June 27th, 2009 
AstroNerdBoy Hagane no Renkinjutsushi – Fullmetal Alchemist Ep. 12
鋼の錬金術師 FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST Episode 12
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood – 12
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
Al and Ed arrive in Dublith and make their way to the meat market where their sensei, Izumi Curtis, lives. They are greeted by Izumi’s giant husband, Sig, who announces their presence to Izumi, who is getting some bed rest. Her greeting to Ed is to knock him out of the yard for becoming a dog of the military and to body slam Al for lack of training. Ed and Al inquire about the Philosopher’s Stone, leading Izumi to say that she had spoken with a person in Central City who knew about it — Hohenheim,the boy’s father. This angers Ed, who recalls how things were after his father left and he blames his father for the death of his mother.
That night, Ed and Al recall how they met Izumi as she and Sig came through on a stormy night as people were erecting a sandbag wall to contain the flooding river. She used alchemy to build a high wall, which so impressed Ed and Al, they begged her to become her students. She refuses until she learns they are orphans. However, her condition is that they survive on a small island for a month and they cannot use alchemy. Further, they have to answer the riddle as to what one is all, all is one” means. The boys learn to survive and learn the meaning of the saying so that when Izumi and Sig return, they know the answer.
Izumi begins to train them on fighting techniques as well as alchemy. During one of her lessons, Al inquires about about Izumi’s ability to use alchemy without a circle. She states that she’s using her body as the circle. Ed wants to know how this is accomplished, but Izumi won’t answer, simply stating that they may be able to do that when they come to the truth.
In the present, Ed understands the “truth” as being the door 
that he saw when they attempted to resurrect their mother. The following day, Ed and Al begin to ask Izumi a question when she turns it into a sparring session, having figured out things they were trying to hide from her. Since Ed can use alchemy without a transmutation circle, Izumi knows that he’s seen the door. After returning inside the house, she reveals to them that she too had attempted the forbidden alchemy of bringing a human back to life — her baby. As a result, she not only got to see the door, she also had her insides messed up which is why she vomits blood at times. With that, she embraces Al and Ed, letting them know it is OK to let their true feeling out.
Thoughts/Review:
What is it about comedy blood-vomiting that is both sick and oh so funny at the same time? I’m not sure if it is because I have a twisted sense of humor or not, but the two comedy times that Izumi vomited blood, I couldn’t help but laugh. I remember something similar in that oh so wrong comedy Excel Saga, specifically that very gross episode “Going Too Far” where Excel became Hyatt and projectile-vomited blood 
all over the place. I gagged and laughed at the same time during that episode and while I didn’t have quite the same reaction for this episode of FMA, it was similar.
Another humorous moment was the “we caught Thumper — now what do we do?” *lol* Those who hesitate will lose and the boys certainly learned that lesson. Hunger certainly gets one over the idea of killing Thumper though or even eating ants. ^_^;
While we have another humorous episode, there was plenty of foundation laying here by showing where Ed and Al learned their skills from and what it took to make them what they are today. As a character, there’s something special about their sensei, Izumi. Granted, two kids attacking her isn’t that big of a deal, but the way she fended them both off while giving them a lesson in alchemy AND reading a cookbook was not only humorous, it showed just how good of an alchemist Izumi is.
While on the subject of Izumi, I have to say that this time around, I really like the romance aspect of Izumi and Sig. I don’t really remember thinking too much about it in the first series but this time around, there seemed to be something very special about the two of them. One wonders how they met and fell in love. *lol*
Question for the audience who’s memories are better than my 
own — was the visiting to the “door” the reason given that Ed and Izumi could perform alchemy without a transmutation circle?
So another good episode as we move forward to the time of divergence from the original anime. I do look forward to that time. ^_^
Posted in 
Tags: 
You are correct in thinking that the trip to the door is what gives them the ability to use Alchemy without a transmutation circle.
Tue reason Al can’t is that Al has no memories of his trip due to the trauma of losing his entire body.
They’re also really moving around flashbacks as the flashback scene is from Hohenheim in a later volume. If I remember right in the manga Hohenheim was just talked about I don’t remember him appearing before Volume 11.
It seemed like in the first anime series, Ed’s having an automail arm was given as the reason he could transmute without a circle.
As to moving the Hohenheim to hear, I don’t have a problem with that as it better sets the table for future events IMO (whatever those all may be).
I don’t think you are correct. In the FMA movie “The Conqueror of Shamballa” Al also can use alchemy by just clapping his hands (like Ed). But since I haven’t watched the movie, nor the old series for a very long time, I’m not sure. Also, I think there really have such theory, but I think it was later revealed to be wrong.
The ability to transmute without a circle was revealed to be due to seeing the door later on in the first series, but he kept the appearance of it being due to the automail arm being engraved with a circle. At least he never made a point of that not being the case when the bad guys assumed it was. I vaguely recall that the act of clapping his hands formed the needed circle with his body.
Al not being able to remember the door and needing to use a circle is consistent as well. I never read the manga and have not yet watched any of the new series, so I can only go by what I recall of the first series.
I actually prefered the first version in terms of Ed and Al revealing they tried to transmute their mother. Because instead of Izumi giving them an understanding hug, she kicked the living crap out of them…then gave them an understanding hug.
I just watched the 13th episode. Needles to say, a whole volume of the manga was shrunk down to a single episode. If this continues the series would probably be over around episode 30-35 (now the anime stopped around chapter 30 of volume 7).
Also, there are major changes in the story since most of it is skipped. Well, the very basics are still the same, but everything else…
Sniff, sniff! The story is so much better told (and funnier) in the manga than in this very fast paced episode. Well, anyway, those who haven’t read the manga or already have forgotten it probably won’t even notice how much was skipped and changed.
evgenidb said you were wrong: you are not wrong. He is using the movie which is NOT the real FMA universe. As for those who said episode 13 was one volume shrunk: Wrong. FMA chapters are 34 or 35 pages long (sometimes longer): thus they tend to get a LOT of plot done. I doubt this was even 2 chapter’s worth
First, the FMA movie is the conclusion of the original series. So, it’s canon in that universe.
Second, a LOT was SKIPPED and CHANGED, so it’d look good. At least two chapters were skipped completely or almost completely. Also some things were altered, so the events would tie up. And the rest were left as is in the manga.
evgenidb, you are still not correct because the first series and its movie have to relation to the manga and this anime. Especially as the laws of the universe are completely different between the anime and the manga.
Well, I haven’t explained myself correctly. The original anime is a spin-off of the manga (a different universe or whatever you call it). So, the movie is canon in that particular spin-off universe.
Also, I think that the new series also are spin-off of the manga, since there are changes in the plot (although not so big to have catastrophic differences between the story in the manga and the anime).
The all spin-off thing reminds me a little about Tenchi Muyo – there are as well many universes, one of which is the main (or canon) and the rest are just add-ons for fun.
This anime is supposed to be close to the manga, but yes: technically all anime are spin offs of their manga.