A small detail i really liked with the homunculi is that they all died in ironically poetic ways. - Wrath died peacefully - Sloth died from overexertion - Gluttony got consumed - Greedy gave his life willingly - Envy died from humility - Lust got rejected and burned - Pride lost his powers in shame and became a scaree child.
@Benjamin Baxter debatable. Envy is an eclectic attribute and how you personally would interpret it and its opposite is extremely subjective. Either way I would definitely say Envy accepting that Ed understood them is a pretty ironic way to to
The Lust one is interesting because as she dies, she becomes satisfied with the outcome. Her Lust was Quenched. I find it interesting that people constantly say her ironic death was that it was to a womanizer like Roy or the rejection one (the physical means of Lust) but I always saw it in the metaphorical meaning. How Lust is an Insatiable Desire or feeling for something. Lust the Sin is Insatiable, yet in Lusts Death; she was Satisfied. Satisfied with the outcome, knowing one day Roy would be engulfed and consumed in Rage and was satisfied that her role would play a part in that, and interestingly enough he nearly does.
"Do they really expect *me* to make a complete mockery of myself by entering through the back door of my own palace?" and the whole pronunciation, delivery and scene itself were PEAK, totally agree :D
I loved that even a seemingly unimportant "you're short" joke got a resolution. Ed wasn't supposed to be short, he was just carrying two bodies within him so his own couldn't grow. Then in the epilogue, when he can finally relax, he is taller than Winry. Beautiful
@@diogobarao9992 throughout the story often a joke ended up important Havoc joking about searching a girlfriend and immediately finding one at central and it turns out to be lust
The 2003 anime highlighted the parallels between the two groups, as well as the Tringham brothers. It's kind of funny that this anime is called "Brotherhood" when their relationship has more focus in the original.
@@tgafit8997Hughes sacrificed his life giving Roy the clues necessary to win Like scar brother did with his book so scar could save the country and its alchemy
It's amazing how consistent Arakwa was with the theme of Equivalent exchange. At any point you can look at a sacrifice and see what was exchanged for it.
@keyblader1985 The bond between Ed and Al is more than sufficient in Brotherhood, even if the focus on their relationship isn't as heavily emphasized. That said, "Brotherhood" likely refers both to Ed and Al's relationship as brothers and the relationship between everyone conspiring against the government. In the latter sense, that connection is stronger.
One thing I love about Greed: He's not just greedy for material possessions, he's also greedy for intangible treasures. And the greatest treasure he ever saw was... friendship. That's what he wanted to possess more than anything. So he sides with the protagonists, not despite his greed, but *because* of his greed. Such a great way of showing how the 7 deadly sins can be channeled in positive ways.
Also considering that Greed was an aspect of Father that they stripped away from themselves. Greed more or less represents their creators repressed desire for friends and family. Which they unfortunately perceived as a flaw a "sin".
He even makes a point of saying there is better aspects of Greed: People want their dreams to come true. People want others to succeed. To quote the dub: “Y’know, Greed may not be good. But it’s not so bad either.”
I always tear up when Ed says that he doesn't need Alchemy when he has all of his friends with him. They were always the reason for his fight. Not knowledge or power, just pure, human connection. God, I love this story so much...
I love how it's a subversion of most Shounen philosophies. For manga like DBZ, Naruto, One Piece, etc, the whole point is to become stronger. In this one, becoming stronger is shown to be the wrong way of going about things. The real lesson is not only understanding our limitations, but embracing and celebrating them. To value the fact that there are bridges we just won't ever overcome, and that human connection is the truth path to overcoming adversity.
@@blackfox4138 this is not quite correct. Ed actually denied the goal of becoming stronger pretty early in the story when he understood that price of philosophers stone is too high and contradicts his morals. Instead of getting stronger Ed learns humility through all the story, remember how fond of Alchemy he was in very beginning, he considered himself an actual God. ( Cult of Leto arc) Also I can say that Naruto is not all about getting stronger, it's about understanding others. Narutos famous talk no jutsu is from here. Naruto starts as pretty egotistical child but learn to understand other people and empathy and teaches other people to do the same. In the finale of Naruto story he learned how to feel compassion to the demon inside him and one of main villains.
In the English dub when everyone is celebrating and on the phone Bradley is just like *record scratch* "I'm back!" is literally the best moment in the whole series for me.
@@NiamhIsBigbradley always struck me as the best part of the dub and i’m so glad to have discovered in the past couple months that it’s a VERY popular opinion. fmab had an astonishingly good dub and i’m so happy for what they achieved with it
Honestly it always made me cry hearing how he talks about Trisha. He loves her so deeply and fully even after her passing she owns his full heart. It's just beautiful how much he adores and loves her, even if it was painful for him to leave and not be able to return.
The scene that always gets me is Ed and Winry's proposal. It's just so relatable to me how these nerds would immediately rationalize their feelings for each other in terms of science and numbers (including Winry haggling with herself instantly after chastising Ed for using alchemy to word his feelings)
@@oscarwillimott9296 Roy Rogers Franchise Company, LLC is a chain of fast food restaurants primarily located in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. The chain originated as the rebranding of the RoBee's House of Beef chain of Fort Wayne, Indiana, acquired by the Marriott Corporation in February 1968. However, Marriott first used the Roy Rogers Roast Beef name on conversions of the company's Junior Hot Shoppes in the Washington, D.C. area in April 1968, then the existing RoBee's stores. An aggressive nationwide franchising campaign was launched. At its peak, the chain included over 600 locations. The chain now has 41 locations in seven states, either company owned or franchised.
Something I’ve always felt but haven’t seen a lot of people say before is that Wrath’s final words about his wife are surprisingly romantic for him. The idea that the one choice in his life that was truly his was marrying her and that even now in his final moments there’s nothing else he needs to tell her is probably one of the few glances of true humanity we get from him.
Don’t forget all that talk of her saying that Bradley was blabbering over himself and couldn’t actually get a word out when it came to actually courting her. That stuff wasn’t Bradley putting up an act as Wrath, it was ALL him. And don’t forget pride partially cared for and was perplexed by her too a bit. The fact that those two (Bradley more clearly and brazenly) genuinely cared for her to some degree is tragic but touching
I've seen one interpretation that the reason he valued her so much was she was the only choice he got to make in his entire life. Everything else was handed to him, but he chose his wife. And he lived for the choices he got to make, always seeming to enjoy when things didn't go according to plan. Because that meant he got to make choices.
Looking back at it, Wrath and Pride's family situation is like a mirror to Ed and Al's, where they have a father who is overly present to the point of controlling them, and a wife/mother who is alive, that they're okay with losing. And yet, with the role maternal characters play in the show, the homunculi can't help but find humanity in their interactions with Mrs. Bradley. Keeping with the idea that the homunculi are all tragic characters, you could imagine a world in which they could live as a happy family, if only they were able to fully embrace that love against the cold machinations they were born into. In the end, Selim is given that chance, but only after their father has gone away for good.
well you have to consider that wrath was the only humonculy that was initialy a regular human, thats why unlike the others he aged etc.... so it would be natural that atleast a shred of humanity was in him ( i could be wrong abut this ofc, ive only seen the anime)
@@gaberahamlincoln7358Not entirely sure that would have been possible since their very creation left their "Father" stunted emotionally and spiritually.
I might be alone on this, but Wrath will always be one of my favorite villains. The English dub is immaculate, going from jovial grandpa to cold seething fury, never losing composure but always fuming. Beyond that, he’s a simple character with just enough depth to have complexity to him without diminishing his actions in any way. He’s a man of action that is thankful but simultaneously resents the safety afforded by being father’s pawn and even to some extent his own eye, but make no mistake that makes him no less of an absolute monster. Not to mention his *presence* . One of those villains that’s too awesome to hate.
Ed Blaylock….what a Legend. I’ve followed him from the start of his career as Mr. Iwamoto, a Jerk Teacher from Yu Yu Hakusho to King Bradley from FMA to Sengoku from One Piece to Sebas from Overlord. He was fantastic. May he continue to Rest In Peace.
I miss Ed Blaylock. Hope he's resting peacefully. He was and still is my favorite English VA. I have watched many anime just because he was a credited VA.
I love the way Mustang vs Envy is framed as well. The way that Mustang actually looks more terrifying than heroic in the scene, as opposed to Lust’s death.
Whereas in the battle with Lust, Roy looks like “the cavalry has come and they brought tanks”, in the fight with Envy, Mustang looks like just another monster, bent on destroying everything until he is sure his goal is secure.
I had the realization on why that scene works so well... I have always hated the "I will not kill you, it would make me as bad as you" types of scenes, and this is similar in a way, but what makes it so different is, Mustang is not the one saying it, it is the others, they are telling him that yes, Envy deserves to die, but not like this, he is not doing this because Envy deserves it, because Envy is a threat to all of them or humanity in general, he is doing it out of pure anger and lust for revenge, he is being consumed by that feeling, he is making sure Envy suffers as much as possible, and if he completed that revenge in the way he is doing it, he will in fact turn into a monster, into someone that will let his rage dictate who he is. That is the point of that scene, not that Envy doesn't deserve to die, but to not let that rage turn Mustang into something else. That is why that scene is so different from other scenes like it, because there is a good reason not to let Mustang deliver the final blow, because he will kill any hope of him ever being a good person again.
