So I heard about Maria Lin’s harsh criticism of Full Metal Alchemist on Matthew’s shoutbox, and I figured I’d take a moment to address her arguments. First off, I want to say that I consider Full Metal Alchemist to be a very very good anime series, although not necessarily the best I’ve ever seen. Maria, however, contends that:
No sorcerer’s stone can save Ed now. It’s time to stop gushing this anime’s praises and take a serious look at the fatal flaws in Fullmetal Alchemist.
Quite a bold statement indeed! Naturally, the first reading of the article aroused some immediate defensiveness, but Maria does actually make quite a few good points. Where I would disagree with her is in her belief that these are “fatal flaws” in the series, and that the series as a whole is ” just no good”.
I concur that the later episodes had much sloppier writing than the first half of the series. It’s clear that the plan was to finish up the story with just enough resolution so that the movie could tie up loose ends and give viewers the “real ending”. This has happened before, and it is difficult to judge FMA before the movie is released. As for the various plot elements designed just to squeeze some tears out, well in some cases it’s true. However, several of the deaths affected the plot and the development (it was there!) of the characters. Mustang, for example, was a different man in the end than he was in the beginning; the main reason for this change being the death of his friend, Hughes.
One of Maria’s main problems with FMA is the plot. Maria states that “The plot is all about [Ed] fighting the homunculus to get the magic stone that will let him ignore the laws of life and do what everyone else can’t.” I disagree with this. The story is not about the Stone; rather it is about Ed and Al each trying to restore the other’s body. When you look at the actions of the Elric brothers once they have the Stone, you realize that the Stone is merely a means to an end. It also ties into one of the central themes of the series, that of brotherly love.
As for the various plot holes that Maria points out, many of these are nitpicks. I agree that some parts of the story, such as Rose’s baby, are not really that important and don’t necessarily make sense. But others, like Envy’s disguise and Nina’s situation are important and relevant. In Envy’s case, of course he would disguise how he looked. Envy clearly hates everything about Hohenheim, and since Envy’s true form looks so very much like Hohenheim (and Envy’s major talent is appearance shifting), why would he want to see that image staring back at him in the mirror every day? Turning to Nina, she is important because Tucker represents the damnation of alchemy for alchemy’s sake. Again, when you realize that the Elrics’ main goal is not to get the Stone, you see the importance of Tucker and Nina. Tucker’s willingness to toss his conscience aside for his goal differs from Ed’s decision to find another solution upon discovering the nature of the Philosopher’s Stone. This essential juxtaposition would not be possible without Nina’s demise. Furthermore, powerful stories like this one are what make the FMA plot so intriguing and well crafted.
The other major quibble Maria has with FMA is in the character development. Maria contends that none of the characters change. In the beginning, Ed is willing to go to great lengths to obtain the Stone that will restore his brother. He is willing to do anything, even be a “dog of the military.” If younger Ed were offered the opportunity to create the Philosopher’s Stone by sacrificing criminals, it’s not certain how he would have reacted. Even when he later turns down the chance, it is a difficult struggle with his conscience. Many of the sub-stories within FMA serve to teach Ed about the consequences of his actions, and it is not until the end that he learns which consequences he can and cannot accept. This gives meaning to his long journey and the many, many people that he meets, as each one encapsulates a difficult situation without a clear solution.
I will admit that the ending of FMA was a bit shaky; however, I do not believe it is unsalvageable. While the mystery of the gate is left unexplained, Ed and Al’s separation does fit in with the central plot and themes of the series. Although the ending is too weak to stand on its own, I will reserve judgment until the movie is released, to see if everything is wrapped up skillfully. I think the storytelling was too strong in the beginning of the series to write off the ending immediately, and would go so far as to say that even with a shaky ending I would consider FMA a very good anime series. Anime is not in the same genre as fiction writing, and thus cannot be judged in exactly the same way. I found FMA to be extremely entertaining, and to me that is the only way to measure if a series is “good” or not. Maria proclaims that, “When you have an anime like Fullmetal Alchemist that sets out with such a heavy purpose and tries so hard to have some meaning, those elements are the only things standing between a masterpiece and a piece of crap.” Masterpiece, maybe, but imperfection is not the same as worthlessness. Maria does make some good points, but when I think back to when I watched FMA, none of those points made me feel I didn’t enjoy it, and none of those points would prevent me from recommending FMA to a friend.
