FMA movie ~ (Conqueror of Shamballa) ~ My conclusion

[chochajin]

[mood| a bit sad ]
[music| Akutsu Jin - Get free (remix) ]

So after I´ve finished watching the series I could not stand it NOT to watch the movie, too. I just was TOO curious :/ ...... Because it´s absolutely worth TALKING about, I thought I should write down my impressions again, so that we can discuss a little bit. I have a very strong necessity to talk this over~ ... more than after the end of the anime series O__O;;

SPOILER WARNING:
If you haven´t watched the MOVIE yet, PLEASE don´t read any further unless you WANT to know what´s happening there !!!

So on to the movie. I already knew that it would take part AFTER the anime series, that´s why I wanted to see it so badly ;_; .... BUT I don´t know if it was the right choice .... cuz I think I like the end of the series BETTER !!!! Well, where should I begin ? Holy crap, it´s a good thing that I watched the movie AFTER the anime series !!! The opening alone is sooooo full of spoilers of the anime XD ... but it´s rare that a movie takes place AFTER the ending of an anime series, isn´t it ? Usually movies display sidestories or something like that (e.g. Dragonball, Sailor Moon, Detective Conan, Slayers AND SO ON) So HOW the hell should one know that the movie takes place AFTER the anime series ??? XD~ But putting that aside, I want to explain why I don´t like the end of the movie.

It´s hard to describe how I feel about the movie. It was REALLY great seeing Ed GROWN up and Al beeing so cool using alchemy XDXD *squee*, on the other hand I didn´t like the story that much. People of 'our' world trying to conquer another world or dimension .... I guess I didn´t like the fact that the people of 'our' world were aware of the existence of another world. I´m not sure. One more thing that was getting horribly on my nerves: Germany, Nazis, Hitler: C'mon use OTHER topics !!!! I had enough of THAT ! And I do not like the connection between THAT and FMA :( ..... It doesn´t fit ..... Have you recognized that 'our' world was displayed very mealy and colorless ??? Whereas Ed´s world is always VERY colorful !!!! Well ok, considering that Ed thinks of 'our' world as only a dream from time to time, I can see why it´s like that !!! But it makes 'our' world a place you don´t want to be, right ? That was the impression I got back then :/ .... So POOR Ed !! Ah, one thing did disturb me: I thought WHY does Ed have BOTH of his arms again ? That´s not right !!! Until I realized that his arm and leg were protheses XD

I didn´t like the Alphonse over there very much :( .... uwah~ hopefully the 'real' Al will never suffer from the breaking of his voice XD I like his childish voice better ^-^; Although there are so many familiar faces in 'our' world, it seems that Ed was ALL alone. Uwah~ I hated Hughes-san over there x___X GO TO HELL ! x____x So~ it was SUCH a great scene when Al appeared in front of his brother ;____________; (in his old armor XD) ... at first I was like "WHAT the FUCK is going on here ????" BUT I was totally happy ;___; I was wondering right at the start why there was an armor looking like Al´s ! I guess it was because when Ed was saving his bro, the armor went into and then through the GATE ??!!! Any other suggestions ??? And have I already mentioned how cool Al looks when he´s using alchemy, looking like Ed back then ;___; Kyah~ XD BUT have I seen that right ? Al doesn´t need a circle anymore ? Well, I guess he´s transmuted his bro, so no wonder ....

Ok, as you can see there were also things I liked about the movie XD The best thing EVER was when Al and Ed (and Winry) met up again ;___________________; I SO CRIED !!!! Damn EVERYONE was waiting for THIS moment only, RIGHT ????????? AAAAAAHH .... I thought it would be best to stop the movie right there and declare THIS as the end XDDDDDDD~ ...................... ;____________;²³²³²³ *buaaah* *coughs* Excuse me :/ ... Well, this reunion was one of the best things ^-^ it was soooooooo cute when Winry hugged Ed ;___; and he blushed ♥♥~ But Al running away, because he thought it was ALL his fault, was getting on my nerves ;) They´re united again, and Al runs away ? WTF ???? x______________X;;;;