@@Griever49 I think it’s also the fact that they clarify “No, it’s not that he deserves to live, or that killing him isn’t justified. We just need you to not be the one doing the killing.” Because he is not in the right state of mind to kill Envy, because doing so will not sate his hatred nor give him the catharsis he needs.
I loved the absolute duality of the conversations Ed and the Dwarf in the flask have with the Truth. The flask or Daddy is so distraught, in denial of his loss and in desperation. To the very end he's mocked by Truth for attempts to surpass or become God, to surpass "all" while he is "one". Meanwhile with Ed it's like "Yo, here's my alchemy" "Dude you sure that stuff's fucking sick" "Who gives a shit man I've got friends and I want my brother back" "Fuck yeah bro, you win, that's what it's all about!".
I think my favorite part about Envy is just how much you learn about his character in his final scene, for most of the series he’s just this awful irredeemably evil piece of garbage but he doesn’t always seem to line up with the sin of “Envy” on a first read, he looks down on humans and treats them as lesser which can make him seem more prideful than envious, but while he’s dying you learn that all he ever really wanted was to be human, he doesn’t get any redemption and you don’t feel bad for him but you understand him. His overconfidence, his violent outbursts, his tendency to provoke and anger his enemies, and his high and mighty additive were all his attempts to fill the void in him. He knew he could never be human and he desperately wanted to be but could never admit it. It shows a very realistic portrayal of how people like envy who act like they’re better than everyone else often are the way they are because of their own insecurities and jealousy. Envy is my favorite sin in FMA purely because of how that one scene recontextualizes his entire character
To add on with his ability- He becomes more monstrous in his true form the more people he mimics and kills (to my knowledge) so he’ll never really even be able pretend to be human-because his own body is a reminder that he isn’t human. He has no cemented identity, no individuality, only a personality that feeds off his hatred and criticism of others-take that away he’s nothing.
Mark is truly a master at his craft, he redefines and highlights so much in stories that we all loved in a way no one else does or can. The team does a phenomenal job on the production and each video feels like a story all on its own. I may not always agree with his takes but i respect them so deeply. Thank you for all you guys do.
A neat detail in the moment where edward does the last transmutation is that after he gives the right answer, the truth adds edward's voice to the mix of voices that make him, watch that scene in english and japanese, you can easily hear it when it says "take him home!" "The back door is over there goodbye edward elric!" It always give me chills and makes me think of how ironic it is compared to the dwarf in the flask's meeting with truth, the truth hidden within the truth if i say so
Alphonse walking out of the smoke with a Philosopher Stone in hand was breathtakingly beautiful. Alphonse standing on his own two feet ready to fight and get back what is his
He has made peace with his qualms about using the stone. While he will still never use it for himself, he will use it to contribute something to the world.
43:58 THE STOCK FOOTAGE OF A COW USED TO REFER TO ARAKAWA IS WONDERFUL. also this series has been incredible to watch and i’m so glad you liked my favorite manga!!
@@Selverna cult classic implies it has a small but rabid fan base. even in your attempt to gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss, you failed to do it properly. FMA is one of the most well known anime of all time. Goofy
@@takeyourmedsplz my bad, famalamadingdong, I have taken the meds pill as your username suggests and I fixed my comment so now it should no longer be mistaken in any way, shape or form. We aight?
Man do you have a way with words Mark. I lost my brother 2 months ago and it’s been such a struggle getting back to normalcy and your videos give me the joy I need to just stay sane enough to continue. You put it beautifully at the end and it’s gonna take some hard work for me to get through this but, as Ed said, “I guess hard work isn’t such a bad thing”. Thank you for what you do Mark and I can’t wait to watch the next one
Mustang’s screams in the Dub while burning Envy always gives me chills. And Seeing Envy just keep dying over and over again to his flames felt so cathartic. Cause Father may have started the war but Envy just took every sick pleasure murdering the poor ishvalan girl to let it happen. However, I love how Envy killed itself while feeling jealous over the connections the main cast made with each other. It was such a perfect touch.
Dubbed version of wrath in his final fight is just on another level. He genuinely sounds pissed that scar dare go easy on him, and that he decided to change his view on alchemy. When he shouts "Whats wrong? Dont tell me thats all you got?" I get actual chills
The coolest thing about this story is that Ed could’ve easily learned early on that he could’ve sacrificed his alchemy to get Al’s body back, but the fact that arakawa made him go on a journey to learn the lessons of sacrifice makes the payoff at the end so much more beautiful . The Ed at the beginning of the story idolized alchemy way to much to realize this lesson
Alphonse vs. Kimblee and Pride is my favourite scene in the anime, period. The lack of music once Alphonse begins talking with Heinkel, Pride's overwhelming abundance of... well, pride, thinking he has Alphonse trapped and cornered, followed with Kimblee's almost congratulatory-like commendment of Alphonse once he steps out of the dust clouds with his legs reforged. All of this coupled with the masterful use of Ray Of Light kicking in right as we begin to see Alphonse stomping his way towards the other two while Pride looks annoyed and Kimblee is nothign short of entertained. Side note: As an extra layer of amazingness to the scene, there is also Kimblee and Alphonse's talk of ideals. It's always been about ideals between the two, at least from what I can gather.
One of my favorite fights for all the good it does al and his character. The part where he swings his sword only for it to be stopped by one of prides tendrils and then in a second al transfigures the swords tip to turn and fly sideways towards prides face narrowly missing him is absolutely tremendous choreography that shows more thought out alchemy being used in battle.
So delightful to find anime fans in this day and age who are totally unspoiled for FMA and watch them discover in real time just what a masterpiece it is. Thanks for all your hard work!
Throughout the FMA reviews, I've seen something happen to a person I've rarely seen before. Mark is falling in love with Arakawa's way of story-telling more than the actual story itself. It's such a funny thing to see
One of the highest praises I think you can give an anime is answering yes to the question "Can you introduce this to a person who has never watched anime and perhaps even animated media?" and to me FMA:B sits waaaay up there among shows you absolutely can. It's short (relative to other shonen series), good from start to finish, mature, looks amazing and has minimum anime bullshit which most non-anime viewers have no tolerance for. God damn what an amazing story this is.
FMA:B and Death Note are the two I always suggest. Great characters, great story, great themes all with little to none of the cringey tropes anime is known for make for a great introduction to the media like you said.
@@bobshnitzel2608 not really, it was FMA (2003) and Cowboy Bebop on toonami that got me to look at anime again after leaving it behind a decade prior in middle school as "geek stuff". fantastic choice. yes, both of those anime set a high bar, but they also made me realize that the medium had something of value to offer.
There's also apparently the detail that Alphonse alchemy is drawn smoother while Edward's drawn rougher. The series is full of nice details. Like Roy right glove is used for power and left is used for precision.
This series was one of the key parts that defined who I am today,. I watched both adaptations and enjoyed it. 2003 marked a pivotal change in my life, FMA opened my eyes to the hardships of reality. As a person who like anime at the time, people back then weren't too keen to share in my passion, and often distance themselves from me as a result. I became a social pariah which sucked as a teen. The anime helped me realize that regardless of the social pressure and burdens, at my age, the only way is truly forward. Even if more hardships were ahead, I had no choice. In those struggles I found myself questioning how these kids managed to pull through even when world was seemingly against them, and emulated it as best as I could (being a chuuni and all that). And through my struggling, I found friends who saw that there's more to me than what I awkwardly show. Glad to say that there my bestest friends to this day. 2009 rolled around, finally finding my footing in this world, FMA Brotherhood graced us with its presence. It was bittersweet since it reminded me of the painful and cringey past but, I viewed it as a necessary part of me. Finishing the series made me appreciate the 2003 anime even more because of my personal experiences. While the older adaptation pulled me through one of my darkest times, Brotherhood brought back my hope in people. Mark's concluding remarks about the series made me realize that passion is a double edge sword. Displaying it for people can empower you or destroy you, since it exposes who you are. My passion for anime in the past had me wish I never knew about it because of how difficult people made my life when I really just didn't know how to express myself in any other way. In this case I really love it when people do this kinds of videos. I love hearing peoples opinion on topics I like displaying its flaws and strengths. I love it when people show their passion in their work. It makes me feel so happy that people can just share what they enjoy. Sometimes passion can lead to awful experiences, and in struggling we might lose ourselves. In hard work we take both and create something we can be truly proud of. From a person with deep passion to another, keep at it. (I will continue to lurk :3)
And that scene of the group photo with everyone at the end of the credits was such a feel-good moment. Getting to see how a lot of the characters continued on with their journeys after the events of the series was so touching. Ed and Winry having kids in the last photo, Alphonse and Mei grown up, it was all just a perfect ending. And that last line from Ed about having a heart made fullmetal genuinely made me shed a few tears.
