Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - 34 November 29
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Summary:
Inside of the fortress, Ed and Al are taken to the infirmary, and Ed is warned about the effects of the extreme cold with regard to his normal automail. This is in contrast to Buccaneer’s automail which was made to endure these conditions. The brothers then meet with Olivier Mira Armstrong and tell her the story behind why they’re there, though they decide to leave out the parts about King Bradley and the Homunculus. Olivier doesn’t really want them around, but she is interested in the applications of alkahestry, so she agrees to help them find May Chang. In the meantime, she puts them to work and leaves them with a subordinate named Miles who, when Ed pries, reveals that he’s got some Ishval blood in him. Despite this, Olivier had kept him around because she felt that this was not the kind of place for discrimination. Miles now assigns the brothers to remove dangerous icicles hanging from the ceiling, and while attempting to do so, the brothers run into Falman who’s got the same job. Afterward, he shows them around, taking them to the technology development area where several tanks are being worked on and also to the fortress’s lowest level. While down there, the three of them witness something emerge from the ground: the Homunculus Sloth.
Ed and Al think at first that the Homunculus is after them, but they soon realize that Sloth doesn’t even know who they are. Sloth instead has been digging underground and now isn’t sure of what to do in this unfamiliar place. With bullets not slowing him down at all, Sloth heads up an elevator to the technology development area, and everyone follows him there. News of the intruder reaches Olivier right as she is getting word that Kimblee is in the area and wants her cooperation. She first tries to stop Sloth with a rocket, and when that fails, she jumps into and commands a tank. Even tanks shells have very little effect though, and Sloth counters by punching debris in their general direction. Ed uses alchemy to protect some of the soldiers from being crushed, and he then tries to tell Olivier that Sloth can’t be killed. She in turn questions what Ed knows about all this, but he refuses to tell her anything specific about the Homunculus. What he does say is that he doesn’t want to see the people there get killed, and he guesses that Sloth has the same body structure and composition as a human. This is all Olivier needs to know to prepare a plan involving tank fuel to stop her opponent.
Preview
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The first part of the episode was a little on the slow side. I guess it can’t be helped because they’re basically introducing us to a whole new cast of characters - Miles and Olivier in particular here - who I assume are going to be here to stay for a while now that Mustang’s group is all broken up, though it’s worth mentioning that Falman did show up this episode.
The second part had a lot more action thanks to the appearance of Sloth, and thanks in part to that, it seemed to go by very quickly. I didn’t realize until my second viewing of the episode that it was only about half the length of the first part. Now Sloth isn’t quite as interesting as the other Homunculi, but I guess his attitude and slow manner fit the name quite well - Tachiki Fumihiko is a good choice of voice actor for the character too. Conversely, Olivier was a lot of fun to watch as she went from rocket launcher to tank to whatever she’s planning next. It’s just a shame the episode ended at what appeared to be the climax of the battle when I was most excited to see what happens next. I was also expecting Ed and Al to contribute more and thus help gain her trust, but maybe that’s for the conclusion of the battle next week.
skurai at 4:19 am on November 29th, 2009
They covered about 1 1/2 of chapters from the manga, they are going way too slow considering how fast they were going at the beginning, I wonder if they are actually thinking of making it 5 seasons long(65 episodes)
LeftArrow at 4:30 am on November 29th, 2009
Well they went at a super fast pace for the first half because we’ve all seen that stuff before so why not get to the good stuff. I think now they realised how fast they’ve gone and that they are catching up to the manga to fast. I assume they are in contact with the manga staff to try to figure out a time line for then the manga will end. I wonder which is slowing the anime down, the manga taking longer to end than they anticipated or them going to fast. I don’t remember where I read this but I think they waited so long to make another season because they wanted to have an actually end to a show, and of course the money.
Homuncurus! at 4:31 am on November 29th, 2009
The pace of Brotherhood is a disgusting mess, considering the fact they skip/chop-up/reduce 2-3 manga chapters into one episode at some points, then all the sudden slow down to a grinding halt. Either slow down, or speed up, don’t jump around all over the place.
The entire Sloth fight could have honestly been fitted into one episode.. specially since they had no problem doing the same shit with Lust’s final fight.
Bright side of it all: from this point forward its when the story really starts to pick up and get complex.
Stan at 4:33 am on November 29th, 2009
That has been the talk as of late, that it would be close to a 65 episode end. Really happy to see that Major General Armstrong is now in the story.
tanukichan at 4:48 am on November 29th, 2009
What’s with all of you? The pacing of this episode is great! There’s a lot of talking in this chapter of the manga, if they had made it faster, many lines or scenes would’ve been cut, then some manga freak would bitch again. And I don’t think it’s a good idea to introduce Sloth and then finish him off all in one episode.
Overall, great episode! And I hope Bones keep up this pacing of 1&1/2 chapters per episode.
Sol Fury at 4:49 am on November 29th, 2009
For someone who does not know the manga, the pacing seems fine to me. Though I can get the “slow” and “fast” comments, so I can sort of see what you mean. As a series for those who’ve not read the manga like me though it is perfectly good and watchable. All I ask is to be entertained for half hour and I certainly get that.
On topic of the episode, nice to finally see Sloth in action. I wonder what his “ultimate” ability is compared to the rest of the Homunculi.
