Review for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Part 2 (2 Discs)

Introduction

They say that good things come to those who wait, and it seems that we are being made to wait penitently for each successive instalment of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. It's been three months since the first volume debuted in the UK, and only now do we get the second. Of course each volume today is the equivalent of three volumes a few years ago, which would make it an average of a volume a month, where we used to have to wait two months between anime discs. Still, it is extra infuriating when it is a story like Fullmetal Alchemist's, where you need to know what happens next, as soon as the previous episode finishes. If it's any consolation, the US has to go through the same lengthy wait, even if they are one volume ahead of us, having just seen the release of Part 3. They get the lengthy gaps as well. What made waiting for this volume such a bother is that this is where Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood actually commences. The first collection of 13 episodes was something of a hasty recap of the start of the story, already animated in the original Fullmetal Alchemist series, the first thirty odd episodes of that compressed to 13 here. It was a collection of highlights, and a little disappointing at that. This volume is where the original series diverged from the manga it was adapted from, for simple reason that the manga had only been completed up to that point. Well now, the manga is complete, and the animators can adapt the original story as drawn. From this point on, this is all new Fullmetal Alchemist, the original manga finally adapted, and I can't wait to see what happens.


Alchemy is the art of the transmutation of matter by means of an incantation, a mystical circle, or sheer willpower alone. For centuries charlatans and the deluded pursued the creation of gold by alchemical means but to no avail. But in Full Metal Alchemist, alchemy is a realised science. Set in an alternative world during the early years of the twentieth century, the transmutation of elements is indeed a reality, and the state regards such talent highly indeed. Full Metal Alchemist tells the story of brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, two precocious alchemists who are on a quest. The young brothers had attempted the unspeakable, resurrecting their mother. But the Law Of Equivalent Exchange cannot be flouted, only objects of equal mass can be transmuted, and the dead cannot be brought back to life. The attempt failed disastrously. Now, Alphonse is a disembodied spirit bound to a suit of animated armour, while Edward has replaced his leg and arm with metal automail, but it's his prodigious facility with alchemy that has earned him the name, Fullmetal Alchemist. Now they search for a means to restore their bodies.


This second collection of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood comes with 13 episodes across 2 discs from Manga Entertainment, and has seen a couple of changes in its format, both for the better and for the worse. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is available on Blu-ray and DVD, although it must be noted that Brotherhood was animated as a 540 source in Japan and upscaled for broadcast, and all of the Blu-ray releases worldwide similarly involve a degree of upscaling. Also, both the Madman and Funimation Blu-rays have player forced subtitles in the Japanese audio to deter reverse importation in Japan, and anecdotally, so do the Manga discs. There are none of these issues on the DVDs of course.


Part 1 stuck pretty closely to the first half of the original series, following the brothers Elric as they sought a Philosopher's Stone to aid them in recovering their bodies. That drew them into a complex conspiracy of homunculi and a secret faction in their own government, a conspiracy that turned lethal for investigator Maes Hughes. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valour, the brothers decided to go to Dublith, to ask the advice of their teacher, only to get caught up with a new faction, a homunculi named Greed leading a band of chimera. The story continues…Skip to Page 3 if you want to avoid the episode synopses.

Picture

Recently, Madman from whom Manga source many of their DVD transfers, have started creating native PAL transfers for their anime DVDs, as opposed to the NTSC-PAL standards conversions that we have long been used to. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Part 2 is now a native PAL transfer, clear and sharp, free of ghosting, and 4% shorter than the NTSC discs due to PAL speed-up. Also, with PAL a 625-line format, it may be that we are now getting the full original resolution, which would be nice. Of course it would have been sweeter if Part 1 could have been PAL too, but it had a higher end standards conversion.


The image is clear, sharp and colourful, the detail levels are high, and Studio Bones makes sure that the full widescreen scope is put to good use, and the animation is vibrant and energetic. Of course I can't help but compare it to the first series, and you'll have to take my bias into account when I say that I feel something is lacking in this second series. The action animation is better, especially given these five years or so of technical advancement, and I must say that Brotherhood is a much prettier anime to experience. However, I do feel that the show doesn't compete when it comes to detail. Backgrounds seem more generic, character animation is a little simpler and lacks nuance, while the actual character designs are subtly different, a little stockier and broader and not quite as elegant as before. Also, in these first thirteen episodes, there is a whole lot of comedy, meaning that characters are apt to go super-deformed at the drop of a hat, much more so than in the first series, and taking a leaf from the manga, there are a whole lot of comic thought bubbles and graffiti that require signs translations this time around.

