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

{{work}}

 

=== Entries A-F ===

 

== B ==

* [[Badass]]: [[World of Badass|Ed, Al, Scar, Roy, Riza, Greed, Izumi, Sig, Olivier, Wrath, Hughes, Ling, Lan Fan, Fu, Lust, Armstrong...]] Chapter 96 confirms that the [[Battle Couple|Curtis couple]] is the most badass of all.

** 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]]''.

*** The Armstrong family is also comprised entirely of [[Badass|badasses]]. Alexander Louis Armstrong is positively ripped, and can even hold his own against Sloth for a good while. Olivier Mira Armstrong is a no-nonsense general who shows no sympathy for physical or emotional weakness in others, and will straight-up murder your ass if you threaten her underlings. And little innocent Catherine can [[Killer Rabbit|lift a piano with ''one hand'']].

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

** [[Badass Long Hair]]: Ed certainly qualifies. As do Hohenheim, Ling, Lanfan, Izumi, Riza, Olivier, Miles, Kimblee, and even mohawk-sporting Buccaneer. You'd actually be hard-pressed to find a character in this series with long hair who ISN'T badass.

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

{{quote| '''Alphonse''':Mister Tucker, one more word out of you... and '''I'll be the one to snap.'''}}

** If, for any reason you {{spoiler|force Al to sacrifice himself}}, [[Big Brother Instinct|YOU'RE]] [[Unstoppable Rage|DEAD!!!]] Ed may have gotten pissed at Tucker, but that was a mild tantrum compared to what he did to Father.

** 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.

** If you look closely, you realize that it {{spoiler|takes on the shape (outline) of whoever it's talking to.}}

* [[Blatant Lies]]: Olivier does it hilariously in chapter 67, while speaking one-on-one with Raven.

** In a way, even though it is portrayed as mostly a helpful and necessary power, Alchemy in the long term is shown to be very detrimental to both those who practice it and those who don't, as Alchemy is ultimately the main source of strife within the series. Alchemists by definition are blessed with suck.

*** {{spoiler|May Chang reveals that this is only true in Amestris where the philosopher's stone Father made is blocking the natural energy of the earth. Otherwise it would be powered by the natural energy released from things like volcano's and earthquakes. This is why Father was able to stop Ed and Al from using alchemy while Scar and May Chang can still use their alkahestry.}}

* [[Blood Knight]]: Kimblee

* [[Bloody Murder]]: Isaac McDougal transmutes blood from his wounds into spears.

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

** No, it's [[Everyone Can See It|pretty damn obvious]] for them too.

** Riza's in there somewhere too, if you take the time to think about her [[Backstory]]. ([[A Worldwide Punomenon|Back Story?]])

** 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...

*** 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!}}

** There was one (plus [[Kneel Before Zod]]) even on ''an episode preview'':

{{quote| ''"Poor, confused humans: feel this suffering, for it is proof that you are alive. Then, with both hands on the ground, kneel before me."''}}

* [[Canon Foreigner]]: Isaac McDougall, the Freezing Alchemist, appears in the anime but not the manga.

* [[Car Fu]]: ''[[Dirty Coward|Yoki]]'' gets a [[Moment of Awesome|CMOA]] when he uses a car to {{spoiler|ram [[Eldritch Abomination|Pride]], saving several people in the process.}}

* [[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.

*** {{spoiler|Aikido is a martial art based on using the opponent's strength and movement against them. What Izumi did was grab Sloth and use his own momentum to flip him into the air. There was no lifting involved - [[Weak but Skilled|she just isn't that strong, nor does she ''need'' to be]].}}

* [[Cheerful Child]]: Nina Tucker and Elicia Hughes.

* [[Chekhov's Boomerang]]: Kimblee's Philosopher's Stone. He gets it during Ishval, uses it as a bribe for Edward to attack Briggs (he refuses), and loses it while fighting Ed. Heinkel picks it up after the fight and delivers it to Alphonse to help him [[Moment of Awesome|fight Kimblee and Pride]] about 15 chapters and a few in-story months later. Toward the end of that fight, Al gives the Stone to [[The Medic|Dr. Marcoh]], who heals the wounded Heinkel, who proceeds to {{spoiler|finish Kimblee.}} The three of them, [[My Friends and Zoidberg|and Yoki]], escape to Central to join the main battle. It seems like a well done [[Chekhov's Gun]], but the stone has one last use in the final chapter: {{spoiler|being used as the toll to get Mustang's sight back and fix Havoc's legs.}}

* [[Chekhov's Gunman]]: In ''Brotherhood'', {{spoiler|the events of chapter 3 are only given a very brief mention in episode 4.}}

* [[Chekhov's Skill]]: [[Butt Monkey|Yoki]], [[The Load|of all people]], displays this. When on the run from Kimblee through an abandoned mine (chapter 70), his experience as the former head of a mining town (from chapter 3) allows him to read tunnel maps to allow his group to reach safety without getting horribly lost. In this manga, that's a LONG time for a callback.

