Mustang visits Madam Christmas while Ed and Al resolve to recover their bodies.

Impressions:

Anyways was Scar really expecting anyone to buy the whole “disfigure to disguise” thing? I mean he’s a wanted man with a giant X on his forehead. Stealth is not exactly going to be their friend here. Not to mention they have a little girl with an even smaller panda. Would Marcoh seriously be expected to threaten their secrecy? Scar just did it because he was pissed off. Seems like the hell that is Marcoh’s life will continue on.

Well it seems Mustang is starting to get his second wind. He really took a heavy hit with losing so many of his subordinates in the latest string of events. Just about lost everything but the queen in that last round. But it appears he still has some moves to make although he has to be much more obscure or risk the safety of Riza. But appears Roy has many places he can turn to when in a pinch.

It was also a nice talk with Ed and Mustang. Ed certainly doesn’t want him or Riza to get killed. Though not sure how well the continuing to owe Mustang something will work out in the end. At least it sent the message about his feelings. They have certainly butted heads at times but that doesn’t mean they want each other to fall off a cliff. Hopefully they both get what they are after and survive this.

Definitely bad news for everyone that Kimbley is out there. That guy is completely out of his mind and not someone you want wandering the streets like that. He really would go and annihilate a town if he got the chance to. For now his target is Scar which conveniently allows for a showdown regarding the past.

We’re continuing to move along so the next episode should be pretty good.

Marcoh and Riza discuss Ishbal and the tragic truth of the past is revealed.

Impressions:

Wow this episode was pretty amazing and really threw some heavy things out there. I hadn’t even considered this part of Mustang’s plan. True that just getting the seat of power won’t change everything. If he doesn’t get power out of the military’s hands then things will never really change. Yet doing so could very well lead to his execution. No one in their right mind would do this kind of thing since it would be suicide. Yet Mustang cares so much about the country and doing the right thing. I can’t believe the incredible determination he and Riza have. For the sake of doing what they believe is right they will walk that road for the sake of those alive and those who’s lives they have taken. I really hope they find another way since they are two great characters in this series.

The past between Riza and Roy really do go far back. I was blown away that he was her father’s pupil and eventually they both joined the military. What was even more surprising was having her father’s research on her back. Well I suppose that’s a fairly safe place and she would never lose it. No wonder those two care about each other so much. They really go far back and have lost a lot together.

It was also nice to see Hughes again. A sad fate that he had to die like that. He was a good man who wanted the same future Mustang did. They were all damaged by that Ishbal event. Though suppose it proves some things never change in terms of how he was gushing over Gracia.

I guess Marcoh finally got what he wanted. He wanted to be punished for his crimes and Scar did so. He would rather die than be used again to do something horrific. It’s sad that he had to die like that alone in that cell. At least he managed to pass on what he knew and what had been done. I hope Scar does go wild on the homunculi a little bit. At the same time I hope he doesn’t survive to the end of the series. He’s just a creature of vengeance who has committed his own terrible acts. Scar won’t stop until he dies which means someone will have to take him out. I don’t know if it will be a homunculus or if that role will fall to Ed who may have to cross that line.

On a bit more light-hearted note it was nice to pull the love card on Ed like that. Poor guy was completely blown away and embarrassed by that one. Sadly unlike Winry it will probably take that guy some time to admit to himself what he really feels. Besides while Al doesn’t have his body he probably wouldn’t even consider it since he’d probably feel it was unfair. Anyways it seems that Al is getting a fan. He was really bragging about himself to May Chang who has moved on, haha.

So now the question becomes what will everyone do? Ed and Al still have their bodies to deal with, although I keep thinking Ed will be stuck like that. The whole homunculi situation is just overwhelming and then you have the hostages. In the end they just have to move one step at a time. Their bodies need to be reclaimed but also they need to gain the ability to fight back. So that means eastern alchemy is the key for them to have any chance at all.

Wrath explains the hostage situation to the Elric brothers and Ran Fan gets an update about Ling.

Impressions:

This episode can easily be described as aftermath. I mean they pretty much just dealt with what happened after such a major incident. As expected the main characters are in hell right now since they can’t really make any big moves. The homunculi have managed to take numerous hostages on them so any rash actions will mean their immediate deaths. Ed can’t even resign since Winry would be killed as the consequence. Mustang has Riza to worry about not to mention the rest of his men who are being split apart. Havoc on the other hand can’t go anywhere due to his situation and Armstrong will still be around so he still has limited allies. The main problem is Riza being so close to Wrath that he has to be extremely careful about what he does.

