#sho aikawa

[mercy-misrule]

Just found out that sho aikawa's original script for Conqueror of Shambala was predicted to run for like four hours and I am screaming. We couldn't have gotten an ova out of this, instead of a movie? Or two movies??

I love CoS so much, imagine it at full majesty. My god.

[gokaiju]

DEAD OR ALIVE 2 逃亡者 (Dead or alive 2: Birds) (Takashi Miike, 2000) Alternative poster by Gokaiju

[rin-hanarin]

FMA 03 is the show of all time because it gets more difficult and traumatizing the older you get. I've watched it when I was 12 and obviously didn't understand how complex it was, but it burned itself into my brain anyway; I rewatched it when I was twenty something and somehow got re-traumatized despite it never leaving my memory. It can be depressing and mentally draining and nothing compares to the despair I feel rewatching it, but it's just something else in the best possible sense.

[makimacult]

um. that fma 2003 ova where roy and ed have a mock battle during the military propaganda festival holiday and it's all fun and games except they both escalate it and end up in a mexican standoff and then roy has a flashback to the time he genocided kids in ishval. yeah. formative media moment tbh!

[wingsofescape]

Lord Huron, The Balancer's Eye // Fullmetal Alchemist (2003), written by Sho Aikawa

[gayleviticus]

FMA 03 writers

i had an autism moment and decided to look into the writers of FMA 03 and am now going to vomit out my findings here (nothing very in-depth but it's interesting to see which niches they fall into)

Sho Aikawa: 1-3, 7-8, 13-16, 21-22, 25, 29-31, 32 (w Yamatoya), 36, 39-51, Shamballa.

He wrote the first three episodes, the Nina/Barry the Chopper double whammy, the Marcoh/Scar arc, the latter half of Lab 5, Hughes' death, a decent chunk of the Wrath arc, the Elrics learning Scar's backstory, and then everything from about when the Liore arc begins.

Clearly as head writer he takes charge of the most significant turning points in the series - interestingly, aside from E35, E37, and E38 ("Reunion of the Fallen", "The Flame Alchemist, The Bachelor Lieutenant & The Mystery of Warehouse 13", and "With the River's Flow" by Inoue, Takahashi, and Yamatoya respectively), Aikawa is the only writer to write anything after the series fully diverges from the manga (which I would place at Ed killing Greed in E34). Wikipedia tells me has a reputation for working on adaptations that diverge significantly from the source material, as opposed to original works.

Other writing credits include head writer for Martian Successor Nadesico, Kamen Rider Decade, and the second half of Kamen Raider Blade. At 29.5/51 episodes (he co-wrote a single episode) he was responsible for 57.8% of the series.

Natsuko Takahashi: 6, 11, 17, 23, 26, 37.

She wrote the first Nina episode, The Other Elric Brothers 1, the Elrics recuperating in Resembool, the Elrics recovering post Lab 5, the Paininya episode, and Warehouse 13.

Her forte here is almost entirely slow, character-focused stories without danger or high stakes, with a tendency to emphasise cooling down from big dramatic moments and exploring the implications of these events for the characters.

Other credits include Tokyo Mew Mew, Chrno Crusade, Bleach, and Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo. At 6/51 episodes she wrote 11.8% of the series.

Akatsuki Yamatoya: 28, 32 (w Aikawa), 33-34, 38.

He wrote the Yock Island training episode, Greed arc, and the episode where Ed and Al get into an argument and meet by the river (while Winry and Sheska investigate conspiracies).

Interestingly he is the only writer aside from Aikawa involved in writing actual ongoing arcs after the anime begins to diverge significantly from the manga (I would consider this the introduction of Wrath in E29); the only other contributions past this point are Warehouse 13 (E37) by Takahashi, which a joke episode, and Inoue's Lust and Lujon episode (35), which is valuable characterisation wise but technically standalone. Essentially Yamatoya writes solely for the transition point where FMA 03 is moving from following the manga's blueprint (with significant elaborations, albeit) to its own path.

Other writing credits include Soul Eater, Ghost Stories, Naruto, Detective Conan. At 4.5/51 episodes he wrote 8.8% of the series.

Toshiki Inoue: 4, 10, 24, 35

He wrote Majhal, Psiren, Al defending the Ishbalans against Barry the Chopper with Scar, and Lust and Lujon.

