さようなら，ハガレン: Thoughts on FMA 108
Earlier this week, a few pages from the final chapter of FMA were leaked on the Internet. Even though I told myself that I'd wait for a scanlation of the entire chapter to come out, curiosity got the better of me and I ended up spoiling myself. But then, I'm not as averse to spoilers as other people are, so I didn't mind.
Finally, the scanlation came out yesterday. Here's my 520 cenz on the final chapter, with a few insights on FMA as a whole. Sorry, I think that this is going to be very long. Of course, be mindful of spoilers!
- It was sad to see Greed go. As with most of the FMA characters, he was interesting, but I was ambivalent about him. I thought, "Wow, he's a jerk and yet, even though he might not be aware of it, he's actually a nice guy." In fact, he reminded me of Reggie Mantle, heehee. But ever since the big revelation in Chapter 107 about how all he ever wanted was to have friends, he became totally endearing to me. I wished he didn't have to go, but I guess that there's no way that he and Ling can exist in the same body. It would've been better if he could transfer his soul to another container - I mean, if Selim could live on, why couldn't he? But I suppose that Greed's sacrifice established that, despite Greed's rough manner of talking, he is someone who cares about his comrades. How ironic, and yet, how beautiful it is that the one who's supposed to be the personification of Greed turned out to make a very unselfish sacrifice. I'll miss you, Greed! If I could rewrite the ending, I'd somehow make you work as a bouncer at Madam Christmas's bar, but oh well...
- Before this chapter, I thought that Hohenheim was going to sacrifice himself for Al's sake, but Arakawa didn't take the predictable path. Ed's solution was something I hadn't foreseen, and I think that it was ingenious and sensible.
- When Hohenheim said something about hardly being a father to his sons, I was hoping that he'd live for a few more years before dying. I wanted him to have some father-son moments with Ed and Al, which is why at first I thought it was a bit selfish of him to want to die immediately. But then, my friend said that the brief moments Hohenheim, Ed and Al spent together as father and sons were already enough because: 1) Ed and Al were already grown up, 2) as with many of the characters, they don't seem like the type to show love and affection so conspicuously and 3) Ed and Al move around a lot, so they wouldn't have much time to spend together anyway.
- Aww, Sig is such a big softie like Alex! That probably bone-crushing hug just screamed "Alex Armstrong" to me; it was so cute.
- Hahaha, now I know that Riza wears a sports bra. It makes sense; I imagine she'd want to conceal as much of her tattoo as possible.
- I like how Kimbley's words came to haunt Roy once more, but what's good is that instead of affecting Roy negatively, those words actually inspired him to move forward.
- Yes! Team Mustang is going to be back in action! I guess they all got together again, but what about Falman? In the epilogue, he was still wearing a Briggs coat. Perhaps he's helping Roy from a distance?
- Ling seems to have picked up Greed's brusque manner of speaking.
- I sniffled when Ranfan held Fu's hand and said, "Grandfather, let's go home." Also, I wish we could've seen Olivier mourning Buccaneer in her own way (i.e. without tears but definitely with a few meaningful words), because I'm sure that despite what she said about how it was unnecessary to mourn for him, she must have still tried to pay her respects to her fallen comrade.
- I just entertained the crazy thought of Scar and Miles forming a beautiful bromance. XD
- Call me crazy, but the scene with Scar, Miles and Olivier made me support the "Miles and Olivier are secretly married" theory even more. Why, you ask? Well, Miles is going to Ishbal to prevent the Ishbalan culture and tradition from dying out, and considering that Miles seems to be so devoted to his work, I imagine that it must be difficult to find a wife who'd put up with a man like that (who moves around ever so often and who, I imagine, must have hardly gone home while in Briggs). And considering that Olivier is just as devoted to her work, and is neither the romantic type nor one who'd complain about a husband being away all the time... yeah, connect the dots. But then, that's just me. I'm probably just desperate for romantic hints.
- Oh, Miles, you are a source of many a good quote. First, there was the bit about being a "pebble in the pond" (that was chapter sixty-something), and now there's "The death of a culture is the death of a people," which I really like because there is some truth to that.
- Nina was brought up! Talk about things coming full circle. I like how Ed and Al never forgot about how they were unable to save Nina. Nina was a tragic case - while her death was senseless, I just couldn't see her going on living, as she would not be able to live a blissful, dignified life. But I never imagined that that incident would be brought up again, even though it disturbed and saddened me so. I'm glad that Nina didn't remain a mere painful memory but became a source of determination for Ed and Al. Perhaps I should write a fanfic in which Ed and Al remember Nina.
