Review of Full Metal Alchemist: Volume 10

Introduction

The earlier rarefied release schedule of Full Metal Alchemist is beginning to take its toll, and even Revelation`s now monthly releases don`t seem to make things up. I`m watching this volume, and I see characters that had important moments some 20 episodes ago, and I`m hard pressed to remember just who they are. I`m just looking forward to sitting down with all the discs when they are finally released, and having myself a Full Metal Alchemist Week, so I can fully appreciate this rich and rewarding story at its best. As per usual, the stakes are raised even higher in the four episodes on Volume 10, but not before we have a little fun first.

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.

Volume 9 saw the brothers` sojourn in Dublith end, with the naissance of a new homunculus. The events of their stay convinced them to continue on their quest for the Philosopher`s Stone, and to deal with the cost of creating one when the time comes. It means following Scar and the Ishbalan refugees, but they learn that Scar is about to cross a moral boundary from which there will be no return, and they vow to stop him. The story continues in volume 10: Journey To Ishbal, with four more episodes following Ed and Al`s quest.

37. The Flame Alchemist, The Bachelor Lieutenant, and the Mystery of Warehouse 13
Lt Havoc has been ordered to investigate his superior, Col Mustang, but the pressure takes its toll on his love life. Seeing one of his men suffering, the Colonel orders the rest of his underlings to help out by setting Havoc up on a date. It turns out to be a date with the Strongarm Alchemist, Major Armstrong`s younger sister. At the same time, there are mysterious goings on in the warehouse district, and Mustang`s men are running scared of ghosts and ghouls. It falls to their intrepid commander to hold their hands.

38. With The River`s Flow
On the way to Ishbal, Ed and Al`s transport explodes, leaving them on foot for the remainder of the journey. They wind up having an argument over the right course of action when Al accuses Ed of being stubborn. Their row ends up reshaping part of a village, before they go their separate ways. Al`s sulk is interrupted when he meets Martel again, who tells him of her need for vengeance against the homunculi. Meanwhile Winry has run into Sheska in Central, and the worried Sheska tells her about the investigation into Maes Hughes` death leading all the way to the Fuhrer`s office. Winry convinces her to try a little judicious wiretapping.

39. Secret Of Ishbal
Winry decides that discretion is the better part of valour, and returns to Resembool, and for good measure takes Sheska with her. Ed and Al finally get to Ishbal, but all they find are ruins. Martel relates a version of the Ishbalan uprising bearing no resemblance to the official line, and one that they find hard to accept. But she has damning proof. The brothers wind up reunited with Mustang, who has been ordered to put down the uprising in Liore, something that shakes Ed to the core when he learns of it. Scar`s in Liore, and he has created a city sized transmutation circle. It can only mean one thing.

40. The Scar
Al has his hands full when Martel spies the Crimson Alchemist, target for her revenge. Meanwhile Ed is heading for a confrontation with Scar in Liore. The city is in dire straits, and Scar`s motives aren`t all that they seem. They`re interrupted by Lust and Gluttony, who see their own opportunity to gain a Philosopher`s Stone, but Scar isn`t playing by anyone`s rules but his own. Before they damage each other too much, there is a bittersweet reunion with Rose who explains what is really happening in the city. Meanwhile, in his attempts to stop Martel, Al learns an unsettling truth about the Fuhrer, who has shown up to enact his own twisted plans for Liore.

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

You get multi angle credit sequences depending on which language you watch in, as well as the usual jacket picture. The multi angle glitch shows up yet again on this disc, but it isn`t as pronounced as before, and doesn`t affect the credit sequences between the second and third episodes. The other episodes do have the glitch, alternating between angles. Skipping forward or back quickly fixes 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 2½ minutes.

There are trailers for Fruits Basket and Negima.

Conclusion

Volume 10 of Full Metal Alchemist sees me groping ever more desperately for superlatives to lavish on this amazing anime series. The previous instalment took its eye off the ball for a while, with a couple of episodes that didn`t live up to the standards of the series, but with the four episodes in this volume, Full Metal Alchemist is back on top form, continuing to weave its intricate and complex story, keeping me hooked from beginning to end.

It`s probably a sign that events will take a darker and more serious turn from now on, in that we begin this disc with a lighthearted comedy episode. The Flame Alchemist, Roy Mustang takes centre stage as we see a day in the life of a Colonel in the military. There is an ominous note in that his own men are being ordered to spy on him, but this is quickly forgotten as we enter some serious matchmaking as Lt Havoc`s love life gets the Roy Mustang treatment. A commanding officer that sets up his underlings on blind dates must surely command loyalty above and beyond the call of duty. It`s also fun to see Major Armstrong`s family, who all possess the same pink diamond charisma as him. The comedy continues as Mustang`s command investigates spooky occurrences in the warehouse district. A poignant meeting with Maes Hughes widow, and a military cover up occurring in the background are almost afterthoughts.

We get back to more serious matters in the next episode, with Winry and Sheska teaming up to pursue Maes Hughes investigation, leading them to the Fuhrer`s office and mortal danger. While this arc moves the story on, we get to see the confrontational side of Ed and Al`s relationship, as the two brothers get into an alchemical row. It`s a typical sibling conflict of course, as we see it mirrored in a past quarrel when they were children.

It`s the final two episodes that really stoke the fires, as we delve head first into the Ishbalan conspiracy. We know from the past episodes what the military line on the uprising is, but now we learn a new perspective as we hear from one who was instrumental in starting it, while at the same time we finally get to hear about Scar`s past, how he is related to Lust, and just what his brother`s pursuit of a Philosopher`s Stone led to. We also learn that history is about to repeat itself, this time in the city of Liore, already laid waste once by the military. It`s a wake up call for Ed, who after freeing the city of its fraudulent priest in the first two episodes of the series, thought the matter solved. He has to face up to the fact that his intervention has had no effect, and may have made things worse, and that Rose, the girl he saved is now a bigger victim of the military. With factions within the military poised to instigate another Ishbal, Scar ready to sacrifice scores in his pursuit of a Philosopher`s Stone, and with Ed and Al in more danger than ever before, the anticipation for volume 11 is even more unbearable.

This is an awesome volume of an outstanding anime series. It thoroughly deserves a 10, were it not that I anticipate the story getting even more intense and compelling. I wish the Reviewer grading system were like Spinal Tap. I`m going to be thoroughly tempted to award a few 11 out of 10s before this series finishes.