Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)/Headscratchers: Difference between revisions

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** Kimblee simulates the clapping alchemy because that's his 'trigger'. Mustang has a full circle since his actual alchemy is manipulating the flammable gases in the air. He then needs a spark to have anything happen. Similarly with Armstrong he needs to punch the object he wants to transmute with his gauntlets. Kimblee has no such trigger. If he had the full circle tattooed on his hands then he would blow things up by just touching them.
** Kimblee simulates the clapping alchemy because that's his 'trigger'. Mustang has a full circle since his actual alchemy is manipulating the flammable gases in the air. He then needs a spark to have anything happen. Similarly with Armstrong he needs to punch the object he wants to transmute with his gauntlets. Kimblee has no such trigger. If he had the full circle tattooed on his hands then he would blow things up by just touching them.
* Why do state Alchemists enter the military with the rank of major? It seems like a pretty high rank for people who are valued for their personal abilities in combat and research rather than their leadership skills and experience.
* Why do state Alchemists enter the military with the rank of major? It seems like a pretty high rank for people who are valued for their personal abilities in combat and research rather than their leadership skills and experience.
** It's made clear that the rank is more like a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brevet_%28military%29 brevet] rank, and that their orders to regular military personnel are more like suggestions. Of course, Alchemist who've beein in the military for a long time or are veterans of combat would have their orders taken as actual military orders.
** It's made clear that the rank is more like a [[wikipedia:Brevet %28military%29|brevet]] rank, and that their orders to regular military personnel are more like suggestions. Of course, Alchemist who've beein in the military for a long time or are veterans of combat would have their orders taken as actual military orders.
** Don't forget, the entire State Alchemist program (at least in the mangahood canon) is just a ploy to find worthy candidates for the Sacrifice on the ''Promised Day''. You certainly don't want potential ''subjects'' to be lowly ranked and risk them being accidentally shipped off to war by those who aren't in on the ''Evil conspiracy''.
** Don't forget, the entire State Alchemist program (at least in the mangahood canon) is just a ploy to find worthy candidates for the Sacrifice on the ''Promised Day''. You certainly don't want potential ''subjects'' to be lowly ranked and risk them being accidentally shipped off to war by those who aren't in on the ''Evil conspiracy''.
** Mustang went through the military academy (it's where he met Huges). Presumably State Alchemists wishing to actively serve in the military have to go to school like everybody else.
** Mustang went through the military academy (it's where he met Huges). Presumably State Alchemists wishing to actively serve in the military have to go to school like everybody else.
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* How come nobody in Fort Briggs seems to wear a hood or hat? Wouldn't their ears freeze off?
* How come nobody in Fort Briggs seems to wear a hood or hat? Wouldn't their ears freeze off?
** They're too badass for that. In all seriousness though, if I remember right, several (not all of them though...?) of the soldiers wear those hats with flaps on them when they're out in the cold. And later, they've all {{spoiler|secretly moved to Central}} where it's warmer so it's assumed they don't need to bundle up so much.
** They're too badass for that. In all seriousness though, if I remember right, several (not all of them though...?) of the soldiers wear those hats with flaps on them when they're out in the cold. And later, they've all {{spoiler|secretly moved to Central}} where it's warmer so it's assumed they don't need to bundle up so much.
* Correct me if I'm wrong, but the second anime's ending Aesop seems to be [[Science Is Bad|"Alchemy is bad"]]. {{spoiler|If not stated explicitly, but there is a profound lack of unhappiness Ed losing the ability to use it}}. That bugs me - [[Mundane Utility|it's useful in so many ways]], and there isn't any evidence in this continuity {{spoiler|that it [[Human Resources|requires souls]] to work}}. See [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/YMMV/FullMetalAlchemist the YMMV entry for Completely Missing The Point]. Sure it's not a tool to let kids play with, but just because you don't let kids mess with nitroglycerin doesn't mean it doesn't have it's uses. At the very least I'm bugged by that entry, and at most by half the fandom and the writing staff. (And yes, I do realize most of the series has been about (preventing) various crimes against humanity preformed with the use of alchemy, but the alchemists who did that are guilty, not alchemy itself).
* Correct me if I'm wrong, but the second anime's ending Aesop seems to be [[Science Is Bad|"Alchemy is bad"]]. {{spoiler|If not stated explicitly, but there is a profound lack of unhappiness Ed losing the ability to use it}}. That bugs me - [[Mundane Utility|it's useful in so many ways]], and there isn't any evidence in this continuity {{spoiler|that it [[Human Resources|requires souls]] to work}}. See [[Fullmetal Alchemist (Franchise)/YMMV|the YMMV entry for Completely Missing The Point]]. Sure it's not a tool to let kids play with, but just because you don't let kids mess with nitroglycerin doesn't mean it doesn't have it's uses. At the very least I'm bugged by that entry, and at most by half the fandom and the writing staff. (And yes, I do realize most of the series has been about (preventing) various crimes against humanity preformed with the use of alchemy, but the alchemists who did that are guilty, not alchemy itself).
** I've seen no reason to see the same point. If anything the closest Aesop we got concerning alchemy is more that "Power should be respected", in other words, the power itself isn't evil, but it should be used carefully. Edward, Izumi, Alphonse and Father all abuse alchemy and pay the price.
** I've seen no reason to see the same point. If anything the closest Aesop we got concerning alchemy is more that "Power should be respected", in other words, the power itself isn't evil, but it should be used carefully. Edward, Izumi, Alphonse and Father all abuse alchemy and pay the price.
* Is it just me, or is the lesson {{spoiler|Truth}} is trying to teach by claiming that {{spoiler|giving up your own gate}} is the right price to pay when {{spoiler|performing human alchemy}}, is that the most appropriate answer to {{spoiler|playing god}} and facing punishment is saying "I'm sorry {{spoiler|God,}} I won't do it again!" Or is it implying instead that alchemy is a privelage of some sort and that when abused you'll get that privelage {{spoiler|taken away forever.}}
* Is it just me, or is the lesson {{spoiler|Truth}} is trying to teach by claiming that {{spoiler|giving up your own gate}} is the right price to pay when {{spoiler|performing human alchemy}}, is that the most appropriate answer to {{spoiler|playing god}} and facing punishment is saying "I'm sorry {{spoiler|God,}} I won't do it again!" Or is it implying instead that alchemy is a privelage of some sort and that when abused you'll get that privelage {{spoiler|taken away forever.}}
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