- The warm Ed/Al/Winry hug scene made me tear up. Hooray for Ed keeping his promise that the next time Winry would cry, she'd be crying tears of joy! I think that this scene will be even more tear-jerking and heartwarming in the anime when we'll hear the characters speaking with soft music playing in the background. D'aww!
- A crack pairing that my friend and me thought of: Grumman/Mrs. Bradley! XD I can see it now: "Riza, meet your new grandma!" So, what will that make Selim... Riza's half-uncle? I kid, I kid. Seriously speaking, it must have been painful to Mrs. Bradley to learn the truth about her husband and son. I feel so sorry for her for losing her family (in more ways than one) in an instant. If anything, though, it's a relief that both King and Selim thought highly of her. Also, about Grumman, I'm relieved that he turned out to have good intentions after all. I remembered this scene in which Miles perceived Grumman to be a cunning, manipulative bastard but thank goodness that this isn't the case. Oh, and I wonder if Riza knows that Grumman is her grandfather...
- Another "d'aww!" moment: little, innocent, puppy-eyed Selim is so cute! I wonder if, being a homunculus, he'll have a longer lifespan than normal humans. And I wonder if he will grow old. I like to think that he'll idolize Ed and/or Al (just as he claimed to do before) and become an alchemist to help people. That is, if his memories don't return. I hope they don't; otherwise, the consequences will be dire (and I imagine that having to kill him will be painful for Mrs. Bradley).
- Oh! I was just reminded of someone on fm_alchemist speculating on Selim. That person wondered if Selim's continued existence meant that Arakawa-sensei is open to a sequel (i.e. if Selim gains his memories back and wreaks havoc agan). As entertaining as that would sound, I don't believe that that's the case. If Selim ever did that, then the sequel would be rather redundant - kind of like those cheap sequels in which things happen the way they did in the original, only with different characters and shittier storytelling. That might just cheapen FMA, so a sequel is a "no, thank you" for me. (Side stories would be okay, though.)
- Grumman wondered if humans and homunculi could co-exist. We already saw that Greed is a nice guy, which implies that homunculi aren't naturally born with the tendency to do evil. But I'm not quite sure, so I'll just tentatively say that yes, given that Greed wasn't evil and that Selim is now an innocent boy, perhaps humans and homunculi can co-exist, given the right upbringing.
- Oh, Ed, that proposal would've sounded so lame if it were anyone else, but I thought that that proposal was so awkward that it was cute! It's so like Ed to propose in a very technical - I daresay alchemical - fashion. XD He's such a dork; it's amusing. I really like how Arakawa-sensei handles romance; she shows more than she tells. And when characters acknowledge their love for each other, like in Ed and Winry's case, they don't do so in a conventional, trite fashion; they do so in a way that's unique to them (in Ed's case, trying to apply equivalent exchange to romance). Nice one, Arakawa-sensei!
- Speaking of romance, there's one pairing that seems to have been neglected: Royai. Admittedly, at first I was disappointed by the lack of Royai, but I realized that subtle, simple and inconspicuous is precisely Roy and Riza's style. They don't need confirmation because the hints are already so strong that other people (yes, even the characters) can sense that there's something going on. Note that by "something going on," I don't necessarily mean that they're hugging and kissing and having sex - as sweet and sexy as that might sound, I think that they're the type of people who love each other so strongly that even without physical gestures of intimacy, they can still kindle a romance. They demonstrate their love simply by being at each other's side and showing extraordinary loyalty to each other; that's how strong their bond is. Besides, Roy and Riza are both self-sacrificing; I can definitely see them putting everything else before their own happiness and capturing fleeting moments by making the most of their time together (even if their time spent together consists of doing paperwork and performing duties, and not dating). That, for me, is a unique but very sweet romance, and if I had someone like Roy, I'd be very happy. I really like Roy and Riza's love and I wish them the best. Even if, on surface level, it may seem that Arakawa-sensei suddenly forgot about Royai, I now get the feeling that Arakawa-sensei's trying to tell the fans, "With all the moments Roy and Riza shared together, do they still need a scene that will blatantly confirm their love?" Besides, for all we know, that picture in the epilogue might be Roy proposing to Riza. XD
- It looks like Black Hayate had puppies. But with who? Den (who is much older than Hayate)? In my mind, Black Hayate is Roy and Riza's "son," so now that Hayate has puppies, they're "grandparents" now! XD Maybe they gave one of Hayate's puppies to Fuery, since Fuery likes dogs. Ooh, and maybe Breda might get over his fear of dogs because of the cuteness of Hayate's puppies! Okay, I'm getting carried away again.
