Giving up your portal is the perfect answer in my opinion. Truth gave humans Alchemy, a power similar to god, except, while god can create from nothing, alchemists must exchange something of equal value. So you cannot use this power to gain more power, because that's not equal. Recreating a soul with all it's experiences and connections is not a power that alchemy allows. So to take back something that was taken, you need to give back what was given. Lots of stories present questions that seem to have no answer, and when the story concludes they offer answers such as "love" or "my friends," that seem shallow in my opinion. This impossible question has a very satisfying answer. Because it feels very real that if humans are given a miracle, wealth, power, etc. then It's their nature to never give it up. However, realizing that happiness is sometimes found in the aspects of life that can't be taken, bought, or won, you coud be willing to unburden yourself of the gifts you thought were your greatest asset. How could you love another fully, if part of you is dedicated to holding onto power.
Thank you! I enjoy writing as a past time and FMAB is my favorite completed work of fiction. I love seeing reactions and yours has been really nice. Looking forward to the finale!@@FantaxxiaTV
It works perfectly thematically, though I'm not entirely sure how Ed knew the Gate was something he could barter, or how he knew it would remove just his alchemy as opposed to his higher cognitive functions, or that he could barter in the first place, as Truth usually set the exchange rate.
Ed has seen the truth, he has passed through the Gate, he is a gifted alchemist, and is seen many times studying extensively and exclusively on the subject of getting Al's body back. I think he has earned figuring it out. Also, when Ed origionally bound Al's soul to armor he said something like "take my leg, take my arm, I don't care, just bring my brother back." So maybe bartering was always on the table, the arogance of alchemists who attempt human transmutation just meant that they assumed they could do it without a personal loss. Ed and Al collected all the elemental components of a human body and some DNA and assumed that was enough, but couldn't imagine the cost of creating a human.@@vincegalila7211
@@vincegalila7211 I always assumed that he worked out that the gate was uniquely his because he saw that Al had one of his own with a different appearance. Given that it was his, it's only natural that he can barter it just like he can any part of his body or his soul. As far as knowing that he wouldn't lose his higher cognitive functions, there's just no reason to think there's a connection between the portal and that part of him. He had the ability to think before ever opening his portal, so he'd naturally be fine without it.
my favourite part is when ed says "I'm just a simple human, who couldn't save a little girl not even with alchemly." talking about nina, it shows how hard they truly took that lose
I think she was the catalyst in showing Ed & Al how easy it is to be corrupted by the idea of power. Hence why they were so averse to using philosophers stones after they found out they were made up of human souls. I think the Nina interaction shaped a lot of the choices they made throughout the rest of the show
Wondering if you noticed the ironic endings to all the homunculi: Lust = literally burned out Gluttony = was consumed Envy = killed themself after being exposed and humiliated Sloth = exhausted his stone fighting all out Wrath = ultimately accepted death, at peace with the life he led Pride = was reduced to a helpless infant Greed = sacrificed himself for his friends
I really love that moment of vulnerability Ed had with his father. Until now he mainly showed anger and bitterness toward Hoenheim for leaving him, but here we see Ed revert back to the little boy who is so sad and terrified of losing the people he cares about. 😢
Don't feel bad for crying! I have watched this anime so many times and I still cry in this episode! And that's coming from a guy who rarely cries. That's why this anime is so good!
A few things i like to point out. All the homonculi met ironic deaths, obviously, but Greed was the only one that chose to. Ed didnt have to draw the human transmutation circle but did so with a smile because it was going to be his last transmutation. Ed realized what Truth wanted was for humans to be content with being just a human. Giving up alchemy was the ultimate humility. If you go back to episode 2 when they open the portal, Truth looks disappointed in Ed for wanting to seek the knowledge inside his portal. Also, Greed and Hoenheim's death never fail to make me cry.
Not just to be content living as people, but to care about one another. Father sacrificed people to gain knowledge and power, and Ed sacrificed knowledge and power for people.
Each Alchemist having their own portal is right. You see the different paths in the patterns on their portal. ...which is why the Dwarf in the Flask had a completely blank portal. Never truly grew.
