Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)/Tropes A-F: Difference between revisions

* [[Accidental Pervert]]: In a chapter in the manga and the corresponding episode in ''Brotherhood'', Winry walks into her room without noticing Edward already in there and starts undressing. By the time she realizes she's not alone, she's already uncovered some [[Underboobs]]. She almost goes ballistic on him (and everyone else who comes in hearing her scream).

** Watch it here. [http://video.adultswim.com/fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood/eat-my-sandwich.html\]

* [[Action Girl]]: Hawkeye, [[Lady of War|Olivier]], Lan Fan, [[Little Miss Badass|May Chang]].

* [[Action Mom]]: Izumi.

* [[Alchemy Is Magic]]: Although it's presented as a [[Sufficiently Analyzed Magic|science]], alchemy in this series is very much fantastical.

* [[All Deaths Final]]: Verified by Edward going off an offhand remark Hohenheim makes. Bringing back the dead via alchemy isn't just taboo, it's completely and utterly impossible, and any attempt to do so will result in a completely unrelated soul in a completely unrelated body. {{spoiler|Things that Truth takes don't qualify as "dead", however, which is how Ed can successfully get Alphonse's body back at the end.}}

* [[All There in the Manual]]: The omake comics have revealed a few things, such as how flame alchemy really works--by changing oxygen concentration in the air so the spark from the finger-snap explodes exactly where and as big as needed. Of course, the technique's [[Mundane Utility]] is also revealed--making women swoon due to oxygen poisoning so Mustang can [[Falling Into His Arms|catch them]] and easily woo them.

** The reading "Homunculus" (ホムンクルス) has been written as both "[[Artificial Human]]" (人造人間) and "the little one in the flask" (フラスコの中の小人). Fun fact: {{spoiler|BOTH ARE TRUE.}}

** The "Milos" in [[The Movie]]'s title is written as "hill of grief" (嘆きの丘).

* [[Anachronism Stew]]: The series is set in the early 20th century... with mechanical prosthetics that are ''far'' more advanced than anything we have now. They don't seem to have advanced nearly as much in terms of technology in other areas, depending on whether you want Amestris to be pre-first-world-war or pre-second-world-war Germany. Of course, everything more advanced in this world is only due to Alchemy, and there appears to be an even gap between technological progress and magical progress.

** [[Fridge Logic]] points out that pharmaceuticals ought to be, as a result, on a par with (either) time period in [[Real Life]], except it doesn't seem to be so. [[Fridge Brilliance]], however, would like us to note that modern pharmaceuticals branched out from alchemy pretty much purely from the works of Paracelsus. {{spoiler|Hello, Hohenheim.}}

* [[Ancient Conspiracy]]: Oh so much. Turns out that {{spoiler|even the very creation of Amestris and modern alchemy were all part of Father's 450 year plan}}.

* [[And I Must Scream]]: The fate of {{spoiler|the human souls used to make the Philosopher's Stone}}.

* [[Anime Chinese Girl]]: May

* [[Anthropomorphic Personification]]: The homunculi each personify one of the Seven Deadly Sins. It's eventually revealed that {{spoiler|Father created them by giving them a portion of his personality, and that they are named after the "sin" they are created from}}.

*** Gluttony shows just as much, if not more, signs of his namesake sin than Greed. His catchphrase is even "Can I eat him/her/it now?" Lust might not be as blatant as some of the other sins, but there is a reason why she is one of the hottest characters.

*** Lust does show her sin, but it's not the type of lust most people think of: it's ''bloodlust''.

** From the manga, people started calling {{spoiler|the second Greed "Greedling"}} to tell him apart from {{spoiler|the original Greed in conversation, and because the human used to create him was called Ling}}. When Ed meets him again, he decides he's going to call him this.

* [[Assimilation Plot]]: What the higher-ups at Central take Father's scheme to be.

* [[Author Appeal]]: Hiromu Arakawa thinks men should be muscular and big, and women should be bosomy and curvy. That probably won't surprise anyone. The Armstrong siblings (with the exception of those two sisters who look like Alex) exemplify this principle.

** Even Edward isn't immune; despite his height problems, the guy's ''massively'' ripped, though not quite the level of Armstrong. But still enough to make him smoking.

