''“The theory was foolproof... The world just made bigger fools... ...US.’''
Chapter 1: The Two Alchemists
So the series kicks off as we see a kid screaming for somebody named Alphonse, saying that it “shouldn’t be happening”. He screams “It’s all gone!!” as we cut to the source of the voice, a blond kid who has had his leg removed in a bloody mess. It is at this point that you realize that this is probably not a kids Shonen title. At least they did not get fooled by stuff like this and decide to put the anime on a 7AM Weekday block (Still Bitter). We also get this text between the panels:
Punishment without pain is without meaning...
Nothing can be achieved...Without sacrifice...
As you can guess, this will become a main theme.
We now cut to our cover. It’s on older version of the kid and a suit of armor standing next to him, in what appears to be a clock tower. There is also a large runic symbol on the right hand side. Basic stuff.
We finally get into the chapter proper as we see a loudspeaker pole attached to a radio on top (Are there actually loudspeaker poles like this? Please tell me) broadcasting a sermon. It’s about the “Sun God Leto”. As the sermon goes on about how Leto will “Decend from the heavens and purge the world of sin”, we see our town. It’s seems to show a kind of lower district, dark alleys leading to taverns, (One which as a sign labeled “Stray Dog”, a reference to Hiromu Arakawa’s previous work) piping overhead, and a large smokestack spouting factory. Also for some weird reason, there is a road sign with nothing but a spiral on it. Must.......Resist....Urge....To make......Guren Lagann......Joke.....
The sermon transitions into the next scene as we see the armor from the cover stating that they are broadcasting the sermon, to which the blond kid states how weird it is (In response to “Messenger of god”). We show a bartender commenting on how it’s they who are the weird ones (Fun fact: the back of the bar looks like a mess. There are bottles and trash strewn everywhere, and you can see a roast chicken on top of a fridge, and a dead hanging lizard. It’s essentially a health nightmare).
We finally cut to the two people, as he asks if the circus is in town. It’s easy to see why. There is a blond kid with a braided ponytail and a tiny antenna of hair, wearing a red jacket with gloves and a black buttonless shirt. To his right is somebody in a large suit of armor that seems to be modeled after a demon, with the massive sharp toothed jaw and horn.
- Blondy: Gramps, do we look like a circus act to you?Bartender: Every bit ye ways I see it....
We now see that they are at “Food” having Meal. Okay, it’s actually a stand, which has a radio on top. The bartender asks them if they are tourists, to which blondy responds that they are looking for something. One of them asks about the sermon, which the bartender says is Lord Cornello, the founder of the town. Various townspeople talk about him, saying that he came to the town a few years back to preach his religion Letoism, and that he can actually perform miracles. So he is definitely a villain. That’s not a spoiler, I thought that too when I first read this, as he seems like the archetype that is always revealed to be a villain/fraud.
Blondy is unimpressed, saying that religion bores him. I only really get bored with religion during mass, but that’s another story. He and the Armoured guy turn to leave, when Armor Kid bumps his head on the roof of the stand, sending the radio crashing to the ground. The bartender tells him off, but Armor Kid and Blondy say they can fix it. Armor draws a simple runic circle around the smashed radio, raises his hands over it, and one flash of light later, the radio is fixed. The amazed bartender claims that it was a miracle, to which blondy says “As If”. Armor Kid say that they are Alchemists. Alchemy will be similar to Bending or [1] in this series. However, it may be my second favorite magic esq power ever put in fiction (The first being Bending, which I personally prefer). Anyway, Blondy say that they are the Elric Brothers.
The crowd is amazed by this, as they say that the younger brother has a license by the state (We will get to that later). And they come over to congratulate Edward Elric, The Fullmetal Alchemist! Which they assume is the Armoured one. It makes sense, seeing that he performed the alchemy, and he would fit the description of “Fullmetal”. However, he sheepishly reveals that it is actually his brother, to the confusion to the crowd, one of them remarking if it is actually the midget over there who is Fullmetal.
Edward does not take the “midget” comment well.
“WHO WERE YOU CALLING SHRIMP?!”
