FullMetal Water Cooler (FMA chapter discussion)

[the_wolfs_howl]

Fair enough. I don't really care if Hohenheim sacrifices himself or not, as long as he's reconciled some way to his sons (or Ed, at least).

Do you have any new predictions for the series based on Chapter 75?

[R. Zion]

Does anyone else find it interesting that, while Hohenheim appears the same as he did way back then that Father has aged considerably?

Hmm, just a random thought...

[uc pseudonym]

That could very well be tied into theories about his motivation. I actually hadn't reflected on how young-looking they both are at this point.

[MasterDias]

I though this was a really nice chapter as well. It finally explained some things.

As I said there, though, I was rather pleased with this development. My basic prediction about the relationship between Father and Hohenheim was correct. Personally, I hope he doesn't sacrifice himself for his sons. Not just because I like his character, but because that has been done quite a bit already.

I don't know if he'll sacrifice himself or not (although you are right, that would be fairly cliche.) However, part of me suspects that he won't survive the series. He just seems like one of those characters that, cool as he is, dies near the end.

[the_wolfs_howl]

[spoiler]Hey, he does in the anime, so why not? [/spoiler]

[uc pseudonym]

That's part of why I don't want him to die, actually. It is the differences that make the series notable.

However, I agree with Master Dias's assessment: he seems like the type of character that will die.

[R. Zion]

I'm rather torn on whether he should die or not.... in favor of dying, it would finally give rest to the man whose been alive for centuries. In favor of living, he could finally be a father to his sons, it would deviate from the anime (as was said before), and, well, I just like him....

Not exactly the most objective opinions, I know....

[the_wolfs_howl]

Yeah, it would be nice if Ed and Al could have a father again...though I'm not sure Ed would admit he wanted one XD

[Mave]

Two questions on my mind on Hohenheim (pls bear with me, I missed a good amount of material in between the first few and most recent chapters):

1) For a man who has been alive for centuries, did he fall in love with only one woman and Ed/Al are his only kids ? Even if he had many other wives/kids before (obviously, they all didn't survive him), it must be super hard staying emotionally detached from human relationships as a whole.

2) As the [ ], can he commit suicide or is there strictly some specified way he can only be killed?

I wouldn't mind if he recounciled with Al and Ed as their father and then, died in peace. I'm not sure how it ended in the anime but I just hope it doesn't go down the path of Al and Ed having to kill their old man at his request.

[spoiler]I did notice that Father looked older than Hohenheim. Perhaps Father's original form doesn't quite compliment the human body as well as Hohenheim's would (you know, human soul + human body = GOOD, homunculus + human body = NOT SO GOOD)?

Lastly, I wonder how Father's existence came to be. I don't think it was explained how that black thing in the flask just came to be. [/spoiler]

Excellent chapter, it's got me wondering a lot in a good way.

[uc pseudonym]

1) Has it really been centuries? In any case, there is no implication that he has had any other relationships and I believe that aspects of how this one is portrayed indicate it is his only one. I imagine he has spent a great deal of time wandering.

2) I don't think we have anything concrete on that. If he's not really human I doubt he could die in that way, but he may be expending his existence by any use of himself. He also doesn't strike me as the type to give up on everything.

As for the spoiler: I agree, that is one of the main secrets that is still not revealed. Many things have been explained, but I do not expect this revelation until later.

[the_wolfs_howl]

There's no indication that Hohenheim had any relationships prior to Trisha Elric. Which is nice, because it puts him in a much better light than in the anime. [spoiler]That's what I hated most about him in the anime. Thank goodness there's no Dante in the manga![/spoiler]

[CatHCG11]

so, has anyone read ch. 76 yet? it's pretty crazy.

[uc pseudonym]

Not as much information revealed as some times, but the plot definitely moved along. I think there is going to be a major change in the story fairly soon, a shift in the operation of the premise. For example, I wouldn't rule out Al getting his body back before the end of the series, or there being other weird soul stuff going on (Ed in a suit of armor would be funny, if completely unlikely). At least, if that cliffhanger is resolved just by people showing up to help, I'll be disappointed.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Yup, I've read Chapter 76.

[spoiler]I got really impatient to read it when I saw a fic titled "Edward Elric's Final Moments" or something like that, and in the summary it said, "huge megaspoilers for Chapter 76!" I'm fairly convinced, though, that Ed isn't going to die (though who knows what a Japanese mind will do next). He'll be wounded, and out of it for a while, and I have no idea who will rescue him (The chimeras? Yeah right. Kimbley? Pardon me while I go laugh my head off), but somehow he'll survive that horrible wound...I hope
And...I'm sort of torn between wanting Al's soul rejection to go through, so that his soul could possibly join up with his body in the Gate, and then all that needs to be done is taking Al's complete self out of the Gate; and not wanting Al to have the rejection when Ed's not by his side, and having to say goodbye to my favorite suit of armor. It's funny, how after all this time of wanting Al to get his body back, I find myself wanting to hold onto the armor as long as possible.
And Arakawa...way to make me insatiably anxious for next month's chapter! [/spoiler]

But don't you think it might be just a little anti-climactic if Al got his body back before the end of the series?

[uc pseudonym]

But don't you think it might be just a little anti-climactic if Al got his body back before the end of the series?

