Anyone else wondering what the "W C" on Izumi's shoes stand for?

Brand name...or initials of her dead child?

*is probably over analyzing*

It's been on my mind since I first saw that page.

Ugh, now that's going to be on my mind, too!

William Curtis? Wesley Curtis? Wendy Curtis? Whitney? Wade?

Uggggaaaaaghhh! Now I'm convinced its her child's initials! (Somehow. With no evidence.)

W.C. = Water Closet. = toilet.

In Japan, in Inns and other places like that sometimes they have public bathrooms (toilet) and some of them have slippers to be used inside that bathroom, often with W.C. written like that, and, yes, some of these bathroom slippers are exactly like what Izumi is wearing. (I saw them in some other anime and manga, too, but I got these pics form Google. XDD)

That surprised me, too. Other color pages showed his eyes black, didn't they? Even the closeup in ch 69 with Briggs vs. Roy-tachi. I hope this was Arakawa just kidding around and wanting to add color, because I liked his eyes black. They matched his hair!



My mind, too.
I was wondering if they stood for West Central. Maybe she bought them as a souvenir.

Edit: Oh, Water Closet. That makes sense. Thanks, Tombow.

I thougt my mind was over-thinking it, I'm glad to hear of suggestions my brain couldn't come up with...I didn't even think of location...and I knew someone would probably have a more suitable explanation.

Only Izumi can make bathroom slippers seem awesome.

Any misfortune to that Hughes murderer is really worth mentioning in my book (I remember an episode of Naruto where Tsunade was screaming in agony. Since Tsunade's VA was also Envy's in Anime1, the cries were music to my ears...).

@ Distant Blue - I'm really sorry to hear about your dog < : ( :: Hugs::

@ Claudius - Very good analyzation about the thing with Roy; Another thing that should be noticable is that there really isn't too much of a difference (if at all) between the 1st Anime Roy and Manga Roy ( since a lot of people used to say that the first anime Roy seemed out of character, then again they said that about a lot of the characters ._.; ...although I never could understand why they said such a thing and I never saw how they were OOC)

The way I see it, is that the characters of the manga and first anime were still very much alike; they were just given different situations and outcomes so that we could see how they reacted to such things.

Warning, Wallpost ahoy!
On Envy's end discussion a few pages ago...




I think I agree with both Goral('s side) and Jelly_Belly('s side, so to speak).

On one hand it is true that this is a manga "for boys" (that is what shounen manga literally means, people), where boys can range from around 9+ kids to full-grown teenagers, and therefore it's probably gonna have morales. It is also true that I've been having the feeling (and I'm not alone I think), that Arakawa sensei is being a little eager in "closing matters", or "rushing things" ever since the end of the North saga... and that things have been going all too well for the good guys too (then again now she says the ending's gonna get longer, though ; ).
It is also true, too, that Envy's end put a definite stop to the "death by hell punishment" chain, which is a pity, but, hey, we were never assured that it was gonna be kept in the first place. And Gluttony's finale wasn't hell-related either, anymore (although in his case, it was arguable that he had already died once -partially- because of having eaten a lizard -BigEnvy-)

But then again, on the other hand and given all that, I think it was still handled very well, and it certainly makes sense (CausmicFire explained it perfectly, so I won't try), making it a fitting end for him anyway.

In conclusion: even though at first it didn't rub me the right way, I certainly like it now.


Also:


Then I'm afraid you're headed for a disappointment (@temmy too).
The manga has been "stinking of Happily Ever After" for a long while by now:
Notice that Ed and Al so far have gotten out of the way of "killing no one and getting no one killed" ever since they gained such resolve (after the turnpoint that is chapter 44, admitted by Arakawa herself). So far, the plans of the good guys have been going on without major problems, and they have been slowly but steadily mining down the bad guys' plans and resources.
That's partially why the "half-way climax" (1st Central saga, from Roy-Lust to Greeling) is still for me the high point in the series... Beacuse back then things could still go wrong and there could be there were many surprises (real Al, Daddy nullifying alchemy, Greeling...). That said, I've assumed this positiveness of the series since then, and I'm currently enjoying it -a lot- for what it is now.

