THIS IS SO DARK??!! WTF!!! | FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD EPISODE 2 | New Anime Fan! | REACTION

[@GOTGames]

THIS took a turn I didn't see coming!! Wow!!! 😢 DON'T FORGET! For more LIVE reactions and ANIME watch-alongs as well as BIG GIVEAWAYS be sure to be following me on TWITCH! www.twitch.tv/gotgames_tb 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 Also, all UNBLURRED reactions are Uploaded early to PATREON! www.patreon.com/gotgames 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

[@BlackCat0497]

Just a question, you mentioned that you would watch it dubbed and subtitled, would you only watch it subtitled after finishing the dubbed? Is it not possible to make a poll to decide if you really should watch dubbed? i believe i should not base this decision based on other youtube channels.

[@mvllg.5568]

You gotta watch this in Japanese it's going to be much better

[@kennethmorgan8795]

Alright my 'normal comment' is long... Ed is 15 at the beginning of the show. Also super minor thing but the old dude is the Fuhrer and his name is King Bradley.

[@Kyurengo]

This is so dark he says XD. Wait for it, this is just starting. This anime has 2 iconic traumatic scenes that have became memes in the internet. Just so you know

[@kennethmorgan8795]

@@Kyurengo shhh, we can induct him properly later.

[@valmoer]

A little pun (and additional characterisation for Führer Bradley) that is unfortunately lost in translation : Ed's japanese State Alchemist codename (and the series' japanese name) is 鋼の錬金術師 (Hagane no Renkinjutsushi, which literally translates to "Alchemist of Steel"). Of course, that makes sense given Ed's steel-made automail limbs, but there's a second layer of meaning. In Japanese, saying that someone is 鋼の人 (Hagane no Hito, lit. "Person of Steel") means they're headstrong, stubborn, opiniated. So by giving him that nickname, Führer Bradley not only calls him "the Alchemist of Steel", but also slyly calls him "the headstrong/stubborn/ opiniated Alchemist" ... which, to be fair, does fit Edward to a T.

[@TheRubyDanger]

Whaaaaat. Didn’t know this!

[@anniezhong5277]

Not only that, but Ed's reaction in Japanese was that it was 重っ苦しい, which means heavy and stifling, which I love because that's the teenage angst/chuuni coming out of him xDD

[@OrdinaryCritic]

Yeah, they should’ve just called the anime Alchemist of Steel.

[@lovelyunknown]

Fullmetal means resolute and decisive and also describes Ed to a t as well. They both work.

[@LongandWeirdName]

But... The name Edward doesn't have a T...

[@hellsbane666]

No equivalent exchange means something of equal value or amount has to be used. For an example from the last episode, the freezing guy was taking an equivalent amount of water out of the air to make his ice. He wasn't just conjuring ice from nowhere. And when Ed crafted that spear, he had to take an equal amount of metal from the pipe as would be used to craft that spear

[@kokodin5895]

i feell like a broken record but that was much clearer explained in bones oryginal version of the story. i know they simplify the 2nd half due to story not being writen yet but the phasing of first chapter was a bit better , alchemy explained in a single sentence after fixing broken radio, philosofer stone in the hands of that bishop and only then hitting you with the backstory if brotherhood had more episodes for the first part it probably wouldn't feel so rushed as compared to bones fanfiction (but you would get 100 episodes show), still a very good show actually they both good but manga fans like this more :]

[@Cabrera_José]

To add to this, if you've taken chemistry class(es), equivalent exchange is essentially what you do when you balance chemical equations. Both sides of the equation have to balance out, precisely bc you can't have something be conjured from nothing; irl the law of equivalent exchange is just the law of conservation of mass. The anime is much more fantastical in its approach but it does have a basis in the real world.

[@acrab6527]

@@Cabrera_José Well it's not just chemistry. They provided the exact composition of a human's body down to the correct elements. There was something else missing.

[@Cabrera_José]

@@acrab6527 Sure, yeah, but that's what I mean about the anime being a bit more fantastical in its interpretation. In this instance, they were missing something outside the scope of physical elements and ingredients, and so the equations weren't balanced; they experienced a rebound because in this world the soul itself is part of the equation.

[@dormir2072]

@@kokodin5895 I agree... in FMA 2003 they explain this all a lot better because they start with Liore. you get to see Al doing practical alchemy, like fixing the radio, and you learn the limitations really well because Cornello is doing something weird with them. it gives Ed a reason to explain why it's wrong, and shouldn't be working. and in general FMA 2003 is a lot better about giving you questions and then leading you to the answers... like, why are the Elric brothers so concerned about Rose's hope for Cornello's miracles? even if the "miracle" goes bad, Cornello's the one doing the alchemy. well, it's not really because Rose is in that much physical danger. it's because they've gone through the disappointment of thinking they could have something back when it's actually impossible to fix. they seem like they're being harsh, telling her it's impossible, but this is a type of kindness, given what they've experienced. and you get to infer that, rather than just being told. and you don't know what their story really is yet. you get bits and pieces... their bodies are messed up, they missed their mom and wanted her back, Cornello can tell they attempted human transmutation... but it waits til episode 3 to give you the full story. and it has Al narrating. we get to see this from his younger, more innocent perspective, as his brother's ambitions lead him to believe that everything will be alright. there's something really haunting about that. and in episode 3, we see a much more gradual escalation from Ed and Al's first attempts to do alchemy at all, and how simple their early work was, to Winry losing her parents and Ed voicing the idea of using alchemy to bring them back... you get a greater sense of progression leading up to their mom's death. you can kind of pick up the idea that learning alchemy is hard, and these two are maybe too young for the information they're gaining, even if they're technically smart enough to understand it logically. I miss pacing.

[@Rafaela_S.]

They were 11 and 10 when they tried to bring their mom back, now we are 4 years later so they are 15 (Ed) and 14 (Al) at this point in the story.

[@ryapowa]

And they were 12 and 11 when Ed became a State Alchemist

[@GOTGames]

I wasn't sure on the exact age so thank you!

[@largus1134]

The leg was the price for the knowledge. The arm was the price for his brother's soul.

[@Ayush-kc2vx]

And Al's body was price for whatever that thing they created.

[@dou5397]

​@@Ayush-kc2vx no Al's body was for information too, his soul was to the thing.

