#his relationship with his mother and the comparison to Edward and Trisha's dynamic

[ilovepannacotta]

The topic of the day: Kids who are gonna experience a different kind of mother issues in the future. Send help

[recentanimenews]

The Elric Brothers: Ironclad Bonds in Fullmetal Alchemist

There are some series out there I love simply because they’re a whole lot of fun, flaws and all, and there are some series I love because they are so carefully crafted and just so well done. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is absolutely an example of the latter-- a masterpiece in many respects. It boasts a motivated cast, a compact narrative, and enough twists and turns to keep the audience guessing. At the core, it’s about responsibility, standing up for what you believe in, and the bonds between people.

While there are many prominent relationships in the series, one of the most exceptional and the most touching is the bond between brothers- between Edward and Alphonse. It's hard to get the dynamic between siblings just right, and it's even harder to build a whole series off that premise. Ed and Al are a dyanmic duo: great in battle and sincerely care for each other. Their relationship isn't just one of the main focuses of the show, it's one of the highlights of it. Eight years later I still recall it as distinctly being one of the best parts of the series- funny, sincere and heartwarming all in one. 

Ed and Al were always close, but their childhood ended up truly shaping them.  Their father Hoenheim left them without notice, and their mother Trisha fell ill and died. The brothers were left to fend for themselves, and as a result, grew closer together. It’s through their growing loneliness that they turned to Human Transmutation in an attempt to bring back their mother. Before then, they believed that they had enough to pull off a miracle, but that all comes crashing down. That attempt ended in disaster, with Ed losing his left leg and Al losing his entire body. Not only did they lose themselves, the transmutation was completely unsuccessful.

Unable to revive their mother, and now cursed with lost limbs and an inhuman body, the brothers are swallowed up with guilt. They failed, and have paid a dire price. Despite this, they still cling to the hope that there is some way that they can reverse the damage. At the time of the main series, Ed and Al are 15 and 14 respectively, and have been forced to grow up fast to accommodate their newfound responsibility. However, instead of one brother leaving on a journey, they decide to both go off so that they can find a cure, together. 

  To Ed, his brother is his only remaining blood relative. While the brothers are close with the Rockbells and the Curtis’, they’re not related by blood. Hoenheim is still alive, but Ed is consistently bitter towards his father, knowing that his father abandoned them. Despite him sacrificing his right arm to bring Al’s soul back, he still feels responsible for Al’s condition. Al’s soul is fully human, but since he lost his entire body to Truth, he isn’t easily recognized as one. In his armored form, Al has lost many things we identify as human, including the ability to eat, or sleep. Since a metal body doesn’t have nerves, Al can’t feel temperature or pain. A lost leg is no comparison to a lost body, and Ed is tormented in knowing that it was his idea that caused Al's condition. 

  Ed believes that Truth’s punishment of taking parts from those who attempt something they shouldn’t has grounds, but he doesn’t want his brother to suffer forever. The knowledge that Al’s metal body isn’t something that can last forever makes things more urgent. Despite how brash and impulsive Ed seems, his search for the Philosopher’s Stone isn’t motivated by power like it is for so many others, but because he wants to use it to restore Al’s body. Even when the battle becomes larger than what he is prepared for, he’s still searching for some way to help his brother.

    To Al, Ed is his guiding force. Al’s young age is brought up often, even by his enemies, as it highlights his relative naivete. At the start of the series, he doesn’t think much contrary to the information that he’s told, and often sticks to Ed’s side. He is rather innocent overall, even if he’s no doubt highly intelligent. As the series progresses, he learns how to handle himself on his own, both in his knowledge of alchemy and his drive. The brothers learn of their powerlessness, that alchemy can hurt as much as it can help, and they take it hard. Al comes to realize that he needs to get stronger to help others and to help his brother, and can’t afford to be left behind. Instead of staying naive, he begins to gain more self-confidence and take actions on his own.

Al's newfound strength is taken as him growing up and becoming worldlier, and so he is able to close the distance between him and Ed. Most other series would take Al’s distance from Ed as a symbol of rebellion, but Al’s care for Ed is consistently reinforced. He’s aware of his brother’s want to get his body back, but he insists that they need to find a cure for Ed as well. Any victory he gains over Truth won’t mean anything to Al if his brother has to suffer as well. Although he has gained new skills and Al’s actions in the final battles prominently feature self-sacrifice, not for himself and not for the world, but for the sake of his brother.

  What truly stands out is how the two of them have a completely believable sibling relationship. Things between them are not completely good, or completely bad. They don’t always work together, and aren’t completely truthful to each other, for better or for worse. Their viewpoints don’t always align, and that can lead to arguments. Bickering and teasing isn’t uncommon at all. At the same time, they are unquestioningly loyal to each other, and always have each others backs. They fight together, they sacrifice themselves for each other, and they are entirely aware of what the other can do. The strength that they accumulate for their goal isn’t meant for one person- it’s meant for the two of them, and not even the honeyed lure of more power can’t corrupt that.

  Shonen is a fun genre that’s filled with flashy fights, but what really makes a shonen work is when it’s emotionally compelling. A series can’t be carried on fights alone—it needs to have a heart. A well animated fight has no weight when there’s no meaning behind it. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood balances both cleverly, highlighting its fights with clear messages behind them. In the pursuit for power beyond human comprehension, you can fall on the journey, or you can remember what you’re fighting for. In the case of Ed and Al, their bonds are cemented. They’ve been through a lot together, and they clearly love and care for each other. They can fight, but in the end, they’re willing to give up parts of themselves for the other’s happiness. In the end, isn’t that what family is all about?

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Noelle Ogawa is a contributor to Bubbleblabber and Cup of Moe. She can be found on Twitter @noelleogawa.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com