He angrily states that he is Edward Elric and armor boy is his brother Alphonse Elric (And thank god we know their names now. I was getting so sick of calling Ed and Al Blondy and Armor Kid!). Suddenly a girl shows up at the stand, who’s name is Rose Tyler. For some reason her front hair is white (Pink in both Anime) while her back hair is brown. She is the only character in the entire series that has a bizarre hair coloration. She states that she’s going off to the church to make some offerings. She asks who Ed and Al are, and the bartender states that they are Alchemists, she wishes them luck, saying may Leto light their path and all that. The other people note that Rose is in happier spirits. Apparently, she has no relatives and her boyfriend died in an accident. She was taken out of depression by Leto’s teachings. They say that the miracles they have witnessed prove that Leto can raise the dead. Okay, I know for a fact that Resurrecting the dead is never, EVER in the agenda of a good god. Ed’s continued sarcasm ends the scene.
We finally cut to the Founder himself, Cornello. He is a old bald priest with thick eyebrows (I can’t describe people’s appearances to save my life). His two assistants congratulate him on the sermon when Rose comes in. Cornello thanks her for a job well done at the church (This is confusing because we never see what she did). She begins to sheepishly bring up her Boyfriends possible resurrection (In an manner I know far too well via personal experience), but Conrello sees through it and says that while Leto has been watching her pleas, the time is not right (The most convenient excuse ever), as he comments on Rose having a good heart.....While it shows him in that “Below the eyes” shot. The one that basically says “I am evil!”
So Rose goes into the church where he finds Ed and Al, remarking that they were the people from before, and asks if they want to learn Letoism. Ed responds that he follows no god. (“I don’t believe in god. I only believe in science.”). Rose responds by giving an extremely saccharine “God loves all people and gives you hope” (Complete with sparkles!) speech. She also says in a small panel that Leto could make Ed taller, with Al holding Ed back from giving Rose her routine reaction. (Please note: Having a overly sappy “God Loves you” speach is the fastest way to turn people away from your religion).
We go back to serious mode as Ed scoffs at the thought that anybody would believe that Leto could bring people back to life (Well they could. And that is why Scientology still exists). Rose insists that it can happen. This leads into one of the best moments of the entire series. Ed responds by listing the properties of a human body *.
“That’s the chemical make up of an average human adult. We know that much thanks to science...Yet no sucessful human trasmutations have ever been documented so far. Something was missing. For decades researchers sought to find this “missing link”...But all have come up empty handed. You might say it’s a lost cause , but I think it’s more meaningful than waiting for god to answer your prayers in compassion.
Oh, and interesting trivia for you, all those ingredients can be easily purchased from your local provision store....Just goes to show how cheap we humans really are.”
Carl Sagan actually talked about this. You can see it here.
Rose is pissed by Ed’s trivialization of humanity, saying that humans are the children of god. And that he will incur god’s wrath for his words. (Please Note II: God’s wrath is nonexistent. God will not do such things, and he can’t be made into a kind of guardian. Sorry for this. I just wanted to view my own thoughts about Christianity in regards to this). Ed continues on about how Alchemists are scientists and thus contrary to the teachings of god. A scientists job is to explain the truth about how the world works. And while they do not believe in god, they are conversely close to god than other people, to which Rose disapproves of because of Ed’s arrogance. Although given what we discover later, that last remark may have been a mix of irony. Ed also quotes the Story of Icarus. You know the drill, wax wings, sun, plummeting to doom, saved by Hercules, ect. Why he quotes the story, we see Al’s face in shadows, almost looking sorrowful. Hmmm.....
So we then see the procession with Cornello at the town square, as he is greated by a shower of flowers And turns out he can actually do miracles, as he takes one of the flowers and turns it into a large sunflower. I have to admit, both the 2003 Anime and Brotherhood did this scene alot better (2003 actually had him bringing a Bird back to life, which showed that he could bring living beings back to life, and Brotherhood had him turn one of the flowers into a giant crystal sculpture). However, Ed and Al immediately recognize it as Alchemy. Rose arrives, saying that Cornello really can perform miracles, but Ed and Al state that it’s alchemy and Cornello’s a fraud. But they also point out that it doesn’t explain the law. Rose asks what this is, and Al states the laws of Alchemy. Long story short:
Alchemy cannot create matter out of nothing. Meaning that Alchemy is bound by the Laws of Conservation of Mass, as well as Conservation of Energy which states that Mass or Engery cannot be created or destroyed. This also applies to people who work on the 4 elements (Which Avatar followed, although they kinda dropped that when it came to Firebending) or 3 principle rules. Qualities must be kept competent between the trasmutated forms, and properties in the desired object must be present in the original materials.