[@GOTGames]

Ah okay

[@fantastiCkiLler92]

I thought the show was clear enough to tell you that?

[@anthraxcrab2222]

@@GOTGames And the price for “their mom” was the brothers entire body

[@titrok0982]

Their backstory is so dark, but it makes this anime very unique and remembered imo

[@GOTGames]

💯

[@TheIrishMidas]

The law of equivalent exchange is essentially the law of conservation of mass from real life. The "sacrifice" needed in alchemy is essentially stating that if you want to do something with alchemy, say make a loaf of bread, they would need the appropriate wheat, water, and whatever else you would normally need. But they couldn't make bread from, lets say a wood plank (unless there's some way of doing that that I'm unaware of). The best example of how the law of equivalent exchange works in show is when Edward makes the spear, as we can see he is pulling the stone from the floor and shaping it into the spear.

[@seighartmercury]

Well, a wood plank would have cellulose, so that's hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen taken care of. They can make the sugar and starches with just that. But to make the proteins, they'd need to add nitrogen and sulfur somehow. But that's just the elements present, you'll have to make sure to use the right ratios to make a proper bread. TL;DR You can't make bread with *JUST* a wood plank, but if you add nitrogen and sulfur, you might be able to.

[@atthewmayeohanekay9294]

Alchemists actually CAN do subatomic manipulation, but it’s WAY harder than anything else. That’s why “lead into gold” is possible, but pretty damn impressive. Also, SUPER hard to get away with, because if you use that to destabilize the economy, being a skilled alchemist puts you right smack dab on the top of the suspect list. The way I understand it, atomic manipulation is the easiest because you’re working with pure elements and building everything from the ground up. Molecular manipulation is just a bit harder, because you have to know exactly what molecules you’re working with and there’s not much margin for error. Subatomic manipulation, or turning one element into another, is considerably harder mostly due to precise calculations and high energy costs. The hardest, I believe, is biological transmutation, because living tissues are INCREDIBLY complex. Human transmutation is more accurately described as “soul transmutation.” The reason it’s taboo is because the human soul is conceptual rather than empirical, so no calculation can account for it. Every time it’s attempted, it causes severe backlash. If you’re lucky, you’re like Ed in that you don’t immediately die, and can theoretically recover if given medical treatment and prosthetics. If you’re *unlucky,* you’re like Al, and your entire body is reduced to subatomic soup by the backlash. “Human transmutation” being taboo is entirely a matter of practicality rather than morality.

[@omargoodman2999]

To drastically oversimplify it, Alchemy basically follows the first law of thermodynamics, while flipping the largest middle finger allowed by local law enforcement to the second law. As long as you have a valid formulation (transmutation circle), it allows you to turn entropy into entropiss off. The rub is in figuring out the circle. As was stated, the more complex and nuanced the alchemical reaction, the more complex a circle you need. A simple circle could turn wheat, water, and yeast into bread, but you'd need a much more complex, detailed circle with lots more little symbols to break down the cellulose in wood and rearrange it into the starch of bread, along with trace amounts of whatever other elements you'd need. And if you were *really* a try hard, you could make some super-detailed, super-dense circle that rips atoms apart onto component bosons and fermions (quarks, electrons, gluons, etc.) and turn, say... well literally _any_ matter into bread, from air to dirt to gold to lead to plutonium to a house, literally anything by breaking it into the essential components of all matter... provided you have the mathemagic formula to do so.

[@kennethmorgan8795]

These episodes have post-credit scenes- 6, 8, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 36, 40, 42, 43, 44, 46, 48, 49. In addition the last few episodes have an altered ending with 64 (if I remember right) being full on scenes with voice lines and stuff... maybe 63 too but I can't remember for sure. Second warning on the fact that even more than other Anime avoid YT comments after an hour or two as the dicks see you're reacting, for some reason sooo many people love spoiling this show. Edit: The women in this show are just the best... Edit 2: FMA:B is rated TV-14 I believe...

[@UMadUCauseBad]

bro ill never understand the people who watch or experience something for the first time, and then choose to rob that experience from others, its such a disgusting mental trait imo.

[@nyarlathotep616]

@Macorichi it's excitement to share but it ends up wrecking the enjoyment.

[@nyarlathotep616]

this show really does have some of the best written women. Usually I cringe at the "strong female" characters in shows but not in this show.

[@foxfireespresso]

the endings of episodes 45, 54, 63, and 64 are different and there is the dubbed blooper reel after the end which is gold.

[@ImSpookd]

the ending on 63 is just the ed song with a montage of hohenheim

[@ghostdragon4164]

If you already consider this dark then you are definitely not ready for whats coming

[@tyler60904]

Dark? What can be happier than children getting closer with their dog?

[@oriolchronos]

@@tyler60904 p a i n

[@alexeysimushov4971]

@@tyler60904 SPOILER AND PAIN REMINDER AT SAME TIME! WHAT THE HELL?!

[@Grim_Kin]

​@@tyler60904 can you not?

[@nyarlathotep616]

@Grim nah he's mentally 12.

[@ClubsDeuce5150]

Grandma: "Boys, what is the one thing those books told you not to do?!" Al: "... raise the dead." Grandma: "And what did you do? Ed: "... raise the dead."

[@kyzer42]

Is that a Gravity Falls reference? Nice.

[@DutchDread]

