"Fullmetal Alchemist: Yet Another Man's Battlefield."

(Originally posted 9-24-2010)

So along with the actual show of "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood", they have created these things called OVAs (Original Video Animations) which are essentially minisodes that tell short stories that usually fall into the timeline of the original story. They are based off specials from the manga.

The first one was called "The Blind Alchemist" and was about Ed and Al meeting an alchemist who was blind (shock) who had supposedly brought a girl back from the dead. Let's just say, he didn't.

The second, "Simple People," was just about how when Riza and Winry met it influenced Riza to grow out her hair and Winry to pierce her ears. It was cute.

The third was about Izumi's alchemist training of which the best part was her meeting Sig at the end in a melodramatic romance way.

So for a while I've been seeing these pictures of Roy in some white uniform that I know wasn't in "Brotherhood", the manga, or the first anime so I decided to hunt down where they were from. Answer?

"Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA 4: Yet Another Man's Battlefield."

I found a download of it and it was AWESOME.

Let's see:

Here we see Roy with rather short hair wearing what is clearly a military uniform but not like any one we've seen before.

Awww. That explains it. Military Academy!

In every boot-camp-ish type scene there is an obligatory boots shot. Seriously.

I know where this is going I'll bet . . .

Hello, Drill Sergeant Nasty! Wait, do they have those at military academies? I mean, I'm sure they have dick guys who are responsible for keeping them in line but would they be sergeants?

"Full Metal Alchemist" meets "Full Metal Jacket."

"Why did I abandon my alchemy studies and my teacher's hot daughter to come here?"

"Sweet, the guy next to me didn't button his uniform right! Maybe the sergeant won't notice the Stray Dog I hid under my pillow."

"Shit! There's a stain on my boots! I'm so fucked."

By the way, I love the military academy uniforms!
Also, why do some character have nigh-regulation hair but others blatantly don't? As officers, pretty much no one does in this show but what about at the academy? This is something that is never mentioned in the show. I always assumed Roy's hair was so short for a reason. Then again, in general on this show, short hair = younger.

So that's what the military academy looks like. I always kind of wondered. Although I think there are multiple academies. Riza at one point says her academy was located in the East so that implies that there are more than one.

So, Hiromu Arakawa didn't write this? Okay. But would she approve?

"So then I says to the chick, no I swear it's this big!"
Simulation of things you are actually likely to hear amongst military men.
(True Story: Adam said that if I ever came to visit him, he wouldn't allow me on the base because according to him he would be so embarrassed and disgusted by the things I would see that he would just be ashamed. I was kind of mad.)

This is a common shot in "FMA." Rebecca is introduced like this.
Also:

Here's a shot from the "Simple People" OVA as proof.

Noob. Jeez, Roy is a terrible shot. No wonder he needs Riza all the time.

*"Chariots of Fire" theme*

Military brat.

Fact: Roy spends the majority of his life between the ages of 18-30 saluting to douchebags. After that, douchebags pretty much have to salute to him.

But they didn't know until they saw his red eyes. God. I just have such a beef against the fact that somehow it always takes the eyes for people to figure it out.
Also, oh no. I feel racism coming on.

Yep. So either the racial stereotype is that Ishvalans smell or these guys have the bullying sophistication of 5 year olds.

Military brat is afraid of his red eyes. No, really. This guy should just leave now. He will not survive in the military.

"My do-the-right-thing senses are kicking in."

Oh, Roy. :-)

I heard military dining hall food is awful and that the people who work there are trolls but Amestris seems to pump a lot of money into their military so it could be good.

Oh snap! Who would shaft the great Roy Mustang out of his quiche?!

HUGHES! :-) Okay, nevermind.

WTF? Fucker stole my quiche.

Oh no. Hughes, you need better friends.

Roy is disgusted. "He stole my quiche and he hangs with douches. I will now hate him forever."

That guy over his shoulder looks like General Hakuro although it's not possible because Hakuro is at least 45 in the story. His younger cousin?

So Roy glares at Hughes constantly. During PT . . .

At the shooting range . . .

During class . . .

Is it just me or is this fetish fuel for Roy/Maes shippers who also have a thing for love/hate relationships?

Pwned.

Don't fuck with Roy Mustang.

"You stole my quiche! . . . I like that."

(Future) BFFs. <3

Anyone else smell foreshadowing?

I just thought this was funny.

Also, the teacher needs to work on his penmanship. I can only read some of the chalkboard.

Roy and Maes are nerds.

Their aims have only slightly improved since the beginning. Seriously, I mean, Roy doesn't really need to know too much about guns since he just uses alchemy but he should know how to freaking aim! Hughes, you're a foot soldier; you have no excuse.