Well and OF COURSE it was SO great seeing those two fighting together, using alchemy WITHOUT a circle ^-^ (btw. it was sooooo funny when Ed tried to clap his hands together in our 'world' saying something like 'As if something would happen anyway' XD)
AND Roy Mustang was soooo cool in that movie, too !! I like him a little bit more now XD~

A HUGE disadvantage was that there were dying SO many people ;_____;
I didn´t like Wrath, but still ..... and Gluttony (Oh man he really became ugly XD) ... AND Hohenheim ;_____________; ... never liked him that much, but ... ARGH !!!!!~
And it´s ALWAYS sooo cute to hear Japanese people speaking German XDXD

Nyah~ on to the end and why I don´t like it: So the fight was over, Ed and Al´s world was saved .... but seeing the look in Ed´s eyes I went: "HOLD ON, for real ??? DON´T GO !! ;_____;" ... and then it was too late ... I SO cried, I thought THIS can´t be true, at first they pitch them being together to us and THEN this ;__; .... I felt relieved when I saw Al crawling out of his armor .... BUT it´s so damn sad that they are in our world and can NEVER come back now ;______________; .... what´s with this ? They absolutely don´t fit in our world ! They ARE so cool using alchemy and now they can´t do it anymore !!! Ed will never get good auto-mail again !!! What´s with him and Winry ? What´s with Roy and Ed ? XD *coughs* ARGH !!!~ I so don´t like this ;__; ... It would have been way better if Roy came to our world to close the gate and Ed and Al could have stayed at home ;_; ...... or SOMETHING like that !!! Why didn´t another person go and close the gate ? Dare ga ;_; .... Well, perhaps I´m overreacting, but I simply don´t like this. I think it would be better when Ed and Al still were seperated and there would be hope that they meet each other again in THEIR world !!!! This end is so definite :( ... the other one was more an open end ....

Don´t get me wrong I really liked the movie plus it was eyecandy pure :) ♥ ... but still ..... perhaps I shouldn´t have watched the movie right away, I don´t know ...


And finally:



My, seeing Al coming out in his OWN body OUT of the armor which was his body for this long, .. it´s GREAT !



Nyahahaha~ so they´re together in our world ? Kyah~ Scar can´t look friendlyl XD

So, all of you who have watched the movie already, TELL me your thoughts and impressions please. I want to discuss this, perhaps it gets me liking the movie more :/ ....
Again I have to apologize for my horrible English x_X


Jaa, nevertheless I sooooooooo need to make a LOT of screenshots and icons *___*


Elric kyoudai forever ♥~ 何時も 二人 で

Comments

[chochajin.livejournal.com]

Hn~ so I think most of us would agree and say it would be WAY better if there won´t be a second season or PLEASE NOT a second movie x____X .... because we all expect the worst now :/ <- and that is justified, too -_-;

[chochajin.livejournal.com]

Yeah NO second season and PLEASE no second movie !! We all expect the worst and I think that´s justified ;__;
Well, I haven´t seen the Chibi OVA yet, but I think you can overlook something like that ? I don´t think I´ll take that OVA very seriously, so it´s ok. But I took the movie very seriously ;__; ...

[magical-poof.livejournal.com]

Not really a dragon I think. I think the point was that he was the "green eyed monster" or perhaps the "green eyed snake" or something like that. I remember snakes having to do with envy or jealousy for some reason...

[ketita.livejournal.com]

Overall, I thought the movie had some good ideas, but then it went and totally ruined them by drowning them in plotholes.
I won't comment on the Mary Sue, since I'm sure you got the idea, but MAN she was annoying.
They never did explain why Ed was wearing a lightbulb on his head at the beginning.
Personally, I think the series should be called 'How to Ruin Ed's Live in Fifty-One Episodes', and the movie should be called 'How to Ruin All the Characters' Lives in One Movie'. They could really give the angst a bit of a rest.

As movies go, it's not that it was bad. Let me make this clear- I love FMA, and I'm not here to say this movie was stupid and horrible and bash it into next week.
Ok, fine, so maybe I do want to bash it into next week.

