Fullmetal Alchemist, ep. 24-25

[oyceter]

I actually don't remember episode 24, because I watched it and then forgot to write it up. I do recall having the impression of finding it a bit of a letdown from the angst of before.

And then I just watched episode 25, and I am so traumatized. *mourns* Ow ow ow, how could they kill off Hughes? I was so fond of him, with how he was smart and serious and hid it under the cuteness of Elysia, and I loved how he interacted with Roy, and they killed him and I am so traumatized.

*shakes Sloth*

I am quite sure that there is more to say about this episode, except I am extremely traumatized, especially with that scene with Roy and Hawkeye at Hughes' grave, and Roy's insistence that it was about to rain and Hawkeye's quiet acknowledgement. And then Ed seeing his shadow, and all of them on the train not knowing. Oh ouch.

Waaaaaaaaaaaah. *sniffs*

Comments

[rilina.livejournal.com]

Episode 25 just kills me. I've watched it a couple times now and it still makes me get all sniffley and teary-eyed. But this is also what I love about FMA--it's such gutsy storytelling.

[oyceter]

*sniff* I know. And I should have known they would kill off someone or something, the show has too many consequences for the characters to escape unscathed, and while I love it for that, gah. This kills me.

(still traumatized)

[yhlee.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes--it's one of the most thorough works I can remember in terms of consequences. It is not unnecessarily or artificially cruel--A happens, ergo B, and down the line, hewing to its own logic.

I grow florid. I stop here. :-)

[oyceter]

Dude, yes! I adore it! Although I am a little scared of adoring it because I suspect it will rip my heart out, not out of gratuitous cruelty, like some works seem to, but just out of consequence.

Gah.

[yhlee.livejournal.com]

I suspect I'm the only person who thinks that Hughes was asking for his death. Up to that point he was smart and interesting--okay, he remained interesting; I liked his family.

Then he goes into a dangerous situation without entrusting someone with what he knows (if I recall correctly) and with no frakkin' backup. At that point I decided that he had a death-wish and he deserved to die for pragmatic planning reasons, if not ethical reasons. Anyway, the planning threw me out of the character. :-/

[oyceter]

Hrm, I guess mostly if I wanted to fanwank, it would be something like people always thinking maybe they should do the practical thing and then wondering if they're making too big of a deal over it. And for some reason I thought he only realized later that it wasn't Ross. Hrm, must rewatch.

[yhlee.livejournal.com]

Joe points out another interpretation, which is that Hughes always worked as a lone operative. This makes sense to me, but I can't help grumbling over the WHY DIDN'T YOU TAKE BACKUP?!

Tactical considerations often throw me out of a story/character. :-/ It's kind of sad.

[rilina.livejournal.com]

I sort of agree with Joe here. I definitely thought he made some stupid choices, but they struck me very much in character stupid choices. I also got the impression that he knew it was somewhat dangerous, but perhaps not quite so dangerous, hence the failure to entrust someone with what he knows.

[oyceter]

Hee, no worries. We all have our sporky issues. Mine are romantic triangles ;).