I was surprised but impressed with Armstrong in this one. I hadn’t considered that he had such suffering haunting him although he was part of the Ishbal extermination. You can’t blame the guy for just stepping away from the whole situation. Really he couldn’t fight against it and it has to be better than staying and taking part in a slaughter you don’t believe in. Still can understand his feelings and desire to not back away this time. People he cares about along with the people are in danger and he can hardly run away and hope for the best. Besides Mustang and the others will need all the help they can get and that guy is definitely help. Nice of Armstrong to take over for Riza so she could go to the bathroom. He was in there for a really long time and can imagine her not moving an inch until he came back out again.

Damn Wrath nearly had another body on his kill list. He just makes it a habit of stabbing Al doesn’t he? Good thing May Chang is small or she would have been killed as well. What an insane guy doing such things. While you knew it was probable it was still confirmed that May Chang is also royalty in Xing. I can’t believe the stupidity of her and Ran Fan, choosing to fight when their bodies are in such rough shape. That doctor is one frightening person though.

Think that Al will send Ran Fan over to Winry if only so she will have a little bit of protection. It was nice of Ed to make that call. It must have been a nice surprise for Winry to actually have him contact her for something that wasn’t him being in trouble. Of course it was about her being in danger, but I’m sure she appreciated it. Considering she recently figured out her feelings it meant even more for her. I’m really worried with her out there by herself although not being in Central is the best for now.

Ling proves that he really is still in there. Writing the message to Ran Fan and even taking over for an instant to yell at Wrath. He is without a doubt one amazing person. The fact that Ling is actually biding his time and waiting to take over just blows me away. I think Greed is impressed as well and doesn’t mind since he likes greed and wanting to take over that kind of body for his ambitions is one greedy thing to do.

I can understand Marcoh wanting to be killed so he wouldn’t cause any more deaths. The man has been haunted ever since for what he did. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind dying for just those sins, but also if they want him to commit even greater sins then he would obviously want death. Of course Scar probably doesn’t mind long as he gets his information. These events just get more complicated for him since he would never have considered so much being behind this.

For now it seems Ed has a path to follow. There is a chance to recover Al’s body and hopefully May Chang can teach him about Eastern Alchemy so he can still fight against that ‘father’ and the homunculi no matter what happens. These events have been amazing and it’s almost sad to compare this to the original series.

Ed, Ling, and Envy escape from Gluttony and land in the middle of enemy territory.

Impressions:

Well this situation was about as dramatic and unstable as I was expecting it to be. After all Ed and Ling did just pop out in the middle of the enemy stronghold. Though I suppose the start was a shock for everyone with that guy healing up Ed and Al. Plus his reaction really revealed his close connection to Hohenheim. At this point I suppose you could call him a twin or something like that. Either way they are both clearly not normal. From the reaction from Ling and May Chang he is pretty weird and there is something very strange about his body. Though I suppose that was obvious when he had a third eye that cried out a philosopher stone. Not to mention he’s the ‘father’ of beings that have been around for centuries. There are a lot of questions around that guy and Hohenheim. It makes sense the brothers would call themselves Elric since Ed doesn’t want anything to do with Hohenheim.

But things just got crazier as the episode went along. That guy somehow stopped Ed and Al from using alchemy. After that he turned Ling in to the new Greed. It seems he has the ability to control whether memories are transferred to the body or not. Makes sense since he recreated someone that he had destroyed earlier. On the positive Ling is still inside there somewhere. Although it would seem that only Ran Fan has any chance of getting through to him in there. I can understand him going so far and there wasn’t much of a choice anyways. I just hope that guy can be saved. The weird thing is I didn’t at all notice Ling standing with the homunculus in the new OP. Must have not been paying close enough attention.

Even Scar turned up on the scene and found out the truth about Ishbal. It kind of annoys me that he was any help to Ed and Al considering what he has done. Guess it’s a question of what he is going to do from this point on? Is he just going to keep working on killing the brothers and State Alchemists or focus on the homunculus? I guess he would go after those who started the whole thing first. Still I’m really hoping they don’t try and turn him into anything but another enemy. That Envy fired the first shot doesn’t change what he has done and continued to do since that horrible event.

