Hey guys, this is going to be my last post here. I wanted to post something interesting for the last one, so I figured, why not something about anime? Not many people admit to watching anime anymore, but it can have as much merit as a movie at times, and sometimes more. There is always something to read into in anime. Just because it is animated, does not mean it is for kids. This is Japan we're talking about. Nothing is sacred to their writers. Anyway, this is an analysis of the anime Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood that I came up with.
The government of Amestris is about as corrupt as they come. The entire country was created for the sole purpose of sacrificing the entire population to further empower the secret leader of the country, Father. Father controls the country through his seven homunculi, embodiments of different aspects of his soul. These homunculi look like regular people for the most part, and one holds the position of Fuhrer, the military leader of the nation. The country has a militaristic history, always expanding in order to assume the shape needed for the transmutation that will destroy it. In addition to needing a certain shape, certain places in the country needed to be soaked with blood. Due to the large scale of the transmutation, one spot of blood means thousands of deaths. These are usually accomplished by war or revolution. The most recent of these conflicts is the Ishvalan Civil War. In this instance, an Ishvalan child was shot by one of the homunculi, disguised as a soldier. This sparked a violent revolution that was put down by pure military might, causing the slaughter of thousands of innocents. This conflict still haunts most of the people who served in it, and it plays a key role in the development of many characters. In retrospect, the Elric brothers are late arrivals in the story, even though it is centered around them. They broke the third and most unforgivable law of alchemy when they tried to bring their mother back to life. In the process, Edward Elric, the elder brother, lost his arm and leg, and Alphonse Elric, the younger brother, lost his entire body. His soul is bound to a suit of armor for most of the movie. They are caught by Colonel Roy Mustang, a state alchemist that served in Ishval. He agrees to overlook the brothers’ crime and offers Ed a shot at the title of state alchemist. Ed passes the test and they spend the remainder of the series on a quest to regain their original bodies, fighting the corrupt government of Amestris in the process. Fullmetal Alchemist displays a torn country with a dark past, as well as a villain who fails to distinguish between morality and the law of equivalent exchange.
The basis of the story line revolves around the science of alchemy. This is not your medieval alchemy of turning iron into gold. This is an exact science of deconstructing and reconstructing matter on an atomic level. All alchemy revolves around the laws of equivalent exchange. This law is similar to the law of conservation of matter, but it’s a bit more specific. The law of equivalent exchange is as follows: It is impossible to create something from nothing. If something is to be created, something of equal value must be given, and it is impossible to change organic matter into inorganic matter. In addition to the law of equivalent exchange, the country the series is set in (named Amestris) has placed three rules surrounding alchemy. These are as follows: obey the military, do not create gold, and do not attempt human transmutation (Note: the act of performing alchemy is known as transmutation). The first law is in place to keep order. Amestris is run by the military, so obeying the military is the same as obeying the law. The second law is to keep the economy in balance. If too many people created gold, it would become devalued. The third law is said to be to prevent unethical and sinful behavior, but that is not the actual reason behind it. The third law is in place to prevent someone from creating their own personal army.
*SPOILER ALERT*
I hope you enjoyed this introduction. The full essay goes into much greater detail and It would be way too long to post here (I'm barely getting away with the intro). I would highly suggest watching the series for yourself in the future. It is a good way to pass the time, and lord knows we have too much of that during the summer. Thanks for reading and have a great summer!
