Episode 11

Aired 20060512. The Other Brothers Elric part 1. Original title, The Land of Sand part 1.

This and the next episode are a two-part series based on novel instead of manga.

1. With the tip from Clara, Ed and Al go to Xenotime, a depleted gold mine.
2. The brothers save a girl Elisa and learn from the towns people that it is no secret Mugear is trying to produce the Philosopher's Stone.
3. Everyone wishes to bring back the gold with it.
4. The brothers reveal their names and are treated like criminals.
5. Imposers using their names are already working with Mugear.
6. The brothers sneak into Mugear's mansion and have their first encounter and battle with the imposers.
7. The fake Ed has the Red Stone and can transmute without a circle.
8. The Red Stone is an imitation of the Philosopher's Stone.
9. The younger imposer brother, Fletcher, develops a friendly relationship with Al.
10. Fletcher's father was also an alchemist before he died and his brother only cares about completing his father's research on the Red Stone.
11. Lust seems to be controlling Mugear.
12. Ed and Al sneak into the mansion again and find a stream of Red Water, which is the source of the Red Stone.
13. The Red Water is also toxic and causes the coughing illness around town.
14. Fletcher knows this and tries to stop his brother.
15. The two Eds break into battle and the commotion draws the guards.

It's a well-written episode with a good balance of action, gag, and most of all, mystery and suspense. The imposer brothers are like a mirror of the Elric brothers. Hmm... talking about brothers, there're a lot of brothers in this series besides the Elrics. The Tringham brothers, the
Ishbal brothers, Scar and his brother... Of course that must be part of the theme.

Discrepancies...

• As usual, Al's acting is pitiful. Even Fletcher's acting is bad! There's no sense of emergency in his voice when he gets Ed and Al out of the Red water room.
• When Al asks Fletcher if he notices lots of people are coughing, he says yes. When Ed askes Al if he's seen the fake Ed, he says yes too. But the translation both turn into no, making the boys into lairs! That's the opposite of the original again! I don't get it! Why did they have to do that?

However, there IS one place that I think the English dub wins. The conversation is slightly different in the scene after Ed regains consciousness from passing out in the Red Water room.
Fan sub:
Fletcher: "I'm... I'm sorry!"
Ed: "What? Why are you crying?"
Al: " If you know something, Fletcher, please tell us. You don't like doing this either, right?"
English dub:
Fletcher: "I'm... I'm sorry!"
Ed:"What are you sorry about? What did you do?"
Al:"No, Fletcher, it's what you didn't do, isn't it? If you know something, tell us. I get the feeling you don't like what's going on here."
Somehow this "what you didn't do" line adds to Al's character and makes him more mature. A positive case like this is extremely rare. (As I've said a hundred times before, mugging with the translation usually alters the character's personality, in a negative way.)

OK that's enough. Shots to look at:

Wow... really extreme camera angle. But doesn't this look like your face is right up against Elisa's butt?
















Funny faces! And it's equal opportunity for both Al and Ed! (Al is especially cute in gag form!) Hey he blushes too! Huh? How can a suite of armour blush??? Naaa it's OK as long as it's cute.
And... Poor Ed gets mad a lot! The directer likes to snap between normal face and gag face with no transition. I don't really mind it, but it will probably look better with 2 or 3 in-betweens.


This punch is a bit weak and too short. It looks like Ed blocked it successfully. It took me 2 viewings to realize Ed's swollen cheek is from this.




Wow, you hardly get to see Lust wearing a cute outfit!







How does Belcio know where the brothers are??? Other then that, excellent composition and depth of field.






Al is using the blanket??? Does he really need to???




(Sorry, no picture for this one.) To think of it, shouldn't Al be the one who deal with the Red Water? Since he shouldn't be affected by it. It's not very convincing to see Al do nothing about the fight.

Japanese sites spying time: (^_^)
The review of episode 11 at Yoo's blog Fuuyuu.
The review of episode 11 (page 1 & page 2) by Saori Amano at Egaoni Aetara.