FMA: BH ep 2 - The First Day

[lettered]

This ep was mostly flashback, with Ed and Al on the train to Liore, where they think they might find the Philosopher's Stone. We watched with subtitles, which is actually available on Netflix--I didn't know they had that option. The Japanese voice actors are so much better, although the subtitles are a light green color that is very hard to see over many other colors. kate_nepveu found some more on YouTube, so maybe I'll try watching those next, though they apparently haven't subbed all of them. I'll look around and try to figure it out! (Thanks!)

On the whole this episode was more sense-making and enjoyable. It felt more like a first episode, and while I didn't feel overwhelmed with want to watch feelings, it presented two young boys with parental issues and one girl who builds armor, and that's pretty much a great set-up for me. That said, it's unclear whether Winry will be around later, seeing as how she appears stuck at home with Granny. She had a bit of the whiny-sister archetype going on for most of the episode, with which I was perfectly okay. I was a whiny sister of two older brothers. I wanted to be included all the time, and more importantly, in the anime I've experienced whiny!sisters still get to be badasses. I just loved that she was a mechanic!

Speaking of mechanics, though, it was unclear where Edward got the armor to which he bound Alphonse's soul. Was it just sitting there? I didn't see it there to begin with. Other than that, the backstory about them performing human alchemy, why they did it, and what happened was pretty darn cool. And sad. And scary. And icky. Scary and icky in the good ways, though. I hate jump-out surprises but love being creeped out; I hate icky for the sake of icky but love it when there's thematic and conceptual reasons to bring in things that are really viscerally disturbing.

At first I thought that it was Alphonse talking to the world/universe/everyone/no one/himself. I guess I got confused; I have to remember that the pointy-hair one is Edward in the flashbacks. Anyway, apparently this gave Edward Super Alchemy Powers. Him losing his leg and arm was all really hardcore, and him crying for Alphonse was pretty intense. I hope there's a lot of I-did-this-to-my-brother guilt and protection!urges to build on this, because right now I want to have feelings about it, but I'm not really invested enough in the story yet.

So, they brought back/created a Thing that was not their mom. Granny said she even saw it. I'm confused about whether it's dead. What if it comes back later? What if it's Sexy Villain Lady from the end of the first ep and the credits, and they have to fight their mom? That would be the best. Fighting your mom sucks.

And then Mustang visited the Elrics and told Edward he could be a state alchemist. This was four years ago, and Ed and Al were 11. This makes them 15? I had assumed Roy and Riza were like only five years older, but they appeared to be adults in this flashback from four years ago, so maybe they're more like mid-twenties? And Cool Soldier Girl is Riza! She didn't do anything particularly cool this ep, but I did think it was interesting the way they cross-cut her saying becoming a state alchemist was completely a matter of choice, against Roy who was pretty much saying that if you don't become a state alchemist you're a wimp. Do they have differing view points? Did Riza feel bullied into become a soldier person? (And is she an alchemist?) Or maybe Roy did and Riza felt like it should have been a choice? And who does she have to protect? I remain intrigued, mostly because she's kind of a badass who wears her earrings to work.

Then Edward auditioned (or whatever) to be an alchemist, and we saw more of Fuhrer Bradley's badassitude with his invisible-sword that cuts metal. Bradley is also weirdly lacking in pretense so far; I mean, he'll cut you and you won't even see it coming, but he'll totally act like he wants to have a beer with you and shoot darts too. I remain suspicious, because Fuhrer. Also, King Fuhrer! What does that even mean?

No sign of Crimson Alchemist, Sexy Scary Lady, Gluttony, 'Stache Strongarm Man, or Major Hayes/Hayne and his adorable three-year-old daughter. I'm more on board than I was last ep, but I'm still in the, "Let's wait and see where this goes!" camp.

Thanks everyone for your replies to the last post!

Comments

[kate_nepveu]

I am interested to hear that this works better as a first episode! And glad.

The manga makes it clear that the armor was just lying around.

The character designs are a little softer/younger this time around, which I am not a fan of.

Do you consider answering questions about name confusion (not unknown names, but heard and unclear) spoilers?

Also, would it interest you if I kept a to-unlock-later entry on my journal or a text file or something responding to some of your spoiler questions, with reference to different adaptation choices, for you to read when you're done? If I were you I might be curious whether any variant took some of the options you're speculating about. But if that would be weird and stalker-ish or otherwise undesirable I will refrain.

[likeadeuce]

Does this episode have the scene of Riza and Winry talking to each other while the guys are in the other room? That bit (which comes much later in the manga) was one of the things that really won me over. I'm not even sure if it counts as a Bechdel pass scene because probably, technically, they are really talking about Roy & Ed. But it's so much in the spirit of the Bechdel test -- making sure the women have an independent relationship and their own motives and perspectives.

And Cool Soldier Girl is Riza! She didn't do anything particularly cool this ep, but I did think it was interesting the way they cross-cut her saying becoming a state alchemist was completely a matter of choice, against Roy who was pretty much saying that if you don't become a state alchemist you're a wimp. Do they have differing view points? Did Riza feel bullied into become a soldier person? (And is she an alchemist?) Or maybe Roy did and Riza felt like it should have been a choice? And who does she have to protect? I remain intrigued, mostly because she's kind of a badass who wears her earrings to work.

These are all great questions to ask about Riza and Roy. And nice note re: the earrings -- I may have constructed way too many clothing-and-fashion- related theories about the characters based on a tiny amount of canon, but keep an eye on her.