This is one of the reasons I liked the 2009 series over the 2003 series. The chimera story was done in a single episode what it took several in the 2003 series to tell.
Congratulations! You’ve made it through the most notorious difficult episode of anime for reactors to watch, it’s a rite of passage. This is a very important episode.
Literally. I remember reading this in the manga and just needing to put the book down after this and sit after this. Brotherhood did a great job brining it to life albeit still so so hard to get through 😅
I feel obligated to coment this on reactions to this episode: In the manga, the guy who kills Shou Tucker and Nina at the end walks away saying "God hear me... Two souls have been returned to you". He doesn't say "human souls" like in the anime. This difference makes it possible that he is referring to Nina and Alexander instead of Nina and Shou Tucker. Another detail that helps back up that possibility is that, in the manga, the author puts at the end of an chapter a small doodle of every person who died on that chapter (no matter who) with angel wings flying up to heaven, even if they are bad and/or villains. In this specific case she draws Nina and Alexander flying up while Shou Tucker is falling down to hell. His is the only death that gets a doodle like that in the entire manga.
Thank you 4 your service, this is often something that needs to be said, since most reactors watch the dub(as great as the dub is), some creative liberties should not have been taken
Adding to this. It is just the English Dub of the anime (not sure about other languages) where Scar says Human souls. The original Japanese Dub has the same dialogue as in the original source i.e. manga.
The way it was explained to me is that Episodes 3 and 4 are a pair. They show the absolute extremes of Faith and Science, and what happens when you take things too far. With that being said, you've hit the first milestone episode. Welcome to the fandom, you're one of us now :)
About the 'shining glasses'. This is a common trope in anime/manga. Similar to rays of light obfuscating part of a picture, its used to show that a character is hiding something about themselves by literally blocking 'the windows to the soul'.
Episode 3 is about the extremes of religion. Episode 4 is about the extremes of science. Also, Shou Tucker is considered the most hated character in all anime history, no other existent villain could generate so much disgust and rage than him.
@ravenm6443 i wouldn't call loosing your wife "not personally paying the price." I would agree however, that yes, he didn't care. No the pain wasn't on his body like ed and al, but that's the point of empathy, it doesn't have to be on your body to understand. They did something that shouldn't have been done. One out of pain of loss, the other, for status as you heard him say "im still a state alchemist." That's why i say ed and al learned, because they didn't make a second attempt for their mom, but tucker did make another attempt. He kept trying continuously. Sure he was trying without using his daughter, but he kept trying. The brothers didn't keep trying to get their mom back. Not once after. Their goal now is to get their bodies back
[SPOILER] People don't get that at this point, Ed WAS still like Tucker. He was still searching for a way to get his body back. It is this moment that defines Ed's change. It's the same moment he brings back at the end to the truth. It's only here that he really broke with Tucker's way of life.
@@TheSabataish In order for losing his wife to be a price he paid, he would have to have loved her. But he didn't. You don't do anything near as evil as that to someone you love. He didn't care about her anymore than an abuser does -- she was a thing he could use and he did.
There's one part lacking in the anime that is in the manga, is that after stopping Ed, when Tucker keeps talking, Al turns around and tell him to shut up or HE will kill him
@@yopomdpin6285 Losing that dialogue was so significant, and I hate that it wasn't included. When Al stops Edward from killing Tucker it's easy to think Al is doing it to do the "right thing" but that dialogue makes it clear that Al wasn't doing it solely to do the "right thing;" he was doing it to save Edward from living with murder. It also shows that even gentle Alphonse has a hard limit when facing true evil.
In the manga any time a character dies the last panel tends to show that character in the afterlife. Out of all the shitty people in this series Tucker is the only one shown burning in hell.
In the words of Ian Malcolm, "You were so focused on asking if you could do it you never stopped to think if you should." While it is important to teach children that they can do what they set their mind to, it is equally important to learn that science can do anything. Any discovery can be turned to destruction.
I like how Shou Tucker is so delusional that he thinks the grief stricken decision of a child is the same as the fully psychotic decision of an adult...
And there's a pretty big difference between knowingly sacrificing your own body for human transmutation and sacrificing a third party unable to consent...
@@Sly142857 agreed! A Massive deference! That's why I called his a psychotic decision... He's more comparable to another character who has an entire episode devoted to their backstory in the other series... Name rhythm with Garry...
he's trying to get ed to commiserate with him. tucker knows he's a monster so he tries to get ed to admit that he is too so that at least he's not alone in that respect. if ed agrees that he too is a monster then tucker can at least absolve himself of some of the responsibility. tucker is trying to cope with the fact that he just did something insane.
@@stephentaylor3437I think you're purposely hyper simplifying the situation to suit your narrative. Ed wasn't just a "grief stricken child", he was a youngest talented alchemist to have attempted human transmutation despite knowing it's wrong, bonded a soul to a suit of armour, which is regarded as an advanced skill, tried to play god by manipulating a fundamental law of the universe i.e. death, EVEN DESPITE after spending a month on the island learning the way of life "ants eat grass, animals eat ants, animal dies, becomes soil supplements for better grass, grass grows, any eats grass, and so on" and concludes that "all is one and one is all" and that we are ALL a part of a bigger cycle in the universe, etc etc You have ALLLLL these EXTREMELY HIGHLY COMPLICATED situations that ed has gone through and you CASUALLY summarise it as "a decision by a grief stricken child". I can LITERALLY give the same explanation for tucker, in one line, just like you. "He was desperate and he took his chance at living a good life, even at the cost of his daughter" Do you see how when you remove EVERYTHING that makes it what it is, it becomes a defense for their actions? I'll not blaming ed, I'm not blaming tucker, I'm blaming YOU and YOUR extremely manipulative over simplifying of the truth to project your opinion. My problem isn't with tucker or what he did or ed or what he did. It's with YOU and your blatant attempt at online validation and likes See how in my comment I mentioned ALL the relevant information to give people reading the FULL CONTEXT to better understand my opinion, instead of saying just a part and withhold information that may not come immediately to the person reading, causing them to agree with my opinion more?