I never noticed how much of the final portion of the story was contingent on the themes of self sacrifice vs using others for your own ends. Pride absorbing Kimbley and trying to use Ed's body was his ultimate downfall, as was Father's after absorbing Greed. While on the flip side neither Ed, Al nor Greed ever hesitated on doing what was needed by putting themselves on the line for the sake of others, and ultimately that grants them victory. Even Wrath's defeat was brought upon thanks to the sacrifices of Buccaneer and Foo.
I feel like you didn't mention the most important, for me at least, part of the ending. The fact, that you can give the world more than you have recieved, abolishing the law of equivalent exchange.
The reunion scene with Ed, Al, and Winry is one of my favorite emotional moments in all of anime. The catharsis is beautiful after over 60 episodes of watching them fight together in a cruel world makes me tear up every time. The direction and music choices of the scene help too.
I find the greatest subversion Arakawa sensei did was have Ed give up his power it give a finality to the story and allows the characters to rest and have peace.
My favorite part about the ending has to be how truly ecstatic Truth is to have been beaten. Like he's been waiting an eternity for this, and the one person he thought had the best chance was the exact one to do it.
One of my favorite things about this series is that every single character is utilized to their fullest potential, no character is ignored, and yet they also never overstay their welcome. From the important characters like the Elrics, Ron, and Scar, all the way to the side characters like the four chimera, the brigs soldiers and the subordinates of Mustang himself. Everyone plays their part fantastically.
One of the most shocking moments to me was when Maria Ross came back into the story to save Mustang's hide and then to find out the supplies are from Havoc of all people.
yeah its why FMA stands above pretty much every other shonen because it never forgets characters and never has its protag do everything. the finale is utilsied to hghlight EVERYONE and EVERYONE has a role to play in it, big or small.
The sacrifice scene is probably one of the most upsetting scenes I’ve seen in a while specifically because of how good arakawa is at writing characters So to see literally ALL of them have their souls ripped out of their body’s is genuinely chilling..
FMA ending is so wonderful because the Manga sets everything up for 90% of the story and the last 10% it just lets its set up beautifully trickle down in the most natural and satisfying way possible.
Honestly. What really sealed Greed being my favorite fictional character was one small moment in the manga. It's in the Devil's Nest after he kidnaps AL. Greed asks Al about his body. Al says that his brother did it, but he's "gone." Greed takes this to mean that Al's brother is dead. What does the living incarnation of Greed do? He doesn't get angry about this obvious setback. He says "sorry about your loss, kid. We cool?" Immediately set him up to be at least a likable antagonist, later beloved anti-hero.
@@gamerskingdom4897 Me: *makes a common meme reference* You: it's just a gag, bro Me: thank you for confirming what I already knew, have a great day :D
About Greed being nice to the chimeras, you need to remember that his gang was made up of only chimeras. Someone that's truly pure greed is not gonna be greedy of just material things, but also greedy of valuable relationships and happiness. He valued his friends and teammates but wasn't very attached to Father or the other homunculi because they didn't value him nor would they help him get what he wants. Friends? Friends will do what they can to help you. One of the things I like the most about Arakawa is that she was able to show this concept of the 7 deadly sins not being pure evil, but aspects of humanity all through character writing. all 7 of them are bad in excess, but they are still essential to life.
Arakawa is something else. Full Metal Alchemist was the first ongoing manga I finished and it was probably the best experience I had ever consuming any kind of media. I love her so much. I love every character and their relationships.
The full reveal of the photo hits hard. Most of the story, Hohenheim is this stone-faced mysterious guy. Then near the end we see him occasionally smile, either in flashbacks or when he fights against Homunculus. We've seen him surprised a couple of times. But his face in that photo? That's the first - and the most powerful.
Hard to believe this thing wrapped up in 2010. I still remember the thrill I felt reading the manga when the final match-ups were set up in the last arc. I remember that mix of sadness and happiness as I read the ending, all too aware that such a pivotal piece of art I'd enjoyed for a decade was finally over. I'm happy you loved reading and watching this series. It leaves a real void in you when you end it as you want to keep adventuring with these characters.
Thats one of the things that annoys me about Marks reviews is that he’s manga only and completely neglects the effects of OSTs in the anime My greatest grudge being the lack of praise for Susumu Hirasawa and his work with Berserk’s OST
The best ending arc of any anime or manga. Someday it will be topped (hopefully by One Piece or HxH) but it's impossible to ignore how beautifully this story was concluded. I've shown this series to four different groups of friends and there is never a dry eye during those last two episodes.
Literally best one I've ever read or watched. I've read AND watched the series thrice and twice respectively, each time it just amazes me how perfectly the story was shown and how it ended.
HxH has been confirmed to have been cancelled in Feb 2023 so that's a no to a good ending, though I guess the ending of the Gon saving arc wasn't exactly horrible to be considered an ending.
One of the best foreshadowing in this is always overlooked. So when Grandpa and Ed where sharing there stories in the desert They talk about the origins of there respective lands alchemy ( Father in Amestris and Hoenheim in Xing) they talk about how the only survivor of Xerxes wondered into there lands.Father taught the science of alchemy in Amestris and Hoenheim used his knowledge and combined it with the people in xing it's a short 10 secs convo but so beautiful when you realize it It's episode 18 I believe I recommend you go back and watch it shows even more how great the author is
FMA Brotherhood is among my favorite and greatest anime of all time. Your breakdown is really good, not only did you tackle the story and characters , you also tackled the technical aspects of the animation which are one of my favorite types of analysis being an artist myself. Keep it up!
I cant believe that reading the manga, watching the anime or just listening to reviews ... this story always makes me cry in the best of ways, like a catharsis of my very soul feeling a sense of meaning and that is why this story is so dearest to me, its not an anime, or manga. its a tale that gets to my heart
This story is my favorite work of fiction. It helped me answer questions that may have plagued me for my entire life. Every line word and moment of the ending set my heart ablaze and almost overwhelm me. The feelings it brings out of me are paralyzing to an extent because I feel as if I'm standing before truth itself. My life has been a series of journeys, and no journey worth taking leaves you unchanged. Full Metal Alchemist is one journey I am forever grateful for.
Let’s go! The ending of the one of yeh best anime/manga!! I think it was a really good hero story for Edward! Realizing that what he got from his journey was life experiences and life long friendships!
Even watching your review of this series has given me such a strong emotional reaction. I've watched this Anime, I kid you not, at least 50 times start to finish. It is the single greatest piece of media I have ever experienced, and it helped shaped me as a human being. So much of my moral compass was formed from lessons this series showed me. My imagination is in the cinematography is this show. It's so interesting hearing you, somebody who reads manga with such a level of detail, share the lessons and impact this story has had on you, knowing full well exactly what it's done to me. There aren't many things in the world I wish I could share with every human being on it, but I think if everybody person in the world would watch this show with an open mind and heart and take away lessons on what we, as a species, should strive to be, our world would be a better place. For every 10 we give, let's give back 11. Let's add a little piece of ourselves to the experiences we give others in a way that gives others around us more than they had before we were involved. Understanding ourselves is the greatest gift we can give the world. I know I"m just a faceless person on the internet, but I'm glad we, as two strangers, can share this story together and FEEL because of it.
I got back to rewatching FMA Brotherhood, and I will always love the ending, but I won't deny that the original anime had its own merits, but I feel Brotherhood's end felt more natural
yessssss I have to agree!! as much as amazing fma brotherhood I can't forget how personal, dark and real the og anime felt. I love the origin concept of the sins there wayyyyyy more
You're one of the most insightful anime/manga reviewers on this platform. I especially like the different angles that you come up with to tackle dissecting these stories, be it through studying authors background or listening to music that has been referenced. I enjoy the fresh points of views quite immensely and wanted to thank you for your hard work. You and your team should take some time off and rest after this, I think you earned it.
When I first saw the ending, I just thought "Haven't they learned ANYTHING?" But I also thought how smart of a thought it was. And the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a genius idea to me that they just could not give enough get the resukt they wanted in return (their 10+1 rule)...
Thank you for your hard work. FMA is really a gem. I have seen it at least 12 times and read the manga 4-5 and always tear up. I end up crying like a baby. Only FMA and Fruits Basket make me experience such emotion and I'm grateful to Harukawa to bring this story to the world.
It is very true that Mark - like every content creator ever - had ups and downs in his videos. But this review series was truly something else. I know a video is a true work of art and the result of pure passion when I am delighted to see the video being long and when I dread the progress bar moving closer and closer to the end. I recently re-watched Mark's Hunter x Hunter review and the final three videos in that series left a terrible taste in my mouth. But Mark more than redeemed himself with this amazing review. I can say from my heart of hearts: I am looking forward to the next review.