Sound

You have the choice between DD 5.1 English, and DD 2.0 Japanese. The surround flag that lit up on the Japanese audio in the first set is now gone, but Prologic can still work its magic on the stereo to give you a nice audio experience. You have the choice of translated subtitles and a signs only track as you would expect. But, just like with the video, I feel a little disappointed in the audio for FMA: Brotherhood. My choice as always is for the Japanese audio, and it is certainly an acceptable way to watch the show. I'm beginning to find a comfort zone with the Japanese audio, especially as the story diverges from the first series completely, and characters new to anime are introduced. I still prefer the Japanese to the English dub by the way. These are small issues, as by far the greatest disappointment in Full Metal Alchemist's audio is the music. Admittedly the themes are good, and the new opening and closing themes that debut in this volume are certainly catchy. But the incidental music takes a hit that doesn't do the show any favours. For the first series, Michiru Oshima created a score that was grand, theatrical, and operatic, and very much a character in the show. For Brotherhood Akira Senju provides the background music, and the most I can say about it is that it is bland and forgettable.


There were one or two problems that I noticed with the subtitles, such as the occasional typo. More prevalent were subtitle captions that were too wide for the screen, and it happened far more often than in the previous set, with episodes 21,22 and 25 significant examples of lax QC.

The Episodes

Disc 1

14. Those Who Lurk Underground
Colonel Mustang is the focus of a lot of gossip in Central, especially for his rapid rise in the ranks. He reports to the Fuhrer King Bradley only to find he has gone south on an inspection tour. It's a pretty singular inspection, as King Bradley is in Dublith, where Ed and his teacher Izumi are trying to rescue Al from the homunculus Greed and his chimera. But the Fuhrer has his own personal reasons for dealing with the indestructible homunculus, and the way he deals with the chimera certainly is an eye-opener for Al.

15. Envoy From The East
There are new players on the scene, as Scar learns after he deals out his own brand of justice to an overconfident State Alchemist. He returns to his hiding place, a little battered, only to find that Yoki has picked up a stray, a Xinghese girl named May Chang and her panda Shao May. May Chang knows enough alkahestry to heal Scar's injuries, and she's looking for the secret of immortality. She also recognises the symbols of alkahestry tattooed into Scar's arm. It's enough for him not to ditch her straight away. At the same time, Ed and Al return to Rush Valley, with Ed expecting violence from Winry, already in need of repairs to his automail. But while there, they have their own Xinghese encounter, a hard-up prince named Ling Yao is also looking for immortality, and he sets his bodyguards Lan Fan and Fu to test Ed and Al's abilities as alchemists.


16. Footsteps of a Comrade-in-Arms
Ed, Al and Winry arrive back in Central accompanied by Ling Yao and his bodyguards, although to Ed's relief, Ling vanishes as soon as they get off the train. There is the matter of a lack of an entry visa after all. Ed is all fired up to see Maes Hughes and fill him in on what he and Al have learned, while Winry is eager to see Gracia and Elicia. Both are about to learn the bitter truth. Speaking of bitter truths, Colonel Mustang has been in Central investigating his friend's death, and making some clandestine manoeuvres towards gaining more power. But there are those even more clandestine who don't want the Colonel making waves. The homunculi need to preserve Mustang as a potential 'sacrifice', along with Ed, Al and Izumi, and they decide to throw a few monkey wrenches into his investigation.

17. Cold Flame
Lieutenant Ross is arrested for Maes Hughes' murder. She's being framed to keep Roy Mustang distracted from his investigation, and it seems to be working. Ed and Al are still downhearted after what they have learned, and are stuck trying to decide what to do next. Learning of Lt Ross's arrest, naturally indignation forces Ed to act, but someone gets there first. Barry the Chopper of all people, the disembodied soul that had been set in armour to guard the Fifth Laboratory, breaks into the prison to free Lt Ross. On the way, he also releases the illegal alien Ling Yao. The military order that Ross be recaptured, with a shoot to kill policy if she resists. But making her escape, she runs into Roy Mustang, whose best friend she is accused of murdering. She makes the mistake of resisting…


