(no subject)
Aug. 5th, 2009 10:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
I 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.)
no subject
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
no subject
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*
no subject
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.
no subject
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.
no subject
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.)