FMA: The Brotherhood Diaries - Episode 9

Ani-Gamers staff writer Ink contributes a weekly column in which he examines the differences between the original Fullmetal Alchemist and its re-telling, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. To read previous entries, click here.

The FUNimation video portal is down at the moment, so no image just yet. Sorry!

Watch Episode 9 - Created Feelings

Initially the most noticeable difference between this episode and its FMA1 counterpart is that we start off with a much less sulky/belligerent Al and an awesome visual involving a little girl and her wind-up automaton bouncing against his hollow legs. There’s also some beautiful animation in a bathroom involving three mirrors, Al, and Number 66.

Once Al does find his inner tantrum, there’s some impressive animation during his tirade about being a false/constructed soul. But aside from that bit of animation, the little bit of deviation from FMA1 here hinders the depth of Al’s inner conflict. Up until now, there’s been some good reiteration of Number 66’s suggestions, but any effect has yet to be truly represented...until this outburst, where Ed is not impaired at all and hasn’t been. (So why hasn’t he split paths with his brother sooner?)

FMA1 was much more slyly written. It had Al waiting for his brother to fix him, so he sat there, forced to stew in his own insecurity and said nothing until he had a chance to escape. Much more desperate, much more believable...much more like a child/teen. An interesting twist, though, is that Al does not run away after he delivers his accusations to his brother...Ed does! With a smirk on his face, Ed walks out of the hospital room and leaves Al to Winry’s wrench-like fury. It’s also Winry who relays how Ed feels concerning Al’s disembodiment, asking the question he wanted to ask but never could. Albeit different, this was quite a touching scene.

After Winry’s inspirational beating, Al heads out on the hospital roof for a sparring match with his brother, and a memory sharing session follows fast. This cures all between the two brothers and completely negates FMA1’s plot device used to find the hidden Ishbalan refugee camp and dig into their side of the so-called “rebellion.”

Most of this episode follows FMA1, with little differences here and there, like the age (and duly noted behavior) of the Hughes’ daughter – 3 instead of 4 – and the forcing of a complete stranger to buy a gift for her. Also missing is Ed filling in Hughes on the Homunculi and his experience at Lab 5, which would set off the final Hughes episode, which, by the preview is next episode.

But before we close out of this Brotherhood Diary: one final note. As mentioned before, there is no secret Ishbalan camp discovered as of yet; instead, we go back a couple FMA1 episodes to the slums just outside Eastern, the camp where displaced Ishbalans are caring for a Scar freshly washed up from the sewers from his fight with Lust and Gluttony.