Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Episode 20 ENGLISH DUB Review

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Episode 20 ENGLISH DUB Review

"Oooh, dad! Can I have childhood trauma? Please? I'll walk it every day!"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Edward encounters his father, Hohenheim, at his mother's grave, who chides him for burning down their house. That night, Hohenheim asks Pinako about the "thing" his sons transmuted, with Ed listening in secret. The next day, after Hohenheim leaves, Ed and Pinako dig up the "thing", and it turns out to not be his mother after all. This leads Ed to believe he can bring Al back from beyond the "doors". When Ed returns to Central, he informs Al of his findings. He also calls Izumi and asks about her own experience with human transmutation. As it turns out, the dead cannot be brought back, regardless of effort. Ed and Al then vow to continue working on a way to restore their bodies.

Comments:

I really, really disliked this episode of the show itself, though the dub was suitable. I mean, Vic Mignogna... well, you've read my opinions. He's really just awful at emoting, and it shows here. But other than that, pretty well done, as far as the dub. It's just that the episode itself was so abysmal, especially after the previous one.

The new voice of Hohenheim is John Swasey, the voice of Gendo Ikari in Rebuild of Evangelion 1.0, Dodoria in Dragon Ball (Z) Kai, and Crocodile in One Piece. He was also the voice of the historical figure Karl Haushofer in Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa. I've read a lot of complaints about his Hohenheim, but personally, I rather like it. It takes a cue from his Gendo Ikari, by sounding very detached, but strong enough so that it isn't completely far off. It sounds very analytical and has a touch of the regret you hear in the voice of the Japanese VA for him. I love Scott McNeil as a voice actor, but this is a great deal better than his very bored sounding Hohenheim from the first series.

There's one thing I didn't quite get about the whole mystery surrounding the not-Trisha. Why would the brothers ever assume it was Trisha that they remade? A pile of materials can't become a person who is already lived and died. Even if they didn't realize that then, when they grew a little, they should have assumed that was the truth. Why would they assume it was really her but they just made it wrong? More to the point, it wouldn't have been any relief to me that the thing I brought back wasn't my mother, because I would still have made an terrible abomination and sacrificed a great price for it.

I really dislike how, even though they explain the things that happened back then, they leave out a lot of why they're important. Whereas in the manga, they do the other extreme by constantly retreading the same ground over and over again.

And that speech of Alphonse's at the end, with the grand swell of music... ugh. I don't think there was ever this much melodrama even in the first series. I just wanted Alphonse to shut the fuck up. That, and for somebody to toss Winry down those hotel stairs. I'm sure they were already disturbing the other hotel guests. I'm surprised one of them didn't stick their head out the door and say, "Shut up, nobody cares about the fucking Truth at two in the morning!"

Overall ENGLISH DUB Score: 3.5 out of 5



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