In conclusion, again: I can't say about the ending itself (which may have some dramatic twist, of course), but on the way there... I say, don't expect there to be that much angst and emotional strife. That was in the beginning, in Nina or Hughes' times. Or in the 1st anime, which you can always revisit.

Now, the Elrics, they're going forward. ò_ó

===================================
Now for some nitpicking:


A common misconception...
Daddy was the one born from (half the) souls of Xerxes, and ALL of the hommunculi were born from him. Thus, all of their stones are made from Xerxes souls, and that doesn't make Envy particularly older.

If you want chronology, Perfect GuideBook 2 sets Pride and Lust's birth (in this order) at "before recorded history" (that's why Envy called her "Old Hag"),
whereas the rest (Greed, Envy, Gluttony and Sloth) were born about 200 years before the start of the series (can't remember the specific order).
And finally, there's Wrath about 60 (50? 40?) years before, and Greed 2.0. There.



Gotta point out, though, that in BigAssEnvy's case, the ones who were saying "Don't look at me" (among many other contradictory things -"kill me", "don't kill me", "let's play", "it hurts"...-) were the tormented Ghost-tumors (© ZOMGFTA XD ), not him.
Envy actually took quite pride on his big true form('s power): "I'll show you sth good", "every one who sees this Envy... (will die/has died)"
It's obvious that he doesn't like to show it, but I'd say the reason here was rather shallower: it's damn fugly (in his first appearance he does say he likes "looking cute" the best).
As for the small one... yeah, it's obvious that he doesn't want to be exposed as the weak parasite he actually is, in any sense. ;

My point: he's not envious of humans for his "monsterness", but for their ability to face adversities and support each other, etc.
And the nitpickiness is that it was not (big) Envy talking when "it" said "don't look at me", the Xerxes souls said it, sth people tend to forget easily.

================================
What else...
Capella's post, QF... no, Linked For Truth.
Excellent and Elegant. XD
(I think it has become my new motto XD )



Repressed, just like Roy's grief/anger. He took it out in the form of anger and "boastfulness" (uh...) towards humans.
Another reason I liked Envy's end, was also precisely because it finally showed the envy in Envy. (yay, redundant redundancy! XD )

It is a very common behavior, to despise that which you secretly envy/want.



Oh, true! That, too!



Yes. ò_ó

Ya know, a month ago I went to Japan for a couple of weeks and stayed on a ryokan (Japanese style hotel). The toilets in the bedrooms did have the slippers, with "WC" written on them.
Need not say that the first thing that crossed my mind was Izumi Curtis. That made me feel a little better everytime I wore them

And of course, last but not least, my thanks to the translators, Tombow and Hisshou, for filling in my blanks.
Someday, Gadget!
Someday I will catch up! *clenches fist in the air* XD

EDIT: Some ol' fashion'd formattin'!

EDIT2: I be agreein' with Becca's post up there, too.

Bit bothered by Envy's end as people have said. I think he deserved a more painful end.
Even squeezed to death by Ed would've been acceptable.
(Frozen or drowned or whatever would've matched up with Greed and Lust's deaths 'cause of how sins're supposed to be punished or whatever)

I find the other characters' whole problem with Roy's revenge killing more than a tad questionable too. As with Hawkeye actually being that close to shooting Roy, finger on the trigger and hammer cocked and all.
I still enjoyed it, but I just think there was some of the weaker writing in this chapter. Especially after how omfg amazing the last ones have been.

That said, that ending means it is about to get off the chain!

I thought Envy's ending was perfect. It was unpredictable, befitting his character, and I like Arakawa's moral take on the story. I think someone else ending Envy's life wouldn't have done justice to the story. He died of his sin "envy."


Also, does anybody think Wrath is still alive? If not, his death seems a bit more pointless in the story line.

I thought Envy's ending was perfect too

We've had 94 chapters worth of reasons to hate Envy and after how cathartic the last chapter was, him taking the easy way out just doesn't seem a fitting resolution to me.

He's GOT to be, surely.

Honestly I am really glad that none of the characters had to dirty their hands and kill someone like Envy. Envy died in the pathetic way that fit his character perfectly IMO.