It was a good thing that Scar and May Chang weren’t affected by whatever that guy did. I suppose it’s because May Chang uses eastern alchemy and Scar’s is unique as well. Whatever it was the guy did it was clearly focused on stopping the type that Ed and Al were using. Either way that guy is a major foe and is difficult to do anything against since he can just block and counter so easily.

Now I wonder what everyone will do next. Mustang has been completely blocked and against that power there isn’t much Ed or Al can do. They really could use some help here but I’m just not sure where it’s going to come from with another ally in Ling being lost. Not a great situation they are all in right now.

Hohenheim has a discussion regarding humans and humculi and past events are reflected upon.

Impressions:

Well really this can be called a recap episode done fairly well. Normally I’m not at all interested in them since really you already know the story by this point and if you jumped in mid-series this really isn’t going to tell you everything you should know. Still I think it was done well by the involvement of Hohenheim and his dream. I was honestly a little confused at the start since they showed a younger Pinako who is Winry’s grandmother. But it made a little more sense as things went on in showing the internal struggle going on within Hohenheim. The man really seems to be at a crossroad regarding whether he will try to affect things or will just leave them alone.

It links up with the questions regarding him and the father of the Homunculi. He obviously knows about their existence and the similarity in their appearance makes you wonder. It’s pretty odd simply because those guys have been around for a very long time and that would mean Hohenheim is actually pretty old in his own right. I’m also wondering whether the other Hohenheim in the dream that was more active and put down humans more was just an aspect of his mind or whether it was connected to that father? Either way I have a lot of questions regarding the past of that man. It was pretty nice near the end when the mother of Ed and Al stepped forward to give him some hope.

There was a new OP and ED for this episode and music wise I wasn’t a huge fan of them. Really they just didn’t resonate much with me and I prefer the ones they had last. It was probably a bad move to play the last ED song in the last part since it made that clear to me. Still I think it fit for the scene so I’m still happy with it. The ED itself actually had some nice visuals focusing quite a bit on Winry with some Ran Fan and May Chang. Too bad we couldn’t keep the old music and go with the new visuals.

Anyways I will be glad to move past this recap. While interesting the situation Ed and Al are dropping into is more interesting for me.

Ed figures out how to escape as Al slowly approaches the location of the Gluttony’s ‘father’.

Impressions:

I’m not surprised that the homunculi are also connected to the events at Xerses. It seems just about everything that has happened in the world is connected to these guys in one way or the other. At least it makes sense how an entire nation vanished into the night. If everyone was gone and part of the ruins was sucked into Gluttony then there really wouldn’t be anything for people to discover. I feel for Ed having to use those souls in order to escape but it’s probably better than being stuck to Envy any longer. Such a tragic existence they were enduring so it’s good that they are free now.

The ending for this episode was one of the best moments in the series. It was really dramatic to have Ed punch open that gate long enough to send a message to Al’s body that he will come back for it. If anything this adventure did confirm for him that Al’s body is still there and so it is possible to recover it. His limbs seem stuck on that being so not sure if those are recoverable but it’s not like he absolutely needs to get them back. It does seem like Al’s body is stuck there and is just waiting peacefully for it’s soul. Not sure how long it can hold out though since it was looking pretty thin.

It was interesting and somewhat disturbing to find out about Wrath’s origins. I can’t believe how dark this country is turning out as. Even going so far as to raise as number of children like that and then sacrifice them until one survived. They manipulated these kids to make them smart and powerful. I don’t want to think about the painful deaths they endured fighting against the philosopher stone. It makes you feel for Mustang since this is what he is up against. He isn’t only up against a powerful homunculus ruling the country but a nation that in the shadows has been doing such horrible things and working with them. It’s not going to be easy since he almost has to purge the entire upper ranks of the country in order to start fresh.

Anyways the fight against Envy was pretty messed up. Tough to fight against something that huge and especially when you look at the forms sticking out of him. Of course Scar and May Chang didn’t have a fun time either against those chimeras. That girl is pretty good in a fight and shows people of Xing shouldn’t be underestimated.

The next episode should be really interesting. Al is just about at the ‘father’ while Ed is quickly making his escape. Plus add in characters like Scar being nearby and this situation could get pretty crazy.

Ed and Ling try to escape from Gluttony’s stomach while Mustang has a discussion with Bradley.