- ALEX, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THAT PICTURE? Are you committing an act of indecent exposure?
- Nice to see that the chimeras, while still wanting to get their bodies back, seem to be happy with the way they are right now. I hope that they were able to at least visit their families because, if their families really loved them, I'm sure that they would be happy to see them (the chimeras) alive (even if they were chimeras). It looks like Darius, Heinkel and Yoki joined a circus. That sounds a bit demeaning because that'd mean that they'd probably be treated like freakshow objects, but hey, if the chimeras themselves thought of joining / forming a circus, enjoy making kids happy and aren't treated demeaningly by the audience, then I suppose that that's okay. But really, I imagined the chimeras and Greed hanging out at Madam Christmas's newly reopened bar and acting as bouncers / bodyguards for the girls (and maybe some of them might even start dating Madam Christmas's girls, heehee).
- Please excuse me for what you're about to read, as I'm going to get philosophical again. A big disclaimer: I have only taken two semesters of Philosophy and am not a Philo major, so I do not claim to be knowledgeable. Feel free to correct me if you see anything worth picking on. And feel free to contribute your own 520 cenz because discussion is stimulating.
Ahem. Anyway, Truth said something along the lines of, "I am the universe. I am 'truth.' I am 'God.'" From what I understand, this is the "all" in "One is all; all is one," some kind of collective consciousness. I'd like to relate this to what I learned about aletheia (literally "unconcealing") - in other words, truth. We as humans are limited beings, and so we can never fully see the truth (which has led to the thinking that "truth is only a matter of perspective"). Because it is that which is too vast to comprehend, truth in her unconcealed form is something beyond our reach. Allow me to use some non-FMA examples. Think about it. We try to make sense of the world using metaphors, analogies and empirical - often personal - experiences as bases. Even if meta-narratives such as religion and science have attempted to come up with overarching explanations, they have so far failed to account for every single occurrence or existence in the universe, which again brings me back to my point: we can never see truth in its entirety.
And I think this is why Truth punishes those who dare to see what they aren't meant to see (e.g. taking Roy's vision, Ed's limbs and Al's body). This is how I understood "Truth gives one a sense of proper despair so that he/she doesn't become conceited" to mean. There is a certain sense of despair in the fact that one can never see Truth entirely unconcealed, and yet, this despair keeps one grounded and true to one's nature as a human being, because humans are pilgrims-on-the-road, works in progress that are constantly seeking meaning / searching for the Truth. This is paradoxical, but the way I see it is that humans, despite the fact that they can never see Truth in its true form (pardon the pun), make their lives more meaningful by searching for it. But still, this is not the only purpose for the existence of humans. Along their journey through life, human lives are made more meaningful not only by the quest for meaning / truth, but also - or more importantly, even - by forming relationships with fellowmen.
Thus, when Ed answered something along the lines of not needing alchemy anymore, and how being unable to practice alchemy was not degrading (for he was just an ordinary person), he beat Truth in that he realized that he displayed extraordinary humility: in the face of Truth, in the face of that opportunity to know more than he should've known, he chose not to take the easy way out. Ed showed that he would rather be an ordinary human - but is that so bad? Not for him. And, based on what we've seen of the other FMA characters, not at all. Sure, humans are ignorant, always in the dark about something. Heck, in the end, Ed and Al still did not have sufficient knowledge about alkahestry. But isn't that what makes human life so purpose-driven and meaningful? Roy said, "If we don't chase pipe dreams, we cease to evolve" and Ed said something along the lines of how humans are ultimately stronger than homunculi because despite being battered, broken and confused a lot, humans have the ability to show resilience in the face of crises. And so, despite the fact that one day, humans will die, their existence will not be rendered moot and meaningless, as opposed to Father whose complacent, seemingly self-sufficient existence (I say "seemingly" for, despite his implying - or saying? - that he did not need family, he still needed people to do his bidding, hence the homunculi) was a dead end. Compare Ed and Al trying to get their bodies back (and now trying to help other people) and Roy, Riza (et al) atoning by giving Ishbalans their much-deserved place in society with Father, who just wanted to live forever. Say one day, our beloved protagonists died. They'd still have left a legacy and therefore lived on. But what would Father achieve with his plan? Yes, he would be immortal, but for what? Years later, he'd just get bored and do the same old shtick to live even longer. This just shows that, as my Philo prof put it, there is redundancy in immortality.
