Movie?!?!

No, I haven't even watched the last 3 episodes. Will probably do so tomorrow when A gets a good fan sub. If not tomorrow, Wednesday. (Aww... it's past midnight... so it's "today" instead of "tomorrow".)

No, I didn't even surf the net for the past 4 days because I've been over at my brother's place, house-sitting while he took his family camping.

No, I couldn't wait when I got home. And what did I find out?

FMA movie!!!

Are you serious? OMG OMG OMG !!!!!!

Apparently, it was announced during episode 64 (the final episode).

What could the story be? Original? Fill-in-the-blanks? Past events? Ed and Al's journey to the east and west? Ed's kids? (Oh, and someone wrote, the continuation of Shambara? Yikes!!)

Can't wait!!!
(Hope they won't screw it up like the new TV series...) (>_<;)

BD

A bought the first brotherhood Bluray disk and gave me the freebie post cards. Thanks A!!

(But the back of these "postcards" are printed and don't have space to write anything! Strange...)

And I was looking, looking, looking... at all the printed info. Nope, what I hope to find is not there. Then we put the disks into the player and checked the menu. Nope, not there either. It doesn't exist.

I thought the Japanese version comes with an extra shot animation "The Blind Alchemist". But this one doesn't. I know there's at least one more short of this type that's been released. (Izumi's youth story. I haven't had a chance to search for that yet.) I suspect more of Arakawa's FMA vignette mangas will be made into animated shorts and included in the disks as they are released. In north America's case, are they planing to put together all the extra shots and issue another disk at the end? If so, they're evil!

Hmm... unless... that extra piece of animation is hidden and need a password to unlock or something. But unlikely.

Hint? Spoiler?

Holy crap! They're giving out tons of spoilers in the opening credit!
... but, who's this??? Winry??? Doesn't make sense...

So... Mustang's eyes. (Nope I won't say more. It's already in the manga.)

So... Al's soul returns to his body... But why is Winry crying?

So... the Fuhrer faces his last battle with Scar...

There is no way Trisha's gonna return. Wait... were they sleeping together??? Is this a hint on how it's gonna end???

... maybe not. There's only one pillow.

Episode 42

Somehow...

There is not enough impact when the national transmutation circle was revealed from the note book.

Same thing when the counter transmutation circle was revealed by flipping the pages.

I wanted to see the team carry Al in pieces!

It feel awkward when Al's talking but the camera was on his chest where the blood seal is. This awkwardness does not happen in manga. Hmm...

Episode 41

Poor Ed...! Ouch ouch ouch!

Gorith and Sanpano seemed a lot friendlier than in the manga...

Huh? We don't get to see Gorith hanging from a beam like an ape???

Not enough gag when Ed worried his height being shortened after he fell.

I thought the episode would end when Ed passed out from injuries, but no, it continued on until he healed himself...! Well, this is really unconventional. Even the manga chapter ended there. I guess the director didn't want to leave a killer cliffhanger? Actually... I like the killer cliffhanger!

Oct 3

(Picture has nothing to do with subject. Just an older photo which hasn't been posted.)
No, of course I didn't forget. Things have been kind of... crazy. Well, it's true that it has been a while since I last wrote any review. I've fallen grossly behind on watching the episodes. I'd like to keep up... but situation doesn't favour that. For now, though. For now.

On a special day like today, the least I can do is to drop down some thoughts.

I hope I'm wrong, but the new TV series doesn't seem to be as popular as the old one. There are many reasons...

Pop cultures are consumer products.
Trends come and go. 5 years is too soon for a remake. When the old TV series first came out, it was fresh. There was nothing like it on the market. People feast on it, had their fill and are still not hungry yet. Now it's nothing but old stuff. 10 years is more reasonable. Ending at the same time as the manga may be a good PR trick, but they should have considered all the factors. Were they overly confident? I don't think their decision is doing this piece of work justice.

The new toys suck.
It was like this last time, and I thought it would improve this time. Not! Why is Square Annex so unfair to FMA? Look at Final Fantasy!

