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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 34 Review

Episode 34, "Theory of Avarice"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Ed, Izumi, and Sig are detained by the military as Archer welcomes Kimbley and Tucker (who had been with Greed’s group) back into the fold. The military mercilessly slaughters Greed’s men as they try to escape. Armstrong arrives and takes on one of his number who reveals he was also in the Ishbal war. Ed manages to slip away from the soldiers using alchemy. Greed and his remaining cohorts hide in a cabin, where they’re confronted by Lust and Gluttony. Al is cut loose (with Martel still in him) and Greed leaves as his men try to take on the other homunculi. Running through the woods, Greed comes upon Dante’s house and enter. Greed is welcomed by Lyra and shown Dante’s apparently bisected body. An alchemy array under him activates, causing him to spit up red stones, weakening him. Seeing the light of the alchemy, Ed enters the house and confronts Greed, who he assumes killed Dante. When Greed refuses to tell Ed where his brother is, they do battle again, with Greed in his full armored form. This time Edward realizes Greed’s shield is made of carbon and uses alchemy to get past it. In the heat of a charge, Ed stabs Greed in the chest with a blade formed on his arm and Greed is mortally wounded. Dying, Greed reveals that he already set Alphonse free, and tells Ed that the homunculi can be weakened by parts of the bodies of the people they were intended to come back as. Then he dissolves into a pile of red water. As the sun rises, Ed can hardly believe he’s killed. Martel seperates from Alphonse. Later, Ed, Al, and Winry leave Dublith. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 33 Review

Episode 33, "Al, Captured"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Greed’s gang subdues Alphonse and take him off. Edward searches around town for him while Izumi asks Dante about what happened. Dante shows Izumi a matchbook from The Devil’s Nest. In Greed’s lair, his henchmen reveal that the military turned them into chimeras. Greed introduces himself to Al and asks him about his body, wanting to obtain the secret to eternal life, but Al refuses to tell him and attacks him with alchemy. However, Greed is unharmed, and shows Alphonse that he can come back from seemingly fatal injuries. Suddenly, Izumi and Sig arrive, demanding Al be returned. Meanwhile, Edward runs into Major Armstrong who tells him that the military is also looking for Al and planning to raid the bar. Izumi beats up Greed’s henchmen, but is unable to take down Greed, who easily brushes off her attacks, tranforming parts of his body into hard armor. Edward arrives as the military closes in on Archer’s orders. Ed engages Greed in a fight, but makes little headway, Greed unveiling his fully armored form. The military storm in, with Kimbley betraying Greed. Greed is forced to retreat, taking Al with him. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 32 Review

Episode 32, "Dante of the Deep Forest"


 

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Izumi protects Wrath, despite his own attacks against her, and he escapes. When Ed and Al give chase, they run into the Bradley-disguised Envy and Douglas/Sloth. They’re questioned about homunculi, but deny knowing anything, and walk off. Sloth is revealed to have Wrath within her liquid body. Scar confronts the outcast, who explains that his brother came to him. He says that peoples’ lives are in his tattoo. Roy and his group confronts the refugees. In the crowd, Lust kills Yoki in a way that provokes the crowd. Back in Dublith, Izumi ejects Edward and Alphonse from her home, telling them they are no longer fit to be her students. However, on the way to the train station, Sig informs them that now they’re equals, and they run back to seek her advice in how to return their bodies. Greed and his gang trek through a forest, and Greed takes off in a different direction. Izumi instructs the brothers to go find her alchemy teacher, Dante, to get medication for her. When they arrive, they’re welcomed by Lyra, who is now Dante’s pupil. Greed and his gang show up and prepare to capture Alphonse. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 30 Review

Episode 30, "Assault on South Headquarters"


 

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: At a refugee camp, Yoki spots Scar. Scar and Ishbalans are allowed to stay there with the other people. Yoki runs off to tell the military, hoping to gain his position back. Back in Dublith, Ed and Al chase the mysterious boy, but are approached by a strange lizard-man. Lieutenant Colonel Frank Archer and Armstrong arrive in Dublith, looking to find Izumi. After chasing off the lizard-man, the brothers find the boy on a rooftop. Edward figures that if his arm was brought back from the Gate, that Al’s body could be, too. Armstrong captures the boy for Archer, who reveals the homunculi’s identifying mark, the tatoo of the ouroborus. Juliet Douglas recieves word from Yoki about Scar. The lizard-man calls Greed, who has Tucker and Kimbley with him. Greed dispatches Kimbley to retrieve the boy. Izumi angrily chides the Elrics, but collapses and is taken to the doctor. The doctor reveals that Izumi is missing several internal organs, making the brothers realize she committed the same taboo they did. Izumi escapes with her husband and walks into the Southern Headquarters, using alchemy to make her way to the mysterious boy. Sig reveals to Winry that Izumi sacrificed her organs in a bid to bring their son back to life. Ed and Al confront Izumi inside, but then Kimbley and the lizard-man arrive, as well as the Fuhrer (Envy in disguise). In the refugee camp, Scar investigates the home of an Ishbalan outcast, and finds the same tattoo he has on his arm on the wall. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 29 Review

Episode 29, "The Untainted Child"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: The Elric brothers and Izumi don’t know what to make of the mysterious boy who appeared on the island, who is capable of using alchemy without circles. They take him back to Izumi’s home, where he’s fed. During the night, Ed and Al visit the boy in his room, but he reacts badly to their curiosity and fuses with his bed until Izumi can calm him down. Meanwhile, Sheska confronts Roy about his lack of action on Hughes’ death. Ed thinks the child might be a homunculus, but remembers homunculi normally can’t use alchemy. Edward recounts what happened to when he performed human transmutation, having seen the Truth at the Gate and thinks he saw the child there. Izumi goes off to "check something", but Ed and Al can’t stay away from the child, who appears to have the arm Ed sacrificed to the Gate. On Yock Island, Izumi comes upon a familar place. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 28 Review

Episode 28, "All is One, One is All"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Izumi leaves Ed and Al on Yock Island, where they remember when they were left there to survive for a month without the use of alchemy. They eventually learned that they were both part of a greater flow and that flow extended to them as well ("All is one, one is all") and when they understood that, Izumi welcomed them for more specific alchemy training. In the present, Ed and Al are being stalked by a mysterious child, who appears when Izumi comes back to get them. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist Episode 27 Review

Episode 27, "Teacher"


 
*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Edward tries to escape from his teacher Izumi, but she subdues him and ties him and Alphonse up to take them to the town of Dublith. On the way there, the brothers remember how they met her as she was passing through Risembool and saved the town from flooding with alchemy. She reluctantly took them on as pupils. After the flashback, Ed, Al, and Winry arrive in Dublith, where Izumi’s husband runs a meat shop. After an incident involved a dead cat, Izumi reveals that she knows what happened to the brothers, and after a beating, hugs them. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Yet Another Man’s Battlefield OVA

OVA, "Yet Another Man’s Battlefield"


*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: At the age of 18, Roy Mustang takes part in training in the Amestris military. While in training, he meets Maes Hughes and an Ishbalan named Heiss Clif Arber, and they become friends over a fight to overcome discrimination. However, years later in the Ishbal massacre, Heiss Clif is on the other side. Devestated by the war, Roy looks for 30 seconds peace. After the war, Hughes reunites with his then-girlfriend, Gracia, and Roy acknowledges his comrade’s strength. read more