Caught up with the manga version of this ep. Six whole chapters, hah. I was surprised to see that essentially the contents of episode 2 of Brotherhood were pilfered from this storyline. I suppose it makes sense though. It's important to set up with Elric bros' background early on in some detail.
On that subject, I was always curious about that part with Ed almost attacking Bradley in his exam. Didn't remember it being in the manga.

Anyway, as usual the manga did everything better. I didn't mind Mason being left out, but I feel it should've made more of a point of Izumi's training being physical as well as mental.
Missed some good moments out, but I'm starting to find it hard to care until we get to the truly original stuff. I seem to say this every episode, but; Next week?

Although I will make one nitpick; Izumi's evil-face intro was dodgy.

Maybe Izumi's tattoo is temporary and she just decides to put a new one on every day!

I know this is stupid and I shouldn't care what other people think. But I hate that people judge the manga by this adaption when there are faults with the adaption not the manga.

However I have seen people who have not read the manga who don't care that there are differences in these early episodes. They just want to get to the stuff that is completely different from the first series. Thus they prefer the rushed pacing even if things are skipped.

Heh, I don't know.. for some reason I've loved how they do the angst here. It's a good opposite for all the 'coolness' that's usually on. It makes even Ed and Al look more 'vulnerable', in a way.

I've never been much into characters who just get to be cool all the time, never crying, etc. Making them angst makes things more natural. XD

Heck, I'd even love to see Ed share a few tears at least once. Apart from the childhood part when he resurrected Al. *shot*

(and as I said, I nearly cried when the hugging scene came on. But then again, I'm always like that with movies. Can't help my over-sensitiviness. 8''DD )

I'm not into characters who're cool all the time, either, but that's why I said that the angst *here* doesn't work for me =) Maybe there was as much angst in the manga, but it was portrayed more gracefully... It could very well be just the animation style - you know, exaggerated everything, crazy happiness and then overflowing angst. I don't watch a lot of anime, so I might be missing the subtleties of conveying powerful emotion through this medium. *shrug* Still don't like what they're doing to my dear Ed, though =)

Izumi and Sig remain awesome and as such any faults the ep may have had are null and void.
Actually, come to think of it, the last few eps have been far better quality wise than earlier episodes.

I do like when Ed is portrayed as vulnerable, like for instance when Nina died Ed was like mega-emo lol - but I'm not a fan of the uber-angst "I'm sorry"s. I think it would have been better with, say, just one "I'm sorry", and then a tearful hug or something. The first anime did a good job with that scene I think with Ed's facial expressions - and I like how in that one he sort of softens up and accepts the hug and that in itself shows plenty of vulnerability. Although I did like in this one how Ed and Al try to pretend like everything's all perfectly okay before they break down.

One thing about the episode that disappointed me was that no Mason was there. It was interesting to see the Elrics fight him on the island.

Love that Izumi was wearing the W.C. sandals.

Cannibal Ed was strange, felt bad for Al when he said "What was that for Brother."

We learned that ants are sour. I wonder how the writers knew that?

It was sad when Ed and Al were trying to keep it together when telling Izumi that the transmutation was their fault. Especially when Al is talking about the anticipation of being able to eat again.

I am still wondering if Ed and Al are ever going to cry. Right now Al can't, but Ed can he just doesn't. I wonder if by the end, they will have a cry, such as when Al gets his body back.

Personally, I like the angst in the episode. I don't like it when certain anime try to lighten up situations that are very serious, so I'm glad that the hug scene was very emotional. In fact, with this adaptation, I believe that they are trying to throw in all the gags and sometimes they are a little too much in my opinion. I enjoyed the gags in the manga, but some of them don't translate that well in the anime for some reason.

Well I think it doesn't help that they add in some of their own gags as well. So it increases the amount that is in the series.

lol i was thinking 'OMG, ED IS RIGHT ANTS ARE SOUR!' ants are actually disgusting they taste like sourly sharp salt. (I know this because at a friends bday party we played a game that involved eating bugs, by the time I'd got eliminated i had to eat my fair share of ants, worms and crickets XD the ants were by far the worse) maybe the writers had a similar experiance XD people must eat them in some countries, the ants we had were ants for flavouring food lol

This episode almost made me cry several times.
*wimpy* Dx

But I really liked the animation in this one, and I'm so glad we finallly get to see Izumi!
And the flashbacks were great.
I can't wait for the next episode!