"for what could equal the value of a human soul" And right here at the start of the show we cement the guiding thread of the story. The reason FMA:B is such a good story (or one of the reasons) is because it's a direct single cohesive story with a cohesive narratalogical message running through it. There are not 20 arcs where the final arc is barely relevant to the first. No, the story starts with a question, and ends with that question, and everything that happens between is written to facilitate that. This is a true epic, a cohesive world, a grand history, but our story is but a small part of the history of the world and because of that the world feels ancient and huge, this is a mistake most epics make where everything since the dawn of time seems to revolve around the MC (cough naruto), which makes the world feel small. But FMA:B creates a world with its own iconic rules, the rules of alchemy, that the story adheres to, and this world is written to facilitate the main themes the story is exploring. And as in all great stories that message revolves around what it means to be human, and more abstractly, what is the meaning of life. The events in this show aren't just things that are happening, they're all symbolically tied into this one question we are answering, what is the value of a human soul, and what gives it value? People think FMABs early episodes are too rushed in comparison with FMA, but I disagree, it's perfectly streamlined as we will see in the coming episodes. For now though, episode one introduces us to the world, episode 2 introduces us to our backstory, streamlined, clear, lets go. Also, note the choice that our story starts from a genius place, it's not an innocent perfect protagonist at the start of their story, our heroes have sinned, that is their story, the journey of learning and understanding, growing, and perhaps redeeming. I CANNOT wait. Edit: It was this episode that got me hooked on this show, the sight of two children lying in a pool of their own blood because they wanted to bring their mother back, the show pulled no punches as Edward cried for his brother and had his limbs ripped off. Just conceptually the story of the two brothers who committed the ultimate sin to feel their mothers warmth again, is one of the strongest set-ups in fiction that I know, and the story does not disappoint with where it takes it. If you haven't yet, I recommend reacting to the "brothers" ost for FMA, sung in english by edwards VA, which tells the story of the two brothers search for forgiveness. Edit2: Some details to point out: In the initial flashback 10 years ago Ed and Winry talk about her parents, but in the second flashback, 4 years ago, Winry says they're dead, so she too has been suffering with loss during the same time as the boys. Also, in the white room with truth you can see symbols on the door behind Edward. These are the pathways of the sefirot, which in jewish gnosticism indicate the different aspects of god. This is often interpreted, especially in storytelling, that by traversing the pathways you can become a perfect being, aka, a god. This also ties into the alchemical concepts of the "philosophers stone", which is said to be the perfect material, and was historically believed to be able to turn lead into gold. Which is thematically linked to the idea of going from being human to divinity. There is a story archetype there that is pretty common, but I don't think I've ever seen it done better than in FMA:B, and it calls back to the same question I asked earlier, what does it mean to be human, what is the meaning of life, and what does it mean to be a perfect being? To reach enlightenment?

[@EG-cm5th]

underrated comment. I love that you were able to type this much about the show without giving away any spoilers, and the info you gave is cool and interesting. :)

[@lordfrz9339]

100%, a continuous story that has a conclusion.

[@ClubsDeuce5150]

7:37 There is an outtake out there where Al's actor shouts "FUCK YEAH" instead of "yay stew". One of many reasons you should watch the blooper reels when you finish the show. 😂

[@nyarlathotep616]

Let him watch the show and enjoy the outtakes at the end

[@EG-cm5th]

Yeah. I can never see that scene the same way again, hahaha

[@OrdinaryCritic]

@@nyarlathotep616no! Let us spoil everthing. Yay.

[@iloveyt123]

That's one of my favourite lines ever

[@kirodos]

"Chimeras huh? FUCKING SWEET!"

[@mopa3141]

About their ages: Ed is now around 16, he was 11 when 'that' happened and 12 when he was accepted as a state alchemist. Al is one year younger than him. And about the rating of the show, I think it was 16 or 17 years plus

[@silverstonecat4702]

No I think Wendy ask al and he said ed 15 and his 14

[@mopa3141]

@@silverstonecat4702 Oh, okay. Thanks for the correction ❤️

[@abarette_]

It's regular shonen, pretty sure it would be categorized under 13+

[@mopa3141]

Just checked it on MAL, it's R-rated, so 17+ (Probably for the gore)

[@santiagovaldez8286]

So about your point of there not being equivalent exchange: - The materials were used in creating the mother's body - Alphonse's body was the payment for semi-creating a soul for the mother (it still failed, but got surprisingly close) - Edward's leg was the payment for seeing the Truth - Edward's hand was the payment for putting Alphonse's bodiless soul back together and move it into an armor.

[@diesesphil]

Trust us! This Show has so many Twists and turns, dark moments that are always followed by some silly jokes. Also very lovable Characters and a damn good Story. There is no way you'll regret starting this show!

[@GOTGames]

I watched episode 4... I regret it 😂

[@diesesphil]

@@GOTGames most infamous scene in all of Anime pretty much 😬

[@JDP5127]

@@GOTGames That made me genuinely laugh. (Because I know the pain, not laughing at you.)

[@Xercodo34]

@@GOTGames It's a rite of passage to the anime world. It's something that is referenced and teased all the time in other media in a sort of "if you know, you know" kind of dark humor, which of course always elicits a "oh you're terrible, how dare you" kind of response.

[@lidyarahmah6307]

​@@GOTGames oooohhh noooo😂, but here ur official welcome to FMA roller coaster. Episode 4 is FMAB's fans official welcome ceremony😂

[@ciara2892]

While the beginning of FMA: Brotherhood is brutal and tragic, the story itself is overflowing with hope, imo. It’s just such an intricate and well-crafted series… it deserves all the love it gets. It’s still my favorite anime and I’ve literally seen over a thousand!

[@giboit.]

An interesting detail about the events of this episode: As it was explained, the position of state alchemist is highly coveted among alchemists in general (despite having to work for the army) due to the amount of access to classified information and funding that they can get for their personal research. I wanted to point out this because it helps to explain something: The reason why Roy Mustang delayed his scouting process/visit to Ed and Alphonse because when he heard the rumors describing "how brilliant the Eldric brothers were", his first thought was that they were like two 30 year old men and that the rumors about their talent were being greatly exaggerated in an attempt to get scouted. He got REALLY surprised when he arrived to where they lived and found out that "the Eldric brothers" were just a pair of kids. Because of this, after clearly seeing their immense talent (and their tragic mistake) he knew that he needed recruit them. However, it's also implied that this was also his way to make amends in a way because he probably would have been able to stop them from attempting human transmutation if it wasn't for the fact that he delayed his visit to them. Which is why the flashback happens right after Hughes (Mustang's friend) asked him why he decided to recruit them. By the way, when they attempted human transmutation: The human transmutation didn't work because they didn't have something that could be equivalent to a human soul. Alphonse lost his body and in exchange they got that thing that was there instead of their mother due to the failed human transmutation. Edward lost his arm in exchange for the knowledge required to use alchemy without needing a transmutation circle. And with his new knowledge about alchemy he sacrificed/exchanged his leg to bring Alphonse's soul back from "the other side" and attached to the armor.

[@siru4334]

Since you were wondering about the equivalent exchange and the brothers' bodies, Al paid his body in exchange to use the materials they gathered and create what was found at their house. Ed paid his leg for the information he got and arm to bind his brother to the metal armor. Hope this was helpful 😀

[@duskthegamer4129]

Not really there is a different reason as to why but its a late spoiler

[@siru4334]

Huh, seems I need to get back to the later episodes again. Been a while so I must have forgotten something then. Thanks!