No more than it's anticlimactic for them to have found Philosopher's Stones and for them to be a regular element in the story. Because the plot has evolved beyond that stage to bigger things, it works. I could imagine the plot evolving beyond Al's body, though that would definitely signal the series end is fairly near.

[the_wolfs_howl]

Hmm. I guess I see what you mean. It's sort of like in the anime, where...

[spoiler]...they get ahold of the Philosopher's Stone before the end, but they don't use it because they want to get rid of Dante and the Homunculi.[/spoiler]

Only, in the manga it's much cooler, of course ^_^

[Sheenar]

There's no indication that Hohenheim had any relationships prior to Trisha Elric. Which is nice, because it puts him in a much better light than in the anime. [spoiler]That's what I hated most about him in the anime. Thank goodness there's no Dante in the manga![/spoiler]

[spoiler]If there's no Dante in the manga, where does Greed come from? And Envy (who in the anime was Ed and Al's brother and a result of a botched human transmutation by their father)?[/spoiler]

By the way, where do you find this manga? I looked for it at the convention I went to, but they didn't have it. Know anywhere I can get it for cheap?

[Sheenar]

Why didn't my spoiler tags work? I copied the code for pseudonym's spoiler tags exactly, but it didn't work. Help?

[Sheenar]

Never mind. Used wrong bracket.
Still learning, I guess.

[MasterDias]

[spoiler]If there's no Dante in the manga, where does Greed come from? And Envy (who in the anime was Ed and Al's brother and a result of a botched human transmutation by their father)?[/spoiler]

Heh. To answer correctly, that would probably require an explanation of the manga's entire plot. You really want someone to tell you like this? It would be much more enjoyable to read through the series yourself. The anime starts off similar, but sharply diverges after about the halfway point. The creation of the homonculi is one of the things that is completely different between anime and manga.

By the way, where do you find this manga? I looked for it at the convention I went to, but they didn't have it. Know anywhere I can get it for cheap?

1. You should be able to find it at Barnes&Nobles,Borders,anyplace that sells manga,etc. for the standard price of $9.99 per volume. I don't know of anyplace cheaper than that, although you might find it cheaper at some of rightstuf.com's occasional manga sales if you aren't opposed to ordering online.

2.Just in case you weren't aware, the posters discussing it in this thread are keeping up to date with the latest chapters being released each month in Japan so we are somewhat ahead of the American release actually.

[uc pseudonym]

Heh. To answer correctly, that would probably require an explanation of the manga's entire plot.

I agree. If you really want a short version, however, it would be that the creation process for the homunculi is completely different in the manga and many of them are different characters. Anime-Pride is Manga-Wrath, Anime-Wrath doesn't exist, and Anime-Envy has a different origin.

[Fish and Chips]

[spoiler]If there's no Dante in the manga, where does Greed come from? And Envy (who in the anime was Ed and Al's brother and a result of a botched human transmutation by their father)?[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Homunculi in the Manga are created by gathering the components of a human being around a philosopher's stone, rather than the Anime's toll for the ultimate sin.)[/spoiler]

[R. Zion]

[spoiler]Homunculi in the Manga are created by gathering the components of a human being around a philosopher's stone, rather than the Anime's toll for the ultimate sin.)[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Human-based Homunculi are also created by injecting the Philosopher's Stone into a human host, assume the body is not destroyed in the process.[/spoiler]

[Fish and Chips]

[spoiler]Human-based Homunculi are also created by injecting the Philosopher's Stone into a human host, assume the body is not destroyed in the process.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]A.K.A. Wrath and the second Greed.

Although I considered this much more spoilerific, so I left it out.[/spoiler]

[the_wolfs_howl]

Yay Chapter 77!!!!

[spoiler]*dances a jig* It WAS a Philosopher's Stone!! Now they just need to take Ed to Doctor Marcoh or Mei to get him completely healed. Or...oh no, what if they took him to that mustachioed guy with the gold tooth? Is he still in Briggs? 'Cause maybe the chimeras don't know who he is, and they just take him to the hospital, but then the guy's there and heals Ed to preserve the "sacrifice". Eh, maybe not

I wonder if Hohenheim is trying to make that alternate transmutation circle, and what that will change when it comes to the fate of the country. And I wonder what he's doing with the Curtises right now.

Argh, Arakawa-san!!! You always make me so impatient for the next chapter!!! [/spoiler]

[Sheenar]

I just read the first volume last night and I see what you mean by going in a different direction from the anime. I like it.

[Sheenar]

I just finished Volume 31. I see what you mean about it being totally different. I was really surprised! (But I still like it ..a lot).
[spoiler] But where does Pride come from? And Hoenheim is Father? I'm confused. I keep forgetting that I have to forget the anime...because the manga is completely different. I liked the part where the President (Wrath) gets involved in the fighting/rescue of the Elric brothers himself. It was cool. [/spoiler]

[uc pseudonym]

Volume 13, perhaps? Given that I'm not precisely certain where you are in the story, I won't answer too extensively. Instead, it might be easiest to say that those are questions that will be answered as you continue.

[Sheenar]

[spoiler] Roy killed 2nd Lt. Ross!!! Man, that was one part that made me pretty angry at the corruption of the military --convicted without a trial! [/spoiler]

[MasterDias]

[spoiler] Roy killed 2nd Lt. Ross!!! Man, that was one part that made me pretty angry at the corruption of the military --convicted without a trial! [/spoiler]

Keep on reading. That's all I will say about that.