Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Episode 53) – Flame of Vengeance

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Mustang got Envy to confess to murdering Maes Hughes, and that’s all the fuel he needs to burn Envy to a crisp. It’s finally time to avenge Maes’ death and Mustang isn’t holding back!

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (Episode 53) – Flame of Vengeance

What happened?

Roy Mustang made quick work of the mannequins, turning them into a pile of ashes in seconds. That gives them a chance to push on, and they’ll need to hurry. It won’t be long until the solar eclipse and then things will get really messy. Unfortunately, Envy and Mei Chang fall through the ceiling, changing everything.

Envy blocks the door and instantly begins to antagonise Mustang. He’s not impressed and has a question for Envy – who killed Maes Hughes. At first, Envy continues to lie, telling him it was Maria Ross, but Mustang tells him he knows she didn’t do it. He asks Envy again, who finally confesses, transforming into the form of Maes’ wife. Mustang tells the others to go on as Envy is his!

Meanwhile, the rest of Mustang’s team is holed up at the state radio station where Mrs Bradley is being interviewed on the air. She tells the interviewer how they were ordered to kill her and it was Roy Mustang and his team that saved her. The military tries to shut down the radio, but no one is prepared to pass up the story of their lifetime.

As the others continue towards Father, Edward is concerned that Mustang is going too far. Scar confirms his worries by telling him that he was once there. He knows how easy it’ll be to slip into darkness. Olivier and Alex are still in trouble as guards attempt to arrest them, even while mannequins attack and Sloth regenerates.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 53 Edward fighting mannequins

What did you think?

Obviously, this was yet another fantastic episode. I loved how they used the old OP during the fights. That always hits hard, especially as it usually happens when something big is happening. I do have one little grumble and that was how easy it was for Mustang to defeat the mannequins. They were developed to be the perfect immortal army. Something went wrong in the bonding process and they became mindless zombies, but they were still immortal. Having them being weak to fire seems like quite the oversight. As if they’re not going to encounter fire on a battlefield?

Of course, clearing them away quickly brought us closer to the main event of the episode and that was Envy versus Mustang. That fight is on fire! Mustang’s control of the flames is insane and he is brutal with his application. The fact that he can pinpoint Envy’s eyes or tongue makes him that much more dangerous, and as Scar said, I can see him treading a dark path. Will Edward be able to save him or is this the beginning of the end?

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 53 Mustang fueled by vengeance

What have you learnt?

The most notable thing from this episode was the potential that Roy Mustang could lose himself to his vengeance. That makes him an incredibly relatable character which is probably why it’s such a scary idea. I doubt there is anyone alive that has not experienced loss or anger. Obviously, it’s how you react to it that shows who you are. The temptation to seek retribution is a very common feeling, Mustang, however, has the power to act on that.

Someone once said “with great power comes great responsibility” and that is glaringly true in this instance. Mustang has that power and you could argue that bringing Envy to justice is absolutely warranted and not just because of the murder of Maes Hughes. It’s interesting when you compare Edward’s approach to Envy. He could have killed him but chose not to. Both seem to be able to gather followers, but we’ll see if this approach from Mustang ends up being too much.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 53 Envy confesses to killing Maes Hughes

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What did you think?