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Summary:
On the train ride to Lior, Ed and Al are talking about the religious leader who’s supposedly been performing miracles such as transmuting flowers from nothing. They’re going to check it out in case it’s not just some simple sleight of hand trick and is actually the Philosopher’s Stone at work. The reason they are after the Philosopher’s Stone is so that Al can get his original body back, and this all goes back to ten years ago. Back then, their mother had praised their alchemical abilities, and when she died, Ed had been determined to use alchemy to bring her back. The two brothers had thus studied human transmutation secretly and had trained their alchemy skills under a teacher until it finally came time to do it. Things started to go terribly wrong however shortly after they started: Ed lost his left leg and Al’s entire body was taken away.
When Ed regained his senses, he found himself alone in a white world with a large engraved door behind him. The white figure in front of him introduced itself as the world, god, or the truth, and as Ed got dragged through the door, the white figure promised to show him the truth. On the other side of the door, Ed entered a space where his head was filled with information to the point where he thought that it was going to break, but he also was suddenly able to understand the truth. Before he could reach the silhouette of his mother though, he was brought back in front of the white figure. Realizing that his human transmutation theory wasn’t incorrect and was simply not enough, Ed wanted another chance to reach the truth of human transmutation that had just been in front of him, but the white figure was unable to let him with the toll that Ed paid. That toll was Ed’s left leg, and the white figure reminded Ed of the rule of equivalent exchange.
Ed was then brought back to the room where the human transmutation took place, and in front of him now was a monstrosity that breathed briefly before dying. Realizing that he has to save his brother, Ed managed to affix Al’s soul to a suit of armor, and he had willingly given up his right arm to do the transmutation. Sometime afterward, four years before present time, Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye had come to look for the brothers and had found the blood stains from the failed transmutation. Mustang had located Ed and Al at Winry’s grandmother’s place, and when he confronted Ed about what happened, Al had apologized. Despite the taboo that had been committed, Mustang noted that Ed’s skills were enough to become a State Alchemist, and he presented it as a chance for the brothers to return to their original bodies.
While Mustang had been talking to Ed, Al, and Winry’s grandmother, Winry had asked Riza if she had shot people before. Riza had confirmed that she had, so Winry revealed that she hated soldiers because of how her parents were killed. She didn’t want them to take away Ed and Al either, but Riza felt that it was the brothers’ own decision to make. When Winry then asked why Riza became a soldier, Riza explained that there’s someone she has to protect. Having not shaken Riza’s hand when Riza introduced herself, Winry shakes her hand before Riza and Mustang leave. Mustang meanwhile was successful in convincing Ed to work towards becoming a State Alchemist, and Ed had sped up his rehabilitation after getting an Automail arm and leg to replace the ones he lost. He also found himself able to perform transmutations without using a transmutation circle, just like their teacher had been able to. Ed thought that Al could do this as well, but Al couldn’t and hadn’t experienced the same thing as his brother during the failed human transmutation.
King Bradley had been present during Ed’s subsequent exam to become a State Alchemist and was impressed by Ed’s ability to transmute without a circle. To prove that they should rethink how the exams are held, Ed had charged at Bradley and stopped short of killing him with his weapon. Bradley admired Ed’s guts, but he felt that Ed didn’t know the size of the world. As Bradley walked off, Ed realized that Bradley had cut apart his weapon without him even noticing that Bradley had drawn his sword. Al and Winry had stayed home during all this and were worried about Ed. Winry in particular was concerned about Ed leaving their village if he became a State Alchemist. As it turns out, Ed had indeed passed the exam, and Bradley had decreed him the Fullmetal Alchemist. Now, as their train approaches the town of Lior, Ed’s thoughts dwell on the Philosopher’s Stone that could help restore Al’s body.
