Top 15 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Characters

Warning: Contains Spoilers!

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a fantastic anime that many consider to be one of the best.
Based off the manga by Hiromi Arakawa, the series is full of funny, likeable and often amazing characters who really stuck with me.
So now I’m going to count down my top 15 favourites.
A few honorable mentions go out to characters who just missed out like Maes Hughes, Father, Alex Louis Armstrong, Tim Marcoh and Mei Chang.
So now, let’ get into the countdown.

15. Winry Rockbell

Winry Rockbell is the childhood friend of Edward and Alphonse, and your go to girl on anything automail related.
She may not have that big of a role to the overall plot but she is still a key character in the Elric Brothers’ lives, especially Ed.
Her relationship with him is built up well and they have great chemistry, making their awkward interactions fun to watch.
She is also a very funny character when it comes to her obsession with automail, with her often going full on fan girl over it or attacking Ed whenever he damages his.
Winry’s best moments in the series, however, comes from her interactions with Scar and how she comes to terms with accepting help from her parents’ murderer.
She does not forgive Scar but helps him because it was what her parents would have wanted, showing true strength.
Unfortunately, this plot line did not get resolved but it was still a standout moment for her.
Winry is a very likeable character with a lot of great moments, even if she does not have much relevance plot wise.

14. Solf J. Kimblee

I am going to be honest and say that for most of the series I did not like Solf J. Kimblee as a character.
He was a complete psychopath who relished in his violence but also had kind of an interesting moral code.
The problem for me is that, for whatever reason, I found him to be kind of shallow and did not see much of a reason for him to be there in the story, as his part could easily have been taking over by any of the homunculi.
However, this all changed in the 61st episode, one of the last episodes of the anime, “He Who Would Swallow God”, where Kimblee had a complete turn around moment for me character wise.
After being eaten by Pride in a previous episode, Kimblee’s soul returns to help Ed defeat him.
He did this not for vengeance or a change of heart but because he was genuinely disgusted by Pride’s lowering himself by attempting to possess Ed’s body, which made him unworthy of winning in Kimblee’s mind.
This final action by Kimblee made me see him in a brand new light and I certainly appreciated him a lot more.
It added new layers to him by showing his warped sense of honor as he stops Pride from possessing Ed and then departs with a wave of his hat.

13. Lan Fan

Bodyguard to Ling Yao, Lan Fan is a capable warrior intent on serving her prince to the bitter end.
Like Winry, Lan Fan was not a character who had that much importance to the overall story but she certainly made an impression on me through her determination and spirit.
When she and Ling face off against Wrath and Gluttony she begs Ling to leave her behind after she is injured.
When he refuses, she cuts off her own arm to use as a distraction for them to escape.
The inner strength she showed to make this sacrifice really stuck out to me and she continued to shine when she reappeared in the final stages of the anime to help battle the homunculi, this time with an automail arm.
Even after losing her grandfather Fu, Lan Fan continues to fight for her prince and what she believes is right.
All of this makes her stand out as a likeable and strong willed character, making her one of the best side characters the show has to offer.

12. Selim Bradley / Pride

This creepy kid probably stands as one of the most dangerous children in anime (that is if you can even consider him a child since he is a homunculus).
However, you would not know it from his first scene where Selim Bradley seems to be nothing but an ordinary boy.
The first time he appeared I actually felt sorry for him because I wondered what he would think when he learnt that his father, King Bradley, was a homunculus.
So, imagine my shock when, in the best twist of the series, Selim was revealed to be the homunculus Pride, the first one created by Father.
From here he goes from cute kid to creepy kid and one of the most dangerous of the homunculi.
What I like about Pride is how scary he can be and yet be so capable of pulling off the facade of an innocent child.
Better yet was his humane moments when it is revealed that despite his cruel nature he has come to love his fake family.
This all leads into a great ending for Selim when, after being defeated by Ed and Kimblee, he reverts to a fetus and is later seen being raised by his adopted mother, this time as the innocent boy he always pretended to be.
Pride was both the scariest homunculi and one of the best of them.