Rose, obviously lacking knowledge in Advanced Chemistry, is completely baffled by this (Complete with swirly vortex of confusion surrounding her!). Ed sums it up by saying that it is Equivalent Exchange, that you must sacrafice something to gain something else of equal value. And goes on to state that Cornello’s Alchemy does not respond. However, Cornello’s ring catches Ed’s eye, as he seems to have hit the Jackpot. So he does an instant religious turn-around, with flowers around him and says to Rose that he wants to be enlightened! She instantly believes this, despite seeing beforehand how much of a cynic he is. Ah well.
At Cornello’s palace, his assistant says that a Boy and somebody in a suit of armor is here to see them. Cornello says he is busy at first, until he realizes who the Elric Brothers are. He asks if the boy said he was Edward Elric, and when it is confirmed, starts muttering how bad this is. He tells his founder that Edward is The Fullmetal Alchemist, and that despite his age, he was able to achieve his state license at the age of 12. The assistant says that he could be onto their plan (They’re evil), and Cornello responds by saying “The Dogs of the Military have excellent noses indeed” (This will be explained in Volume 5. As well as a lot of other stuff). He says that they can’t send him away, as that would arouse his suspicions, so they decide on the only other sensible solution.
MURDER.
So the assistant brings Ed and Al into a room, along with two banner holders saying that the founder does not have time for guests, but they can make an exception for them. Ed is saying that it will be quick, as the assistant PULLS OUT A GUN AND BLOWS AL’S HEAD OFF. Wow. I guess Al was a Decoy Protagonist. Strange how there is no blood at all though. The banner holders hold Edward back, as the Assistant explain to a shocked Rose that they are planning to “Undermine the teachings of Leto” (Which given their attitude so far would be a reasonable excuse for them). Rose tries to say that Cornello would not order such a thing, to which the Assistant responds that Cornello himself ordered their execution. He is about to shoot Edward in the head as part of “God’s work” and all that, when suddenly, Al’s ‘’headless body’’ grabs the gun, asking what kind of a sick god Leto must be if this is acceptable. Ed and Al take out the guards, as Ed finishes off the last, fleeing one by throwing Al’s head at it (I bring this up because it will become a reoccurring theme, and using body parts as weapons is always awesome and hilarious for me)
Rose is horrified by the revelation that Alphonse is....You know....A living suit of armor, to which Ed and Al say “It just is”. Errrr.......Anyway, Rose asks how it’s possible, to which they respond that it is because they both committed the most heinous act in the eyes of god. Rose asks what Ed did, but he says to forget it. He asks he what she thinks of Leto know that she knows the truth, but she is still unwilling to believe it, much to Ed’s chargin. He asks if if she is brave enough to handle the Truth.
......No. I am not making that joke. That’s just too easy.
So Ed and Al reach Cornello’s Boss Room location, as he greats them in a kind of suave, Bond Villain style, with “Welcome to the Holy Chruch of Leto. Have you come here in search of enlightenment?” to which Ed responds that he is looking for enlightenment, like how he is using Alchemy to rip off the town. Cornello says that it is a serious accusation, and that his miracles are different from Alchemy, that Ed has to see them for himself. Ed responds that he has seen them, and he can’t figure why they disregard the laws. Cornello continues to say that it is not Alchemy before Ed says that he can accomplish his miracles because his ring is a Philosopher’s Stone!
