Starting off with an explanation…being sick is making what’s just the third post appearing on the day the fifth one should. But since this is me, people shouldn’t be surprised. I got sick last Christmas too. So I’ll just double up where I can to make up for it instead and will hopefully get back on track by Christmas.

Since I added it to the list I’ve been trying to figure out what the heck I’d even write about it. It doesn’t strike me in any “squee”/fangirl way. It’s a lot on the same level as the last one where something about it was just that good. So for this moment, I’ll go ahead with episode 22 of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. The ending of it. Because it was just that good.

Yeah. Just that good.

I never talk about this series except for a few random little mentions that I am in fact watching it at all. So a little bit of general knowledge on where I stand with the series as a whole. I actually wasn’t that fond of the first series unlike a lot of others. It was okay, but the whole thing beyond a certain point felt kind of just…bizarre. It turns out this where they had to go to the intentionally different anime original stuff because the manga wasn’t finished and the manga-ka wanted it to be very different.

So unlike others who raved about the first series without reading the manga I was someone who just went, “huh” and moved on. But when this second one came around I decided to watch it. I believe I ran through the whole manga shortly before or right after it started airing, because apparently I have the tendency to do that with any shounen/action that I see as the slightest bit good. I did the same with Fairy Tail too recently.

Now with the series as a whole I’m part of that group which enjoys any scenes of the regular military characters over the Elric Brothers and any other alchemists that aren’t also regular military I’d say. Oh, plus Ling’s gang who are really neither.

Basically it goes Badass > Science. There’s some alchemists in the regular badass side, but they don’t go around explaining how their alchemy works or anything, they have one technique and they kick ass with it and that’s enough.

The whole point of that explanation is that the memorable moment for me here happens on our main character’s side of the story with Winry who also isn’t really a character I pay much attention to (not military/badass = boring).  Also of note is that I don’t even ship these two despite figuring that the two will get together and how that makes sense. It’s just one of those random personal preferences I don’t even understand myself. Odd that in the past she’s exactly the sort of character I would have enjoyed but I guess out of sight, out of mind.

So I have no prior favoritism or anything else coming into play here. It’s not like other moments that make me cry (oh yes, it made me tear up) where something good/bad is happening to a favorite character. The anime isn’t shocking me because I already knew about this from the manga. I can’t relate to it on a personal level because…well my parents are all fine and stuff.

It was just done very well. Mainly with the music. They have dramatic music highlighting the atmosphere the whole time until Ed blocks Winry from Scar’s path at which point it goes silent which itself highlights the shock factor for Scar. Then it stays silent instead of bringing out something that manipulates you into feeling whatever they want you to feel and instead that’s carried with good writing (for the lines) and good acting. Until they bring out the end music which is just…perfect for the circumstances. Then it just continues straight into the credits and the episode ends.

Though there’s really no point in explaining it, if you haven’t seen it you won’t get it. But I think if you have seen it you will. It’s one of those scenes.

It’s just an important event in the character development for a few characters, probably a key event (Scar heads down the path to becoming an ally, Winry and Ed have their relationship progress). Now taking an event like this and doing it well it very important!

It’s also a powerful scene purely because the one main character who seems to have a pretty carefree life is getting thrown into her own traumatic life experiences too. No one is safe in this series! Except because she didn’t choose that sort of life, she still manages to get away from it in the end which is nice and all. It reminds me of thoughts I had on another recent series. And this is sort of similar. It’s more important for Winry to be safe and living freely because that’s what the main characters want. Or something. (Bleh, I can’t even think about what I’m trying to say because of being sick, but hopefully you’re getting it).

All in all, I respect good character-development over all of the good action and dramatic reveals this show gives us on a pretty regular basis. I guess in stereotypical girl fashion I just prefer the emotion over the action.

Anyway, like I said. It’s just good. And I appreciate a good crying scene so that’s all there is to it.

In: Articles | tags: T_T. | #