Ants taste like salt and vinegar chips.

The question is, what does Al's arm taste like?

@penguintruth Well, in Ed's hallucination, Al's arm tastet like ham or some sort of meat.

I loved the Izumi manga picture of her fighting the bear in Briggs MT. In the middle of winter. Can't wait for when Ed and Al find out how Izumi really survived in those mountains.

OT:

Wow I definitely never went to bday parties like that when I was a kid! We usually just ate pizza and cake.

I know it's like only 1 manga pannle, but im happy they kept the bit in where Ed has an ant on his finger and he holds it up to the night sky while talking about alchemy, I always liked that part XD

OT:

haha It wasn't too long ago, I was about 14 XD and my friend was crazy, the winner had to eat a very large scorpion whole, I'm glad it wasn't me XD

*cringe* People have actually EATEN ants!? xD And whoa, a whole large scorpion? But wouldn't their stinger kill the person? o_o I mean aren't they supposed to be dangerous? And weren't people getting sick? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard somebody do a birthday party that it's nearly unbelievable...

anyway getting off-topic. About those who were complaining about 'too much angst' take a look at the first FMA anime. That entire show was so angst-ridden that it was worse than this and you're complaining about a small bit of angst? C'mon now. I didn't see anything wrong with it in particular at all.

"Those complaining" would be me. (And another voice of dissent somewhere in this thread, IIRC ^__^ ) And I don't like the first FMA anime, not that I see how the amount of angst there relates to... well, anything. I remain irked by how the angst was dealt with in this episode, just as most others are fine with it; opinions vary, as they tend to do. That's all.

At least Mason's in the previews...It was weird that they took him out, but I guess it wasn't pivotal that he be introduced in this particular episode. They were able to pull it off, though sometimes I wish they'd just do it right from the manga to prove the epicness of it to the world

I didn't have much of a problem with the episode because they showed some of this stuff before anyhow, and it was still a nice introduction to Izumi, even though stuff was cut and it was moving on fastforward. Ed and Al are so cute when they're little that I freak out everytime they're on the screen, and the scene at the end when they asked for her to forgive them was *tear* really nice...

Please add FMA:B English dubbed episode 12 (on CN on Adult Swim) talk-back/discussions here.

Idk what is happening....it feels like the series is being rushed..

i mean the voice acting was superb, and Izumi's VA exceeded my expectations. I liked the original epi with Teacher, felt more in depth

even the ending when they hug Izumi they go from =D to ;( in the span of seconds

I really hate the speeding through of this arc, the Dublith/Greed arc, because it's probably my favorite in the manga (and was in the first series), next to the Ishbal War.

Christine Auten is as awesome as Izumi as always, maybe even better. I always liked her in the role.

The voice acting in this episode was superb. Christine Auten is awesome as Izumi. Like really awesome. Her voice seems to fit Izumi very nicely.

So.. the first time I ever saw this episode (i watched this ep of brotherhood before the manga or first anime)
I got teary at the end. Since then, I've watched it several times and gotten sad, but not like the first time.
Hearing it in english now, I got teary at the end.

It's funny, if a stranger were to walk into my room and see me all teary eyed watching a "cartoon" they'd think I was crazy.

That was the same voice? Sheesh, I didn't recognize it.

I must have been paying too much attention to small details in Al's design lately. Only recently I noticed that the Flamel tattoos on Izumi's chest and Al's left shoulder changed color from the first anime series. Originally they were both bright red, but now Al's flamel is more of a reddish purple, and Izumi's is an even deeper shade of purple, much more blue.

This episode didn't have enough replay value for me to want to go over it with a fine-toothed comb this time, but I figure I ought to show the usual Translation of On-Screen Comic-Booky Effects.

Anyone who missed this episode, it's on Adult Swim (US) again tonight.