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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 20 Review

Episode 20, "Soul of the Guardian"


*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Both of the guardians end up being like Alphonse, armors with souls attached via alchemy, and formerly condemned prisoners. They both do battle with their opponents. While Alphonse has little trouble with his opponent, who identifies himself as Barry the Chopper, Edward struggles against his. He eventually beheads the warrior, but his victory is short lived, because there in another soul in the body of the armor. The other one attacks and Ed is forced to use deconstruction to disable him. Unsuccessful in a physical fight with Alphonse, Barry uses psychological tactics, suggesting Alphonse is a fake, his memories all false ones his brother created. Alphonse reels from this, as Edward refuses to finish his enemies, since he considers his brother human, and thus them. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 19 Review

Episode 19, "The Truth Behind Truths"



*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Devestated by the secret of the Philosopher’s Stone, Edward and Alphonse hole themselves up in a room. Maria Ross urges them not to give up. Looking at a map of Central, they determine that Philosopher Stone research must have been done in Laboratory 5, which was supposedly shut down, which is next to a prison. The brothers are told to stay put while it’s investigated, but they sneak out during the night to investigate on their own. Scar finds the notes and decodes them with his arm (wtf). Edward makes his way into the lab while Alphonse stays outside. After avoiding various traps, Edward finds a chamber where he is confronted by an armored guard. Another guard attacks Al outside. Meanwhile, Winry realizes she forgot to put a screw in when she repaired Ed’s automail. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 18 Review

Episode 18, "Marcoh’s Notes"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: The mysterious people in black, Lust and Gluttony, fight Scar in the Central First Branch library and cause it to burn down. When Ed and Al arrive, and are given new escorts (Maria Ross and Denny Brosh), they discover the library has been destroyed, dashing their hopes of finding Marcoh’s hidden research notes. They consult with a woman named Sheska, who formally worked there, who they discover has the ability to remember everything she reads, and makes a copy of Marcoh’s notes. However, the notes are all coded and the brothers have difficulty decoding. Eventually they do, and are horrified by the secret behind the Philosopher’s Stone: it’s made from human lives. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 17 Review

Episode 17, "House of the Waiting Family"


*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: The Elric brothers arrive at the Rockbell home in Risembool, where Ed recieves a wrench to the head from Winry for his troubles. Winry wants to take apart Ed’s State Alchemist watch, but he won’t allow it. While Ed’s new automail is being constructed, he goes to visit his mother’s grave with Den. Alphonse has trouble remembering a childhood friend, but Winry explains that it’s only natural. When Edward’s new automail is finished, he repairs Alphonse’s damage and they spar, which Armstrong takes part in. Winry takes the opportunity to investigate Edward’s watch and finds a message, "Don’t Forget 3.Oct.10" inside. She tearfully returns to watch to him. Later, Armstrong makes the boys realize that, despite having burned down their own house, they do have a home to return to. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 16 Review

Episode 16, "That Which Is Lost"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Armstrong plays bodyguard for the Elric brothers on their way back to Risembool, where they’re going to get Ed’s arm fixed. On the way there, a packaged Alphonse gets dropped off and Ed gets off to look for him. Meanwhile, Lust and Gluttony appear where Marcoh is staying and he’s unable to hold them off. A boy finds Al and, thinking he’s just a suit of armor, plans to use him in a fight, but Al tries to convince him not to. While looking for Al, Ed gets knocked out by a girl who wants to give his automail leg to her father. Edward talks to the man, who lost his leg in the Ishbal war and doesn’t want an automail replacement. He argues that he would rather be as-is, as a reminder of that conflict, something Ed doesn’t understand. Ed and Al reunite and Armstrong arrives to get them to the next train before it leaves. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 15 Review

Episode 15, "The Ishbal Massacre"


*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Alex Louis Armstrong faces off with Scar while the Elrics flee with Marcoh, and discovers that his opponent is an Ishbalan. Marcoh recounts to Ed and Al how the Fuhrer sent in the State Alchemists to put down a long-running conflict in Ishbal and they used alchemic enhancers, lesser Philosopher’s Stones, to obliterate the Ishbalans. During the war, two doctors (who turn out to be the Rockbells, Winry’s parents) were ordered killed for helping the Ishbalans, and Roy Mustang is the one who did it (though this is not revealed to the brothers). Back in the present, Scar finds the group, disables Alphonse, and destroy Ed’s automail arm with his ability to deconstruct with his own right arm. Marcoh uses a Philosopher’s Stone to ward Scar off before he can finish Ed off, and the military arrives to take Marcoh into protective custody. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 14 Review

Episode 14, "Destruction’s Right Hand"


*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: The Elrics track down Dr. Marcoh, living in a small town as a physician. However, they find they were followed by Brigadier General Basque Gran, who wants to take Marcoh and his research in. Before he can, the mysterious scarred man kills him. He chases and corners Ed, Al, and Marcoh, but they are saved by Alex Louis Armstrong, another State Alchemist. Meanwhile, the military has laid seige to the town of Lior.

Comments: read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 13 Review

Episode 13, "Fullmetal vs. Flame"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: The brothers arrive in East City, where they report in with Colonel Mustang. Annoyed by Mustang’s attitude and suspecting he’s holding back information from him, Edward decides to take the opportunity to challenge him to a duel. Roy initially refuses, but the Fuhrer gives his approval, and the match is set up. Edward finds himself over his head in the match, but Roy hesitates at the end and it ends as a draw. Roy volunteers information about a military doctor named Marcoh who fled the battlefield. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 12 Review

Episode 12, "The Other Elric Brothers (Part 2)"



*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Mugear, who oversees the fake Elric brothers’ work, reveals that he knows their identities and plans to force them to finish making a Philosopher’s Stone in an unethical practice. Edward and Alphonse pretend to want to work for him, but release the Tringhams. They all confront Mugear who uses the lesser stones to attack them. Mugear ends up dying in a cave in where the red water is kept and the Tringhams help stop the flood of the water. Ed and Al continue on their way. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 11 Review

Episode 11, "The Other Elric Brothers (Part 1)"



Synopsis: The Elric brothers travel to the town of Xenotime, where research is being done on the Philosopher’s Stone to replenish the gold supply. However, they find that two brothers are claiming to be them. They sneak into the mansion where the fake Elrics work and confront them, but are driven out. Later, they confront them again, and the younger brother stands up against the older one, but the guards arrive again.



Comments:

This and the next episode are adaptations of Makoto Inoue’s light novel, Sareki no Daichi (translated by Viz as "The Land of Sand"), from 2003. In it, Edward and Alphonse find themselves in the mining town of Xenotime, where they encounter fake Elric brothers, Russell and Fletcher Tringham. I haven’t read this book. I’ve only read a brief synopsis. I’m not sure whether it was intended to be part of the manga canon or not, because it also features the mysterious "red water" which becomes a big plot element of the first anime series, but the book came out before these episodes. read more

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