The Nerd Next Door

Fullmetal Alchemist is my favorite piece of media of all time, nothing comes close to it in my opinion. I know I said that a couple weeks ago but that piece I wrote got me thinking about FMA again, namely FMA Brotherhood .  I've noticed this strange thing about FMAB in that most people I introduce it to don't click with it until Episode 4 or so. Meanwhile I got started with the 2003 version of FMA and got into it at the end of Episode 2, which is the end of the first story arc. And it makes me wonder why? Why does FMAB seem screw up it's opening in the way it's predecessor and the Manga Original seemingly don't? Well to understand I need to explain what makes Brotherhood , FMA 2003 , and the Manga different. The Manga is the original, the classic from which both anime were birthed from and an amazing 27-volume run. FMA 2003 , simply called Fullmetal Alchemist , was a first attempt to adapt the manga but it ran out of manga to adapt and chose to make it's own e...

It's Fullmetal Alchemist's 20th Anniversary today and that fact has basically overridden every braincell in my head. You know those people who make their entire identity one thing and don't ever shut up about it? That's me and Fullmetal Alchemist , except I learned some restraint which is why my twitter is not a flood of FMA memes or fan art. It would be if I wasn't self-conscious of how bad a look that is. But today's an occasion to celebrate, not to tear others down. Because Fullmetal Alchemist is my favorite thing, ever. No media franchise will hold my heart captive in it's palm better than FMA. But why do I love this franchise so much that I'm one or two impluses away from being a stan account for? Glad you asked. The basic premise of Fullmetal Alchemist is this, in a world where magic is a science called Alchemy; two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, attempt to use Alchemy to resurrect their dead mother. This works out poorly and leaves Edward ...

A few weeks ago, I talked about damsel's in distress and when they are particularly insulting. During that time I mentioned that the main hero of Sword Art Online, Kirito, was, and I quote myself, "the most boring character devised in anime." I still hold that opinion because he is, but the more I thought about it I asked what made him boring? Why did I hate this kid so much? Well the more I thought about it, the more I realized that he problem I have with Kirito can be applied to why a lot of old classic characters can be perceived as "boring." Simply put Kirito is flawless, he shows up, kills all of the bad guys, and gets all of the ladies without applying any charisma or effort into it. As far as I'm concerned you should have one of three essentials to make a good character: underdog, where we see the character rise from adversity; flawed, where a character is competent but struggles with a flaw that either affects their actions, destroys them, or ...