Preview
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That was quite a good go-through of how Ed and Al’s past, and I believe it followed the manga pretty closely. The after-the-failed-transmutation scene in particular was very intense and emotional with Ed trying to get Al back, and I liked the brief Riza and Mustang scene that went back and forth between the two as well. In fact, I seem to be getting used to Miki Shinichirou voicing Mustang, probably because he’s a lot more forceful in his delivery this episode. I also had no complaints about the new voice actresses for Winry and Riza, but to be honest I don’t really remember what they sounded like in the first series.
The most interesting parts of the episode were the ones where things really differed from the first series. Ed’s encounter with the truth was quite creepy, and the fact that Bradley has appeared twice now in the first two episodes and has displayed a ton of power both times seems to point to him being much more important to this series. Overall I’m pretty happy with what BONES has done with the show so far. The real test might be next week which looks to be a redux of Lior, and I imagine that we’ll be seeing a lot of things that were already shown in the first series. Rosé for one looks a bit different already – her hair’s not as pink and she’s got much lighter colored skin.
I hope this series will live up to all the hype D:
Awesome!!
Rose in the manga has white skin too.
They sure did speed through that material.
I keep forgetting that Lior wasn’t in the desert in the manga. Rose will have it less rougher in this series, too. Though that also means she’ll be less relevant. I say she looks better with the tan in the first series.
They did speed through the material indeed! I’ve been waiting for this FMA for quite the while now… I really do hope it won’t disappoint.. It probably won’t.
Rumor is that Lior will be a single episode, Tucker one episode, Scar attack one episode, then who knows?
yeah!!!now waiting for eclipse to release ep 2!!
btw..i still think that this new fma not gonna follow manga story =(
Wow. Look at the pace! Still, FMA hasn’t disappointed so far so I don’t think it will disappoint me now. 🙂 I can’t wait for the next episode.
http://heysayanime.kokidokom.net
@penguintruth:
It’s not a rumor, but an official summaries.
Although the pacing might seem really quick, I think they’ve come up with a good solution for it.
Can’t wait for this, and thanks for blogging!
@lilu
Those were official? Didn’t know.
I wonder how Lior will turn out with just one episode. I guess the reveal of Ed having automail and Al being a soul attached to the armor won’t be as amazing with the reveal in the first episode.
Rosé looks much cuter this way 😀
To the guy who posts about the anime’s….the voice actor for Roy Mustang isn’t lockon and dont know where u got that from…its urahara from bleach…cant wait to see the ep
My mistake just double checked another site and it says he does both! wierd! lockon doesnt sound like urahara to me.
Cool. I can’t help but feel this is better than the first series. I find the pacing a bit better.
@rakuen
yeah, i totally agree.
i think, it’s way better to speed it up, since most of us already know the outcomes – best case scenario would be, that they even go further than the first fma animation.
if that would be the case, then it’s understandable why they kinda “rush” through he arcs.
i hoped that the roze arc wouldn’t appear but it’s ok, if they really spend only one or two episodes for her, don’t mind her being less important, since she did annoy me in the first season.
my God, Show Spoiler ▼
also, MUSIC.
Great pacing indeed. With it, maybe we’ll see those from Xing before the end of the first season.
As for Rose and the whole Lior story, it would have been strange not to show it, since the Elric brothers and also Hohenheim will come to the city later…
wow, it’s only been u[ a few minutes and already 18 comments! Definitely loving where this show is going 😀
oh, wait, no it’s not, I’m just late :))
Just once… just once, I want to see bad@$$ Salim. He was awesome in the Manga, but in the last series, he was such a bore.
Anyways, looking good, and hope to see more “Father” moments. I like how he randomly appeared in the first episode. It seemed to hint towards making the series based off the manga.
Young Hohenhiem in the op was a real eye-opener too. I hope they keep his story the same.
anyone know how many episodes FMA:B will have?
Probably 52.
