Never sneak up on a sniper

[apintrix]

The Fullmetal Alchemist manga finished about a year ago now, and I'm sad to see no scans archived here (or maybe I just wasn't able to find them!) Thanks to the original anime, FMA is best known for being an angst-fest, but the manga's also got a lot more humor, classic shonen action, and a fantastic, tightly plotted battle of military conspiracies. Also, a plus for girl comic-geeks: the creator, Hiromu Arakawa, is a woman, and the series features a wide range of awesome female characters, who kick ass in so many different ways. Here is one amusing bit.

An infamous ghostly serial-killer bites off a bit more than he can chew when he chooses the wrong victim: army sniper Lt. Riza Hawkeye.

This is manga, so read right-to-left. 5 pages and a bit below the cut.

Tease:

Barry the Chopper is smitten. Riza calls her superior, Colonel Roy Mustang, for advisement on what to do with her new "pet"...

(I noticed while making this post: any other FMA fans, check out the "missing" poster cameo in the first scan!)



(Source: Fullmetal Alchemist (Hagane no Renkinjutsushi) chapter 30)

Comments

[starwolf_oakley]

I like FMA a lot, both the manga, the original anime series and the new anime series that's closer to the original manga.

[apintrix]

Oh, me too! I was a huge fan of the angsterrific original series, and then got converted to the manga/Brotherhood... but I still love both. (Just not CoS. That movie should never have happened.)

[q99]

FMA is one of the few examples where I'm really pleased with all versions. I think we're richer for having both the first anime and brotherhood/manga stories, they go in different directions but both directions are good.

[salinea]

Hawkeye ♥

nice icon!

[apintrix]

Best bit: she empties her handgun on him... it doesn't work... and without a pause, she pulls out her *second, more badass handgun*.

Re: nice icon!

[salinea]

I know rite. She was so deadpan badass all the time ♥

[nerium]

That icon is in poor taste and I love it.

[salinea]

Poor taste? Me? Nevah! :D (I love Hughes, I really do)

[crinos]

I read the manga for a while, one of my favorite parts was that when someone died in the volume, they'd show at the end a little stick figure of them in heaven (or in the case of Shou Tucker, him burning in hell while his daughter and her dog were in heaven.) And one of my favorite parts was after Maes died, the stick figure was of him and Ed and Al's mom showing each other their kids baby pictures.

[apintrix]

Yeah, those bits are great! And her 4-komas at the back are really funny, too. I love the ongoing jokes about Al hiding stray cats in his armor. ...or Pinako doing her hair with natto!

<3 Arakawa and her sense of humor.

[jelly_ace]

And one of my favorite parts was after Maes died, the stick figure was of him and Ed and Al's mom showing each other their kids baby pictures.

That's so Awwwwww and *Sob* at the same time! Any link?

[crinos]

Sadly no, not since the Manga creators began to crack down on scanlation sites.

But it might be something someone could post here.

[dorksidefiker]

Ah, Riza. Never stop being badass. *joins Barry in the loving*

[arilou_skiff]

Oddly enough FMA (either the original anime or what I've seen of Brotherhood and the manga) never really grabbed me. It's one of those "I can see that this is good, but it's just not appealing" things.

Riza is and always will be awesome though.

[silverzeo]

Hawkeye: Bitch, please!

And since we're having some FMA fun, might was well share the new ABridged movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLgwRlyAXRs

[apintrix]

hehe... I don't usually like those "abridged series" things, but this one was pretty good! The world needs more Snarky Al.

[blackruzsa]

This was a favorite scene way back in my childhood :D I still have those mangas yellowing somewhere in my bookshelf. It was a legendary thing, FMA.

[salinea]

... stop making us feel old plz.

[apintrix]

they can't be *that* yellow, it only ended in 2010. ;-)

[blackruzsa]

Well, not all of them are yellow :P But most are. We got ours early.

[darrylayo]

>:(

"Childhood!" Pah! I'm only 29, you!

[blackruzsa]

Pfft. Well I can't broadcast my age at this point. XD

[strikeslip]

Oh man, the FMA manga is so gorgeous.

[big_daddy_d]

Fullmetal Alchemist. Perhaps the greatest manga and story ever told.

[drakyndra]

Ah, FMA. So very made of win. (Pity all my icons for it are on LJ)

[beoweasel]

My roommate and I have just started watching Brotherhood.

In comparison to the original series, I felt the first thirteen episodes of the new FMA felt rather weak. Mostly because the first series spent so much time developing what Brotherhood quickly skims over, such as the investigation of Leore, and Maes Hughes' character, not to mention the whole subplot involving Greed.

It amazes me how much the original series deviates from the manga, and I honestly have to admit, though I feel that a lot of the scenes in the first anime were more intense, Brotherhood's overall story is more enjoyable.

[apintrix]

I agree. The early eps are really disappointing! But I see why they did it, they didn't want to rehash material that had already been done... it does really diminish the power of [you-know-who]'s death, though, which in the original series was such a major, major stab in the gut.

It gets better, though! I tend to think the early series' direction was just better-- better command of dramatic and comedic timing (as does the manga), but the animation in the fight scenes in "Brotherhood" is spectacular and totally worth it. And of course the plot is much more coherent, less "crud let's make something up to explain this..."

I think it almost makes sense to read the 1st anime as a commentary on the manga-plot, one that brutally teases out the themes of sacrifice, loss, and genocide that are a bit more toned down in the more plot-centric original story of the manga.

[meicdon13]

"Let me dissect you, missy!"

Oh, Barry. How I miss you ♥

[apintrix]

Poor Barry is such a simple fellow. All he wants to do is cut you into little bits! Why won't you let him cut you into little bits?

(His glee over having the opportunity to chop up his own body... Creepy Perfection.)

[hamartian.livejournal.com]

I wish I wasn't stuck waiting for the last of the manga to come out in English. I really want to read it so I don't spoil the ending by watching Brotherhood. But I want to watch Brotherhood so bad...

[pseudo_tsuga]

I've never noticed that missing poster before! Arakawaaaaa.

I love how Riza carries two hidden handguns when going grocery shopping.

[jelly_ace]

Yay for more FMA love! I remember the agony of waiting for a month before getting to see what happens next.

And yeah, I love how Arakawa-sensei made strong female characters who were there not only to mold the main characters but are integral parts of the plot.

I remember there is a Roiai doujin that is premised on this scene. It was kinda naughty, I think...

[marsdejahthoris]

I love the fact that the strong female characters are a bunch of different TYPES. You've got Winry the Wrench Wench, Olivia Armstrong, the badass general, the quieter and more stable, but still Badass Riza Hawkeye, Mrs. Bradley, who's far more of the quiet, motherly type, but still has a spine of utter steel, perky Maria Ross, loyal bodyguard Ran Fan, that adorable little Mei... they're all real characters, and not just the "Spunky Girl" that a lot of action series throw in for the token female character.

[salinea]

And Izumi Curtis the simple housewife *nodsnods*

[apintrix]

don't forget Pinako Rockbell! She's secretly the heroine of Fullmetal Alchemist.

[luxshine]

Don't forget Mdme. Christmas! Whose last scene really, really made me go O.o when I read it.

(I really don't know who's my favorite of them all. It's a close call between Olivia, Riza and Izumi)

[liara_shadowsong]

I love Riza Hawkeye so damn much. This is awesome!

[pepperspray101]

LOL, I've never seen this. Barry gets a crush on her? LOL...so what happened to him after this? o.o