FMA movie - redux viewing

[timepiececlock]

Okay, that whole Roy/Havoc/Breda snow conversation?

Why wasn't Roy angsting about all this stuff in the season finale? He was all "The world is imperfect" and "Ding dong the bastard's dead" and "Let's eat lots of apples" and stuff. How did we go from the beginnings of [relative] peace of mind to brooding about the people he's stepped on to get to the top? How did we go from apples to wallowing?

This was my biggest confusion in the fim, and remains despite a different translation. Dunno why I was hoping it would be clearer.

I still don't buy that the person he's "waiting for" is Ed. That makes...NO SENSE WHATSOEVER given how they parted in episode 48.


---

Izumi: Still the prettiest, even dead.



EDIT 1: Why do subbers translate "Nii-san" as "Ed" or "Edward"? I've been an otaku long enough to know that's not what "nii-san" means.

EDIT 2: You know, the focus on Nazis is interesting and ironic when you consider the massacres the Japanese led against the countries of Asia in WWII.

Comments

[donna-c-punk.livejournal.com]

This might sound totally stupid, but given the weird 180 Roy took between the end of the series and the movie, I thought that they meant the person Roy was waiting for ... was himself. At the end of the flick, the old Roy had returned - using his alchemy, being a field commander and taking part in the world once again, because he was needed.

Or maybe I was wrong ...

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

No, you're not wrong. That right there is the best rationalization I've heard so far, and it's just existential enough (and totally inscrutable enough) to be in a japanese anime.

I'm gonna go with that.

[flutingfrenzy.livejournal.com]

For the record, I really really REALLY like donna_c_punk's idea. But also, I kind of figured the "apples to wallowing" was the result of shock followed by reality sinking in. Especially since, I mean, at the end of the series he was still a Brigadier General and being hand-fed by Hawkeye. Of course, that was pretty much an unconscious rationalization on my part that does make slightly less sense now that I think about it, at least without elaboration.

I was so torn up about Izumi. Man. Whyyyyy. Watching these last couple episodes in the dub damn near killed me.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I really like it too. It sort of makes sense, because he's achieved both his goals: the government is less corrupt, and Hughes's murderer has been found. Actually... from a traditional literary perspective, he should be dead. Having achieved his life-long vengeance the hero should have died on the steps. Perhaps he's suffering from post-vendetta blues? No big mission, so all he's got left to think about is how much he dislikes the person he's become?

...Dude, Roy's an idiot. Worrying about his midlife crisis when he could back in a warmer climate making sweet lurve with Hawkeye.

[flutingfrenzy.livejournal.com]

Having achieved his life-long vengeance the hero should have died on the steps.

Maybe he realizes exactly that, and gets all depressed. "Well...fuck. Now what? At this point, I'm just taking up narrative space. I think I'll go emo in the snow and pretend to be dead, and maybe everyone will forget I'm not. Clearly, this is the best possible course of action. "

...Dude, Roy's an idiot. Worrying about his midlife crisis when he could back in a warmer climate making sweet lurve with Hawkeye.

I heartily endorse this comment.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

this point, I'm just taking up narrative space. I think I'll go emo in the snow and pretend to be dead, and maybe everyone will forget I'm not.

You make me laugh at Roy Angst when I don't want to. I feel bad for laughing, but laugh I do.

"Men are at war with each other because each man is at war with himself."

[donna-c-punk.livejournal.com]

Perhaps he's suffering from post-vendetta blues? No big mission, so all he's got left to think about is how much he dislikes the person he's become?

That's the first thing that came into my mind during that scene. "I'm a regular soldier now", a wish to cast off any remants of being in command, because so many had died in his crusade to save his country from corruption and find Hughes' murderer.

People followed Roy with little or no question. He had one of those personalities, something akin to Napoleon or even Patton or Lee. It wasn't hard to convince someone his purpose in life was worth their time and quite possibly their lives as well. In Roy's group of dedicated soldiers, they came to see him as more of an older brother than a commander. Fuery even said as much (or that might've just been in the manga).

Now, here's a soldier whose physical wounds have healed and he's had nothing but time to reflect on everything in his life which led up to this. His ambition is voided, since they've established a Parliament, and he's voluntarily stepped down from being a leader. Without all of that, who is Roy Mustang? Obviously, through reflection, he figured out that he was still that same person and he had something to offer to the world. Amestris is far from safe, as was proved by our world attemping to intrude on theirs.

I hope that made sense.

Re: "Men are at war with each other because each man is at war with himself."

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty late in replying to this, but I just wanted to tell you that I agree with your analysis. I'll take that as an explanation, though I wish it'd been developed more (or made a little more explicit) in the film. But then don't we all.

Re: "Men are at war with each other because each man is at war with himself."

[donna-c-punk.livejournal.com]

After watching it twice, I can't get over how disjointed things felt. I won't even attempt to explain what I mean at this hour. Just ... disjointed. Things didn't click together satisfactorily. The lack of development of anything on the "other world" side was so bad. I know they had to set up a ton of stuff on Ed's side, two hours didn't seem like enough time, you know? And I'm still kind of lost on what the hell Noa's point was. Other than to be a kindred spirit to Ed.