To me there’s no doubt this show will follow the manga-storyline closely. With the first episode being original, it had me wondering, but as been said, it seems to have just been to introduce characters and to give glimpses of things to come (showcasing father for a split second etc)
Most telling is the opening though. Young hohenheim’s already been mentioned. Before we see him, the very first thing shown is the [Spoiler]the jeweled crest/transmutation cirle from the old Xerxes palace [/spoiler] meaning his past will most likely be just as in the manga.
Anyway enjoyed the high pace in this episode, they seem to be going cover a lot of ground quickly, and it is not unwelcome. I think BONES want to avoid making the first part too similiar to the that of the old anime while still staying true to the manga (of course, since that one started to differ considerably from manga even early on, there shouldn’t be too much of a risk there.) Next is Lior, which seems it will be one episode. If they keep it up they will probably get to Hughes’ death before episode 10.
Geh *looks at disgust at his own stupidity on spoiler tags*
I prefer the original Rose than the newer one, seriously!
@Vertigo
Might have more than 52 actually, because Bones officials have confirmed (seen an interview on ANN) that they still haven’t set the total number of episodes. I’m suspecting these will be more than 52.
It’d be nice to have a long series.
Presuming the manga will end around the 100th chapter, 52 episodes would mean an average of about 2 chapters worth of material per episode, if they plan on covering the whole manga. Given the length of the manga chapters, that would be rather hard to keep up, they might’ve been rushing through material this episode (wasn’t really 2 chapters worth though?) but who says they wont slow down a little as they progress. I think at the very least 78 episodes.
The characters designs are horrible looking.
Haha, well at long as it is around 50 give or take, I’ll be satisfied.
@Yufan-kun
Or at least they can make a movie sequel covering the last ~20 chapters.
@rakkynon
True that, and there’s the option of OAV’s as well.
At any rate, the point is that if they plan to cover everything from the manga, 52 episodes will most likely not be enough.
@jill Yeah, The character designs do look quite sloppy ¬_¬
I was a bit wary after Episode one (but the Young Hohenheim shot in the OP kept me optimistic), now I’m relieved a bit…
As long as the anime only introduction won’t carry over too much into the actual plot and they at least follow the manga more or less… I guess I’m happy with that 🙂
Despite the quick pace, this second episode barely covered a single chapter in the sense that it omitted some content (e.g. the conversation with Roy and Ed after the exam). Assuming that each episode covers 1 full chapter, it’s much more reasonable to believe that there will be around 100 episodes as opposed to 52. Also, why would Bones choose to do a movie/OAV to cover the end of the series rather than just extending the number of episodes to Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood?
Ok so judging from this second episode it appears that they will rush to cover the story until Devil’s Nest as quickly as possible, probably skipping some flashback material. This is surely a good idea for those that have either watched the first series or read the manga (the story really gets exciting starting from volume 10 imho), but I wonder how first-time viewers will perceive this.
@Red
Actually it covered about half of chapter 23 and all of 24, but like you say it also omits content. That being said, 1 chapter per episode does sound far more reasonable a pace that I believe they’ll be forced to slow down to eventually, or risk hollowing things out too much.
As for why they’d employ movies or oavs, wouldn’t it all depend on the marketing outlook? While I doubt there’d be any of lack of interest to allow them to keep airing the show for 2 years (which I suppose 100 episodes would mean) increased interest might actually convince them that making a movie would entail a commercial success, thereby greenlighting its production. But that’s just my uninformed ramblings.
@CS. Eh, Maybe with 72-79 eps max. Anymore, they’d be pushing it, really.
Actually, I’d be fine with up to around 100 eps.
Bones have already said the series would be as long as need to cover the entire manga.
I also doubt TV stations would be happy if they stopped mid-way through a season.
With that in mind, it’s safe to say the series will be between 3
…to 4 seasons, aka 80-100 eps.
Im glad they shortened the flashback stuff… didnt really care to see all that take up 2 or 3 episodes. I think I liked Rose better with darker skin.
@Highman – this is the original Rose, not the one in the first series.
at the beginning of the opening song is that edward or somebody else?