@Animeoldtimer, Wrath is totally alive. He will spring out when we least expect him and ruin everyone's plans. However, I'm still holding out for a silly hope that Wrath, as the only pre-GreedLing human homunculus, will in the end join the anti-homunculus side. Or at least help the good guys in some way, because he's part human. Yes, that would make me happy. Wrath doing something good for the human side and dying for it.

Now, as for this chapter... It seemed really short to me, too. I actually went back a page when I saw Sloth again, being like - wait, where is the rest of the Envy scene? That said, the Armstrong siblings rock.

And regarding the much-discussed end of Envy, I don't see it as a suicide at all, or a cop-out to keep the heroes' hands clean. (Arakawa made Ed dig up his mother's grave. Excuse me for thinking that she does not spare her hero much.) In fact, I don't think anyone comes off "clean" in that scene. We have a bunch of good guys looking in disgust at a pathetic little shrimpy thing snivelling on the floor. It used to be a monster, yes, but now it's reduced to this. It cries. It does not want to die. It does not want its life to end so ignominiously, bested by humans it had always despised so much. Scar, Roy, Riza, Ed do nothing; they wait for it to understand that it cannot escape.

("Wait. He does not have much longer.")

They wait for Envy to see the hopelessness of his situation; to fall silent; to surrender at last. Envy does not surrender. In a twisted way, he can only retain control over his life by ending it on his own terms.

Mustang's rage had caused Envy being reduced to this form. Ed's words had driven him to desperation. The fact that neither of them had been the one to squash Envy under their boot is immaterial here, IMO. They'd finished him in all the ways that mattered.

I really do think he's still alive. I mean a train wreck killing a homunculus seems highly unlikely if you ask me.

I don't necessarily think it was a copout, but this is what annoyed me really. I mean you have all this moral ambiguity in FMA. Hell, Roy exterminated tons of people in a brutal war, but him killing one of the most despicable characters in the name of revenge and hatred is NOT okay?
Either way; Envy dies. A good guy killing him shouldn't make a difference. And in a series as previously well written as FMA I just thought that entire setup seemed wrong. :\

This is where I'd disagree with you. Ending his life on his own terms is still a better death than he deserves, ya know?

I don't see anything wrong with how Envy ended.

Roy not killing Envy fit with how his character would handle that situation. Roy was convincingly talked out of not killing Envy, because it would be a pure act of hatred and revenge.

Ed wouldn't kill Envy, Ed hates killing anything. Period.

Hawkeye would have, but she wasn't given that chance.

Scar had reason to kill Envy, but he too didn't take that chance...he knew Envy was about to die anyway, hence, stopping Hawkeye from shooting him.

Envy may not be "Pride", but I sensed even a small hint of it existed in him. Envy had more human feelings than the rest of the Homunculi when I think about it. He was wrathful in a way, always angry. And he had a hint of Pride (like Lust and Wrath) in being a Homunculus. In the end I felt like he clinged to that and took his own life instead of being killed by "worthless humans."

True: no corpse + no big death scene=Wrath alive. Anyway, I also think that Wrath won't be totally loyal to Father and maybe even Pride and here's why: they are both fond of the First lady. Wrath once said to Hawkeye that the only thing he got to choose was his wife and Pride said to Al that he is "fond of that creature"

http://www.onemanga.com/Full_Metal_Alchemist/80/25/
http://www.onemanga.com/Full_Metal_Alchemist/88/34/

I don't know how important Ms. Bradley is going to be, but I think she will play a role somehow.

^^ Never thought about that...and she probably will. I doubt she'd be pulled into this at all, unless she had a part to play.


I'm anxious to see how he shows-up again.

I'm with you on this, in the sense that I would have preferred Envy's death to be long, and painful, and every bit as horrible as Roy's fire alchemy or Ed's creative torture could have made it. Envy *is* one of my most hated characters. At the same time, somehow, I felt that this sort of death would be less satisfying for *him* than being torn apart by a horde of angry enemies. Their hatred he could take - he sought it. Their indifference, their disgust? Not so much. He wanted them to respect him as an enemy, because he believed in his own superiority over them - he wanted them to acknowledge that superiority. They never did. They reduced him to a little bug and killed his self-worth along with the rest of him.

I can live with that.