It would've been ok, if only all the chars hadn't sacrificed their brains to the Gate somewhere around eps 40, and have never been the same since. It would've also been better if the population of Amestris hadn't mysteriously dwindled to about ten people, and the number of alchemists in the country dropped to exactly three ('cause Ed is stuck in the alter-world).

Fine, so they open the Gate, blah blah. I can live with that. Nevermind that Envy was acting like an idiot, for the three seconds approximately that he got to do what he wanted. Honestly...

The spaceship things. Give me a break. They didn't have that kind of aircraft in WWII! And what do the oh-so-intelligent Amestrians do when confronted with it? They shoot with guns. Yeah, that's gonna be reeeal helpful against airplanes. What happened to their cannons? Tanks? For that matter, why is the Amestris military suddenly composed of Roy's ex-unit and not much else?

And then we have the three alchemists, fighting so bravely and ineffectively against a bunch of planes. Because nevermind that we've seen that the Amestris military had hundreds of alchemists, the only ones left now are Al, Roy, and Armstrong, none of whom even consider transmuting something like rockets, cannons, airplanes, or just frickin sacrificing the idiots to a Philosopher's Stone. Or maybe pulling a Scar on them.
Nope, we're gonna do this the hard way.

Why is Amestris losing to Germany, anyway? Hello, alchemy? Why did they suddenly turn into a bunch of wimps?

Then Ed appears to save the day! Yay! And he promptly makes Al feel horrible about what he did! Great going!
And they didn't even hug each other, dammit!
Then we also discover that despite the fact that Ed spent about six years on crap fake-automail, he can still do backflips with the best of them and doesn't seem to be out of practice at all. 6_6 right.
Now there are FOUR alchemists fighting Stupid Lady. Lucky Amestris. Central gets trashed.

But now we're in trouble, because the Gate is still open!
ED: "Pick me! Pick me! I'll sacrifice myself! yeah!"
But if we just close up the Amestris side, nobody can get through-
ED: "No no, I have to sacrifice myself and be miserable!"
How about we drop a bomb through the Gate to blow up the other side, and then close it from this end-
ED: "That won't work, 'cause I can't be miserable then!"
Ok, so maybe somebody else in this huge country can go through with a bomb, maybe somebody who's fatally ill or something-
ED: "But I have to sacrifice myself!"
Fine. Ed goes through, plants a time-bomb, and goes back-
ED: "Let me frickin sacrifice myself already! Why are you making suggestions that demand stopping and thinking for goodness' sake?!

One thing I actually really did like was Alfons Heidrich. I thought he was a really interesting character (potentially, at least, since they don't bother telling us much about him at all). And I also found his and Ed's interaction interesting- they had a very bittersweet sort of relationship. I mean, the idea of Ed just...following him home or something 'cause he looks so much like Al (especially when Ed's so depressed in the alter-world), really appealed to me. I thought it was very sweet. I wish they hadn't killed him - he was the most successful of the 'invented' characters from the movie, in my opinion.

[ketita.livejournal.com]

On one hand, I can see where all the people who say that it's good it wasn't just another kitchy ending are coming from. But I think after the complete and utter angst of the whole series, they could have given it a rest. I didn't really like the ending of the series, but I liked the ending of the movie even less. I'm now praying for the manga. (and btw, I second all the people who told you to read it- it's probably the very best manga I've ever read, and I've read loads of manga, and WAY better than the anime)

I utterly agree with everybody who complained about characterization, 'cause they were all acting ridiculous. It would probably take me several pages to complain about everything that was wrong with the movie, and if a bunch of fans got together we could probably make a full-length movie about everything that was wrong with that movie.

The animation was very good. I have to give them that.

...as you can see, this issue has been bothering me for a while.
Sorry for writing such a long post -_-U

[chochajin.livejournal.com]

(and btw, I second all the people who told you to read it- it's probably the very best manga I've ever read, and I've read loads of manga, and WAY better than the anime)

I loved the anime and also its end !! So with so many people saying that the manga is EVEN better, I REALLY believe it !! And I will READ it ! And I hope they´ll release it some day in Germany, too. I don´t want to have really good mangas only as scanlations ._____.

