FMAB Ep. 8 | Full Length Reaction

Fmab has some of the best continuity of any show I've seen, and def like Aot requires a lot of attention to detail. Love how well you guys are unpacking it so far and can't wait to see it all come together for you 🤗🩷

btw there are end credit scenes in this show that pops up in some eps. You have missed two so far. Just a heads up before the yt comments

So, Ed bonding Al's soul to the armour wasn't human transmutation the way that trying to bring their mother back to life was; Al's soul already existed in the world, Ed basically just fixed it onto the armour the way souls are normally fixed to people's bodies, before it moved on to the afterlife or w/e. That's why the only thing Ed had to exchange was his leg, rather than Al's whole body and Ed's arm in exchange for their mother. Ed was trying to "create" a soul for their mother, which is why it still failed, but bonding Al's soul was successful because it wasn't human transmutation. Slicer and Barry weren't used to create the philosopher's stone because their souls, like Al's, still exist in the world, they were kept to guard the lab. But there are another 64 people at least whose souls aren't there any more...

Tremendo!! <3 <3 <3 To clarify, the ability to perform alchemy simply by bringing one’s hands together is not especially unique on its own. There are other alchemists who can also perform alchemy by clapping their hands or fists. However, their alchemy is limited to specific symbols that are tattooed on their bodies or carved into their gauntlets. What truly makes Edward and his teacher powerful (and it has already been stated that she has this ability) is that they can perform any type of alchemy they understand without relying on tattoos, gauntlets, or any other alchemical symbols. This is similar to being able to instantly solve extremely complex mathematical operations entirely from memory, without writing anything down—in this case, applied to alchemical formulas. That is what is truly impressive. Edward acquired this ability after passing through the Gate of Truth and gaining vast knowledge. What happened to Edward’s arm—the reason it stopped working—is hinted at in the post-credits scene of episode 6. As for FMAB and AOT, the difference between them is pretty clear. FMAB follows a more traditional shōnen formula, with light comedy and culturally Japanese references meant to keep readers engaged. This approach exists because the manga industry is extremely competitive—if a series drops in popularity rankings, it risks being canceled. That’s why authors are closely supervised by editors, who guide the story and suggest changes to maximize its chances of success, limiting how much freedom the author really has. Because of this, AOT was originally rejected by Shonen Jump despite having a great story. Its premise was considered too serious and didn’t fit the traditional “success formula.” Eventually, Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine picked it up and gave the author more creative freedom. If you want to learn more about how the manga industry works, there’s an anime called Bakuman. It’s not very popular, but it’s really fun and informative—highly recommended. Thanks for reading <3