His episodes are largely anime-original and standalone, without significantly shaping the course of the series, but arguably contain valuable characterisation. The Al episode is something of an exception here as it is tied into an ongoing arc (Al's existential crisis) which is also based off manga material, but the episode itself is not a direct adaptation of anything from the manga. Majhal and Psiren are arguably the only genuine cases of pure 'filler' in 03.

Other credits include main writer of Don Brothers and the Death Note anime. At 4/51 episodes he wrote 7.8% of the series.

Katsuhiko Takayama: 9, 19-20, 27.

He wrote the Yousewell episode, first two episodes of Lab 5 arc, and the one where Izumi catches the Elrics.

His work seems fairly solid but nothing very innovative: he adapts manga material well but it's hard to see any strong theme here I think. Notably his Lab 5 episodes mainly cover manga events; the Lab 5 arc does end up significantly diverging from the manga with elements like Scar, Greed, Kimblee, and the Homunculi trying to convince Ed to make the Stone, but not in his episodes.

Other credits include Star Ocean EX, Mirai Nikki, Magia Record S2. At 4/51 episodes he wrote 7.8% of the series.

Manabu Ishikawa: 12, 18.

He wrote The Other Elric Brothers Part 2 and Marcoh's Notes.

Not much to say here - an adaptation of a light novel and a manga chapter.

Other credits include production assistant on Neon Genesis Evangelion, and writing for the Arc the Lad anime and Kimi no koe o todoketai. At 2/51 episodes he wrote 3.9% of the series.

Aya Yoshinaga: 5.

Wrote only the train episode so hard to draw any strong conclusions.

Other credits include Golden Kamui, Natsume's Book of Friends, and Durara!! At 1/51 episodes they (unsure of their gender) wrote 1.9% of the series.

as a special bonus I have made a pie chart bc I like pie charts

[animefeminist]

Anime’s Glass Ceiling: what keeps women out of the director’s chair?

One of my favorite current manga is Beastars, by Itagaki Paru. A bizarre mash-up of high school soap opera, murder mystery and obsessive thought experiment on how a world populated by animals might function, it earned itself enough acclaim to garner an anime adaptation produced by Studio Orange.

Orange is the best CG studio in the anime industry, but there was one aspect of their otherwise fantastic adaptation that stood out to me, like a splinter lodged in your hand from an otherwise beautiful coffee table. While Itagaki, the creator of Beastars, is a woman, the director of the anime—Matsumi Shinichi—is a man.

The world of manga is home to many talented and successful female writers and artists. Takeuchi Naoko combined the appeal of tokusatsu drama with magical girl aesthetics to create Sailor Moon, and in doing so created a whole new kind of magical girl story that remains popular to this day. Arakawa Hiromu wrote and drew one of the best shounen comics of the 2000s with Fullmetal Alchemist, and then proved herself equally capable of easy-going slice of life stories with her farming comic Silver Spoon.

Then you have Takahashi Rumiko, who is a manga industry unto herself, with masterpieces ranging from Urusei Yatsura’s zany comedy to Maison Ikkoku’s relationship drama to Mermaid Forest’s horror; not to mention that her series Ranma ½ played a central role in introducing countless American fans to anime in the 1990s.

The popularity of these authors led to their work being adapted into similarly successful anime. But most of these anime, if not all of them, were directed by men. Sailor Moon made the careers of countless animators and creators at Toei, but the main directors—Sato Junichi, Ikuhara Kunihiko, Igarashi Takuyai—were men. The 2003 anime adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist I watched as a kid was directed by Mizushima Seiji and written by Aikawa Sho, both men. Urusei Yatsura served as the proving ground for one of anime’s most famous auteurs, Oshii Mamoru—a man.

Read it at Anime Feminist!

[watasemasaru]

Ten Films I LOVE

tagged by my comedy partner in crime, the tsukkomi to my boke; @zurdoabsurdo

Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl (1999 dir. Katsuhiro Ishii) This is my movie. Movie of all time. Rotten Tomatoes can eat my ass with their 25% rating. A yakuza on the run for stealing from the boss from a wacko cast of assassins with a clever girl in tow. It's what Tarantino wishes he could make.

Heat (1995 dir. Michael Mann) I mean, come on. AlPacino, Robert DeNiro, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Ashely Judd, Mykelti Williamson? This movie could not fail even if that was the goal.