Shou Tucker couldn’t learn from his mistake because he never made a mistake in the first place. His first chimera, he got rid of a woman who wanted to leave him and passed his state alchemist certification so in his own eyes he killed 2 birds with one stone.
Exactly. The most evil person isn’t someone who is unaware of the harm they’re doing; it’s someone who knows exactly how much harm they stand to cause and choose to do it anyway.
It's interesting that you note that alchemy is more like science than magic because, it IS. Alchemy, the stuff that was done in the real world, is/was basically just, chemistry, but in medieval times. So yes, it IS rooted in science because it is a kind of science. They just take a biiit more of a fantastical approach here, but their alchemy is still rooted in science to some degree (Freezer using science to turn water into ice or steam, Mustang's flame alchemy has some chemical processes behind it, the whole 'not being able to make something from nothing')
If we look at the etymology in short. We have the Sanskrit word 'Kimaya'. Greek has the word 'Khemia'. Arabic got the word Al-Kimiya from where we got the middle English word Alchemy and later Chemistry.
Many people will have mentioned this, but particular anime is one of the most overtly philosophical and - more so moral - animes that asks big questions about the human condition. It might be a show/reading material originally intended for adolescents, but it is a well-researched work and has mature concepts throughout the work. It's no wonder it's considered one of the great masterpieces of the medium to this day.
FMA is a wine that gets better with age, the story only gets better. I remember sitting in computer class during school and waiting patiently for thursday every week to read the next chapter online until I read the finale. Then there was only sadness that the story was over.
Did you see her react to the last episodes of Battlestar Galactica? The death of Duala was especially painful, Angela actually turned to the camera off if I remember correctly.
ONE OF US! ONE OF US! Congratulations, you're now committed to the series. This is arguably the hardest episodes to get through and cements the tone for the series. You're going to get emotionally beat up a great deal. It will be worth it in the end though, promise.
If you thought last episode was a condemnation of religion then this episode would be a condemnation of science, or maybe it doesn't matter what you believe, maybe it's about using belief to justify harming others.
@@gazzamanazza4pm 100% this. Fanaticism in any form can lead to very dark outcomes. I love that the moral is don't sacrifice your humanity for the sake of anything.
I believe in the manga when al tells ed to stop or he'll kill him, tucker keeps talking after. Then Al tells tucker to stop or he's gonna be the one to snap next. Most people dont key in the fact he first transmuted his wife until edward says it, you clocked it right away! There are definitely specifics on what qualifies as human transmutation and what doesnt. And yeah the glasses shine is an anime thing that def usually hints to someone having sinister intentions
There is never a time when this episode doesn't hurt. The deep morality this show addresses and how it can deeply affect you emotionally so many times over is what makes it feel so special. Sometimes you will be horrified. Sometimes uplifted. It will take you through the whole gamut of human emotions and does such an amazing job tying every single thing together by the end.
The glasses things is an old trope in fiction. Glasses often indicate that the character is hiding something, often their intentions, especially when they obscure the wearer's eyes. Good catch!
Yeah, one thing about anime. They're not afraid to leave you in a dark place. Anime has some of the most triumphant and exuberant ups in all of media, but it can be BRUTAL with it's downs.
Love FMAB, one of my fav animes! The story truly gets better. ❤️🔥 By the way, I just wanted to comment that I like your necklace, it seems to match FMAB very well too.
Ok, let me say THIS is the episode that I had warned you about in the comment section of episode 1. Clear your head, take a walk. Once past this you will be WELL rewarded from the rest of the anime. Little bit of history, this series came out in 2009. At 15 years ago willing to push a true dark episode in a "cartoon", turned off a lot of possible viewers. Anime viewers knew better that the demographic wasn't for kids or at least the culture behind anime. BTW, this is a very uplifting series - it is just a slow burn.
I feel like FMAB over-foreshadows Tucker's villainy (good job picking up the most notorious stereotype in anime - the shiny glasses villain). FMA 2003 spaced the Tucker plotline out, giving you more time with the family and making the conclusion much more devastating. But, FMAB makes the Cornello/Tucker episodes back-to-back, which is important for the series thematically - it's not going to be just a "religion bad, yay science" kind of story.
When Ed is talking about God in the ladf episode, he is referring to the human shaped thing he saw in that white space when he brought Al back. It referred to itself as god (among other things)
My favorite thing to comment when people point out that scene in the Opening: Ed - loses arm and leg Al - loses entire body Winry - loses balance It really is an iconic scene 😅🤣
This is probably the most sinister episode. There are a lot of moments along the journey that are hard to watch. Lots of moments of joy, lots of moments of hardship. The story ends beautifully, I highly recommend you see it through.
This show can definitely be very uplifting at times, but also very dark sometimes. This is one of if not the darkest though for sure, it's like they put this one really early just to test the watcher lol
First off, glad to see a fellow Armstrong..."enthusiast" 🤣🤣 Second, yeah, this episode is ROUGH. They kinda give you all the clues throughout the episode and you can probably get it within the "I want to die" and the wife "leaving". Either way, no one is really okay going through this episode, even if they call it out at the beginning. I legit cried when I watched it my first and second times, and just now watching your reaction 😭😭
I feel like I have to say this cuz I haven't seen the comment but at the end after scar kills shou Tucker, he doesn't say in the manga" two human souls" he says Two Souls have been returned to you because it actually shows Nina and Alexander going up to heaven and shou Tucker being dragged down to Hell by many different arms
I love the intro song. It's such a good song. I looked it up and watched it outside of watching the show at least a dozen times since this show came out.
Just a friendly reminder, for those of us who watched the original fma, this was more traumatic as there were filler episodes between Nina's intro and outro so we got to see MORE of her and invested into how shou tucker was gonna get funding. Imagine the pain we had
Oh f**k, we're on this episode. No matter how many times I've seen the show or watched reactions, I still have to mentally prepare for this one. I do appreciate how this episode and the last fit together, though. As Ed says at the end, "Alchemists aren't devils and we're not gods. We're only human." And that's exactly what this pair of episodes shows.
