skygiants

OKAY. As of last night, I have both seen episode 64 of FMA:B and read the final chapter of the manga. And one month behind the rest of the fandom, I HAVE THOUGHTS.

First of all, I just want to say: not that I ever doubted it would, but FMA has absolutely taken its place as one of my favorite complete narratives of all time. I love everything. I love everyone. I LOVE ARAKAWA THE MOST.

. . . I just wanted to make that clear.

There was only one scene that I desperately wanted in the finale and did not get: I wanted a final scene between Scar and Marcoh scene LIKE BURNING. I realize that no one else in the world is as invested in the Team Scarcoh dynamic as I am (look, I assert my right to make terrible portmanteau smush names for things that are not romantic pairings if I want to) but all the same! I mean, okay. Their relationship goes from "killing you would be too easy for you" to "WACKY WORLD-SAVING ROAD TRIP." I feel like this deserves some resolution! In my heart, they are totally taking another road trip to visit Mei sometime postcanon. It will be awesome.

Which is not to say that I did not love the Scar-Miles-Olivier scene, because I did. So very much. I do love that in the end, Scar's continued purpose came from his dynamic with another Ishvalan, and I love Arakawa maybe most for this: that the efforts our guilty and well-meaning white dudes put forth with regard to resurrecting Ishval are going to be useless without the actual Ishvalans.

(BECCA: And I am firmly convinced that, as Olivier stalks off, even Scar has a two-second flash of thinking, "I'd hit that."
GEN: We don't even have any evidence that Scar is straight!
BECCA: Like it even matters! OLIVIER ARMSTRONG TRANSCENDS SEXUAL ORIENTATION. It's the power of The Hair.

Which is to say, I'd ship it.)

Some other things I loved beyond all reason:

- Ed's MOST HILARIOUS PROPOSAL EVER. I will LOL FOREVER, oh my god. (And hugs! So many hugs! I will admit I would not have minded some more shipperbait regarding certain other couples *cough*RizaRoy*cough* but all of Kids from Resembool hugs filled me with joy, especially given that I have spent half the series chanting "JUST HUG" at the screen.)

- Ling is going to learn how to be a big brotheeeeer. (I loved especially that in the manga it was Lan Fan who asked it of him, and that it was triggered by remembering Knox. I loved that so much.) You know that when Al finally gets to Xing, Ling is going to have way too much fun annoying him and Mei by playing Overprotective Big Brother at them and Demanding To Know Al's Intentions. (It will distract him from missing Greed. WHOM I ALSO MISS but I am not thinking about that because his death was perfect and fitting but still fills me with sorrow.)

- speaking of: I love not only that Al is going to Xing, but that he's taking JERSO AND ZAMPANO. They are learning alchemy! They are figuring out how to get their bodies back! And also babysitting Al while they're at it, oh my god, I love them all so much. (Meanwhile, Darius and Heinkel get stuck babysitting Yoki for all time.)

- I would desperately like fic in which the reason that Mei is hanging out in Rush Valley in that final photo from the anime after she and Al come back from Xing is because she is TRAINING WITH IZUMI IN DUBLITH. *___* Seriously, how awesome would that be? I would also like fic in which Paninya and Mei become BFF. Alas, fandom will not provide me with either of these.

- I can't decide which version of the Havoc-and-Breda photo I love better: the one in the manga, with the physical therapy, or the one from the anime with REBECCA AND HER HAREM.

- GRUMMAN AND MRS. BRADLEY. Oh, man. In my heart, she has totally used her popularity and status as the Grieving Widow to become a politician in the aftermath of everything that went down, and Grumman has proposed to her at least three times because a.) she's hot, b.) it would be an excellent PR move, and c.) he wants to keep an eye on Baby Selim. And Mrs. Bradley smiles sweetly, flirts with him, and stomps his dreams every time, because a.) she prefers to lead the opposition, b.) she does not trust him anywhere near Baby Selim, and c.) he's not anywhere near as hot as her previous husband (though she does appreciate a man with a fine moustache.)

And okay. SPEAKING OF FACIAL HAIR. The time has come, the inevitable time, to discuss the all-important topic of the hairstyling decisions of certain cast members in the finale, and I am about to assert an Unpopular Fandom Opinion here.

To put it into context, I have to relate another conversation between myself and

genarti, as both of us found it completely impossible to avoid spoilers of THE STACHE.

GEN: But I don't actually think it's that bad! It's small and period-appropriate and kind of reminds me of my grandfather's. It's not, like, an Armstrong-stache.
BECCA: . . . what do you mean? It's TERRIBLE. It's WORSE than an Armstrong-stache!
GEN: Are you crazy? It doesn't even curl!
BECCA: IT SO DOES CURL. And it's RIDICULOUS.
GEN: It does not! It has tiny points!
BECCA: Gen, LOOK AT THIS. THAT IS CURL.
GEN: . . . Becca, I don't know how to tell you this, but that's - not the real moustache. That's a parody.
BECCA: . . .
GEN: The monocle wasn't a clue?
BECCA: I DON'T PUT MONOCLES PAST ARAKAWA OKAY.

From this, we may take two things: a.) I am the most gullible person alive and b.) by the time I saw the real moustache, I was prepared to agree, it was not actually that bad! I mean, it is a hilarious decision on the part of both Roy and the animators. I will never deny this. However, it was far from the worst hair-related decision displayed in the final episode. FAR FROM. Even leaving Falman's tiny scrub-beard aside, observe: