Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)/Tear Jerker: Difference between revisions

* Oh god, Ishval. What made it worse is that I love Roy and Riza, but seeing what the did in the war/massacre had me feeling like they were [[A Nazi by Any Other Name|Nazis or something.]] And Scar's entire backstory is a huge sob-fest. And the shot of the crying Ishvalan child in the middle of the massacre . . . excuse me, I need a Kleenex now . . .

* It wasn't the Hughes' funeral itself which was so profoundly impacting. What really brings everyone to tears is poor little Elysia:

** This scene is arguably even more tragic in ''Brotherhood'', as you can hear the sheer despair ''[http://video.adultswim.com/fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood/funeral-for-hughes.html much]'' more clearly.

* In the manga, during Elysia's outcry, even the Fuhrer is unable to keep his composure, with his hands shaking on his swords pommel. And considering who he is (on so many levels), this is especially emotional. {{spoiler|However, it's later revealed he was shaking for a different, much less sympathetic reason}}...

** [[Bruiser with a Soft Center|Armstrong]] trying and failing to keep from weeping at the funeral can be quite jarring, if only because it's the first time in the series where [[Ocular Gushers|his shedding of tears]] isn't played for laughs.

** And then there's this little exchange:

'''Mustang:''' [[Sand in My Eyes|Yes. It is.]]<br />

'''Hawkeye:''' ...Oh. So it is. }}

** As pointed out on the main page, the above doubles as a brilliant metaphor; Roy is powerless in the rain, and that is how he felt at that moment.

* Episode 16 of ''Brotherhood'' has another one from the poor kid, possibly the most upsetting in an episode filled with these.

* Also continues in the manga, where after Ed asking Gracia's (Hughes' wife) forgiveness for involving (and indirectly causing the death of) Hughes in their trouble. Gracia's response is to assure them to continue and not to let her husband death be in vain. [[The Stoic|All with a motherly smile and strong composure.]] Then they leave their house, and Ed just looks back for the last moment, through the window, {{spoiler|seeing Gracia ''[[Not So Stoic|crying]]'' with Elicia in her arms.}}

* In ''Brotherhood'', Hughes' death itself is even worse. We see Hughes ''struggling to reach the phone after getting shot'', failing, and saying his last words:

** The music used at Hughes' funeral in Brotherhood...'Requiem for the Brigadier General'. Look it up, seriously. Every time this troper hears that tune it makes her cry. NOT a good thing to listen to on the bus.

* The flashback in episode 12 to Izumi's attempt at Human Transmutation. Especially the soundtrack, and her screams when she looks up at sees what she made...

* Are we forgetting when Ed convinced Winry not to kill {{spoiler|Scar}} by saying: "With these hands, you delivered a baby. You saved his life, and his mother's. With these hands, you gave me an arm and leg to stand with. These hands aren't meant to take lives, but ''save'' them." A [[Tear Jerker]] and [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]] at the ''same time'', because Hiromu Arakawa is just that brilliant.

** And the moment before that. Seeing [[Genki Girl|a strong and cheerful girl]] [[Break the Cutie|breaking down]] into tears like that is especialy heartwreching.

* Poor Armstrong, To see him, the strongest and most muscular character in the manga bawling his eyes out over the body of a dead Ishvallan child was absolutely heartbreaking to this Troper. I even had to stop typing this every few seconds just so I didn't burst out crying from the sheer memory of it!

* The first 19 or so pages of Chapter 68 of the manga: {{spoiler|Hohenheim leaves the family, to counteract [[Big Bad|Father's]] plan to kill everyone in his country. While gone, his wife dies and his eldest hates him for leaving.}}

** The photo... Just, the photo, ever wonder the reason that Hohenheim's face is covered in the photo? {{spoiler|It's because ''he's crying'', after Trisha told him that she did and always will love him}}.

* {{spoiler|Scar}}'s [[Trauma Conga Line|backstory]] in volume 15, full stop. This Troper was crying typing this quote out.

