Personal Note: Things are looking up!

[nebroadwe]

We survived the first Triduum service yesterday evening, and this morning I woke up to episode 1 of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, legally available in the U.S. practically on top of its Japanese release. If this is the future, I like it. I enjoyed the opening scenes, with their foreshadowing of future concepts, very much: the night view of Central from above down to the array being drawn on the sidewalk, and then the prominent placement of the map of Amestris on the Führer's office wall. On another visual note, they used a lot more SD this time around; I'll be watching how they integrate that into the drama with skeptical attention. I'll also be waiting to see how they fold the explanation of what MacDougal was up to into the larger plot. (His death was very awkwardly animated -- c'mon, Bones, this is not like you.) The pace of this episode felt a touch forced, as plot axiom after plot axiom was ticked off (e.g. everyone mistakes Al for the Fullmetal Alchemist, Ed hates being called short, he doesn't get along with Roy, Roy is useless when wet, Ishbal was a horror show, Armstrong sparkles, Ed's not paying attention to the larger situation in Amestris, etc., etc., etc.) but I suspect the intent is to skim or skip most of the manga's establishing material and move as quickly as possible to the parts of the plot not covered by the first version of the anime. But the voice acting was quite nice: it was good to hear Romi Paku and Rie Kugimiya return as Ed and Al, but I also enjoyed Hidekatsu Shibata as King Bradley and Kenji Utsumi as Armstrong, as well as everyone else. Next up: backstory, including our first glimpses of Winry! Can't hardly wait ...

Of course, the very next thing I encountered was a weather report, confirming that we're going to have rain this afternoon. Rats. We've got a leak in the choir loft that drips ugly, sticky, reddish glop in wet weather; also a window that won't shut and blows damp breezes right down my neck. I guess we'll just have to offer it up, as my mother would say.

Comments

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

Well, there was the bit in the OP with young Hohenheim, too. :-)

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

You mean the Cutter-from-Elfquest-lookalike? *grins*

Yeah, on second or third reconsideration, a lot of "tried and true" was shoved into this first episode, but I also agree with Dana - that they're not hooking new fans, they're reminding old ones. There was certainly enough dash and action to keep my attention and as I said, from being terribly, terribly worried, I'm now kind of excited.

Winry's treatment still makes or breaks it for me, though. And I get to see her for my birthday! *bounces in delight*