Review of Full Metal Alchemist: Volume 8

Introduction

Alchemy is the art of the transmutation of matter by means of an incantation, a mystical circle, or sheer willpower alone. For centuries charlatans and the deluded pursued the creation of gold by alchemical means but to no avail. But in Full Metal Alchemist, alchemy is a realised science. Set in an alternative world during the early years of the twentieth century, the transmutation of elements is indeed a reality, and the state regards such talent highly indeed. Full Metal Alchemist tells the story of brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, two precocious alchemists who are on a quest. The young brothers had attempted the unspeakable, resurrecting their mother. But the Law Of Equivalent Exchange cannot be flouted, only objects of equal mass can be transmuted, and the dead cannot be brought back to life. The attempt failed disastrously. Now, Alphonse is a disembodied spirit bound to a suit of animated armour, while Edward has replaced his leg and arm with metal automail, but it`s his prodigious facility with alchemy that has earned him the name, Full Metal Alchemist. Now they search for a means to restore their bodies.

The previous volume marked the midpoint of Full Metal Alchemist, and with an emotional climax to the first season, followed by restating the mission statement with the first few episodes of season 2, it was something of an odd duck. It did end with the discovery of a mysterious child with a talent in alchemy that is unlike anything ever seen before. With volume 8: The Altar Of Stone, we get back into the full flow of things, with four more episodes following Ed and Al`s quest, promising more revelation and plot twists.

29. The Undefiled Child
The stranger living on the island turns out to be an alchemist, which puts Ed and Al on their guard. He also turns out to be a lost child with no memory, which brings out Izumi`s maternal instincts. Just like Ed, the strange child can perform alchemy without a transmutation circle, although his abilities are far more developed, if instinctual. It puts Ed in mind of what truly happened the day he tried to resurrect his mother. But what this child represents is far more ominous.

30. Attack on the Southern Command Centre.
The child has drawn attention from all factions, and all manner of people turn up in Dublith, not least the Strongarm Alchemist and his superior Lt Col. Archer. Ed also meets a strange chimera with an interest in the boy, as well as one of the homunculi. The boy is captured and taken to the command centre, but Izumi is determined to get him back. Ed`s loyalties are conflicted, and what confuses the matter is that the boy`s right arm and left leg look oddly familiar.

31. Sin
Izumi rescues the child from the military, but not before Envy has a quiet word. The child, now named Wrath has learned of his true nature, and Ed and Al must find their sensei before she walks into danger.

32. Dante of the Deep Woods.
Wrath joins his fellow homunculi, Envy and Sloth. Following the previous events, Izumi expels her students, but it takes a while for Ed and Al to realise that it means that in her eyes they have graduated. She advises them to meet Dante, a formidable alchemist who lives in the woods. But Greed is looking to pay a visit to Dante too.

Video

The picture for Full Metal Alchemist comes in a 4:3 transfer and it is clear and sharp throughout, without any hint of artefacts. The anime looks gorgeous, with distinctive characters, detailed retro world design and atmospheric animation. Once again, an anime blends traditional line animation with 3D design and the results are exciting and vibrant.

Audio

You get a choice of DD 5.1 English and DD 2.0 Japanese. I chose the original language track for preference, and the Japanese track is indeed clear and dynamic enough for a stereo track. Full Metal Alchemist also has some stunning music, most noticeably in the opening and closing themes. The English dub is something I just spot-checked, and while the main character voices are pretty good, the same cannot be said for the voices of the incidental characters. The surround is pretty good, with a fair bit of ambience and it reflects the action well. You can watch the show with translated subtitles or signs.

Features

MVM once again include a small number of extra features with their anime releases. You get multi angle credit sequences depending on which language you watch in, as well as the usual jacket picture. There is a typo in the jacket picture, the volume title is given as `The Alter Of Stone` instead of `Altar. But in a story about alchemy and transmutation, I can`t think of a more appropriate spelling mistake. In my Sony player, I had a problem with the end credits of episode 3 alternating between angles. Skipping forward or back quickly fixed this though.

You can see the textless opening and closing sequences, and in a nice twist, they are subtitled both in English and Romanji Japanese, so you can sing along should you feel the urge.

In a section called production art, you can find two slideshows, showing Models and Illustrations. The total running time is around 2 minutes.

Conclusion

Do you remember the X-Files? That was a series that thrived on the plot twist and revelation. Every successive mythological episode would add a new piece of the puzzle that would make the viewer re-evaluate what had come before, and be stunning in terms of emotional impact. But by season 7 or so, audiences had become apathetic, and the twists were coming with regularity and apparent desperation on the part of the producers. Supersoldiers? Meh! Scully and Mulder have a baby. Right, so what! He`s part alien. Pull the other one.

Full Metal Alchemist similarly is a series that relies on plot twists and revelations. But unlike the X-Files, it just keeps getting better and better. We hit the ground and Season 2 running with Volume 8, and with the discovery of the feral child, we delve into the background of the homunculi, and more importantly, how they are created. In fact, just how they are created has drastic implications for Ed and Al. At one point, Al tries to point this out, but it`s obvious that Ed is trying to avoid the issue. It`s an issue that will have to be dealt with, considering who the youngest of the homunculi is. It`s all setting up a future plot point that has me salivating at its inevitable resolution. But this isn`t enough for Full Metal Alchemist. The ability to perform alchemy without a transmutation circle isn`t just a precocious talent as we learn here. Again, it`s tied into the issue of the homunculi, but it also gives us a more detailed recollection of the day Ed and Al tried to resurrect their mother, and just how literal the exchange of body parts for desires is. If that isn`t enough emotional turmoil for our heroes, Ed learns what happened to the limbs he sacrificed for his mother and his brother`s soul. The result is that there is now a homunculus in the world that can work alchemy, something that has never existed before, and the ramifications for the story are mind-boggling.

With all of this occurring, you would think that this is a feature packed disc of Full Metal Alchemist, but there is even more. The factions that have been plaguing the brothers in search of the Philosopher`s Stone are still there, but now the escapees from Laboratory 5 join them in the race. Factions within the military, the homunculi from the first season and now a partnership between Greed and the volatile Crimson Alchemist are all vying for power, with the Elric brothers apparently the key to their victory. Meanwhile Roy Mustang has gathered his own loyal soldiers around him and is working towards power himself, albeit from within the system. This volume sees his group sent to capture Scar, but it leads to a violent confrontation with the Ishbalan refugees that has echoes of the previous massacre.

You can tell by now that I absolutely adore Full Metal Alchemist. It presents an elaborate fantasy world, a gripping story, and brilliant characters all packaged with a delightful mix of drama and light comedy. It really has everything to offer, and is peerless in what it accomplishes. Its biggest strength is that it does this while keeping the characters emotionally honest. The only drawback is that it is a series that you have to invest in, emotionally that is. It goes without saying that your wallet will be lighter for the experience. But what an experience! Start from Volume 1 and work your way through the volumes to take full advantage of the story. The more you learn about this world, the more it affects your understanding of earlier events. But the casual viewer will be hopelessly lost by this point. Otherwise, an essential anime purchase.