** And then him, after {{spoiler|murdering the [[Innocent Bystander|Rockbells]] }}, he stumbles back and overlooks his hometown. Or rather, [[Big No|what's]] [[Despair Event Horizon|LEFT]] of it.

** Pretty much ALL of [[War Is Hell|volume]] [[What a Senseless Waste of Human Life|15]] is this.

* A [[Tear Jerker]] of happiness this time: {{spoiler|Ross, having revealed to have faked her death, orchestrated by Roy, who, as it initially appeared, had murdered her. It is staged so that the reader/viewer is out of the know that she is still alive until Ed and Armstrong arrive in the ruins of Xerxes, and Armstrong's overflowing tears of joy bring the viewer with him. Just the fact that Roy once again proves why he is such a fan favorite, that he did not suddenly become an arrogant traitor, and that such a relief can exist amongst a very depressing part of the story with many deaths... made this troper shed tears when first seeing it on television!}}

* Chapter 94, Hawkeye to Mustang {{spoiler|talking him down from killing Envy and threatening to shoot him herself}}:

'''Hawkeye''': I have no desire to live a happy carefree life all alone. After this battle is over, my body will leave this world together with the corpse of the Flame Alchemist. }}

** Roy's statement afterwards adds to it:

** Speaking of Mustang and Hawkeye, what about Research Laboratory 3, when she thought {{spoiler|Roy had been killed by Lust?}} It's simply heartbreaking to see such a normally stoic character completely break down, with tears streaming down her face, and it's strongly implied that if Al hadn't been there, Riza would have let herself be killed as well.

* Al's reason for wanting to get his body back.

** The lead-up to it is pretty heartwrenching as well, {{spoiler|as the brothers and Izumi realize that they didn't end up killing the people they were trying to revive a second time}}.

** Al referencing his inability to cry when talking to Winry. He discusses how Edward doesn't take the chance to cry, when he's lucky that he has tear ducts.

* {{spoiler|Fu and Buccaneer}}'s death. Please, [[Taking You with Me|shed]] [[Shaggy Dog Story|some]] [[Go Out with a Smile|tears]] [[Manly Tears|for]] [[Too Cool to Live|them]].

** {{spoiler|Ling's}} breakdown after that was already heartbreaking in the manga, but Brotherhood just made it even worse, if that's possible. Maybe it's being able to actually hear {{spoiler|Ling's}} screams and watch tears visibly stream down his face, but the whole scene in episode 58 with {{spoiler|Ling desperately crying out for someone to use his stone to save Fu, only to get a cruel realization that despite the powers he's obtained he can't do anything for the situation}} is heartwrenching.

* Ed [http://video.adultswim.com/fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood/give-him-back.html pleading with the Truth] after realizing Al was taken away. "TAKE MY OTHER LEG! OR MY ARM! OR BOTH OF THEM! You can even have my heart... JUST GIVE HIM BACK! HE'S THE ONLY FAMILY I HAVE!"

* Lets have a moment of silence for {{spoiler|Lieutenant Hawkeye getting a sabre to the jugular.}}

* Olivier's reaction, or better yet, lack of reaction to {{spoiler|Buccaneer's death.}} The other character's faces show it [http://www.sugooi.org/manga/?m=Fullmetal+Alchemist&c=101&p=9 it][http://www.sugooi.org/manga/?m=Fullmetal+Alchemist&c=101&p=10 best].

* The ending of the episode of the ''Brotherhood'' OVA "The Blind Alchemist". {{spoiler|Edward and Alphonse find out that the blind alchemist's human transmutation of little Rosalie was in fact a failure, and that everyone in the mansion is deceiving him to keep him from knowing the awful truth. Hence, his attempts to bring back a dead loved one resulted in a near-lifeless husk, an orphan pretending to be Rosalie to lead the deception along, and the loss of his eyes as "payment."}}

'''Edward''': "Yeah. But... nobody was saved." }}

** It may be an omake, but it nevertheless turns to [[Fridge Horror]] after reading chapter 43.

** That particular omake was originally a side comic featured in one of the [[Universe Compendium|extra books]] for the series. The original version of Ed's line is much more ominous.