Anyway, to everyone who read this whole thing, let me know what you think. I would recommend you read Maria’s article first, as an uneducated response doesn’t really help matters. Moreover, I want to say that Maria’s article is very well done, and that rather than say “Damnit, FMA sucks!” she brings up evidence that is either true, or at least debatable. It’s important to approach hit series with a bit of skepticism, but I feel that FMA is worthy of the praise that it gets. Yes, it might not hold up to Hemmingway and Dumas, but if that’s what you’re judging every anime series against, then there aren’t many (if any) series that are worth watching.
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Sorry, dropping by briefly. When I watched the first 10 episodes, I thought, “This is a HELL of a story.” And as a result I was actually scared the death because I could see this going the route of the Matrix, in other words, putting in such a kickass premise as to be unable to tie anything up. The first Matrix movie put out such mind-blowing concepts that I wanted it to end right there. Unfortunately, my fears were played out to the max with that trilogy, but enough of that. With FMA I was similarly afraid, but while the series put me at a high point by episode 10, by episode 20 it put me higher, and so on.
There are a lot of questions to be answered, that is true, but I much prefer strings untied than hastily and inexpertly knotted. Which was why I was more or less happy with the ending. I could see from the get go how the Philosopher Stone, while a major plot mover, could end up hobbling the series, and while it didn’t result in the most satisfactory conclusion, I felt the author really did a decent job by throwing in the “physics” of the gate to counter the problem.
All in all, when it comes to a fictional world of alchemy, the author did a great job setting up the rules and etc. And I don’t mean this as a cheap shot, but I would like to see Maria dream up something like this. At the least, I wonder how she would have resolved the story.
>> Yes, it might not hold up to Hemmingway and Dumas, but if that’s what you’re judging every anime series against, then there aren’t many (if any) series that are worth watching.
I think your statement there pretty much sums up the whole matter. The value of an anime series should be based on the enjoyment derived instead of a classical literary rubric.
The article aims to “debunk” the common perception that FMA is an anime masterpiece, rather than presenting a balanced analysis of the series. In reading the article, my gut feeling was that Maria was just irritated at the excessive hype that surrounds FMA (along with its overly-zealous proponents), and needed to let off some steam through the medium of online journalism. After all, she wouldn’t be an anime watcher if she was a stickler for worthy literature. Case and point – she gives a positive review of Bleach.
In all fairness, I often feel the same way about Naruto when the overabundance of Narutards starts getting to me, but that doesn’t detract from the series’ addictiveness and fun.
Exactly, I think you’ve hit it perfectly Ender. It’s one thing to be annoyed about an overhyped series and another to say it’s bad and that it’s unwatchable trash. I also think it’s unfair to penalize a series for setting a high bar for itself.
True, true — I was also disappointed by the ending (everything after the Philosopher’s Stone seemed rather anticlimatic), but still, there’s no real reason to utterly condemn a series based on its hype.
Word to Ender’s Bleach argument
That’s a good article that brings up some valid points. Hmmm.
Admittedly the story in the FMA anime was much better in the first ten-odd episodes. After episode 25, it seemed to decelerate, somehow. I ended up following the manga instead, seeing as the art is unique, the story is going in a pretty opposite direction from the anime, and more humour is retained without sacrificing the serious undertones. The anime became MUCH too serious. Even all the jokes about Ed’s shortness disappeared.
There are very few series that include or excel at all the things in the “small list of what makes Western literature so great” (10 things is small? x.x). Full Metal Alchemist should be applauded for even trying. As stated before, anime != higher literature. You can’t condemn a work just because it tries to be more than its peers and somewhat fails; criticizing is fine, but don’t condemn it. In my opinion, FMA is a great series. This kind of reminds me of my opinion on Air; while I feel that it failed in a few places I still think the series was one of the best just because it introduces aspects most shows do not. While it fails in places, it also greatly succeeds.
Ms. Lin’s argument would have been easier to swallow if it wasn’t writen in the tone of a anti-fanboy. While some of her arguments are indeed valid, that fact that she seems like she’s just criticizing FMA “because its popular” greatly weakens her argument. The entire disclaimer about “criticizing an anime that seems to have the whole world singing its praises” is totally unnecessary. Perhaps she still has a few things to learn from her accredited English teacher.
Rainey’s point on the uber-serious nature of FMA (in latter episodes) is *exceptionally* astute — just to tie in with this, the ending of FMA seems much more book-like (i.e. the ending of an alternate dimension & whatnot seemed straight off some HP Lovecraft/Chluthu excerpt), and less like a typical long-running anime epic, with chibi jokes and super-deformed characters.
In opposition to Ms. Lin’s article, I want anime to stay the hell away from norms of English literature — I’ll take stupid humor and slapstick over an ultra-melodramatic ‘classic Gothic’ ending any day ~_~
I wonder what Maria would think about BakuTen. You know, I just wanted to throw that out there.
