Summary:

With Lan Fan injured and Gluttony going after her, Ling springs into action and slices off Gluttony’s arms and head. He then grabs Lan Fan and tries to escape, but he has to deal with King Bradley first, and King Bradley has the regenerated Gluttony smack him into the nearby building. King Bradley then tries to question Ling, and when he sees Ling still thinking about escaping, he suggests leaving Lan Fan behind. Ling responds to this by declaring that a king is there for the people and that King Bradley can thus never become a true king. Lan Fan then drops a flashbang, temporarily blinding the Homunculus and giving Ling the chance to escape, but unfortunately, King Bradley is still able to see using his Ultimate Eye. Meanwhile, outside of town, Winry is with Gracia and Elicia visiting Hughes’ grave. Winry remembers how her own parents left when she was a little girl, and she realizes that she was seeing Hughes as her own father. After returning to town, Winry hears that Ed and Al are fighting again, and she starts to get worried as she makes her way towards where it’s all happening.

At that moment, Ed is exhausting himself fighting Scar, and since they haven’t gotten any signal from Ling yet, Al realizes that he has to buy some time. He thus confronts Scar about being against alchemists yet using alchemy himself, so Scar talks about how they create and he destroys. When Al brings up Nina and Tucker, Scar asserts that the chimera would never have been able to return back to normal, and she would have been treated as a laboratory animal. Ed and Al realize that there’s some truth to Scar’s words, but Ed then brings up how Scar also killed Winry’s parents, unaware that Winry had just wandered into hearing distance. Winry is shocked to hear this, and after falling to her knees, she reaches for a nearby gun and points it at Scar. Realizing that Winry is the daughter of the doctors, Scar recalls back to when his town got attacked by the military and how his brother had been studying alchemy and alkahestry. His brother had a tattooed right arm for decomposition and a tattooed left arm for reconstruction, and at the time, he was buried in his work.

The others in town had hoped that Scar’s brother’s research could lead to a power that could oppose the State Alchemists, but Scar saw alchemy as something that just led to more death and destruction. His entire family had been hit by an attack from a certain alchemist, and while his brother had protected him, Scar still lost his right arm. Then, in the immediate aftermath of the blast, his injured brother had made the decision to transfer his own right arm to Scar. Sometime later, Scar had woken up in the field hospital where Winry’s parents were working. The memories of his brother combined with the realization that he now had his brother’s right arm, plus the fact that the Rockbells both had blue eyes caused Scar to go into a rage, and he had killed the doctors. Back in the present, Scar tells Winry that she can shoot him, but if she does, he’ll treat her like an enemy. Scar also tells Ed that the chain of hatred won’t stop until one of them is dead, and he reminds everyone that it was the Amestrians who started the war.

Winry doesn’t let go of the gun, but she doesn’t shoot either, and when Ed tries to protect her, Scar is reminded of how his own brother had protected him. This combined with Al’s subsequent attack makes Scar decide to back off for now, and Al goes after him while Ed stays with Winry. She is in tears since she wasn’t able to shoot even though she knew about everything that Scar had done, and Ed thinks that it’s because she helped someone give birth back in Rush Valley. He suggests that her hands are not hands that kill people, but rather hands that let people live, and Winry can only cry in response.

Preview

Holy crap that was a good episode. It was really intense, particularly towards the end, and I was glued to the screen and on the edge of my seat. I actually came into the episode thinking that it’d be mostly Ling vs. the Homunculus, but that ended up being less than a quarter of the episode. It had, however, some very nice action shots, and I’m impressed Ling was able to stay alive versus King Bradley given how all of King Bradley’s other opponents have fared. The fact that the battle is technically still going also bodes well for next week’s episode.

The bulk of the episode was about Winry and Scar though, and it was much better than I thought it’d be. I still find it hard to excuse what Scar did, but I can at least understand now where his rage was coming from, especially since they emphasized the blue eyes so well against the black-and-white of everything else. The final scene where Winry was crying was also incredibly emotional, and I loved how LET IT OUT was the perfect ending song to go with it. It’s almost as if they had chosen that song for this specific episode. In any case, now that I think about it, we’ve had a string of really good FMA:B episodes in the past month or two, and it’s left me very excited about the series in general.

69 Comments

  1. It was a decent episode. Winry’s not a character I particularly care about, and I felt silly seeing her do something that she should be too mature to do, even if Scar did kill her parents, but it was a very emotionally draining episode. I was surprised they took so much from volume 15. I guess that will shorten the flashbacks later on.

    penguintruth
  2. Awesome episode.

    Really love how Winry’s personality is being developed in there.

    @penguintruth
    People tend NOT to act mature when faced with horrible situations or childhood trauma. However if they come out of these situations with new POV, it only strengthens them ;]

    Unknown Voice
  3. You’re sooo lucky Omni!,I wish I lived in Japan!!
    Looks to be a great episode from the looks of screen-caps, It’s a pity I can only watch this on Wednesday! 🙁 Oh well, it’s worth the wait for this one I guess.