@ setsuna00
Show Spoiler ▼
Hmmm… interesting that they are actually going to make the Lior adventure again. Let see if they bring anything new to the table.
@red, thnx i can see it now
Man need to download it right now.
OMG is that ep,looks good…..
wow, the exam stay true to the manga I guess.
Tucker was like a bit of a chapter in the manga, as was Nina lol
Rose has white skin? how come in the other anime series they portrayed her as dark skinned, and Hughes is still alive. Wow they must’ve really changed a lot of things in the first story, :'( I guess it won’t be the same anymore
@gothloli
“Hughes is still alive”
not for long…
This seems alright. At least it’s a little different from the first series but I’m not really expecting too much from it, even if it is based off the manga.
After brotherhood 1, I read through whats available of the manga and now I’m definitely psyched about the series. I have to say, the manga storyline is much better than the original anime (and the original anime was pretty damn good!)
To be honest, I’m quite disappointed of how they are showing a lot of stuffs from the first season… No idea but… I hope things will be better in the following episodes.
Look, it’s a little hurried, but it has about as much of Trisha Elric as you got in the flashback in the manga – which was five pages, only two with her speaking at all. Re-read chapter 21, “The Brothers’ Secret”.
Yeah, some little bits were glossed over that would have been nice to see, but they got the important things, especially the nighmarish human transmutation part.
If you’re missing seeing them burn their house down, I have a feeling we’ll see that in another flashback.
I really got the sense that this episode was extremely faithful to the manga, and appreciated it.
I much prefer the pacing of the first series than this one (mainly because it was easier for me to follow). But my theory is that the producers are pacing through the background stuff because they expect us to have already watched the first series or have read the manga. I’m glad they are shortening the episodes that the first series already covered, like the Roze arc (don’t wanna have to see that again!). I’m hoping they show episodes that the first series did not cover.
transitioning isnt the greatest, in my opinion. there were some areas where it seemed like i was watching animated manga panels. not enough time or thought was given for the mood of each scene i think….
this was an episode of information overload. scenes rushed by without very much transition that left me thinking “uhhhh…. ok.” for example, i seriously didnt care when they told me their mom died. maybe a scene of her collapsing and talking just before she died would have set the mood better? but no, they gave her about 10 seconds of animation and killed her off. i had no sort of attachment at all for her. its like… uhm. ok. sorry ed and al.
another note: they could have made the last scene much more dramatic/supercoolawesome, but unfortunately it was merely ok.
mmm the episode wasn’t bad tho. just not good.
oh yea, and did the animation quality slip quite a bit, or was it just me?
The animation quality did slip. The character development was a bit weak with the mother and family, but I am sure they are rushing through the introduction process just to get to Ed / Al adventures. It wasn’t *good* / *great* but it was decent.
@dsede and gothloli
put a spoiler tag faggots.
A very nice rush of the flashbacks, this I like
now we just have to get over the whole Lior thing and things will start getting interesting
@ Zero: “Young Hohenhiem in the op was a real eye-opener too. I hope they keep his story the same.”
Thanks for the spoiler, as$%%h/&e
I’m eager to look for Rosé on next week because I want to know if they also changed her voice actress as they did for most of the cast on this brand-new series, or if they retained the seiyuu who previously voiced her in the first FMA series; that was Houko Kuwashima.
I absolutely adore the OP and ED
https://randomc.net/image/Fullmetal%20Alchemist/Fullmetal%20Alchemist%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2039.jpg
^Happy Ed.
https://randomc.net/image/Fullmetal%20Alchemist/Fullmetal%20Alchemist%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2022.jpg
^Sad Ed.
https://randomc.net/image/Fullmetal%20Alchemist/Fullmetal%20Alchemist%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
^Nyoro~n
lol Roses’ hair isn’t so bright no more.