@@FantaxxiaTV There are many ways to reach the truth. Mustang found it in the fire of war. Edward has a more traditional tree, the upside down one where the root of the tree is at the top. Aphonse has a more intricate one. I'd love to see Slave 23s
Something I think is a really good detail is, waaay back somewhere in the beginning of the series, Ed declared that he wasn't going to kill anyone. AND HE DIDN'T. He may have beat up plenty of people but he never took anyone's life, up until he literally beat Dwarf in the Flask. That is the only life he ever took. And like, totally valid here. Also there's a really cute short comic that I am so sad they never animated, showing Hohenheim and Trisha meeting in the afterlife. And he sounds so happy that Ed actually called him 'father', even if he did punctuate it with 'stupid'.
If you want more Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood content there are the "koma theater shorts" which have been dubbed. They're animated versions of the authors funny shorts they'd add at the end of each Manga volume.
One more episode to go! I hope you have a refill of tissues! You're going to need them! ... I can't believe even a reaction vid of this show was still enough to make me swell up! That's the amount of emotional weight this show has on me that it can still do that ... This is why it's my best goddamn anime choice of all time.
I had not seen the dubbed version, that was actually pretty good! If you end up watching One Punch Man, the dub really doesn't do the last 2 episodes justice. The Japanese voice actors are TOP NOTCH in that show. Although, I've heard some people say that reading the subtitles can really take people out of their enjoyment zone, so I get if you prefer dubs over subs ^.^ PS I really enjoyed your commentary. I also cried when I watched this. Everyone is just so damn sweet and good T_T
Alchemy is a real thing by the way. It's not this kind of magical power, but there is a lot that can be learned from it. Carl Jung, a very important man in the field of psychology, put it very well when he wrote: "Alchemy is interested in the fate and manifest redemption of the substances, for in them the divine soul lies captive and awaits the redemption that is granted to it at the moment of release. The captive soul then appears in the form of the ‘Son of God’ [the Philosopher's Stone]. For the alchemists, the one primarily in need of redemption is not man, but the deity who is lost and sleeping in matter.” This is basically what the show is about. Ed is very prideful in the beginning, and rejects any notion of god even after seeing the Truth. Ironically, his portal is covered in the Sefirot; Symbols depicting the emanation of creative forces from the Divine Will. Ed's character arc revolves around overcoming his pride and setting aside all of his own desires for the sake of others. In doing so he realizes that it is his bond with all of these people that matters most. Without them, the world would not have been saved. The alchemy was nothing more than a tool. So when he faces Truth again he gives up the power which was the source of his pride, and he does so for the sake of his brother, whose portal depicts a real alchemist's formula for the philosopher's stone. Ed frees the Truth within himself, which is also a part of himself. Note how as the Truth says its final goodbye, its voice becomes the same as Ed's. It's a sort of reconciliation with God within one's own soul. In contrast, the Homunculus fails because he rejects the struggle. He refused to seek the answers and instead opted to consume anything and everything he could in a misguided path to becoming god himself. I could talk for hours about all the alchemical symbolism in the show. The dragon being used as the symbol for their nation, the symbolism of their eyes and hair being gold, the eclipse as a reference to the alchemical wedding; It's all worth looking into yourself. It's not nearly as complex as it might sound or seem. “The real mystery does not behave mysteriously or secretively; it speaks a secret language, it adumbrates itself by a variety of images which all indicate its true nature. I am not speaking of a secret personally guarded by someone, with a content known to its possessor, but of a mystery, a matter or circumstance which is 'secret,' i.e., known only through vague hints but essentially unknown. The real nature of matter was unknown to the alchemist: he knew it only in hints. In seeking to explore it he projected the unconscious into the darkness of matter in order to illuminate it. In order to explain the mystery of matter he projected yet another mystery - his own psychic background -into what was to be explained: Obscurum per obscurius, ignotum per ignotius! This procedure was not, of course, intentional; it was an involuntary occurrence.” - Carl Jung
While I can’t respond to all of this, I will say that this show is truly a work of art from start to finish. Every choice was intentional and had meaning, whether that meaning was overt or not. And a lot of it is up to interpretation, which is what makes discussing this show so freaking fun 🥰
The main theme of the show is the acceptance or denial of truth. Al losing his body was the consequence of the brothers not accepting that their mother was dead and he is only returned to his body when Ed finally accepts the truth that he never should have tried to play god and is rewarded with the return of Al's body. On the other hand, Father was unable to accept the truth that he was not superior to humans and was punished for it.