And this is what I find so beautiful about FMA. I'm so glad that two semesters of Philo made me love FMA even more and see how rich it is in meaning. Roy said in the last episode of the first anime, "The world isn't perfect, but that's why it's beautiful." He put it so wonderfully. If I'm not mistaken, Arakawa-sensei said in an interview that the ending would violate equivalent exchange. The way I see it, I guess there is some truth to that. Yes, most of the characters technically got a happy ending - they lived, they were with their friends, they were happy and resolute at all. But think about it: the chimeras are still chimeras, neither Roy nor Olivia became Fuhrer, and there is still so much to be done for the sake of a better Amestris. Despite striving hard, not everyone got what they wanted. But this reflects what Roy said about the world, as well as some of FMA's themes, namely hope and persistence: one just has to keep trying. The characters got a certain degree of closure, but that closure didn't feel permanent but open-ended.
At first, this made me feel shortchanged, as I felt that the ending could be better, and that some things did not come full circle (e.g. I thought that the 520-cenz promise would be significant, but it was hardly brought up. Also, as a Royai fan, I thought that Roy and Grumman's conversation about marrying the latter's granddaughter [Riza] would mean that Riza would become Roy's first lady). But I suppose that ultimately, this is the best. Regarding the foreshadowings that did not get a resolution, I don't think that Arakawa-sensei forgot about them; rather, I think that this is her way of showing the imperfection of the world.
In the end, I guess Arakawa wanted to stay true to her take on the human condition. Thinking about it, I'm happy about the ending; it's definitely better and more beautiful and sensible than a "babies ever after" ending where everyone is paired with someone and has kids named after significant people in the protagonists' lives (*cough cough Harry Potter epilogue - no offense but I really didn't like it cough cough*). I guess I was too clouded by my fangirl vision that I selfishly hoped for awesome but unrealistic things too happen. Now, I've come to terms with the fact that things are better this way. Now I realize that Roy becoming Fuhrer, while awesome, would just seem like a cop-out. For one, how can a Colonel instantly become Fuhrer? Besides, there's still hope; the characters still have years ahead for them.
The journey has finally come to an end - well, at least, manga-wise. The anime still has four episodes to go. But for now, I'd just like to say that I'm so happy to have been a part of Ed, Al and everyone else's journey. I'm thankful for the 5-6 years of compelling storylines, drama, philosophical insights, comedy and of course the subtle-but-not-quite romantic hints (Royai!). Arakawa-sensei, thank you so very much. I've fallen in love with other series, but no other series has captivated me like FMA. On surface level, the series may just seem cliched because it uses universal themes such as love, friendship and hope against all odds. But behind these themes is a backdrop: deeper themes such as how these universal themes are precisely why humans have it so much better than immortal beings, and how a limited, ignorant, struggling existence does not equate to inferiority. And so, I can say that FMA did not tread a cliche-trodden path. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, Arakawa-sensei! I'll still continue admiring the awesomeness that is FMA even after it's ended, and I'll look forward to your next work.
I wish you good luck... I still remember every day...
- L'Arc en Ciel, "Lost Heaven"
"夜明けの先に光がさすよ / 虹がかかるよ" ("Light shines before daybreak / A rainbow forms across the sky")
- Shouko Nakagawa, "Ray of Light"
P.S. Yesterday, June 11, was Royai day. That is, for some reason, Japanese fans declared June 11 to be a day for celebrating the love between Roy and Riza. I was supposed to write a fanfic in time for Royai Day, but alas, writer's block is such a bitch. And so, despite my ineptness at doing housework and other practical stuff, I tried to make some banana tiramisu earlier today (yes, it's no longer June 11, but consider this a belated Royai Day offering). Why banana tiramisu, you ask? I don't know, either. I just got the idea when Leslie and I were going through my stuff and we found a recipe for banana tiramisu lying around. Then I thought about how the tiramisu would have shades of black (cocoa powder / coffee) and blonde, er, yellow (the bananas). So now the tiramisu is chilling in the fridge. I hope it turns out okay, even though it might not be aesthetically pleasing! I'll take a pic of it later; that is, if it doesn't look sloppy. I plan to garnish it with banana slices that are supposed to be Roy and Riza. And maybe I'll put frosting or chocolate syrup that spells out "Royai," or something.
