rionaleonhart | I'm Considering Rewatching The Anime, Because Obviously I Hate Myself.

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I'm Considering Rewatching The Anime, Because Obviously I Hate Myself.

Right now,

cidercupcakes is hosting nominations for a poll on favourite female characters. Looking through the comments and seeing all of those amazing women has reminded me that I do not write nearly enough about them. I have a few things to sort out at the moment, but when I'm finished with those I'll have to post a female-character-centric ficsnippet-request meme. In the meantime, go and vote!

The ninth volume of Fullmetal Alchemist managed to make me cry all over again about an event that occurred five volumes ago. THANKS, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST. THANKS. I should never have started reading the manga; my heart had just about healed after the anime three years ago, and then Volume Four came along and ripped it open again, and now it's just poking it with a stick to see what happens.

Also, I need to stop thinking 'oh, well, of course they won't kill this character off, s/he survived to the end of the anime'. A REMINDER, RIONA: BY THIS POINT, THE MANGA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ANIME. They could kill off Al in the next volume, for all you know. Dear Fullmetal Alchemist: please do not kill Al.

So I wasn't really expecting Ross's fate. And that was dark. She was innocent, Roy. I know you didn't know that, and I know you thought you were avenging Hughes (sob), but... man. Having a protagonist burn an innocent woman to death is quite a thing to do.

Roy's love for Hughes is so painful. (Although not nearly as painful as Elicia's. Her excited 'Papa!', and then the realisation, and then bursting into tears (this applies to both Elicia and me) and hugging Winry (I only wish I could do this) and Elicia.

I actually love the tiny children in Fullmetal Alchemist, which is unusual for me. I'm not usually one for tiny children. Fullmetal Alchemist, however, introduces characters like Nina and Elicia and has me hopelessly in love with them before their first appearance is over.

And then it does horrible things to them.

I hate you, Fullmetal Alchemist.)

AND THEN THAT ENDING.

DON'T KILL RIZA, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST.

DON'T DO IT.

asujhgshkjhdgjhggh Roy flashing back to Hughes' death on the telephone augh augh augh

In other Fullmetal Alchemist-related news, I think I love Major Armstrong. He is ridiculous, yes, but he is so good-hearted. I would give him a hug were it not guaranteed to land me in hospital. (Also, you know, were it physically possible.)

And I sort of want to write unrequited Roy/Hughes. This, of course, raises the 'how can I accurately capture their voices in writing when I've only heard them speaking Japanese?' issue. I hope I can find a way around that, because it is Roy's unrequited love for Hughes and I really, really want it to exist. See, Fullmetal Alchemist: you're not the only one who can torment your characters.

Finally, because of course I was thinking about it: if Roy Mustang had a Pokémon, it would be a Flareon. I have no idea about any other Fullmetal Alchemist characters, though. Perhaps the military issues Pokémon to its members, in which case Roy would probably assign Ed a Steel-type, just to annoy him.

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HAAH. Just voted on a couple of my favourites (Nancy Blackett for the win!) and then the relevant portion of LJ went down. Whoopsie.

That's happened a few times to me, but refreshing usually fixes it. Continue in your awesome-female-character voting!

I CANNOT RESPOND TO THIS POST UNTIL YOU HAVE READ SOME MORE FMA SO HURRY UP AND DO THAT BECAUSE I REALLY REALLY WANT TO RESPOND. Oh my god, I love this whole arc SO MUCH. Volumes nine and ten of FMA are MY FAVOURITES. Unfortunately I stopped reading the series properly after that...I really should get back into it one day.

Ooh, I am looking forward to volume ten, in that case! (I've requested it for my birthday, so with any luck you won't have long to wait.) Clearly you should resume reading so we can follow it together.

Roy's unrequited love for Hughes and I really, really want it to exist

You don't even know how badly I want to read written-by-you unrequited Roy/Hughes. (Hint: SO BADLY.)

I love Major Armstrong SO HARD.

And I really, really want to hear your thoughts on the next volume!

Roy's love for Hughes is so painful

Oh my gosh, yes.

I'll have to post a female-character-centric ficsnippet-request meme

YES

A large part of the reason I want to write it so much is because you want to read it so much. I am going to rewatch the anime and re-read relevant parts of the manga and desperately hope that I am inspired.

Of course, going over the relevant parts is going to hurt. Roy at the graveside at the end of the fourth volume absolutely smashed my heart to pieces.

"But... it's not raining, sir."