I watched this entire series, every episode back to back to back and I very rarely leave comments but you sir deserve an enormous amount of praise. This was an absolute masterpiece hands down. A true work of perfection and a pleasure to watch. Congratulations on a job very well done 👏 👏👏👏
My absolute favorite bit in this masterpiece of a show is that in the English dub, during Ed's last conversation with Truth, every line from "That's the right answer!" until the end of the monologue gets dubbed over by Ed's VA. By the end, it's just Vic talking back to himself
I love how you peel, consume, and enjoy Fullmetal Alchemist's story. It's very comprehensive, and your thoughts are very interesting. Fullmetal Alchemist will always feel like a solid metal ball for me, as there's no loose ends and the story itself is knitted oh so closely Thank you and the editors for your hard work!
I saw those MONSTER books behind you. Even if you don't review them, please read them. The psychological after effects of the series is something to really consider given the many questions about morality the series itself brings up.
Ignoring the trendy shonen being begged for, Monster was one of the most requested manga for him to read after FMA. He'll definitely do it and he will fucking LOVE it.
Crazy that you started these reviews right as i was finishing my rewatch. The last episode had me choked up at work trying not to cry. Such a satisfying anime!
Man, this story was absolutely masterful, when I finished Brotherhood, I legit felt a change in me, a before and after scenario...I guess so, so many people calling it the best anime ever wasn’t so hyperbolic after all, managing to have SO. MANY. MOVING PIECES and still deliver a satisfying conclusion for all of them is unbelievable, yet Arakawa did it. 100/10
This series has been a wonder and a joy to partake in. Thank you to you and your team for the hard work you put into it. Your enjoyment of this work was felt.
Thank you for reviewing my all time favorite anime. Every October 3rd (and about a month leading up to it) I still have a marathon of both animes and movies I'm adding your manga review to the list.
I am glad you enjoyed the meaning of Roy vs Envy, Mark. When I first watched it, I was honestly shocked by how mature that subversion was and by how easy it was for me to completely root for Mustang's darker self to win over. I value lessons of self-growth & healing over revenge stories.
binged this whole analysis and it's making me want to reread AGAIN. I love how you're focusing on the manga specifically since that's the version I regard an absolute masterpiece. While the animes are absolute CLASSICS, nothing gets me like the true source material. The real intended story.
TNM, this was amazing. Personally, I don't care whether or not you line up with my experience of a manga or anime. But whenever you're able to engross yourself (positively, negatively, or otherwise) into the subject matter, I really enjoy your interpretations. I hope you're able to keep finding the light of creativity and excitement in your work, as I keep finding enjoyment in listening to it.
Mark, thank you. FMA is such a amazing serie, I am glad to hear someone like you who is better at explaining just how insanely grand this is, how much feeling it invokes. Then me just having watched the anime alone. Different perspectives, but the love and passion is there just as much.
I’m glad you enjoyed the journey. FMA really is a series that touches so many hearts. Arikawa is a genius and I hope she enjoys all those royalties for, what I’m sure, was backbreaking work making this amazing manga.
Absolutely GOATed series. While im hard pressed to say its my favourite series (though its definitely up there), I can pretty confidently say its the most perfect series I have seen, and endlessly rewatchable. Great job on these videos
Man this series made a huge impact on me. Watching you fall in love with it reminded me how much I loved the series and how much I bawled at it. And you shouldn't be hard on yourself. I dont know all your videos but this was equal to super eye patch wolf as far as reviewing media and making an impact on your audience equal to the impact the series gave you. Pride yourself in knowing you make fantastic work.
I'm praying that you adress the "other" FMA series, as it has many merits and is more a seinen than a shonen, and is in any case a fascinating conversation that you will do justice.
It does. I understand why it's controversial- I hate the ending and how it poorly it writes Roy, Winry, Rose, Izuki and Hoenheim but to be fair, the relationship between the brothers is more important and they nail that. I love 2003's visual identity, somber tone, gorgeous ost and some of the risks that the filler material takes with the homuncului (Lust!). I always tell people to watch both if they have the time, they each have their own unique strengths.
Phew.. Reaching the near end of the video, I'm tearing up. Thank you so much for taking the time to experience one of my favorite stories to this day. I'm happy that you enjoyed the journey so much.
Thank you for this review series. My partner looked at me like a loony when I showed him how much time I've spent watching your work. I want to thank you. Just as you teared up at the end, I did multiple times during your long review of this manga and anime. You managed to make the things that I found beautiful while reading the manga and watching Brotherhood stand out, and made me cry all over again for the sacrifices made, the poetry of the seven deadly sins, the simple humanity of it all... From the bottom of my weeb heart, thank you.
This has been an astounding journey to listen/watch to as someone who grew up with FMA/FMAB. While I was hoping there would be some look at the different endings between original and brotherhood/manga, as well as Shamballa and Sacred Star, there's always future videos. Haha. Thanks for the content!
One of the best manga endings ever. I wish we could’ve heard more about Mark’s reaction to Kimblee’s assist in defeating Pride. He may be a psychopathic killer, but the man does respect those who have strong convictions and are willing to still with their philosophies no matter what. Plus his speech to Pride was just awesome.
Your reviews are amazing, and not only have I found a new person to watch and enjoy their content, but also youve shown me a lot of series I wouldnt have bothered looking into otherwise, thank you
A small detail i really liked with the homunculi is that they all died in ironically poetic ways.
- Wrath died peacefully
- Sloth died from overexertion
- Gluttony got consumed
- Greedy gave his life willingly
- Envy died from humility
- Lust got rejected and burned
- Pride lost his powers in shame and became a scaree child.
The opposite of envy is gratitude for the sake of others, being thankful that others have what they have.
@Benjamin Baxter debatable. Envy is an eclectic attribute and how you personally would interpret it and its opposite is extremely subjective. Either way I would definitely say Envy accepting that Ed understood them is a pretty ironic way to to
Greed stole all the glory in defeating Father by sacrificing his life.
And father because of his hubris
The Lust one is interesting because as she dies, she becomes satisfied with the outcome. Her Lust was Quenched.
I find it interesting that people constantly say her ironic death was that it was to a womanizer like Roy or the rejection one (the physical means of Lust) but I always saw it in the metaphorical meaning.
How Lust is an Insatiable Desire or feeling for something. Lust the Sin is Insatiable, yet in Lusts Death; she was Satisfied.
Satisfied with the outcome, knowing one day Roy would be engulfed and consumed in Rage and was satisfied that her role would play a part in that, and interestingly enough he nearly does.
Ed's quote when he sacrifices his gate was the best. "What's the point of this power if I can't save even 1 little girl"
such a good call back😣
Don't mind me just crying my heart out for my favorite short king 😭😭😭
For Nina
Faust moment
"who even needs alchemy... When I've got them?"
I love the way the English voice actor for Bradley says "Do they really expect me to go through the back door of my own Palace?"
Also,this is as old as you're going to get to fu
Ed Blaylock was perfectly cast as the English voice of King Bradley
"Do they really expect *me* to make a complete mockery of myself by entering through the back door of my own palace?" and the whole pronunciation, delivery and scene itself were PEAK, totally agree :D
RIP Ed Blaylock, also the English VA for Sengoku in One Piece (pre-timeskip, cuz he passed away)
RIP Ed Blaylock
I loved that even a seemingly unimportant "you're short" joke got a resolution. Ed wasn't supposed to be short, he was just carrying two bodies within him so his own couldn't grow. Then in the epilogue, when he can finally relax, he is taller than Winry. Beautiful
kkkkk
He gives hope to all the short kings out there 😂
Best excuse i could have xD I ain't small! Im just carrying two bodies
@@diogobarao9992 throughout the story often a joke ended up important
Havoc joking about searching a girlfriend and immediately finding one at central and it turns out to be lust
@@Hession0Drashaeh how could it if he gets taller at the end?
I never really thought about this, but Al deciding to give his life for Ed's right arm parallels the sacrifice of Scar's brother pretty well.
I know this an old comment but as a FMA BH stan I never thought about it that way 🤯
The 2003 anime highlighted the parallels between the two groups, as well as the Tringham brothers. It's kind of funny that this anime is called "Brotherhood" when their relationship has more focus in the original.
@@tgafit8997Hughes sacrificed his life giving Roy the clues necessary to win
Like scar brother did with his book so scar could save the country and its alchemy
It's amazing how consistent Arakwa was with the theme of Equivalent exchange. At any point you can look at a sacrifice and see what was exchanged for it.
@keyblader1985 The bond between Ed and Al is more than sufficient in Brotherhood, even if the focus on their relationship isn't as heavily emphasized.
That said, "Brotherhood" likely refers both to Ed and Al's relationship as brothers and the relationship between everyone conspiring against the government. In the latter sense, that connection is stronger.
One thing I love about Greed: He's not just greedy for material possessions, he's also greedy for intangible treasures.
