Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood 57

It’s been quite a rough week trying to keep up with reviews and rest/deal with healing this damn broken ankle of mine, so this one will cover both 57 and 58.

The bottom line is that we are steadily moving along with the plot here. Alex, Olivier and Izumi decide it’ll be a good idea to escape before headquarters is taken back by central forces.  All the while, Ed, Scar, Mustang and Hawkeye are also attempting to find their way through the maze of tunnels underground in search of Father. Their journey comes to an abrupt halt when they come across that weird, old, crazy-eyed scientist man who experimented on Bradley and made him into a Homunculus. Crazy-eyed scientist guy summons a handful of Bradley-rejects; the soldiers who didn’t make the cut, or rather, ‘leftovers’ as they are so lovingly referred to.

While they take on the rejects, above ground, Greedling, Fu and Bradley are still hot in battle. I gotta say, for men of their age, they put up a damn good fight. Unfortunately, Fu is injured enough to render him practically useless and on the verge of death, but Ling comes out to save him before Bradley can deal the final blow. He goes for one last attempt to take down the Fuhrer, pulling a suicide attack; that is, before getting sliced in half. Despite his failed efforts, Buccaneer has managed to pull through one last time, piercing a sword through the old man and straight into Bradley.

Back down in the tunnels, the gang seems to be holding their own. The scene switches over to Alex, Olivier, Sid and Izumi as they lead their hostages down a seemingly never-ending set of stairs. The old scientist man calls his rejects back just then. The fight was just a diversion for him to initiate the first step. All across the city, everyone with enough sense can tell something is going on, that something isn’t right. Everyone who has seen the Gate of Truth is being called to serve their purpose in the bigger picture. Ed, Izumi and Al vanish before everyone’s eyes, but where to remains a mystery; thus, bringing us to episode 58.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood 58

This episode, aptly named “Human Sacrifices”, picks up where the former left off. Greed is still in the midst of fighting King Bradley, or, at least, attempting to take him down when the two crash through a wall. Both Homunculi hang for their lives off the edge, but Greed knows he cannot hold onto them for much longer. When it seems as though they’ll both plummet into the water below, Lan Fan grabs hold of Greed even with her automail failing her. The weight is enough to practically pull the contraption right off of her as she is seen bleeding. She calls for the help of a Briggs soldier who shoots Bradley in the shoulder, sending him into the water.

Once he’s able to climb back up, Ling rushes over to Fu who has, sadly, passed away. It is a heartbreaking moment to watch the young prince plead for help, but Old Man Fu is far beyond any medical attention; there isn’t anything anyone can do. I don’t know why one of the remaining wounded soldiers decides to shoot Greedling in the head, but it doesn’t do anything other than knock him off his feet. Before Buccaneer can kick the bucket as well, he asks Greedling to join them in their fight, to which the Homunculus accepts wholeheartedly.

This part is downright awesome. To see Greed go ape shit on these soldiers makes the episode a true joy to watch. There is an ominous moment where Ling stands atop an escalator-type thing, warning the guards with family and loved ones to run if they don’t want to be killed (and the women, too, since he doesn’t like fighting them). He is hit once by a bullet and shot at with a rocket launcher, but nothing seems to stop him. That is when the shit hits the fan. He just goes berserk, mowing everyone down in his path and making a very large spectacle of it. In one shot, he is standing on top a pile of burning rubble and dead/injured bodies—just insane! Eventually, Buccaneer joins Fu in death and everyone else who has perished in the fight to discover the truth. Come on, two passings in one episode? You’re killin’ us, Arakawa!

So, as the war continues above ground, Ed and Izumi—the only conscious ones in Father’s lair—have come to find Hoenheim absorbed as a part of the Homunculus. Apparently, the Homunculus in the flask is attempting to absorb Hoenheim’s Philosopher’s stone and the other human sacrifices as well, but it is not enough for what he plans to do. Mustang comes to find this out the hard way when he is finally subdued. The crazy-eyed scientist guy orders him to perform a human transmutation so that he may open the gate; thus, qualifying him as a candidate to be used as a human sacrifice. In order to persuade him, as he has thoroughly refused to do so of his own free will, one of the men slices Hawkeye’s neck open.

Will he open the gate before Hawkeye bleeds to death or will he continue to refuse?

Of course, he will do it.

Next week’s episode preview gives us a glimpse of what to expect next–‘Heaven’s Eye, Earth’s Gate’.  Now that Father has everything he needs, the opening of the gate can begin.

~Blogged by Dee