Oh, andI really wish you the best of luck re-reading things and being inspired! I have sworn that I will work on my Roy/Riza story, but I need to go to the library first and do some re-reading myself.

You are writing Roy/Riza? This is really exciting! Am I going to need to read further to avoid being spoiled? SERIOUSLY FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST FIC BY YOU HOORAY.

Yes! Well, I am trying. Or, er, trying to try. You'll want to have read volume 15! But you will have plenty of time to get there, because I am very slow.

True story: I started watching the Fullmetal Alchemist anime with somebody on my flist, except she got ahead of me and posted about Hughes' death shortly before I got there, and I never watched another episode. I'm sorry, I can't watch Hughes die. I just... I can't. D8

... in which case Roy would probably assign Ed a Steel-type, just to annoy him

I like the idea that Roy would assign Ed an Aron (and then snigger a lot), but I've gotta say, I think Ed's Pokemon would be an Eevee. Partly because of Eevee's versatile nature and multiple evolutionary options, but mostly because I love the idea of everybody teasing Ed about having a cute Pokemon and then his Eevee BITING THEIR KNEECAPS OFF.

I actually cannot blame you for that decision. Hughes' death is one of the most upsetting moments in anything I've ever watched/read.

I hesitate to assign Ed an Eevee, just because I give Eevee or their evolutions to far too many characters. On the other hand, you paint a hilarious and undoubtedly accurate picture of his Eevee-ownership. Yes, all right, that hesitation didn't last long. (And Al would adore it.)

I had enough trouble in episode seven when Nina's father turned her into a Chimera. Ooh, and also the episode after that, where Ed escapes from Barry the Butcher and just starts sobbing. Naturally, I joined in. I don't even want to think about how I'd react to Hughes dying.

The trouble is, Eevee has some really good evolutions - pretty much one from each personality. And yes, Al would love Ed's Eevee. It would be like the kitten he was never allowed to have! (Would Al have a Pokemon of his own?) Now that I think about it, I think Riza would undoubtedly have a fierce bird Pokemon: maybe Swellow or Pidgeot?

DAMN IT NOW YOU'VE GOT ME THINKING ABOUT THIS.

Nina's fate just ripped my soul to pieces. You don't do that to a little girl!

Al could pick up a Meowth that was abandoned because it was undersized, perhaps? Actually, I think I prefer the idea of the brothers having only one Pokémon between them. (Their mother gave them the Eevee when it was just a, er, whatever the word for a baby Eevee is. I'm going to call it a 'kit'.)

Ooh, a bird Pokémon could work very well for Riza. Yes, she would absolutely have a Pidgeot.

I would have been fine if Nina-Alexander hadn't started talking.

See, I like the idea that the brothers share a Pokemon, because... I don't know, something about Al having a Pokemon when he's essentially a soul in a suit of armour just seems weird. I'm willing to bet a lot of Pokemon are quite afraid of him, all except for their Eevee. (Also YES. It was sort of like giving them a puppy - you don't buy two kids two puppies, hence why they only have the one between them).

I have no idea if having real animals and Pokemon in the same world is strictly logical, but I sort of want it to be, just so Black Hayate can hate on Riza's Pidgeot. (I was going to make Black Hayate a dog Pokemon, like Houndour or something). I'm also debating what would be better for Armstrong: an enormous Fight-type Pokemon, or, like, Clefairy or something.

I'm willing to bet a lot of Pokemon are quite afraid of him, all except for their Eevee.

Awww. Awww. Oh, poor Al.

I think we can have Pokémon and animals in the same world. (I am accepting this idea largely so I don't have to contemplate people eating Pokémon, however, which is possibly not the best reason.)

ARMSTRONG WOULD SO HAVE A CLEFAIRY.

YOU ARE A GENIUS.

Nina's fate just ripped my soul to pieces. You don't do that to a little girl!

I read that!

That was horrifying. Horrifying and heartbreaking and pretty much the sort of thing that left me wish I hadn't been reading it in the middle of a public bookstore, because really, there needs to be a place where you can go and be melodramatically emotional about stuff like that.

Yeah, just thinking about Hughes' funeral in the anime is enough to send me into tears. Seriously, my subs were TAUNTING, "why are they burying daddy?". It pretty much left me speechless when I first saw it ¬¬ To this day it's still one of the very few scenes from an anime that can make me cry and I find myself strangely resentful about that.

I'm also skirting around the new anime because I'm told that it'll make it WORSE. If at all possible.

