Review of Full Metal Alchemist: Volume 5

Introduction

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, Full Metal Alchemist. Now they search for a means to restore their bodies.

In the previous volume, Ed and Al had a disastrous encounter with Scar, one that resulted in Al`s body being damaged beyond easy repair, and Ed`s automail arm being shattered. They did however manage to uncover a useful clue to more information about the Philosopher`s Stone. Fortunately, they can stop off for repairs back home in Resembool on their way to Central. There are 4 more episodes on Volume 5 of Full Metal Alchemist: The Cost Of Living.

17. House Of The Waiting Family
After 4 years, the Elric brothers have finally returned home to Resembool, although the Strongarm Alchemist, Alex Louis Armstrong, accompanies them. Edward needs a replacement automail arm after suffering at the hands of Scar previously, and Al is literally falling apart. The best place for automail is Winry`s, but it`s a bittersweet homecoming.

18. Marcoh`s Notes
Marcoh had pointed the way to the library in Central for clues to the Philosopher`s Stone, but before Ed and Al get there, the library is paid a visit by Lust and Scar. They don`t exactly hit it off. So when Ed finally does arrive, he has to sift through the ruins for a few remaining charred books, none of them the one he is looking for. There`s still hope though, a former employee of the library named Sheska who is something of a bookworm with a photographic memory. Ed learns a sickening truth about the Philosopher`s Stone.

19. Behind What is Behind the Truths
Ed is dejected at what appears to be a dead end, but one of his bodyguards persuades him to follow Marcoh`s lead to its logical conclusion, despite the macabre truth it implies about the Philosopher`s Stone. That lead points to an apparently abandoned laboratory situated next to a prison. When Ed and Al get there, they find a labyrinthine complex riddled with traps, and guarded by two armoured figures.

20. Soul Of The Guardian
The brothers come up against the guardians of the laboratory, whose resemblance to Al is uncanny. These were two condemned prisoners, who after death had their souls bonded to suits of armour. While Ed fights `The Slicer` inside, Al has to face a familiar figure, the disembodied form of Barry The Chopper, who the brothers had arrested four years previously. This won`t just be a battle to the death, but rather a battle for a soul.

Video

The picture for Full Metal Alchemist comes in a 4:3 transfer and it is clear and sharp throughout, without any hint of artefacts. The anime looks gorgeous, with distinctive characters, detailed retro world design and atmospheric animation. Once again, an anime blends traditional line animation with 3D design and the results are exciting and vibrant.

Audio

You get a choice of DD 5.1 English and DD 2.0 Japanese. I chose the original language track for preference, and the Japanese track is indeed clear and dynamic enough for a stereo track. Full Metal Alchemist also has some stunning music, most noticeably in the opening and closing themes. The English dub is something I just spot-checked, and while the main character voices are pretty good, the same cannot be said for the voices of the incidental characters. The surround is pretty good, with a fair bit of ambience and it reflects the action well. You can watch the show with translated subtitles or signs. I did notice that for this volume the dubtitles have been dropped. Also the subtitles had a more than a few problems with stray full stops and out of place capitals, but nothing that hindered viewing.

Features

MVM once again include a small number of extra features with their anime releases. You get the usual jacket picture as well as multi angle credit sequences depending on which language you watch in.

You can see the textless opening and closing sequences, in a nice twist, they are subtitled both in English and Romanji Japanese, so you can sing along if you feel like it.

In a section called production art, you can find two slideshows, showing Models and Illustrations. The total running time is around 3 minutes.

Conclusion

It`s more of the same really, which in any other context that wouldn`t be a ringing endorsement, signifying routine and tedium. But with Full Metal Alchemist, it means more of the same blend of light and dark, more comedy, more action, more intricate plots lines, more twists, more character development, and more compelling story full stop. This show continues to impress me, even though this volume is a little more subdued in comparison to the previous discs. The episodes in this volume offer a chance to pause and reflect for the characters, yet the story continues to deepen and I was watching just as avidly to see what would develop.

The disc opens with the brothers` homecoming, the first time they had been home since their mother had died. It`s a sweet reflective episode that gives the characters a chance to rest after the recent battle with Scar. It`s an emotional story that is lightened by the presence of the Strongarm Alchemist. The preening bodybuilder certainly supplies comic relief in these episodes, and I found myself laughing out loud at his antics. It`s back to the mission at hand for the following episodes, although the action quotient is somewhat reduced with much of the next episode spent in research. New characters are introduced, including Ed`s bodyguard Lt Maria Ross who seems to have an agenda, and the scatterbrained librarian Sheska, who seems to have escaped from R.O.D The TV. But the end of the episode takes us back into darker territory as we learn the macabre truth behind the Philosopher`s Stone, and deepens this convoluted story yet further. The final two episodes pour the action back on, as Ed and Al investigate a secret laboratory, and come up against some figures remarkably similar to Al`s armoured form. There is a brilliant Indiana Jones homage, but the disc ends on a cliffhanger, one that has me gritting my teeth and mentally willing the accelerated release of volume 6. After all, you shouldn`t leave poor Al in an existential quandary for long. It`s cruel and unusual punishment.

I`m absolutely hooked on just how Full Metal Alchemist is turning out. The world is a compelling one, an alternate history where alchemical powers are commonplace. The characters are rounded and layered. There is no simple black or white here, on this disc we get to see the sympathetic side of Scar as he find a community of Ishbalan survivors. Everyone has more than one side to their personality, conspiracy and machination is the order of the day, and it is all addictive stuff. This disc is only marred by some punctuation pitfalls in the subtitles, but otherwise it`s an essential purchase for fans of this excellent series.