All aboard the TL;DR boat
Arakawa, I can truely an honestly say you are one the greatest storytellers I have ever had the joy to know. I don't think a story has ever made me cry like this before.
I wish, more than anything, that one day I can make a story this amazing.
I knew it.
I knew it wouldn't be as simple as using a Philosopher's Stone. I knew it wouldn't be simple as just using Edward's father as a toll. That's be too easy, too simple, and this entire series is that there are no simple answers.
And despite the fact that it's come completely out of nowhere, Edward's answer makes COMPLETE SENSE. Everyone has taken the door to Truth for granted so much, has feared it so greatly, that it's never occured to them that it ALSO is a part of them that they can part with.
All this time I imagined why 'God' always sneered and laughed at people who tried to use the Gate. But can you imagine what it had been like? To see arrogant and foolish people constantly maim themselves and others for its power for their own personal and petty reasons? To covet the Gate so much to never realize that they could live without it? To never think that the things they already HAVE are worth more than any 'truth' they could learn?
And then one kid finally gives up the biggest driving force in his life because he's grown and realized that he doesn't NEED anything from the Gate. He already knows the 'truth' - that his friends and family are worth more than any knowledge.
And God actually fucking smiled.
OTHER THINGS:
Edward finally goddamn cried, and it was in response to his father apologising to him. Oh man. ;_;
It did get sliiiightly a bit contrived for Mustang, but then Marcoh's stone has been used repeatedly before, so it's still valid to use it now. Oh, and guess who didn't get a mushy ending with Riza? THANK GOD. If they got some mushy ending out of NOWHERE, I'd gag myself.
As for Scar ... I'm really happy with his ending. It's such a fitting end to his redemption and really IS a fitting way for him to 'save' his people without violence. I also like how we STILL don't know his name. :D
AND HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT SELIM GREW UP! WAUGH! D:
Jesus christ Ed, you ... you proposed to Winry using an alchemy term? You sweet, incredible DORK.
But I did like the final pages. Some get a perfect ending, some still don't get a perfect one and they're working on it, but they all fucking EARNED it. Fuck yeah!
LATER ADDITIONS:
Okay, I've actually gone to bed and the squee has worn off, so here's a sum-up of some of my issues with this ending;
It's a little bit TOO perfectly happy.
I mean, of course we knew Alphonse would get his body back, Roy would fix the country, and so forth, but the series has been realistic enough to be a little bittersweet when it needed it.
For example, we all knew Roy would have to get his eyes back - he's the only one willing and capable to make the country a democracy and therefore get justice for Ishbal. And while he's still realistically happy with being blind, he hasn't DESERVED that blindless like Edward or Izumi. Roy losing his eyes was a pointlessly cruel act of the enemy, and keeping him that way would also be pointlessly cruel as well as screw over the motivations of a lot of the cast.
BUT.
His first thought - HIS VERY FIRST THOUGHT - should have been Havoc. Period.
"Can you use this as a toll to regain your sight?"
"Yes. But first, there is a favor I'd like you to do for me first."
"And that is?"
"There is a loyal soldier out in the east waiting for me. I will not leave him behind."
Serious to god, a huge chunk of his motivation is caring about his subordinates - that's why he wanted a stone for Havoc, that's why hurting Riza was a viable temptation. WHY IS THERE NO MENTION OF HAVOC.
As for Alphonse, I know Arakawa has irritated me before about how unrealistic she is about wounds and personal indurance, but Alphonse should NOT have recovered that quickly. Even when he was just brought back, he should have been overwhelmed and very ill, not go 'Oh wow I can feel now'. And there is no way in holy hell he could have recovered from years of crushing malnutrition in a scant few years. Just look at the vast list of lingering health problems caused by it!
What would have been better, IMHO, would be to suffer from a weak and ailing body but still power through via sheer determination. It would be hard, but it's HIS body now, and he can happily deal with any lifelong problems.
Selim, I'm not sure about. It's too sappy to make him such a cute and sweet child, especially considering he isn't human. I'd prefer it if she went for something a bit creepier, like Selim being an emotionless child or even trapped in that baby form forever.
As for the military, it kinda bothers me that they handwaved a lot of the issues away with "We'll deal with it". I mean, how in the hell are they going to deal with Brigg soldiers being seen fighting the Fuhrer and killing Central Soldiers? How will they ensure that the captured top brass keep their mouths shut? WTF.
I also think that going home to Winry really should have been longer. The whole 'make her cry tears of happiness' was a big theme, and so was home. I really wish she'd spent more time on that.