7:30 Incredible callback to the last opponent Ed called a novice and another guy who was foolishly trying to 'play god' all the way back in episode 3 - Father Cornello.
The series may follow the brothers.... but Hohemheim was the actual hero of the story ... tragic past, self-sacrificed his time with his wife and sons to save hem and stop the homunculus, set up the counter offensive over time, and protected them during the final fight.... He was Amazing
this is probably not following the authors train of thought, but i prefer not to think that there was a "right" answer. the white void beyond the gate is a metaphysical space filled with metaphysical things. Ed's gate is literally a part of himself, and it's a "thing" as much as his arm or his leg. I would argue that Ed got a raw deal trading his gate for Al, who not only still existed/wasn't dead, but whose existence was metaphysically tangled up with Ed's (you might call it a discount). Resurrection is impossible because you're trying to create a whole person, with their physical selves and metaphysical selves. Alphonse is already alive and whole to begin with, you just have to drag him out.
None of this changes the symbolism. You don't need it to understand and recognize how cool and fulfilling the outcome is. I don't know if Ed or Arakawa (the author) were thinking of it this way. But I appreciate that my ability to interpret it this way makes it cooler for me than it otherwise would have been. And that's all it is: an interpretation.
comfort doggo did a wonderful job during this video! also: can't wait for the final episode. it's so so so so beautiful ♥ (i doubt that counts as a spoiler, right?)
16:26 well, it‘s not *quite* that. Technically, All traded all of himself for „the ability to understand alchemy so fundamentally that he doesn‘t need a circle“. Ed traded his leg for the same thing. [He traded his arm to pull Als soul out. Al traded himself to pull eds arm out.] So trading Eds ability to understand alchemy on a fundamental level = all of Alphonse. Their mother is dead, she was never possible to be revived.
If you usually react to the “Jujutu Kaisen” or “Frieren :Beyond Journey's End” , ”AOT”, it will be played more. 🔥 You will not regret watching any of these animations. If you have already seen it, I'm sorry.
@@NotActuallyFullmetalI loved the OG series 😭 there where so many cute and heartbreaking moments that those who watch brotherhood will never see cuz brotherhood takes up after the manga 😭 (Rose being impregnated by gang rape after she met Ed and Al, once they left and that smaller war broke out she was attacked and as a result being a mute (but as we see in the shambala movie and human Al meeting her baby boy was so precious) - Edward helping her regain her voice 😭😭😭😭)
honestly it was just a lot of me crying and not reacting much because i couldn't stop crying lmfao. also i got copyright struck so i had to trim out some of the parts with music. tho tbh i dont know what you mean about emotional parts being left out. there might be some things that didnt get included but i think all the major stuff was there? and definitely all the stuff i actually reacted to. if you want the full full reaction it's on my patreon
yeah i was disappointed she skipped so much from al deciding to sacrifice himself up until ed was randomly telling father to get up. Honestly not bothering finishing, why cut all the emotional bits?
Please watch code geass next, it's one of the greatest anime's ever made next to full metal and death note and all three are always being compared! It's the eventual next step! It's 50 episodes and has one of the greatest writings and storylines of any art form ever!
Giving up your portal is the perfect answer in my opinion. Truth gave humans Alchemy, a power similar to god, except, while god can create from nothing, alchemists must exchange something of equal value. So you cannot use this power to gain more power, because that's not equal. Recreating a soul with all it's experiences and connections is not a power that alchemy allows. So to take back something that was taken, you need to give back what was given. Lots of stories present questions that seem to have no answer, and when the story concludes they offer answers such as "love" or "my friends," that seem shallow in my opinion. This impossible question has a very satisfying answer. Because it feels very real that if humans are given a miracle, wealth, power, etc. then It's their nature to never give it up. However, realizing that happiness is sometimes found in the aspects of life that can't be taken, bought, or won, you coud be willing to unburden yourself of the gifts you thought were your greatest asset. How could you love another fully, if part of you is dedicated to holding onto power.
love love LOVE this
Thank you! I enjoy writing as a past time and FMAB is my favorite completed work of fiction. I love seeing reactions and yours has been really nice. Looking forward to the finale!@@FantaxxiaTV
It works perfectly thematically, though I'm not entirely sure how Ed knew the Gate was something he could barter, or how he knew it would remove just his alchemy as opposed to his higher cognitive functions, or that he could barter in the first place, as Truth usually set the exchange rate.