The Accountant (2001 dir. Ray McKinnon) It's a short film, and Ray is actually from the town I've lived in the last twenty years, so I have a soft spot for him. Ray is so captivating as an actor, and this film was something else. It's somber but still moving.

Straight Talk (1992 dir. Barnet Kellman) It's a cornball romcom, but it's DOLLY PARTON'S romcom. I love this movie to pieces. I even have one of the original movie posters. Unfortunately I have to also look at James Woods' face lol.

Tombstone (1993 dir. George P. Cosmatos) Another that's like, be serious. I love westerns and the outlaw/lawman yeehaw bullshit. You know how it is with yeehaw bullshit.

Deadland Inferno/Zアイランド (2015 Hiroshi Shinagawa) An action zombie comedy. This one is for the yakuza gworls (gn). Basic we have a plan to get to safety from zombies and hijinks ensuse. Sho Aikawa, SHINGO TSURUMI MY BABY BOY BABY, Hideo Nakano, Hitoshi Ozawa, Sawa Suzuki. So like...dead souls but you're playing as Takasugi, Sagawa, Shibusawa, and Kuze LOL

The Bridges of Madison County (1995 dir. Clint Eastwood) Romance between an older couple, bittersweet partings, it's everything. I'm a closet die hard romantic.

My Dead Dad (2021 dir. Fabio Frey) I watched this for Raymond Cruz and wasn't expecting much but it really hit me. For reasons of my own dead dad that I was estranged from, but there were so many pieces that were like snapshots of my own teens years. The skate parks and ugly fucking skate shoes, weed, sour beer. It's also beautifully shot. It was my movie of 2022.

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997 dir. George Armitage) The soundtrack fucking rips. Probably one of my favorites ever. Joe Strummer put his whole pussy in it. A black comedy, John Cusack & Minnie Driver? Hot stuff

The Devil's Advocate (1997 dir. Taylor Hackford) MY GAY AWAKENING, A MOVIE I HAD NO BUSINESS WATCHING UNDER THE AGE OF TEN. I was obsessed with this movie. Tamara Tunie only had a small part man....she changed my life forever. If you love the tropes of good and evil, the devil, lawyers, Keanu Reeves with a terrible southern drawl, watch this :)

Tagging @necrotizer @coffeemakesmeahappybean @xyndario and anyone else that wants to share their favorite films <3

[swordoftheberserkgutsrage]

dude they went ham with shinadas part in yakuza 5 they made a whole map and they got sho aikawa

[mercy-misrule]

Sho Aikawa was the head writer for the second half of Kamen rider blade and was head writer for fma03

So I owe him my heart, fandom wise.

It really does make sense that the man responsible for giving a fandom a grief response when they see a park bench also wrote fma03, my beloved.

[byneddiedingo]

Pulse (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2001)

Cast: Haruhiko Kato, Kumiko Aso, Koyuki, Kurume Arisaka, Masatoshi Matsuo, Shinji Takeda, Jun Fubuki, Shun Sugata, Sho Aikawa, Koji Yakusho, Kenji Misuhashi. Screenplay: Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Cinematography: Jun'ichiro Hayashi. Production design: Tomoyuki Maruo. Film editing: Jun'ichi Kikuchi. Music: Takefumi Haketa. 

Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Pulse is a quietly unnerving movie about the apocalypse, which comes not with a bang but with a slow (very slow) fading away. It seems to be brought about by technology, particularly the internet, which causes people to become lonely and isolated. The film is also a ghost story, which posits that the afterlife is a place of intense loneliness and isolation. As the film progresses, cities thin out and some of the characters simply fade into blurry splotches on the wall. One crumbles into flakes and is blown away by the wind. Unfortunately, we expect more from movies than melancholy disintegration, so the impact of Pulse disintegrates too, as it takes its long slow time to create a mood at the expense of telling a story. 

[denebsapphic]

Engine Sentai Go-Onger: Boom Boom! Bang Bang! Movie Bang (2008) by Sho Aikawa

3/5, Tokusatsu, Action Adventure

This was fine, I don't really have much else to say about it.

[makimacult]

sho aikawa really saw the premise of fma and said aight how about we take these plot points to the most horrifying conclusions possible

[izdatazn]

S.U.I.T.S - Terran's Hidden War

TERRAN 29 - ENEMIES AT THE GATE

I woke up to the continuous chirping of birds in the morning, as rays of sunlight streamed through the blinds. The room was filled with brightness, although my vision took a few minutes to clear. I lay in bed, with only half of my body covered by a blanket. Beside me, I noticed that Asuka was also awake, completely wrapped up in her own blanket. Our eyes met.