[@thetalantonx]

22:20 - When the FLAME ALCHEMIST says "there was *fire* in those eyes" ...

[@Attor715]

15:10 others in the comment section has pointed it out similarly but I wanted to provide some clarification on the give and take from transmuting their mother. The law of equivalent exchange is exactly that: a law. It doesn't look to be benevolent and kind, it looks to remain constant. In transmuting their mother, Ed and Al prepared a bucket full of ingredients (the items they listed off before they started + some of their blood) and utilized the alchemic circle to activate it. However, while those items would theoretically be enough to recreate a human being from scratch, they hadn't prepared anything to bring back the soul of their mother, which is why alphonse's body and Ex's leg were consumed. The equivalent exchange TOOK the ingredients in the bucket + their body parts and GAVE them with something vaguely resembling a human that has a soul. While cruel, it followed the law. Something was taken and something equivalent to what was taken was given back. To simplify it further, think of it like cooking. Say you're trying to make a cake. The cake requires 3 cups of flour, a cup of water, an egg, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 drops of vanilla. You use all those ingredients to create a cake. While the final form of the ingredients looks significantly different, it still is those ingredients because they came together to create something. The process of making it took away those ingredients and it gave you back a cake. Say you weren't satisfied with the cake you made, it still is the result of this process. If you wanted a better result, you'd have to remake it using a new batch of the same ingredients. The law of equivalent exchange is like so.

[@KnIf0rTITAN]

FMAB is a real roller-coaster of emotions jumping from funny to super dark.

[@D4rkn3ss2000]

Things that Fullmetal Alchemist will change the way you look them at: 1. Dogs 2. Rain 3. The way you clap your hands and snap your fingers.

[@dancook6114]

The whole equivalent exchange concept is, at a basic level, the idea that if youre using alchemy to create say a bridge over a chasm, you cant juat conjure it up from nothing. You have to deconstruct the earth and metals surrounding you and then reconstruct them into the desired form. So in most cases the thing you are 'giving' in order to gain something is the raw material that you can then reshape. To do this however an alchemist must understand the molecular structure of both the original object/material and whatever they are trying to change it into. This makes using alchemy for combat even more impressive since they are doing these complex calculations at rapid speed on the fly. This is also why most alchemists have a handful of moves that are their specialties since they can do them with much less conscious thought due to the practice (think like how mustang mainly uses flames, isaac from the first episode specialised in manipulating water etc)

[@The_Killah29]

Edward gave up all those elements in the tub, the tub, and Alphonse to make the abomination first. His leg was given in order to get a MASSIVE amount of knowledge. His arm was given to attach Alphonse's soul to the suit of armor. Those were the 3 equivalent exchanges made that night.

[@igottakickstartnow]

It’s so dark at times and there’s so much heart in this show. It’s really special. But yeah, their backstory is especially dark and sad. Like you said, it makes us root for them more. I’m so happy you’re watching this!

[@kamuyking551]

[this comment contains NO SPOILERS for the current plot] in the manga, the order of events here is a bit different. and in FMA 2003, Al is the one who narrates the explanation for the law of equivalent exchange. "humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. to obtain, something of equal value must be lost. that is alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange. in those days, we really believed that to be the world's one and only truth." originally, the 2003 anime takes it's first two episodes to cover the story of Liore (the city that was name dropped when Ed and Al were on the train) and what happens there. I won't elaborate for now, but suffice it to say, this becomes important because all throughout the first two episodes, we get ominous hints as to what happened to Ed and Al. we see Ed's metal limbs, and Al's hollow body... someone recognizes this as the consequences of attempting human transmutation. the confrontation isn't very kind... Al mentions that all they wanted was their mom back. in the third episode, the whole thing is a flashback to what happened, told roughly through Al's perspective of the event. we get a lot more time with Trisha in that episode... and early on, we actually see Winry on the day she learns that her parents died. Pinako comments on how awful the military is... as though trying to convey this to the kids, because the war is responsible for robbing them of their family, and Pinako feels very strongly about this. later, when Mustang arrives, Pinako kicks him out swiftly, and we don't have to ask why. but back in that moment, when they receive the letter and Winry is crying, Ed tries to tell her that everything will be okay... but Winry just lashes out, yelling at him. of course he can say that... he still has a living parent. this part is so ironically cruel in hindsight, because it makes the boys cling to their mom even further... though Winry was young too, and she could never have known what was coming. this also leads to Ed commenting, even at this early point, about how there might be a way to bring people back through alchemy. it's a misguided attempt at comfort, and it doesn't go over well, but you can see the way he's already thinking in terms of solutions, even though things like grief are better handled through sympathy. Al highlights this by asking Ed to imagine what it must be like to lose someone so important... what it would be like, if they lost their mother. they already can't stand to imagine it, and they run back to her, just to reassure themselves that she's safe. much later, when she falls ill, we learn that whatever disease Trisha Elric had, she'd been keeping quiet about it for a long time. probably because she knew there wasn't a solution, and she didn't want to waste the rest of the time she had with her boys by filling it with worry. we also see that Ed sent out letters, trying to contact their dad as soon as he knew their mom was sick. Ed was already becoming increasingly angry at his dad over time for leaving them, and making his mom look so sad and forlorn so often... but he thought that maybe if she could see him again, she'd rally. the man never showed up. we get to see a lot more about how much of a pillar Trisha was in the lives of her sons, and how her absence tore a hole in everything, which tempted them to find a solution. the grief weighs heavier here. it really feels like this plan to bring their mother back is what's keeping Ed from breaking down. he hasn't really accepted yet that she's gone, so he's barely letting himself feel sad. and he drags Al out of what might've been a normal grieving process too... even the family dynamic that the Elric boys have with the Rockbells isn't enough to make up the difference. they keep their plan a secret the whole time, and become reclusive in their studies, so when it happens... it's a total shock to everyone. during the incident, you also hear Al chime in as Ed is reciting the ingredients to a human body while they prepare to begin. Al has been wary throughout all of this, but Ed has continuously brought him on board, to the point where he is now a fully active participant. it only adds to the guilt of what's about to happen. but Al still questions whether or not they have what it takes to pay for the retrieval of a human soul. what could they possibly offer that would cover something so valuable? Ed responds with realism: "what's a soul really? if you take the magic out, it's just the spark that starts life. this is our blood. from her blood. that's a fair trade." and he's wrong. a lot of the message that this part of the story is trying to convey, is that human beings are 100% unique. they aren't interchangeable, easily paid for, or replicable in the ways that truly matter. trying to bring someone back from the dead is an inherently spiritual thing... the idea that once their body stops housing them, that there's even something to be had back at all. each person's existence is created from scratch and built from their experiences, and no two will ever be the same. souls aren't like currency. they don't work this way. in terms of value... this makes them literally priceless. on an emotional/dramatic level, this establishes the value of a life. not just the ones that have already expired... but the ones that still exist. what happened to Ed and Al is what happens to a person who tries to use alchemy for something 100% impossible. what they really paid for, was Ed's entry into what he saw. just one small glimpse at the truth of the universe. it's important here to understand that Al didn't actually die that day. Al is tied to the suit of armor because Ed acted quickly. technically the first transmutation took Al's body and Ed's leg... and then Ed decided to transmute again and sacrificed his arm willingly, just to be able to tether Al to reality. this becomes important to understand going forward, as it means that what Ed is trying to do for Al and himself isn't impossible. I will also say that Ed's vision of what actually happened at the door of truth is something that other versions of the story hold back entirely, until much later. once again, in other versions, we're a bit more aligned with Al's perspective on Ed, and Ed hasn't initially told him about what he saw. Al didn't see it at all, or if he did, he has no memory of it. so for some time in the story, this part of Ed's experiences is almost a bit of a mystery in and of itself. this is something you don't often get with the main character, because they're usually the eyes through which you see the story... but because we follow both Ed and Al, we can know surprisingly little about one of the boys if we happen to be more focused on the other. in the manga, there are a couple times when this type of asymmetrical storytelling is utilized, and it's always incredibly effective.