Overall, I did still like it. It's just one or two things bug me about it.
I wish, more than anything, that one day I can make a story this amazing.
I knew it.
I knew it wouldn't be as simple as using a Philosopher's Stone. I knew it wouldn't be simple as just using Edward's father as a toll. That's be too easy, too simple, and this entire series is that there are no simple answers.
And despite the fact that it's come completely out of nowhere, Edward's answer makes COMPLETE SENSE. Everyone has taken the door to Truth for granted so much, has feared it so greatly, that it's never occured to them that it ALSO is a part of them that they can part with.
All this time I imagined why 'God' always sneered and laughed at people who tried to use the Gate. But can you imagine what it had been like? To see arrogant and foolish people constantly maim themselves and others for its power for their own personal and petty reasons? To covet the Gate so much to never realize that they could live without it? To never think that the things they already HAVE are worth more than any 'truth' they could learn?
And then one kid finally gives up the biggest driving force in his life because he's grown and realized that he doesn't NEED anything from the Gate. He already knows the 'truth' - that his friends and family are worth more than any knowledge.
And God actually fucking smiled.
OTHER THINGS:
Edward finally goddamn cried, and it was in response to his father apologising to him. Oh man. ;_;
It did get sliiiightly a bit contrived for Mustang, but then Marcoh's stone has been used repeatedly before, so it's still valid to use it now. Oh, and guess who didn't get a mushy ending with Riza? THANK GOD. If they got some mushy ending out of NOWHERE, I'd gag myself.
As for Scar ... I'm really happy with his ending. It's such a fitting end to his redemption and really IS a fitting way for him to 'save' his people without violence. I also like how we STILL don't know his name. :D
AND HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT SELIM GREW UP! WAUGH! D:
Jesus christ Ed, you ... you proposed to Winry using an alchemy term? You sweet, incredible DORK.
But I did like the final pages. Some get a perfect ending, some still don't get a perfect one and they're working on it, but they all fucking EARNED it. Fuck yeah!
LATER ADDITIONS:
Okay, I've actually gone to bed and the squee has worn off, so here's a sum-up of some of my issues with this ending;
It's a little bit TOO perfectly happy.
I mean, of course we knew Alphonse would get his body back, Roy would fix the country, and so forth, but the series has been realistic enough to be a little bittersweet when it needed it.
For example, we all knew Roy would have to get his eyes back - he's the only one willing and capable to make the country a democracy and therefore get justice for Ishbal. And while he's still realistically happy with being blind, he hasn't DESERVED that blindless like Edward or Izumi. Roy losing his eyes was a pointlessly cruel act of the enemy, and keeping him that way would also be pointlessly cruel as well as screw over the motivations of a lot of the cast.
BUT.
His first thought - HIS VERY FIRST THOUGHT - should have been Havoc. Period.
"Can you use this as a toll to regain your sight?"
"Yes. But first, there is a favor I'd like you to do for me first."
"And that is?"
"There is a loyal soldier out in the east waiting for me. I will not leave him behind."
Serious to god, a huge chunk of his motivation is caring about his subordinates - that's why he wanted a stone for Havoc, that's why hurting Riza was a viable temptation. WHY IS THERE NO MENTION OF HAVOC.
As for Alphonse, I know Arakawa has irritated me before about how unrealistic she is about wounds and personal indurance, but Alphonse should NOT have recovered that quickly. Even when he was just brought back, he should have been overwhelmed and very ill, not go 'Oh wow I can feel now'. And there is no way in holy hell he could have recovered from years of crushing malnutrition in a scant few years. Just look at the vast list of lingering health problems caused by it!
What would have been better, IMHO, would be to suffer from a weak and ailing body but still power through via sheer determination. It would be hard, but it's HIS body now, and he can happily deal with any lifelong problems.
Selim, I'm not sure about. It's too sappy to make him such a cute and sweet child, especially considering he isn't human. I'd prefer it if she went for something a bit creepier, like Selim being an emotionless child or even trapped in that baby form forever.
As for the military, it kinda bothers me that they handwaved a lot of the issues away with "We'll deal with it". I mean, how in the hell are they going to deal with Brigg soldiers being seen fighting the Fuhrer and killing Central Soldiers? How will they ensure that the captured top brass keep their mouths shut? WTF.
I also think that going home to Winry really should have been longer. The whole 'make her cry tears of happiness' was a big theme, and so was home. I really wish she'd spent more time on that.
Overall, I did still like it. It's just one or two things bug me about it.