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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 36 Review

Episode 36, "The Sinner Within"

 *****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Ed and Al meet up with Ishbalans being transported by train by the military, including Rick, Leo, and Scar’s master. Ed and Al agree to take the kids with them in return for information on Scar’s whereabouts. Winry finds a tractor for the group to travel on and they escape from the military. Edward steels his resolve to kill if Scar gets in his way again. Going back to where the refugee settlement was, Ed and Al sneak into the outcast’s hut, but are confronted by Riza Hawkeye. She reveals that Mustang used his flame alchemy to surround the rebelling Ishbalans, causing them to settle down and that they’ve taken the outcast into custody, as well as several Ishbalans who attacked him. Ed and Al ask the outcast about Scar and his brother and the old man tells them that the Ishbalans used to use a skill called the Grand Art that was like alchemy, but ended up rejecting it and casting out those who used it. He says that making the Philosopher’s Stone would require several human sacrifices. Ed and Al are disappointed by this. Rick and Leo accidently reveal to Winry that her parents were killed by Roy Mustang. Winry reacts to this causing her to be restrained by soldiers. Edward suggests that Rick and Leo go to Risembool, but they decide to go to the camp with the other Ishblans. Edward lectures the two about discrimination. Winry decides to go to Central with Riza. Sloth introduces Wrath to Lust and Gluttony and tells them to find the Elrics. Arriving in Central, Winry discovers that Maes Hughes has died, finding it difficult to believe that he died trying to help the man who killed her parents. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist – Episode 35 Review

Episode 35, "Reunion of the Fallen"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Greed’s death has Lust wondering about her own existence and she runs into a man from her past named Lujon who uses a lesser Stone to heal people. Ed and Al travel and run into a young woman being accosted by thugs. Ed saves her. Lujon is looking for a new Philosopher’s Stone to use to help his village. In a flashback, Lust and Gluttony come upon a village of people who were suffering from a mysterious illness that Lujon tries to use alchemy to cure. In the present, Ed and Al meet the young woman, Libia that was looking for Lujon. In a flashback, we see when the illness struck the village, Lujon tried his best to cure people of the sickness, but they would end up dying, regardless. Lust sees his frustration and offers to teach him advanced alchemy. In the present, Scar recovers a locket from the desert. Lust and Gluttony go with Lujon back to his village and Ed, Al, and Winry travel with Libia. A flashback shows that while studying alchemy with Lust, Lujon fell in love with her. Talking with Envy, it’s revealed that the whole thing was a scheme to get people to make the Philosopher’s Stone. Lujon left Libia at the alter to be with Lust, but she disappeared after helping him cure the illness. In the present, Lust once again seemingly helps him cure the illness, but kills him. Soon after, everyone else in the village dies, too, including a heartbroken Libia, who arrives too late. Lust felt Lujon was the biggest mistake she made and yet after killing him, still wonders about herself. read more

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Dragon Ball Kai – Episode 64 Review

Episode 64, "No. 17, No. 18, and…! The Artificial Humans Awaken"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Kuririn spots Dr. Gero/Artificial Human No. 20 entering his laboratory and lets out ki to warn everyone. Inside, Gero activates Artifical Humans 17 and 18, a young man and young woman. Piccolo and Tenshinhan arrive, but Kuririn informs them Gero is already inside. 17 snatches away the control that could deactivate him and destroys it, not wanting to be deactivated again. Vegeta and Trunks arrive. Vegeta wants to challenge the Artificial Humans, but Trunks wants to retreat. Vegeta instead blasts the door to the lab down. Trunks confirms that the androids before them are the ones that plagued his future. Gero orders the pair to attack, but they disobey. 18 wonders about the No. 16 in the lab, but Gero demands she stay away from it. When Gero threatens to shut them down, No. 17 shoves his hand through him and then kicks his head off. He finishes Gero off with a stomp. Trunks transforms into a Super Saiyan and fires a blast that destroys most of the lab, but 17 and 18 come out unscratched, and activate 16. 16 is aloof and doesn’t respond to their questions, but confirms he was created to destroy Goku. The androids all decide to go find Goku, despite having disobeyed their creator. Vegeta is angry for being ignored and flies after them, landing next to them on a mountain side road to challenge them. read more

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Some Thoughts On: Dragon Ball Kai (English Dub) Episodes 27-39


Dragon Ball Kai‘s dub continues on a pretty consistent quality well into the Namek episodes. It’s a good thing, too, since these are probably the episodes I’ll be getting on Blu-Ray, just in case I want to skip some of the filler in this story arc when rewatching my Dragon Boxes. I can just supplement those sets with these. Kai isn’t a meal, it’s an ingredient, I say.

The good work put into the scripts is clear, especially with the dialogue of certain characters. There are far less "jokey" lines, making characters like Freeza or Kuririn less comical. What’s more, there seems to be specific phrases the Japanese script uses that are used in the dub script that really win me over, providing an experience that is very close to watching the Japanese version of the show. I have very few complaints with the lines I’m hearing. read more

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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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