== B ==

* [[Back for the Finale]]: {{spoiler|Maria Ross}}.

** Bradley gets a special mention. It took {{spoiler|ninety-nine}} chapters for someone to wound him. In chapter 97 he effortlessly destroys a {{spoiler|freaking tank}} ''while armed with only a sword and a single grenade''. [[Badass Grandpa|And he's over]] ''[[Badass Grandpa|60]]''.

** Hohenheim is confirmed to be so in {{spoiler|chapter 105}} where it's revealed he managed to [[Out-Gambitted|outgambit]] {{spoiler|Father}}. This makes him a [[Cloudcuckoolander]] [[Badass]].

** [[Badass Bookworm]]: The whole concept of being an Alchemist.

** [[Badass Family]]: Ed and his brother and his father are all talented alchemists. Also the homunculi and Father are related to them by blood so one can say that all of Hohenheim's family is Badass.

** [[Badass Grandpa]]: Fu, most definitely.

*** Long hair in FMA:B/manga = badass! Nuff said.

** [[Badass Mustache]]: Alex Louis Armstrong and Fuhrer Bradley.

** Ling fights alongside [[Bodyguard Crush|Lanfan]] with spectacular results, but like with the aforementioned Roy and Riza, the "couple" part is complicated.

* [[Belligerent Sexual Tension]]: Ed and Winry.

* [[Berserk Button]]: Ed if you insult his height or threaten Winry, and a lesser [[Berserk Button]] when people mistake Al for Fullmetal Alchemist (due to obvious reasons); Winry whenever Ed damages his automail.

** Talking about Al's soul being affixed to armor like it's the coolest thing in the world is ''not'' a conversation to have with Ed. ''[[Unstoppable Rage|It will end badly]]''.

** Harming [[Four-Star Badass|Olivier's]] subordinates is [[A Father to His Men|an even]] [[Mama Bear|worse idea.]]

** Harming [[Papa Wolf|Hohenheim's]] kids is the worst idea, ever. Hell, just insulting his kids is sending you straight into an asskicking.

** Izumi Curtis will murder you multiple times if you dare to call her "old", "hag", or anything of the sort.

*** Calling her "cute", "my pretty", etc. in front of her husband is [[Papa Wolf|not less]] [[Curb Stomp Battle|dangerous]].

** Don't [[Stuff Blowing Up|look down on Kimblee.]]

** [[Action Girl|Lan Fan]] if you insult/belittle/threaten [[Bodyguard Crush|Ling]].

*** Same for Greed, as a matter of fact. {{spoiler|Which at least partly explains why they made such a good body-sharing tandem.}}

** Y'know what? Just don't even look funny at ''ANYONE''. That's probably the only way to avoid an asskicking.

* [[Berserker Tears]]: {{spoiler|Oh, ''Ling''. T_T}} Hawkeye when {{spoiler|Lust says she killed Mustang.}}

* [[Beware the Nice Ones]]: After {{spoiler|Shou Tucker transmutes his dog and daughter into a talking chimera}}, Ed beats the ever-living crap out of him and Al has to stop his brother from killing him with his bare hands. {{spoiler|Tucker}} takes this chance to gloat about having to dirty your hands to get things done. [http://www.mangareader.net/116-5191-33/full-metal-alchemist/chapter-5.html Al doesn't take to this very lightly.] Considering his status as a [[Gentle Giant]] [[Genius Bruiser]] [[Badass Bookworm]], this isn't exactly the smart thing to do.

** {{spoiler|Not that will stop Ed and Al from [[Walking the Earth]] to do research into finding a new law at the end of the series, of course}}.

** Played straight with Kimblee near the end. {{spoiler|maintaining his conscious after assimilation by Pride, and then holding him back from fleeing his body. The former alone is stated to be impossible and demonstrated as such by Father.}}

* [[Board to Death]]: An event during the Ishval war described in flashback by both Barry the Chopper and Dr. Marcoh. A group of members working for the [[Armies Are Evil|Army]] were involved in the operation to make a miniature philosopher's stone for combat use. When they went to the meeting to set this plan into operation, they provided [[Metaphysical Fuel|the ingredients]] for [[Powered by a Forsaken Child|the stone]]. {{spoiler|Dr. Marcoh was the one who carried this out.}}

* [[Bodyguard Crush]]: Pretty much outright stated with Lan Fan and Ling. Strongly hinted at with Roy and Riza.