11. Olivier Mira Armstrong

Do not mess with Oliver Armstrong if have any intention of living a long life.
Introduced about half way through the anime, Olivier quickly became a standout character through her commanding personality.
Olivier is the leader of the men at Briggs and, after just a few episodes, it became very clear why they followed her.
She is not only commanding but also very smart through how she deals with her enemies.
Lieutenant General Raven can attest to that.
The more we saw of Olivier the more I found myself wanting to know more about her and how she became the leader of Briggs.
Unfortunately, we did not get much of a backstory on her but this does not change the fact that she is still a great character with a lot of likability.
Her relationship with her brother Alex, who just missed out on this list, also did a lot for her because she put their antagonism aside for the good of her country.
Olivier is right up there with great military leaders in anime like Commander Erwin from Attack on Titan.

10. Fuhrer King Bradley / Wrath

One of the main villains of the series and the youngest of the homunculi, despite his looks, Fuhrer King Bradley, or Wrath, is a force to be reckoned with.
Personally, I was not a fan of him when he first showed up because it was made incredibly obvious in the first episode that he would turn out to be a villain so there was no suspense to this reveal.
Also, who would have thought that someone called the Fuhrer would turn out to be a bad guy? (Note the sarcasm.)
However, Wrath quickly grew on me as a man to be feared with immense power and a compelling story.
Wrath was raised to become the leader of his country to further Father’s plans and even though he is aware he is being used he does not care, with his sole purpose being to sate the immense anger he feels.
There is some humanity in him though because he takes pride in the fact that, even with every single aspect of his life has been planned, he was allowed to choose his wife.
Wrath is also probably one of the most powerful characters of the series, with him being able to take down a tank single-handed.
He also had, in my opinion, the best death of the series.
Throughout Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Wrath constantly states his disdain for the idea of a god but, in the end, he is miraculously beaten by Scar in what could be considered an act of god.
It was an ironic death that suited him perfectly, especially with his final moments.
Wrath is one of the most threatening characters of the series

9. Alphonse Elric

The secondary protagonist of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Alphonse Elric is the good natured younger brother of Ed, who lost his entire body when he and Ed attempted to bring their mother back using the forbidden act of human transmutation.
From this, Al and Ed attempt to find a way to get their original bodies back, which is the driving force of the series.
Al is generally more level headed than his older brother, presenting a calm spirit inside the suit of armor his soul has been placed in.
He is also a confident fighter, being stronger than Ed sometimes.
However, Al is not without his personal weaknesses, most notably his fear that he is just a copy of the real Al his brother created.
This creates some great character development moments for him that make him all the more likeable.
He even has some funny moments as well, especially when he is paired with Ed.
But it is his constant drive to get his real body back and escape his armored shell of a body that produces the strongest feelings for him.
This is because of his constant feelings of isolation and impending doom with the body he is in.
Al’s struggle is one of the most touching of the series and makes him a great character.

8. Envy

I hate Envy.
they are a detestable excuse of a creature who I was constantly hoping would get what was coming to them.
The reason they are number eight on my favourite characters list though, is because they are supposed to be hated.
Envy is, without a doubt in my mind, the most evil of the homunculi.
Sure, Father wanted to kill millions of people but this was so he could achieve his goal.
Envy would do this for fun and enjoy every second of it.
This is the one who boasted about killing a man while they had shape-shifted into the form of his wife.
However, while being completely unlikable, Envy is still fun to watch through how their often child-like personality mixes with their sadistic one.
It makes them a very entertaining character.
Another thing I really like about Envy is their death, which reveals they hates humans so much because they are jealous of them.
This revelation results in Envy breaking down into tears, before removing their philosopher’s stone, killing themselves.
This was a very sad ending for Envy and resulted in much of the anime’s audience feeling sorry for them.
I personally could not after all they had done, but the fact that a lot the audience did feel sorry for such a detestable creature in their final moments show just how great of a character Envy is.

7. Ling Yao

Ling Yao is the twelfth prince of Xing, who seeks out the Elric brothers in a mission to gain immortality to become emperor of his country.
He does not want to do this for power though but for his people because Ling is a good man with the determination to do right by his people.
This does not stop him from getting involved in Amestris’ problems, however. because he and his bodyguards are drawn into the battle with the homunculi.
Ling’s confrontation with them is much more personal though because it leads to him being taken over by the homunculus Greed.
What follows is an unexpected yet powerful friendship between the two that made me care for both characters.
Ling seems like a mainly comedic character when we first meet him but when things get serious so does he, showing he will fight to protect those he cares for.
This makes him a very endearing character, capable of both comedic and epic moments.
The way his story concludes, with him finally becoming emperor is much deserving and I am sure Xing is all the better for it.

6. Riza Hawkeye

If you want anyone to have your back in a bad situation it would definitely be Riza Hawkeye.
Fiercely loyal to anyone who gains her gratitude, Riza is an experienced soldier and an expert sharp shooter (hence the irony in her last name).
She was one of the soldiers who took part in the Ishvalalan War of Extermination, which scarred her for life both figuratively and literally.
Her horror at the genocide committed there led to her asking Roy Mustang to burn the tattoos that teach flame alchemy from her back to prevent another atrocity from occurring.
All this leads to her being very protective of Roy as a close ally and friend, defending him even when he never asked for it.
This is most apparent in her best scene when she aims her gun at Roy to stop him from killing Envy.
Not because she wants Envy to live but because she is afraid of what Roy will become if he goes through with it.
Riza ends the series as she starts it, by Roy’s side, showing an admirable amount of fierce loyalty and respect that goes both ways.
As a result she is one of the most determined characters of the anime.

5. Edward Elric

The protagonist of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Edward Elric is a very enjoyable and likeable character with a great amount of strength, both action and character wise.
We see him grow from the beginning to the end of the anime through his determination to get him and his brother’s bodies back, showing him to be a very selfless character who is trying to make amends for his past mistakes.
Ed is also one of the most comedic characters of the show, constantly freaking out whenever someone calls him short.
This is a recurring gag throughout the series that shows he can be comedic as well as serious.
This seriousness is amplified through the relationships he has with his friends and family.
From his antagonistic relationship with his father, to him trying to deal with his feelings for Winry, to the guilt he feels over what happened to his brother.
All of these combine to create an emotional journey for Ed through these relationships, all of which (except for one) receive a fitting and satisfying end.
The moment when he sacrifices his alchemy to bring his brother back shows true dedication to protecting those he loves and his strength in vowing to never kill anyone, as can be seen with how he spared Pride, shows how well developed he is.
Ed is a great main character of for this anime and one I can see a lot of people getting along with if he were real (just do not make the mistake of calling him short).

4. Scar

Scar has one of the best arcs of the series, going from a villain to a redeemed hero over the course of the anime.
His backstory is a tragic one, with him going on a killing spree, murdering various State Alchemists after he witnesses his entire family’s murder by Kimblee.
However, it is not long before he is confronted with his crimes through Winry, whose parents he murdered, and slowly begins to transition into a redeemed hero.
It was a joy to see him transition to this point and how his arc ended, with him facing off against Wrath, the man responsible for the genocide of his people.
This resulted in the culmination of his arc when he used alchemy, the very thing he despised at the beginning of the story, to defeat Wrath, therefore embracing a part of himself that he hated.
It was also nice to see Scar go from a loner to having trusted friends such as Mei because we can see that he genuinely came to care for her during their time together.
At the end of the anime, we see Scar working with Miles to restore his people, making amends for his past wrongs.
The only thing that was missing was a scene between him and Winry to wrap up their conflict but, other than that, it was perfect.
Scar started off as a tragic character who became a heroic one in a story of redemption.

3. Roy Mustang

Roy Mustang is easily one of the most powerful characters in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, with him being ultimately responsible for defeating two of the homunculi, Lust and Envy.
However, Roy is not just a great character because of his power but also because of his likability.
He is a character with dreams, hoping to correct the mistakes of the past by becoming the next Fuhrer and making amends for the atrocities he helped commit in the Ishvalan War.
He is also prone to a few comedic moments here and there as well, specifically when he is pared with Ed and Al.
Like Ed, the relationships he has with other characters throughout the series only added to his likability, with his close connection with Riza and old friend Maes Hughes helping in this regard, especially with Hughes.
Watching Roy’s mission to avenge the death of his friend was great to see and it lead to a very powerful moment with him facing down Envy.
The look on his face at this moment is one that would scare anyone and it made perfect sense why Riza had to make sure he did not go through with killing Envy so he would not become what he hated.
Roy was a great character with a gripping revenge arc and plenty of amazing moments that defined him as one of the best characters of the anime.

2. Van Hohenheim

When Van Hohenheim first appeared, I thought he was just an everyday, stereotypically neglectful anime dad but, as the series progressed, it became clear he was anything but.
This was a brilliant case of subversion on Hiromi Arakawa’s part.
By making Hohenheim seems like a bad father at first it only made him all the more compelling when it was revealed how kindhearted he actually was.
Hohenheim is easily the most tragic character of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, as detailed by the fantastic episode 40, “The Dwarf in the Flask.”
However, he does not let this tragedy define him and goes on to avenge not only what happened to him but to everyone in his country who were murdered for him and Father’s immortality.
Hohenheim is such a great character that he even makes the clip show episode of the series good because it is one of the first episodes that hints at his past and shows his connection with his wife Trisha.
He also easily has one of the most emotional journeys of the entire anime, topped only by the character who took the number one spot.
The way he died at the end, with him visiting Trisha’ grave and reflecting on his life, had me tearing up.
I only wish he had got a goodbye scene between him and his sons, Ed and Al, because that would have made his character arc perfect.
As it stands though, Hohenheim is a fantastic character who is a lot more than he seems when he first appears.

1. Greed

I was incredibly surprised when watching the anime and I realised that Greed had become my favourite character.
Just like when Hohenheim first appeared, I originally found Greed to be very one note.
He just seemed to be an embodiment of his name without any nuance and lasted only a couple of episodes before appearing to die.
I honestly did not care for him at that point.
But then he was brought back to life, being placed in control of Ling’s body and everything changed.
From this point onwards Greed goes through some absolutely fantastic character development, becoming not only my favourite homunculi but my favourite character as well.
It is through his antagonism and then growing friendship with Ling that both we, as the audience, and Greed himself learn how much he actually cares for people.
The scene where Greed murders his friend and then Ling forces him to remember who he was, telling him he does not deserve to be called Greed, which leads to Greed screaming over his friend’s dead body in agony and grief is one of the most powerful moments of the anime.
He continues to grow more, going from an antagonist, to anti-hero, to full on hero, with him contributing greatly to the defeat of, not just Bradley, but Father as well.
This led to Greed sacrificing himself to save Ling and help defeat Father.
Watching him slowly fade from existence while he thanks Ling and Ed for teaching him that he wanted friends all along brought me to tears when I first saw it.
He even had a great impact on the other characters, with Ling most likely choosing to help Mei’s family because of Greed’s influence.
Greed’s growth from his first appearance to the end of the anime was absolutely amazing and because of this he is my favourite character of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Did Rick and Maggie get an Appropriate Send off in the Walking Dead?

