Fullmetal Alchemist: Episode 50

To those who haven’t seen the episode, you may want to wait for the finale. I can assure you that you wouldn’t want to have the image of the final scene lingering in your head for a whole week.

The writers for Hagaren never cease to amaze me. Again, I’m astounded at their ability to weave such an impressive thread of subplots. Although we have a hefty amount of surprises, the series never relied on shock value alone. In fact, most of the revelations usually makes a huge impact on the narrative. Take this episode as an example. The truth behind the gate exposed an(other) ugly side of alchemy. The source of energy consumed when performing alchemy literally comes from the other side of the gate. As it turns out, the ‘other side’ means another world (our world actually). Now, that’s the twist and to sweeten the deal, it really does serve a purpose. Energy from dead souls travel through the gate in order to fuel the alchemists’ transmutations. Ahhh…I love the way these writers work. To be honest, I’m enjoying the anime more than the manga.

As I mentioned, the final scene is a big shocker. I instinctively shouted at my PC (which is not a good idea when it’s 0400) and then immediately kept silent with my mouth hanging open while staring at the screen. I’m hoping it will somehow turn out alright. Yeah, naive thoughts. Argh, (my) insanity ensues.

To those who like to be spoiled, here is an image from that horrible scene. I’m expecting more angst in the finale. Hopefully, it’ll be an hour affair.