And the greatest treasure he ever saw was... friendship. That's what he wanted to possess more than anything.
So he sides with the protagonists, not despite his greed, but *because* of his greed.
Such a great way of showing how the 7 deadly sins can be channeled in positive ways.
Also considering that Greed was an aspect of Father that they stripped away from themselves. Greed more or less represents their creators repressed desire for friends and family. Which they unfortunately perceived as a flaw a "sin".
He even makes a point of saying there is better aspects of Greed:
People want their dreams to come true.
People want others to succeed.
To quote the dub: “Y’know, Greed may not be good. But it’s not so bad either.”
I always tear up when Ed says that he doesn't need Alchemy when he has all of his friends with him. They were always the reason for his fight. Not knowledge or power, just pure, human connection. God, I love this story so much...
I love how it's a subversion of most Shounen philosophies. For manga like DBZ, Naruto, One Piece, etc, the whole point is to become stronger. In this one, becoming stronger is shown to be the wrong way of going about things. The real lesson is not only understanding our limitations, but embracing and celebrating them. To value the fact that there are bridges we just won't ever overcome, and that human connection is the truth path to overcoming adversity.
@@blackfox4138 this is not quite correct. Ed actually denied the goal of becoming stronger pretty early in the story when he understood that price of philosophers stone is too high and contradicts his morals. Instead of getting stronger Ed learns humility through all the story, remember how fond of Alchemy he was in very beginning, he considered himself an actual God. ( Cult of Leto arc)
Also I can say that Naruto is not all about getting stronger, it's about understanding others. Narutos famous talk no jutsu is from here. Naruto starts as pretty egotistical child but learn to understand other people and empathy and teaches other people to do the same. In the finale of Naruto story he learned how to feel compassion to the demon inside him and one of main villains.
this is also why Father acts as a fantastic villain, as he reflects the very opposite of these values. And why Ed is a better hero because of that.
FMA is one of the few stories that pulls off the "friends we made along the way" trope succesfully! Great story :)
@RockinAfr0 it's because friendship is Ed's motivation to make his decisions rather than the motivation to pull power from his ass XD
In the English dub when everyone is celebrating and on the phone Bradley is just like *record scratch* "I'm back!" is literally the best moment in the whole series for me.
“Greeting, I’m back!”
The biggest wth moment for me at the time
That dub is stacked with some great talent but man, the late great Ed Blaylock’s performance as King Bradley was something special
When the cats are away, the mice will play. but the cat is back and HUNGRY.
@@NiamhIsBigbradley always struck me as the best part of the dub and i’m so glad to have discovered in the past couple months that it’s a VERY popular opinion. fmab had an astonishingly good dub and i’m so happy for what they achieved with it
Hoenhiem's speech to Trisha's grave is one my favorite speeches of all time. It is such a gut punch every single time.
It's the only scene that hits even with Uncle Iroh's special episode from Avatar.
The anime handled that moment immaculately. The opening theme coming in as Pinako notices he has passed, man, I am tearing up just describing it.
"i really am hopeless" bwaaaaa D': D':
Honestly it always made me cry hearing how he talks about Trisha. He loves her so deeply and fully even after her passing she owns his full heart. It's just beautiful how much he adores and loves her, even if it was painful for him to leave and not be able to return.
I actually also adore the moment after as well when Granny shows up and sees him but he's already passed. He died with a smile on his face.
The scene that always gets me is Ed and Winry's proposal. It's just so relatable to me how these nerds would immediately rationalize their feelings for each other in terms of science and numbers (including Winry haggling with herself instantly after chastising Ed for using alchemy to word his feelings)
Yep, that get me too.
Is this it?! Is this when he says Roy? The suspense is killing me
*Ron
What's a Roy?
@@oscarwillimott9296 Roy Rogers Franchise Company, LLC is a chain of fast food restaurants primarily located in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. The chain originated as the rebranding of the RoBee's House of Beef chain of Fort Wayne, Indiana, acquired by the Marriott Corporation in February 1968. However, Marriott first used the Roy Rogers Roast Beef name on conversions of the company's Junior Hot Shoppes in the Washington, D.C. area in April 1968, then the existing RoBee's stores. An aggressive nationwide franchising campaign was launched. At its peak, the chain included over 600 locations. The chain now has 41 locations in seven states, either company owned or franchised.
Maybe he'll call Bradley Fuhrer.
Ron Mustang is the single best running joke of at least the last, checks notes, 4 weeks. Thank you very much.
Something I’ve always felt but haven’t seen a lot of people say before is that Wrath’s final words about his wife are surprisingly romantic for him. The idea that the one choice in his life that was truly his was marrying her and that even now in his final moments there’s nothing else he needs to tell her is probably one of the few glances of true humanity we get from him.
Don’t forget all that talk of her saying that Bradley was blabbering over himself and couldn’t actually get a word out when it came to actually courting her.
That stuff wasn’t Bradley putting up an act as Wrath, it was ALL him.
And don’t forget pride partially cared for and was perplexed by her too a bit.
The fact that those two (Bradley more clearly and brazenly) genuinely cared for her to some degree is tragic but touching
I've seen one interpretation that the reason he valued her so much was she was the only choice he got to make in his entire life. Everything else was handed to him, but he chose his wife. And he lived for the choices he got to make, always seeming to enjoy when things didn't go according to plan. Because that meant he got to make choices.
Looking back at it, Wrath and Pride's family situation is like a mirror to Ed and Al's, where they have a father who is overly present to the point of controlling them, and a wife/mother who is alive, that they're okay with losing. And yet, with the role maternal characters play in the show, the homunculi can't help but find humanity in their interactions with Mrs. Bradley.
Keeping with the idea that the homunculi are all tragic characters, you could imagine a world in which they could live as a happy family, if only they were able to fully embrace that love against the cold machinations they were born into. In the end, Selim is given that chance, but only after their father has gone away for good.
well you have to consider that wrath was the only humonculy that was initialy a regular human, thats why unlike the others he aged etc.... so it would be natural that atleast a shred of humanity was in him ( i could be wrong abut this ofc, ive only seen the anime)
@@gaberahamlincoln7358Not entirely sure that would have been possible since their very creation left their "Father" stunted emotionally and spiritually.
I might be alone on this, but Wrath will always be one of my favorite villains.
The English dub is immaculate, going from jovial grandpa to cold seething fury, never losing composure but always fuming.
Beyond that, he’s a simple character with just enough depth to have complexity to him without diminishing his actions in any way. He’s a man of action that is thankful but simultaneously resents the safety afforded by being father’s pawn and even to some extent his own eye, but make no mistake that makes him no less of an absolute monster. Not to mention his *presence* . One of those villains that’s too awesome to hate.
Ed Blaylock….what a Legend. I’ve followed him from the start of his career as Mr. Iwamoto, a Jerk Teacher from Yu Yu Hakusho to King Bradley from FMA to Sengoku from One Piece to Sebas from Overlord. He was fantastic. May he continue to Rest In Peace.
You aren’t alone at all. It is without a doubt the greatest English dub ever and I will die on that hill a thousand times.
I miss Ed Blaylock. Hope he's resting peacefully. He was and still is my favorite English VA. I have watched many anime just because he was a credited VA.
Definitely not alone! I've always considered Bradley to be on the best characters in anime, period. That man has such a presence.
Yeah, and the voice actor portrayed him perfectly as one scary dude.
I love the way Mustang vs Envy is framed as well. The way that Mustang actually looks more terrifying than heroic in the scene, as opposed to Lust’s death.
Whereas in the battle with Lust, Roy looks like “the cavalry has come and they brought tanks”, in the fight with Envy, Mustang looks like just another monster, bent on destroying everything until he is sure his goal is secure.
I had the realization on why that scene works so well... I have always hated the "I will not kill you, it would make me as bad as you" types of scenes, and this is similar in a way, but what makes it so different is, Mustang is not the one saying it, it is the others, they are telling him that yes, Envy deserves to die, but not like this, he is not doing this because Envy deserves it, because Envy is a threat to all of them or humanity in general, he is doing it out of pure anger and lust for revenge, he is being consumed by that feeling, he is making sure Envy suffers as much as possible, and if he completed that revenge in the way he is doing it, he will in fact turn into a monster, into someone that will let his rage dictate who he is. That is the point of that scene, not that Envy doesn't deserve to die, but to not let that rage turn Mustang into something else.
That is why that scene is so different from other scenes like it, because there is a good reason not to let Mustang deliver the final blow, because he will kill any hope of him ever being a good person again.
@@Griever49 I think it’s also the fact that they clarify “No, it’s not that he deserves to live, or that killing him isn’t justified. We just need you to not be the one doing the killing.” Because he is not in the right state of mind to kill Envy, because doing so will not sate his hatred nor give him the catharsis he needs.
