FMA thoughts
Oct. 25th, 2004 07:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
timepiececlockI've been thinking about why Ed/Roy fic for FMA never sits right with me-- why I was so surprised to learn that that was the most popular fanon slash pairing, and why it still doesn't seem in character to me.
I finally reasoned it out. It's because, in the way I interpreted the show, Roy represented aspects of a father figure to Ed and Al, but especially to Ed. Specifically, he and Hughes combine to represent different sides of the symbolic father, very similar to the way that Ross and Izumi were mother-figures.
Let me lay out my thoughts in a more orderly fashion
Family is the most important theme or motif in FMA. The Elric Brothers' tragedy starts with family (the loss of their mother) and eventually ends talking about family. For most of Ed and Al's life and for most of the FMA story, they have no father because he's a deadbeat dad. Edward hates him for this, and Al is just sad about it-- something that of course makes Ed hate their dad even more since Ed is always worried over Al. But while Al remains hopeful and anticipatory of someday meeting their father, Ed has dismissed him for good.
Now, when Ed and Al go to Central and Ed becomes an alchemist and the main timeline is started, he basically has two male role models in his life: Roy and Hughes. Roy is the first one they meet-- he is like their "father" in alchemy, leading them to the idea of becoming state alchemists, and arranging things to make it possible. Roy has already mastered what they're studying, and is confident and strong. However, like their real father who is unaffectionate by absence, Roy is unaffectionate because he wants to shape them, and help them become stronger by not coddling them. He's the hard, frustrating version of the father who wants to teach, but believes in harsh lessons and high expectations. Of course, Ed immediately forms the antagonistic relationship with this nearby "dad" substitute that he can't form with his actual father because the dirty bastard left ain't around, so to speak. Every time he argues with Roy, he's not just arguing with his commander who mocks him or tricks him or forces hiim to do stuff he hates to do, he's arguing with his absent father. The rivalry that Ed has going with that is the same-- Trisha Elric loved that the brothers did alchemy because it reminded her of her husband, and Ed and Al have been told all their lives that they get their talents from their father. Beating Roy at alchemy or fighting or beating Roy's expectations of missions is like winning against his absent father, proving he doesn't need the man and never has, because Ed can be strong enough for himself and his brother.
Hughes is the other half of the father figure-- the more loving half, if you will. Not that Roy's actions aren't based in care as well (I think his blowing up at them in episode 43 is pretty indicative that he does care and he is trying to protect them-- he is hurt that they don't know by now that they can trust him to give all the help he can-- in that scene Roy was every bit the angry father lecturing his foolish sons... and we also know that Roy harbors a lot of guilt for the people and children he killed in Ishbal, and psuedo-raising the Elrics is part of his redemption), but Hughes is the more demonstrative, fun-loving half. Hughes is literally a new father himself, adores children and makes an effort to spend time with Ed and Al. He's a caretaker by nature and he works to take care of them as well. His antics are amusing and irritating, but Ed and Al know they can lean on him, that as "the adult" he can help them because he is also competent and strong. But because Hughes is not an alchemist and not Ed or Al's commander, Ed doesn't butt heads with him the way he does with Roy. Between the two of them, Roy and Hughes make up everything that Ed (and by extention Al) resents not having when growing up.
These are the dynamics I was seeing when I watched the series. Over the course of the series the brothers cross paths with many parental figures, male and female, from when they're 11 and 12 to when they're 15 and 16. In the end of the series---
--- [spoilers for episode 49]
---when Roy and Al have their last conversation in the car ride, Ed has finally grown up, and no longer has to fight with Roy in conversation because Roy isn't that psuedo-father for him to throw him anger toward anymore. Ed has now met his real father and somewhat come to terms with who the man was, and has at least come to terms with who he himself is. He has come to terms with Nina's death and with his mother's death and with what it really means to make and to use the Philosopher's Stone-- not just for himself and Al, but for the world. Edward meets Roy as an equal for the first and last time, like that first magic family reunion when your parents start talking to you like a person and not like a child.
So you can imagine how much I have to twist my brain cells to believe that the idea of Roy/Ed even exists, much less contemplate taking the pairing seriously. It just clashes with everything about my perceptions of the two characters. The end result of which is that I end up skipping a lot of quality fan-art and a lot of fic recs.
Now, other slash pairings I can see as less of a stretch-- pre-Gracia Roy/Hughes, for instance, I can dig. Even makes me wanna cry for the beautiful angst. And even Ed/Al incest, though it squicks me and is also physically impossible, seems more believable to the characters to me because the brothers are so emotionally close. Of course my new favorite fanon slash pairing is Kimbly/Roy-- it's like the train wreck that keeps on wrecking.
Anyway, I just wanted to share some thoughts and have fun with analysis. This series is so ripe for it-- there's layers upon layers and it makes me one happy puppy just to think about it.
I finally reasoned it out. It's because, in the way I interpreted the show, Roy represented aspects of a father figure to Ed and Al, but especially to Ed. Specifically, he and Hughes combine to represent different sides of the symbolic father, very similar to the way that Ross and Izumi were mother-figures.