With a shy giggle, she blushed as I planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Good morning, Issei," she said with a smile, reaching out to firmly hold my hand. "You were amazing last night," she added, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "I hope for more private audacious moments like this for the next two days.” She winked at me playfully while pursing her lips.

Suddenly, we heard a distant blare coming from outside. It continued for some time before we realized what was happening. We were startled by aggressive banging on the door and were shocked when Viktor burst into the room.

"Kobayashi! Our enemies are here!" he exclaimed. “The enemies are at the gate!”

Miyoung entered the room swiftly and delivered a quick slap to his face. "Don't you see they're occupied?" She then proceeded to pull him out of the room and kicked him away, sarcastically commenting, "Well, look who we have here! The sneaky love birds who snuck away from last night's festivities. I'm sure those multiple sessions took a toll on both of you." With that remark, she walked out while Isabel closed the door behind her and gave us a playful wink before slamming it shut.

Asuka's face flushed instantly upon hearing her comment.  "Miyoung, why would you say that?!” She quickly sought shelter under her covers and exclaimed, “I wasn't that loud!" Frustrated, she threw a pillow towards the door and buried herself deeper into the comforting embrace of her blankets. Her voice was muffled as she cried, “That’s so embarrassing!"

I immediately hugged her tightly and laughed reassuringly, saying, "Come on, we need to go." She cried and complained as I continued to console her.

We assembled our teams in the main room of The Bertha II. Nanako, Amy, Kumiko, Isabel, and Miyoung approached Asuka with excitement before darting into a private room like giggling teenage girls gossiping. Aikawa wrapped his arm around me, flashing me the brightest smile.

“Aikawa asked, whispering with Hideki and Sho as they huddled near Aikawa and me. "We noticed both of you leaving the ballroom in a rather indiscreet manner. How was your daring and splendid night with the lovely lady named Asuka Shigihara?" I blushed intensely as silence encompassed me, with everyone eagerly awaiting my response.

“It,” I stuttered. “Was nice.”

"I-i-it," I stuttered, my voice shaky. "It was nice."

From the private room, we could hear the muffled squeals of the girls. Despite the door being soundproof, their excitement exceeded its capabilities. The guys leaped with joy, offering congratulations for having successfully performed the devil's tango.

“My boy became a man last night.” Aikawa slapped my chest and laughed heartily. “That’s the way to do it.” 

Aikawa and the others departed as the girls finished gossiping. Asuka, who was the last one to rejoin us in the main room, stood next to me. Her face was flushed, clearly displaying her embarrassment from the confession she had made. I discreetly glanced at Nanako and Kumiko, and they reciprocated with knowing glances. They unsuccessfully tried to stifle their mischievous giggles and smiles as they averted their gaze. Asuka and I remained quiet, while our friends persisted in snickering and giving us discreet looks.

The Bertha II departed from the hangar. Kumiko and Shota's squad were also with us. A holographic figure emerged from the table - it was Charles Miller, joining us.

"Mr. Kobayashi and Ms. Shigihara, I would welcome you physically, but we are short on time," Charles greeted us. "We underestimated their arrival time, and our opponents will be here earlier than expected. You will be joining Empress Xaba on the front line. We must gather information quickly and put an end to the siege. You have your objectives; I wish you the best of luck. The world is watching us." With that, his hologram disappeared.

I spoke next: "Today in our garage, we have Asuka Shigihara's medium assault class known as Lady Himiko, Kumiko Kobo's medium light assault class named Izanagi, and Taishi Fujita's medium heavy support class called Issun-bōshi. Our objective is to defend the wall, capture the enemy commanders, and swiftly put an end to this siege. We have been assigned designated spots on the front line. Let's not disappoint our veteran agents."

I watched as numerous news cameras from around the globe hovered above the city and near the wall. It was nerve-racking to see Noxolo's army advancing towards the wall alongside SUITs agents in their own assault craft - this was no ordinary situation. The news channels switched off momentarily before returning with Noxolo Xaba giving a speech.

