Chapter 108 - transmutation circle

* Spoiler alert. *

This has been bugging me for a few days. Ed doesn't need to draw transmutation circles ever since he saw the "truth". So why did he draw one?

At first I thought it was just for the show. Just to be dramatic. It is to tell the readers (and the other characters in the scene) that Ed is about to perform human transmutation.

He's drawn a circle only once before, inside Gluttony's stomach. It also happened to be a human transmutation circle, which served the purpose of explaining what he saw at the Xerxes ruins to Lin and Envy (and to the readers). But this one, felt very strange, as there is no obvious need to explain anything.

Then of course, after reading chapter 108 n times, it dawned on me. He needs the circle to get back because he gives up all all his ability to transmute in front of the gate. Without the circle, there is no path to come back.

It all makes sense now.

Wow, there is neither junk nor waste in the plot. Arakawa, you did plan it all out with the greatest care. I salute you.