You have now been initiated. There are many trials still ahead, but this is the first. In the manga, after Al stops Ed from punching Tucker, Al then threatens Tucker to keep quiet, or HE'LL punch him.
RE: Solid matter to organic matter There is no differrence as long as the chemical composition is the chemical/elemental is the same. The only factor that makes matter (organic) is the presence of the element carbon which is found not only in carbon based life on earth but also everything from tools to houses to anything really.
To this day this THING terrifies me! I am sorry for Nina but this chimera haunted me in my dreams and traumatised especially earlier version in 2003 where the framing and lighting was more creepy to me. The design is horrifying and I couldn't sleep. Yes I am grown up but this thing is disturbing. I am glad you made it passed through this episode because it most tragic and horrifying anime episode of all time.
The one thing the original anime does better than Brotherhood is the Nina story, it is so much more emotional, well constructed, and horrifying. Ed's and the Chimera's reaction are heart shattering at the end, it had so much depth to it. I get that Brotherhood didn't need to tell things the same as 2003 version, but they could put a bit more emotion in this part, feels "flat" to me.
You can see where her soul starts to break at 13:50. 😭 I remember the first time I watched this episode, I went into this anime completely blind, (as one should) and my friend who introduced me to it thought it a fitting turnaround for me introducing her to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (especially season 6, iykyk)
From the moment you started watching this show, this was the episode we were all nervous about for you. Collectively we were all thinking, “oh no… she’s not gonna be ok”. The good news is, plenty of the room on the “This show crushed my soul” bench. ❤
5:55 the short version is all alchemy has a cost, thus the equivalent exchange bit, then it breaks things down and remakes it in the shape of what you want. The stone is like a cheat code, it pays the cost associated so you don't have to have equivalent exchange in the equation and can get more from less/nothing. What we have seen so far, the small stones (fake or whatever) appear to have a limit and when they break the remaining cost of a transmutation still has to come from somewhere, thus the rebound on Cornello for instance. About all I can really say without spoilers, this is all they have said so far.
THE FMA episode that no one ever forgets... Now I saw it with you, I still had a different memory of this episode. I remember the father to be less creepy and way more cheerful before the revelation, wich made it even more painful. Also, I remember Scar punishing him and the chimaera much, much later... Guess it was too long since I saw it first.
Are you sure it wasn't the original 2003 version you're remembering? It lays out this story over multiple episodes while Brotherhood is a truncated version.
There's anime out there that is definitely not for children like Akira, Paprika, Grave of the Fireflies or Ghost in the Shell, among many others. I hope more people would know that, cause there are amazing stories in anime format that many people completely miss cause they assume it's all for kids. Luckily now you know that anime can be as joyful or traumatizing as live action stuff can be :D
I can't help but cry every time the Chimera says "Big bro Ed", even though I've seen it a ton of times, it still hits in the gut and makes me wanna punch Tucker to a pulp.
I was both anticipating and dreading your watching this episode. It's pretty much universally agreed upon that this episode is the Rubicon/watershed-moment for prospective reactors~reviewers. If they can successfully navigate it (( i.e. get through it and not only 'keep it together' but also resolve to keep watching.... )) then they've crossed the proverbial Rubicon... ...Welcome to FMAB Family! We the most delicious quiches and apple 🥧 😋😅😀
This episode is right up there with "The Tales of Ba Sing Se" From Avatar the last Airbender in terms of tear jerkers.. but for very different reasons. Ugh... mah heart!
I just watched 3 other reaction channels go through this entire series. I must say...I think at a certain point, you need to do multiple episodes. Otherwise, you're going to just be left on a LOT of cliff hangers. Excited to go on this journey for a 4th time this month though! lol. Enjoy!
This is THE episode to me- THE episode where, if you've seen it, you know, and you can only nod and acknowledge one another's traumatic journey through it. But the show is definitely worth going through this and seeing the rest. Also- I didn;t know about Fuku Burger! Next time I'm in Vegas I'll have to stop by and try them out! Thanks!
Oh…no…I just realized you started watching this. This is one of the greatest anime ever made. This is the wall everyone has to get by. If you can get past this episode you’re good. Strap in. Such an incredible journey that I wish I could forget so I could watch it all over again and experience for the first time.
I love how episodes 3 and 4 explore the good of religion and science and also how they can be corrupted. The deep sense of community and hope in Liore via their shared belief was not the origin of the evil but the blind faith allowing for corrupt individuals to take power over their choices. Likewise, science and experimentation can do so many incredible things but is still vulnerable to the corrupt ambitions of people and can lead us into hell if unchecked. This show is really good at laying humanity as a whole out on the table, standing back and letting you decide how you feel about it.
If you're interested in the translation for the opening and closing songs, then you should check out Amalee's channel. Not sure how accurate the words are, but she's done English covers for some of them.
For me, this isn't the hardest episode of this show to watch but it's far and above one of the most iconic scenes in anime. Right up with AOT intro with the collosal looking over the wall
I think part of the slow burn of the episode afterward is thinking back on the fun and lighthearted scenes with Nina and Alexander as a way to forget the bad, but being reminded of Nina and Alexander's fate.
Dang, I knew your reaction would be great, you have a really good sense of things so you clocking the human transmutation almost immediately was grand. Can't wait to see what else you spot on this wonderful journey. 🤭
FMAB 4 always hits hard. Never stops hurting. {{{{HUG}}}} FYI, Angela, whenever an anime character has the shiny reflection on their glasses, it's a sign that they are up to no good. It's a common anime trope, so you are right on the money. :)
Welcome to our shared trauma. This story always hits hard and is often referenced among the FMA fandom. An interesting detail. When the artist Arakawa has major deaths in the manga. She would draw a single panel comic at the end of their soul drifting to heaven. Except Shou Tucker. He’s shown burning in hell while Nina and Alexander are drifting to heaven.