* Ch 102: Good lord, Al's now officially poster boy for [[Iron Woobie]]. Not just that thing inside your body that salutes you, we all salute you. [[Manly Tears|With a bit of sand in our eyes]].

** Al breaking down {{spoiler|at the Gate}} killed this troper.

'''Al''': Of course I do! Always! Always for years and years! I've dreamed about getting my real body back! {{spoiler|But... but!! I... can't... I can't have that body... not now...}} }}

** Many people cried when {{spoiler|Roy lost his eyesight}}. The poor guy just doesn't get a break.

* Hohenheim's flashback to when he leaves his family, describing his life to Trisha.

* Chapter 104. Seeing the {{spoiler|nation wide circle being activated and watching the world start to die...especially the scene where Winry collapses.}}

** Seeing {{spoiler|Gracia and Elysia on the ground}} made this troper tear up.

*** Look, [[Apocalypse Wow|this]] [[Kill'Em All|chapter]] [[The End of the World as We Know It|was]] [[Holy Shit Quotient|bad]] [[Wham! Episode|enough]] ''without'' that panel. So of course, [[Everybody's Dead, Dave|she had to put it in.]] [[Big No|WHY?!]]

* Also in episode 41 of the anime, the part where {{spoiler|Ed gets Heinkel to remove the metal beam from his chest and then attempts to use alchemy to seal the wound ''using his own life force instead of a philosopher's stone''.}} While this doesn't sound too impressive (and the manga counterpart didn't seem so either) the soundtrack used and {{spoiler|Ed's screaming as he struggles to keep his thoughts and consciousness together}} nearly reduced this troper to tears. Mind you, that's usually fairly difficult to do.

* Bradley's last words. Makes you almost forget that he's a hateful, genocidal bastard.

"Thanks to you humans,... my life... had been a good life.... A life worth living for. And… maybe even… a life… worth… dying… for…" }}

* For some reason, this troper can't help but tear up when {{spoiler|one of Hohenheim's souls says goodbye to him. It doesn't help that I think of a little girl saying it.}}

** As seen in episode 61, {{spoiler|it ''was'' a little girl to say this}}!

* Al, still suffering from a [[Heroic BSOD]] from his fight against Barry, confronts Ed and demands to know if he's real or artificial, stating how easy it would be to fake a construct's memories, and pointing out how Ed was reluctant to ask him something. Cue Winry [[Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!|smacking Al with a wrench]], and telling him, tears welling in her eyes:

* The scene where Ling {{spoiler|forces the new Greed to regain his old memories after he kills the last of his former henchmen}}. If {{spoiler|the flashes of their memories as Ling [[What the Hell, Hero?|calls Greed out]]}} doesn't get you, {{spoiler|Greed [[Big No|screaming in pure anguish]] [[My God, What Have I Done?|at what he's just done]]}} will.

* How bout {{spoiler|Envy's}} death scene? {{spoiler|Sure, he might have done some pretty nasty things but this almost made up for it}}.

** {{spoiler|It's a little hard to feel sorry for Pride, given what a [[Complete Monster]] he is, but this troper had to shed a tear at the look on Mrs. Bradley's face when Ed hands him to her in the penultimate episode. Especially given that we've watched her being manipulated by Team Mustang for the past few episodes. Just imagine how devastated she must have been to learn that the family she loved so much was a lie and that her concern for them had been exploited for the gain of the revolution. Ouch.}}

* Chapter 107: {{spoiler|Al uses his body to shield May from Father's attack, getting nearly destroyed from it, a crack just millimeters from his bloodseal. Then, when Ed's automail arm is destroyed and he's pinned down with Father about to kill him, Al (with the help of May) sacrifices his soul to restore Ed's real arm. May's tears as she sets up the arrays and Ed's look when he realizes what Al is doing are just heartbreaking.}}

** Ed's reaction to the above: three words.

** Another scene from 107 {{spoiler|when Al is finally reunited with his body at the Gate and confronted by the Truth.}}

"He will. I know it!" }}

* Brotherhood's fifth opening, appropriately titled "Rain" -- seeing King Bradley possibly crying and the overall tone of the song can certainly inspire such moments.