Ed has seen the truth, he has passed through the Gate, he is a gifted alchemist, and is seen many times studying extensively and exclusively on the subject of getting Al's body back. I think he has earned figuring it out.
Also, when Ed origionally bound Al's soul to armor he said something like "take my leg, take my arm, I don't care, just bring my brother back." So maybe bartering was always on the table, the arogance of alchemists who attempt human transmutation just meant that they assumed they could do it without a personal loss. Ed and Al collected all the elemental components of a human body and some DNA and assumed that was enough, but couldn't imagine the cost of creating a human.@@vincegalila7211
@@vincegalila7211 I always assumed that he worked out that the gate was uniquely his because he saw that Al had one of his own with a different appearance. Given that it was his, it's only natural that he can barter it just like he can any part of his body or his soul. As far as knowing that he wouldn't lose his higher cognitive functions, there's just no reason to think there's a connection between the portal and that part of him. He had the ability to think before ever opening his portal, so he'd naturally be fine without it.
my favourite part is when ed says "I'm just a simple human, who couldn't save a little girl not even with alchemly." talking about nina, it shows how hard they truly took that lose
I think she was the catalyst in showing Ed & Al how easy it is to be corrupted by the idea of power. Hence why they were so averse to using philosophers stones after they found out they were made up of human souls. I think the Nina interaction shaped a lot of the choices they made throughout the rest of the show
12:05 Way, way back in ep 13, Greed's first episode and one of his first lines: "Name's Greed, and I want to be your friend."
Talk about foreshadowing
Had never noticed
Wondering if you noticed the ironic endings to all the homunculi:
Lust = literally burned out
Gluttony = was consumed
Envy = killed themself after being exposed and humiliated
Sloth = exhausted his stone fighting all out
Wrath = ultimately accepted death, at peace with the life he led
Pride = was reduced to a helpless infant
Greed = sacrificed himself for his friends
I think Lust said it herself... she was killed by a handsome man. Her attractions didn't seduce him. He rejected her entirely.
“I believe it’s through the power of anime…” he’s got the power of anime AND god on his side
LMFAO truly
16:45 - I think there's some poetic beauty, on how moment Greed stopped being greedy, and had his greediness satisfied, he cease to exist.
If Ed bringing up Nina wasn’t enough to already bring me to tears, that ending may as well have had me bawling.
I really love that moment of vulnerability Ed had with his father. Until now he mainly showed anger and bitterness toward Hoenheim for leaving him, but here we see Ed revert back to the little boy who is so sad and terrified of losing the people he cares about. 😢
Don't feel bad for crying! I have watched this anime so many times and I still cry in this episode! And that's coming from a guy who rarely cries. That's why this anime is so good!
A few things i like to point out. All the homonculi met ironic deaths, obviously, but Greed was the only one that chose to. Ed didnt have to draw the human transmutation circle but did so with a smile because it was going to be his last transmutation. Ed realized what Truth wanted was for humans to be content with being just a human. Giving up alchemy was the ultimate humility. If you go back to episode 2 when they open the portal, Truth looks disappointed in Ed for wanting to seek the knowledge inside his portal.
Also, Greed and Hoenheim's death never fail to make me cry.
Greed dying selflessly is rather ironic
Not just to be content living as people, but to care about one another.
Father sacrificed people to gain knowledge and power, and Ed sacrificed knowledge and power for people.
Each Alchemist having their own portal is right. You see the different paths in the patterns on their portal.
...which is why the Dwarf in the Flask had a completely blank portal. Never truly grew.
oh i didnt notice that!! that is super cool
@@FantaxxiaTV There are many ways to reach the truth. Mustang found it in the fire of war. Edward has a more traditional tree, the upside down one where the root of the tree is at the top. Aphonse has a more intricate one. I'd love to see Slave 23s
Something I think is a really good detail is, waaay back somewhere in the beginning of the series, Ed declared that he wasn't going to kill anyone. AND HE DIDN'T. He may have beat up plenty of people but he never took anyone's life, up until he literally beat Dwarf in the Flask. That is the only life he ever took. And like, totally valid here.