"No. Why are you watching them so much anyway?"

Everyone gets a belly-down shooting shot.

I love nerd!Roy.

"Damn do-the-right-thing senses."

Seriously, why doesn't the government do anything to try to curb racism against Ishvalans? Also, why is there only racism against Ishvalans when there are plenty of black people and indeterminate brown people living in Amestris? Hell, I always assumed Roy was half-Xing (on his mom's side of course since he has a whitey name and his aunt is white) and no one ever says anything about it. It may have to do with the fact that he doesn't "dress funny." When Xing characters should up in Amestris everyone immediately knows they're foreigners because of their clothes (and accents).

Again, racism or 5-year-old bullying technique? It's hard to tell.

He's famous among the upper classmen. I thought these guys were supposed to be seniors(?)

Roy is a one-man equality campaign.
Sorry, Roy. I don't think they care.

Awwwwwwww!

Roy fist-fighting makes me so happy. When he did it in "Brotherhood" I was so excited that I watched it over and over. We don't get to see him fist-fight ever but he's got some skills.

Hughes: Brings a gun to a fist-fight. BAMF.

Honestly, I had the exact same thought. Did he drug the guy guarding the weapons cabinet or something?

Anime Rule #73: Shiny glasses = evil.

Looks of WTF faces in this shot. Why is helpess!Roy so cute?

Fuck, Hughes. I'm disappointed in you. Not mad. Just disappointed.

Fake out!

BFFs <3

Friends who kick douchebags' asses together, stay together.

Um, help?
"These Amestrians are crazy."

Damn, they went easy on them.

Digging holes as punishment? Could be way worse.

Engrish FAIL! Seriously. How did they manage to get Berthold right but not Heathcliff? It's the same "th" sound.
Also, what is an ethnically normal name of an Ishvalan? Heathcliff is pretty darn Amestrian to me.

An expected, noble goal.

Roy's reason?

Oh, naive, idealistic Roy. You are in for some really unfortunate stuff in your future.

Roy's hardcore. Just reminding you.

Hughes is more practical.

His reason for joining the military?

Awwwwwww, Hughes! Of course he would say that.

Roy's face here says, "I want one!"

So Hughes is idealistic too but in a really specific way.

Then they all burst into "A Girl Worth Fighting For" from "Mulan."

*does math to self* Oh, wait . . .

Oh shit.

This can't be good.

Is Hughes eating cat food?

Roy solves the shooting-at-us problem with some flame alchemy.

War Is Hell.

Oh no. No.

Roy! NOOOO!

Should I start crying now?

HEATHCLIFF! NOOOOOOOO!

Roy hides in his tent reflectively.

Because your country is run by an evil tyrant who is a puppet for an even greater evil.

Hughes tells him why technically and says something about purging.

Roy has a very delicate balance of Idealism and Bitter-Truths.

Hughes tries to diffuse the situation. I feel like Hughes should be more upset but I guess since he's more practical than Roy and has been fighting a lot longer, it makes sense that he has experience with suppressing feelings.

Also, Hughes should have taken Roy's advice from earlier about not carrying about a picture of his lover.

"Oh, um, sorry Roy. Maybe you should hook up with that cute, blonde sniper chick?"

Someone should make an OVA about that!

*sadness*

Symbolism both because it's Roy's alchemist watch and because it's destroying the flag.
Do alchemist have to pay for the watches themselves? Probably just replacements.

Hughes tells Roy that he has to go back to work and exterminate an entire district. Roy asks for 30 seconds. Hughes gives him 60.

Off again.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww, Maes/Gracia.
Also:
1.) WTF is Gracia wearing? It's awful. Riza should give her fashion tips.
2.) She had longer hair before she got mom-hair.
3.) There really is no kissing in "Fullmetal Alchemist." Ever. A hug means you're practically married (Now that I think about it, other than this there's a Ed/Winry hug/marriage proposal and that Roy/Riza hug after she almost died. *gasp* In "FMA" terms that must mean Roy and Riza are in love!)
4.) Hughes: "So . . . you didn't sleep with anyone else while I was at war, right?"

Roy returns home presumably to an empty apartment. *sad*
I'm guessing the rest of his night was lie around for hours in sad contemplation, masturbate, feel even worse, call the eastern Military Academy because he was wondering how Riza was doing, hang up feeling like an idiot, sad contemplation, try to eat something, sad contemplation, sleep.


So anyway, I loved this. After all the episodes of the first anime that I've been watching it's such a relief to watch something based in the actual story that has the darkness and awwww moments that the series is supposed to have.