Asuka stood by my side while gripping my hand tightly as Noxolo addressed all of us passionately: “Today, I speak to my citizens of United Africa! My army stands united with my dedicated friends in defending our beloved city that we have worked tirelessly to make a utopia out of! Our enemies in the North seek to destroy our prosperous lifestyle and destabilize what we have built. You trust me to defend this country, and I will not let that happen. Rise, my citizens, and defend the country with me. They surround us with their fleet and outnumber us three to one. But then it becomes an even fight. What did they say when we refused to surrender?"

The monitor then switched to a recording of our enemies declaring, "We will blot out the sun!"

As we tuned back into Noxolo's speech on the monitor, her words were filled with unwavering determination: "Then we shall fight in the shade!" The views on the monitors shifted, revealing walls emerging along the coastline, extending from east to west and then south. "We will fight in the streets and within the confines of our own homes! We will defend our city until every citizen is secure!" Not only did we notice the walls, but we also witnessed a transparent shield slowly encompassing the entire country. Our right to live freely shall not be confiscated from us. My fellow citizens, let us unite and stand with me in protecting our cherished nation! The monitors panned and shifted focus as three massive allied ships materialized above the capital city. The illuminated energy tether suddenly dissipated, severing its connection to the ground station and simultaneously merging with the shields to create a complete safeguard for our country. "We will persist in fighting until our very last breath!" The monitors scanned across different regions of the country, where citizens cheered fervently at Noxolo's impassioned speech. "I vow to you, my fellow citizens," stated Noxolo as her image reappeared on the screen, "I will defend you with my life!"

Noxolo's flagship remained stationed above the capital city, while the other two ships headed northward to join the rest of the fleet for defense. We met up with the others behind the wall at our forward base of operations. Charles Miller temporarily took command and addressed us, explaining our positions before the invasion began. He informed us that there was a no man’s land between the wall and mountains, which stretched 10 clicks or approximately 160 km/100 miles. While it seemed like a vast empty field on foot, it would be different with advanced vehicles. This morning was filled with chaotic troop movements both on the ground and from above. Charles assigned us our objectives which we willingly accepted. Asuka, Kumiko, and Taishi were grouped together until we received approval to proceed. Leaving the forward operating base behind, we followed the road leading towards the gate beneath those imposing guns atop of the wall.

Passing through both gates and defensive trenches along with their accompanying guns made crossing no man's land feel incredibly daunting due to its emptiness. We took up our positions and gathered as much ammunition as possible to store in our vehicles. They believe we won't have enough resources to withstand a siege, with logistics being behind by a week. We hope to hold out until SUITs can provide us with resources as soon as possible.

I was taken aback by the sudden blaring of horns. Numerous monitors appeared on the central table, displaying various peculiar warps occurring in different locations. Three enemy ships materialized precisely above the ocean near United Africa's shores, while a few more appeared far away from the wall. Our attention was immediately drawn to the enemy flagship, which swiftly descended into the atmosphere accompanied by three other enemy vessels. They encircled us from all directions. 

We quickly noticed thousands of enemy dropships descending from the sky, originating from these four vessels, while enemy aircraft swarmed around them. The situation felt frighteningly real, and some of us were unprepared for what lay ahead.

The monitor shifted focus and we saw Noxolo's royal vehicle approaching through the gate to join us in battle. She spoke with determination, "My friends, I will not back down from this fight. I understand that many of you are apprehensive about what awaits us. I too am nervous but let me assure you this: we must trust in one another. We have each other's backs and together we will endure and emerge victorious from this siege!” Her soldiers erupted in cheers and even within my heavily fortified vehicle walls, I could hear their jubilant shouts reverberating throughout.

“She knows how to make a speech.” Asuka chuckled.

“That’s reassuring I guess.” Kumiko added.

We assumed our defensive positions and patiently awaited the approach of our enemies. A strange silence surrounded us, not within the confines of our vehicle but outside, as if all sound had been swallowed by the howling wind. After a few moments had elapsed, we noticed countless adversaries emerging over the hillsides. My breath shook with trepidation as we observed from Bertha's cockpit, Asuka gripping my hands tightly. The assault was not confined to a mere wall siege; our foes were also launching attacks from the ocean, encircling us from every direction.

"I'll take care of you," she whispered.

"And I'll do the same for you," I replied reassuringly.

Noxolo commanded, "Extend the shield to four clicks!"