[@lordfrz9339]

The problem with the 2003 anime is it deviates heavily shortly after the events of Liore. The original manga author is a far superior writer to whomever was doin the anime story.

[@kamuyking551]

@@lordfrz9339 oh, for sure. tbh, I agree 100%. my opinion is that the manga is the perfect version of the story, though hardest to recommend because people don't read manga as much, and it'd be especially hard to make youtube content for that. FMA 2003 has the strongest hook and adaptation of the early story, which is super important, because those foundational elements provide the bedrock on which the rest of the story is built... in terms of not just plot, but also themes and emotional connections. but then if you actually want to see the whole rest of the story, it's gotta be Brotherhood, because it actually adapts the manga's later material. really, I wish FMA 2003 could've just come out a bit later and adapted the whole manga storyline. then I think we would've had a perfect adaptation.

[@valmoer]

@@kamuyking551 But then, we wouldn't have had twice as much of excellent Opening and Endings. (And OSTs in general)

[@kamuyking551]

@@valmoer TRUE. this is such a valid point... and in all honesty, I'll take two anime and a manga, all of which are solid even at my least preferred one. I may be picky, but I can admit that FMA fans have been served very well overall. ^_^

[@dirtydirtyshisno7284]

God FMA 03 did the beginning of the show so much better even though it changes the story later down the line it’s still worth a watch, I hate that people are told to skip it

[@sophiadebar382]

Man you’re a good reactor. I’ve never seen someone actually pause and think about what they’ve said 👌

[@dragonguard666]

"Hey! I forgot! Grandma wanted me to tell you she's making stew tonight" "Fuck yeah"

[@darktail67]

"Fullmetal Alchemist just has a way of making you sad" ...oh, brother. You have NO idea how accurate that sentence is. You're in for one hell of an emotional ride.

[@valor555]

So in alchemy when they use their "powers" they are manipulating energy to change the atomic make up of things, breaking it down and restructuring it into some thing else. The "price you pay" generally is the materials you use in your alchemy. You can't create from nothing. A great bit of detail for this is when ed makes weapons out of the ground it leaves a crater behind where the material he used comes from.

[@LuminantLion]

The first episode doesn't exist in the manga, it was made for the anime to introduce the series but in doing so, it introduced characters you weren't meant to see yet, like Hughes and Armstrong

[@hellsbane666]

Ed sacrificed his leg in the initial experiment, and then his arm binding Als soul to the armour

[@Kandarako]

"this is going really fckng dark really quickly" and it only gets better/worse I love this show so much

[@nathanielrotskull2349]

As a side note, the leader of the country's title is Fuhrer and his name is King Bradley. Just in case you were confused about whether or not king was part of his title.

[@Mercure250]

25:50 I love how you can see his sword is still in its sheath, but one moment after, it's already out. Very fast indeed.

[@wolle8182]

The thing that they didnt got their mother back via alchemy has a philosophical side to it. They had the components for an average human body but what worth does life have - what whould you be able to trade for it?

[@thetalantonx]

22:55 - FMA:B and Marcus Aurelius's "Meditations" got me through rehab after spinal fusion surgery. Most people have to use some sort of crutch or walker for a while when they leave rehab after a couple of months. I *walked* out in 21 days.

[@hmmmmname]

9:51 Didn't expect "magical eagle screech" to pop up as a subtitle. Gave me a chuckle.

[@sylxeria]

Whats cool is that the diagram engraved on the door Ed's shown is an actual diagram from 'real world Alchemy scripts. In fact, in the manga/Brotherhood a LOT of the Alchemy diagrams are from real world manuscripts and such and the rest are of course inspired by them but are fully original

[@solacee4327]

I'm a little late on this, but about the Japanese honor system and Major/General and stuff, this is more or less set in a different world of Germany (hence why Bradly is the Fuhrer) - or at least Europe. That's also why there isn't as much Japanese tradition and the honorifics are almost completely based solely on military ranking. I think that's one reason the dub works so well (same with shows like Baccano where it's set in America, or Naruto because it's a completely different world) Xing would be China/east asia, and Ishval is more or less the middle east. Up north you'll kinda see a glimpse of some people way later who are essentially russians. So yeah it's kinda all based on real areas and starts a lot of political discussion

[@EG-cm5th]

Well and also the names are in the "given name, family name" order too, both in sub and in dub, which is why I was kind of thrown when I moved from this show to other anime (fmab was my first) and discovered that most of the time, the name order is flipped (aka "normal order for japanese people") when it's in sub.