Also there's a really cute short comic that I am so sad they never animated, showing Hohenheim and Trisha meeting in the afterlife. And he sounds so happy that Ed actually called him 'father', even if he did punctuate it with 'stupid'.
Make sure to watch all the credits on the last episode, some nice Easter eggs there.
If you want more Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood content there are the "koma theater shorts" which have been dubbed. They're animated versions of the authors funny shorts they'd add at the end of each Manga volume.
One more episode to go! I hope you have a refill of tissues! You're going to need them! ... I can't believe even a reaction vid of this show was still enough to make me swell up! That's the amount of emotional weight this show has on me that it can still do that ... This is why it's my best goddamn anime choice of all time.
This was my first anime ever as well. I remember watching it on adult swim or toonami. I’m glad you’re watching it!
I had not seen the dubbed version, that was actually pretty good! If you end up watching One Punch Man, the dub really doesn't do the last 2 episodes justice. The Japanese voice actors are TOP NOTCH in that show. Although, I've heard some people say that reading the subtitles can really take people out of their enjoyment zone, so I get if you prefer dubs over subs ^.^
PS I really enjoyed your commentary. I also cried when I watched this. Everyone is just so damn sweet and good T_T
The very first Ed cross the door ended up saying "the answer is here" and now at the end he said about the door: "it led me stray"
16:00 the answer is that love and friendship is more important than power.
Alchemy is a real thing by the way. It's not this kind of magical power, but there is a lot that can be learned from it. Carl Jung, a very important man in the field of psychology, put it very well when he wrote:
"Alchemy is interested in the fate and manifest redemption of the substances, for in them the divine soul lies captive and awaits the redemption that is granted to it at the moment of release. The captive soul then appears in the form of the ‘Son of God’ [the Philosopher's Stone]. For the alchemists, the one primarily in need of redemption is not man, but the deity who is lost and sleeping in matter.”
This is basically what the show is about. Ed is very prideful in the beginning, and rejects any notion of god even after seeing the Truth. Ironically, his portal is covered in the Sefirot; Symbols depicting the emanation of creative forces from the Divine Will. Ed's character arc revolves around overcoming his pride and setting aside all of his own desires for the sake of others. In doing so he realizes that it is his bond with all of these people that matters most. Without them, the world would not have been saved. The alchemy was nothing more than a tool. So when he faces Truth again he gives up the power which was the source of his pride, and he does so for the sake of his brother, whose portal depicts a real alchemist's formula for the philosopher's stone. Ed frees the Truth within himself, which is also a part of himself. Note how as the Truth says its final goodbye, its voice becomes the same as Ed's. It's a sort of reconciliation with God within one's own soul.
In contrast, the Homunculus fails because he rejects the struggle. He refused to seek the answers and instead opted to consume anything and everything he could in a misguided path to becoming god himself. I could talk for hours about all the alchemical symbolism in the show. The dragon being used as the symbol for their nation, the symbolism of their eyes and hair being gold, the eclipse as a reference to the alchemical wedding; It's all worth looking into yourself. It's not nearly as complex as it might sound or seem.
“The real mystery does not behave mysteriously or secretively; it speaks a secret language, it adumbrates itself by a variety of images which all indicate its true nature. I am not speaking of a secret personally guarded by someone, with a content known to its possessor, but of a mystery, a matter or circumstance which is 'secret,' i.e., known only through vague hints but essentially unknown. The real nature of matter was unknown to the alchemist: he knew it only in hints. In seeking to explore it he projected the unconscious into the darkness of matter in order to illuminate it. In order to explain the mystery of matter he projected yet another mystery - his own psychic background -into what was to be explained: Obscurum per obscurius, ignotum per ignotius! This procedure was not, of course, intentional; it was an involuntary occurrence.” - Carl Jung
While I can’t respond to all of this, I will say that this show is truly a work of art from start to finish. Every choice was intentional and had meaning, whether that meaning was overt or not. And a lot of it is up to interpretation, which is what makes discussing this show so freaking fun 🥰
Greeds death got me teary too😅
The main theme of the show is the acceptance or denial of truth. Al losing his body was the consequence of the brothers not accepting that their mother was dead and he is only returned to his body when Ed finally accepts the truth that he never should have tried to play god and is rewarded with the return of Al's body. On the other hand, Father was unable to accept the truth that he was not superior to humans and was punished for it.
yay bloopers! I'd also like to see a reaction to FMA 2003 as well when you get around to it, i don't think any reactors i watch have done that yet.
