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Aug. 5th, 2009 10:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skygiantsI think I am approximately the last anime-watching person in the world to discover the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise? Um. (To be fair, my anime-watching credentials are still sort of low; by my count I have only seen about five all the way through.)
Anyway: I have discovered the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise! Specifically, the new series that is currently airing and which is up to I think episode 18. And I am liking it way more than I expected - not that I expected to dislike it, but I think I had sort of subconsciously associated it with Supernatural in my head as far as the "tragic brothers are focused on each other ABOVE ALL ELSE" subgenre goes. I don't say this to bash on Supernatural, it's just that that kind of intense focus on two dudes often doesn't do very much for me, however objectively awesome said dudes may be.
But as it turns out, FMA has an ensemble cast! An awesome one! I mean, not that I don't love Ed and Al, because I do, and kind of want to give Al especially giant armor-plated hugs, but I love them more because they are surrounded by people who are equally awesome.
Queen of the awesome: IZUMI. "Who are you?!?" "JUST A PASSING HOUSEWIFE!"
Yeah.
(But more seriously, how awesome is it that she completely embodies the Terrifying Hardass Teacher archetype while also being very happily married and chronically ill? I feel that is not a combination that appears very often in fiction, and it makes me really happy.)
I also really like Hawkeye and Mustang and Hughes and every confused soldier who is in over their heads (Maria Ross! <3). I am a total sucker for the plotline that follows a set of mostly decent and ordinary people who are involved in an inherently corrupt organization, and while, as I said, I love Ed and Al, I think I am even more interested in everything that's going on with the military and the overarching conspiracies. I also generally really like the tone the series strikes. I love it when you get humor and apparent lightheartedness overlaying really dark and creepy themes, and while I wasn't sure about the balance at the beginning, at this point it is really hitting the right notes for me. (I can pinpoint the exact episode which hooked me, which was the one with Nina and the dog. MAN and OW.)
I have no knowledge of the old series or the manga - I vaguely remember hearing that the original series is good but less awesome to its ladies, and has a controversial ending. (And is also very long.) I am sort of inclined to wait until the new series finishes to go back and investigate it; I am more interested in trying the manga, although I understand it is also quite long and not yet finished! If anyone has opinions here I would welcome them.
(Slightly embarrassing trufax: I have read a lot of descriptions of manga, but the only manga series I have actually read all the way through is, um, Angel Sanctuary. Which is - maybe not so much representative. Maybe.)
Anyway: I have discovered the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise! Specifically, the new series that is currently airing and which is up to I think episode 18. And I am liking it way more than I expected - not that I expected to dislike it, but I think I had sort of subconsciously associated it with Supernatural in my head as far as the "tragic brothers are focused on each other ABOVE ALL ELSE" subgenre goes. I don't say this to bash on Supernatural, it's just that that kind of intense focus on two dudes often doesn't do very much for me, however objectively awesome said dudes may be.
But as it turns out, FMA has an ensemble cast! An awesome one! I mean, not that I don't love Ed and Al, because I do, and kind of want to give Al especially giant armor-plated hugs, but I love them more because they are surrounded by people who are equally awesome.
Queen of the awesome: IZUMI. "Who are you?!?" "JUST A PASSING HOUSEWIFE!"
Yeah.
(But more seriously, how awesome is it that she completely embodies the Terrifying Hardass Teacher archetype while also being very happily married and chronically ill? I feel that is not a combination that appears very often in fiction, and it makes me really happy.)
I also really like Hawkeye and Mustang and Hughes and every confused soldier who is in over their heads (Maria Ross! <3). I am a total sucker for the plotline that follows a set of mostly decent and ordinary people who are involved in an inherently corrupt organization, and while, as I said, I love Ed and Al, I think I am even more interested in everything that's going on with the military and the overarching conspiracies. I also generally really like the tone the series strikes. I love it when you get humor and apparent lightheartedness overlaying really dark and creepy themes, and while I wasn't sure about the balance at the beginning, at this point it is really hitting the right notes for me. (I can pinpoint the exact episode which hooked me, which was the one with Nina and the dog. MAN and OW.)