I loved the absolute duality of the conversations Ed and the Dwarf in the flask have with the Truth. The flask or Daddy is so distraught, in denial of his loss and in desperation. To the very end he's mocked by Truth for attempts to surpass or become God, to surpass "all" while he is "one". Meanwhile with Ed it's like "Yo, here's my alchemy" "Dude you sure that stuff's fucking sick" "Who gives a shit man I've got friends and I want my brother back" "Fuck yeah bro, you win, that's what it's all about!".
I will always love that quote. “It didn’t matter how much power we had. After all we couldn’t even save a little girl.”
Reminds me of Naruto : “how can I be hokage when I can’t even save one friend”
FMAB is such a tight and neat story like it’s very clean cut, no regrets, no questions, no loose ends
And yet I would kill for a follow-up special. Show me what the characters are doing like 25 years later!
I think my favorite part about Envy is just how much you learn about his character in his final scene, for most of the series he’s just this awful irredeemably evil piece of garbage but he doesn’t always seem to line up with the sin of “Envy” on a first read, he looks down on humans and treats them as lesser which can make him seem more prideful than envious, but while he’s dying you learn that all he ever really wanted was to be human, he doesn’t get any redemption and you don’t feel bad for him but you understand him. His overconfidence, his violent outbursts, his tendency to provoke and anger his enemies, and his high and mighty additive were all his attempts to fill the void in him. He knew he could never be human and he desperately wanted to be but could never admit it. It shows a very realistic portrayal of how people like envy who act like they’re better than everyone else often are the way they are because of their own insecurities and jealousy. Envy is my favorite sin in FMA purely because of how that one scene recontextualizes his entire character
To add on with his ability- He becomes more monstrous in his true form the more people he mimics and kills (to my knowledge) so he’ll never really even be able pretend to be human-because his own body is a reminder that he isn’t human. He has no cemented identity, no individuality, only a personality that feeds off his hatred and criticism of others-take that away he’s nothing.
That final scene with Envy always manages to make me cry, as we finally understand him.
Mark is truly a master at his craft, he redefines and highlights so much in stories that we all loved in a way no one else does or can. The team does a phenomenal job on the production and each video feels like a story all on its own. I may not always agree with his takes but i respect them so deeply. Thank you for all you guys do.
A neat detail in the moment where edward does the last transmutation is that after he gives the right answer, the truth adds edward's voice to the mix of voices that make him, watch that scene in english and japanese, you can easily hear it when it says "take him home!" "The back door is over there goodbye edward elric!" It always give me chills and makes me think of how ironic it is compared to the dwarf in the flask's meeting with truth, the truth hidden within the truth if i say so
I believe (At least in the Japanese dub) truth always talks partially in the voice of the person it's talking to.
@@Omphalite ooh, didn't knew that
@@Omphaliteyeah I think the Truths are personalized, like all Alchemists have their own distinct Truth.
Alphonse walking out of the smoke with a Philosopher Stone in hand was breathtakingly beautiful. Alphonse standing on his own two feet ready to fight and get back what is his
He has made peace with his qualms about using the stone. While he will still never use it for himself, he will use it to contribute something to the world.
43:58 THE STOCK FOOTAGE OF A COW USED TO REFER TO ARAKAWA IS WONDERFUL. also this series has been incredible to watch and i’m so glad you liked my favorite manga!!
I’m glad I’m not the only person with such strong feelings about this story .. I love it
Well... Fullmetal Alchemist:Brotherhood has been the number one rated anime on MAL for several years for a reason.
@@Selverna why are anime fans so condescending and weird !
@@Selverna cult classic implies it has a small but rabid fan base. even in your attempt to gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss, you failed to do it properly. FMA is one of the most well known anime of all time. Goofy
@@takeyourmedsplz my bad, famalamadingdong, I have taken the meds pill as your username suggests and I fixed my comment so now it should no longer be mistaken in any way, shape or form. We aight?
Man do you have a way with words Mark. I lost my brother 2 months ago and it’s been such a struggle getting back to normalcy and your videos give me the joy I need to just stay sane enough to continue. You put it beautifully at the end and it’s gonna take some hard work for me to get through this but, as Ed said, “I guess hard work isn’t such a bad thing”. Thank you for what you do Mark and I can’t wait to watch the next one
I couldn't possibly know what you're going through, but I wanna give condolences to you and your family
I'm so sorry for your loss. May he rest in peace.
Mustang’s screams in the Dub while burning Envy always gives me chills. And Seeing Envy just keep dying over and over again to his flames felt so cathartic. Cause Father may have started the war but Envy just took every sick pleasure murdering the poor ishvalan girl to let it happen. However, I love how Envy killed itself while feeling jealous over the connections the main cast made with each other. It was such a perfect touch.
That scene was so much better in dub
Also envy's screams were really good voice acting
Mustangs voice actor was top tier. Honestly I don't think any version of the brotherhood anime is bad
@@MrMythul and now he plays D&D as a pervy old gnome for a living
@@joaocalixto1686 and is married to the VA for Envy
@@joaocalixto1686 he still voice acts
Dubbed version of wrath in his final fight is just on another level. He genuinely sounds pissed that scar dare go easy on him, and that he decided to change his view on alchemy. When he shouts "Whats wrong? Dont tell me thats all you got?" I get actual chills
19:55 Mustang raging his flames down a random hallway to get it out is just magnificent
The coolest thing about this story is that Ed could’ve easily learned early on that he could’ve sacrificed his alchemy to get Al’s body back, but the fact that arakawa made him go on a journey to learn the lessons of sacrifice makes the payoff at the end so much more beautiful . The Ed at the beginning of the story idolized alchemy way to much to realize this lesson
It probably wouldn't work if he tried to do it earlier he needed to truly understand the truth before he could offer his gate to Truth for his brother
Alphonse vs. Kimblee and Pride is my favourite scene in the anime, period. The lack of music once Alphonse begins talking with Heinkel, Pride's overwhelming abundance of... well, pride, thinking he has Alphonse trapped and cornered, followed with Kimblee's almost congratulatory-like commendment of Alphonse once he steps out of the dust clouds with his legs reforged. All of this coupled with the masterful use of Ray Of Light kicking in right as we begin to see Alphonse stomping his way towards the other two while Pride looks annoyed and Kimblee is nothign short of entertained.
Side note: As an extra layer of amazingness to the scene, there is also Kimblee and Alphonse's talk of ideals. It's always been about ideals between the two, at least from what I can gather.
One of my favorite fights for all the good it does al and his character. The part where he swings his sword only for it to be stopped by one of prides tendrils and then in a second al transfigures the swords tip to turn and fly sideways towards prides face narrowly missing him is absolutely tremendous choreography that shows more thought out alchemy being used in battle.
So delightful to find anime fans in this day and age who are totally unspoiled for FMA and watch them discover in real time just what a masterpiece it is. Thanks for all your hard work!
Throughout the FMA reviews, I've seen something happen to a person I've rarely seen before. Mark is falling in love with Arakawa's way of story-telling more than the actual story itself. It's such a funny thing to see
One of the highest praises I think you can give an anime is answering yes to the question "Can you introduce this to a person who has never watched anime and perhaps even animated media?" and to me FMA:B sits waaaay up there among shows you absolutely can. It's short (relative to other shonen series), good from start to finish, mature, looks amazing and has minimum anime bullshit which most non-anime viewers have no tolerance for. God damn what an amazing story this is.
FMA:B and Death Note are the two I always suggest. Great characters, great story, great themes all with little to none of the cringey tropes anime is known for make for a great introduction to the media like you said.
I can say from experience that it sets the bar too high if anything lol
@@bobshnitzel2608 not really, it was FMA (2003) and Cowboy Bebop on toonami that got me to look at anime again after leaving it behind a decade prior in middle school as "geek stuff". fantastic choice.
yes, both of those anime set a high bar, but they also made me realize that the medium had something of value to offer.
I love the different fighting styles from Ed and Al. Al is so creative during his fight. How he uses alchemy
There's also apparently the detail that Alphonse alchemy is drawn smoother while Edward's drawn rougher.
The series is full of nice details.
Like Roy right glove is used for power and left is used for precision.
This series was one of the key parts that defined who I am today,. I watched both adaptations and enjoyed it. 2003 marked a pivotal change in my life, FMA opened my eyes to the hardships of reality. As a person who like anime at the time, people back then weren't too keen to share in my passion, and often distance themselves from me as a result. I became a social pariah which sucked as a teen. The anime helped me realize that regardless of the social pressure and burdens, at my age, the only way is truly forward. Even if more hardships were ahead, I had no choice. In those struggles I found myself questioning how these kids managed to pull through even when world was seemingly against them, and emulated it as best as I could (being a chuuni and all that). And through my struggling, I found friends who saw that there's more to me than what I awkwardly show. Glad to say that there my bestest friends to this day. 2009 rolled around, finally finding my footing in this world, FMA Brotherhood graced us with its presence. It was bittersweet since it reminded me of the painful and cringey past but, I viewed it as a necessary part of me. Finishing the series made me appreciate the 2003 anime even more because of my personal experiences. While the older adaptation pulled me through one of my darkest times, Brotherhood brought back my hope in people.