Incidentally, in the manga, there are funny little gag comics at the end of each issue, including an 'In Memoriam' section showing all the characters who died that volume flying up to the sky. Shou Tucker is the only character shown in Hell, and considering some of the other villains we see, that is saying something.
I remember getting my dad to anime as he had watched some fma when it aired on tv. The dude was hooked on fma brotherhood and he still talks about this episode whenever he watches something awful happen in newer animes. He is 60years old if anyone is interested
I thought this was several episodes, I seem to remember getting even more invested in Nina and wether Tucker would get funding etc. Must have been the original series
Congratulations on surviving one of the most notorious, most emotionally traumatic episodes in all of anime. You're one of us now. This episode is a rite of passage. If it's any consolation you might like hearing this. In the manga this show is an adaptation of, at the end of every chapter the artist always draws a little doodle of any character that dies during the chapter as a little angel ascending to heaven as a memorandum. Every single one, including the most vile of the villains gets a little angel doodle. Everyone except Tucker who is the sole person in the entire series depicted burning in hell watching as both Nina and Alexander go to heaven.
There are certain events that mark a point after which nothing will be the same… this episode was that point. Every anime fan, no matter if they haven’t watched this show in particular, they know about Nina and Alexander, so yeah, you hit the bulls eye: many of us were adults when we watched this episode, and it still hit like a truck. It is, nonetheless, that type of emotional rollercoaster that makes any show great, and one of the main reasons why this anime was, for most of my life, at the very top of any of my favorite show lists. Welcome to the “ I was traumatized by ep 4 of FMAB” club I guess. Just know, you’re not alone.
Welcome to the fandom, and the rite of passage that is the Nina arc. If you want to and can find it, also watch this episode on the original FMA. It hits SO. MUCH. HARDER. And is a much more well done adaptation than this one, IMO. No live react needed, but if you share thoughts on the differences at the start of the next ep, that would be wonderful!
On behalf of the FMA community, welcome to the fanbase. You're officially one of us now that you know the pain of episode 4.
This is one of the reasons I liked the 2009 series over the 2003 series. The chimera story was done in a single episode what it took several in the 2003 series to tell.
One of us! One of us!
@@timmooney7528 true. However, they changed too much from the manga.
Yep, it's completely smooth sailing from here on out.
@@timmooney7528 thats why i prefer fma over brotherhood they didnt rush with the story they let it simmer
Welcome to the FMA Trauma Club! Snacks are on the right and tissues are on the left!!
Dont forget to meet with the in house therapist
And don’t forget to get a bear hug from Armstrong ❤😂
Hughes will meet with you later with some pie to cheer you up, hopefully he isn't slowed down by the rain
@@Flipcrash Today would certainly be a terrible day for rain.
I have tissues on both sides. With my therapist next to me as well.
Congratulations! You’ve made it through the most notorious difficult episode of anime for reactors to watch, it’s a rite of passage. This is a very important episode.
I feel like I needed to stare at a wall after this episode
@@funnylilgalreacts Fear not, that is the correct reaction. lol
Literally. I remember reading this in the manga and just needing to put the book down after this and sit after this. Brotherhood did a great job brining it to life albeit still so so hard to get through 😅
@@funnylilgalreacts
it can literally emotionally Break/Tax anyone whos not ready for it.
It's a hell of an episode. Absolutely devastating.
Scar was justified in going after Shou, I think.
9:25: "It could be a human that was turned into a chimera."
Me: 👀
I'm always like that when reactors make an offhand comment that is actually exactly what is going on😂
@@Chronal-Rend 100%
I muttered to myself "I hate prodigies. Too damn perceptive."
@@DaDunge LOL
I feel obligated to coment this on reactions to this episode:
In the manga, the guy who kills Shou Tucker and Nina at the end walks away saying "God hear me... Two souls have been returned to you". He doesn't say "human souls" like in the anime. This difference makes it possible that he is referring to Nina and Alexander instead of Nina and Shou Tucker. Another detail that helps back up that possibility is that, in the manga, the author puts at the end of an chapter a small doodle of every person who died on that chapter (no matter who) with angel wings flying up to heaven, even if they are bad and/or villains. In this specific case she draws Nina and Alexander flying up while Shou Tucker is falling down to hell. His is the only death that gets a doodle like that in the entire manga.
And nothing was ever the same again 😭😞
It makes sense as later we learn he has a love of animals and is reported feeding stray animals.
Thank you 4 your service, this is often something that needs to be said, since most reactors watch the dub(as great as the dub is), some creative liberties should not have been taken
Adding to this. It is just the English Dub of the anime (not sure about other languages) where Scar says Human souls. The original Japanese Dub has the same dialogue as in the original source i.e. manga.
@@ssjgoku276 German dub is also just "zwei Seelen", two souls.
For playing such a small role in the series, Shou Tucker has been listed as one of the most hated villains of all time
The way it was explained to me is that Episodes 3 and 4 are a pair. They show the absolute extremes of Faith and Science, and what happens when you take things too far.
With that being said, you've hit the first milestone episode. Welcome to the fandom, you're one of us now :)
It's why I call episode 3 "Yeah Science!" and episode 4 "WHAT HAS SCIENCE DONE!?!?"
@@kahlilheslop7883 I fuckin love it and I'm going to use that liberally haha
Al: "If you keep this up, he'll die!"
funnylilgal: If he dies, he dies
Which is unusual for her.
@@DaDunge You should have seen her watching the Expanse. She grew in her ways of viewing the fake worlds, and Amos took her for a journey.
About the 'shining glasses'.
This is a common trope in anime/manga. Similar to rays of light obfuscating part of a picture, its used to show that a character is hiding something about themselves by literally blocking 'the windows to the soul'.
Episode 3 is about the extremes of religion.
Episode 4 is about the extremes of science.
