Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Episode 21) - Advance of the Fool

Mustang and Havoc continue to recover in the hospital, although Havoc is considering retiring considering he’s paralysed from the waist down. Meanwhile, Edward attempts to draw out Scar with the hope it will attract the homunculi.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Episode 21) – Advance of the Fool

What happened?

Jean Havoc is considering his future in the army. He was injured badly by Lust and most likely won’t walk ever again. It looks like it’s time to retire, although Mustang isn’t too keen on losing him. He’s prepared to try anything including searching for a missing doctor who is in possession of a philosopher’s stone. However, he’s already been taken care of.

Edward hopes to make the homunculi reveal themselves by putting himself in danger. If they really need him for a sacrifice, they’re not about to let him get killed. Luckily for Edward, Scar has returned to Central and is already increasing his body count. So, in an attempt to attract Scar’s attention, Edward takes to the streets fixing everything and helping everyone. He’s your friendly neighbourhood alchemist!

Mustang notices what Edward is doing and questions whether it’s safe or even the right thing to do. Alphonse tells him that they are done getting other people hurt so using themselves as the bait is the only answer. He then asks Mustang to help keep the military police from interfering.

Scar shows up and the fight between them breaks out. Within minutes the homunculi arrive in the forms of Gluttony and Wrath. Luckily for Edward and Alphonse, Ling Yao and Lan Fan are waiting for them and stop Gluttony for a moment. However, Wrath is less than impressed and rushes in for the kill!

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 21 Scar

What did you think?

This was another great episode and unlike the previous one, a lot happened. The initial scenes with Mustang and Havoc were interesting and showed us that this battle is not without casualties. Seeing Mustang doing everything he could until Havoc told him to stop messing around and focus on the mission, was a nice touch and showed he’s not completely focused on his goal.

I couldn’t help but laugh at Edward fixing everything as Alphonse jumped around celebrating. I’m not usually a fan of the more lighthearted animation in the middle of a serious show, but this worked as it was such a deviation from the norm for Edward. I think we’re in for an amazing next episode as two fights are about to go wild.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 21 Edward plans on drawing out Scar

What have you learnt?

It’s great to see Edward and Alphonse stepping up and actually coming together with a plan. A lot of their earlier fights have just been Edward rushing in and trying to win by brute force alone. This time, they’ve got a plan, they’ve got backup, and they know what they’re up against. Even during the fight, we’re seeing Edward making better decisions and attempting to predict his opponents moves rather than just reacting to them.

I love it when you can see the gradual progression of a character. It makes the outcome that much more believable and it also feels earnt. We’ve seen Edward fail over and over, needing to be saved. He has won from time to time, but more often than not it has not been his victory. Now, I believe he can win because we’ve seen him grow and mature. The same goes for Alphonse too. I feel like we’re about to see them really blossom.