…I miss GAR Roy. ;__; He’s too bishie.
wow, i really like how they started this show so far
but like you mentioned, i’m kind of concerned how they tackle the lior issue. if it’s really similar to the 1st series, i think it’s going to be kind of boring
@Everyone complaining about the ‘lack’ of changes
This is NOT the second season. This is a REBOOT of FMA. Which means, they are starting from the very beginning except they are using the source material (Manga) as reference this time. -The manga may be running towards it’s end (Envy just bit the dust in the most horrible, yet funniest way-
@ And for the FAGGOTs complaining about spoilers
FMA is a popular anime, so expect even Onmi to be spoiling things out considering, we ALL watched the first FMA, from otakus to non-otakus.
https://randomc.net/image/Fullmetal%20Alchemist/Fullmetal%20Alchemist%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
This is a great one.
I love this show!! I can’t wait to see Greed and Kimbley. >:D I’ve missed their awesomeness! Thanks for posting, Omni! 😀
That was quite an enjoyable episode. It was also quite refreshing to see all those characters back on screen. The scene where Al and Ed failed to bring their mother back to life was quite emotional and was nicely portrayed from the manga. I’m glad they decided to follow the manga closely and redo everything instead of reusing scenes from original series.
Judging from the preview, if they’re intending to follow the manga closely, although I’m not sure why they change Rose’s skin color to white, I wonder how long the anime to reach the divergent point from the first series.
Winry’s new voice is better than her old one, but it’s not like her old one hasn’t good ones like Revy in Black Lagoon.
Undecided with Riza’s. Her old one was Mao in Full Metal Panic.
Good to see they’re on track again in following the manga with this episode after the last one. Lior’s not in a desert, Rose’s skin color matches the manga one, and the chimera is a lion-based and not some whack ass bird if I remember the first series correctly.
@Jing
I wonder how long the anime to reach the divergent point from the first series.
Base on the fact that we already saw Greed in the OP, I’m guessing on 12-13 episodes. Since Greed arc was where thing diverged so much on 2 mediums. About Roze’s skin color, she was white in a manga.
It was a good episode though moving quite faster then i thought it would.. The gate moment with dat white creepy guy was good but it doesnt have da fullmetal emotion anymore T_T..Da episode mother from da former series was much more heart felt, humor filled childhood and really brought me at edge of my seat..Hope the best is yet to come..Btw can any1 MAKESURE weather dis will follow da manga story or not..
I like how they recoloured Al, now he has the same amazing hair-, and especially, eyecolour as Ed, all golden. I wasn’t very found of that other mud-moulded-green-brown colour on his eyes, even if his earlier hair was nice, at least in the sun. 😛
Anyway, I love the series, and I can’t complain about anything, simply just because it’s Fullmetal Alchemis and I’m super happy!! I wouldn’t complain even if they did a complete new filler, or just a 20-episode long musicvideo! I am so not critical, I’ve realised, just in a happy buzz, sucking in the Full metal Alchemistawesoneness…
Love and Peace
I just watched a AMV from the first series, and I realised that I like the hole new character-styling better also, it sort of pleases my eyes more..eeh…yeah…something like that.
It’s so much lighter, especially if you compare to Conquereor of Samballa. although I kinda like the little heavier design of CoS… but that’s a paradox! I like the lighter new series -and- the more serious moviestyle!! Mayby I liked the CoS-design because it was more human-Alphonse in it..hehe.
No, now I’ve watched a AMV with clips from the movie, and they all look so adult, and I like that too!! aarg!! I don’t know what I like!! I love it all!!! but the new series is a little bit better……….or….I have to see (nearly) grown-up Al and Winry to be able to deside…*sigh, I’m gonna shut up now*
I was so happy to see Truth, it’s just one of the many signs this series is serious about following the manga. And yes, the scene was CREEPY. Now children, isn’t this a far more interesting thing to be on the other side than say, Nazi Germany? *grumble* … good thing we’re not likely to see BONES get “clever” here.