"Moe" has been reduced.
Well, it is closer to the original manga, but the last TV series improved it by adding lots of "moe". What is "moe"? I define it as "the degree of lovable". In other word, lovableness, if it's actually a word.
Character design lost elegance and became rustic. No more pretty guys and girls.
The amount of physical and emotional pain the main characters carry has also been reduced. The more severe the pain, the more weight and substance the characters have. Which leads to more sympathy and empathy. This lack of pain is something inherited from the manga. Alas, it was what dojins thrive on in the old series.

Quality decreased.
The system of a single drawing supervisor for the whole series has been replaced by episodic supervisors. There are noticeable drawing and animation style fluctuations. Overall, you can feel the difference in quality. The old series was waaay above average. The new one is only... average. I hope this will improve with time.
The backgrounds also look really rough. It's obviously intentional. But why? I cannot understand. It's a big mismatch with the foreground characters. It shows nothing but a lack of willingness to spend more time on painting. It's simply... not loved by the staff as much as the old series.

But the biggest failure, is the director.
He cuts way too many important episodes and scenes. You can call me bias, but in the first season, his goal was to "be different from the old series" other than "to make a good show". I'm sorry, I can't read it any other way.
Dropping a few of Ed's early battles is a really bad idea. You know, the one on the train, and with Yoki. I'm sorry, but this alone cuts Ed's charm by half. Those episodes show how he kicks ass! Without them, Ed looks like he hardly wins any battle!
Whatever the director didn't cut, lacks weight. The Lior episode, the Izumi episode. And many many more "special moments" he skipped. Like Winry's apple pie in the hotel, the "linked mind" theory with Al...

Sigh... maybe I'm just not subjective enough.

This has been written over many days and posted much later.

Episode 1 (3)

Sorry, I can't help it. The official translation of the Funnimation site webcast is kind of off.

"Freezing Alchemist". "Freezing" as in "too cold"? Sounds like they're talking about Isaac being too cold! And... "Freezer"? As in "fridge"?

I guess they had to use "halt" instead of "freeze" as what cops normally say, because it's too much of a pun here. A bit awkward.

Isaac talking to himself about properties of water? Yeah, the viewers might need to know, but this is just awkward.

If it's top priority to take Isaac into custody, why did it take so long? May I ask how longs has it been since the Ishbalian rebellion ended?

Poor Isaac has no friends... I mean, what is a "war buddy"? What kind of translation is this?

Aaaaargh!!!!! There's the "brother" again! The number one failure of the last dub!!!! (T_T)

As I pointed out last time, this "hell" line is totally out of Ed's character. Sigh... (T_T)

"Don't be shy..." Since when did Armstrong became such a pervert?

What exactly was Gluttony eating? To me, he looked like he was eating air. There was no substance. Or was it the flooring?

Last, I think something was lost in translation on episode 2's title. Shouldn't it be something like "the day it all began" instead of "the first day"? I hate to say, sometimes the fan sub does a better job.

Episode 1 (2)

Here goes.
The first shot(s) that really grabbed my attention and bugged me, were the 2 shots that place the character extremely low in the frame. One for Mustang, and one for Isaac. They were done this way for a reason (that I don't know), but the excessive headroom just stand out too much to affect the flow.

Is that the first time Bradley appears? Isn't it a bit too soon? (Well, if the OP doesn't count.) He doesn't appear in the original manga (with an impact) until after Ed defeated 48! Here, there is no impact at all.

Also, didn't expect to see Kimblee this soon. This proves he's quite important in the overall plot. Hmm... he looks more feminine than in the manga.

There are quite a few instances of manga-like expressions, like dialogue bubble and text. Is this a way to give it more of a manga feel? Looks a bit overkill and awkward. Personally, I don't think it's working.
Same for Armstrong's "transformation" sequence. My, my, that makes him so scary! Then, his "weapon" of flying stone heads are even creepier! (T_T)

Hey! Al's pantie design has changed!
So is his armor neck! before there was no hook connecting the pieces. Maybe this is a preparation for disassembling in the north?