18. The Arrogant Palm of a Small Human
Catching up to the fleeing Ross, Ed finds the smoking aftermath, and another reason to hate Roy Mustang. Lt Ross's superior Alex Armstrong isn't impressed either, which is one reason why both are soon ordered by Mustang to leave the capital and head to Resembool. It's just the first step on their journey to the desert in the East, and the ancient ruined city of Xerxes, the legendary source of alchemy, and Xinghese alkahestry. There's a pleasant surprise waiting for Ed there, as well as an unwelcome truth. He's about to be attacked by a bunch of Ishbalan refugees, when he is rescued by a couple of more sympathetic Ishbalans. They have had better experience with the people of Amestris, when were treated by two doctors from Resembool. They could only be Winry's parents, and what's more, they know the identity of the Ishbalan that killed them.

19. Death of the Undying
It's all going wrong. Mustang thought he would be unrooting a very human conspiracy, but instead Hawkeye now faces an undying homunculus that is immune to her bullets. Al has learned of the Colonel's plan from Ling Yao, and races off to help, having decided that no one else should suffer in his name. The trail leads to the 3rd Laboratory, where Havoc will be reunited with his girlfriend, and where Mustang will learn how to kill a homunculus, if he survives. Meanwhile, Ed has returned to Resembool, to tell Pinako Rockbell what happened to Winry's parents, only to find the last person he expected to see at his mother's grave… his father Hohenheim Elric.


20. Father Before The Grave
It's not the most pleasant of reunions, as Ed can't forgive his father for abandoning the family. At the same time, Hohenheim has some harsh truths to confront his son with regarding the decisions he has made with his life. Later he overhears his father talking to Pinako, asking her about the thing Ed and Al had transmuted when they tried to resurrect their mother. It's enough to give him nightmares. It's enough to make him dig up the rough grave in the burnt out remnants of his house. It's enough to ease the burden of guilt that he and Al had been carrying for years, and it's enough to give him hope that his and Al's quest can eventually succeed.

Disc 2

21. Advance of the Fool
Mustang and Havoc are recuperating in hospital, wondering why the homunculi haven't finished them off. So are the homunculi Gluttony and Envy, but it's Wrath who has other plans for Mustang. Central's alchemists are put on alert, when it is announced that Scar has returned to resume his murder spree. It's just the opportunity that Ed and Al need to draw the homunculi out, having overheard that they are sacrifices that must be preserved. Surely the homunculi will appear to stop Scar from killing them. When he hears of the homunculi's indestructible nature, Ling Yao offers to help.


22. Backs in the Distance
There's not a lot of helping going on. Ed and Al are hard-pressed by Scar, but Ling Yao and his bodyguard Lan Fan are practically outclassed by Gluttony and Wrath. Lan Fan is injured early in the battle, and Ling has to battle Wrath and protect her at the same time. He's also sensed something about Gluttony's true nature, and that's reason enough for Wrath to want him dead. Seeing the mayhem let loose in the city, and overhearing the gossip, Winry realises that Ed and Al are in trouble again and she chases after them to help. She gets there in time to hear the truth. She gets there in time to learn just who it was who murdered her parents.

23. Girl on the Battlefield
It's absolute chaos, with Wrath pursuing Ling Yao and Lan Fan, Al and Ed chasing after Scar, and Gluttony ordered to stop Scar before he destroys the 'vital sacrifices'. Then there is Roy Mustang, who in order to enact Ed's plan is sending the military to all the wrong locations to give Ed and the others enough time. Somehow it all works out and they capture Gluttony. But that leaves Scar to be dealt with, and just as Ed and Al are about to finish him off, May Chang appears to rescue her 'servant', somehow able to accomplish alchemy by remote. Which is how Al winds up with a panda named Shao May. At a remote location, the conspirators gather to compare notes; chief among them is Ling's revelation about who Wrath actually is. But before they can deal with that, Gluttony recognises Roy Mustang and escapes, fired up with revenge.


24. Inside the Belly
Envy is having a chat with a potential 'vital sacrifice' the homunculi have in captivity when he has to go and put a leash on Gluttony. It turns out that Gluttony has a black hole in his stomach that just sucks everything in, and he wants Roy Mustang. The thing is that Roy Mustang and the Elric boys have been designated 'sacrifices' by Father, and he can't touch them. He can touch Ling though, and given what Ling has surmised about the homunculi, they can't afford to leave him alive. Mustang has decided that this is the moment to make a move against Wrath and protect the military. What he doesn't realise is that the military needs to be protected from itself. He goes to confront the Fuhrer King Bradley, only to find the whole of the High Command ready for him.

