action/adventure: December 2006 Archives

A relative asked this week when I'll stop watching anime. My answer? When I'm dead, lady. When I'm dead.

Stumbled onto another show this season which I think I'll be following. "Shounen Onmyouji" is the tale of Abe no Masahiro, the 13-year-old grandson of the famous Onmyouji, Abe no Seimei. I don't know much about onmyoujis except they sort of act like sorcerers/astrologers/exorcists to me. Yeah yeah, I looked them up online and I still don't quite understand the idea of it.

Abe no Seimei did live during the Heian Period in Japan and lots of legends and stories feature him. It's been said he was the offspring of a human father and a Fox Spirit mother.

In this anime, he's elderly and grooming his grandson to be his successor via manipulation, guilt and notes meant to drive the kid into a fury. Masahiro has potential but he's young and most of the spirit summons that aid his grandfather don't think much of him as the heir. Masahiro himself doesn't like being referred to as "Seimei's grandson" which is what a spirit summon named Guren/Touda keeps calling him.

Seimei sealed the boy's spiritual power at a young age so Masahiro couldn't see spirits until a devious ploy by grandad allows him access to his powers again. Guren first appears to Masahiro as a rabbit-like creature with long claws, red eyes and weird red tufts around the neck. The kid nicknames him Mokkun which is short for Mononoke-kun. As Guren/Touda, he appears as a shirtless man with a necklace who can hurl fire at enemies. He's not the love interest, I assure you. So back off, you rabid fangirls!

Masahiro has this crush on Princess Akiko, the daughter of the Minister of Left. She attracts spirits and demons so Seimei puts a barrier around her room and gives her charms.

The animation isn't that exceptional but the storyline seems interesting so far. And I like the rabbit Mokkun a lot, more so than his human form. I've seen up to episode eight and I'm not bored yet.

What price would you pay to get back someone you love? How far would you go to atone for a mistake?

In "Full Metal Alchemist", Edward and Alphonse Elric lost their mother when they were still children but they have a plan to bring her back. The brothers live in a country where people use the powers of alchemy in their everyday lives. The Elrics are geniuses when it comes to alchemy where one could transmute things. The concept of equivalent exchange was drilled into them at an early age: Humans cannot gain something without losing something of equal value.

They do a human transmutation but Edward loses a leg in the process. Poor Alphonse loses his body and only the quick thinking of his brother saves his soul. Edward gives up his right arm but manages to affix his sibling's soul to a suit of armor.

Edward gets fitted with mechanical limbs or automail. A state alchemist named Roy Mustang drops by because of their letters about their long missing father. He plants a seed in their minds when he suggests they apply to become state alchemists. Edward decides to do so but disuades Alphonse so that only he would have to serve as a dog of the military. They learn about the Philosopher's Stone which they believe can restore Edward's limbs and Alphonse's body. Their search for the red stone would test the brothers and pit them against foes both tragic and comic.

I have never read the manga of FMA and have only seen the 51-episode anime and the movie, "Conqueror of Shambala" which is a sequel of sorts to the series. Despite its ending, I consider "Full Metal Alchemist" one of the best series ever created. It makes you think, the characters are complex people and the storyline is amazing. I loved many of the characters and was shocked that one of my favorites was killed. (I won't say who so as not to spoil the story for y'all.)

Throughout the series, you don't doubt that the brothers love each other. Sure they have a childhood gal pal, their old teacher and meet new friends. But when the foundation of their world crumbles, all they have is each other. And the Elrics know that. I highly recommend this series.

I wish I could say the same for the movie which I loathed. The movie tied up several loose ends from the TV show but I don't think it does the series any justice. I didn't like how some of the main players in the anime were given short shrift here, I thought the villain was one-dimensional and I couldn't care less about the new characters.

Anyway, skip the movie and just watch the series. You won't regret it.