Fullmetal Alchemist

I have really enjoyed the first few episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I think the idea of alchemy and the rule of equivalent exchange makes the show especially interesting. Edward and Alphonse try to bring their mother back to life, but they end up paying a much greater price than they expected. I like how the show uses alchemy as more than just a magic system. It raises questions about how far people should be willing to go to get what they want and whether some things should simply be left alone. The episode with Nina and Shou Tucker especially showed this. Tucker is so focused on keeping his position as a State Alchemist that he is willing to sacrifice his own daughter. I think the show does a good job of making these ideas feel personal instead of just philosophical.

There were also a number of Japanese words and phrases that I could recognize while watching. Words like お母さん、兄、弟、人、体、見る、行く、来る、何、 and どうして stood out to me. I sometimes understood short sentences without consciously translating every word into English. I would hear a sentence and understand the general meaning almost immediately. I think hearing familiar vocabulary in the context of a story makes it much easier to understand than when I see the same words by themselves in a textbook.

じゃまた、

モーカ