Impressions:

Well this was definitely a good episode to show how in trouble the main characters are. Mustang is in a very bad position since his hand is already out in the open and his support is being cut away. Splitting up his forces is bad enough but putting Hawkeye right under Bradley means she is insurance against Mustang taking any more rash actions. There just doesn’t seem to be a chance for Mustang to make any big moves since he won’t put Hawkeye at risk. Besides with the upper parts of the military perfectly alright with what is going on there isn’t much he can do unless he plans to start a civil war.

It was an interesting episode to understand Wrath as well. The guy is very sharp and has really taken charge of things. He understands the weak points of others and will exploit them if it’s necessary for him to win. Another big thing was talking about the funeral. At the time you might have seen it as grief but instead he was really pissed off at Hughes’ daughter for crying. Reminds you that this guy really isn’t human and can’t be approached without remembering that.

Ed and Lin are hardly in a great position themselves. They are stuck in that place with seemingly no hope of getting out of there alive. Not to mention now they have Envy attacking them which isn’t going to be easy to deal with. I wouldn’t have guessed that he actually had a huge mass. No wonder he could take hits like Ed’s punch without moving. That true form is a pretty ugly thing that’s for sure. Also ugly was the revelation that it was Envy that started the Ishbal conflict. Not surprising with Envy but just sad to think of how easily he shot that kid. Plus the enjoyment of the soldier he impersonated being executed for a crime he didn’t commit. The homunculi really have their hands in everything it seems.

It does seem like everything is revolving around the gate and the truth. Gluttony was actually a failed attempt to recreate it. If that failed then it probably means their “father” plans on using the human sacrifices to open the gate for him. Not sure what the end result is supposed to be but this person was willing to cause so much pain and suffering for that goal. Al is getting into a dangerous situation though walking in there. Plus with one hand missing he can’t quickly use alchemy either. Hopefully he finds a way to get Ed out.

Gluttony goes on a rampage and faces Ed, Al, and Ling.

Impressions:

Well I have to say Mustang is right in that he and Ed are in bad places right now. Heck Mustang might be pushing towards the afterlife at the rate this is going for him. The only thing saving him is being a precious sacrifice. I didn’t expect the issue with the military to be this bad. Though I suppose it is to be expected since they were conducting experiments like that. Is it that hard to believe the upper echelon of the military knows and is fine with their leader being a homunculus? I’m just not sure how Mustang is supposed to deal with a military that is this corrupted and troubled. He is a good guy with strength, but even still fighting to the top is quite difficult with all that is up against him here.

Not that Ed is in a great spot right now either. When you wake up to a place filled with bones and blood you know it isn’t a great place to be. Seems safe to say they got devoured by Gluttony and now the question is how to get out. While Gluttony is an idiot you can be sure that no one has gotten out of there before. Well at least he failed to avenge Lust which would have meant the end of Mustang. It’s tough to deal with an opponent like him because of his insane abilities. The fire would just get swallowed up and if you’re too reckless around him then it’s the end. At least he calmed down after Envy talked to him.

This episode did make me wonder about just what Wrath is thinking. He doesn’t seem to be so interested in the overall plan that his creator is up to. Perhaps Pride was right that he has interacted with humans for too long. He seems to feel that giving the reigns over to the energetic young people is the most fitting course. Though we shouldn’t take that as to say he will go easy on people. After all he was responsible for the damage to Ran Fan being so severe. Wrath should play a pretty big role in things especially due to his position as the top person in the country.

I have to give Ling some credit in this episode. He did a great job against Envy considering that guy’s abilities are pretty good. Got to see how creative his powers can be with the snake and blade. Though his greatest weapon without a doubt is throwing off opponents with the images of those they care about.

Still I wonder what kind of role that guy Hawkeye gave to Ed will play. It’s not like he needs a firearm to fight after all. Besides against a Homunculus those things aren’t quite as effective due to the regeneration. She knows firsthand against Lust how emptying all the bullets she has won’t change anything.

Oh and can’t forget the appearance of Doctor Marcoh who we haven’t seen in a long time. Tough spot for that guy as another candidate for human sacrifice though in his case he is being held captive. Sadly the good guys have people they care about and they can be used as hostages.

Anyways can’t wait to see how Mustang and Ed try to get out of their situations.

Ling tries to escape Bradley while the Elric brothers continue their fight with Scar.