The rail cannons, anti-aircraft guns, and machine guns attached on the all adjusted their aim towards approaching soldiers as they held their positions until they were six clicks away before opening fire.The anti-aircraft guns launched projectiles at incoming enemy aircrafts.A single ship carrier hovered above the wall, releasing thousands of aircrafts. Admiral Charles Miller led the skies in this battle. Our enemies reached the shield walls. The machine guns and cannons began to open fire as well as our hovercraft.

"Noxolo exclaimed, 'We must not give up! We must not let them get through this wall!' She demanded, 'Find me the leader who is leading this siege!'

The enemy's long-range cannons breached our shield and fired upon our defensive structures. One of the defense guns next to us took a direct hit but remained functional. Chaos ensued as our enemies continued to advance while we unleashed a tremendous amount of fire upon them.

Kumiko spoke urgently, 'We need to get into position,' and walked away with Shota.

Asuka suddenly embraced me and kissed me on the lips. Stepping back, she gave me a gentle smile. 'I'll see you later.' I released her hands and watched as she ran towards the garage with the others. I continued to watch chaos happened in front of me. They were getting closer to our position.

We noticed thousands of enemy transport changed position and open up their vehicles. We watched millions of enemies pour out of the transparent as they headed towards us. They released a swarm five clicks away from us.

Noxolo gave us permission to attack, so we moved forward without hesitation. Thousands of SUITs and United African army hovercrafts drove towards the swarm.

'Lady Himiko launching,' Kumiko announced.

'Issun-bōshi, launching,' Taishi added.

'Izanagi, launching,' Asuka declared.

One by one, the ramps lowered as they exited the garage and followed behind The Bertha II. Riding alongside other hovercrafts, we advanced towards the enemy. The Bertha II absorbed a direct hit from an enemy laser beam but it deflected harmlessly towards the ground – it had no effect on us. Shortly after that Viktor and Miyoung began firing upon the swarm.

I heard Viktor whisper, 'This is suicide.'

Shit.

The Bertha II's auto cannons started firing as thousands of hovercrafts plowed through the swarm and enemy vehicles. For now, we held steady amidst the chaos that surrounded us up close. Holding my breath, we continued mowing down our enemies while slowly breaking away from formation to do whatever was necessary to halt their advancing army.

We noticed thousands of massive creatures joining in on the fight. Our weapons inflicted hundreds of direct hits on them; however, I witnessed one up close effortlessly ripping apart an allied vehicle. We couldn't allow it to proceed any further.

'Bertha, take the wheel. Viktor! Isabel! Follow me!' I commanded.

They agreed as we rushed out of the cockpit, leaving Bertha in control. We headed straight for the garage and entered our individual vehicles. Once again, the ramp dropped, revealing immediate chaos surrounding us.

'Viktor,' I called out to him. He looked at me expectantly. 'Smash.' He flashed a huge smile and laughed.

'Viktor!' His voice echoed as he drove off. 'Smash!'

'Right behind you, Kobayashi,' Isabel responded.

I accelerated and Isabel followed suit. Swiftly maneuvering through the battlefield, we fought amidst ongoing chaos.”

Viktor fearlessly charged towards the colossal creature, smashing through his foes with his vehicle. As he collided with the creature, he leapt off and skillfully landed on its shoulder. Maintaining a firm grip, Viktor rode atop the thrashing beast. With determination, he plunged his weapon deep into its back and swiftly decapitated it, ensuring its immediate demise.

After dismounting from the creature, Viktor observed multiple similar monstrosities closing in on him from all directions. He let out a booming bellow. "Viktor is bored! Will you all entertain Viktor?" Playfully swinging his weapon, he declared, "Excellent! Wilma, let's have some fun.”

In contrast to Viktor's approach, we did our best to evade direct attacks from our enemies and instead focused on eliminating those near Bertha. However, my time on my vehicle was short-lived as a creature lunged at me, snatched me up, and hurled me off alongside it. Reacting swiftly, I drew my sword and dispatched the creature before being immediately besieged by more of its kind. Isabel joined me in battle as we swiftly dealt with the creatures assailing us from all sides. Meanwhile, Bertha maneuvered around us attempting to prevent further swarming by these creatures. This wasn’t fun at all.

Engrossed in defending ourselves against our surroundings, I failed to notice a tall muscular two-footed creature approaching me until it tightened its grip around my body and pulled me closer to its face.

