I dunno. Maybe she's just keeping her alchemical abilities under wraps for now. *shrug* It doesn't seem that way, though. Kinda begs the question of how long she's going to survive, then, seeing as she doesn't stand a chance against the homonculi or even the villainous State Alchemists (like Kimblee), for that matter.
Who the hell was that grinning doctor? He looked super super familiar. In fact, specifically, didn't we see his face during King Bradley's operation? Wasn't he one of the doctors in the room at the time? And if so, what does that mean for Kimblee? Is Kimblee going to be the newest homonculus? (Doubtful: it seems like the Homonculi are just using him. That, and he's supposedly one of their important people. And Ling, who wasn't supposedly all that important to them [remember Envy sicking Gluttony on him?] ended up being chosen by Father to be the new Greed, so that wouldn't make sense for Kimblee to become a homonculus, either.) And if Kimblee's not being turned into a homonculus, then why was the creepy doctor summoned? Sure, Kimblee had major injuries, but I would think that (quote unquote) "any" State Alchemist trained in the medical sciences could have mended his wounds. Why call in that doctor, specifically? There has to be a reason ... :\
There's not really an open spot available for Kimblee anyway. Father grew Gluttony Jr. out of his beard, it looked like. Greed's absence was filled by Ling. Lust's absence is probably headed towards either Armstrong's sister (meh), Hawkeye (fucking hot but leave her the fuck alone, bastards ;_; ), or somebody else -- but whoever it is, it's probably not going to be Kimblee. lol And as for Sloth, I don't think an absence has opened up -- if he's anything like his siblings, he's simply frozen -- not dead.
(Better 1½ than ½!)Sloth proves to be really, REALLY unimpressive in this episode. :\ It's like, "Okay, we get it -- he was digging the transmutation circle under Amestris all these years. And har har har, because he's so slow -- "Sloth," get it!? XD -- it took him five centuries to get the job done." All the same, though, that's all he adds up to: a giant moleman, a brute who digs subterranean tunnels and thazzaboutit. :\ We don't need another super-strong homonculus (Greed, Wrath) and we don't need another retard homonculus either (Gluttony, which is one retard too many). What good is he, then? :\
Is it just me, or does Armstrong's sister seem to not be an alchemist? Something tells me she's just like Maes Hughes was -- a respected member of the military but one without alchemical prowess. Maybe that's part of the reason she loves automail and militant stuff (like armies) so much: because she can't do magic? I dunno. Maybe she's just keeping her alchemical abilities under wraps for now. *shrug* It doesn't seem that way, though. Kinda begs the question of how long she's going to survive, then, seeing as she doesn't stand a chance against the homonculi or even the villainous State Alchemists (like Kimblee), for that matter.
Who the hell was that grinning doctor? He looked super super familiar. In fact, specifically, didn't we see his face during King Bradley's operation? Wasn't he one of the doctors in the room at the time? And if so, what does that mean for Kimblee? Is Kimblee going to be the newest homonculus? (Doubtful: it seems like the Homonculi are just using him. That, and he's supposedly one of their important people. And Ling, who wasn't supposedly all that important to them [remember Envy sicking Gluttony on him?] ended up being chosen by Father to be the new Greed, so that wouldn't make sense for Kimblee to become a homonculus, either.) And if Kimblee's not being turned into a homonculus, then why was the creepy doctor summoned? Sure, Kimblee had major injuries, but I would think that (quote unquote) "any" State Alchemist trained in the medical sciences could have mended his wounds. Why call in that doctor, specifically? There has to be a reason ... :\
There's not really an open spot available for Kimblee anyway. Father grew Gluttony Jr. out of his beard, it looked like. Greed's absence was filled by Ling. Lust's absence is probably headed towards either Armstrong's sister (meh), Hawkeye (fucking hot but leave her the fuck alone, bastards ;_; ), or somebody else -- but whoever it is, it's probably not going to be Kimblee. lol And as for Sloth, I don't think an absence has opened up -- if he's anything like his siblings, he's simply frozen -- not dead.