I think Gonzo could really give Hemmingway a run for his money! ^^d
After I finished viewing the whole 51 eps of FMA which took me 3 days, I searched frantically for sequels (which happens to be none at the moment). Ah..the movie and I came across this editorial by Maria Lin. Let’s be honest here. If we’re fans of FMA, we would be offended regardless whether it’s constructive criticism or not.
I suppose everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. But I was very disappointed that one would finds flaws to depreciate an anime like this. Ai. I should stop myself before I type even further.
I’ll agree with Mecha Nickel (I hope I get this right coz I clicked from one link to the next and I tried to find your name on here. If I’m not wrong, you’re the author of this blog?) that FMA is not about the stone. Geez….it’s brotherly love!!!!
are they making a 3rd seeason
i would have to agree adscion’s idea that FMA’s first few episode set a grand setting, and a more just complex story, no its not just your everyday happy anime, it deals with numerous problems and vice versa, values. The first few episode, including their mother and nina’s death and their unfortunate attempts, clearly depiect some of the crucial emotion. It was serious, sad, and thought provoking. FMA really makes you think does end really justify the mean, how much are you willing to give to gain, and how much people are willing do to satisfy, and finally, how much freedom must be sacrificed for order. All those are themes of the story and ties closely to the plot. It really comes down to how much are you going to dig the story.
Now lets take a step back, other the philsophical ideals that are present, the anime itself is nothing short of brilliant, it has excellent characters, Ed isnt your typical “saving the day hero”, he has weakness, he has flaw, he feels the pain, the anger, the compassion that we human feel everyday. Al is also a great character, he plays a crucial role in maintaining Ed’s stability, his easy going personality calms the much more hot-headed Ed. Moustang represent a powerful concept, he has power, he even said it himself, you cant make changes unless you have power and position do to so. Hughes on the surface provide some comic relief, but he is a very complex character, he is observant, he tires to overcome his lack of alchemic powers, and his death marks one of the most powerful moments. He give his life for his belief. These are just some of the outstanding characters.
Furthermore, the anime is artistically well done, the animation is excellent, the action are justified, the music was nothing short of wonderful.
Now granted there are some weakness in the story, like the last 10 episode was rushed, and becoming a little linear and granted the ending was not as grand as the opening, but think about it not everything goes out in a blaze of glory.
I think FMA tries to achieve what anime series rarely have done, and it set a great score and it is justified to say it is a milestone, not a masterpiece true, but fantstic nevertheless.
P.S. I think the manga mend alot of the minor flaws that the anime have, highly recommanded.
I could not agree more! Hell yeah, it’s good. But the movie was pretty unsatisfying y’know? I mean, it’s hard to get into because it takes place after World War 1, and it leaves everybody in suspense at the end. And, I’m not trying to be critical or anything, but the series is something that, you just have to see every last bit to understand just where the hell it’s at. Most importantly, why don’t they just take a big weapon, blow a hole and get back to Amestris. Then, they could just tell someone on the other side to close the doors, then they’d throw the bomb in, and quickly shut the goddamn doors! Seriously Arakawa! Quit leaving everybody in suspence! It’s pissing us all of!
You are all right. Fullmetal Alchemist rocks. But the series is hard to get into, and they don’t show enough. I’m not going to be crtiical though. By the way, they’re not making a 3rd Season. Finally, I would just like to say this:
EdxWinry, LingxRose, FatherxDante, PsirenxRussel, and…
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL SHUT UP! (Especially you Navi!)
Also, Ed should have totally been promoted for “being killed in action”. Yeah!
All hail…um…gimme-a-sec…
….
…
….
….
… … … LIEUTANANT GENERAL EDWARD ELRIC!
One last thing. I have a theory.
Since Hohenheim was born on Ed’s side of the Gate, but spent the last days of his life on our side, do you think that instead of becoming used for alchemic energy, he just limboed in the Gate for all eternity with Envy?
Finally, can anyone imagine Dante kissing Hohenheim? Seriously, just…OMFG! Never mind!
i am going to try to paste something. Let’s hope to ” this works. I’m censoring that because it’s the religious c-word, you know?
link
Yes! I established a link!
Oh, FYI, this is a character I made up for FMA.
Name:Portgas Dean Mustang
Rank:Major General (posmuthly double promoted for dying in the line of action)
Reason for Death:Killed by the recently created, Red Stone fed Envy.
Age:Unknown, technically over 400.