[@solacee4327]

@@EG-cm5th Very True, if it was in Japan they would be referred to more often as Elric Edward instead of Edward Elric

[@neo_child]

There is no true worth of a human soul. When the Elric Brothers attempted Human Transmutation, all they offered was a child's body and part of a leg. That is NOTHING compared to trying to bring back a human soul from the afterlife. What it did bring back was a mess of body parts and flesh, no soul at all. Alphonse at this point still had a soul, just no body and Edward quickly bound the soul to prevent his brother from moving on, essentially giving him a chance to resurrect his brother since he still has that priceless soul.

[@DamonTorro]

it'll be revealed later but *spoiler* Al said he's looking at Ed from that mess of body parts and flesh. Meaning Al's soul was temporarily resides in that thing, but I'm not sure why or how tho... Possibly because part of what was sacrificed was Al?

[@sytrostormlord3275]

8:40 Teacher taugh them not only basics, but even advanced alchemy. Yet, she could never imagine these boys will do the Taboo...

[@apratimsingh1306]

ED and AL were 11 and 10 years old respectively when they try to transmute their mother, then they trained for 1 year after Ed got his automail ( the training was supposed to be 3 years long but Ed pushed himself and completed it in one year) and joined the military when Ed was 12 years old and Al was 11 years old. now, 4 years have passed when they tried to transmute their mother so they are 15 and 14 years old respectively

[@aissatousy338]

28:02 Edward is 15 while Al is 14

[@rafaelcalmon2858]

FMA does an incredible job making you care about the characters and root for them. That's why every major event tugs hard on the viewers heart. *If one connects with the characters already this early, then it means one gets the best experience watching it* 😁 In fact, I REALLY look forward to episode 3. That episode got me *immediately* hooked in Fullmetal 😁

[@WhitepawWolfGaming]

Law of Equivalent Exchange is basically the same as the Law of Conservation of Energy (which usually applies to matter as well). In alchemy in this world, you deconstruct x amount of matter, you have to reconstruct x matter into the desired form. In order to make a thing of y mass, you need to use y in material. Creating a spear takes stone from and leaves a crater in the floor. Ice or steam comes from water. A blade of blood needs blood. Seeing the Truth costs you a leg. Bonding a disembodied soul to an object needs you to sacrifice an arm.

[@sydonianthaumaturgist]

Just one interesting fact: real medieval alchemists used many symbols for writing their formulas, and autor of FMA studied lot of our real alchemy and used this knowlege, in anime you can see theese symbols in circles, and later you can see how she's using real metaphoric language of alchemy like an image of lion who devouring Sun

[@volug0110]

One thing to answer all your questions. This series is so well put together that pretty much all the questions you would have will be answered during the show.

[@sinanaldulaymi4103]

And if they don't, you just didn't pay enough attention 😅. I see a lot of people being perplexed about things that are explained in the story but could be missable if you're not focused

[@Zanzapanda]

There's not many shows that can get you to empathize with the characters as deeply as Fullmetal Alchemist. The worldbuilding and dept of plot this series brings does not disappoint, we promise!

[@MathPiHanan]

15:31 the equivalent exchange in this part is Ed’s leg for the knowledge he gained by going through the doorway to learn the truth of the universe. Technically Al didn’t die, by conjecture you can assume that he was experiencing the same thing that Ed experienced (with going through the doorway to learn the truth), but he didn’t return to the reality, so Ed’s arm was given in exchange for returning Al’s soul.

[@sytrostormlord3275]

24:21 He gave his Leg for Truth. Alphonse body was used to create that 'black thing'... Ed gave his arm, to transmute Alphonse soul into armor.

[@quartzninja]

I've seen this series multiple times. At one point, watching it was a yearly tradition of mine. Even after all that time, this episode never fails to make me cry.

[@jackpatterson7110]

The close up of the mum after the transmutation event is still firmly implanted into my brain, it's horrifying!

[@rafaelbrisolara7599]

Automail is the name of their prosthetics.

[@Brimmy21]

From the original anime it would always start with: Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth. - Alphonse Elric Fullmetal Alchemist so we kinda understood from the jump what Alchemy was

[@TofuBug24]

They gained the most important thing to an alchemist, knowledge, that's why Ed can transmute without a transmutation circle because he knows MORE (but not ALL) of the TRUTH of alchemy because of the price he paid

[@TofuBug24]

Also Hiromu Arakawa (the lady) who wrote this manga is quite crafty in her story telling. "You performed alchemy the same way teacher does!" - Alphonse. I can't believe i missed that line until now in the dozen or more times I've watched this show. Also more crazy is that thread was connected in episode TWO for Pete's sake!

[@kevinbell5674]

Ed is 15 and Al is 14. Ed became a State Alchemist at 12 and they tried to bring back their mom when Ed was 11 and Al was 10. Remember, Ed said he would get through his rehabilitation in 1 year, and he did.

[@Tayoel]

Fun Fact. The image on the 'door of the Truth' is a Sefirot as designed by the alchemist Robert Fludd (1574 - 1637). A Sefirot is an element of the Jewish qabbaláh (and the basic version of it appears in various anime) and it symbolizes the paths that men can use to reach god (and vice versa). Keep that in mind.

[@iloveyt123]

Winry: Hey, I forgot. Grandma wanted me to tell you she's making stew tonight! Alphonse: FUCK YEAH!

[@KenzieTrinityDeasy]

FMA & FMAB IS MY 2nd favourite anime of all time. I’m Edward Elric Every Year for Halloween. (Female version) looking forward to this year.

[@TheNice72]

I'm glad that you enjoy the show! FMA is one of the top 3 of my all time favorites! I just realized that I was 12 y/o when I first watched this anime with my younger brother (he's 11 y/o that time)-- it's a 2003 version, which darker than Brotherhood. It hit me and my bro really hard and gave us a huge emotional impact. We rewatched it again when we're older and got some deeper message (and philosophy elements) which impressed us so much. And I enjoy to see how would you feel too.

[@deathwisheslife]

Alphonse lost his entire body and Edward lost his leg as price for the human transmutation then Edward looses his arm as the price to bring back Alphonse's soul into the armor

[@calebgoodman3028]

They actually rushed the early episodes a bit since they went over them in the 2003 adaptation. They still did a really good job at portraying the sheer horror they go through in this version.