25. Doorway of Darkness
Ed wakes up in an infinite cavern, knee deep in blood. It isn't long before he finds Ling, but trying to find a way out of infinity isn't a simple matter. When Envy turns up, they learn the truth. The Truth in fact, as Gluttony was 'Father's' failed attempt to recreate the doorway to Truth that Ed and Al saw when they tried to transmute their mother. Envy isn't keen on spending infinity in there, so he picks a fight, telling Ed what really happened to the ancient city of Xerxes. Or rather he shows him, when he reveals his true form. In the real world, May Chang is looking for her panda, and surprisingly, she's got Scar to help. Al is tired of waiting and trying to figure out what happened to his brother, so he persuades Gluttony to take him to meet the mysterious 'Father'. And Mustang is paying the price for his arrogance. King Bradley is using his weaknesses against him.


26. Reunion
King Bradley tells Mustang his story; the tale of a boy raised to be Fuhrer, and then made homunculus. Mustang tries appealing to the vestiges of Bradley's humanity, but it looks like he doesn't have any. Al still has the panda Shao May with him, and together they follow Gluttony into the catacombs to meet with 'Father'. Shao May and Scar witness this and follow after, only to discover the guardians down below. Battling with Envy, and realising that the ruins around him come from Xerxes, Ed has a Eureka moment, and fathoms a way out of their predicament. But it will mean attempting that which proved so disastrous the first time. It will mean attempting human transmutation once more.

Extras

Both discs get static menus and a jacket picture.

Disc 1's sole extra feature is an audio commentary to accompany episode 14, featuring Line Producer and ADR Director Mike McFarland (Havoc), Vic Mignogna (Edward Elric), and Chris Patton (Greed). This one is pretty subdued compared to the usual Funimation yak-fest, as the actors talk about approaching their characters for the second time. It's very much an actors' convo with a fair bit of mutual backslapping, and it's 15 minutes before they even note what is happening on screen.

Disc 2 gets the second set of textless credits, and a commentary with episode 23 featuring ADR Director Mike McFarland (Havoc), Todd Haberkorn (Ling), Monica Rial (May Chang), and Trina Nishimura (Lan Fan). It's not the usual Monica Rial gigglefest, it's toned down a bit, and there is a bit of interest in hearing the points of view of three new characters' actors as opposed to the usual, what's changed, what's stayed the same approach of the other commentaries so far. Although Monica Rial did play Lyra/Dante in the earlier version.

Conclusion

I'm going to spend an eternity comparing this unfavourably to the earlier incarnation of Fullmetal Alchemist, down to my personal preferences and the simple fact that was the first version that I encountered. That's doing this series an utter disservice, as it is a great story and tremendous entertainment in its own right. I'll therefore try and restrain my unfair criticism, and keep it generally fair and balanced and Fox News for the most part. What makes that easier is that this volume is where the story departs from the original entirely, opting instead to stick like glue to the original manga storyline. We get a whole different story here, completely different interpretations of events, whole new characters, and familiar characters developed in wholly different ways. And watching (or rather rewatching) these thirteen episodes, glued to the television, hanging on every word, heart in my mouth at each new revelation, I find that I really ought to change my tune on this show. Things about it still rub me the wrong way, the broader humour, some of the directions it goes with the story, but now I'm seeing that it looks at aspects of the story and the characters that the first one missed out on, and as the credits roll on the final episode, I can even admit that the pacing and delivery is better than that first series. By golly do these people know how to spin a yarn! So from now on, instead of unfavourable comparisons, I'll issue a far more positive, 'This is the best series of Fullmetal Alchemist since the first one!'


The first episode in this collection is probably the last of the shared material, with Ed and Al facing chimera and Greed under the town of Dublith. It unfolds in much the same way, although without Dante as a protagonist, there has to be another catalyst to Greed's defeat. This time it is the Fuhrer King Bradley who puts paid to Greed's ambitions, and again we find that Bradley isn't the man he appears to be. Although this time his secret identity is a little different from before. We also find that Martel faces the same fate, although last time it was deferred for a few episodes and plot developments. It's still a scene that makes me cringe, although here it has the effect of reawakening Al's memories, and bringing out his latent alchemical abilities, to bring him on a par with his brother. Poor Greed's turn on this mortal coil is just as short as before which for such a flamboyant character is a disappointment (but I've sneaked a peak into the future and this time it is absolutely necessary).