* [[Body Horror]]: {{spoiler|Envy}} can take advantage of this. His {{spoiler|ultimate form}} consists primarily of masses upon masses of {{spoiler|human bodies he otherwise compresses within him}}, which explains his ludicrous density and weight. Oh, and he's remarkably sloppy with them, too. If he bites down on his "tongue" a little too quickly, the pieces will go flying off.

* [[Boisterous Bruiser]]: {{spoiler|Barry}} is the dark side of this in the manga, along with [[Ax Crazy]] and a dose of [[Heroic Sociopath]].

** How could anyone forget Rose? She hoped and prayed that Father Cornello could bring her boyfriend back, and the Elric brothers proved her wrong. Good thing it happened that soon and not later...

* [[Break Them by Talking]]: The Homunculi positively love doing this, especially Envy, Lust, and Wrath.

*** More than anyone in this series. Kimblee always, ALWAYS has the last word in any philosophcal/moral debate, shutting up even the main protagonists. The only way anyone manages to quiet him down is to {{spoiler|''rip his throat out''}}. But wait! {{spoiler|even when [[Dying Moment of Awesome|DEAD]] he manages to deliver one last brain-breaking statement to Pride that leads to his utter defeat. Take that!}}

** {{spoiler|Envy [[Talking the Monster to Death|had his taste of]] [[Death by Irony|his own medicine in the end]]}}.

 

== C ==

** Something of a minor one, but in Episode 33 Scar stabs Kimblee in the stomach with a pole. Kimblee gives an inspiring rant about how being close to death is exhilarating for killers. Less than a dozen episodes later, {{spoiler|Kimblee blows up the building he and Ed are fighting, and Ed winds up getting stabbed in the same place with a girder. He uses his soul as a philosophers' stone to heal it, saying that if he's going to show mercy he'd better get used to paying the price.}}

* [[Calling the Old Man Out]]: Ed to Hohenheim.

* [[Cast From Hit Points]]: The Philosopher's Stone is a variation{{spoiler|, allowing transmutations to be powered by nothing more than the human souls stored within.}} Ed later uses what he's learned to sap at his own lifespan to heal mortal wounds.

* [[Cast of Snowflakes]]: Arakawa is practically the manga queen of this trope.

** It's not even exclusive to the Major. Olivier also uses it, after Sloth kills the officer she'd been keeping hostage:

{{quote|'''Olivier:''' Hmpf... I suppose I should be grateful to you, homunculus. You spared me from having to stain, with the blood of that coward, this cherished blade that has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations!}}

** "THIS [[Large Ham|HAMMYNESS]] HAS BEEN [[Catch Phrase|PASSED DOWN THE ARMSTRONG LINE FOR GENERATIONS]]!!

* [[Child Soldiers]]: Ed became a "dog of the military" at age 12 and could be sent to the front any time. Later on, {{spoiler|he's called out to "do his duty" by Kimblee. He doesn't take it well, partly because Kimblee's using Winry as a hostage to force his cooperation}}.

* [[The Clan]]: Of the Xingese Royal Family, which apparently has 43 heirs, Ling and May included, who seem to all be willing to tear each other to shreds over who will inherit the empire.

* [[Clark Kenting]]: Riza lets her hair down and wears glasses when she has to go incognito. It's surprisingly effective, actually. {{spoiler|Except against Wrath's Ultimate Eye.}}

'''Riza:''' I thought you despised liquids. Since they make you useless.

''(Mustang [[Sweat Drop|sweatdrops]])''. }}

** {{spoiler|And in episode 61, where all the souls are returned to their bodies.}}

* [[Continuity Nod]]: A long time after he died, the remains of Barry The Chopper are still there under research lab #3 when the coup de'tat and the attack on Father begin. Darius even fights with his trademark cleaver.

* [[Custom Uniform]]: Partially averted, since most people in the military seem to conform to their uniform, even the tippity-top brass, with the exception of the titular character: Ed seems to be able to get away with a red cloak. The only means of identifying him as part of the military is his pocketwatch.