Also, Shou Tucker is considered the most hated character in all anime history, no other existent villain could generate so much disgust and rage than him.
Griffith?
The twins in Black Lagoon?
@@martinlarsen7354I was about to say Griffith is also equally hated.
@@Heiryuu at least Griffith's death was satisfying. 🤷
Tucker, on the other hand...
Envy is worse.
Interesting how both episodes begin with Ed and Al repairing a radio.
The cow goes "moo".
The chicken goes "cluck".
The pig goes "oink".
The cat goes "meow".
The dog goes "Ed...ward".
Too soon 🤣
It's been 15 years, and it's still too soon.
@@Texaboose It's always too soon, but I couldn't resist.
😱
That’s HILARIOUS 🤣🤣💀💀
you say he didn't learn his lesson, of course he didn't. the first time he did it he got REWARDED for it.
So was ed. Ed still learned. Ed was traumatized yes, but he was also made a state alchemist
@@TheSabataishbut Ed and Al personally paid the price Tucker didn’t. He ruined the lives of others and had no care about it.
@ravenm6443 i wouldn't call loosing your wife "not personally paying the price." I would agree however, that yes, he didn't care. No the pain wasn't on his body like ed and al, but that's the point of empathy, it doesn't have to be on your body to understand. They did something that shouldn't have been done. One out of pain of loss, the other, for status as you heard him say "im still a state alchemist." That's why i say ed and al learned, because they didn't make a second attempt for their mom, but tucker did make another attempt. He kept trying continuously. Sure he was trying without using his daughter, but he kept trying. The brothers didn't keep trying to get their mom back. Not once after. Their goal now is to get their bodies back
[SPOILER]
People don't get that at this point, Ed WAS still like Tucker. He was still searching for a way to get his body back. It is this moment that defines Ed's change. It's the same moment he brings back at the end to the truth. It's only here that he really broke with Tucker's way of life.
@@TheSabataish In order for losing his wife to be a price he paid, he would have to have loved her. But he didn't. You don't do anything near as evil as that to someone you love. He didn't care about her anymore than an abuser does -- she was a thing he could use and he did.
"If you keep this up, he'll die"
The entire FMA community: *I miss the part where that's my problem*
There's one part lacking in the anime that is in the manga, is that after stopping Ed, when Tucker keeps talking, Al turns around and tell him to shut up or HE will kill him
@@yopomdpin6285 Losing that dialogue was so significant, and I hate that it wasn't included.
When Al stops Edward from killing Tucker it's easy to think Al is doing it to do the "right thing" but that dialogue makes it clear that Al wasn't doing it solely to do the "right thing;" he was doing it to save Edward from living with murder. It also shows that even gentle Alphonse has a hard limit when facing true evil.
In the manga any time a character dies the last panel tends to show that character in the afterlife. Out of all the shitty people in this series Tucker is the only one shown burning in hell.
@xombiepunkGaming 🎉 Congratulations on being the chosen one this time (sincerely).
One day I'll be quick enough to write this comment
In the words of Ian Malcolm, "You were so focused on asking if you could do it you never stopped to think if you should."
While it is important to teach children that they can do what they set their mind to, it is equally important to learn that science can do anything. Any discovery can be turned to destruction.
I like how Shou Tucker is so delusional that he thinks the grief stricken decision of a child is the same as the fully psychotic decision of an adult...
And there's a pretty big difference between knowingly sacrificing your own body for human transmutation and sacrificing a third party unable to consent...
@@Sly142857 agreed! A Massive deference! That's why I called his a psychotic decision... He's more comparable to another character who has an entire episode devoted to their backstory in the other series... Name rhythm with Garry...
he's trying to get ed to commiserate with him. tucker knows he's a monster so he tries to get ed to admit that he is too so that at least he's not alone in that respect. if ed agrees that he too is a monster then tucker can at least absolve himself of some of the responsibility. tucker is trying to cope with the fact that he just did something insane.
@@stephentaylor3437I think you're purposely hyper simplifying the situation to suit your narrative.
Ed wasn't just a "grief stricken child", he was a youngest talented alchemist to have attempted human transmutation despite knowing it's wrong, bonded a soul to a suit of armour, which is regarded as an advanced skill, tried to play god by manipulating a fundamental law of the universe i.e. death, EVEN DESPITE after spending a month on the island learning the way of life "ants eat grass, animals eat ants, animal dies, becomes soil supplements for better grass, grass grows, any eats grass, and so on" and concludes that "all is one and one is all" and that we are ALL a part of a bigger cycle in the universe, etc etc
You have ALLLLL these EXTREMELY HIGHLY COMPLICATED situations that ed has gone through and you CASUALLY summarise it as "a decision by a grief stricken child".
I can LITERALLY give the same explanation for tucker, in one line, just like you.
"He was desperate and he took his chance at living a good life, even at the cost of his daughter"
Do you see how when you remove EVERYTHING that makes it what it is, it becomes a defense for their actions?
I'll not blaming ed, I'm not blaming tucker, I'm blaming YOU and YOUR extremely manipulative over simplifying of the truth to project your opinion.
My problem isn't with tucker or what he did or ed or what he did. It's with YOU and your blatant attempt at online validation and likes
See how in my comment I mentioned ALL the relevant information to give people reading the FULL CONTEXT to better understand my opinion, instead of saying just a part and withhold information that may not come immediately to the person reading, causing them to agree with my opinion more?
@@stephentaylor3437 Larry the Lobster did nothing of this scale! (I'm kidding, don't crucify me.)
I wish this episode on NO ONE, but will always rush to watch ANYONE who reacts to it. 😂
But it's such an important episode. I may not wish it on anyone, but I think everyone should see it, especially if they like, or want to like, FMA.
Shou Tucker couldn’t learn from his mistake because he never made a mistake in the first place. His first chimera, he got rid of a woman who wanted to leave him and passed his state alchemist certification so in his own eyes he killed 2 birds with one stone.