** Rabbit snare traps also are an example of this trope. {{spoiler|Ed and Al develop the skill during their month-long isolation that starts their training with Izumi. Ed uses his damaged and detatched automail arm as bait to catch Lan Fan in a snare trap. This then inspires her to use her severed arm as a diversion against a pursuing Wrath.}}

* [[Chekhov MIA]]: Hohenheim.

* [[Cheshire Cat Grin]]: {{spoiler|The Truth.}}

** The fight between {{spoiler|Mustang and Envy}} in Chapter 94 is basically just 20 solid pages of this, with {{spoiler|Envy getting set on fire, interspersed with brief intervals during which Envy tries to think up ways to not get set on fire. None of them work, and some of them lead to him getting shot.}}

** The final beatdown of {{spoiler|Father in 108.}} And there was much rejoicing.

** Brought up in one chapter. Two chimera wanted to use the Philosopher's Stone to make themselves human again, but after their cool powers help save their lives, they start to rethink their situation.

** {{spoiler|Al seems to realize this, as he gives up his chance at getting his real body back because the armor would be better in a fight, which is about to go down.}}

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

*** It seems more to do with combat status. Characters in the military wear the official uniform when involved in combat operations (or on or near the front lines in the Ishbal flashbacks). Ed, Tucker and so on can get away with not wearing the official uniform because they're not involved in a combat situation. Sort of [[Fridge Brilliance]] when you remember what the main purpose of uniforms is. Kimblee is actually ex-military (considering he killed his commanding officers) so he's no longer really able to wear the uniform.

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

* [[Cute Kitten]]: A [[Running Gag]] in the omakes.

* [[Darker and Edgier]]/[[Bloodier and Gorier]]: ''Brotherhood'' is more violent than the first anime, and the [[Media Classifications]] reflect it; at least two episodes are rated TV-MA by [[Adult Swim]], and some of the DVD boxes are rated MA15+ in Australia. (The original anime was never rated higher than TV-14 in America and M in Australia.)

* [[The Dead Have Names]]: Van Hohenheim has quite a list of them. {{spoiler|They're all the souls trapped inside him, and [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old|over the centuries]] he's talked to all of them, convincing them to stand with him in his fight against Father.}}

** Greed (original model) {{spoiler|was boiled down for his most valuable part}}.

** Lust {{spoiler|was burned to death by a man well known as a serial dater}}.

** Envy {{spoiler|committed suicide out of sheer self-loathing at his enemies' pity}}.

** Sloth {{spoiler|was worn out by a long fight}}.

** 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.}}

** Father {{spoiler|is destroyed from the inside by Greed after trying to re-power himself with his Stone, and then is taken out by Ed with a punch. He ends up at the Gate and encounters Truth, and then it sentences him to an [[And I Must Scream]] within the Gate from whence he came.}}

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

* [[Devour the Dragon]]: {{spoiler|Pride devours Gluttony to replenish his Philosopher Stone and gain Gluttony's ability to follow others by smell, though that may have been simply an added bonus.}}

** {{spoiler|Father eats the goddamn TRUTH.}}

* [[Did Not Do the Research]]: A ''very'' minor example. In one episode of the dub Ed is reciting the periodic table to distract himself from his feelings for Winry, and he skips Boron.

** [[Fridge Brilliance]]: That could actually have been intentional, suggesting he's not fully succeeding.

* [[Disappeared Dad]]: Hohenheim

** {{spoiler|[[Daddy Had a Good Reason For Abandoning You]]: Sort of. He was looking for a way to die with Trisha, and counter Father.}}

* [[Discontinuity Nod]]: A possible one in Chapter 108 against the ending of the first anime series, when Hawkeye wonders if Ed will sacrifice himself to get Al's body back.

{{quote| '''Hawkeye:''' You don't think Edward will sacrifice himself, do you...?<br />

* [[Doesn't Like Guns]]: Ed.

* [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]: [[Word of God|The author]] has commented that the whole Ishval situation was inspired by the plight of the Ainu people, which is unsurprising given that she's from Hokkaido.

*** Not only Westerners. Interestingly enough, track #20 of the second ''Brotherhood'' OST, ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-nCtkY-43E Land of Ishvala]'', has a decidedly Oriental/Arabic tone.