Mark's concluding remarks about the series made me realize that passion is a double edge sword. Displaying it for people can empower you or destroy you, since it exposes who you are. My passion for anime in the past had me wish I never knew about it because of how difficult people made my life when I really just didn't know how to express myself in any other way. In this case I really love it when people do this kinds of videos. I love hearing peoples opinion on topics I like displaying its flaws and strengths. I love it when people show their passion in their work. It makes me feel so happy that people can just share what they enjoy. Sometimes passion can lead to awful experiences, and in struggling we might lose ourselves. In hard work we take both and create something we can be truly proud of.
From a person with deep passion to another, keep at it.
(I will continue to lurk :3)
You have no idea how much I cried with that final hug
And that scene of the group photo with everyone at the end of the credits was such a feel-good moment. Getting to see how a lot of the characters continued on with their journeys after the events of the series was so touching. Ed and Winry having kids in the last photo, Alphonse and Mei grown up, it was all just a perfect ending. And that last line from Ed about having a heart made fullmetal genuinely made me shed a few tears.
This was a near perfect final video & I’m glad you enjoyed the story as much as we did.
I never noticed how much of the final portion of the story was contingent on the themes of self sacrifice vs using others for your own ends. Pride absorbing Kimbley and trying to use Ed's body was his ultimate downfall, as was Father's after absorbing Greed. While on the flip side neither Ed, Al nor Greed ever hesitated on doing what was needed by putting themselves on the line for the sake of others, and ultimately that grants them victory. Even Wrath's defeat was brought upon thanks to the sacrifices of Buccaneer and Foo.
I feel like you didn't mention the most important, for me at least, part of the ending. The fact, that you can give the world more than you have recieved, abolishing the law of equivalent exchange.
The reunion scene with Ed, Al, and Winry is one of my favorite emotional moments in all of anime. The catharsis is beautiful after over 60 episodes of watching them fight together in a cruel world makes me tear up every time. The direction and music choices of the scene help too.
I find the greatest subversion Arakawa sensei did was have Ed give up his power it give a finality to the story and allows the characters to rest and have peace.
My favorite part about the ending has to be how truly ecstatic Truth is to have been beaten. Like he's been waiting an eternity for this, and the one person he thought had the best chance was the exact one to do it.
One of my favorite things about this series is that every single character is utilized to their fullest potential, no character is ignored, and yet they also never overstay their welcome. From the important characters like the Elrics, Ron, and Scar, all the way to the side characters like the four chimera, the brigs soldiers and the subordinates of Mustang himself. Everyone plays their part fantastically.
One of the most shocking moments to me was when Maria Ross came back into the story to save Mustang's hide and then to find out the supplies are from Havoc of all people.
yeah its why FMA stands above pretty much every other shonen because it never forgets characters and never has its protag do everything. the finale is utilsied to hghlight EVERYONE and EVERYONE has a role to play in it, big or small.
Even Yoki had a shining moment
The sacrifice scene is probably one of the most upsetting scenes I’ve seen in a while specifically because of how good arakawa is at writing characters
So to see literally ALL of them have their souls ripped out of their body’s is genuinely chilling..
FMA ending is so wonderful because the Manga sets everything up for 90% of the story and the last 10% it just lets its set up beautifully trickle down in the most natural and satisfying way possible.
Honestly. What really sealed Greed being my favorite fictional character was one small moment in the manga. It's in the Devil's Nest after he kidnaps AL. Greed asks Al about his body. Al says that his brother did it, but he's "gone." Greed takes this to mean that Al's brother is dead. What does the living incarnation of Greed do? He doesn't get angry about this obvious setback. He says "sorry about your loss, kid. We cool?" Immediately set him up to be at least a likable antagonist, later beloved anti-hero.
15:50
"Ron vs. Envy"
he can't keep getting away with this
He literally calls hime Ronald Mcdonald mustang later in the video calm down and except the obvious gag
@@gamerskingdom4897 Me: *makes a common meme reference*
You: it's just a gag, bro
Me: thank you for confirming what I already knew, have a great day :D
About Greed being nice to the chimeras, you need to remember that his gang was made up of only chimeras. Someone that's truly pure greed is not gonna be greedy of just material things, but also greedy of valuable relationships and happiness. He valued his friends and teammates but wasn't very attached to Father or the other homunculi because they didn't value him nor would they help him get what he wants. Friends? Friends will do what they can to help you.
One of the things I like the most about Arakawa is that she was able to show this concept of the 7 deadly sins not being pure evil, but aspects of humanity all through character writing. all 7 of them are bad in excess, but they are still essential to life.
Arakawa is something else. Full Metal Alchemist was the first ongoing manga I finished and it was probably the best experience I had ever consuming any kind of media. I love her so much. I love every character and their relationships.
Hohenheim's final scene is one that always, ALWAYS brings me to tears.
The full reveal of the photo hits hard. Most of the story, Hohenheim is this stone-faced mysterious guy. Then near the end we see him occasionally smile, either in flashbacks or when he fights against Homunculus. We've seen him surprised a couple of times. But his face in that photo? That's the first - and the most powerful.
Thank you for making my finals week bearable by letting me relive my favorite show over again
Lol, I thought you said "final week" RIP Homie.
@@BrotherCaptain36 is it finals week or my final week. Who can say
Hard to believe this thing wrapped up in 2010. I still remember the thrill I felt reading the manga when the final match-ups were set up in the last arc. I remember that mix of sadness and happiness as I read the ending, all too aware that such a pivotal piece of art I'd enjoyed for a decade was finally over. I'm happy you loved reading and watching this series. It leaves a real void in you when you end it as you want to keep adventuring with these characters.
This man did a blind Fullmetal Alchemist review series and didnt go insane, impressive
I feel like the ost doesn’t get enough praise. Intrepid is dam amazing. Along with the ending ost . Let it all out is d well a sigh of relief.
Thats one of the things that annoys me about Marks reviews is that he’s manga only and completely neglects the effects of OSTs in the anime
My greatest grudge being the lack of praise for Susumu Hirasawa and his work with Berserk’s OST
Thx for the reviewing of this anime, very cool!
Can't wait to you to review Gintama series, that would be cool!
You know a show is something special when you truly wish you could experience it again for the first time
The best ending arc of any anime or manga. Someday it will be topped (hopefully by One Piece or HxH) but it's impossible to ignore how beautifully this story was concluded. I've shown this series to four different groups of friends and there is never a dry eye during those last two episodes.
Literally best one I've ever read or watched. I've read AND watched the series thrice and twice respectively, each time it just amazes me how perfectly the story was shown and how it ended.
Someday it might be topped*
Hunter x Hunter is designed not to have an ending.
Mushoku tensei if it gets fully adapted
HxH has been confirmed to have been cancelled in Feb 2023 so that's a no to a good ending, though I guess the ending of the Gon saving arc wasn't exactly horrible to be considered an ending.
One of the best foreshadowing in this is always overlooked. So when Grandpa and Ed where sharing there stories in the desert
They talk about the origins of there respective lands alchemy ( Father in Amestris and Hoenheim in Xing) they talk about how the only survivor of Xerxes wondered into there lands.Father taught the science of alchemy in Amestris and Hoenheim used his knowledge and combined it with the people in xing it's a short 10 secs convo but so beautiful when you realize it
It's episode 18 I believe I recommend you go back and watch it shows even more how great the author is
The dub for this anime is literally the best of all English dub imo. Vic did a really good job of Ed, capturing his personality.
Great performance from pure human trash, hope he goes away forever.
They did him so dirty....
Bradley's english VA is my favorite performance of an anime character flat-out. Sub OR dub.
@@silentverity4975 monica didn't voice edward
@@arias3295 underrated comment alert
FMA Brotherhood is among my favorite and greatest anime of all time. Your breakdown is really good, not only did you tackle the story and characters , you also tackled the technical aspects of the animation which are one of my favorite types of analysis being an artist myself. Keep it up!
I cant believe that reading the manga, watching the anime or just listening to reviews ... this story always makes me cry in the best of ways, like a catharsis of my very soul feeling a sense of meaning
and that is why this story is so dearest to me, its not an anime, or manga.
its a tale that gets to my heart
This story is my favorite work of fiction. It helped me answer questions that may have plagued me for my entire life. Every line word and moment of the ending set my heart ablaze and almost overwhelm me.
The feelings it brings out of me are paralyzing to an extent because I feel as if I'm standing before truth itself.
My life has been a series of journeys, and no journey worth taking leaves you unchanged. Full Metal Alchemist is one journey I am forever grateful for.
Let’s go! The ending of the one of yeh best anime/manga!! I think it was a really good hero story for Edward! Realizing that what he got from his journey was life experiences and life long friendships!
Man, now I’m all emotional all over again. It’s like I just finished reading the series for the very first time again.