Exactly. The most evil person isn’t someone who is unaware of the harm they’re doing; it’s someone who knows exactly how much harm they stand to cause and choose to do it anyway.
It's interesting that you note that alchemy is more like science than magic because, it IS. Alchemy, the stuff that was done in the real world, is/was basically just, chemistry, but in medieval times. So yes, it IS rooted in science because it is a kind of science. They just take a biiit more of a fantastical approach here, but their alchemy is still rooted in science to some degree (Freezer using science to turn water into ice or steam, Mustang's flame alchemy has some chemical processes behind it, the whole 'not being able to make something from nothing')
If we look at the etymology in short. We have the Sanskrit word 'Kimaya'. Greek has the word 'Khemia'. Arabic got the word Al-Kimiya from where we got the middle English word Alchemy and later Chemistry.
the moment i saw the thumbnail i was like "oh here it is... she's at the point of no return in FMA" good job on making it through.
17:31 in japanese, Scar says “these two souls” and of course, that refers to Nina and Alexander. Tucker doesnt deserve salvation.
Many people will have mentioned this, but particular anime is one of the most overtly philosophical and - more so moral - animes that asks big questions about the human condition. It might be a show/reading material originally intended for adolescents, but it is a well-researched work and has mature concepts throughout the work. It's no wonder it's considered one of the great masterpieces of the medium to this day.
FMA is a wine that gets better with age, the story only gets better. I remember sitting in computer class during school and waiting patiently for thursday every week to read the next chapter online until I read the finale. Then there was only sadness that the story was over.
Oh boy, time to watch Angela have an emotional breakdown from one of the saddest things ever.
Actually her name is funnylilgalreacts
Did you see her react to the last episodes of Battlestar Galactica? The death of Duala was especially painful, Angela actually turned to the camera off if I remember correctly.
ONE OF US! ONE OF US! Congratulations, you're now committed to the series. This is arguably the hardest episodes to get through and cements the tone for the series. You're going to get emotionally beat up a great deal. It will be worth it in the end though, promise.
But it will be a bad day for rain soon.
If you thought last episode was a condemnation of religion then this episode would be a condemnation of science, or maybe it doesn't matter what you believe, maybe it's about using belief to justify harming others.
Yeah, as much as I'd take science over religion any day, it's so important to remember that anything can go bad when you take it too far.
@@gazzamanazza4pm 100% this. Fanaticism in any form can lead to very dark outcomes. I love that the moral is don't sacrifice your humanity for the sake of anything.
I believe in the manga when al tells ed to stop or he'll kill him, tucker keeps talking after. Then Al tells tucker to stop or he's gonna be the one to snap next. Most people dont key in the fact he first transmuted his wife until edward says it, you clocked it right away! There are definitely specifics on what qualifies as human transmutation and what doesnt. And yeah the glasses shine is an anime thing that def usually hints to someone having sinister intentions
There is never a time when this episode doesn't hurt. The deep morality this show addresses and how it can deeply affect you emotionally so many times over is what makes it feel so special. Sometimes you will be horrified. Sometimes uplifted. It will take you through the whole gamut of human emotions and does such an amazing job tying every single thing together by the end.
The glasses things is an old trope in fiction. Glasses often indicate that the character is hiding something, often their intentions, especially when they obscure the wearer's eyes. Good catch!
Yeah, one thing about anime. They're not afraid to leave you in a dark place. Anime has some of the most triumphant and exuberant ups in all of media, but it can be BRUTAL with it's downs.
You made it through the hardest part. You completed your FMAB right of passage.
When I said the age rating for this show is a little tricky, i meant it. Now you know that with anime, "anything" is possible, welcome to the fandom!
People always think anime is for kids, And I'm just like hey bro depending on what the show is you're probably looking at 15+ easy
@@Chronal-Rend As a adult, i dont think adults with that have a weak heart should watch this episode, imagine kids!
@@iuricunhamurakami8261 the fact I watched this and the 2003 version in elementary school might explain some things about me lol
Love FMAB, one of my fav animes! The story truly gets better. ❤️🔥
By the way, I just wanted to comment that I like your necklace, it seems to match FMAB very well too.
I hate and love on how quickly, she figured it out
Ok, let me say THIS is the episode that I had warned you about in the comment section of episode 1. Clear your head, take a walk. Once past this you will be WELL rewarded from the rest of the anime. Little bit of history, this series came out in 2009. At 15 years ago willing to push a true dark episode in a "cartoon", turned off a lot of possible viewers. Anime viewers knew better that the demographic wasn't for kids or at least the culture behind anime. BTW, this is a very uplifting series - it is just a slow burn.
I feel like FMAB over-foreshadows Tucker's villainy (good job picking up the most notorious stereotype in anime - the shiny glasses villain). FMA 2003 spaced the Tucker plotline out, giving you more time with the family and making the conclusion much more devastating. But, FMAB makes the Cornello/Tucker episodes back-to-back, which is important for the series thematically - it's not going to be just a "religion bad, yay science" kind of story.
FMA is better than FMAB is pretty much everything.
@@UhlbelkExcept every episode after 14 in FMAB
When Ed is talking about God in the ladf episode, he is referring to the human shaped thing he saw in that white space when he brought Al back. It referred to itself as god (among other things)
The trauma of this episode is the official first base of watching anime.
My favorite thing to comment when people point out that scene in the Opening:
Ed - loses arm and leg
Al - loses entire body
Winry - loses balance
It really is an iconic scene 😅🤣
Winry also loses Al and Ed, in a sense.
@@colleenbooth2648 oh yeah I totally get the symbolism. Just that it could also be a funny scene and it’s very iconic
This is probably the most sinister episode. There are a lot of moments along the journey that are hard to watch. Lots of moments of joy, lots of moments of hardship. The story ends beautifully, I highly recommend you see it through.
I LITERALY, without thinking, covered my eyes when I saw the thumbnail.
"I don't even know what I'm humming along to" A banger, that's what
I have a tattoo of the chimera with the banner "Got that dog in me" on my arm. I love ruining people's day with it.