(Please note: I will not be making Harry Potter jokes, since Arakawa has stated that she has never read any of the books)
Cornello, states that only a State Alchemist could see that, as he confirms that his ring is indeed a Philosopher's Stone, which in this series can transmutate things while reducing the requirements needed by Equivalent Exchange. Ed says that he has been looking for it for a while. Cornello asks what he wants with the stone, as Ed responds by asking Cornello why he would use his religion as a front, when he could transmutate all the Money he wants. Cornello says that money does not interest him, since his followers’ donations have him set. No, what he wants is to make his followers into an army that will dominate all who stand against him, one that will not even fear death! (Because that mindset worked SO well during the Crusades)
Ed is.....Completely uninterested in this. Cornello is shocked by this, questioning why, seeing as Ed is a member of the military, but Ed simply says that military issues do not concern him (Ed comes off as an Uncaring Asshole, but there is a twist to this that we will discover later), and that he just wants the stone. He threatens Cornello with revealing hsi plot to the town, to which Cornello laughs him off, going on a rant about how he has the people of the town under his control and that they will never believe them (He has a very good point there), proudly proclaiming that he has them wrapped around his finger.
Ed applauds at the speech, as Al says that while the town won’t believe them, they will believe....Rose, who has been hiding inside Al this entire time. Damn they’re good. Rose is horrified to find out that Cornello is a fraud, but she seems more concerned about the fact that he Boyfriend can’t come back, than anything else. Errrrr....Well, anyway, Cornello smiles and say that while he may not be a true messenger of the gods, he IS able to use the stone to bring Rose’s boyfriend back to life, as he coaxes her to come to his side. Ed yells at her not to go to Cornello, saying that if she goes down that path, she will never go back (Whether it’s because of morality or raising the dead is your opinion). Of course, seeing as what Rose’s morality up to this point has been, she obviously goes back to Cornello, As she says that hope is the only thing she has left. Well, many of your fellow people are going to die in a hopeless Crusade, but hey! At least you will have your boyfriend back. Who will probably drafted into Cornello’s army as well, come to think of it.
Cornello laughs as he reaches for his Emergency Monster Spawner™ (The switch has the words “Hirake Goma” written on it. Can anybody tell me what it means?), unleashing a Chimera (A Lion combined with what appears to be a Lizard) that he says he creayed using the stone. It advances on Ed and Al, as Ed sighs saying “Why do we always have to do this the hard way?” Huh. He acts like this kind of thing has happened before. So he claps his hands, touches the ground, and transmutates a fancy looking spear from the ground. Cornello is shocked that he can actually transmutate without using a circle, but he says that he can’t beat his Chimera. It instantly slashes through Ed’s spear, and cuts him in his leg, as Cornello laughs, saying that his Chimera can cut through solid steel, but Ed doesn’t think so. Suddenly the Chimera’s claws snap off, as Ed reveals that his leg is made of metal! Cornello orders the Chimera to bite him instead. the Chimera chomps down on Ed’s arm, but he seems to be unable to do any damage. Ed then kicks the Chimera off him, as he says “Take a good hard look Rose....This is the mark of a Sinner! God’s punishment on those who dare encroach upon his domain!” as he says this, his clothes fall apart as we see his metal arm though the rips. Cornello recognizes his limbs as “Automail”, replacement, functioning limbs, hence why Ed is called The Fullmetal Alchemist! We see Ed take of his shirt and jacket, fully revealing his arm. It is really well designed, having a wholly mechanical look with arm and shoulder guards. Also we see that it looks painfully attached, as the point where the metal reaches his skin is almost halfway across his torso, and there are various scars and damaged flesh points surrounding it.
And so our chapter ends with Ed proclaiming: “Alright you amateur! Im’ calling you out! It’s time you knew what a REAL Alchemist is made of!”
This is a great introductory chapter for the series. It manages to establish the themes and workings of the series, and has some fantastic moments of genuine insight into Science and Religion. This chapter takes a seemingly anti religious stance, but as we will see in the next chapter, I find it more of a stance against the corruption that can come from the misuse of religion, as well as not to rely on faith and faith alone.
Edward’s character is also set up very well. We see his personality, and his character quirks very clearly, and it fortifies his character. Edward is my favorite Shonen protagonist. He’s arrogant and cocky, even coming off as an uncaring asshole at first. However, he has real depth to him, and he shows himself to be a genuinely intelligent character. Al’s character is not really established that well in the early chapters. He comes off as the Blue Oni to Ed’s Red Oni. His character is more established throughout his experiences during this series. I am going to get into Rose the next chapter, as her character get’s fully established there.
Thank’s for reading! If you have any advice, suggestions, or comments on this recap, please tell me! I would really appreciate the advice.