    Siddharth
  4. @Unknown Voice

    A good point.

    I think my favorite part, though, was Scar’s story. I just hope they don’t keep cutting so much off of the volume 15 Ishbal flashback material. We already got some of it in episode 10, and now in this one. I’d like to have that all in one spot.

    If possible, the Ishbal war would make a fine full-length FMA theatrical film.

    penguintruth
  5. Now that I’ve seen this version of Scar’s story (as opposed to the manga, I’m leaving the first anime out), I think that when he saw his brother’s arm attached to him, he kind of freaked out as would a newly made quimera. Maybe he saw the Rockbells as some mad scientists researching on him. Anyway, his murder seems so much understandable now (but never acceptable, of course).

    Kaori Ayanami
  6. Ahh, this episode looks awesome. Omni, a big thanks for bringing us screens each week. You’re a lifesaver!
    @liborek, thanks a lot. *goes off the see the stream*
    @ penguintruth
    A well-animated, theatrical film about Ishbal would be pretty epic! They could also make an OAV about it, a bit like the Rurouni Kenshin Tsukiohen OAVs. It probably won’t happen, though…

    Ando
  7. wow can’t wait.. i never saw an anime that make me glued to my seat..don’t want to missed each scene.. well it would be awesome if this anime can be make into a live action movie.. but i don’t want the movie maker ruined the anime..

    miserymee
  8. This episode was great! i liked the way the music at the end fit so well! The only thing im worried about is how much ishbal flashback stuff there using here. i enjoyed reading it all at once in volume 15 and was hoping the anime would do the same.

    TakashiD
  9. I hope episodes like these will get people to stop calling this FMA2 and acknowledge this as a series on its own.

    …and Setsuna F. Seiei is the only thing I thought of when I heard Ling’s “serious voice”.

    dmo
  10. I don’t fully remember the first series completely, but I vaguely recall Scar’s brother going a bit nuts with his pseudo-tattoo/alchemy and he wanted to kill all the State Alchemists that had invaded Ishbal to which Scar was trying to stop him from doing. I don’t know which version is more faithful (if at all) to the manga, but I prefer this Brotherhood retelling as it has far more impact.

    The highlighted blue eyes sections reminded me more of the Nazi’s “superior race” ideal more than anything else.

    duh
  11. great episode captured it even better then the manga did especially in the flashback and i love the way they keep incorporating the ending theme song with the last moments of the anime. i really dont understand why people hate winry so much, because i believe shes one of the most realistic characters and is the civilian perspective of the series. Shes also one of the things that makes Ed strong, because he wont die knowing she would be sad if he did and also shes his only happy connection to his past. Yes she doesnt have some cool power and hasnt done much but cry this whole time but thats how someone would normally react to things that are happening and i feel thats shes been getting stronger as the story progresses. Every great hero in a shounen series needs someone to protect and i think winry fits the role perfectly.

    sean
    1. Not to defend the hate but I’m just completely bored by her, and wish this anime gave her the 03 series’ treatment of reducing her to a background character. She stalls the pacing every time she gets focus. And I do hate how much focus she gets in some of the OP/EDs lol… you’ll see what I mean with ED4. Just a solid few seconds of her… walking with a serious expression.

      StankyKong
  12. duh and invAZN: yeah i had that same Nazi feeling too when i saw the blue eyes.

    Also duh: the brotherhood version of Scars past that we just saw was completly accurate to the manga and the first season was not.

    TakashiD
  13. i just watched again and realised that when scar runs away by makin the hole on the wall, there is a cat sitting on the other side and its reaction to the explosion was just hilarious

    damian
  14. I love how theyve flowed into Let it Out twice now. First when Ed meets his dad at the graveyard, and now this. I swear I had chills down my spine from the tension that released into the ending theme!

    Derek
  15. This episode was just…yes. Too powerful for elaboration (well, right now, since i only just now watched it, and even then i couldn’t have the sound on and just with the visuals i nearly cried at the war scenes).

    @ darara: Seconded. THAT is going be the cause for many peed pants when it comes.

    dorcas
  16. @penguintruth and Ando

    You completely read my mind about having the Ishbal war as a OVA. The moment I read the chapters in the manga the idea of having a kenshin style movie struck me. It would be perfect as the flashbacks have a much darker and fatalistic vibe to them.

    @TakashiD

    I thought having the Scar flasbacks in this episode made more sense than their placement in the manga. As I recall scars story was included in hawkeye and knox’s recollections of the war, which didn’t quite add up considering neither encountered him.

    fathomlessblue
  17. I agree that it was a very nice episode, but personally I found the blue eyes emphasis a bit gratuitous…the links were already obvious, this is just like punching you in the face with it. I prefer a slight amount of subtlety.