That’s fantastic.
That's pure evil 😈
I remember watching this episode randomly on Toonami as a kid. It was so jarring that it took the days before I was able to get over it.
Same to be honest. I was at the mall later and telling my friend about the episode and burst into tears
This show can definitely be very uplifting at times, but also very dark sometimes. This is one of if not the darkest though for sure, it's like they put this one really early just to test the watcher lol
First off, glad to see a fellow Armstrong..."enthusiast" 🤣🤣
Second, yeah, this episode is ROUGH. They kinda give you all the clues throughout the episode and you can probably get it within the "I want to die" and the wife "leaving". Either way, no one is really okay going through this episode, even if they call it out at the beginning. I legit cried when I watched it my first and second times, and just now watching your reaction 😭😭
I feel like I have to say this cuz I haven't seen the comment but at the end after scar kills shou Tucker, he doesn't say in the manga" two human souls" he says Two Souls have been returned to you because it actually shows Nina and Alexander going up to heaven and shou Tucker being dragged down to Hell by many different arms
I love the intro song. It's such a good song. I looked it up and watched it outside of watching the show at least a dozen times since this show came out.
Just a friendly reminder, for those of us who watched the original fma, this was more traumatic as there were filler episodes between Nina's intro and outro so we got to see MORE of her and invested into how shou tucker was gonna get funding. Imagine the pain we had
Agreed. It is definitely more brutal!
Also that basement is infinitely more creepy in the original.
Oh f**k, we're on this episode. No matter how many times I've seen the show or watched reactions, I still have to mentally prepare for this one.
I do appreciate how this episode and the last fit together, though. As Ed says at the end, "Alchemists aren't devils and we're not gods. We're only human." And that's exactly what this pair of episodes shows.
You have now been initiated. There are many trials still ahead, but this is the first.
In the manga, after Al stops Ed from punching Tucker, Al then threatens Tucker to keep quiet, or HE'LL punch him.
Tucker must have sh*t his pants after hearing that from our sweet li'l armor boy.
When people said this show will make you cry, they weren't lying
RE: Solid matter to organic matter
There is no differrence as long as the chemical composition is the chemical/elemental is the same.
The only factor that makes matter (organic) is the presence of the element carbon which is found not only in carbon based life on earth but also everything from tools to houses to anything really.
To this day this THING terrifies me! I am sorry for Nina but this chimera haunted me in my dreams and traumatised especially earlier version in 2003 where the framing and lighting was more creepy to me. The design is horrifying and I couldn't sleep. Yes I am grown up but this thing is disturbing. I am glad you made it passed through this episode because it most tragic and horrifying anime episode of all time.
The one thing the original anime does better than Brotherhood is the Nina story, it is so much more emotional, well constructed, and horrifying. Ed's and the Chimera's reaction are heart shattering at the end, it had so much depth to it. I get that Brotherhood didn't need to tell things the same as 2003 version, but they could put a bit more emotion in this part, feels "flat" to me.
@@ehrelativo Ahh, that was what it was, I could've sworn it took a few episodes and hit harder, that was why I remember it different
It's always so interesting seeing people react to this episode. The wide variety of people that pick up what's happening at different moments is cool!
You can see where her soul starts to break at 13:50. 😭 I remember the first time I watched this episode, I went into this anime completely blind, (as one should) and my friend who introduced me to it thought it a fitting turnaround for me introducing her to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (especially season 6, iykyk)
From the moment you started watching this show, this was the episode we were all nervous about for you. Collectively we were all thinking, “oh no… she’s not gonna be ok”. The good news is, plenty of the room on the “This show crushed my soul” bench. ❤
5:55 the short version is all alchemy has a cost, thus the equivalent exchange bit, then it breaks things down and remakes it in the shape of what you want. The stone is like a cheat code, it pays the cost associated so you don't have to have equivalent exchange in the equation and can get more from less/nothing.
What we have seen so far, the small stones (fake or whatever) appear to have a limit and when they break the remaining cost of a transmutation still has to come from somewhere, thus the rebound on Cornello for instance.
About all I can really say without spoilers, this is all they have said so far.
You should check out the counterpart of this episode in FMA2003, episode 7 "night of the chimera's cry".
It is even more traumatic for Ed.
Yea I think it hit harder in 03 too
THE FMA episode that no one ever forgets... Now I saw it with you, I still had a different memory of this episode. I remember the father to be less creepy and way more cheerful before the revelation, wich made it even more painful. Also, I remember Scar punishing him and the chimaera much, much later... Guess it was too long since I saw it first.
Are you sure it wasn't the original 2003 version you're remembering? It lays out this story over multiple episodes while Brotherhood is a truncated version.
@@originalrkmorton Yes It was probably sometime near 2003 I saw it first. It explains much ! Thank you for the clarification.
There's anime out there that is definitely not for children like Akira, Paprika, Grave of the Fireflies or Ghost in the Shell, among many others.
I hope more people would know that, cause there are amazing stories in anime format that many people completely miss cause they assume it's all for kids.
Luckily now you know that anime can be as joyful or traumatizing as live action stuff can be :D
yep knew it would break you also i like Scar he did the right thing at the end
Knew this episode would tear you up, it did me too the first time.
Congratulations you made it to one of the anime (trauma) landmarks... the *Nina* episode.
Nothing comapred to the 2003 version...
Im so excited for her to get hooked ! one of the best shows when it gets cookin
I can't help but cry every time the Chimera says "Big bro Ed", even though I've seen it a ton of times, it still hits in the gut and makes me wanna punch Tucker to a pulp.
I debated if I wanted to watch this episode with you since I knew it would be rough. Glad we're on the other side.
I was both anticipating and dreading your watching this episode. It's pretty much universally agreed upon that this episode is the Rubicon/watershed-moment for prospective reactors~reviewers. If they can successfully navigate it (( i.e. get through it and not only 'keep it together' but also resolve to keep watching.... )) then they've crossed the proverbial Rubicon...