Finally, the scanlation came out yesterday. Here's my 520 cenz on the final chapter, with a few insights on FMA as a whole. Sorry, I think that this is going to be very long. Of course, be mindful of spoilers!
- It was sad to see Greed go. As with most of the FMA characters, he was interesting, but I was ambivalent about him. I thought, "Wow, he's a jerk and yet, even though he might not be aware of it, he's actually a nice guy." In fact, he reminded me of Reggie Mantle, heehee. But ever since the big revelation in Chapter 107 about how all he ever wanted was to have friends, he became totally endearing to me. I wished he didn't have to go, but I guess that there's no way that he and Ling can exist in the same body. It would've been better if he could transfer his soul to another container - I mean, if Selim could live on, why couldn't he? But I suppose that Greed's sacrifice established that, despite Greed's rough manner of talking, he is someone who cares about his comrades. How ironic, and yet, how beautiful it is that the one who's supposed to be the personification of Greed turned out to make a very unselfish sacrifice. I'll miss you, Greed! If I could rewrite the ending, I'd somehow make you work as a bouncer at Madam Christmas's bar, but oh well...
- Before this chapter, I thought that Hohenheim was going to sacrifice himself for Al's sake, but Arakawa didn't take the predictable path. Ed's solution was something I hadn't foreseen, and I think that it was ingenious and sensible.
- When Hohenheim said something about hardly being a father to his sons, I was hoping that he'd live for a few more years before dying. I wanted him to have some father-son moments with Ed and Al, which is why at first I thought it was a bit selfish of him to want to die immediately. But then, my friend said that the brief moments Hohenheim, Ed and Al spent together as father and sons were already enough because: 1) Ed and Al were already grown up, 2) as with many of the characters, they don't seem like the type to show love and affection so conspicuously and 3) Ed and Al move around a lot, so they wouldn't have much time to spend together anyway.
- Aww, Sig is such a big softie like Alex! That probably bone-crushing hug just screamed "Alex Armstrong" to me; it was so cute.
- Hahaha, now I know that Riza wears a sports bra. It makes sense; I imagine she'd want to conceal as much of her tattoo as possible.
- I like how Kimbley's words came to haunt Roy once more, but what's good is that instead of affecting Roy negatively, those words actually inspired him to move forward.
- Yes! Team Mustang is going to be back in action! I guess they all got together again, but what about Falman? In the epilogue, he was still wearing a Briggs coat. Perhaps he's helping Roy from a distance?
- Ling seems to have picked up Greed's brusque manner of speaking.
- I sniffled when Ranfan held Fu's hand and said, "Grandfather, let's go home." Also, I wish we could've seen Olivier mourning Buccaneer in her own way (i.e. without tears but definitely with a few meaningful words), because I'm sure that despite what she said about how it was unnecessary to mourn for him, she must have still tried to pay her respects to her fallen comrade.
- I just entertained the crazy thought of Scar and Miles forming a beautiful bromance. XD
- Call me crazy, but the scene with Scar, Miles and Olivier made me support the "Miles and Olivier are secretly married" theory even more. Why, you ask? Well, Miles is going to Ishbal to prevent the Ishbalan culture and tradition from dying out, and considering that Miles seems to be so devoted to his work, I imagine that it must be difficult to find a wife who'd put up with a man like that (who moves around ever so often and who, I imagine, must have hardly gone home while in Briggs). And considering that Olivier is just as devoted to her work, and is neither the romantic type nor one who'd complain about a husband being away all the time... yeah, connect the dots. But then, that's just me. I'm probably just desperate for romantic hints.
- Oh, Miles, you are a source of many a good quote. First, there was the bit about being a "pebble in the pond" (that was chapter sixty-something), and now there's "The death of a culture is the death of a people," which I really like because there is some truth to that.
- Nina was brought up! Talk about things coming full circle. I like how Ed and Al never forgot about how they were unable to save Nina. Nina was a tragic case - while her death was senseless, I just couldn't see her going on living, as she would not be able to live a blissful, dignified life. But I never imagined that that incident would be brought up again, even though it disturbed and saddened me so. I'm glad that Nina didn't remain a mere painful memory but became a source of determination for Ed and Al. Perhaps I should write a fanfic in which Ed and Al remember Nina.
