Finally fma
Dec. 9th, 2004 01:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
branchandrootSo I was, at last, in a mood, yesterday, to watch the second half of FMA.
*pleased*
Maybe it was just that I didn't have to wait a week for whatever resolution the next ep would deliver, maybe it was that I was primed for a few of the twists, but the second half seemed far less rip-out-your-heart-and-stomp-it-to-bits than the first half. Almost as if the progression went "let's mash everyone down as far as they can go, until they finally break and start to make a come-back".
And now I have a Lust/Greed smutbunny nibbling my toes. *rumples hair* I'd have to tweak cannon to make room for it, if I do write it. But that line of Lust's about his death really did it for me. And I like Greed--he has style.
I liked the end. Though, it's a good thing I was primed for that, otherwise I'd have been howling at the plot-end that begs another season. Philosophically, though, everything got tied up pretty well. Conservation of energy was answered; the complexity of an ambiguous world was answered; everyone who really needed to die died, though often in a way that made me jump up and down going "they died, yes!--in a way that makes things worse, crap!"; the reason for the Homunculi being named for the seven deadly sins in a world apparently devoid of Christianity was answered. I'm taken with the idea that the moment of division between this world and that was Hohenheim's success in producing that first Stone.
The significant moments were wonderful. One that struck me was Roy, going over the wall of Bradley's mansion, standing in a screen that's half light and half shadow and turning into the shadow; it was such a perfect moment of metaphor for the alteration of his goals and means. The fact that Dante was (apparently) consumed by Gluttony was delightful; the shape of her own sin, indeed.
The bit at the very end with Haushofer and Thule made me a) cringe in fervent hope this would not turn into another Weiss Kreuz, and b) desire strongly to pound Hohenheim over the head with a large hammer. I can understand that he wants to find a way back to his own world, as he implies when he mentions looking for a path also, but for pity's sake! He either really is utterly amoral or else a complete and total chump. Or, distant third, really thinks he can use Thule et al and then destroy them before he goes, thus avoiding leaving a whole society full of Dantes in his wake. I think that's a subset of Chumpdom. It did make me wonder, though, how distinct a connection may be drawn between what Dante and the Homunculi did (starting wars to provoke the creation of the Stone, and provide the deaths neccessary) and what the occult mythos surrounding the Nazis suggests was the 'real' reason behind the death camps (providing deaths for various occult ends). If Hohenheim accepts that as his way home, well, we have the moral dilemma and conflict of the movie/next season all laid out.
Wonder if Ed will be involved in inventing the bomb. Just to round things out.
I am also taken with the question of what Roy will do now. Because I expect Ed hit the nail on the head when he said Roy could never advance further in the military after killing the CIC, even if unprovably. So will he go into civilian alchemy? Or will his convictions still drive him to try to curtail the bad orders? in which case I would expect him to enter politics. *pokes at ideas*
*pleased*
Maybe it was just that I didn't have to wait a week for whatever resolution the next ep would deliver, maybe it was that I was primed for a few of the twists, but the second half seemed far less rip-out-your-heart-and-stomp-it-to-bits than the first half. Almost as if the progression went "let's mash everyone down as far as they can go, until they finally break and start to make a come-back".
And now I have a Lust/Greed smutbunny nibbling my toes. *rumples hair* I'd have to tweak cannon to make room for it, if I do write it. But that line of Lust's about his death really did it for me. And I like Greed--he has style.
I liked the end. Though, it's a good thing I was primed for that, otherwise I'd have been howling at the plot-end that begs another season. Philosophically, though, everything got tied up pretty well. Conservation of energy was answered; the complexity of an ambiguous world was answered; everyone who really needed to die died, though often in a way that made me jump up and down going "they died, yes!--in a way that makes things worse, crap!"; the reason for the Homunculi being named for the seven deadly sins in a world apparently devoid of Christianity was answered. I'm taken with the idea that the moment of division between this world and that was Hohenheim's success in producing that first Stone.