** ''Brotherhood'' makes it even better by {{spoiler|dedicating the ending credits to him in episode 63 right after he dies.}}

* Also a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] in episode 26 when Ed {{spoiler|'''punches''' open the '''DOOR OF TRUTH!'''}}

* The new OVA "Yet Another Man's Battlefield". It features eighteen-year-old Roy at the military academy, meeting Hughes (whose appearance in itself might reduce someone to tears given what happens to him...), and befriending a fellow Ishvalan trainee named Heathcliff, after standing up to some bullies. See where this is going? Years later, the Ishval War of Extermination happens. {{spoiler|In a nutshell, Roy, now the Flame Alchemist, meets Heathcliff again, who is clearly in despair over the murders of his people. He ''shoots'' Roy, before being shot himself by Hughes.}} The scene then skips to the manga omake where {{spoiler|Roy asks Hughes about what he has to live for.}} And of course, {{spoiler|"...Give me 30 seconds."}} Seriously heartbreaking...

* The words on the next-to-last pages:

** {{spoiler|Combined with pictures of everyone with their happy endings.}} Sniff.

* Reaching the last page of the final chapter and realizing one of the greatest manga in existence is finally over.

** Not only that, but {{spoiler|he ''pleaded'' to God to tell him what he did wrong. He thought anyone who wanted to know everything would do the same as he did, which seems pretty plausible as most [[Eldritch Abominations]] [[Blue and Orange Morality|don't exactly comprehend the same definition of "wrong" as humans do.]]}}

* The look on [[Noble Demon|Greed]]'s face when he admits, in his entire life, {{spoiler|[[I Just Want to Have Friends|that all he's ever wanted was friends]]}}. Especially poignant in the anime where we see {{spoiler|his eyes shimmer a little, as if saying if he wasn't [[Badass|who he was]], he'd cry from}} this revelation.

'''Greed:''' Yeah, you're right.....This ''is'' what I wanted. I wanted the chance to {{spoiler|have friends like these}}. }}

* When Izumi finds out about Al and Ed's attempting Human Transmutation in episode 12 of Brotherhood, after explaining what happened to her and sympathises with them, she tells them it's ok to let themselves hurt. Cue her hugging them both as Ed and Al break down apologising and begging her to forgive them.

* Lets not forget, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4UMv7lEutQ the human transmutation scene]

** You think that dub scene was bad... episode 8 anyone? This plays out in a shorter form after {{spoiler|the Nina revelation}} in the manga and ''Brotherhood'', but the first anime is a whole lot more powerful as this was after a near death experience.

* Heck, the last minute or so of the second-to-last episode of the first anime was a combination of sadness and "What just happened" due to the rapid series of events. One heart-wrenching word: {{spoiler|[[Say My Name|EDWAAAAAAARD!]]}}

** When that episode first aired in English, [[Tropers/Earthbound God|this troper]] along with her sister and younger cousin watched the episode. The moment {{spoiler|Edward was killed}} sent the troper into tears even though she knew he was {{spoiler|going to die anyway}}. And then her cousin brought up that [[Berserk Button|he wasn't real]] and not worth crying over...

** If you think that's moving, just listen to the English version [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKjMQjRcTcw&feature=related sung by Ed's voice actor Vic Mignogna.]

* There's also the last episode where {{spoiler|Al sacrifices himself to resurrect Ed, and restore his body. Afterwards, Ed sacrifices his new arm and leg to save Al from death.}}

 

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