I have no knowledge of the old series or the manga - I vaguely remember hearing that the original series is good but less awesome to its ladies, and has a controversial ending. (And is also very long.) I am sort of inclined to wait until the new series finishes to go back and investigate it; I am more interested in trying the manga, although I understand it is also quite long and not yet finished! If anyone has opinions here I would welcome them.
(Slightly embarrassing trufax: I have read a lot of descriptions of manga, but the only manga series I have actually read all the way through is, um, Angel Sanctuary. Which is - maybe not so much representative. Maybe.)
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Date: 2009-08-05 03:55 pm (UTC)The manga, yeah, horrendously long and still on-going. But good! At least, the first forty-something chapters, which is as far as I got, since that's all that was out when I read it years back. I didn't have the attention span to keep up with it on a monthly-or-whatever basis, heh.
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Date: 2009-08-05 04:01 pm (UTC). . . @_@ that is a lot of chapters to request from the library . . . .
I remember seeing internet rumors that it is due to end soon though! If it actually does, perhaps that will be the time when I will start it. Since a guarantee of an actual ending is kind of a nice thing to have.
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Date: 2009-08-05 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-05 06:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-05 04:06 pm (UTC)I watched the first series because a friend was working for the company that imported them and occasionally I'd hear her little voice as minor character having her purse stolen or something. It was fun to play spot-the-friend! And wound up feeling very fond of the world and characters. Al especially.
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Date: 2009-08-05 04:12 pm (UTC)From what I understand, the new series and the first series are pretty much the same in plot until the point where the first series diverges from the manga, at which point the new series turns to follow the manga storyline. Um, but I have no idea what point that is. *sheepish*
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Date: 2009-08-05 04:18 pm (UTC)I don't either, so I guess I will be surprised! I also haven't watched the first series in years, so I might not even remember.
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Date: 2009-08-05 04:21 pm (UTC)If you start watching, you should let me know what you think! I know that all the episodes they've done so far are available (legally) streaming at the Funimation website, and a bunch are on Hulu, too.
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Date: 2009-08-05 04:27 pm (UTC)Splendid! I will do that!
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Date: 2009-08-05 04:28 pm (UTC):D!
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Date: 2009-08-05 04:40 pm (UTC)Depends how I count. I know of it, and have the first season (of the old series) on DVD, but haven't watched it yet.
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Date: 2009-08-05 04:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-05 04:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-05 04:49 pm (UTC)After that all I remember is VIC. MIGNOGNA. (My first introduction to the overly-hyped wack-a-do) and how my half japanese friend was pushing for me to borrow her recently purchased DVDs and watch the show in japanese, because evidently the voice actors were better. (The series you're watching has the originals, yes? Can you confirm this claim?)
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Date: 2009-08-05 04:53 pm (UTC)All I know about VIC MIGNOGNA is that apparently he is a Voice Acting Celebrity and that he is Tamaki in the English Ouran dubs? Which weirds me out SO MUCH, because Tamaki's Japanese voice is so Tamaki for hem. (Alas, I am pretty sure I have to deny this claim! I am not positive, but I think they changed voice actors for most of the characters, though there are a few that are the same.)
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Date: 2009-08-05 05:35 pm (UTC)I love all the extra characters, they make me so happy and just the sibling relationship is wonderful.
I have a feeling the old series might be on my netflix queue along with Avatar and Gundam Wing, I'm so behind on anime.
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Date: 2009-08-05 05:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-05 05:52 pm (UTC)I saw the English dub of the original, because it was hard to find the subs in an illegitimate fashion , and I think I do prefer the subs of the new series--although, total bonus with the dub, Roy is voiced by MORI FROM OURAN. YES. Oh how voice actors get around.
All in all it makes me happy to see that you are slowly assimilating into the anime that I like.