As regards you earlier sentiment about moral ambiguity being FMA's asset, I do agree with it, and the reason why I'm taking the latest development well is that I see it as Ed and Roy effectively killing Envy, or driving him to end it all, which is not a lot better. However, if this *has* indeed been done to spare the heroes' reputations, because "Ed hates killing anything" and Roy needs to show moral fibre, then I would feel very disappointed indeed.

Honestly I don't get this argument. Are you trying to say that Arakawa was saying what Roy did in Ishval was right? I think the whole point that it wasn't. That is why Roy is working for his goals in the first place, to make sure what happened in Ishval does not happen again.

Saying Roy did something bad in the past so it should be alright now sort of misses the point. Yes these characters are not perfect saints and they made mistakes in the past that doesn't mean I want to see Roy make a mistake again. As Riza told Roy his goal is not about taking revenge on Envy. Although I still think Roy being reduced to the level he was in the last chapters shows that he is still not perfect. He did make a mistake but in the end he was able to overcome this with help from the others.

Also perhaps it would have been more satisfying for us to see Envy suffer more. But in terms of Envy's characterizations and the themes of the manga I think Envy's death is much more suiting. Not to mention in the end Envy did suffer, he died in misery knowing that humans really were better than him. Honestly I think that could be seen as a lot more painful than physical pain.

I don't think that Wrath is dead either. I just wonder when he will appear. I also want to see Greedling too.
When Wrath first told his back story to Mustang, Mustang asked why he would not go back to being human, but Wrath said that he wouldn't because he found himself stronger as a homunculus. But we never know what Arakawa will do.

Regarding Wrath, I agree with you Gimpyhair and WinterChanterelle. Reference to his wife is the obvious one but I also doubt he was faking his happy-go-lucky attitude. I think his Hughes-like behavior isn't an act either (because I doubt someone could fake that). At least I hope it's not.
He's very intelligent and he knew that he doesn't stand a chance against Father and the rest of homonculi and that would explain why he didn't repay his "creator" for what he did (i.e. using him as a lab rat) YET. Also, when Mustang asked him if his shaking hands were part of a lie he answered in a roundabout way. He didn't say "yes" but changed subject to annoy Mustang. I don't think he meant what he said (although his serious face suggests otherwise). It's possible he was afraid of Pride's eavesdropping so he couldn't tell the truth.
Heck, in a way he even showed concern over Mustang's ("shouldn't you be worrying about yourself instead"), Ed's and Al's life. He protected Mustang, he could kill him but convinced father to let him live (although killing him would be much safer and easier). At first he was wondering whether to let Havoc/Mustang to die (by calling only ONE ambulance) but he saved both of them. He saved people that he knew would become a nuisance to the Father. What I find interesting too is Mustang's neutral attitude towards him. It was Grumman that actually tried to kill him, not Roy.
When he talked with Ling (46th chapter) he said that he could abandon his companions but personally I doubt he could abandon his wife (and friends if he had any). And I think that him saying: "there is no true king in this world" is significant although I'm not sure what he meant by that. Who knows, maybe what he wanted to say was that all people are equal and there shouldn't be someone that would consider himself more worthy than others (which would be odd considering he's supposed to think of himself as superior). Any ideas on that?
And in the same volume (chapter 49) we have interesting conversation between him and Pride. We know from it that he's not following Father's orders because he likes him or respects him. He has his own agenda and this whole situation makes his life interesting, significant and gives him a thrill. He's not a puppet anymore, he can stir things up or allow things to happen.

@Kirara
But here's where we differ: I don't think that killing Envy is a mistake. Killing innocent men was, nonetheless Roy didn't become second Kimblee. If he killed Envy why should it change him? Oh, right, because he did this out of rage, lol. I think I've written enough on that subject in posts:#423 ,#431, #433, #436, #445 and #454.

And since I'm posting allow me to thank Tombow and HisshouBuraiKen for translating the chapter. Awesome job, thanks for allowing me to read this chapter.

That was in the first anime. In the manga, he dig up the grave of the thing he created during his failed human transmutation.

I apologize but I am not going to go back and read all those posts but as to your point here. I never said that if Roy killed Envy he would become like Kimbley. What will happen in the future doesn't matter. The point is at that moment Roy was definitely becoming something negative. His face was enraged, he yelled at Riza, he threatened to hurt Ed just to kill Envy. I don't think this is the type of person Roy is aiming to be. And this is why Ed, Scar, and Riza stopped him.

