So, fun fact: this chapter was the final one that was adapted for the original 2003 anime series. I mean, granted there had already been significant diversions from the plot before this point, but after this, it strikes out completely on its own.
After all this trouble spent getting Al’s memories back, it mildly frustrates me that basically nothing comes of it (except that he can now perform alchemy by clapping his hands, same as Ed and Izumi, though as he disappears from the story for a while, we won’t get to see him do it for another hundred pages).
Love that “missing person” poster at the bottom of page 44. And the Hawkeye/Barry interactions amuse me too.
Fun fact: This chapter had a bunch of panels retouched in the English translation by Viz - specifically, the stone crucifix that Greed is changed to was modified to just be an irregularly-shaped slab with holes in it for the chains to pass through, because of course we couldn’t possibly be having non-heroic characters get the Messianic archetype treatment… even though the original text literally had two of them.
And here we have another mention of 人柱. Anyone been keeping notes on that plot thread?
I’ve read this so many times in English, but today I learnt for the first time that Selim Bradley calls King Bradley “foster father” or “stepfather” right off the bat. Viz just rendered it as “father”.
I’m terrible with keeping up with the plot and also have a memory of a goldfish
More on ch. 31
After this chapter I thought that 人柱 referred to a sacrifice of something from himself for someone else. But after that I’ve read a bit about human pillars - as a human sacrifice of premature burial before the construction of buildings and I’m thinking it it could be something more? Like for constructing something
Oops, forgot to follow the new thread. Catching up with chapter 31 today.
On Chapter 31 (beginning)
Nice to see the other characters (from Roy’s side) catching up on what’s going on. I sure feel like the pace is picking up since the Greed/King Bradley reveal chapters.
Time for some more of the Fullmetal Alchemist in the Fullmetal Alchemist show!
And so we venture into the next arc of FMA, and the next level of worldbuilding, with the introduction of the nation of Xing. Heavily China-coded, naturally. Cos it’s in the east, you see? Plus a passing mention of the ruins of Xerxes in between. In our world, Xerxes I was the king of Persia from 486 BC until 465 BC, and (fun fact) Amestris was the name of his wife. Viz’s English translation elected to render クセルクセス as “Cselkcess” instead, probably because it never ocurred to them that Japanese renders X-sounds as クス.
We also meet the Xingese art of 錬丹術, in contrast to Amestrian 錬金術. In the original Japanese, 錬丹術 refers to the art of making elixirs in traditional Chinese medicine - Viz translated this as “Alkahestry”, after alkahest, the “universal solvent” in Rennaisance alchemisty (though in this volume they call it “rendanshu” instead… perhaps that’s the Chinese reading).
I love that sign on the bin on page 112 saying “don’t throw automail here”.
Yah, they did the same in Flying Witch, when the main characters were transported to Norway - when locals speak to Makoto in English, it appears in English, but when they’re speaking in Norwegian, it’s in Japanese written horizontally.
As the title mentions, this 特別編 is basically just advertising for the 2003 PS2 game 鋼の錬金術師 翔べない天使 (released in English in 2005 as “Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel”), so you’ll find it’s completely disconnected from the story we’ve been reading so far. And also not a complete story in its own right either. But, well, it’s still reading practice.