** Then again, the same goes for Tucker and Kimblee (except in the flashbacks). Presumably the rules are a little more flexible for State Alchemists.

* [[Cut the Fuse]]: Bradley stops Fuu's [[Taking You with Me]] attempt with bombs strapped to his stomach by doing this, in addition to slicing Fuu's stomach.

* [[Cute Bruiser]]: May, master of alkahestry (Xingese alchemy).

** Pride {{spoiler|was [[Break the Haughty|broken brutally, psychologically and physically, by some of the humans he so despised.]] While he doesn't die, his prideful personality vanishes and he is humbled by living as a human.}}

** {{spoiler|Greed (second model) pulls a [[Taking You with Me]] on Father, and, while acknowledging that he hasn't gotten "everything in the world", is willing to sacrifice himself for his friends who have "given him enough", finally feeling content with what he has. Father then finishes off Greed, the Homunculus with the potentially most durable body, by biting him in half.}}

* [[Death by Origin Story]]: Trisha Elric, {{spoiler|Mr. Hawkeye, the Rockbells, Scar's family, most Ishvalans, and all but one of the Xerxians.}}

* [[Death Glare]]: The Fuhrer, {{spoiler|Alex Armstrong}}, and Mustang.

'''Roy:''' No. He knows the fear and despair of being left alone... He wouldn't put Alphonse through that. }}

** It may not be the case as Arakawa stated that she enjoyed the first anime's ending.

* [[Disney Death]]: {{spoiler|Just about EVERYONE IN AMESTRIS (minus a few major characters) have their souls absorbed by Father during his ascension. Fortunetly, they just absorbed rather then killed outright, and Hohenheim (having seen this coming) managed to ressurect everyone with no ill effects beyond some mild trauma.}}

* [[Dude in Distress]] For a hypercompetent hero with scientific/magical powers and two artificial limbs, Ed sure gets helplessly pinned an awful lot.

** The scene in [[The Movie|The Sacred Star of Milos]] where {{spoiler|Atlas}} tries to take Julia's blood has some very rape-y overtones.

* [[The Dog Was the Mastermind]]: The Homunculus Pride is {{spoiler|[[Really Seven Hundred Years Old|little Selim Bradley]]}}. In fairness, the biggest clue to his identity is his speech patterns in the original Japanese, [[Lost in Translation|which wouldn't get through to an American reader]]. One translator did pick up on this [[I Knew It!|and correctly predicted his identity]].

* [[Double Entendre]]: The homunculus named Lust is also referred to as the Ultimate Lance. (She's a woman, but I mean ''come on!'')

** ''[[Incredibly Lame Pun|Come on?]]''

* [[Dramatic Wind]]: what every opening and closing credit sequence is filmed in.

* [[Dreadlock Rasta]]: Izumi Curtis.

** In a troubling scene in a recent chapter, Envy {{spoiler|does a Gracia impression to taunt Roy about how he killed Maes}} and, with his usual body language... looks like a male transvestite.

** [[Word of God]] stated that Envy's gender is ambiguous, even to Envy. Many fans take this to mean that Envy is genderless. May be a justification for the {{spoiler|fetus-like look}} of Envy's abhorrent ''true'' true form.

* [[Episode Title Card]]

* [[Equivalent Exchange]]: [[Trope Namer]] and the foundation of Alchemy.

** [[Ouroboros]]: All the homunculi have Ouroboros tattoos. We still haven't seen where Pride's is, though. Ed, Al and Izumi sport the Flamel.

** The symbol for Amestris (as seen in its flag, other banners and military badges) is a white dragon, a figure often associated with Arthurian legend and some mythical tales in Asia. The dragon is also engraved in all State Alchemists' pocket watches, circumscribed by a hexagram, which is also a well-known religious symbol.

** Greed himself serves as a counterpart to Bradley, as he too values the existence of his underlings {{spoiler|and as stated before becomes the only other human-based homunculus}}

** Scar is a counterpart to Bradley, being a devoutly religious ex-monk who was a victim in the civil war that atheistic Bradley led and, like Bradley, a warrior without a true name.

* [[Evil-Detecting Dog]]: Den growls at Hohenheim, although that is a subversion since he isn't evil. Possibly he senses that Hohenheim {{spoiler|isn't altogether human}}.