The fifth episode of the ninth season of The Walking Dead, “What Comes After”, recently aired, being the final episode for Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes and Lauren Cohan’s Maggie Rhee, at least for a little while.
When I first head these two were leaving I honestly thought the show was doomed with two of its central characters (Rick being the main character) departing.
However, after viewing all five episodes of this season so far and seeing the direction it is heading, I actually think with Angela Kang as the showrunner The Walking Dead may continue to deliver a compelling narrative.
But even so, this does leave the question of whether the departures of such major characters as Rick and Maggie were done right?
Since Rick is the main character, I will start with him.
Coming into this episode I was very concerned with how he would leave the show because I thought we were going to get another Carl situation with a bad death for such an important character.
This concern was generated by the ending of the previous episode, where Rick accidentally impaled himself on some rods.
I came in feeling like I knew what was going to happen, with Rick hallucinating all of his dead friends before dying of blood loss.
However, while that first part was right, the second, thankfully, was not.
Rick does experience numerous hallucinations and all but one of them are handled expertly.
Seeing Rick interact with Shane and Hershel again was a joy to see, especially Shane because their scene together spoke a lot about how far Rick had come.
The one hallucination I did not like, however, was when Rick talked with Sasha.
This was Rick’s final hallucination and of all the characters for him to talk to during it, Sasha would have been at the bottom of my list.
She and Rick barely interacted and I do not think they were even that close so seeing Rick hallucinate her giving him this emotional pep talk made absolutely no sense.
It should have been Glenn, Lori or Carl Rick talked to, not Sasha.
Other than this though, the hallucinations were all handled well and added to the tension.
Then came Rick’s “death scene” where he blew up the bridge while he and the herd of Walkers were still on it to save his friends.
This was very emotional and if Rick had died here I would actually have been OK with it because it left a big emotional impact and served a logical purpose, unlike Carl’s death.
However, this was not the end for Rick because Jadis saved him by taking him on the helicopter with her.
And so Rick departed the show on this helicopter, with the ending song from the very first episode “Space Junk” by Wang Chung playing in a fitting end his story on the show.
This did leave me wondering what would happen to him in the future but this question was answered when I learned Andrew Lincoln would be starring in the recently announced The Walking Dead spin off movies.
When I first learned this, I laughed but, after thinking about it, I realised this could be interesting.
I will just have to wait and see the movies to know if it was a good idea to keep Rick alive for this.
Overall, Rick’s sendoff this episode was both touching and fitting, and I think they did a great job with it.
Not so much for Maggie I am afraid.
I would go as far to say that Maggie’s sendoff this episode was handled incredibly badly.
I will say I did like what happened to her in this episode, with her finally confronting Negan over Glenn’s death in a scene that, while not as good as the comics, was still very impactful.
However, there was literally nothing in the episode that would suggest this was Maggie’s last episode.
No emotional sendoff, no death, nothing.
It was like they completely forgot this was supposed to be her final episode until they had actually completed it.
Hopefully they can at least give a logical reason for her departure in the next episode.
Speaking of which, even though these two incredibly important characters have departed the show, I am still looking forward to what is to come this season.
We will be getting the full introduction of Magna and her group next episode, The Whisperers will be introduced soon, and it looks like Judith will now be taking center stage in a surprising yet welcome turn of events.
All in all, the future for The Walking Dead looks bright, even with these departures.

Attack on Titan Volume 20 Review: The Best Chapters of the Entire Arc so Far.

Chapter 79: Perfect Game.

Setting up the amazing battle between the Scouts and the Colossal and Beast Titan in later chapters, Chapter 79 “Perfect Game” is another great addition to the Shiganshina arc.
Picking up with a fantastic panel of the Colossal Titan’s face as he destroys Shiganshina, the chapter immediately sets up the threat he poses, with even Armin having no idea how to beat him.
This causes him to hand over leadership to Jean and, in a last ditch effort, Eren tries to tackle Bertholdt at the end of the chapter… only to be kicked to the top of the wall.
On the other side of the wall the Beast Titan finally takes part in the action by throwing numerous rocks at the Scouts, killing many of them, all the while referencing Baseball.
While, this was darkly comedic, it is also interesting because it shows that wherever Zeke, the Beast Titan, is from they have baseball.
I wonder if we will get a twist like from The Village where it is modern day outside the walls but I think that would be jumping the shark.
Zeke referencing Baseball was not the only funny moment of the chapter though because Connie seems to become hysterical over how they cannot possibly beat Bertholdt, causing Sasha to slap him.
This is another thing I love about Attack on Titan because it manages to make you feel horrified one moment and laugh the next.
Overall, Chapter 79 was another good chapter that set up the epic next three chapters.

Chapter 80: The Nameless Soldier.

