Hagane no Renkinjutsushi – Fullmetal Alchemist Ep. 18
鋼の錬金術師 FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST Episode 18
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood – 18

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Armstrong and Ed arrive at Resembool why back at Central City, Al and Winry ponder events with Lt. Ross. Ling arrives to try to learn the secret of Al’s soul being attached but since Al wasn’t part of that agreement, Al isn’t talking. Ling does suggest that Ed is OK though, mainly because Fu is with Ed, Armstrong, Breda, and others on a trip out to the desert. They arrive at the ruined city of Xerxes, which Ed remembers Ling wanting to see.

 Ed knows what he read from the Philosopher of the East in how some survivors of Xerxes brought Alchemy to the new country Amestris. Fu’s tale has Alchemy coming from the Philosopher of the West, where survivors of Xerxes combined their craft with the craft Xing were doing which lead to the modern Alkahestry.

Ed notes on a ruined wall a large inscription like a transmutation circle, only it has been damaged. The group heads deeper into Xerxes and when they reach their destination, Ed is happy to find out that Ross is alive, meaning Mustang played him. Armstrong is VERY happy and wants to hug Ross while shirtless, something she’s not keen on. Breda tells Ed of how they freed Ross after believing her to be innocent.

They secured Barry the Chopper’s cooperation and when Ross met Mustang in the ally, he had a fake body which he burned and left behind evidence to make it look like her. He then sends her to a dumpster where Havoc takes her from a hole in the wall.

Back in Central, Ling tells Winry and Al a similar tale.

Ed, Breda, Armstrong, Fu, and Ross have a meeting to discuss what they know about the homonculi and what to do next. Ed says he and Al will carry on and that he will protect others. Ross will go to Xing with Fu but tells Armstrong that should Mustang need her, send the word and she will return and lay down her life if need be. They leave and Ross cannot help but shed a tear. Fu advises her not to waste any more water since they have a long journey.

In Central, Mustang is on the phone with Elizabeth when she tells him of a guest and asks he call Jacqueline. In fact, Elizabeth is Riza and Jacqueline is Havoc and Cain works as middle man. The guest is Barry the Chopper’s human body and Body-Barry attacks Falman. Armor-Barry prevents Falman from shooting Body-Barry since that is his body. Havoc enters dressed in black with a mask, but the tobacco smell causes Falman to ID him. Body-Barry is too quick but being unable to do anything, Body-Barry flees, chased by Havoc, Falman, and Armor-Barry. When Havoc’s gun jams, Body-Barry attacks, but is shot in the hand by Riza from her sniper position.

At Xerxes, Ed takes another look at the depiction that looks like a transmutation circle he’s seen before at the 5th Lab. He’s attacked by an Ishval man, but quickly puts the man down. A whole lot more Ishvalan people emerge from hiding but are stopped by an elderly lady named Shan. Though she does not care for Amestrisans because of the Ishval War, the fact that she and many others owe their lives to two Amestrisan doctors explains her kindness. Ed asks if their name was “Rockbell” and Shan confirms this. Ed asks how the Rockbells died and she says it was an Ishvalan patient. While she doesn’t know whom it was, the imagery reveals it to be Scar.

Returning to Central, it is evening and Armor-Barry has decided to kill Body-Barry even though it is not part of the plan. Havoc asks if he doesn’t want to be returned to his body to which Armor-Barry responds that Body-Barry won’t last long. It is then that they notice that the legs of Body-Barry are rotting. This is being observed by Riza, who is visited by Gluttony. Riza gets a rifle slug into Gluttony. He goes down but gets back up, having regenerated.

Thoughts/Review:

Hey! Xiao Mei had a cameo. ^_^ That should mean that Scar is around nearby. Considering how this episode went, I was kind of surprised he didn’t show up.

While it seemed pretty obvious that Ross was alive, I guess I didn’t expect the anime to go ahead and resolve her story for now by letting Ed (and Al through Ling) know what was up. Considering how fast the anime is moving forward, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised though. Besides, by having a reason to come to Xerxes, it feels like we have more table setting as Ed discovers the same transmutation circle he saw at Lab 5.

I am amused at how Roy managed the operation dealing with Barry and the first part of Ross’s escape. Of course, Barry’s taking the phone to actually talk openly on the line about things was funny. I’m still amazed that Barry is going along with all this, but it has to be because he wants to.

Speaking of Barry, I’m trying to remember if his real body showed up in the first anime or not. I can’t remember but the rotting legs seemed to strike a memory chord. Let me know if I’m right or not.

Is it me, or does Riza come off as even more impressive in this anime? There was her early take down of Barry the Chopper, but her use of a sniper rifle both for sniping and then as a close quarters weapon (getting that shot off into Gluttony) makes her very cool. It will be interesting seeing how she survives her encounter with Gluttony though.

Also interesting is the news that Winry’s parents were killed by Scar. I don’t think that was in the first anime, was it?

Just another really enjoyable episode for me. I’ve got another anime to watch and I’ll be caught up on the series for the moment. ^_^