I can't think of any anime that's made me cry as much as Fullmetal Alchemist, and I'm fairly certain it is the only manga that has ever made me sob. (Have you read the manga? There is a scene with Roy at the grave that I don't think was in the anime, and it just gathered together the remaining fragments of my heart and stamped on them.)

...oh, dear, worse? I'd better never touch the new anime, then. (Let's see how long my resolve lasts.)

Yeah I'd heard the manga was worse for the tear-jerking and the new anime clings pretty close to the manga.

(Also you will totally end up watching it and it will take over your life. PREDICTION.)

I personally haven't read the manga because when the anime finished I was pretty much too cut up to even THINK about FMA for a while.

Oh man an FMA reader who has reached THAT ARC

I-I feel like crying just thinking about it

Please read on! Before you lose the nerve! (...I nearly lost the nerve)

Hello; it's nice to meet you! And thank you very much for the encouragement. I don't think I could possibly stop reading after that cliffhanger, no matter how distressing the manga is becoming.

... I'd like to go on about how nice it is to meet you too like a normal person who has never seen your journal before, but I'm pretty sure I've actually hung around here before, back when I did not have lj and was marvellously obsessed with Silent Hill!

I am going to friend you because you are an awesome person, and I hope this is okay?

It's absolutely fine! I'm adding you back, because you seem nice, and because you appear to like Fullmetal Alchemist, Death Note, Avatar and Silent Hill, which is a rather good combination of fandoms.

(I'm not familiar with Bleach, but I really like this picture.)

I wondered for a minute with real puzzlement how you knew this about me, but then realized I probably drew things from these fandoms, haha. I get the feeling I should probably stick with one fandom for a while, but I have... a short attention span, I guess. Though I have stuck to MGS for a while now, which is probably how I found my way here because you seem to be getting into it, which is awesome.

Thank you! Bleach is a lot of fun, though it's much harder to get into than Avatar!

You draw things from those fandoms? I had no idea. I was just detecting your interests with my psychic powers.

Oh, dear, I entirely understand having a short attention span with regard to fandoms. I was writing Top Gear fanfiction, of all things, for over a year, but most of the time I'm just leaping all over the place.

Thanks for pointing out the female characters vote - that just enjoyably killed a good half hour. Though I was so dismayed that I had to post for Rose on p16 - thank you for voting for her! I kept expecting to see her and then nothing. I hate that she's such a polarized figure in fandom now. I still love her and can't help it. :/

You're welcome! (It is ridiculously addictive. I cannot stop checking it.) And thank you very much for bringing Rose into it; I considered nominating her, but I was afraid that, as I had already nominated Ruby and Cameron, people would start to think I was joking. IT IS NOT MY FAULT THAT I LIKE UNPOPULAR CHARACTERS.

I'm going to forget about so many awesome female characters, but I will nominate the ones I CAN think of anyway!

Oh gods it is actually painful to read this, because I'm farther along in the manga than you are. I will await your further comments with interest. XD

Uhm, also you should definitely, completely, absolutely write unrequited Roy/Hughes. I want this badly enough that I almost tried to write it myself which would have been a disaster.

...damn, now I really want you to be farther in the manga so I can make you write other things I wanted to and didn't. :p

The Roy/Hughes does need to exist. I've just started rewatching the anime, and I hope that will give me the inspiration I need. (If not, you may have to write it after all.)

I look forward to hearing what your other fic ideas are!

I can't write good angst. It's actually sort of pathetic. I would say I'd do it just for the practice, but Roy/Hughes deserves better. T_T

Oh, just you wait. Seriously, the minute you're caught up to where I am, there will be a list waiting. XD

I started out disliking Hughes and ended up loving him to death. ...wait. That phrasing kind of hurts a lot. ANYWAY. Uh. (HELP I CAN'T GET OVER WHAT I JUST SAID AGH AGH)

But his love for his family! jfkd;jsf;a

I am so excited that you're posting thoughts on the manga. So excited.

ALSO ALSO MAJOR ARMSTRONG IS AMAAAAZING. I love his twinkles! And posings! And moustache!

WHO DISLIKES HUGHES? GO AND STAND IN THE CORNER. (Oh, all right, I suppose I can forgive you if you came to love him. It took me a little while to realise how amazing he was in the anime, too.)

The twinkling is ridiculous and great. 'Ridiculous and great' describes more or less every aspect of Major Armstrong, actually. And he is so very sweet!

This female characters poll is bringing so much lovely nostalgia!