The first of the final epic three chapters of Volume 20, “The Nameless Soldier” was a fantastic chapter that really highlighted why I love Erwin so much as a character.
After watching the Clash of the Titans arc, I thought Erwin’s main goal was saving humanity no matter the cost but, with the Uprising Arc and this one, it has quickly become apparent that this is not the case.
Erwin actually does value his own life over others because he wants to see his father’s dream to the end, and all his talk about saving humanity has been him acting as “a conman” as he puts it.
This makes Erwin a much deeper character and when Levi decides to make the decision for Erwin, telling him to go and die for them while promising he will kill the Beast Titan, it was a powerful moment for both of them.
Unfortunately, this does not seemed to have ended well for Erwin because his suicide run ends with him getting hit in the stomach from the Beast Titan’s rocks.
Still, this development saw Erwin put aside his dreams for the good of humanity and was some excellent character development for him.
He also gave what I feel was the best speech of the series so far when he told the recruits it was up to them to give meaning to the deaths of the Scouts who had died before them and it would be up to whoever replaced them to giving meaning to their deaths.
It was also not just through Erwin that we saw the stakes of this fight because Mikasa got badly injured as well when she attempted to use the Thunder Spears on Bertholdt, only for his steam attack to launch them back at her and explode.
“The Nameless Soldier” was a great Attack on Titan chapter where Erwin truly shined with some fantastic development and where the stakes of this battle were truly shown.

Chapter 81: Promise

What an amazing chapter this was.
We got the potential death of Erwin, the surprisingly impactful death of Marlo, and the best fight of the entire series so far between Levi and Zeke.
To start off, it looks like Erwin is dead, having been hit through the gut by Zeke’s projectiles.
If he really did die then this was an epic way for him to go out but I do wish we had got some final moments with him.
The death of Marlo also really surprised me this chapter.
Not because he died but because of how impactful I found his death to be.
Marlo is a minor character so I never felt like I would feel emotional at his death, but seeing how he thought of Hitch and sleeping as he rode straight towards his death, only to get cut off as Zeke’s boulder blasted part of his head off was very impactful.
Then we have Zeke himself, who makes an interesting comment this chapter about his father.
I have been spoiled about who Zeke really is but it is interesting to see the groundwork being laid out and I wonder how the reveal will be handled?
After all of this, we not only get the best moment of the chapter but the best fight in the entire manga so far when Levi battles and absolutely destroys Zeke.
This was accompanied by some truly magnificent artwork from Hajime Isayama, who is really improving his style, as we see Levi hack Zeke’s Beast Titan apart in all its gory glory.
It gets even more disgusting when Zeke emerges from the Titan, only to get stabbed through the mouth by Levi.
This was so brutal and I hope it does not get censored in the anime, like some of the violence in the Uprising Arc was.
Unfortunately, before Levi could feed Zeke to someone by using the serum, the goofy Titan Shifter appeared and rescued him.
Then came the moment when Zeke yelled at all of his Titans to, “kill him!”
This sent shivers down my spine, even though I know Levi will probably be fine.
The chapter ends with Armin having regained his confidence as he and Eren prepare to face down Bertholdt’s Colossal Titan in what I knew was going to be an epic fight while Mikasa and the others went to fight Reiner.
Chapter 81, “Promise” was a brilliant chapter full of meaningful and impactful deaths, and had the best fight of the manga so far.
It is the perfect chapter.