7:30 Incredible callback to the last opponent Ed called a novice and another guy who was foolishly trying to 'play god' all the way back in episode 3 - Father Cornello.
The series may follow the brothers.... but Hohemheim was the actual hero of the story ... tragic past, self-sacrificed his time with his wife and sons to save hem and stop the homunculus, set up the counter offensive over time, and protected them during the final fight.... He was Amazing
this is probably not following the authors train of thought, but i prefer not to think that there was a "right" answer. the white void beyond the gate is a metaphysical space filled with metaphysical things.
Ed's gate is literally a part of himself, and it's a "thing" as much as his arm or his leg. I would argue that Ed got a raw deal trading his gate for Al, who not only still existed/wasn't dead, but whose existence was metaphysically tangled up with Ed's (you might call it a discount).
Resurrection is impossible because you're trying to create a whole person, with their physical selves and metaphysical selves. Alphonse is already alive and whole to begin with, you just have to drag him out.
None of this changes the symbolism. You don't need it to understand and recognize how cool and fulfilling the outcome is. I don't know if Ed or Arakawa (the author) were thinking of it this way.
But I appreciate that my ability to interpret it this way makes it cooler for me than it otherwise would have been. And that's all it is: an interpretation.
comfort doggo did a wonderful job during this video! also: can't wait for the final episode. it's so so so so beautiful ♥ (i doubt that counts as a spoiler, right?)
he is the best emotional support pup!!
16:26 well, it‘s not *quite* that. Technically, All traded all of himself for „the ability to understand alchemy so fundamentally that he doesn‘t need a circle“. Ed traded his leg for the same thing. [He traded his arm to pull Als soul out. Al traded himself to pull eds arm out.]
So trading Eds ability to understand alchemy on a fundamental level = all of Alphonse.
Their mother is dead, she was never possible to be revived.
If you usually react to the “Jujutu Kaisen” or “Frieren :Beyond Journey's End” , ”AOT”, it will be played more. 🔥
You will not regret watching any of these animations. If you have already seen it, I'm sorry.
if no one told you!!!!! The voice actors for Roy and Mommy Lust are married in real life --hehe mommy and daddy
Why did my mind immediately think “tiny miniskirts?”
@@NotActuallyFullmetalI loved the OG series 😭 there where so many cute and heartbreaking moments that those who watch brotherhood will never see cuz brotherhood takes up after the manga 😭 (Rose being impregnated by gang rape after she met Ed and Al, once they left and that smaller war broke out she was attacked and as a result being a mute (but as we see in the shambala movie and human Al meeting her baby boy was so precious) - Edward helping her regain her voice 😭😭😭😭)
Wearing that Fenty huh 🤔 your makeup looks flawless for someone who’s been crying 😭 ❤️🙏🏽
❤
I hope you watch Demon Slayer next because it has the same vibe and i think you'll love it
Now it's time to find the og which became an alternate story, careful though it's so much darker.
where is the death note finale?
it's going up today at 5pm EST :)
after 64, the time for hunter x hunter! lets goooo!
Damn episode 63 was butchered pretty bad on this edit. A lot of the important emotional stuff you cut out and skipped over.
honestly it was just a lot of me crying and not reacting much because i couldn't stop crying lmfao. also i got copyright struck so i had to trim out some of the parts with music. tho tbh i dont know what you mean about emotional parts being left out. there might be some things that didnt get included but i think all the major stuff was there? and definitely all the stuff i actually reacted to. if you want the full full reaction it's on my patreon
yeah i was disappointed she skipped so much from al deciding to sacrifice himself up until ed was randomly telling father to get up. Honestly not bothering finishing, why cut all the emotional bits?
Please watch code geass next, it's one of the greatest anime's ever made next to full metal and death note and all three are always being compared! It's the eventual next step! It's 50 episodes and has one of the greatest writings and storylines of any art form ever!