The significant moments were wonderful. One that struck me was Roy, going over the wall of Bradley's mansion, standing in a screen that's half light and half shadow and turning into the shadow; it was such a perfect moment of metaphor for the alteration of his goals and means. The fact that Dante was (apparently) consumed by Gluttony was delightful; the shape of her own sin, indeed.
The bit at the very end with Haushofer and Thule made me a) cringe in fervent hope this would not turn into another Weiss Kreuz, and b) desire strongly to pound Hohenheim over the head with a large hammer. I can understand that he wants to find a way back to his own world, as he implies when he mentions looking for a path also, but for pity's sake! He either really is utterly amoral or else a complete and total chump. Or, distant third, really thinks he can use Thule et al and then destroy them before he goes, thus avoiding leaving a whole society full of Dantes in his wake. I think that's a subset of Chumpdom. It did make me wonder, though, how distinct a connection may be drawn between what Dante and the Homunculi did (starting wars to provoke the creation of the Stone, and provide the deaths neccessary) and what the occult mythos surrounding the Nazis suggests was the 'real' reason behind the death camps (providing deaths for various occult ends). If Hohenheim accepts that as his way home, well, we have the moral dilemma and conflict of the movie/next season all laid out.
Wonder if Ed will be involved in inventing the bomb. Just to round things out.
I am also taken with the question of what Roy will do now. Because I expect Ed hit the nail on the head when he said Roy could never advance further in the military after killing the CIC, even if unprovably. So will he go into civilian alchemy? Or will his convictions still drive him to try to curtail the bad orders? in which case I would expect him to enter politics. *pokes at ideas*
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no subject
Date: 2004-12-13 04:14 pm (UTC)*applauds* Exactly. It is as if the two of them opened up the doorway between the two worlds and somehow legitimised the use of alchemy in their own world (drawing on the death energy of those in 'our' world).
I keep on hoping that what Hohenheim is doing is only an oversight, something that will be remedied before he does something truly terrifying. As for Hohenheim wanting to return home... you got the impression he want to return home? I got the impression that he doesn't want to return home, that he has accepted his fate/life/however long he has left. Hmm, need to rewatch that episode.
I don't think Ed will be involved in the making of the bomb, if nothing else he doesn't trust Einstein -_-;; Though the only way I can see Ed possibly returning home is through some form of space programme.
But I'm ALL for Roy and Politics! It'd be a killing.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-13 05:17 pm (UTC)I did get the impression that Hoho wants home. The tone of his voice when he says he's also looking for a path said to me that he didn't want the same kind of path that Thule was after, so he doesn't just want higher consciousness or ultimate peace or even ultimate power. I suppose he could be looking for redemption, but then what on earth is he doing with Thule? *baps Hoho*
*giggles* I have to wonder whether we'll see Ed cave on Einstein or not. It did indicate to me that Ed isn't really a philosopher or theoretician. That his basic inclination is to applications. I didn't think that fit too well with his basically established genius and research accumen in the series, though. I liked your wormhole idea.
Roy is all for politics, too. He says he doesn't have anything personal against Hakuro, but he's sure smirking a lot over the idea of one-upping the man.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 12:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 12:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 02:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 04:07 pm (UTC)I was, however, bothered by the way they did Roy and Riza at the end of the series. Mostly because I like Roy and Riza as a couple and they're cute, but it felt like really sketchy development to me. But that's just me. (And my tendency to see anything remotely Riza/Havoc and go SQUEE, but there you go.)
Oh, by the way, your package arrived and I'll read this weekend.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 04:16 pm (UTC)And, yeah, the Roy/Lisa at the end was... a bit odd. Not exactly out of left field, at least it was certainly foreshadowed on her part. But it did leave me thinking "Ok, so, are they a couple now, or what?"
Enjoy the AS!
no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 08:48 pm (UTC)And yeah, I did tend to think that Liza has at least something for Roy, but...it seemed too tacked on to me. *shrug*