- The warm Ed/Al/Winry hug scene made me tear up. Hooray for Ed keeping his promise that the next time Winry would cry, she'd be crying tears of joy! I think that this scene will be even more tear-jerking and heartwarming in the anime when we'll hear the characters speaking with soft music playing in the background. D'aww!
- A crack pairing that my friend and me thought of: Grumman/Mrs. Bradley! XD I can see it now: "Riza, meet your new grandma!" So, what will that make Selim... Riza's half-uncle? I kid, I kid. Seriously speaking, it must have been painful to Mrs. Bradley to learn the truth about her husband and son. I feel so sorry for her for losing her family (in more ways than one) in an instant. If anything, though, it's a relief that both King and Selim thought highly of her. Also, about Grumman, I'm relieved that he turned out to have good intentions after all. I remembered this scene in which Miles perceived Grumman to be a cunning, manipulative bastard but thank goodness that this isn't the case. Oh, and I wonder if Riza knows that Grumman is her grandfather...
- Another "d'aww!" moment: little, innocent, puppy-eyed Selim is so cute! I wonder if, being a homunculus, he'll have a longer lifespan than normal humans. And I wonder if he will grow old. I like to think that he'll idolize Ed and/or Al (just as he claimed to do before) and become an alchemist to help people. That is, if his memories don't return. I hope they don't; otherwise, the consequences will be dire (and I imagine that having to kill him will be painful for Mrs. Bradley).
- Oh! I was just reminded of someone on fm_alchemist speculating on Selim. That person wondered if Selim's continued existence meant that Arakawa-sensei is open to a sequel (i.e. if Selim gains his memories back and wreaks havoc agan). As entertaining as that would sound, I don't believe that that's the case. If Selim ever did that, then the sequel would be rather redundant - kind of like those cheap sequels in which things happen the way they did in the original, only with different characters and shittier storytelling. That might just cheapen FMA, so a sequel is a "no, thank you" for me. (Side stories would be okay, though.)
- Grumman wondered if humans and homunculi could co-exist. We already saw that Greed is a nice guy, which implies that homunculi aren't naturally born with the tendency to do evil. But I'm not quite sure, so I'll just tentatively say that yes, given that Greed wasn't evil and that Selim is now an innocent boy, perhaps humans and homunculi can co-exist, given the right upbringing.
- Oh, Ed, that proposal would've sounded so lame if it were anyone else, but I thought that that proposal was so awkward that it was cute! It's so like Ed to propose in a very technical - I daresay alchemical - fashion. XD He's such a dork; it's amusing. I really like how Arakawa-sensei handles romance; she shows more than she tells. And when characters acknowledge their love for each other, like in Ed and Winry's case, they don't do so in a conventional, trite fashion; they do so in a way that's unique to them (in Ed's case, trying to apply equivalent exchange to romance). Nice one, Arakawa-sensei!
- Speaking of romance, there's one pairing that seems to have been neglected: Royai. Admittedly, at first I was disappointed by the lack of Royai, but I realized that subtle, simple and inconspicuous is precisely Roy and Riza's style. They don't need confirmation because the hints are already so strong that other people (yes, even the characters) can sense that there's something going on. Note that by "something going on," I don't necessarily mean that they're hugging and kissing and having sex - as sweet and sexy as that might sound, I think that they're the type of people who love each other so strongly that even without physical gestures of intimacy, they can still kindle a romance. They demonstrate their love simply by being at each other's side and showing extraordinary loyalty to each other; that's how strong their bond is. Besides, Roy and Riza are both self-sacrificing; I can definitely see them putting everything else before their own happiness and capturing fleeting moments by making the most of their time together (even if their time spent together consists of doing paperwork and performing duties, and not dating). That, for me, is a unique but very sweet romance, and if I had someone like Roy, I'd be very happy. I really like Roy and Riza's love and I wish them the best. Even if, on surface level, it may seem that Arakawa-sensei suddenly forgot about Royai, I now get the feeling that Arakawa-sensei's trying to tell the fans, "With all the moments Roy and Riza shared together, do they still need a scene that will blatantly confirm their love?" Besides, for all we know, that picture in the epilogue might be Roy proposing to Riza. XD
- It looks like Black Hayate had puppies. But with who? Den (who is much older than Hayate)? In my mind, Black Hayate is Roy and Riza's "son," so now that Hayate has puppies, they're "grandparents" now! XD Maybe they gave one of Hayate's puppies to Fuery, since Fuery likes dogs. Ooh, and maybe Breda might get over his fear of dogs because of the cuteness of Hayate's puppies! Okay, I'm getting carried away again.
