Product Description

As the Elric brothers are leaving Yock Island a strange boy emerges from the foliage with no memory of how he arrived. Inexplicably he can perform alchemy without a transmutation circle. Even stranger he can transmute his own body merging with his surroundings! Meanwhile the search for Scar gets a forward leap as a former military officer spots him in the southern slums.Elsewhere the amoral Lt. Colonel Archer makes his move for the mysterious wild boy who he believes is a homunculus conspirator. Infuriated by the arrest Izumi leaps into action single-handedly attacking the military with her staggering alchemic power.Episodes Included:29. The Untainted Child30. Assault On South Headquarters31. Sin32. Dante Of The Deep ForestSystem Requirements:Running Time: 105 minutes Genre: ANIMATION/ADULT SWIM Artist: FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST UPC: 704400081484

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15653 in DVD
• Brand: FUNIMATION PRODUCTIONS, LTD
• Released on: 2006-03-07
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .38 pounds
• Running time: 105 minutes

Amazon.com
The eighth volume of Fullmetal Alchemist contains some of the most powerful and emotionally wrenching material in the series. The filmmakers reveal more of what happened when Edward and Alphonse Elric attempted to bring their mother back from the dead--and disturbed the order of the universe more deeply than they could imagine. Ed remembers losing his leg and sacrificing his right arm to save his brother's soul, and confronting a mysterious gate that seemed to guard the way to all knowledge. The artists based their designs on Rodin's Gates of Hell, and its swirling human forms lend an appropriate power and dread to the sequence. While Ed wrestles with his guilt and grief, other parts of the story continue to unfold. Col. Roy Mustang pursues Scar and the Ishbalan refugees, while a new officer, Lt. Col. Frank Archer, spies on the Elric brothers. The Elrics' sensei (teacher) Izumi reveals the terrible secret of the origins of the Homunculi, who continue their own evil plots. Anyone who wonders why Fullmetal Alchemist enjoys such a devoted following can find out by watching The Altar of Stone. (Rated TV PG: violence, grotesque imagery, tobacco and alcohol use, nudity) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

A Darker Side to Alchemy
Fullmetal Alchemist has achieved so much in such a short time. Many anime critics consider this the best anime of the last few years, and some even go as far as to say the best anime ever. Even more people are finding their way into anime because of the TV airing of this show. And me, well I began buying this series only a month ago (as of the time of this writing), and now I'm broke at eight volumes in. And never have I regretted spending so much cash on something so trivial.

This volume ups the anti on the series itself, as it finally shows everything that Ed had to go through in the moments after he and his brother Alphonse attempted to resurrect their mother. This volume also shows a darker side to alchemy, a kind of other dimension that Ed and someone else (I say "someone else" so as not to spoil) had to experience when the laws of alchemy were broken. While all of this is happening, a new enemy is slowly coming forth, yet another Humonculi that has powers that the other Humonculi want.

This volume has a lot to offer, and if you've been collecting FMA, then I wouldn't stop at volume seven. Volume eight is loaded with plenty of revelations, great action sequences, and a lot of drama (not melodrama).

FEEL MY WRATH
As Ed and Al are preparing to leave Yock Island, they can't get over the feeling that someone was watching them during their stay there. They were right, as a young child comes walking out of the forest and his alchemical power might just be the most powerful that the brothers have ever seen. The boy is able to take on the attributes of any matter he touches without a transmutation circle. Naturally enough, the brothers are suspicious of him because the encounter seems a tad too convenient. But their master Izumi takes him in and treats him as a normal child. When the military finds out about his existence, they'd like to get their hands on the strange boy as well. Meanwhile Mustang and his fellow officers continue their search for Scar and track him down to a remote outlying slum, only to find themselves in danger of starting another civil war, with the help of the Homunculi. Humans are so easy to manipulate.

This eighth volume of Fullmetal Alchemist brings the show back to its original theme, that is, of trying to bring loved ones back from the dead, and the evil it brings into existence. Or really not evil, but amorality. The humans in the show bend alchemy and Nature to do their bidding but they don't even know what they're manipulating! Izumi's backstory as presented in this volume is really involved and I almost wish there was another title devoted just to her character. Hopefully, she will be fleshed out even more in future volumes. A small problem that I had with this installment is that the creators are beginning to juggle too many storylines. Yes, all of these characters seem to be connected somehow, but it feels as though the plot is becoming diluted. Whereas before Ed and Al were the main focus, now you have all these Homunculi running around, Mustang and Scar in a prelude to rebellion, Winry, and now this kid, and then Izumi. You can't focus on anyone now. The plot is beginning to control the characters rather than vice versa. Don't get me wrong, it's still an excellent show, but it's starting to become cluttered.

Turning Point
This part of the series marks a turning point in the show. The show from here is packed with intense storyline! We find out who the stange kid on Yock Island really is, and more about Izumi's past. These episodes are a must have!