Impressions:

Well one disappointing thing was the fact that Scar got away. Oh the irony of that girl attacking the person she was searching for the entire time. Hopefully that kid gets dropped off a cliff. That guy has to be stopped and there are too many reasons for him to not be allowed to wander around anymore. It’s not like he’ll ever develop from the point he is at anyways. On the positive full points to Hawkeye for the knee-capping. Getting that shot while driving the car just shows what a great shot she can be. Too bad so many enemies in this series are pure monsters. Working for Roy Mustang is not an easy thing that is for sure.

I’m suddenly very afraid for Winry. Finding her in there with Bradley was kind of terrifying since you know what he is. Even her getting away for now isn’t all that comforting. Since at some point they could use her as a bargaining chip against Ed and Al. Still there was some really nice development for her. Going back to Rush Valley for now is probably the best move for her. It’s doing no good for her to feel like she can only sit and wait. Even though repairing automail won’t really help things with Ed and Al at least she can feel active. One of the best parts of this episode has to be her realization about being in love with Ed. It’s something when a person just calmly sits there and says “oh, I get it.” Too bad they have to separate right when she figures that out, but there is certainly time in the future to deal with it. Besides this is far more than the first season and that movie ever accomplished in this area.

Damn Ran Fa is a pretty amazing person. I mean how many can decide their arm is now useless and just chop it off? Not to mention she actually remembered Ed’s trick and used it to a certain degree by tying it to that dog. I feel for the animal trailing around a bloody limb like that. Of course the plan worked so at least the sacrifice wasn’t a waste. Glad she didn’t do something crazy like kill herself feeling she wasn’t any use. Ling probably wasn’t ready to the level of being able to sacrifice Ran Fa. He can act pretty relaxed but he is a person that feels strongly. Good on Mustang to get that doctor to come in and treat her. Hard to say about her future but at least she is still alive.

I won’t make the same mistake as last time. A huge plot point was the group finding out it’s possible Bradley is a homunculus. This is even bigger than just being connected to them. Imagining the leader of your country as being one of those guys. There might still be some doubts since he is an unusual one. Mustang’s position gets more and more dangerous with Bradley realizing that he captured Gluttony. He can only avoid being targetted for so long. Well that is assuming he can avoid the enraged Gluttony.

Everything is just dangerous right now. Gluttony in that state is probably more dangerous than we would think. Hopefully they can take him down quickly. It was a good plan to capture him, but I guess holding one of those safely is impossible.

Ling battles Wrath while Winry learns the truth behind the deaths of her parents.

Impressions:

I went into this thinking it would be mostly about the fight between Ling and Wrath. While that was part of the start it definitely focused more on Scar and Winry. Still one of the cooler moments has to be Ling cutting up Gluttony. Probably since we know he can heal it doesn’t disturb you as much to see the top of his head sliced off. Still against Wrath it’s going to be very dangerous for Ling. Still considering how Greed was getting his ass kicked right from the start you have to really praise Ling and even Ran Fa for deflecting that attack enough to not get killed.

It’s not like I can’t understand why Scar is so angry, but I still can’t forgive him. I mean sure when he woke up he attacked without thinking, but it’s not like he shows any remorse for his actions. While I can understand his background better it just doesn’t mean I can forgive or like the guy all that much. The positive is that Winry didn’t end up covering her hands up in blood. It’d almost be better if the Homunculi got him so the main characters wouldn’t have to finish him off.

At least I can understand how terrible that slaughter was. Honestly you couldn’t call it anything else. They used alchemy to fence in the people and then gunned them down. Some alchemists got right into the battles and did insane damage that way. It really can scare you what some people can do if they are ordered to.

Really the most serious part of this episode was right near the end. It’s a good thing that Ed managed to get between Winry and Scar. He’s right that her hands shouldn’t be used for killing. I’m sure this was the kind of situation he was desperately hoping to avoid. Knowing that the killer of your family was right there and being filled with feelings of revenge. Of course it was a stupid move since Scar might have killed him if it wasn’t for the flashback of his own brother. Hopefully Al can hold him off for a while.

I’m not sure how Winry will be as time moves on. I guess it depends on what happens to Scar. But at the same time she has dealt with a lot of grief lately. First with all that happened to Hughes and now with Scar. Well for now the major concerns are surviving the battles with Scar, Wrath, and Gluttony.