- ALEX, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THAT PICTURE? Are you committing an act of indecent exposure?
- Nice to see that the chimeras, while still wanting to get their bodies back, seem to be happy with the way they are right now. I hope that they were able to at least visit their families because, if their families really loved them, I'm sure that they would be happy to see them (the chimeras) alive (even if they were chimeras). It looks like Darius, Heinkel and Yoki joined a circus. That sounds a bit demeaning because that'd mean that they'd probably be treated like freakshow objects, but hey, if the chimeras themselves thought of joining / forming a circus, enjoy making kids happy and aren't treated demeaningly by the audience, then I suppose that that's okay. But really, I imagined the chimeras and Greed hanging out at Madam Christmas's newly reopened bar and acting as bouncers / bodyguards for the girls (and maybe some of them might even start dating Madam Christmas's girls, heehee).
- Please excuse me for what you're about to read, as I'm going to get philosophical again. A big disclaimer: I have only taken two semesters of Philosophy and am not a Philo major, so I do not claim to be knowledgeable. Feel free to correct me if you see anything worth picking on. And feel free to contribute your own 520 cenz because discussion is stimulating.
Ahem. Anyway, Truth said something along the lines of, "I am the universe. I am 'truth.' I am 'God.'" From what I understand, this is the "all" in "One is all; all is one," some kind of collective consciousness. I'd like to relate this to what I learned about aletheia (literally "unconcealing") - in other words, truth. We as humans are limited beings, and so we can never fully see the truth (which has led to the thinking that "truth is only a matter of perspective"). Because it is that which is too vast to comprehend, truth in her unconcealed form is something beyond our reach. Allow me to use some non-FMA examples. Think about it. We try to make sense of the world using metaphors, analogies and empirical - often personal - experiences as bases. Even if meta-narratives such as religion and science have attempted to come up with overarching explanations, they have so far failed to account for every single occurrence or existence in the universe, which again brings me back to my point: we can never see truth in its entirety.
And I think this is why Truth punishes those who dare to see what they aren't meant to see (e.g. taking Roy's vision, Ed's limbs and Al's body). This is how I understood "Truth gives one a sense of proper despair so that he/she doesn't become conceited" to mean. There is a certain sense of despair in the fact that one can never see Truth entirely unconcealed, and yet, this despair keeps one grounded and true to one's nature as a human being, because humans are pilgrims-on-the-road, works in progress that are constantly seeking meaning / searching for the Truth. This is paradoxical, but the way I see it is that humans, despite the fact that they can never see Truth in its true form (pardon the pun), make their lives more meaningful by searching for it. But still, this is not the only purpose for the existence of humans. Along their journey through life, human lives are made more meaningful not only by the quest for meaning / truth, but also - or more importantly, even - by forming relationships with fellowmen.
Thus, when Ed answered something along the lines of not needing alchemy anymore, and how being unable to practice alchemy was not degrading (for he was just an ordinary person), he beat Truth in that he realized that he displayed extraordinary humility: in the face of Truth, in the face of that opportunity to know more than he should've known, he chose not to take the easy way out. Ed showed that he would rather be an ordinary human - but is that so bad? Not for him. And, based on what we've seen of the other FMA characters, not at all. Sure, humans are ignorant, always in the dark about something. Heck, in the end, Ed and Al still did not have sufficient knowledge about alkahestry. But isn't that what makes human life so purpose-driven and meaningful? Roy said, "If we don't chase pipe dreams, we cease to evolve" and Ed said something along the lines of how humans are ultimately stronger than homunculi because despite being battered, broken and confused a lot, humans have the ability to show resilience in the face of crises. And so, despite the fact that one day, humans will die, their existence will not be rendered moot and meaningless, as opposed to Father whose complacent, seemingly self-sufficient existence (I say "seemingly" for, despite his implying - or saying? - that he did not need family, he still needed people to do his bidding, hence the homunculi) was a dead end. Compare Ed and Al trying to get their bodies back (and now trying to help other people) and Roy, Riza (et al) atoning by giving Ishbalans their much-deserved place in society with Father, who just wanted to live forever. Say one day, our beloved protagonists died. They'd still have left a legacy and therefore lived on. But what would Father achieve with his plan? Yes, he would be immortal, but for what? Years later, he'd just get bored and do the same old shtick to live even longer. This just shows that, as my Philo prof put it, there is redundancy in immortality.