** She has also said she gets ideas from befriending people in complicated personal situations, like disabled people, war refugees, and (wait for it) a former [[Yakuza]]. The similarity between {{spoiler|Riza's concern for hiding her tattoo}} and the social stigma a bearer of Yakuza tattoos has to endure in Japan is actually made fun of in a [[Omake|yonkoma]].

* [[Eccentric Mentor]]: Hohenheim, maybe. Also Bradley acts very similar to this until the Greed arc, at which point he changes completely.

* [[Eldritch Abomination]]: {{spoiler|Father}}, perhaps most explicitly portrayed during the events of Chapter 104.

** {{spoiler|[[Out-Gambitted|But guess what.]]}}

* [[Empathy Doll Shot]]: In the Ishval backstory.

* [[Even Evil Has Standards]]: One of {{spoiler|Hohenheim's many souls, named Zuul}}, was mentioned to be a terrible criminal seemingly beyond rehibilitation, but agreed that {{spoiler|Father needed to be destroyed for what he had done}}.

** Many characters react with horror to Pride's cruelty and callousness toward his allies {{spoiler|particularly when he ate Gluttony}}, even ''Kimblee''. {{spoiler|Even more surprising is when in chapter 106, Kimblee, previously devoured by Pride, rebels against him out of disgust at Pride's hypocrisy, and helps distract him long enough for Ed to destroy him}}

* [[Evil Counterpart]]: King Bradley arguably serves as this to several characters, but Ling is the most obvious example. They are both figures with authoritative positions, but while Bradley sees the people f his nation as little more than [[We Have Reserves|cannon fodder]], Ling strongly believes in the idea that people with power exist to serve those who don't. The parallels become even stronger when {{spoiler|Ling becomes a human-based homunculus like Bradley, but unlike Bradley who lost his original soul (in addition to all the other souls in his Philosopher's stone rendering him unable to regenerate like other homunculi) in the process of becoming Wrath, Ling manages to assert and maintain his consciousness within Greed. It is also interesting to note that Bradley was the 12th candidate for Führer and Ling is the 12th crown prince of Xing}}.

** 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}}

** {{spoiler|Father also resembles Ed in some of the later chapters.}}

* [[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]]}}.

* [[Expressive Mask]]: Played with a bit. Al's face doesn't move, of course (outside of humorous moments), but things like rain, light and shadow are often used to give emotion to his face. Also, when drawn in [[Super-Deformed|"chibi"]] style, his face can be more flexible.

** 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.

** Lan Fan's design is nearly identical to the main heroine of Raiden-18, yet another one/two-shot from Arakawa.

* [[Extreme Omnivore]]: Gluttony.

* [[Family-Unfriendly Death]]: {{spoiler|Solf J. Kimblee's, although slightly averted due to his soul being incorporated by Pride before actual death. In the ''Brotherhood'' anime, after having his throat ripped out by chimera Heinkel, Kimblee's dying gasps for breath is a horrifying mix of oxygen-deprivation and drowning in his own blood. The sound is ''disturbingly'' realistic in its portrayal by Kimblee's seiyuu [[Hiroyuki Yoshino]].}}

* [[Fandom Nod]]: 503 as shorthand for Ed/Winry shipping, {{spoiler|Ed calling the new Greed "Gree(d)ling"}}.

* [[Fan Service]]: Lust and Winry's [[Stripperiffic|skimpy outfits]]; Ed, Ling and Armstrong's constant [[Shirtless Scene|shirtlessness]]. Several gratuitous bath/shower scenes, for Riza, Winry and Ed. The opening to season five, in which a very clearly maturing Ed is asleep and looking downright ''beautiful'', may also count.

** Though to be fair, Armstrong's shirtlessness may count as [[Fan Disservice]].

* [[Far East]]: Xing

* [[Fatal Family Photo]]: [[Lampshade Hanging|Explicitly pointed out]] by Roy, who uses it to warn Hughes against talking about his girlfriend on the battlefield. However, {{spoiler|a photo of Hughes' family actually plays a direct role in his death}}.

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

** Also, {{spoiler|1=Father/Homunculus, in chapter 108}}. But then again, [[Complete Monster|it wouldn't be a satisfying ending with anything less]].

* [[Foreshadowing]]: Lots. Especially prevalent in the first episode of ''Brotherhood''.

** 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.

*** Also one that's basically an in-series [[Funny Aneurysm Moment]]. During his fight with Lan Fan, Ed defeats her by leaving his automail arm as a decoy/booby trap. He explains that he got the idea from a common trick in hunting. {{spoiler|Later on, Lan Fan eludes Wrath who's trying to kill her by [[Life or Limb Decision|chopping off her own (REAL!) arm as a decoy]]}}.

**** 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."}}