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Date: 2009-08-05 05:59 pm (UTC)And I have met Barry the Chopper and man, talk about bizarre and fascinating characters! But awwwww, Ed. :( :( (I have to admit I crack up at his crush on Hawkeye. It is only natural of course, everyone should crush on Hawkeye!)
. . . . *cracks up* OKAY maybe I will have to see that at some point. If only to hear what his voice sounds like! Because it is KIND OF HARD TO TELL from his two lines in Ouran.
You are a very effective anime pimp, ma'am! :O
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Date: 2009-08-05 06:06 pm (UTC)(Hawkeye is twenty kinds of awesome, no lie. I think the vague canon of the original series is that she and Roy end up together in a very vague sense? I could see that, because she is so very awesome .)
Most guilty enjoyment of knowing that dub!Roy is voiced by dub!Mori: he thus has experience being involved with short blond kids THERE I SAID IT EVEN THOUGH MORI AND HONEY ARE MUCH MORE FUNCTIONAL AND I DON'T REALLY SHIP ROY/ED ALL THAT MUCH BUT I HAD TO SAY IT ANYWAY. *cough*
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Date: 2009-08-05 06:15 pm (UTC)(That is sort of the impression I get to! Also Wikipedia informs me that she gets to do Important Stuff in the manga so I am hopeful that will be the case in this series also, but I am also cool if she goes on being twenty kinds of saner than everyone else. "It's raining." OH HAWKEYE. <333 And hahahaha truth!)
*chokes* OKAY, DULY NOTED.
- is it bad that now I really just want to see a Honey vs. Ed cage match? MAD ALCHEMICAL POWERS vs. BUNNY NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS.
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Date: 2009-08-05 10:30 pm (UTC)Honey and Al would get along very well, I think. Although Honey would be very sad Al could not share any of his cake.
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Date: 2009-08-05 10:46 pm (UTC)Awww, yes, they would be total BFF! Honey would be sad that he could not share with his friend . . . but also possibly a little bit secretly happy that there was no competition for the strawberry on top of the cake? (And secretly secretly happy that Al is a giant metal machine and therefore there is also no competition for cutest.)
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Date: 2009-08-05 06:06 pm (UTC)*BEAMS* This is one of my fave series! I currently going through and re-watching it, and also picking up the manga.
OH, yes. The rest of the cast. The shades of grey, finding out [spoiler] was the one who [spoilered] [Spoiler's] [spoilers]! and so on and so forth.
WATCH THE SERIES SO WE CAN FLAIL AT EACH OTHER ABOUT THESE THINGS!
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Date: 2009-08-05 06:17 pm (UTC)Catch up with the new series! Then we can be just as caught up on that one as each other and flail about what might be coming next!
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Date: 2009-08-05 06:30 pm (UTC)(AND I KNOW. NO SORT OF THEMES OR TROPES THAT I LOVE HERE, REALLY.)
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Date: 2009-08-05 06:34 pm (UTC)(No lie, when I first started watching I was going to recommend it to you immediately, and then I checked your icons because I was like "NO WAY she has not seen this" and saw your Mustan icon and was like "HAH I KNEW IT")
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Date: 2009-08-05 06:36 pm (UTC)Oooooh. See, I've heard things about the movie at the end of the first series, and was sort of 'eh' about it. But this.... >_> More FMA goodness? That I can get behind!
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Date: 2009-08-05 06:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-05 06:14 pm (UTC)And just to celebrate, a pic:
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Date: 2009-08-05 06:18 pm (UTC). . . . *cracks up* that picture sums up so much about the show, doesn't it.
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Date: 2009-08-05 06:25 pm (UTC)Winry's name is not accidental. :-)
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Date: 2009-08-05 06:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-05 11:36 pm (UTC)That said, IZUMI. She is so so awesome. I think I'm kinda in love with the picture that you posted.
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Date: 2009-08-05 11:59 pm (UTC)I KNOW RIGHT? Izumi: made of 100% awesome, or made of 101% awesome? It is hard to tell but I am leaning towards 101%! (I understand she does not appear until halfway through the old series, and that fills me with SORROW.)