Episode 48, "A Vow Made Underground"
*****SPOILERS*****
Synopsis: Ling and Ranfan team up to take on Gluttony, easily taking out several of his lives due to their ability to sense him, which Fu (who suddenly appears) explains to Edward. The lights in the slums begin to come back on, concerning Ed and Darius, and Ed comes up with a plan involving Fu. Heinkel continues to attack Selim, but doesn't make very much progress. Meanwhile, Roy meets with Madam Christmas and recieves confirmation that Selim isn't human. Villagers happen upon Heinkel and Selim and Selim scares them, causing one to drop a lantern. The fire allows Pride to use his abilities, but Edward saves him. In Central, soldiers try to get at Roy at Madam Christmas's bar, but he blows it up and the two escape in the sewers. Roy meets with Hawkeye, Breda, and Fuery in a hideout underground as they prepare to go into action, and he tells them not to die. Pride, unable to hurt Ed because of his use of carbon hardening on his automail, decides to use Alphonse to fight Ed, but Ed has Fu use a flashback which seperates Al long enough to be carried off. Gluttony races to meet with Pride, who he informs of the many lives he's lost. Pride takes this chance to devour Gluttony to gain his sense of smell in order to find his opponents in the dark. In Central, Father wonders what Roy plans to do next, and Olivier says that he will probably kidnap the Fuhrer's wife. Roy does just that.
Comments:
Since most of the episode was action, there's not a whole lot to say, since a lot of it is quick and easy dialogue with not a lot of subtlety. But there were a few things I picked up on.
Of course, Travis Willingham's Roy Mustang and Colleen Clinkenbeard's Riza Hawkeye are as usual, the high marks by which most of the other VAs in the cast have to live up to, and ultimately fall short of. You don't for a moment during a viewing of this show imagine that these characters are anything but what they're intended to be, but rather just voice actors playing roles. I've probably said this plenty, but I just wanted to repeat that they really are just the voices of these characters. The characters just happen to be speaking in English. The ease by which they portray the characters' nuances is amazing. I have nothing but nice things to say about their two performances.
I've come to really enjoy Pride's voice. It's not quite as sharp as the Japanese voice, but works about as well. You definitely get how brutal and calculating he can be in this episode when he devours his sibling. It was probably the only time I ever felt anything but indifference for Chris Cason's Gluttony, too. But that could just be projecting, because I really felt bad for the simple Gluttony. Poor bastard.
Anyway, about an average dub episode overall, despite a few choice performances.
Overall ENGLISH DUB Score:
3.5 out of 5