Should Ed be mad after Issac busted his past human transmutation? Hey, why is the line on his face thicker? It doesn't go too well with the colour trace on his hair. As many Japanese fans have pointed it out already, Ed shouldn't be saying stuff like you just took one step towards hell.

Cute shots... Is this the first time his funny transmutation self portrait grew hair? That "put on the coat" dance is so adorable! Being grabbed by the neck like a cat by Al is just too cute. Even a freak-out moment is comical.

Mustang has no dignity... Riza's "useless" comment works better in the Scar battle. Not enough impact here. (T_T)

The introduction of Ed's automail arm also has weak impact comparing to the Conero battle. The location here is a back alley vs a hall in the original. Staging, man!
The scene of Isaac vs Bradley is more dramatic and well staged than that. (T_T)
Again, Ed's braid seems to have grown in thickness. It doesn't translate correctly in 3D. (We should see more hair behind and below his ears but we're not.) I'm not done poking yet. More to come.

ED

This style of drawing was totally unexpected. Looks like someone was trying to slack off maybe? But I don't mind. It's super cute.

Couldn't get a good read, so here it is. Not sure about this English comic strip, though. Looks a bit out of place and lame. But I guess it takes time to fully appreciate.

Oh I just love that cat! These are the details that proves the staff are having a good time!

Last but not least, Mustang is the only one who doesn't have white eyes. (Not counting the Homunculus.)

Ah, one more thing. I though Ed can't draw? These are way too cute to be his drawings.

OP

As expected, YouTube is very quick on deleting. Sigh... (T_T)
I've read from Japanese blog reviews and know that number 23 makes an appearance in the OP, but never expect him to be in the very first shot! It was a shock. But come to think of it, he's the beginning of the whole story. So it makes sense. For manga followers like me, it feels like a huge spoiler, but it can be a nice teaser too.
These few sequences are traumatic enough to give me a nightmare. The Homunculus shot was so fast, I didn't catch enough to realize what was actually going on. Yikes! You can say, this is a bit misleading. Aren't they all separate entities? Or, is this actually hinting something?
The cast of characters. Huh? Hughes comes before Mustang? Risa, Armstrong... Hey what happened to the rest of the Mustang crew? Scar looks too heroic. That's too much of a spoiler. Showing Greed not as part the other Homunculus is also a spoiler. The shot of Ed in battle after the shot of Bradley can also be read as a spoiler.
Giving his automail back to the gate...? Is this another spoiler? Winry is gonna get mad!
Now, stuff to pick on.

Aren't they supposed to be no more than 10 and 11? But look at their elongated faces! They look like they're in their 20's!

Yes, they're the beginning and the end of the same shot. Yes, it's super zoomed in. Yes, I know it's difficult to animate small pictures, but it just looks so bad! (No one's gonna see this unless they freeze the frame anyway. Not a problem.)

Last but not least, Ed's braid seems to have grown in thickness. The base of the braid has also grown.

Episode 1

OMG! The fan sub torrents are out the day after it aired in Japan! Awesome, hehehe~! First impression of the episode, confusing!! For those who dont' already know the story, it's too much!

Busy now, will continue later.

BTW, YouTube is deleting related videos like hell. I'm posting the opening and end credit but don't think it's gonna last long.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

(Thanks Chiwasaki for the info!) So that's how they name the new series. I thought it would be a simple "2" or something. This is cool.

Simulcast and acquisition of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Full press release at Funimation.

Wow!! Simulcast? Yikes!!
Thursday, April 9 at 10:00 a.m. CT at www.funimation.com
That translates to... noon April 9. I hope the web site won't get too jammed up!

p.s. Took a look just now. That site seems to be quite complicated and I'm afraid I might get lost navigating... (T_T) And... I don't get it. FMA is not on April 9's schedule table at all?!?! Am I looking at the wrong place?!?! (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T) (T_T)

Opening theme song "Again"

Thanks Yukasuke again! Hmm... not sure if I like this. It's repetitive and boring. No punch at all. Don't like the end credit song either. (T_T)

Well, the new TV series has started showing in Japan tonight according to their time. The first episode was shown in an event the day before. I wonder when the fan subs are gonna come out... Can't wait!