And I never said you did. My point was that after all horrible things Mustang did, he had still some decency left in him to say the least. In fact he became a better person. So why would he become worse person if he killed Envy?
As for his behavior "at the moment". It's no big deal. People that love each other shout at each other but eventually they reconcile. Mustang would kill Envy and in no time everything would go back to normal (after all he would fulfill his revenge, game over). Nobody's prefect, especially not Roy. I don't see how killing Envy could influence him.

But that is not the point. The point is because of what happened in Ishval, Roy's goal is to make sure nothing like that happened again. He promised to protect those under him. Killing Envy for revenge is not part of those goals. What he did in Ishval might have been worse but that doesn't mean he should now kill Envy because at least it is not as bad as what he did in Ishval. It's still contrary to Roy's goals. He is going off the path he set himself. You can't say well he can get off the path now and then get back on. It doesn't work like that, the point is to stay on the correct path.




I would say it is a very big deal. To see Roy that enraged at Ed and especially Riza because he wants to kill Envy. It's not a big deal that their relationship is now ruined or anything ridiculous like that but at that moment the way Roy was acting showed how wrong trying to kill Envy out of revenge was for him. It wasn't healthy and while I did partially enjoy seeing Roy take down Envy I certainly did not enjoy what that did to Roy.

Yea I thought, "So she just got out of the bathroom?" It's one of those things where it HAS to mean that, but it CAN'T POSSIBLY mean that...

Hopefully next chapter we see the Armstrongs finish their fight. It's been nice to have the comedy interruption for a few pages each chapter but it's time for Sloth to go back to sleep, permanently.

@Rubyman, I honestly don't think it's a lot better, since Ed did not know exactly what he would find and thought that it would be his transmuted mother.

And, Kirara, I agree with you about it being right that Roy had not been allowed to kill Envy while consumed by the need for revenge. However, the main issue here is not, exactly, that Roy had been stopped from killing Envy when in homicidal rage. It's that we'd be cheering on anyone who killed Envy, but instead Envy had to kill himself so as to spare the good guys the need to sully their hands.

Would it be wrong for Roy to kill Envy once he'd calmed down? Not out of revenge, but out of necessity. Would it be wrong for Roy, Ed, Riza, Scar to kill their enemy, who'd caused numerous deaths in the past and would cause more if left alive? This is a morally ambiguous situation for them; nobody there likes killing. (Well, except Scar, but he's kind of kicked the habit.) And Arakawa circumvented the need for our heroes to make their choice by having Envy kill himself.

Now, personally, I don't believe that this is a deliberate attempt to spare our protagonists. It can be interpreted this way, however, and it would be very disappointing if it were true. I certainly hope that, one day, they *will* have to make tough choices like that. It would make for a very poor story if Ed, for one, never kills a single homunculus and emerges victorious anyway, waving his moral integrity around like a banner. Been there, read that. (*cough*HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows*cough*) I think that Ed is way too kick-a$$ for that, though =)

It doesn't matter what the others are going to think of Roy if he did kill Envy, what matters is that what would happen to Roy himself if he'd killed Envy. Scar tried to explain that to him. He was turning almost crazy, he was burning with revenge and wanted to avenge his best friend's death, but what would that do to Roy in the end? He already feels intense remorse for burning down innocent Ishvalans; so would this only serve to make him feel worse? Honestly what closure would it give to kill the person who killed your best friend? To be honest, I couldn't find myself wanting to kill the person who killed my best friend if I were in that situation. I'd want him put on trial and tortured and then executed, but not by myself, because eventually it would eat away at me, and I think that's the point that's trying to be made here.

Ed, Riza and Scar were the ones to make him realize what would happen if he killed Envy. He'd kill Envy and then what? What purpose would that serve to make Roy 'feel better' and things would be just all find and dandy and again because his lover and his friends would 'forgive him'...? No, it serves absolutely none. Roy was made to understand what would happen to him if he killed Envy. Scar explained he'd become consumed by his own flames. We don't know exactly what would happen to Roy if he had killed Envy and it's better that we don't know. It's better this way and I'm glad Roy didn't kill him. Roy is just overcome by grief now because he's kept it inside for so long, it's time for him to let it all out and the best way to do that is not by going flame crazy, threatening to hurt Ed, yelling at Riza the way he did OR killing Envy. It won't bring Hughes back from the dead.