[@Xaravald]

Equal exchange mean you need use igridines of equal value to transmutate something. For example, you break the glass in your window. You want to use transmutation to fix it. Glass is basically made of quartz sand. So you need to know how much sand you need for your new window, buy this sand, and then you can transmutate this bag of sand to new window. That's how it works.

[@hellsbane666]

Or use the shards of glass to reform the window

[@sinanaldulaymi4103]

Or just use glass, be it from the shards themselves, or even from glass cups for example. Why make it so complex?

[@Xaravald]

That was just an example, guys! Of course you can just use other glass shards. You can use many things.

[@OmegaS-117]

You asked how old Ed and Al were. Al was 10 and Ed was 11 when they tried to bring there mother back but for the main part of the show Al is 14 and Ed is 15

[@kylewood4488-b9r]

Ed basically gave his leg to learn the TRUTH (Advance knowledge of Alchemy) while Al lost his whole body. Ed then gave his arm to get Al soul and shove it into the suit of armor he has now become.

[@fantibanti4114]

7:35 theres a funny blooper where the VA for Al said: FUCK YEAH

[@Ildun]

They actually get exactly what they "paid", those ingredient turn into lump of meat, and tiny drops of blood turn into tiny piece of soul information, which is absolutely not enough to form their mother's soul. And normally it took 40 weeks and a lot of nutrition for baby to take form, and baby take decades and a lot of resource to growth into adult, did they pay for that? As for their body part, Ed's left leg exchange for the knowledge he want, Ed's right arm exchange for the power to bind his brother's soul on armor, Al's whole body exchange for...well it is spoiler, better see it by yourself.

[@mrmxypltk]

They did get something in exchange. One of the most valuable things of all. Knowledge. The reason Ed is capable of doing Alchemical Circle free Alchemy, something very few Alchemists can do, is because of the Knowledge given to him by Truth, in Exchange for his leg. Also, pay attention to Al's line about Ed's circle less Alchemy - "Just like Teacher!"

[@assimilater-quicktips]

Spoilers

[@EG-cm5th]

this counts as a spoiler.

[@leandg455]

Such a great journey you have here! Alphonse's body was ginving as Equivalent Exchange for his mother's body (but not her soul) and one more thing that would be seen later. Edward's leg was giving as Equi Exchange for the knowledge of the truth. Edward's arm was giving as Equi Exchange to put Alphonse' Soul into the Armor.

[@NeroAl]

I’m sorry but I gotta say it for myself and others who get it. 7:36 “F!%/ Yeah!!!”

[@leorojas6390]

That was from the bloopers lol XD

[@05stapj]

If you look at the scene where ed creates the weapon for his exam You can see a slight crater where material from the ground was consumed to create the spear That's equivalent exchange

[@atthewmayeohanekay9294]

Ed and Al tried to bring their mother back, but failed because they couldn’t calculate for her soul. However, because they TRIED to reach for her soul anyway, they saw “the truth.” Truth personified gave them immense knowledge, which is why the two are so good at alchemy even at their young age, but took their body parts in return. The transmutation was SUPPOSED to be “enough raw materials to build a body in exchange for an actual living body,” but they didn’t (and indeed COULDN’T) calculate for their mother’s soul, so the transmutation instead split and became “flesh and blood in exchange for knowledge” alongside “enough raw materials to build a body in exchange for a corpse.” Ed saw less and lost a leg, Al saw more and lost everything except his soul. Ed, in an attempt to save Al, used his new knowledge to bind Al’s soul to a suit of armor. Again, he CANNOT CALCULATE for the “value” of a soul, but Al is only “mostly dead” and Ed has a shiny new brain full of eldritch knowledge, so the backlash only takes his arm instead of killing him outright.

[@wildriftgaming4906]

Ah man, I dunno what he will feel in "that" particular episode if he thinks it's dark.

[@ghostdragon4164]

Hes not ready for it. No one ever is when they go into it blind

Oh no... stop it.

[@baby_r4gna628]

Wait, my dog is missing. And where's my daughter?

@@baby_r4gna628 whyyyyy...

[@alexeysimushov4971]

@@baby_r4gna628 WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? DARK HUMUOR AGAIN! LET US REST UNTIL IT REACTION TO "THAT" EPISODE COMES. LETS US ENJOY...

[@user-ud7gv3br5d]

2:10 you cant create something without taking something else away first, so for example if you transmute an spear from the foor you will need the exact amount of material taken from the floor to create that spear. you cant create stuff out of nowhere

[@tylergaudry8050]

So Ed can use alchemy without a circle other alchemist usually have the circle already drawn somewhere for example Roy mustang has transmutation circle drawn on his gloves and Armstrong has circle drawn on his metal gauntlets

[@Chazielito]

"that guy is fast" nah man, THAT guy is a monster

[@lancexrena6825]

I forgot since I watch this anime quite a long time ago, but they didn't show the "gruesome" process for Ed getting his automail implant on his body. It won't affect the story much but imo that part is important to show us how strong Ed actually was even when he still a kid.

[@sinanaldulaymi4103]

2003 FMA definitely was more gruesome when it came to the whole Ed and Al's failed human transmutation aspect. It foreshadowed what's about to happen to Al with a glimpse of Hohenheim's armors, it revealed the creature they transmuted in an eccelently frightening way, it portrayed how strong Ed's will is when during surgery Pinako states that even soldiers scream and writhe during tthe procedure but Ed is relatively still, explaining that the pain that he is feeling is nothing compared to Al's torturous situation. Also, lest we forget the PTSD that comes with such an experience and how they capture Ed still being haunted by that throughout the story.

[@robinroy965]

Its a story of two brothers. Hence BROTHERHOOD

[@djmidori]

From death note to full metal alchemist brotherhood, Luke sure got a big surprise.

[@nerddwarf]

7:37 "Yay! Stew!" **remembers the bloopers** lol

[@Caleb_XIII]

Either japanese, english or german - all synchronizations are so good of this anime. I missed it, so I will stay for it :D

[@Ed1s0n_K]

Edward Elric in ep 2 is 15 years old and Alphones Elric is 14 and I can say Ed is the youngest alchemist he knows how to use alchemy better because of that door when that door is destroyed he is useless and why Al can’t do that is because he doesn’t have a body to use it on ( and there is more unfolding on the future

[@YukiFubuki.]

