Review of Full Metal Alchemist: Volume 13

Introduction

It`s been two years in the coming, but the final volume of Full Metal Alchemist is here. In that time, we`ve seen fifty-one episodes over thirteen volumes of this outstanding anime series, and even a change of distributor halfway through. If you`re thinking of sampling the delights of Full Metal Alchemist, what took you so long? Anyway, this is the wrong place to look, unless you`re one of those people who read the last chapter in a book first. I must admit, that I have dreaded this final volume, not only because I didn`t want the fun to end, but ever since I heard of the Full Metal Alchemist movie (due here later this year), I had the worrying suspicion that the final episode would end on an almighty cliff-hanger, with a `to be concluded in widescreen` caption at the end. Regardless of that, finding a fitting ending for such a brilliant story was always going to be difficult.

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.

This final volume of Full Metal Alchemist only has three episodes, but makes up for things in the extra features department. With this being the conclusion, I`ll restrain myself from spoilers.

49. The Other Side Of The Gate
Envy takes Al to Lyra, who isn`t who she appears to be. Ed has found the true entrance to the secret laboratory, one that takes him to an abandoned ancient city located beneath Central. The Homunculi and their benefactor have their plans for Al, which Ed intends to thwart. He isn`t ready for the trap that has been laid for him.

50. Death
Ed`s not in Kansas anymore, he barely recognises himself. But he does recognise his father, Hohenheim, who has preceded him to this strange place. The truth is hard to comprehend, but Ed learns of the way to return, and what it will cost. Meanwhile conflict has broken out between the loyal military and those supporting Mustang`s insurrection. It`s just the backdrop that Mustang needs to confront the Fuhrer.

51. Laws and Promises
The conclusion?

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

There are more than the usual extras for a Full Metal Alchemist disc this time, although the multi-angle credit sequences and the jacket picture are standard on all the discs.

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 Negima and the forthcoming Moon Phase.

There may only be three episodes on this disc, but the half-hour featurette makes up for it. An Inside Look offers interviews with the US cast members of the show, as they chat about the Full Metal Alchemist phenomenon. They talk about all aspects of the show, from recording the voices, to the characters and story, and along the way they merely confirm why I think this show is so brilliant. They also look forward to the movie, although there are no clips. It need not be said that there are spoilers to the end of the series, although why you would watch the featurette first is beyond me.

And we finally get a commentary. It`s for the final episode, and ADR directors Colleen Clinkenbeard and Mike McFarland look back over the series, and also chat about the casting process. It`s a light retrospective that doesn`t really have a lot to do with what is happening on screen, but is worth listening to nonetheless.

Conclusion

Words have failed me. Trying to articulate just how good this final disc is, just how solid a conclusion the story gets and how utterly gripping the last three episodes are, is an exercise in frustration. Perhaps it`s for the best, as discussing the conclusion would invariably entail spoilers, and this is one story that really deserves to be discovered, not spoiled. The qualms I had about the story being left open ended for the movie prove to be unfounded. The end of the series resolves everything of importance that was going on, everything that was set up in the opening episodes, and everything that developed afterwards. It`s also resolved in a way that maintains the high standards of storytelling and character development. I was hooked all the way through, wanting to know how things would turn out for Ed and Al, what would happen with the homunculi, if Mustang`s revolution would succeed. And right to the final moments, Full Metal Alchemist kept entertaining.

It is true that the story is open-ended, anticipating a conclusion in the feature film The Conqueror Of Shamballa, but I can`t complain. The story that I have been following so assiduously gets a proper conclusion here. What the brothers have been searching for is there for them to take, but there is a price and consequences. The events that set up the movie are quite obviously a new story, another chapter in their adventures, and a couple of threads remain ambiguously untied, adding to the potential of the film. But even in this respect the animation is very smart. Should you choose, the final moments of the series can be seen in a positive, hopeful light, and you can leave the story at this point, satisfied with the resolution that is given. Although why you would want to is questionable.

Full Metal Alchemist is a series that comes along once in a lifetime, it transcends both its genre and its medium. This is outstanding television full stop, and it`s storytelling of the highest calibre. It offers a world rich in complexity, wonderfully three-dimensional characters, and a determination never to pander or dumb down. This is a series where you can be horrified at the acts of heroes, feel sympathy for villains, a show that switches in the blink of an eye from rich humour to heart-wrenching tragedy. Put aside your preconceptions. Forget the `cartoons are for kids` cliché for just one minute. Make some time in your life for Full Metal Alchemist. You won`t regret it. This volume is just the capper to thirteen discs of anime excellence. Now where did I put Volume 1 again…