Let me lay out my thoughts in a more orderly fashion
Family is the most important theme or motif in FMA. The Elric Brothers' tragedy starts with family (the loss of their mother) and eventually ends talking about family. For most of Ed and Al's life and for most of the FMA story, they have no father because he's a deadbeat dad. Edward hates him for this, and Al is just sad about it-- something that of course makes Ed hate their dad even more since Ed is always worried over Al. But while Al remains hopeful and anticipatory of someday meeting their father, Ed has dismissed him for good.
Now, when Ed and Al go to Central and Ed becomes an alchemist and the main timeline is started, he basically has two male role models in his life: Roy and Hughes. Roy is the first one they meet-- he is like their "father" in alchemy, leading them to the idea of becoming state alchemists, and arranging things to make it possible. Roy has already mastered what they're studying, and is confident and strong. However, like their real father who is unaffectionate by absence, Roy is unaffectionate because he wants to shape them, and help them become stronger by not coddling them. He's the hard, frustrating version of the father who wants to teach, but believes in harsh lessons and high expectations. Of course, Ed immediately forms the antagonistic relationship with this nearby "dad" substitute that he can't form with his actual father because the dirty bastard left ain't around, so to speak. Every time he argues with Roy, he's not just arguing with his commander who mocks him or tricks him or forces hiim to do stuff he hates to do, he's arguing with his absent father. The rivalry that Ed has going with that is the same-- Trisha Elric loved that the brothers did alchemy because it reminded her of her husband, and Ed and Al have been told all their lives that they get their talents from their father. Beating Roy at alchemy or fighting or beating Roy's expectations of missions is like winning against his absent father, proving he doesn't need the man and never has, because Ed can be strong enough for himself and his brother.
Hughes is the other half of the father figure-- the more loving half, if you will. Not that Roy's actions aren't based in care as well (I think his blowing up at them in episode 43 is pretty indicative that he does care and he is trying to protect them-- he is hurt that they don't know by now that they can trust him to give all the help he can-- in that scene Roy was every bit the angry father lecturing his foolish sons... and we also know that Roy harbors a lot of guilt for the people and children he killed in Ishbal, and psuedo-raising the Elrics is part of his redemption), but Hughes is the more demonstrative, fun-loving half. Hughes is literally a new father himself, adores children and makes an effort to spend time with Ed and Al. He's a caretaker by nature and he works to take care of them as well. His antics are amusing and irritating, but Ed and Al know they can lean on him, that as "the adult" he can help them because he is also competent and strong. But because Hughes is not an alchemist and not Ed or Al's commander, Ed doesn't butt heads with him the way he does with Roy. Between the two of them, Roy and Hughes make up everything that Ed (and by extention Al) resents not having when growing up.
These are the dynamics I was seeing when I watched the series. Over the course of the series the brothers cross paths with many parental figures, male and female, from when they're 11 and 12 to when they're 15 and 16. In the end of the series---
--- [spoilers for episode 49]
---when Roy and Al have their last conversation in the car ride, Ed has finally grown up, and no longer has to fight with Roy in conversation because Roy isn't that psuedo-father for him to throw him anger toward anymore. Ed has now met his real father and somewhat come to terms with who the man was, and has at least come to terms with who he himself is. He has come to terms with Nina's death and with his mother's death and with what it really means to make and to use the Philosopher's Stone-- not just for himself and Al, but for the world. Edward meets Roy as an equal for the first and last time, like that first magic family reunion when your parents start talking to you like a person and not like a child.
So you can imagine how much I have to twist my brain cells to believe that the idea of Roy/Ed even exists, much less contemplate taking the pairing seriously. It just clashes with everything about my perceptions of the two characters. The end result of which is that I end up skipping a lot of quality fan-art and a lot of fic recs.
Now, other slash pairings I can see as less of a stretch-- pre-Gracia Roy/Hughes, for instance, I can dig. Even makes me wanna cry for the beautiful angst. And even Ed/Al incest, though it squicks me and is also physically impossible, seems more believable to the characters to me because the brothers are so emotionally close. Of course my new favorite fanon slash pairing is Kimbly/Roy-- it's like the train wreck that keeps on wrecking.
Anyway, I just wanted to share some thoughts and have fun with analysis. This series is so ripe for it-- there's layers upon layers and it makes me one happy puppy just to think about it.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-10-28 03:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-02 02:01 pm (UTC)Also, in the comment to my post where you linked me to this essay-- Roy/Hawkeye = Greed/Martel as a relationship foil? Ingenious. It might have been more obvious if Greed/Martel as a 'ship had been canon (it wasn't, right? In the anime, at least?), even though I know you used "relationship" in its broader sense, but it's totally true. The difference, of course, was that everything that could have gone right or wrong for all of them went right for Roy and Hawkeye and wrong for Greed and Martel. And...I guess that's all I have to say about that. But, yes, ingenious.