Title:Crimson Bullet Alchemist / Portgas of the Inferno
Reason for Title:Used alchemy to create beams of explosive plasma by using gloves made of extreme static charging ignition cloth gloves. When armed with a Red Stone during the war in Xerxes, his power became 100 fold what it normally was, blowing up entire ciities and winning the war in seconds. Specialized in flame alchemy.
Past:Was a fellow student alongside Dante and Hohenheim. Had absolute zero interest in the Philosopher’s Stone.
Beat up Hohenheim for killing the remnants of Xerxes’ inhabitants, again for leaving Envy his living sin behind instead of killing it, and stuck up his middle finger at Envy before his death and yelled: “Hohenheim! Dante! I hope you bastards can hear me! I’ll come back! You’ll see! And I’ll kick your ” asses you sons of bitches! Do you goddamn here me! I’ll see you in hell!”.
Present:When accidently pulled from the Gate instead of Hohenheim, he instantly recognized Ed and Al as Hohenheim’s sons and began immediatley to beat them up yelling: “That sonofabitch! I can’t wait for him to watch as I tear his sons apart limb from limb!”. Later, Roy Mustang met up with him, proceeding him to ask:
“Portgas DEAN MUSTANG? THE Portgas Dean Mustang? Portgas of the Inferno Mustang? That Portgas Dean Mustang!”. Upon answer, Mustang proceeded to yell: “I FREAKING IDOLIZE YOU MAN!”.
Personality:Similar to Roy Mustang’s. He’s a God complex, hates terrible wars, and wants to become Furher. He has said to Havoc: “That’s a stupid question Lieutanant. I say it because I know it to be true, and when I’m Furher there WILL be changes. That day, all female officers will be required to wear…TINY TRANSPARENT MINISHIRTS!”.
I think Maria, and partly the person who disagreed with maria are missing the point.. Maria doesn’t liek the plot because she didn’t undestand the plot.
FMA served a few purposes, and this is also why it’s so well liked, it one addressed key issues, we as humans value, and attempted to shed light on them and offer a new perspective.
While i feel there was lacking in the series, namely toward the end and not tieing all the strings together, even if you include the movie… there was some definite substance, and many parrallels in the show.
Number one the true understanding of exchange and why it wasnt’ equivalent… Number one this had nothign to do with it drawing power from the other side of teh gate.. It was trying to explain that just because oyu trade an equal amount of energy doesn’t mean it was equivalent.
Meaning a human life has X energy adn you can transmute it into something else.. but it doesn’t mean it was a fair trade..
Ed studies for with X energy and understand Y amount, whic is more than other people.. the laws of conservation of energy applied in both scenarios but really the trades, as in teh value of trades we’ren’t equivalent. And thus the idea that there i no such thing as “fairness” this equivalent exchange.. why else do yuo think hohenheim used such weird examples when explaining this to Ed… Ed was caught up on the mechanics of it..
basically if you watn to do anyrhign in life you have to go through this exchange…
The second point of the series showed two different lifestyle between Scar and Ed.. Scar had a similar drive as Ed, probably more so because he fought for his people, not just for the death of his brother.. but Scar was willing to do anything, for this revenge, he was willing to kill people to forge the stone…
Al served to be the middle guy, who tries to be neutral and trusting, while Ed was the skeptic, and clearly took a side over the other… You note that Al asked Scar if he was a human.. and scar told him yes, why ask scar? Because from Ed’s world view at least the way he was explaining things, didn’t allow enough room for Al to really percieve himself as beinga human as oppose to thing, a concoction of Ed… who looks at things in this mechanical way. Ed overall did believe there was more to being human than the matter…. and it goes back to that.. at the beginnign Ed again wanted to trade equal matter to get his mom back… and he realzied that he made something out of the same stuff but it wasn’t the same. again with this idea of equivalency.. there doesn’t exist equivalency in the world… on the energy level yes, but on teh value level no.
As for Ed not changing, well he did change somewhat, but what didn’t change was his fundamental goal, which is to undo what he did wrong. To get his brothers body back…
The entire show fundamentally boiled down to this idea of equivalent exchance.. you remember on the last episode, the intro was saying somethign like, back then we only thought there was one truth/one law and that was of equivalent exchange, but we note they were talking about this in passed tense, as if they dont’ beleive it now.
I overall liked the series, i wish they did something to tie it up better, like having Ed and wynry figure out what was going on there… ultimately the show was just about Ed and Al, figuring out thigns and finding a path.. Ed the skeptic, and Al the innocent.
I wrote this quick so i apologize for typos.. but i thought i’d get things clear, and clarify what about the anime makes it so classic.
Also there is another thing that can make a story great, adn that is the moral of it, more specifically the message and idea it expresses, and how well it expresses it.