It hissed menacingly at me saying,"I didn't realize humans would be so small." Its hold grew tighter as Isabel struggled to free me but found herself besieged by other creatures making it increasingly difficult for her. "A powerful being like you can easily bore me," it chuckled darkly. "Perhaps if I squeeze harder your existence will turn into nothing more than a puddle."

As consciousness slipped away under increasingly constricted breaths caused by its tightening grip on my body,I suddenly witnessed a war fan flying past, cutting off this creature's wrist. As I fell to the ground along with the creature's hand, Isabel helped me release myself from its grasp.

"Don't you dare touch him, you bastard!" Asuka's angry voice echoed through the air.

Asuka emerged from underground and swiftly threw another war fan before catching her second one. The second war fan pierced through the creature's thigh but failed to stop it. Unfazed, Asuka hurled her first war fan with even greater force at the same spot on the creature's thigh.

The creature pulled out and discarded both war fans with a chuckle. "You really think that will stop me?"

Suddenly emerging from underground herself, Kumiko spoke up confidently: "Not really." A wooden tail sprouted from beneath the ground and impaled through the creature. When this failed to halt its movement, Kumiko threw two more tails at it until they successfully restrained its progress. She then added one final tail through its mouth.

"Now that last one is because you talk too much," she remarked coolly as her tails retracted into the ground and caused the creature to fall backwards.

Asuka helped Isabel remove the creature's hand while others joined us, forming a protective circle around us and preventing the creatures from getting any closer. Asuka slapped me lightly before immediately embracing me. Miyoung and Viktor joined us right after. 

"That was reckless," she gasped. "I almost lost you."

"And I nearly lost you too," I replied, finally able to breathe normally again.

"Guys, this reunion is great," Hideki spoke, "but we have more urgent matters to address."

"The acting leader is right nearby," Noxolo interjected. "Detain him on my behalf and we can temporarily stop this siege. I will give you the coordinates. The acting leader's position is just ahead, about half a kilometer away."

"What should we do?" Kumiko asked.

"We keep moving forward," I replied. "As instructed, our objective is to detain him for Noxolo."

"Viktor, Isabel, and Hideki will lead the way," I declared. "Kumiko, provide us with shield protection as we advance."

"I'll do my best with my tails," she answered.

"Twelve of us against millions of them blocking our path," I joked. "Next time, I won't accept the invitation."

Without hesitation, we charged towards the location of the enemy leader, defeating creatures attacking us from all directions. Kumiko stayed at the back to protect us while using her tails to attack enemies within reach. Our vehicles also supported us from the sides and back as we continued moving forward. We only had to deal with a couple hundred that managed to get past our vehicle’s perimeter. It wasn't too bad, but it was slowly becoming increasingly difficult to reach the position of the enemy's acting leader. I noticed that it was the same creature as before but larger and more muscular than its predecessor who had grabbed me earlier on.

"What do we do?" Asuka asked anxiously."The swarm won't let us pass."

"Kumiko, do you want to push us towards him?" I suggested.

"Sure, but I'm coming with you," she replied bravely. “If you two are going to do dumb things together, you might as well add me into this mess.

"She's not wrong," I chuckled in agreement.

The wooden stumps emerged from below us, propelling us into the air and towards the commanding general. We observed the creatures leaping towards us, doing everything they could to impede our progress, but we managed to take them down with our vehicle's weaponry.

The commanding leader noticed us and aimed their guns in our direction. Asuka threw her war fans at one of the creatures, but they simply bounced off its armor. The leader fired a barrage of kinetic rounds at us, causing Kumiko to use a stump as a shield. Taking charge, Kumiko shattered the stump into pieces and hurled them at the commanding leader. The stump fragmented into numerous smaller splinters that impaled the creatures surrounding their leader.

We dodged the commanding leader's attacks as we soared through the air and safely landed on solid ground. While Kumiko focused on dispatching enemies around us, Asuka and I confronted the formidable leader. I aimed my sword at the leader's shoulder armor, but it easily slid off as I dove past him. Overpowering such an experienced commander wasn't easy, but we did everything we could to bring them down. However, before we could incapacitate him/her, they swiftly neutralized both Asuka and myself before Kumiko had a chance to react.

"Three against one and still not enough to disarm me," laughed the leader arrogantly. "This planet is a joke.”

"You should pick on someone your own size, Commander Draven.” Nehir stated firmly.

"Or perhaps someone more experienced," Jade added confidently.