...Welcome to FMAB Family! We the most delicious quiches and apple 🥧 😋😅😀
lol. not even watching this series of reactions but it showed the thumbnail to me and I was like, "oh, yeah, I have to watch when she sees.. that.."
This episode is right up there with "The Tales of Ba Sing Se" From Avatar the last Airbender in terms of tear jerkers.. but for very different reasons. Ugh... mah heart!
Episode 3: "The Evil Extreme in Religion" and Episode 4: "The Evil Extreme in Science"
I just watched 3 other reaction channels go through this entire series. I must say...I think at a certain point, you need to do multiple episodes. Otherwise, you're going to just be left on a LOT of cliff hangers. Excited to go on this journey for a 4th time this month though! lol. Enjoy!
This is THE episode to me- THE episode where, if you've seen it, you know, and you can only nod and acknowledge one another's traumatic journey through it. But the show is definitely worth going through this and seeing the rest. Also- I didn;t know about Fuku Burger! Next time I'm in Vegas I'll have to stop by and try them out! Thanks!
"Big brother Ed" I say that to any of my friends and it's an instant mood killer. Incredibly sad and tragic episode.
Man I sure hope there isn't any other depressing episodes in this show.
...
Your face when Al said "if you keep this up he'll die" was fucking priceless lol
Oh…no…I just realized you started watching this. This is one of the greatest anime ever made. This is the wall everyone has to get by. If you can get past this episode you’re good. Strap in. Such an incredible journey that I wish I could forget so I could watch it all over again and experience for the first time.
I love how episodes 3 and 4 explore the good of religion and science and also how they can be corrupted. The deep sense of community and hope in Liore via their shared belief was not the origin of the evil but the blind faith allowing for corrupt individuals to take power over their choices. Likewise, science and experimentation can do so many incredible things but is still vulnerable to the corrupt ambitions of people and can lead us into hell if unchecked. This show is really good at laying humanity as a whole out on the table, standing back and letting you decide how you feel about it.
This is the episode I was saying I feel guilty about not warning you about lol welcome to the fandom
If you're interested in the translation for the opening and closing songs, then you should check out Amalee's channel. Not sure how accurate the words are, but she's done English covers for some of them.
For me, this isn't the hardest episode of this show to watch but it's far and above one of the most iconic scenes in anime. Right up with AOT intro with the collosal looking over the wall
Ah the 'I need a hug and also to absolutely break this man into tiny bits' episode. My entire soul shattered the first time I saw this.
I think part of the slow burn of the episode afterward is thinking back on the fun and lighthearted scenes with Nina and Alexander as a way to forget the bad, but being reminded of Nina and Alexander's fate.
Dang, I knew your reaction would be great, you have a really good sense of things so you clocking the human transmutation almost immediately was grand. Can't wait to see what else you spot on this wonderful journey. 🤭
FMAB 4 always hits hard. Never stops hurting. {{{{HUG}}}}
FYI, Angela, whenever an anime character has the shiny reflection on their glasses, it's a sign that they are up to no good. It's a common anime trope, so you are right on the money. :)
I know firsthand how rough this episode is, and I am sorry you had to go through that.
Glad you are taking this journey though!
Welcome to our shared trauma. This story always hits hard and is often referenced among the FMA fandom. An interesting detail. When the artist Arakawa has major deaths in the manga. She would draw a single panel comic at the end of their soul drifting to heaven. Except Shou Tucker. He’s shown burning in hell while Nina and Alexander are drifting to heaven.
Incidentally, in the manga, there are funny little gag comics at the end of each issue, including an 'In Memoriam' section showing all the characters who died that volume flying up to the sky. Shou Tucker is the only character shown in Hell, and considering some of the other villains we see, that is saying something.
Lol love the reaction honestly you got a lot more crying and happy moments to come more into the show
14:01 That’s it. That’s exactly how we all felt during our first time. It still hurts.
I remember getting my dad to anime as he had watched some fma when it aired on tv. The dude was hooked on fma brotherhood and he still talks about this episode whenever he watches something awful happen in newer animes.
He is 60years old if anyone is interested
I thought this was several episodes, I seem to remember getting even more invested in Nina and wether Tucker would get funding etc. Must have been the original series
Welcome to the FMAB Trauma Club - enjoy your stay!
Congratulations on surviving one of the most notorious, most emotionally traumatic episodes in all of anime. You're one of us now. This episode is a rite of passage. If it's any consolation you might like hearing this. In the manga this show is an adaptation of, at the end of every chapter the artist always draws a little doodle of any character that dies during the chapter as a little angel ascending to heaven as a memorandum. Every single one, including the most vile of the villains gets a little angel doodle. Everyone except Tucker who is the sole person in the entire series depicted burning in hell watching as both Nina and Alexander go to heaven.
I just saw the thumbnail triggering what episode this was and immediately reacted with "OH NO". 😅
There are certain events that mark a point after which nothing will be the same… this episode was that point.
Every anime fan, no matter if they haven’t watched this show in particular, they know about Nina and Alexander, so yeah, you hit the bulls eye: many of us were adults when we watched this episode, and it still hit like a truck.
It is, nonetheless, that type of emotional rollercoaster that makes any show great, and one of the main reasons why this anime was, for most of my life, at the very top of any of my favorite show lists.
Welcome to the “ I was traumatized by ep 4 of FMAB” club I guess.
Just know, you’re not alone.
Welcome to the fandom, and the rite of passage that is the Nina arc.
If you want to and can find it, also watch this episode on the original FMA. It hits SO. MUCH. HARDER. And is a much more well done adaptation than this one, IMO. No live react needed, but if you share thoughts on the differences at the start of the next ep, that would be wonderful!
Awesome reaction
This is the episode always makes me cry
Looking forward to your next installment :)
This episode alone made this anime my favorite anime. The darkness of this episode warms my heart
congratulations you are now one of us
one of us
one of us