Fullmetal Angst
Last night I finished watching Fullmetal Alchemist: Conquerer of Shamballa. I hadn't realized before that the movie was going to continue the series (I figured it could also have been set sometime during the series).
I was really intrigued by the whole concept, that Ed was now living in our world, without alchemy. The design they came up with for his mechanical arm and leg fascinated me. Of course, I don't know how realistic it was (technically), but just the idea that he had worked to create it with science, and how it compared to what Winry made for him-they were interesting topics.
Also, the concept that the whole movie was set against an actual event, the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, made for a rather unique story.
I appreciated that they tied up some of the loose ends (namely Envy and Gluttony, but also Wrath, who I thought was less of a loose end than the other two)-by the end of the movie you really have seen some major events take place in the main storyline-but the ending they devised left it just about as open for sequels as the series did. I mean, they haven't ACTUALLY destroyed the gate yet, and they are just assuming that Mustang will destroy the one on the other side; given his minor obsession with Ed coming back (scary fodder for the Roy/Ed contingent) it's entirely possible he might keep it open. I understand that it's good that Ed and Al are together again, but at the same time... neither one of them took into account what BOTH of them leaving would do to Winry. As Bryon points out though, they basically never did take her feelings into account through the whole series.
I cried a lot. :( Mostly when Wrath sacrificed himself, but also when Alfonse Heiderich died, and when the other Al climbed out of the suit (which I saw coming before Ed did).
Anyway... it was nicely animated (well, so was the series) and had an interesting plot and setting. I was happy to find out today that there are 2 or 3 OVAs as well... guess what I'll be tracking down. :D I am also going to Barnes at lunch today to poke through the manga a bit. Apparently it differs greatly from the anime starting somewhere around book 7. Interesting.
Well, off I go. :D
I was really intrigued by the whole concept, that Ed was now living in our world, without alchemy. The design they came up with for his mechanical arm and leg fascinated me. Of course, I don't know how realistic it was (technically), but just the idea that he had worked to create it with science, and how it compared to what Winry made for him-they were interesting topics.
Also, the concept that the whole movie was set against an actual event, the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, made for a rather unique story.
I appreciated that they tied up some of the loose ends (namely Envy and Gluttony, but also Wrath, who I thought was less of a loose end than the other two)-by the end of the movie you really have seen some major events take place in the main storyline-but the ending they devised left it just about as open for sequels as the series did. I mean, they haven't ACTUALLY destroyed the gate yet, and they are just assuming that Mustang will destroy the one on the other side; given his minor obsession with Ed coming back (scary fodder for the Roy/Ed contingent) it's entirely possible he might keep it open. I understand that it's good that Ed and Al are together again, but at the same time... neither one of them took into account what BOTH of them leaving would do to Winry. As Bryon points out though, they basically never did take her feelings into account through the whole series.
I cried a lot. :( Mostly when Wrath sacrificed himself, but also when Alfonse Heiderich died, and when the other Al climbed out of the suit (which I saw coming before Ed did).
Anyway... it was nicely animated (well, so was the series) and had an interesting plot and setting. I was happy to find out today that there are 2 or 3 OVAs as well... guess what I'll be tracking down. :D I am also going to Barnes at lunch today to poke through the manga a bit. Apparently it differs greatly from the anime starting somewhere around book 7. Interesting.
Well, off I go. :D