    GrimmerLoch
    1. Nonsense. I liked the emphasis on the blue eyes and blonde hair as a stylistic choice. Subtle symbolism isn’t any more clever than symbolism that wears its heart on its sleeve. The former just appeals to your intellectual vanity, and I will not praise it.

      StankyKong
  18. This is one of the best eps I saw! Although there was one part that made me chuckle because of the super convenient gun lying around.

    Other than that I couldn’t complain about anything else as it was really good!

    megalith
  19. True that Omni. The story just seems to be getting better. Those people who are contributing to the collapse in TV ratings simply do not know what they’re missing if they thought this was just the same thing as the first Bones series.

    So to Artefact from Sankaku Complex who was gleefully reporting about how the collapse in the FMA:B TV ratings could possibly harm the series, you are sorely mistaken. Nothing personal, Arte, I know you’re trying to be sarcastic 99% of the time. 😉

    megalith, I too couldn’t help but lol at how convenient it was to have the gun lying just in front of Winry when she happened to need one. I know there were two dead cops besides her, but what are the chances of their guns lying RIGHT IN FRONT of her? You would have though it would be beside or behind her and she’ll have to crawl around a bit to get one.

    Kinny Riddle
  20. @Kinny Riddle

    I know.. That’s what makes that short scene so funny. Very awkward… It actually made a very unexpected feel for me. I was like seriously tuning in to the interesting scenes then suddenly that popped out of nowhere. XD

    Since bones likes to take the pleasures of changing stuffs it’s kinda of a small change I have in mind like. They could have made Winry “see the explosion” that killed the policemen. Then let’s say she checked on them(the policemen) then suddenly overheard the conversation. When she hears the truth maybe she can take the gun that came from the officer.

    Not really good at explaining scenes in my mind but what I’m trying to say is they could have depicted that short scene a bit better. 😀

    megalith
  21. Worst episode ever…The entire episode was 1 fight…and there wasn’t even a lot of action…Not much happened in a 20ish minute show. I’m sorry I expected too much from FMA but it’s starting to turn into the other anime with 100+episodes.

    I’m disappointed =(

    Pooner
  22. fathomlessblue: i agree that placing scars past here had a good affect. it made this episode much more dramatic in my opinion. although in the manga scars past was shown around the same time as hawkeye and knoks flashbacks because scar was also having a flashback at the same time.

    TakashiD
  23. @Actarus
    Really? He fought to avenge his people who were, case you happened to be too blind to see, victims of genocide at the hands of the soldiers and state alchemists. His people were butchered while the little kids of the State Alchemists and soldiers lived and prospered. And Winry’s parents “kindness” just fall as hypocritical in the sense that the little good they did, doesn’t overweight the harm done by their people.

    Cain is a Scar's fanboy
  24. @ Kaori Ayanami – Kinda goes alone with what you said.

    Men, women and children, the FMA story pretty much spells out Ishbal was a genocide. Scar just woke up from trying to run away from the blue eyed devils that killed everyone he knew. After seeing your parents murdered in front of you by those said devils, you black out as your brother’s trying to save you. Waking up from near death only to see the devils looking over you, then realizing the arm you lost has been replaced by your brother’s. I’d challenge anyone to not lose themselves under those circumstances.

    One other detail, it’s pretty easy to accuse what Scar did as unforgivable but imagine you don’t live cushy life at home in the US, but are instead living through months and years of watching people you know die and dealing with fear of yourself dieing at any moment. It completely changes your perspective.

    schwegburt
  25. Omniiiiiiiiiiii check out onemanga.com, they have a new DtB manga series which is the continuation from the anime. what about the new season??? will this manga and the anime be different? whats going on..

    mads
  26. Lovely episode, random note. Did anyone notice the cat flying out on the side of the screen when scar was trying to get away xD. i knew something was going to happen to the cat when it was placed that behind the wall.

    Deekay
  27. At this point, I find it hard to say that this is better or worse than the first anime. This was a fantastic episode, following the manga very well. In response to an earlier comment about cutting some of the Ishbal material, I think they may well make a separate episode about Roy and Hughes during the war.

    Julia
  28. #
    Julia wrote

    At this point, I find it hard to say that this is better or worse than the first anime. This was a fantastic episode, following the manga very well. In response to an earlier comment about cutting some of the Ishbal material, I think they may well make a separate episode about Roy and Hughes during the war.

    well it’s could become a good anime series if they stay to manga and no fillers in between. That’s what happened to Bleach, Naruto, and other animes that stayed too long.

    DaleGribble
  29. ok, I’m a bit late on this one, but…
    The flashback just plainly scared the crap out of me!
    And where is the cat you’re talking about? can’t find it 😛
    And Ed’s pained look makes me cry.

    Lily

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