End credit song "Uso" by Sid

(Uso means lie.) Not sure when this would be deleted by YouTube, but I think I'll give it a try. Thanks Yukasuke again!

New TV ad (5)

One-minute version. There is no way this was for TV. I think it was shown in the Tokyo International Anime Fair in Japan.

New TV ad (4)

Thanks Yukasuke again! (^_^)

New TV ad (3)

Thanks Yukasuke again for the link. Al... Al looks fat! (T_T) Oh well kids can be chubby. And his hair colour is now closer to Ed's. Yay~ Winry finally gets a shot! Who's that guy running towards the camera at the end? Too old to be Scar, too butch to be Kimblee. Hmm...

I'd say, the best looking Ed so far among all the ads, is in the shot near the very end. Gives me the "he's back!" feeling! Mmmm~

2nd seasons

Watched Rozen Maiden: Träumend the other day. The first season was really well drawn but this... was horrible! Not only the drawings, but the story is also crap! (Well, the drawings improved mid-series, but nothing can help the story.) Is this one of those "it will still sell with lesser quality" thing? I'm super worried about this new FMA!!!! (T_T)

And here's an interesting comparison of various fan subs. It shows the difference in translation quality.

New TV ad (0?)

Wow! Didn't expect to find it, but here it is! This is the very first ad, which the official site considers non-existing. Muwahahaha! Mustang looks so bad!!! (Yup, I'm really worried about the quality of the new series.)

New TV ad (2)

(20090301 video replaced due to removal of original.)

Before you know it, the second ad has been aired.

This time, my source is here. It's the first time I've ever been there. It's got some good stills from the clip.

This, is on my daily list. It's so funny I'd like to share her observations. Please go there to see her choice of stills. (^_^)

• Mustang's face looks different from moment to moment. (Yikes! Now I'm worried about the drawing quality!) Snapping fingers on both hands seems to be funny (but I don't really feel it). And he holds up his arms at the end like Kimblee. (Yes, I can see this as being out of character.)
• Al flashes too much! He looks much more agile then the first series.
• Ed's pupils are too small! At night, the colour tracing on his hair seems to be acceptable. But his eyebrows being traced with black, look too thick. (Yes I'm against the colouring tracing. Makes him look like an Asian cosplaying. This does nothing but waste time. If they have so much time to colour-trace, why not spend it on animation?)
  
• Armstrong... a manga-looking speed line background. Or is it cutting corners? (I'd say, cutting corners.)
  
• Hughes... The site owner supports bringing back the original voice actor for him.
  
• Hawkeye... not sharp enough, sleepy eyes! Might work well for the scene she asks the Fuhrer about his "family". She also looks too young and feels like she hasn't been through the battle of Ishbal. Should separate the age between the brothers and the adults. Not sexy enough. (Just looking at this shot, I think she's already a lot prettier than the character design on the official site.)
  
• Homunculus... gets a shot before Winry in all anime magazine! Poor Winry! (Yes, poor Winry!!!!)
  
• Lust... much sexier comparing to Hawkeye. Good staging not showing her whole face. If her lips look like this, what will Olivie's look like? (I think she's a lot prettier than the first series too.)
  
• Gluttony... nothing remarkable.
• Text... what are those numbers behind the text? Do they actually mean something? (Looking at how they trun lazy on the title and other things, I'd say, these are just random numbers.)
  
• Title... so, looks like this plain design is gonna stick. Still using the old transmutation circle from the old TV series. Can't really seen what the staff are aiming at. (Yup, I can't see anything but lazy.)

So, I'm disappointed about the colour-tracing on Ed's hair, the plain text title logo, recycling the old transmutation circle, and most of all, the quality of animation.

Actually, I was quite shocked after the first shot, Ed's signature hand-clapping transmutation pose. Comparing to the old TV series, this has absolutely no punch! I'm talking about the animation. There's hardly any bounce after the clap! Which makes Ed look so stiff! Now I'm really worried about the quality of this new series. Looks to me like the staff might think this "product" sold before, and it will sell even with less care and resource. It's a test of how much corner they can cut.

Of course, I wish I'm wrong.