"Ah! Long time no see Nehir... Jade," Draven hissed sarcastically. Asuka and I struggled back onto our feet while others quickly joined us. We formed a defensive circle around Nehir, Jade, and Draven without allowing our enemies through.

Nehir demanded sternly: "Tell me General Stakil's whereabouts along with Tefari Xaba's location."

Draven laughed scornfully: "You already know where they are located Nehir! But if you want their precise coordinates you'll have to go through my cold dead body." Draven unsheathed a massive long blade from his back.

"I intend to gather intelligence," Jade sighed. "And then I will put an end to your life, Draven."

Draven swung his weapon at them and they retaliated with equal force. The close-range battle raged on with neither side showing signs of defeat. Their fight persisted for several minutes as Nehir managed to land a few shots on Draven's body. Yet, it didn't hinder him; he continued attacking relentlessly.

"Such feeble attempts won't hinder me, Nehir," Draven laughed.

"I am not here to eliminate you, Draven," calmly replied Nehir. "My purpose is to delay you."

"Delay me from whom?" Draven questioned. He threw his weapon but was instantly blocked just inches away from Jade.

"From me," Noxolo spoke up.

We witnessed Noxolo's magnificent entrance as she joined the fight alongside Nehir and Jade. Bayu and Nala stood by her side, forming a protective perimeter around us. Bayu raised a thick wooden half dome above us as chaos erupted outside its boundaries.

"You haven't learned from your past experiences, have you, Draven?" Noxolo said confidently as she stood in front of him. “Just because you became a commander doesn’t mean anything to me..” Noxolo skillfully evaded Draven's attacks while Jade and Nehir watched silently. She continued. “You’re still at the bottom of the barrel.”

We observed how Draven swung directly at her but missed every shot against the queen—an amusing sight considering an experienced leader failing to land a hit on royalty.

"Stop playing games with me!" growled Draven.

We watched as blood pooled out of the body of Commander Draven while Noxolo controlled it, gradually wrapping around her. She extracted enough blood from Draven for him to lose consciousness. He fell to the ground and was promptly bound with wooden restraints. Soon after, we heard rumbling from outside the dome as it slowly crumbled apart revealing our enemies retreating fully from the siege.

"Noxolo spoke urgently to Kobayashi, 'I have received a message for you from SUIT's network, sent by Daisuke Model. While we will do our best to defend our country, you must continue pursuing the remaining Clubs. It is believed that Zaporg has been located on the moon, but that's not the only concern you should have.'"

[fullmetalalchemist03]

To be fair, I wouldn't be surprised if Ed put the dots together himself beforehand and is just shocked to basically have it confirmed by the similarities to Hohenheim. After all, Envy literally has ranted at him about hating him for being related to Hohenheim, and has seen Dante and Hohenheim's love letters, so he could guess they had a kid too. Not to mention he also demands to see Envy's true form more or less unprompted, and he could've suspected from Envy basically being the closest homunculus to Dante? Bit of a stretch but he's dealt with homunculi being related to him/people he knows before.

Also yes, Sho Aikawa basically said Envy's "true form" face is made up to manipulate Ed, but that he still really is Hohenheim's son.

The theory of Envy dying during the creation of the philosopher's stones is interesting, but I feel like it'd be unlikely he'd be sacrificed at least. For one, alchemy is genetic, so it's pretty likely Envy would have been a powerful alchemist as a human and would probably be much more useful to Hohenheim alive, if that was a priority. Two, though Envy is primarily manipulated by Dante to hate Hohenheim, it still makes me think the two of them must've had a good relationship when he was human to feel so deeply betrayed after being left behind as a homunculus. Accidental is a more plausible theory, but I think mercury poisoning is so specific (and Dante is not corrected by Envy in the moment, who definitely would have wanted Ed to know if Hohenheim killed him as an extra gut-punch, I'd think) and a neat homage to real alchemists seeking immortality that it makes me believe that's the truth. They may have been trying to find a way to become immortal without philosopher's stones and he died from mercury exposure in the process.

(Also if we're talking about Hohenheim sacrificing him, I'm personally much more suspicious of Dante tbh, considering how little she cares about Envy as a homunculus and how intense she is about Hohenheim. I could see her as the type of mother who saw her son as an obstacle between her and Hohenheim or somethin)

What is it? You did say you wanted to see my real face, didn’t you?

[365filmsbyauroranocte]

Eyes of the Spider (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1998)