But now we're in trouble, because the Gate is still open!
ED: "Pick me! Pick me! I'll sacrifice myself! yeah!"
But if we just close up the Amestris side, nobody can get through-
ED: "No no, I have to sacrifice myself and be miserable!"
How about we drop a bomb through the Gate to blow up the other side, and then close it from this end-
ED: "That won't work, 'cause I can't be miserable then!"
Ok, so maybe somebody else in this huge country can go through with a bomb, maybe somebody who's fatally ill or something-
ED: "But I have to sacrifice myself!"
Fine. Ed goes through, plants a time-bomb, and goes back-
ED: "Let me frickin sacrifice myself already! Why are you making suggestions that demand stopping and thinking for goodness' sake?!

*giga-ROLF* XD Oh my, I LOVE your sarcasm <333
But you could really get that impression right ? I said it before: WHY the heck did Ed have to go ? Why not SOMEONE else ???~

I could live with the movie under one condition: They should have put it into an alternative world of the FMA universe. So that the movie ISN´T supposed to be the REAL end of ALL, but only something that COULD happen !!
Most anime movies are like that, you could watch them, but they have normally nothing or at least very little to do with the *normal* series.
Since when is a movie the REAL end of a series ? GAAAAAH x___________X (ok putting Neon Genesis Evangelion aside *coughs*)

[chochajin.livejournal.com]

Hn~ there was something crossing my mind after watching some FMA amvs.
You all (and me too) complain about the fact, that there is no HUGE hugging scene when Al and Ed get back together right ?
But ! Al meets Ed before that, when he´s transmuted a small part of his soul into his old armor (yes yes I know x_X) .... Al hugs his brother very happily !!!! Well ok Ed is very shocked XD but I guess that´s not THAT bad !
And when they finally meat from 'person' to 'person' it´s not the FIRST time plus they have OTHER problems right at that moment ... and when Winry hugged him .. well I guess he was very shocked and embarassed and ... yeah ... come on ED is a MAN ! XD

[tuulensisko.livejournal.com]

There are three episodes. They don't have anything to do with each other so you can very well watch them separatedly... And only the "Kids"-ova follows the plot, the others are just for fun.

You can watch them on You Tube if you want to:

Chibi-OVA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd_Ra11cFYc

Kids-OVA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvFaeaNr4No

State vs. Homunculi -OVA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkDVALz8KuE

[tuulensisko.livejournal.com]

Another thing. A giant flying-warship-of-doom explodes out of the sky, shooting and exploding random things and so on...
And Roy goes after it in a hot air balloon.
I think that was the point where I started banging my head against the table.

True, but he didn't have a plane, did he? ^^; Oh well, maybe he could have used the brothers' trick and transmute a way up. :p But Amestris doesn't have that much technology for flying, so you have to forgive them a bit.

[tuulensisko.livejournal.com]

I could write a ten page rant about all the things that are wrong in the movie. But well, I don't see any point in that. ^^; I never felt too dissappointed even though it wasn't a very satisfying ending.

Mostly I was just WTF during the first time I watched it. :p There were three scenes that got a special reaction from me:
1: The Reunion. So frustratingly cold. .__o
2: When Ed said he'd return to our world. You know why.
3: When Al appeared from inside the armor. I was so relieved that I laughed. Aw.

Still I sort of liked it. At least I like watching it over and over again. It's beautiful (I like those subdued colours in our world). The music is beautiful, the mood (well at least in the first half) is kind of peaceful and melancholic. I think every time I watch the movie I just separate it from FMA all together and pretend that it's just a random film about random characters that I know nothing of beforehand. It doesn't make the plot much better but I won't be as frustrated about it. ^^;

The movie just wasn't right for FMA but it's still somehow nice to watch. In a "oo, pretty pictures~ ^__^"-kind of way. But as a sequel to the FMA anime it wasn't good. That's what I think about it.

About nazis... I know all the stuff about Amestris being a bit like Germany at that time (all though I don't think it's that obvious) but nazis and WWII are still an overused subject. x_X The good thing about it was that it wasn't about WWII but long before that. That's because you are not told much about that at school. The movie inspired me to research that time and I found that most of the historical stuff was actually correct; even the Thule Society existed. There was so much I hadn't heard about. o_O And since I like history I was pretty excited.