Homuncurus! at 5:12 am on November 29th, 2009
Heh, notice that the people complaining about the pace are mainly the manga reader (like myself), this is cause looking at it from a structure point of view — meaning all the past events and the ones to come — it just doesn’t feel right.
**Bit of a spoiler**, but Sloth isn’t “finished off” in the next episode, you’ll see a lot more of him later on. His fight in Briggs, however, /could/ have been fit into one episode.
Also, that excuse of “they sped up early on because we’ve already seen it in the first anime” crap really needs to be dropped. If Brotherhood was aiming all along to retell the Fullmetal Alchemist story by the manga, one would expect them to retell the WHOLE story. The fact they did cut out a lot of stuff just because it was in the first anime just shows how much of a crappy job they did with it from the beginning. People who are watching Brotherhood for the first time and learning the FMA story for the first time too (trust me, I know a few), are just left out by all the stuff they cut. Need I go on with the crappy job they did introducing Yoki? (who?)
penguintruth at 5:21 am on November 29th, 2009
I honestly thought this was the best episode since Roy’s battle with Lust (ep 19). I was pretty impressed and couldn’t see any major flaws.
Though it was weird that it ended where it did.
I’ve been critical about how they stretched out volume 16 needlessly, but this episode does a great job of joining the end of that volume and the beginning of 17.
And it’s hard to complain with Olivier Mira Armstrong being as badass as she is.
angous at 5:24 am on November 29th, 2009
Prepare yourself.
The next episode have big revelations and answers about mysteries of FMA. Especially about Lior.
Why Arakawa started the story of FullMetal Alchemist in Lior (not in the second anime, but in the manga) ? You wiil know why in the next episode.
Also prepare yourself at the dark-shikamaru ^^!
Vlyse at 5:33 am on November 29th, 2009
I don’t usually care about music, but I wish they’d use some new pieces. Also, what a strange place to end the episode.
abe at 9:15 am on November 29th, 2009
I agree that they must have zoomed through all the other stuff because its almost like the 1st series. Now they are introducing totally new characters for those who only watch the anime. It doesnt matter because they will still catch up to the manga from going so fast and introduce the filler arcs like Naruto,Bleach,Gantz, and every other series. I think they should take tip from books turned movies. You dont see movies being made from a book series that is still ongoing( to my knowledge anyway.)Its like the Berserk thing that on hiatus. They dont want to bring a continuation because Miura is releasing it like on biannual basis. Anyway awesome introduce for the general nothing like her brother at all.
UnknownVoice at 9:34 am on November 29th, 2009
@abe
FMA manga IS ending already
They won’t catch up to it.
and no, them speeding through Ishval Flashback made no sense.
Bakodo at 10:22 am on November 29th, 2009
@Sol Fury
You know, I don’t think they ever named Sloth’s ultimate ability in the manga. I think I know what it is (not going to say, since I don’t like giving spoilers). We’ll see if they name it in the anime (considering Sloth doesn’t talk much, though, don’t count on it).
Lagunamov at 10:38 am on November 29th, 2009
Well, not every homunculus has an ‘ultimate’ named ability anyway. Only three were ever named, Ultimate Lance, Ultimate Shield and Ultimate Eye. Doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be interesting to see the other four named though
GP at 10:47 am on November 29th, 2009
While the manga is “ending”, it won’t end anytiome soon you know? It’s not like c102 is the end or something. We’ll be lucky if it ends at 105, but I’m betting for 110.
REgardless, the anime didn’t wanna take it’s time redoing and reshowing EVERYTHING that they’ve already shown in the first damn anime series. So speeding through that was just fine and I thank them for it. I follow the manga and while some of the newer parts are over quick, when it’s something emportant they slow down and give it the time it needs. I for one don’t complain about the pace.
And since the manga won’t end for 5 or 6 months at best, they’ll slow down the pace even more unless they wanna do fillers, but I doubt that.
Kethy-chan at 11:00 am on November 29th, 2009
I haven’t watched the episode yet, but this is all I gotta say: manga-readers, STOP complaining! As a manga-reader myself, I think it’s just right to remember that this is an ADAPTATION of the manga… a SECOND adaptation at that, and not a COPY/PASTE show. In the manga, there were times when I was bored to death with all the fancy details and everything, and FMA Brotherhood is doing a good job at keeping most people interested. I can bet that most non-readers have no complaints whatsoever about what is “missing” because that part is of no extraordinary consequence to the rest of the story.
*sigh*
Now I gotta wait until tomorrow for the subs… (lol)
damian at 11:13 am on November 29th, 2009
I think this is the first episode that followed the manga (nearly) panel by panel; I liked it.
I do wish there were some new music pieces.
UnknownVoice at 1:00 pm on November 29th, 2009
@Kethy-chan
Oh enough of this bullshit.
we already had incomplete, imperfect, impure, shitty version of fma few years ago.
“we are artsy while adapting” excuse does NOT cover cuttin gout huge chunks of great storyline .
blinx01 at 1:04 pm on November 29th, 2009
@ skurai
The show has already been confirmed to be 63 eps in length by FUNimation who got the info directly from BONES.
ewok at 1:13 pm on November 29th, 2009
Olivier with Panzerschreck FTW!