FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST's almost like a horrifyingly real version of HARRY POTTER. This is what would really happen if you let kids dabble in primordial magics far beyond their understanding - - they'd go on and transgress on some terrible taboo that anybody older would have the horse sense not to touch, and they'd up blowing themselves up. Think about it - - how different is it really for Edward to lose his limbs this than for him to lose some fingers playing with fireworks? Rendering grown-up subjects in a childish style seems to be this show's M.O. If you stop and think about it, it's actually quite unnerving to see this kind of Kabbalistic morality play - - with children trying to cheat death, tap into forbidden knowledge and beg to elemental forces for forgiveness- - rendered with big eyed characters and slapstick pratfalls. It's almost like, I don't know, DUCK TALES doing FAUST.
I suspect the implied (or, at least, unsaid) reason for Edward being such an advanced alchemist is that he basically fell into all the knowledge of the universe. He probably doesn't even understand it himself, yet. And, like every precious kid, he's a big brat. Sheesh... that granny's giving him free dinner and he's giving her lip in return? TSK TSK....
Man... that whole scene in the void was a little trippy and more than a little unnerving. I like the design of that entity he encounters - - being rendered only in its shadows - - but that's imagery right out of a nightmare. I get the sinking feeling that that's only going to be the start of the darker patches in this show. Most of you have said as such, anyway. You've also said similar things about GURREN LAGANN. Does every long-form show start off fun and sun only to get progressively heavier and more philisophcal?
“Fullmetal, huh? I like it. It sounds menacing.”
I loved that line. I'm still convinced that the creator of the manga must've been a FULL METAL JACKET fan and this title just came out of him riffing some ideas with friends during a sake session. “How about a Full Metal.... alchemist?! Ha ha ha!”
Watch this episode "The First Day" here and below, and read my comments on the previous episode here.
One of the dark aspects is the idea of kids going through such an ordeal (if such a general term is usable in their case). Yet, who wouldn't then want to have access to restricted information to regain what they lost? Even if it meant being exactly that, a dog of the military.
Ed and Al are still just kids but they go through more than many others and still sometimes come out with a smile. The scene of the other realm is different here in Brotherhood than in the original FMA. It was a little darker but just as perplexing. And in FMA Ed didn't "gain" or "see" the knowledge of the world. Ed's automail in FMA was specially made for him to use alchemy without a transmutation circle.
This ep really went back and forth with happy and sad moments.
FMA peaked my interest in alchemy and I've learned a little in class and done some research. Alchemy later turned into chemistry but I find the original alchemy basis very interesting, even if it is vastly complicated and nigh impossible to conduct.
Your description of ducktales doing faust is actually a good description for a lot of anime, and one of the reasons many of us like it and why it doesn't get mainstream acceptance. At first look people see ducktales and judge it accordingly. Then if they watch more of it they get to..wait kids shouldn't watch this...but its drawn for kids. Of course in Japan adults like this drawing style just as much as kids (and I think the Japanese don't shelter their kids as much as we do).
Really I was suprized you chose this one but looking forward to your take on it. I love it dearly much more so than the first one.