FMA ch 79 - I knew it would happen, but not like this!
Well, *sigh* this is what's left of manga Envy. It seems to be alive, but we don't know what it is or why it is or what Arakawa was thinking. I kinda had a feeling that Envy won't live happily ever after, because, you know, bad guys do not deserve to live happily ever after, but I was still hoping for some other resulution than get rid of the darkness. (On a tottaly unrelated note, is the part "but I was still hoping...darkness" grammatical?)
As I have already said in a comment to dragontrap's post, perhaps I am also feeling sad, because I expected the common rule of "eliminate the darkness" to play out in FMA manga as well. Although I hoped very much that Arakawa would find some other solution to resolve the conflict between light and darkness (I am not saying "between humans and homunculi" because there were humans who sided homunculi out of their free will, knowing very well that other people would die). Heh, especially when < spoilers > in the battle with Envy Marko finally showed that he does have balls and destroyed Envy's stone, while being strangled by Envy's TF tongue. I don't have the translation yet, but it seems that Envy's need for attention finally destroyed him, because he seems to be taunting Marko for at least couple of pages before the latter decides to use his "force". < / spoilers >. Meaning, that without the darkness (Envy in this particular case), Marko could not display the potential and the strength that was hidden within him. Which brings up yet again the point that the dark characters usually play the role of "testers" of others. And thus, should be given the same amount of respect as the light characters.
Which brings up yet another issue: both Lust and Envy seemed to suffer a lot before their demise. Lust was burned and regenerated multiple times before her stone ran out of power, < spoilers > Envy's body is desintegrated and he seems to be trying to collect himself before he is reduced to the beforementioned thingy < / spoilers >.
Damn you Arakawa! You're such a good artist! Read my further thoughts or something, they're too complicated to be put in words.
SUPPLEMENT: For some reason I am fascinated with the panels < spoiler > where Envy crawls on the ground just before he is diminished to the fetus shape < / spoiler >. So I decided to check the 7 sins punishments. Here is what I found:
In Dante's Purgatory, the punishment for the envious is to have their eyes sewn shut with wire, because they have gained sinful pleasure from seeing others brought low.
The envious are purged by having their eyes sewn shut and wearing clothing that makes the soul indistinguishable from the ground
Check out the Biblical serpent's punishment: You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
Something cute for the thought: Envious people, those guilty of committing the deadly sin of envy, will be punished in hell by being immersed in freezing water for all eternity. It's unclear what sort of connection exists between punishing envy and enduring freezing water. Is the cold supposed to teach them why it's wrong to desire what others have? Is it supposed to chill their desires? Hmmm, seriously, why? And since when there is freezing water in Hell? :D zarephatcs, do you know why, maybe?
When the foul sore of envy corrupts the vanquished heart, the very exterior itself shows how forcibly the mind is urged by madness. For paleness seizes the complexion, the eyes are weighed down, the spirit is inflamed, while the limbs are chilled, there is frenzy in the heart, there is gnashing with the teeth."
Someone translate the chapter already!!!
As I have already said in a comment to dragontrap's post, perhaps I am also feeling sad, because I expected the common rule of "eliminate the darkness" to play out in FMA manga as well. Although I hoped very much that Arakawa would find some other solution to resolve the conflict between light and darkness (I am not saying "between humans and homunculi" because there were humans who sided homunculi out of their free will, knowing very well that other people would die). Heh, especially when < spoilers > in the battle with Envy Marko finally showed that he does have balls and destroyed Envy's stone, while being strangled by Envy's TF tongue. I don't have the translation yet, but it seems that Envy's need for attention finally destroyed him, because he seems to be taunting Marko for at least couple of pages before the latter decides to use his "force". < / spoilers >. Meaning, that without the darkness (Envy in this particular case), Marko could not display the potential and the strength that was hidden within him. Which brings up yet again the point that the dark characters usually play the role of "testers" of others. And thus, should be given the same amount of respect as the light characters.
Which brings up yet another issue: both Lust and Envy seemed to suffer a lot before their demise. Lust was burned and regenerated multiple times before her stone ran out of power, < spoilers > Envy's body is desintegrated and he seems to be trying to collect himself before he is reduced to the beforementioned thingy < / spoilers >.
Damn you Arakawa! You're such a good artist! Read my further thoughts or something, they're too complicated to be put in words.
SUPPLEMENT: For some reason I am fascinated with the panels < spoiler > where Envy crawls on the ground just before he is diminished to the fetus shape < / spoiler >. So I decided to check the 7 sins punishments. Here is what I found:
In Dante's Purgatory, the punishment for the envious is to have their eyes sewn shut with wire, because they have gained sinful pleasure from seeing others brought low.
The envious are purged by having their eyes sewn shut and wearing clothing that makes the soul indistinguishable from the ground
Check out the Biblical serpent's punishment: You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
Something cute for the thought: Envious people, those guilty of committing the deadly sin of envy, will be punished in hell by being immersed in freezing water for all eternity. It's unclear what sort of connection exists between punishing envy and enduring freezing water. Is the cold supposed to teach them why it's wrong to desire what others have? Is it supposed to chill their desires? Hmmm, seriously, why? And since when there is freezing water in Hell? :D zarephatcs, do you know why, maybe?
When the foul sore of envy corrupts the vanquished heart, the very exterior itself shows how forcibly the mind is urged by madness. For paleness seizes the complexion, the eyes are weighed down, the spirit is inflamed, while the limbs are chilled, there is frenzy in the heart, there is gnashing with the teeth."
Someone translate the chapter already!!!