Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Episode 4- Soul-Crushing Despair
Well we all knew it was coming, but it seemed to creep up on us pretty fast. The first truly fucked up part of FMA. Regardless, they did a pretty good job presenting it, and it sets the stage for a lot of later development.
Hasta la vista, baby
The bald head and handlebar mustache is a bit cliche, don’t you think?
Some pretty slick powers nonetheless
Shou’s got the great creepy voice and closeups going on early in the episode. Even if I didn’t already know what was going to happen I’d have felt something wasn’t quite right. Although I’ve always found that the whiting-out of glasses to be an awfully lame and cliche way of showing nefarious intent.
Oh fuck =(
One of the more fascinating parts of watching FMA is Ed’s struggle to mete out justice and morality despite what he did to try to resurrect his mother. Looking at it objectively what he did was pretty horrible, and I remember him often being confronted by those who committed significant sins of their own and his trouble reconciling it all.
Well already they’ve seemingly changed from the original series. I recall that in the first adaptation just Nina-Alexander was killed by Scar, not Tucker. Eventually Tucker came back and was important at the very end, but that was presumably an anime-only thing. I suppose I’ll assume for now that he’s pretty much dead, considering what Scar just did to him.
So far they have not shied away from blood and violence, which is kind of surprising since it airs at 5pm. Fine with me though, I prefer the additional realism. I guess they are going to just skip over the entrance exam portions they went through in the first series, which I’m okay with. I’m happy at the pace they are going, and am looking forward to more action next week as Ed and Al battle it out with Scar.
Crusader’s Ministry of Propaganda
Man after all this time this part still really gets to me, its not that it was bad by any means but rather it’s so depressing. Tucker was off his rocker and by the end he was only looking out for himself since the family he kept out of poverty was utterly destroyed anyway. Knowing what was going to happen did not make it any easier for me; it was kind of like watching Nina and Alexander go to the chopping block. I just made me sick inside just thinking about it. At the very least though Scar is as every bit dangerous as I remember it seems. Still as technically great an episode as it was it made me sad, had to loop the Shin Mazinger Z OP a couple times and watch the most recent episode to get the spirits back up. In a way I guess it was one of those moments that never quite lost its power. Pacing is alright with me, delaying this wouldn’t have made it any more enjoyable so at least it is behind us now. I really don’t have the words to describe how this episode really got to me, still FMA is a great series and I suppose that even this episode helps prove it if in a way that makes the audience a bit depressed. For once I could have used some Armstrong antics, but I think it really stuck because it didn’t do that.
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This was definitely one of the most – if not THE MOST – depressing scenes that I remember from FMA1. I thought the pacing this time around, hurt the impact a little (and probably also that I knew it was coming), but Nina/Alexander’s pathetic voice and hangdog expression just makes me so sad. It gets me everytime.
I haven’t watched this yet. Already dl it, but haven’t had the courage yet. The manga chapter made me cry.. the 1st anime ep made me cry… I think this ep will make me cry too…
Moments like this (and the 5th lab [/spoiler]) are the strongest reason I enjoy the story behind FMA. That they aren’t afraid to pull punches and really show how twisted things can get simply because it’s more human that way.
Yeah the Tucker-chimera was only in the old anime, as in the manga Scar kills Tucker in the same manner shown in this episode. Yeah there are some pretty nutty people in FMA, and Tucker is just the first in line.
I’m surprised that they didn’t give Scar’s alchemy a different color as in FMA1 (it was red) since Scar’s alchemy is different than the style used by State Alchemists (will be explained in later episodes).
I find these episode the best of the current 4, is exactly these kind of experiments with humans the center of the long drama. If they dont put SD comedy, it can be unbearable to watch for the majority of the people. I miss the deeper cover up of the gob in the first version, but the vengeaful, religious terrorist Scar not only mercy killing the Chimera but also punishing Tucker compensate for that.
BTW, I also am find interesting how religion is played as a tool for get brainwashed fanatic soldiers in the begining of the anime. My only grip with FMA is that they make a hero from a sinner that keep looking for use of forbiden life-alchemy, is like after losing so much he still refused to accept the cost of alchemy.
I remember reading this part in the manga and getting totally freaked out. Despite knowing the outcome, I’m freaked out again. so far this anime has been following the manga quite closely, though it’s slightly crammed.
this was such a great episode, ive seen fma 1 and ow this is just 10x better x] and it hasn’t even gone to the juciest part of fma 1 yet!! i cnanot wait for it to unravel :].
Great episode, finally we get to experience more of the darker vibes of FMA. The pacing was superb, as was the interaction between the characters. Fantastic.
I’ve always held the opinion that “good” and “enjoyable” are two very different adjectives in describing anime, and this enforces that. It was a very powerful episode that shows just how twisted alchemy and alchemists could be in a brutally effective manner, giving us a taste of the nature of events to come. But I’ll be damned if I could find it enjoyable.
I kinda like how they take the seemingly neerly omnipotent powers of alchemy and imediately contrast it against the powers of a god and as acts of a devil. Makes Ed’s whole “We’re just humans,” line more powerful.
Just a random observation that I missed when I first read the manga.
i dont see why they even made this new series, all it is is the old fma episodes, so far i havent really seen anything new.
Nuke: The new “old” stuff only starts to branch off after the 5th lab.
I just watched episode three. and so far i like how this Manga “retelling” of the series is going. I like the animation to brotherhood better but its still not leaps and bounds better then the prior series yet(as far as i can tell). Im waiting for this ep to stream in a couple days knowing its the sad nina ep im looking forward to it and not at the same time
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I remember how we cried like babies when my dorm-mate and I watched this part in the first anime.
Can’t wait for the other major death to be over with (oh cringe cringe), and the two anime series to fully diverge.
Am I the only one slightly pissed at the sound Ed makes when he transmutes? It’s like a ding sound. Reminds me of grocery stores.
I’m really not digging the queer art style of this series. It’s like everyone is made of potty and their eyes are too far apart. Coupled with the typical anime lack of a nose, people look like aliens rather than people. Kind of like Air TV.
We’re also covering the same ground as before, so I’ll tune back in when something NEW happens.
I was affected by this episode too. I mean, I knew this was going to happen but the way it was portrayed this time…it was a lot darker and sinister compared to the previous one.
I’m not sure if it was because I already anticipated it or due to the pacing, the Ninaxander scene didn’t leave as much emotional impact the first time I saw it.
Yeah…
But you have to admit that when Scar popped up out of the darkness and blew up Shou and, uh, “Ninaxander” that it left you feeling just a little emotional.