** Animals reacting badly on the Promised Day.

* [[Evil Costume Switch]]: After {{spoiler|Ling becomes Greed, he drops his Xingese-styled clothes in favor of an all-black suit and a [[Badass Longcoat]]. Subverted in that it didn't stay as "'''''Evil''''' Costume Switch" [[Heel Face Turn|for long]]}}.

* [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin]]: Subverted. Everybody assumes Al is the Fullmetal Alchemist because he's wearing a giant metal suit.

** Same with Barry the Chopper.

* [[Expy]]: Jean Havoc's characterization and design originates from an earlier Arakawa manga, ''[[Shanghai Youma Kikai]]'', along with those of Lust.

** The process of {{spoiler|Bradley becoming a homunculus}} cause his eye to ''melt''.

* [[Eyes of Gold]]: Ed, and also Al before he got stuck in his [[Animated Armor]]. {{spoiler|They got it from their dad, and it's a sign that they're ethnically Xerxesian.}}

 

== F ==

** Also [[Playing with a Trope|played with]] with {{spoiler|Hohenheim}}, who gets shot repeatedly just after showing his family picture to a young mother but {{spoiler|is near-invincible and technically immortal}}.

* [[Fate Worse Than Death]]: The people of Xerxes who {{spoiler|became disembodied, dehumanised souls making up Envy's true form}}.

* [[A Father to His Men]]: Roy Mustang is a prime example. Olivier also counts, if not for the fact that the "[[Everything Is Worse With Bears|Briggs Bears]]" [[Badass Army|can hold up on their own.]] But when they ''really'' need her assistance, Olivier can be a really ''terrifying'' [[Mama Bear]] [[A Worldwide Punomenon|To Her Men]].

** Ling qualifies, though he's royalty rather than military personnel. He's got a really protective streak when it comes to his bodyguards.

** A particularly emotional one (if you know the whole story, potentially making it [[Fridge Brilliance]]/[[Fridge Logic]]) is depicted in the second opening sequence of Brotherhood, when {{spoiler|Mustang battles Lust}}. In the manga, {{spoiler|Mustang brutalizes Lust by constantly scorching her with the aid of a transmutation circle carved '''''on the back of his own freakin' hand''''', until he finally [[Deader Than Dead|kills her off for real]]}}. These events take place in episode 19 of Brotherhood.

** An especially chilling example appears in Episode 9's [[Post Episode Trailer]], featuring a 3-second shot of a certain [[Disconnected by Death|phone booth]]...

**** Could be this troper looking too much into things, but when Edward and the first Greed's battle is interrupted by the arrival of the military, Greed's words when he leaves are "See you later, kid," not "Goodbye." He gets killed soon after that, but {{spoiler|comes back ... he really does see Edward "later."}}

**** Think that's looking too much into things? Try asking yourself why [[Defector From Decadence|Marcoh]] calls the [[Philosopher's Stone]] "[[Satan|the Devil]]'s research".

** When callously rejecting the Ishvalan leader's offer to take his own life and spare those of his people, King Bradley is told by one of the leader's envoys that he shall suffer the hammer of God. {{spoiler|[[Dark and Troubled Past|Guess]] [[Church Militant|who]] [[I Am Not Left-Handed|kills him]].}}

* [[Forgotten Fallen Friend]]: Averted '''''hard''''' in Chapter 108, when Al reveals that he and Ed ''never'' forgot about their inability to save Nina, referring to an incident that occured 102 chapters ago and ''three years ago'' in-story. Major [[Tear Jerker]] when one of the chimeras asks his motivation for his journey of [[Walk the Earth|roaming the land]] seeking to right the wrongs done by alchemy. His simple reply is, "...There was a little girl that we weren't able to save."

* [[Four-Star Badass]]: Olivier, Bradley.

* [[Freak-Out]]: A massive one in Scar's [[Backstory]]. {{spoiler|He wakes up with [[Body Horror|his brother's arm]] and (understandably) completely loses it, killing [[Innocent Bystander|Winry's parents in the process]]. The priest who was a wise, humanist and [[Martial Pacifist]] man becomes [[He Who Fights Monsters|a serial killer driven by revenge]]}}.