I disagree that this was Arakawa's intention. After all Riza was quite willing to kill Envy because she felt she had to (until Scar told her he was about to die anyways). Also Roy has already killed Lust when it was necessary to protect Al, Riza, Havoc. So I think Arakawa already answered you on this. She never said that you can always get away with not killing your enemies. She was just trying to say that Roy wanting to kill Envy out of revenge was wrong.

However I am glad that Roy, Riza, and Ed did not have to kill Envy. I don't think he is worth it and in the end his death ended up being extremely pathetic which is what I think he deserves.






I don't necessarily need Ed specifically to kill anyone though. If he does I am sure Arakawa will handle it well but it's not a necessity in the story for me to see Ed finally take a life.

Chapter 95 is the best!! I really think that Arakawa shouldn't slip so much on her drawing. I mean, yes, her style has improved during the series, but,,,,,!!! Well, here are some examples:

I really don't think she's slipping...they're just supposed to amusing panels and expressions.

@Kirara, I agree with you on most points - like I said, I don't think that this was Arakawa's intention. It could conceivably be her intention, though, which is why I think the other opinion is valid too.

And if the story can work well without Ed ever killing anybody - if it can really, truly work and not be filled with deus ex machinas - well, that's great. However, I hope that the story, and not the desire to keep Ed squeaky clean, will dictate the author's choice there.

Although what you say about Envy not being "worth it"... What, only special enemies can be killed?

Hohenheim: Die, you horrible piece of filth!
Father: Because I'm worth it! L'Orea-
*dies*

PS: Um, that's not intended to offend, or anything. While I don't understand what you mean, I'm sure are actually making a valid point that I just fail to see.

(Hope I got that quote right, if not I'm sorry, I'm still learning the controls of this forum.)

Actually it simply means that Izumi is awesome and doesn't care what people think about her. Because going in any room that is not the bathroom with the bathroom slippers in Japan is considered quite a faux pas.
Especially for exchange students, because it is such an easy to make mistake. >_>
(But of course people won't tell you, because it is an embarassing situation for you and argh!)

No that is not what I mean but I think Envy got the most pathetic death he deserved. Compare this to Lust who died with much more pride. In fact the fight with Roy and Lust was pretty much even right till the end. But here I was more referring to my own personal views on Envy's worth. I was not really saying one enemy is more worthy than the other in the actual story.



I don't though because if you look at evidence in the actual story (again Roy killing Lust, Riza being very ready to kill Envy herself) it shows that this is not Arakawa's intention. And if people think this than I feel they are misinterpreting things.




Ah but see I don't think Ed has not killed anyone because of any moral high ground. I see that he hasn't killed anyone because while being mature in many ways he is still very young. He is only a teenager. The question is does Ed need to kill someone to develop his character and personally I am not all that sure about that.

Good point. Everyone's making really good arguement here - I think I've been convinced! I don't think it was for Arakawa to 'not soil her protagonists' hands', either, b/c everyone's already gotten a chance at beating the $#!+ out of Envy one time or another, and in the end, it wouldn't have been very original if this hadn't happened, either. And it is fitting.



No way is Wrath dead. He WILL come out and mess everything up. I doubt anyone ever thought he was dead, either - they just needed him out of the way for a while. I doubt he's been sitting around this whole time, either. He's probably up to something. I like the theories about him changing sides, though. It is almost inevitable that he will question his loyalty after everything Arakawa's done with Mrs. Bradley's character.




That'd be really interesting. I'd like to see what Ed would kill for. Another part of me wonders if it should happen because Riza joined the military just so the next generation wouldn't have to 'dirty their hands', and if she's there, then he probably won't have to make that decision. Unless something happens to her-

Crap, why did I think that...? *shudders*

As for the killing thing, Riza said to Roy that he wasn't killing to save a comrade or for the country, so it was bad. So if it's self-defense or for a cause, then it's all right. Ishbal is a different story because everything the soldiers ahve been doing since then is to try and change their lives to make sure Ishbal never happens again. So I don't even see Ishbal as an arguement against Roy anymore.

