64 episodes later and 25.6 hours later I have finished Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. It turns out I forgot most of the plot because it’s been years since I last watched it. The part about the Elric brothers losing their body parts (Edward his arm, and Alphonse his body) for performing human transmutation really resonated with me. It states that there are good reasons why some acts are forbidden even if we don’t understand it. For example, Edward lost his arm and Alphonse lost his entire body for performing human transmutation. Dostoevsky delved into it too in Crime and Punishment when the protagonist came up with all sorts of justification for killing his landlord and he did it. However, he was troubled by the guilt and fled wanting to have nothing to do with it.

Did I mention how much I love Scar? You cannot not love him, he’s so badass. Here’s a quote that is a central theme in the show: “Our names are given to us by God. I have betrayed God, and so I no longer have a name.” Names are really important, almost everybody in the society has one. Come to think of it even Buddha had a name before he abandoned his wife and kids and retired from worldly affairs. I wonder if children without a name will have a different developmental experience compared to children with names. Nominative Determinism is the belief that people tend to gravitate towards areas of work that fit their names. Converts into a religion tend to adopt a new name like Zephaniah, Omar etc. It’s usually a sign of fresh start since you’re changing your name and adopting a new identity. In short, names have many functions!

Another quote from Scar: “I am walking down a path of no return, so I will leave behind me every gift I’ve received from God.” You can see how religious and God-fearful the Ishvalans are, that’s almost unheard of from the people around me… Scar’s character development is one of the most impressive among all the characters growing from a hatred-blinded serial killer to an ambitious reformer. According to his master, “Your vengeance will only sow the seeds of further violence, what you’re doing is senseless revenge and it’s feeding a senseless cycle of death. You must end this cycle once and for all.” There’s a strong Buddhist theme going on here about breaking the cycle of suffering if not for yourself, at least for other people. The same goes for trauma, dysfunctional family, codependency, all the pain you have suffered and caused to other people. This is one of my strong beliefs in life.

More quotes from his master:

“Enduring and forgiving are two different things. You must not forgive the cruelty of this world. It’s our duty as human beings to be angry at injustice. But we must also endure it. Because someone must sever this chain of hatred.”

Similar quote with some differences: “Enduring and forgiving are two different things. You must not forget the unjustness of society. As a human being, you must hold the event in contempt. Yet, you must endure. You must put an end to the chain of hatred!”

It reminds of the Rabbi’s idea of forgiveness, it’s not compulsory for the victims to forgive you. However, the hard work of redemption must still continue with or without forgiveness and maybe one day you will receive forgiveness. Redemption in this context is akin to bearing a cross and trudging through life. It means being responsible for what you have done and owning up to it.

Last updated: 25 July 2021