Dear Western TV: Watch Some Anime and Learn How to Do Proper Endings

[mousapelli]

I finished FMA Brotherhood ♥ I loved it so much more than the original series, or at least, the end of it, I liked the original series plenty until it went crazy. but this one left you feeling much more fulfilled. Why are Japanese series so good at that? Why can't American series learn how to do it? And it's so succinct, that they can fit it into just the end theme, and as soon as you say "Wait what about THAT guy" suddenly THERE HE IS. Doing something that makes you say YES YES THAT'S WHAT HE SHOULD BE DOING.

God I love shounen anime. So much.

So instead of something intelligent, have a list of things that made me cry:

1. GREED. goddammit, how do they even make me sob for the bad guy (can anybody say Axel.) There was a moment much earlier where Gluttony was like "Lust is...gone?" in the background and I sniffled, entirely unwillingly, but Greed tricking Lin and then having his little montage was where I broke down entirely.

2. Roy agreeing to use the Philosopher's Stone. I was so pissed when he lost his sight in this series, one of the two things I HATED about the first series (the other was Hughes dying), and I was double-pissed because I thought I had escaped this one. So when they came through and rectified this one, there was more crying, partly out of relief (I was totally sure he'd say no) and partly out of happiness.

On the other hand: ROY'S TINY MUSTACHE LOOOOL. I hope Riza gives him endless amounts of grief about that ridiculous thing.

3. Hohenheim's final scene at Trisha's grave. Just, waaah. Although honestly I was just thinking to myself, if you knew you were going to die ANYWAY, why didn't you just go get Al YOURSELF, and I was sad there couldn't be a picture of him with everybody else smiling at the way end. I was glad they put Pinako in there with him at the end.

4. Also, Armstrong and Hohenheim exchanging thank yous. And here's something that didn't make me cry at all: The Armstrong family is the BEST THING EVER IN THE UNIVERSE.

5. Ed and Winry's fail confession, which made me laugh until Ed started laughing and then I teared up a little. WAAAAI so funny. And then that they got that last picture, and that the second kid is a girl (although deep in my heart I was hoping the older grumpy ed-esque kid would be the girl) and that they kept on about Al and Mei right up until the end.

musesfool, now that you have seen the light of Avatar, I wonder if we could get you into this, but think it might still be kind of a stretch. It's so good, though! There are strong women! and siblings! And a strong woman who beats up the siblings! And Daddy issues! And a tiny panda! Also Beth says you can watch it on Hulu.

I seem to have no more FMA icons anymore. Hmm. And now I get to go to the doctor to find out if I broke my wrist or what. Hooray! if a cast is even involved, I'm going to be thoroughly displeased...

Comments

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

You're not the first person who's suggested that maybe I would like FMA. I will have to think about it.

And I hope your wrist isn't broken! Eep!

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

It's a little hardcore to be somebody's intro to anime, is my concern, but i definitely think there are elements of it that you would enjoy. Also, the reboot of it zips through the whole first chunk very quickly, on the assumption that you will have watched the first one, and so in the second one you won't see hardly any of the one friendship which I'm sure you would really enjoy. So I guess I could tell you to watch half of the first one and then start the second one, but that seems kind of stupid and not like a good suggestion when you are trying to seduce somebody into anime.

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

Well, I bow to your superior knowledge, but maybe next time I'm looking for something new, I will give it a shot.

[musikologie.livejournal.com]

I watched the second one without really seeing the first one (I just heard people talk about it) and I still found it totally awesome. And affirming the above comment, you can indeed watch the entirety on Hulu, as my sister and I did just that.

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've had a number of people tell me about it. *g* I imagine I could also go back and watch the first one if the second one piqued my interest.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

you'll be better off with the second one, yes, and it isn't like you'll miss anything exactly. I think I'm just mostly sad on my own behalf that you won't get to know the one character that I adore nearly as well. BFFs ♥

[seeschildkroete.livejournal.com]

I know several people who had the first FMA as their intro to anime or close to it, so I don't think you need to worry. Besides, if the Armstrongs can't sucker you into anime, no one will.

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

oh my god, I thought I couldn't love Armstrong (1) more during the first one, and then during this one I LOVED HIM SO MUCH MORE. wiiiiin.

[chiharu.livejournal.com]

WHAT ABOUT LING AND RANFAN?? DID YOU SHIP THEM??

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

aw, I loved them too, but I wouldn't say I shipped them exactly? I mean, I'm not against it or whatever, but i could clearly see the difference in the way Ranfan looked at Lin vs how Riza looked at Roy. idk.

but i was super sad to have to give up Lin/Greed. BEST PARTNERSHIP EVAR. when at the way end Mei was like "that sounds greedy to me" i was like "WAAAAAAAAAH."

[chiharu.livejournal.com]

lol I think Mei/Al is kinda loltastic but what ever. Ling was seriously the best thing about the second anime. I also adored team!Mustang and pride more this time around.

[shimizumiki.livejournal.com]

Your wrist isn't (possibly) broken from the skating fall, is it? DD=

[mousapelli.livejournal.com]

my x-ray didn't show anything, so near as they can figure, I just messed it up and it'll hurt for awhile. although if it still hurts as much next week I get a bone scan! Yay!