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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 07 Review

Episode 7, "Night of the Chimera’s Cry"


*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Edward recieves a pocket watch that all State Alchemists wear that signify their position. On his way back to the Tucker residence, he learns Colonel Mustang has been investigating a serial murderer who kills women. Edward is cynical, believing Roy just wants a promotion. Back at the Tucker place, Ed learns that Tucker’s yearly assessment is coming up, which he is concerned about. Ed learns that Tucker’s wife left before he became a State Alchemist, because they were poor, and he’ll return to that life without the support of the state. Hughes tells Edward that Tucker’s wife died before he moved into town. The brothers go to the library to try to get information on Tucker’s chimera. General Basque Gran ejects the brothers from the Tucker residence. Returning to his house later, the brothers find that Tucker has created a new chimera that talks, but Edward realizes that it was made from Nina and Alexander. Gran and his troops arrive and take Tucker away, but Nina gets away and is killed by a mysterious scarred man. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 06 Review

Episode 6, "The Alchemy Exam"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Edward and Alphonse are assigned to study the notes of The Life-Sewing Alchemist, Shou Tucker, and study for the exam to become an official State Alchemist. Tucker lives with his young daughter Nina and dog Alexander in a large house gained with his pristege. Maes Hughes throws a birthday party for Ed at his house, but his wife goes into labor. Trying to help with the delivery, Ed discovers he can use alchemy without a transmutation circle. The baby is delivered successfully and Ed returns to studying for the exam. Alphonse is forced to drop out of the exam for fear the nature of his body might be discovered, but Edward manages to pass with an impressive display before the judges. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 05 Review

Episode 5, "The Man with the Mechanical Arm"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: The Elrics get on a train bound for Central, but it is taken by terrorists. The brothers get the help of Maes Hughes, a member of the state military, to help them fight off the terrorists. The leader of the terrorists, Bald, also has an automail arm, but it is weaponized. However, Edward overcomes him and the terrorists are defeated. Once in Central, Roy tells the boys that they can take the test to see if they can become State Alchemists. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 04 Review

Episode 4, "A Forger’s Love"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: The brothers come upon a town where an old acquantince of their father, Majihal, lives. Strange disappearances and ghostly apparitions rile up the community and Ed and Al doubt the idea that people are coming back from the dead. However, Majihal is not all that he seems, and a past love moves him to commit terrible atrocities to regain what he lost.

Comments:

Aaaaand the show stumbles. Damn it.

The premise is decent enough: the Elric brothers come upon a town where the people are afraid of people coming back to life and meet an alchemist friend of their father’s who refutes this as impossible. But the episode plays out as an entirely forgettable affair at best, and annoying at worst. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 03 Review

Episode 3, "Mother"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Finding a basic alchemy book in the library, the Elric brothers reflect on their past. In the small town of Risembool, Ed and Al grew up with a loving mother, but they were abandoned by their father. The two learned alchemy to try to cheer their mother up, but she died of an illness. The brothers try using human transmutation to ressurect their mother but things go horribly wrong. Edward loses an arm and a leg and Alphonse’s soul has to be attached to a suit of armor. Roy Mustang, who works for the state military, comes upon them after this and offers to have them become State Alchemists. Edward decides to get surgery to attach artificial "automail" limbs and go to Central to become a State Alchemist. The two boys burn their home down so that there’s no turning back. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 02 Review

Episode 2, "Body Of The Sanctioned"


*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: In Lior, Edward and Alphonse try to expose Cornello as a fraud, but the people disbelieve them, especially the young woman Rose who wishes for Cornello to restore her boyfriend to life. Edward is taken captive by the priest, but with his brother’s help, the truth is revealed and Cornello is defeated. Edward tells Rose to contnue living on her own strength.

Comments:

The second episode continues from where the first left off, with Ed and Al confronting the corrupt priest Cornello, and Rose having to decide whether she is going to follow him or not. The brothers confirm that their situation is the result of trying to bring back their dead mother with alchemy (that’s some science experiment), and Cornello doesn’t deny that he’s been using a Philosopher’s Stone to the rules of alchemy. The only problem with the continuation of the cliffhanger is that not a lot really happens. Ed and Al retreat and Ed is captured by a mob. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 01 Review

Episode 1, "To Challenge The Sun"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, come to the town of Lior, which follows faithfully a religion of the Sun God Leto, a religion run by a priest named Cornello, who performs "miracles". The Elrics insist, however, that Cornello is using alchemy, and they believe their search for the fabled Philosopher’s Stone may have come to an end. Confronting Cornello, they face vicious chimera beasts and the power of Cornello’s stone. However, it is clear that Edward is no ordinary alchemist. read more

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Audio: English: Why I Disliked The Fullmetal Alchemist Dub (Article)


With the Audio:English series, PenguinTruth takes a critical look at the English
dubs which grace some of anime’s most defining series in North America.

"What do you mean?! I sound good in any language!"

I love Fullmetal Alchemist. It’s one of those rare shonen manga that has a decent complexity to it and maturity most other shonen titles lack, making it both exciting and thoughtful. I was a big fan of the first animated television series, my first exposure to that world. And of course, while I loved the original cast, I also had high expectations for the English version, even when I heard Funimation, a company with a somewhat mixed reputation for dubs was going to dub it. I was pretty excited that Cartoon Network was going to air it on the Adult Swim lineup, and tuned in with my hopes high. I was let down.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a complete wash. I immediately took to Aaron Dismuke’s Alphonse Elric, for instance. Though I also immediately noticed some strange directional and script oddities. At first I attributed the difference between this and the version I was used to as being the difference between fansub translations and professional translation into an English dub. Over time, however, these sort of things became more pronounced. What bothered me the most is characters speaking in one style in one scene and having almost entirely different voices in the next. There even seemed to be a bit of the old Funimation "add dialogue where there originally wasn’t any", which irritated me. read more

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