From this point forward, it's all new Fullmetal Alchemist, beginning with the arrival of the delegations from the nation of Xing. Both Ling Yao and May Chang are looking for the secret of alchemy, both for their respective clans, and both in the hope of determining who will rule their country. Ed and Al encounter Ling and his bodyguards Lan Fan and Fu, which turns out to be a pretty standard comedy episode. Ling is introduced as the comic relief, interested in filling his belly first and foremost, and annoying Ed at every opportunity. It's only as the story progresses that we see that as an indirect heir to the throne of Xing, he has a vested interest in attaining his goals, and an inner steel and defiant core which belies his outward frivolousness. This also explains why his bodyguards are so devoted to him, willing to offer the ultimate self-sacrifice. And which Lan Fan has to do at one point.


May Chang far more suits the role of comic relief, short of stature and brimming with kung-fu cuteness, as well as being accompanied by the pint-sized panda Shao May. Except that she runs into the serial killer Scar and his entourage, the disgraced Yoki. One of the significant threads in this collection is the rehabilitation of Scar, a character development that I'm not quite certain about as yet. He's introduced as a relentless murderer, targeting State Alchemists in revenge for the Ishbal massacre. Teaming him up with a little girl seems an odd move. Where this story does excel is in bringing Winry face to face with the killer of her parents, which is handled more sympathetically than the first series did, with far greater respect to where her character is. It also proves to be a wake up call for Scar, as he comes face to face with the reality of revenge, and the cycle of hatred that it begets. This, and spending time with May Chang (whose tribe in Xing is also downtrodden and on the lowest rung of the social ladder) is what slowly brings out Scar's human side, as well as seeing himself reflected in Ed when he tries to protect Winry. It's an understandable and well-written character development; except that he was introduced as such a monster in the first part that it doesn't quite ring true.


Winry facing her parents' killer was one thing, but another development that really impressed me is the examination of guilt. Ed's reunion with his father Hohenheim is just as fraught as the first time around, although Hohenheim's character is going down a completely different, enigmatic path this time that leaves me guessing. A throwaway line from him has Ed re-examining his past, and the decision he and Al took to resurrect their mother, much as Izumi did to bring back her stillborn child. Since that time, both Ed and Al have been carrying a burden of guilt, fearing that they had brought their mother back to life, albeit in a monstrous distorted form, only to have her die again. The first series went in a different direction with this, and seeing it given form here not only makes for great character drama, it really establishes this show as a separate entity.


This is just scratching the surface though, as there is so much going on in this collection of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood episodes that it leaves the head in a spin. It's plot development upon revelation upon character arc, just as fast paced as the first set of episodes, but this time not leaving anything out. There's Mustang's grab for power, his need to avenge Maes Hughes, and uncovering the conspiracy in Central, which all gets turned on its head when the scope of the conspiracy is unveiled. There's Ed and Al's search for a way to restore their bodies, leading to the homunculi, and the apparent architect behind all this, the mysterious 'Father'. There is the new element of the arrivals from Xing, and their search for immortality. There's Scar's search for vengeance being tempered by the reality of seeing the results of the crimes he commits. And then there is the grand plan for Amestris itself, conceived of by Father, and leading the nation towards an ominous peril. And of course all these character arcs, plot threads, and revelations collide, intertwine and then shoot off at unexpected angles. It's best just to watch it to find out how.


In the tradition of all good serials, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood leaves us at a cliffhanger. But what a cliffhanger! Ed is trapped in limbo, and Al is about to come face to face with 'Father'. Even still the final scene of episode 26 truly shows the genius of this series' storytelling, taking us to the depths of despair, and with one perfectly judged beat, bringing us to the heights of elation once again. Whether that elation will sustain until the advent of volume 3 is debatable. Perhaps Manga could fill the gap by licensing and releasing the Fullmetal Alchemist OVAs while we wait. But what they really ought to do is get onto someone's quality control department, whether it's their own, Madman's or Funimation's. Someone is making a hash of the subtitles on these discs, and that is the single flaw marring an otherwise stellar release, made even more stunning with the advent of native PAL transfers.