Oh, okay. In that regard, I do agree with you. As in, it would have been more satisfying for *me* if his death had been horribly painful, but, like I've said in a previous post, I think this way was more humiliating for *him*, which is why I'm okay with this in the end.




I'm not sure that this is the question. For me, plot cohesion is probably the determining factor. Is it plausible for Ed to go through this war and never dirty his hands? Can the plot realistically work this way? If yes - there is no need to traumatize Ed any further. If no - then no beating around the bush, no saving Ed from cruel choices. The lack of easy ways out is what I like about FMA and, while I love Ed, I don't things made artificially easier for him =)

And RoyxRizaFan, that's a good point about Riza. It could very well be that she will stand between Ed and the necessity to kill. Mind you, she *was* the one to give him that gun back in the day...

The more I debate all of this, the more I want to know how the manga will end =) Maybe Ed will indeed get through all of this without killing anyone. Maybe there will be infighting among the homunculi. Maybe Hoho-papa and Father will have a fight that will destroy half of the country. Where is my next chapter?..

Has anyone else noticed how much Ed has grown? He's starting to catch up with Scar, who is certainly one of the taller people... And Roy's eyes are blue? WTF?

LOL I love Izumi and her bathroom slippers! Well, she always walks around in her butcher shop outfit, why not add some nice cozy slippers

And I can't wait to see what's up with Wrath - common, we all know he's gonna come back with a vengeance. Like many other's, I am convinced that Mrs. Bradley will play a decisive role when it comes to Wraths, and maybe even Pride's future actions, because they both have stated their foundness for her. It will be interesting to see if Bradley's beginnings as a human will make a difference, how much humanity is left in him? I think he could end up surprising us alll...................................
at the end of the story, Bradley (and his collection of Hawaiian shirts) , his wife, and "brainwashed" Pride will all retire to Hawaii and live happily ever after.

I am also curious to see if GreedLing will confront Bradley yet again....

Well, as long as there are so many loose ends to tie up, we can expect many more FMA chapters

Well of course I agree with you If Ed kills or doesn't kill anyone than it should stay true to his characterization and themes of the manga. But it should also fit with the realism of the plot. However I completely trust that Arakawa knows what she is doing she hasn't let me down so far in any of these regards.

Word. She hasn't ever let me down, either. I don't know where my sudden doubts about the future are coming from. *peers suspiciously into forum* I'll blame the infidels on this board for putting ideas into my head...

On the topic of Ed killing a homunculus, I believe we'll see some Elric action against Father - Hoho and Ed, I can see.
Al, Mei-Chan and others I can imagine fighting Pride.
Greeling and Ranfan, I'd imagine, would fight Wrath.
And Sloth is being taken on by the Armstrong's and now, presumably, Izumi.
Although, I still haven't thrown the idea of Roy and Riza taking on Wrath out of the water.
I do believe that Pride and Wrath will question where their loyalties lie due to Mrs. Bradley's circumstances, and that they both care for her (which is so sweet~).

All I care about is that my Izumi is back.

And she's looking better than ever. Can't wait to see her let loose, should be in for a great ride.

Now that Envy is dead maybe we will get to see Winry again since we haven't seen for 11 chapters now!!! (come on Hiromu Arakawa!) Also we have seen enough of Armstrong's sister Olivia or whatever her name is, she the most boring female character

Really? I actually like Olivier Armstrong a lot. Her banter with Roy and when she fought Alex for control of the family were some really entertaining moments.

I hope she survives the final battle, as she's an interesting character and I'd love to see her take on a role in the new government.

Huh, I actually feel opposite, where I believe Olivia is one the most interesting female characters, and Winry (one of) the least.

Something about powerful woman who command respect like Izumi and Olivia pique my interest. The "girl next door/childhood friend" archetype doesn't interest me much.

But hey, to each their own, I guess.

Me too!

I hope she does something important. Though I don't see her ever leaving the Briggs. To me she'll remain there until she retires (if she ever retires, lol).

There's something about how that woman wields that sword of hers...

But really, I love that there are so many strong female characters in FMA especially since they're on the level with most of the guys. All of them are particularly interesting and good-natured.