I know! I keep looking through and thinking '...wow, she hadn't even occurred to me. BUT SHE'S AMAZING.'

RANDOM STALKER ALERT! (I hope you don't mind.)

Roy would totally assign Ed an Aron, though I still posit that Charmeleon would be a great match for him. But of course Roy wouldn't give Ed a Charmeleon, because it's a fire-type and that's Roy's domain, so Ed's stuck with an Aron, which Winry will think is absolutely cute and awesome and amazing.

(Or Ed can have a Skarmory?)

Though I kinda think Roy might have a Ninetails, given his propensity for flair. (Even though something about Ninetails invariably reminds me of Hawkeye's expression, and I'm not quite sure what.)

(I don't mind at all! Hello!)

Oh, the idea of Winry falling completely in love with Ed's Aron is absolutely delightful. She would. In fact, Winry would love Steel-types in general to bits.

(Skarmory is a bit too cool for Ed, I feel. Giving him an Aron would be much more fun. Ed hates being made fun of! Aron looks a bit silly! Everyone wins! (Except Ed.))

Ooh, Roy could actually work extremely well with a Ninetales. In fact, you're absolutely right and I don't know why I didn't see it before. (Ninetales' vague and inexplicable Hawkeye-resemblance just makes it more fitting.)

[waves] Hi. *g*

I'm gonna go ahead and friend you, if you don't mind. (Don't feel the need to friend me back, I just want to stalk you to death more effectively, because you seem like an awesome awesome person).

Skarmory is too cool for Ed. Roy would never hand one over.

(I think I figured out what it was about Ninetales that reminds me of Hawkeye. It's the hair, fluffy thingy on top of Ninetales' head, I think. Or not.)

And good luck getting through the FMA manga! It does quite a good job of tearing your heart out and stomping it into the dust BUT IT'S TOTALLY WORTH IT IN THE END.

Friending is very welcome! I am going to add you back, because apparently I am in a friending mood this afternoon and anyone who compares the writing process to the principle of equivalent exchange has to be amazing. Also, introducing yourself with a comment entirely about the Pokémon that Fullmetal Alchemist characters would have is more or less the best first impression you could have made.

(...Riza Hawkeye and Ninetales do have the same hair. That is extremely weird.)

I've just spent twenty minutes trying and failing to find a good picture of Roy into which to manip a Ninetales, and it is entirely your fault. (Why so few full-length pictures of you, Roy? A Ninetales cannot fit on your shoulder!)

I'M SORRY. D: D: D:

I think there's a full-length picture of Roy in the second FMA Brotherhood opening, though it's mostly of his . . . back. (But he's half-wearing his awesome black coat so I forgive him.)

Do you think I should give Brotherhood a try? If I have already watched the first anime and am reading the manga, is it worth watching? (BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY I HAVE NOT CRIED OVER ENOUGH PORTRAYALS OF THAT DEATH.)

I don't have Photoshop! You don't need Photoshop! What I use is the GIMP; it's free, so, if making stupid manips sounds like a way you'd like to spend your time, you could give it a try.

Hmm. Brotherhood is . . . what you watch when you're slogging through the Bog of Boredom (or the Land of Lethargy, take your pick). It has massive pacing problems compared to the first anime since the production team likes covering two to three chapters in one episode. The soundtrack's also not as good and gets completely irritating in places, and there are way too many spoilers if you haven't finished reading the manga. (i.e. In Episode 14, a character pops up that you won't actually meet until Volume 17/18.)

However, the animation's absolutely beautiful (I R SHALLOW LULZ), and the openings are awesome. The VAing is also better for the most part; Ed and Al are amazing, but Roy's new VA sounds like he's flirting with everyone - which isn't terribly bad considering his character (*g*), but he's got absolutely no presence to his voice at all due to it being so breathy.

tl;dr - Don't watch it until you finish reading the manga or you will be massively spoiled. The disappointment's probably unavoidable, but it is quite pretty, and there are some scenes you will want to see animated. :D

I will also admit that I am a complete rock and didn't actually cry during The Death. I did get a bit freaked out during the Nina episode though, so does that excuse me?

Thank you very much for the advice! I may give it a look when I've finished the manga, then.

NOTHING EXCUSES NOT CRYING OVER THE DEATH. Although getting freaked out by the Nina episode does earn you the title of 'Not A Complete Robot'.

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I'm Considering Rewatching The Anime, Because Obviously I Hate Myself.

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