And this is what I find so beautiful about FMA. I'm so glad that two semesters of Philo made me love FMA even more and see how rich it is in meaning. Roy said in the last episode of the first anime, "The world isn't perfect, but that's why it's beautiful." He put it so wonderfully. If I'm not mistaken, Arakawa-sensei said in an interview that the ending would violate equivalent exchange. The way I see it, I guess there is some truth to that. Yes, most of the characters technically got a happy ending - they lived, they were with their friends, they were happy and resolute at all. But think about it: the chimeras are still chimeras, neither Roy nor Olivia became Fuhrer, and there is still so much to be done for the sake of a better Amestris. Despite striving hard, not everyone got what they wanted. But this reflects what Roy said about the world, as well as some of FMA's themes, namely hope and persistence: one just has to keep trying. The characters got a certain degree of closure, but that closure didn't feel permanent but open-ended.
At first, this made me feel shortchanged, as I felt that the ending could be better, and that some things did not come full circle (e.g. I thought that the 520-cenz promise would be significant, but it was hardly brought up. Also, as a Royai fan, I thought that Roy and Grumman's conversation about marrying the latter's granddaughter [Riza] would mean that Riza would become Roy's first lady). But I suppose that ultimately, this is the best. Regarding the foreshadowings that did not get a resolution, I don't think that Arakawa-sensei forgot about them; rather, I think that this is her way of showing the imperfection of the world.
In the end, I guess Arakawa wanted to stay true to her take on the human condition. Thinking about it, I'm happy about the ending; it's definitely better and more beautiful and sensible than a "babies ever after" ending where everyone is paired with someone and has kids named after significant people in the protagonists' lives (*cough cough Harry Potter epilogue - no offense but I really didn't like it cough cough*). I guess I was too clouded by my fangirl vision that I selfishly hoped for awesome but unrealistic things too happen. Now, I've come to terms with the fact that things are better this way. Now I realize that Roy becoming Fuhrer, while awesome, would just seem like a cop-out. For one, how can a Colonel instantly become Fuhrer? Besides, there's still hope; the characters still have years ahead for them.
The journey has finally come to an end - well, at least, manga-wise. The anime still has four episodes to go. But for now, I'd just like to say that I'm so happy to have been a part of Ed, Al and everyone else's journey. I'm thankful for the 5-6 years of compelling storylines, drama, philosophical insights, comedy and of course the subtle-but-not-quite romantic hints (Royai!). Arakawa-sensei, thank you so very much. I've fallen in love with other series, but no other series has captivated me like FMA. On surface level, the series may just seem cliched because it uses universal themes such as love, friendship and hope against all odds. But behind these themes is a backdrop: deeper themes such as how these universal themes are precisely why humans have it so much better than immortal beings, and how a limited, ignorant, struggling existence does not equate to inferiority. And so, I can say that FMA did not tread a cliche-trodden path. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much, Arakawa-sensei! I'll still continue admiring the awesomeness that is FMA even after it's ended, and I'll look forward to your next work.
I wish you good luck... I still remember every day...
- L'Arc en Ciel, "Lost Heaven"
"夜明けの先に光がさすよ / 虹がかかるよ" ("Light shines before daybreak / A rainbow forms across the sky")
- Shouko Nakagawa, "Ray of Light"
P.S. Yesterday, June 11, was Royai day. That is, for some reason, Japanese fans declared June 11 to be a day for celebrating the love between Roy and Riza. I was supposed to write a fanfic in time for Royai Day, but alas, writer's block is such a bitch. And so, despite my ineptness at doing housework and other practical stuff, I tried to make some banana tiramisu earlier today (yes, it's no longer June 11, but consider this a belated Royai Day offering). Why banana tiramisu, you ask? I don't know, either. I just got the idea when Leslie and I were going through my stuff and we found a recipe for banana tiramisu lying around. Then I thought about how the tiramisu would have shades of black (cocoa powder / coffee) and blonde, er, yellow (the bananas). So now the tiramisu is chilling in the fridge. I hope it turns out okay, even though it might not be aesthetically pleasing! I'll take a pic of it later; that is, if it doesn't look sloppy. I plan to garnish it with banana slices that are supposed to be Roy and Riza. And maybe I'll put frosting or chocolate syrup that spells out "Royai," or something.