Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA 4 Reaction

I watched FMA:B back when it was airing and I have been re-watching it for the following years, but I'd never watched the OVAs and omg was this good.

For the record, the shot of Armstrong raising the wall in the Ishval war is not a spoiler, it is shown in an earlier episode. Very briefly, I'll give you, but that is not a spoiler at this point.

Ppl can correct me if I’m wrong, but in the scene near the end where Hughes and Roy are talking in the tent, it is nighttime. After the “30 seconds” Hughes gives Roy it is visibly morning. So I’m pretty sure Hughes gave him more than an 30 extra seconds, but rather stayed with him until morning. I also want to say I appreciate the complexity this OVA gives Hughes. While cheerful and loving in the main series, he was just as capable and culpable in what happened in Ishval. In terms of the “equivalent exchange” for those atrocities he devotes himself to loving his family and being good to Winry and the boys. He also dies investigating what lead to those atrocities and is the catalyst for Roy’s mission of investigating the military. I believe the show does amazing in showing that there is this “equal exchange” in most of the characters in the good and bad they do, which reflects the grey area most ppl live in. Ppl like Roy, Riza, Armstrong, Dr. Marcoh (Dr. that just talked to Scar last episode), Dr. Knox (the doctor taking care of May and Lan Fan), and Hughes are seemingly decent ppl, but they did horrible things and in different ways they try/are trying to “equate” that with whatever good they can do

the tags are missing. Let me know if I'm been too annoying by commenting this every time

I really hope they check out OVA 2 and 3 before the story ramps up.

I actually prefer the 3 other OVAs over this one

So, this is some details that are only provided in the manga, but just some general information about the war, timeline-wise, and with some extra context. Despite outnumbering the Ishvalans, one of the reasons the war lasted seven years was because of how powerfully the Ishvalans fought back. They managed to get extra weapons and such from another neighboring country Aerugo (who did so purely to weaken Amestris). The Ishvalans fought so fiercely that the war was brought to a stalemate, despite Amestris being the 'more powerful' force. In the manga it's even said that one Ishvalan warrior is "worth ten soldiers" when it comes to pure fighting ability. Also should be noted that Resembool, Ed and Al's hometown, was pretty close to Ishval, and the war had a bad effect on the town as well. For one thing, the epidemic that killed their mom was a result of the spread of disease during the war. The boom of automail engineering was in large part due to the war, and in the manga Ed usually says that that's how he lost his limbs as well. Since his town was so close and effected by the war, it's an easy lie for people to believe. The war started in 1901, but Roy didn't graduate from the military academy until 1905. This is also when Riza's father dies, and that's where the opening scene of the previous episode takes place. It isn't until after this that Riza herself ends up joining the military academy. 1908 is when Bradley draws up order 3066: to officially begin outright exterminating the Ishvalans. It is at *this* point that he sends in the state alchemists, right to the front lines. In the manga we also learn (via Roy overhearing soldiers talking about it) that Riza was basically such a good shot that she graduated the academy early, and was sent right from it to the war. So the alchemists were really only in Ishval for a comparatively much shorter period of time, as the war ended in 1909. Considering how much horror is committed in that time it doesn't really make much of a difference though. During that last year of the war, things continued to fall apart like dominos. Amestris discovered that Aerugo was supplying the Ishvalans, and purged all Ishvalan members of the military under the excuse that they had been helping Ishval. Aerugo stopped supplying them, and also refused to let in refugees, even though they were begging and pleading right at the border. And then, just to bring it into context with the other parts of the story, the Elric brothers try to commit human transmutation in 1910, only a year after the war has ended.

When people idolize Hughes, I think a lot about this OVA and the things he did and said during the war to justify his involvement and push Roy to keep moving through it. I know it was a way to survive, but watching him tell Roy to keep fighting each time we see Roy want to give up, all I can think about is the countless Ishvalans who died because of that. Yes, the show is very clear about the fact that each person is responsible for their own actions, but Hughes' actions also feel incredibly violent.

Riza said the war had lasted 7 years until the order came about the extermination, when they actually started killing civilians. Isnt thats the time when the alchemists was called in?

It's hard for me to like Roy. I support what he's doing in trying to bring justice to all of the war criminals involved including himself, he does the best he can to atone, he's an interesting/deep character, he has sweet moments with Riza and others, but the fact that he was an instrumental figure in a genocide still just looms over all of that for me. He spent seven years burning families alive. I think in knowing that, the only thing that really keeps me caring about him is the fact that he's included himself in the list of war criminals that need to face justice.

thank you for showing true emotions and being so lovely with each character❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