Honestly, I love Editor-san for putting a random video of a cow at 43:58 when Mark is talking about the most critical and terrible part of the story 💀
I mean mark was talking about what hiromoo aracowa wrote ;)
Even watching your review of this series has given me such a strong emotional reaction. I've watched this Anime, I kid you not, at least 50 times start to finish. It is the single greatest piece of media I have ever experienced, and it helped shaped me as a human being. So much of my moral compass was formed from lessons this series showed me. My imagination is in the cinematography is this show. It's so interesting hearing you, somebody who reads manga with such a level of detail, share the lessons and impact this story has had on you, knowing full well exactly what it's done to me. There aren't many things in the world I wish I could share with every human being on it, but I think if everybody person in the world would watch this show with an open mind and heart and take away lessons on what we, as a species, should strive to be, our world would be a better place. For every 10 we give, let's give back 11. Let's add a little piece of ourselves to the experiences we give others in a way that gives others around us more than they had before we were involved. Understanding ourselves is the greatest gift we can give the world. I know I"m just a faceless person on the internet, but I'm glad we, as two strangers, can share this story together and FEEL because of it.
I'm so glad you enjoyed this series so much! It was really fun to tune in and hear you geek out about it every week. :)
all part were amazing. thank you so much for the reminder of these awesome story
I got back to rewatching FMA Brotherhood, and I will always love the ending, but I won't deny that the original anime had its own merits, but I feel Brotherhood's end felt more natural
yessssss I have to agree!! as much as amazing fma brotherhood I can't forget how personal, dark and real the og anime felt. I love the origin concept of the sins there wayyyyyy more
I rewatch FMAB at LEAST once a year. It's really a masterpiece
You're one of the most insightful anime/manga reviewers on this platform. I especially like the different angles that you come up with to tackle dissecting these stories, be it through studying authors background or listening to music that has been referenced. I enjoy the fresh points of views quite immensely and wanted to thank you for your hard work. You and your team should take some time off and rest after this, I think you earned it.
When I first saw the ending, I just thought "Haven't they learned ANYTHING?" But I also thought how smart of a thought it was. And the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a genius idea to me that they just could not give enough get the resukt they wanted in return (their 10+1 rule)...
Thank you for your hard work. FMA is really a gem. I have seen it at least 12 times and read the manga 4-5 and always tear up. I end up crying like a baby. Only FMA and Fruits Basket make me experience such emotion and I'm grateful to Harukawa to bring this story to the world.
It is very true that Mark - like every content creator ever - had ups and downs in his videos. But this review series was truly something else. I know a video is a true work of art and the result of pure passion when I am delighted to see the video being long and when I dread the progress bar moving closer and closer to the end.
I recently re-watched Mark's Hunter x Hunter review and the final three videos in that series left a terrible taste in my mouth. But Mark more than redeemed himself with this amazing review. I can say from my heart of hearts: I am looking forward to the next review.
I watched this entire series, every episode back to back to back and I very rarely leave comments but you sir deserve an enormous amount of praise. This was an absolute masterpiece hands down. A true work of perfection and a pleasure to watch. Congratulations on a job very well done 👏 👏👏👏
My absolute favorite bit in this masterpiece of a show is that in the English dub, during Ed's last conversation with Truth, every line from "That's the right answer!" until the end of the monologue gets dubbed over by Ed's VA. By the end, it's just Vic talking back to himself
I love how you peel, consume, and enjoy Fullmetal Alchemist's story. It's very comprehensive, and your thoughts are very interesting. Fullmetal Alchemist will always feel like a solid metal ball for me, as there's no loose ends and the story itself is knitted oh so closely
Thank you and the editors for your hard work!
I saw those MONSTER books behind you. Even if you don't review them, please read them. The psychological after effects of the series is something to really consider given the many questions about morality the series itself brings up.
He's read and loves Pluto and I'm predicting a review of that when the anime drops. A lot of people are asking for Monster too
Ignoring the trendy shonen being begged for, Monster was one of the most requested manga for him to read after FMA. He'll definitely do it and he will fucking LOVE it.
Crazy that you started these reviews right as i was finishing my rewatch. The last episode had me choked up at work trying not to cry. Such a satisfying anime!
Yup, I saw Monster on your shelf.
Get on that one.
Man, this story was absolutely masterful, when I finished Brotherhood, I legit felt a change in me, a before and after scenario...I guess so, so many people calling it the best anime ever wasn’t so hyperbolic after all, managing to have SO. MANY. MOVING PIECES and still deliver a satisfying conclusion for all of them is unbelievable, yet Arakawa did it. 100/10
This series has been a wonder and a joy to partake in. Thank you to you and your team for the hard work you put into it. Your enjoyment of this work was felt.
Thank you for reviewing my all time favorite anime. Every October 3rd (and about a month leading up to it) I still have a marathon of both animes and movies I'm adding your manga review to the list.
I am glad you enjoyed the meaning of Roy vs Envy, Mark. When I first watched it, I was honestly shocked by how mature that subversion was and by how easy it was for me to completely root for Mustang's darker self to win over. I value lessons of self-growth & healing over revenge stories.
Kimbly owning Pride was also a poetic moment for the series, you forgot to mention.
Hohenheim's and Greed's death and their final words always gets me even to this day. They were some of my favourite characters in this anime.
binged this whole analysis and it's making me want to reread AGAIN. I love how you're focusing on the manga specifically since that's the version I regard an absolute masterpiece. While the animes are absolute CLASSICS, nothing gets me like the true source material. The real intended story.
TNM, this was amazing. Personally, I don't care whether or not you line up with my experience of a manga or anime. But whenever you're able to engross yourself (positively, negatively, or otherwise) into the subject matter, I really enjoy your interpretations. I hope you're able to keep finding the light of creativity and excitement in your work, as I keep finding enjoyment in listening to it.
Mark, thank you. FMA is such a amazing serie, I am glad to hear someone like you who is better at explaining just how insanely grand this is, how much feeling it invokes. Then me just having watched the anime alone. Different perspectives, but the love and passion is there just as much.
I’m glad you enjoyed the journey. FMA really is a series that touches so many hearts. Arikawa is a genius and I hope she enjoys all those royalties for, what I’m sure, was backbreaking work making this amazing manga.
Absolutely GOATed series. While im hard pressed to say its my favourite series (though its definitely up there), I can pretty confidently say its the most perfect series I have seen, and endlessly rewatchable. Great job on these videos
I really enjoy seeing your perspective on the manga and anime. This has been excellent keep up the great work.
Man this series made a huge impact on me. Watching you fall in love with it reminded me how much I loved the series and how much I bawled at it.
And you shouldn't be hard on yourself. I dont know all your videos but this was equal to super eye patch wolf as far as reviewing media and making an impact on your audience equal to the impact the series gave you. Pride yourself in knowing you make fantastic work.
I'm praying that you adress the "other" FMA series, as it has many merits and is more a seinen than a shonen, and is in any case a fascinating conversation that you will do justice.
It does. I understand why it's controversial- I hate the ending and how it poorly it writes Roy, Winry, Rose, Izuki and Hoenheim but to be fair, the relationship between the brothers is more important and they nail that. I love 2003's visual identity, somber tone, gorgeous ost and some of the risks that the filler material takes with the homuncului (Lust!). I always tell people to watch both if they have the time, they each have their own unique strengths.
PS- While I admit Brotherhood has the best OP, the '03 series has the best ED:
ruclips.net/video/BH_RnffYjiA/видео.html
@@CrowTRobot poorly how?
Phew.. Reaching the near end of the video, I'm tearing up. Thank you so much for taking the time to experience one of my favorite stories to this day. I'm happy that you enjoyed the journey so much.
I love listening to you review anime/manga, especially when they're shows I truly believe to be perfect like this one
Thank you for this review series. My partner looked at me like a loony when I showed him how much time I've spent watching your work. I want to thank you. Just as you teared up at the end, I did multiple times during your long review of this manga and anime. You managed to make the things that I found beautiful while reading the manga and watching Brotherhood stand out, and made me cry all over again for the sacrifices made, the poetry of the seven deadly sins, the simple humanity of it all... From the bottom of my weeb heart, thank you.
This has been an astounding journey to listen/watch to as someone who grew up with FMA/FMAB. While I was hoping there would be some look at the different endings between original and brotherhood/manga, as well as Shamballa and Sacred Star, there's always future videos. Haha. Thanks for the content!
Editor, thank you for putting the ReWrite cover. Brought me back to 2006. Thanks.
One of the best manga endings ever.
I wish we could’ve heard more about Mark’s reaction to Kimblee’s assist in defeating Pride. He may be a psychopathic killer, but the man does respect those who have strong convictions and are willing to still with their philosophies no matter what.
Plus his speech to Pride was just awesome.
Your reviews are amazing, and not only have I found a new person to watch and enjoy their content, but also youve shown me a lot of series I wouldnt have bothered looking into otherwise, thank you