2:19 the idea of equivalent exchange is that you can only reconstruct something of equal value so in other words if someone wishes to create life, they can gather the atomic/chemical elements for alchemy to craft into a body sinces we do know the chemical make up of a human body but what can they exchange to grant it a soul? In terms of extending life I can imagine they can simple substitute materials to keep the body rejuvenated but they would need to keep on doing this constantly as the body is never in stasis and is always inching closer to death 3:26 yes as hinted in the first ep theyre looking for the philosopher stone aka the sage’s stone, the lapis philosophorum etc it’s a fictional mythic alchemical substance basically the perfect substances capable of practically anything keep in mind that alchemy is a real world protoscience of sorts though it has none of the supernatural elements to it as depicted in FMA so a lot of the terms and ideas can easily be googled but in all fictitious works alchemy is always depicted as an art of manipulating matter 15:27 actually they did got what they paid for or rather Edward did, for the price of his leg and his brother’s body Ed got “knowledge” that resulted in him now having the ability to preform alchemy without using a transmutation circle and their pile of substance that would make up a human body was constructed into (a misshapen mess of) a human body because they didnt have an equivalent to a human soul so they got the next best thing that they could get yet was still equivalent to what they could provide and lastly to bring Al back binding him to a suit of armor Ed sacrificed his arm which is why Al’s voice sounds so young, Ed sounds like a teen because he is a teen at 15 years old and is still growing but the hilarious juxtaposition of a child’s voice in a giant hulking suit of armor is becuase Al’s growth has been halted every since that event forever stuck at 10 24:44 you missed Al’s smug look on his face when winry said Ed is gonna be stuck with her for as long as he has to use an auto mail, he clearly shipping the 2

[@damirdukic]

This series is actually not divided into seasons. It's even hard to divide the story into arcs, since the borders between "arcs" sometimes seem to be very fluid. The only abrupt bump in the story continuity is between the episodes 14 and 15, and that's because the first 14 episodes are showing the events already shown in the earlier 2003 adaptation (in which the story later diverged from the manga). However, those events covered in the earlier adaptation are shown in this series in a rather condensed way, skipping over some key events and moving the Elric brothers' back story flashback to an earlier point.

[@sahaakhiyat3703]

Actually they get ENOUGH things from God/Truth for their sacrifices. You will learn what later in the show. Just to clarify. Edward lost his left leg and Alphonse lost his entire being for breaking taboo. Then Edward sacrificed his right hand to at least take back Alphonse's soul and bound it to armour. Remember it. Later you'll have to guess a lot with the main characters what the hell actually happened on that day.

[@xt-421]

One of the best experiences in Anime is watching FMA for the first time. The next best is watching someone else watch it for the first time. Thank you so much for sharing these videos - I can't wait to see your reactions as the story progresses!

[@azurepulse1870]

You're right on the money, his brother's body and parts of his own were traded away so that Ed could see 'the truth' and even if he couldn't retain it all, he came out of it knowing how to transmute without a circle.

[@animeamm]

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood loves to just punch you in the feels.

[@yareth_v]

I remember a lot that when I saw the story behind their bodies for the first time I was very impressed, I wanted to give them a hug. There'il be dark moments during the plot, but you'il love the brotherhood relationship they both have, it's a beautiful bond!!!!

[@commentary2378]

Every FMA episode: "HELLOOOOOOO you AMAzin', BEAUTIFUL people!" Awh that's so wholesome The fuck 💀

[@Ocara115]

Fun fact: Both the FMAB sub and dub share voice actors with the Attack on Titan sub and dub. It's crazy the talent that goes between so many shows

[@Isaacellobo]

I can never hear "Grandma wanted me to tell you shes making stew tonight!" without laughing after the blooper reel

[@XioriFall]

I think the original video is in square ratio like in 3:4. but the player setting is on fit screen bit it fite the side but the bottom and top part got cutted out. maybe try google how to fix "fit screen" or ratio setting on the stream site you're watching.

[@championcorrine]

When riza was talking about protecting someone she is referring to mustang. The two have a very close work relationship

[@tempusspiritus]

This series is dark which is oddly why it’s probably so well loved. It hits you in the feels. As you guessed his seeing “the truth” even though he can’t recall all of it cost a big price and is considered an equivalent exchange for his leg and Al’s body. The truth makes Ed overpowered as it’s rare not to need a transmutation circle. He also to clarify lost his arm because he gave it up to put his brother’s soul in the suit of armor not as a price for attempting human transmutation/seeing the truth. Automail is their term for artificial limbs aka Ed’s arm & leg.

[@VadBlackwood]

I believe the trade went like this: the whole of Alponce was traded for an attempt to resurrect their mother. They did get something in return, it just wasn't at all what they wanted and expected. The attempt, crossing this forbidden line, got Ed to the Door. The leg was traded for a glimpse behind the Door, a glimpse of infinite knowledge. Then Ed offered his every remaining limb to get Al back, and his arm was traded for Al's soul.

[@The_Void_Alchemist]

I didn't know this for the longest time but his title is 'fuhrer' and his full name is 'king bradley'. First name is actually king.

[@jaredmyers4506]

7:37 SPOLIERS Its weird hearing this part without thinking Alphonse is going to say FUCK YEAH

[@Yorunotawa]

About how alchemy works: In order to get something, something of equal value must be lost. It's like a shortcut for manual or chemical labour. In order to make it work you need a series of elements: All ingredients that will conform what you want to create (you can't make a cake without eggs, flour, etc), the image of what you want to make, energy (this one will be explained much later and is actually key) and the knowledge of how everything in it works (the molecular conformation of all elements, what can you divide or combine and how, down to every step and middle states). The knowledge is usually embedded like any physics or chemical formula, written. All said information (formulas) are combined into a circle, which acts as an embodiment of the knowledge and canalizes it. That's why alchemists are so rare, they're basically the culmen of scientific knowledge. You need to UNDERSTAND everything to make it work, so much studying is needed. Ed doesn't need the circle because all that knowledge is deeply engraved into him by the Truth after going through the Door, but there's more to it and you'll find out while watching. This should give you a hint of how extraordinarily intelligent both Ed and Al are at such an age.