Drawing possible comparisons to recent events, the Ishavaln conflict is similar to decades long conflicts within the Middle East. This war resulted on destruction and death on both sides and nearly led to the genocide of the entire Ishvalan tribe. The nation of Amestris, whom the Elric brothers serve, once had a major conflict with the nomadic Ishvalans. The main vehicle for this the Ishval conflict.
#Fullmetal alchemist 2003 episodes summary series#
The series does not shy away from that fact that both science and religion have very apparent dark sides. If Edward completely believed in the laws of alchemy, we even both finding a way to bypass them? Scar used religion as an excuse for his quest for vengeance. Science still doesn’t have all the answers. Interestingly, Rose retorts back that there is a great deal that alchemy does not know. To him, all existence can be explained through scientific observation and exploration. Edward explains he is simply using some form of alchemy to change matter.Įdward sees Cornello and by extension organized religion, as a massive deception to the uninformed and uneducated populace. Therefore, Cornello can’t simply create these miracles from nothing. Drawing for his own experiences trying to play play god, he explains that some laws cannot be broken. He explains the chemical breakdown of a human being. Edward’s own beliefs are heavily rooted in science, being alchemy in this case, and gives her an example of hard reality based on scientific observation. Rose retorts a common argument regarding faith, that science cannot disprove the existence of an omnipotent creator. Edward scoffs at this, claiming Cornello must be a fraud and that her beliefs are foolish. She is so utterly devoted that she believes Cornello’s promise that he can return her lover back to life. This is a young woman named Rose who is a devoted follower of Cornello’s. Walking into a search of the supposed sun god, Edward encounters one of the villagers. Edward and the audience soon learn that Cornello may not be as well meaning as he first appears. Cornello is also using his influence to create a religious following and make followers out of the townspeople to worship him as a prophet of sorts. Essentially, these miracles are simply alchemy in disguise. Edward suspicions are confirmed that Cornello is using the a version of the stone to perform such miracles. These include bringing people back from the dead. They have been drawn to this city by rumors of a religious leader named Cornello, who supposedly is using the powers of a god to perform miracles. This stone is a legendary device which supposedly allows skilled alchemists to bend the laws of alchemy. The two main characters, Edward and Alphonse Elric, have traveled to an isolated city in search of the Philosopher’s Stone. The first episodes of the anime opens with a situation which questions the place of religion in society. This mistake would be the primary motivating force for the brothers to seek out a way to reclaim their bodies. What they received was a deformed monstrosity which barely resembled their mother. This caused the ritual to go wrong, with the Alphonse losing his whole body and Edward losing several limbs. In an attempt to bring their mother back to life, they assumed that a soul merely required some DNA and physical properties. This philosophy extends to the Elric’s view of the world as well.
This itself is based around the law of matter stating that matter cannot be created or destroyed but merely changes form. Essentially that means that in alchemy, and in life, an alchemist cannot create something without losing something in return. This law states that to gain something of value, something of equal value must be lost. Alchemy itself is a fusion of scientific principles and magical properties all based around one basic concept, The Law of Equivalent Exchange. In this world, science has essentially taken the form of alchemy. Here we shall explore the stance of the show on both methods of exploring creation. One prominent theme within the manga and both anime adaptions is the struggle between science and religion. The series was not afraid to tackle many social, psychological and philosophical questions. This ranges anywhere from racial tensions and military dominance in government to man’s place in the natural balance of the universe. One reason for this is the series complex take on a variety of real world subjects.
#Fullmetal alchemist 2003 episodes summary full#
Full Metal Alchemist: Science vs Religion This series explores many complex themes.įull Metal Alchemist is one of the most acclaimed anime and manga franchises of recent years.