See reactions and summaries of the new characters and major plot twists in this episode:
: While the Elric brothers and Winry head back to Central with their new "guests," they remain blissfully unaware of Maes Hughes' death, creating a sense of heavy dramatic irony.
: A prince seeking the secret to immortality to secure his claim to the throne.
: Viewers learn that Xingese "alchemy" is medicinal and focuses on the flow of energy through the earth, contrasting with the Amestrian focus on scientific transmutation.
: Ling's highly skilled bodyguards who use ninja-like combat styles. Technical and Thematic Shifts
: Following the events at Laboratory 5, Alphonse Elric discovers he can now perform alchemy without a transmutation circle , just like Edward. Arrival of the Xingese :
: The episode opens with Scar hunting and killing Giolio Comanche , the Silver Alchemist, who fought using transmuted bladed weapons and a peg leg.
: This episode introduces the second opening, "Hologram" by NICO Touches the Walls.
Wrong
No, you are not right.
I love how you say you are right in the title itself. Clearly nobody agrees with you. The episode was so great it was nominated for an Emmy. Nothing tops the chain mail curse episode? Really? Funny but not even close to the highlight of the series.
Dissent is dissent. I liked the chain mail curse. Also the last two episodes of the season were great.
Honestly i fully agree. That episode didn’t seem like the rest of the series, the humour was closer to other sitcoms (friends, how i met your mother) with its writing style and subplots. The show has irreverent and stupid humour, but doesn’t feel forced. Every ‘joke’ in the episode just appealed to the usual late night sitcom audience and was predictable (oh his toothpick is an effortless disguise, oh the teams money catches fire, oh he finds out the talking bass is worthless, etc). I didn’t have a laugh all episode save the “one human alcoholic drink please” thing which they stretched out. Didn’t feel like i was watching the same show at all and was glad when they didn’t return to this forced humour. Might also be because the funniest characters with best delivery (Nandor and Guillermo) weren’t in it
And yet…that is the episode that got the Emmy nomination! What am I missing? I felt like I was watching a bad improv show where everyone was laughing at their friends but I wasn’t in on the joke.