But I still think the whole thing has the sort of "our hero is so cool he even fights the nazis!!!1" ring to it. x__X Honestly, people, get over the nazi -thing already. There are other "EVIL" organisations and movements in the world too. And by this I don't mean to belittle the horrors of nazism or fasism in general. It just become a symbol of evilness somehow... I suppose it's because the winners write the history books as they say...

Of course the movie is made for Japanese people to whom the topic might actually be more alien. The way we don't know much about Japan's history.

All right, I have to add one thing that annoys me since no one has mentioned it: Since when can anybody do alchemy just by going to Amestris' world? Why the hell this psychotic woman can do all this badass alchemy without having studied it at all? -__- That's one thing I just can't accept even when I'm ignoring most of the plotholes.

[chochajin.livejournal.com]

Ah and the Kids OVA is the ONLY OVA I haven´t seen yet ^^;;
Thanks for the info *bows* ^^; I will download it somewhere *doesn´t like youtube* ^^;

[chochajin.livejournal.com]

The movie just wasn't right for FMA but it's still somehow nice to watch. In a "oo, pretty pictures~ ^__^"-kind of way. But as a sequel to the FMA anime it wasn't good. That's what I think about it.
Hn~ I guess that´s pretty the same way I think, too ^^;;;

but nazis and WWII are still an overused subject. x_X
*nods* x____X;;

I found that most of the historical stuff was actually correct; even the Thule Society existed.
Really ? That´s great ! I didn´t know about that ^^;; *feels ashamed* x_x

Of course the movie is made for Japanese people to whom the topic might actually be more alien. The way we don't know much about Japan's history.
Yeah I guess that´s true ! And for some reason Japanese people seem to like Germany very much o___O *still don´t get it* XD~
So it´s always CUTE to see a German sign somewhere or hear charas even SPEAK German XD

All right, I have to add one thing that annoys me since no one has mentioned it: Since when can anybody do alchemy just by going to Amestris' world? Why the hell this psychotic woman can do all this badass alchemy without having studied it at all?
Ah yes o____O; .... I haven´t paid attention to this at all o___o; ... That´s really stupid !! ARGH -____-; ...
Well, of course, when people start to be able to travel through the gate without problems why not give them 'super powers', too ?? ... -___-;;

[ketita.livejournal.com]

They should have put it into an alternative world of the FMA universe. So that the movie ISN´T supposed to be the REAL end of ALL, but only something that COULD happen !!

...you're soooooo right. I guess anime movies really do have a tendency to be miserable. (One of my friends even refused to watch the FMA movie, 'cause he didn't want to ruin the series for himself. He says all anime series based movies suck)

I hope for you that it gets to Germany someday XD it's really a manga worth buying. I have to order it from America, since it will probably not get to Israel in the near century.

[chochajin.livejournal.com]

Well I guess that´s true. There are some nice movies (e.g. the Marmalade Boy movie), but most of the time they suck :/ ....

Haha~ thank you ^-^;; Well if it´s not I guess I have to order it from America, too *__* .. or if my Japanese gets better I order it from Japan *dreams @_@*
Israel ? There are FMA fans in Israel, too ? WAAII~ that´s great ^-^

[ketita.livejournal.com]

Yeah, FMA has quite an impressive Israeli fanbase (some of it thanks to me forcing the series on everyone I meet...including non-anime fans...)
I have a one track mind ever since I saw the whole anime in a 2-day marathon last summer. =/
"It's true!" (said the guy sitting next to her)

[chochajin.livejournal.com]

Hehe~ :D If I had more time, I would have watched it in 2 days, too XD Is that even possible ? @_@ Nyah~ who cares ^^ I WILL watch it again ! Usually I don´t watch an anime twice, but THIS one definitively ^^!
Yes, I recommended the series to friends of mine, too ! I´m curious if they will like it ^-^ if NOT they´re dead meat ô_ô~

[chochajin.livejournal.com]

Just a thought, but it´s really interesting, that NOONE complained about the age difference between Ed and Al ^^;
Ed is 18 and Al 13 in the movie o__O;; ....