Chapter 82: Hero

And I thought the last chapter was amazing.
Chapter 82 of Attack on Titan “Hero” is another brilliant chapter in the Shiganshina arc that really got the emotions flowing, featuring what may be another major character death.
The chapter starts off amazing, setting up the stakes by showing what Eren and Armin are fighting for as they are about to battle the Colossal Titan, with Historia, Hitch and Nile being seen elsewhere, showing all of their lives depend of this battle.
What follows are two amazing action sequences between Mikasa and the others scouts against Reiner, and also Eren and Armin against Bertholdt.
I really enjoyed the prelude to these battles as well, with Mikasa not giving in to her desire to help Eren and Armin so she can focus on her mission, showing character development.
Starting with the fight with Reiner, I will say this was a nail biting scene with a lot intensity because even Sasha got injured.
All looked hopeless until thankfully, Hange arrived to save the day, giving Mikasa the chance to finish off Reiner in a scene that felt very reminiscent of when she told Annie to fall.
I am so happy Hange is still alive but Moblit is nowhere in sight.
I hope he is not dead because he is a very likeable side character.
Then we get the fight between Eren, Armin and Bertholdt, which delivered on an emotional level as well as an intense one.
At first it looks like Eren falls of the wall by accident putting him out of commission.
This leads to Armin latching onto Bertholdt’s teeth with his ODM Gear and attempting to
withstand his steam attack, leaving him horrifically burned.
However, this is revealed to be all part of Armin’s brilliant plan because Eren uses this as a distraction to get behind Bertholdt and cut him out of the Colossal Titan, hacking off his limbs.
The chapter ends with him landing on a rooftop with Bertholdt, beside Armin’s burnt body and declaring Armin was always the bravest of them all.
This was an incredibly emotional scene that made me realise what the burned body was on the rooftop in that mid-credits scene of season three episode twelve.
Unfortunately, I have been spoiled about how this ends so I do not know if there will be all that much intensity since I already know what is going to happen, but I am still looking forward to seeing it.
“Hero” was a fantastic way to end Volume 20, delivering another five star chapter that makes me even more excited for what is to come.

A Star is Born: Great Music, Depressing Movie.

Musicals are not really my thing usually, but A Star is Born has been getting some great reviews with some calling it one of the best films of the year so I decided to go.
To my surprise I found the film to be more like a romantic drama that just happened to have music in it and, while that is not necessarily my thing either, I had a blast with it.
Directed by and starring Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born follows the relationship between his character, alcoholic country singer Jackson Maine, and Ally, played by Lady Gaga, a struggling singer and song-writer who rises to fame with Jackson’s help.
The film features the incredibly high ups and incredibly low downs of their relationship, with both Cooper and Gaga giving fantastic performances.
Lady Gaga especially surprised me, joining an increasingly long list of singers who can act as well.
I think both of them will be ones to watch out for at the Oscars.
Their music is also just as powerful, with the first song they sing together on stage leaving me grinning from ear to ear.

rev-1-asib-trl-9090r_high_res_jpeg-1- — The first time Gaga and Cooper sing together is the most inspirational moment of the film. Enjoy it while it lasts though because after this things quickly get super depressing.

However, it is not all smiles though because A Star is Born goes to some very dark places, especially near the end of the film.
This is once again driven home by the knock-out performances of not just Cooper and Gaga but others as well like Sam Elliot, who plays Bobby, the brother and manager of Jackson.
There is so much emotion in this film that it is difficult not to cry at and probably the only reason I successfully managed to avoid this happening to me was because I had been spoiled on what would happen.
So try to go into this film knowing nothing because it will really benefit the experience.
There were a few moments in the film, however, that came across like they were put in just for fan service, rather than trying to say something.
Other than this and a few other scenes though, A Star is Born was a fantastic remake.
I have not seen the film it is based on but I can tell just from watching the film that they knocked it out of the park.

Attack on Titan Live-Action Movie Gets Third Attempt.

It seems only yesterday it was announced that one of my favourite TV shows of all time, Avatar: The Last Airbender, was getting another shot at a live-action adaptation.
Now, my favourite anime, Attack on Titan, created by Hajime Isayama, is also getting the same treatment, with Andy Muschietti directing under Warner Bros.
This is the third time such an attempt will be made as there have already been two live-action adaptations before (three if you count the miniseries but I would rather forget that atrocity).
Both of these adaptations did a very poor job at adapting the anime with terrible acting, baffling story changes and often laughably atrocious special effects.
So, do I think the third time will be the charm and a successful Attack on Titan movie may actually get made?
Well, based on the track record of American live-action adaptations of other anime, you would think not.
Just looking at Dragonball: Evolution should be enough to show why a live-action anime movie should never be attempted.
However, just like with the Avatar: The Last Airbender Netflix adaptation, there are some things that give me hope for this movie.
The most obvious is the director, Andy Muschietti, who directed IT one of my favourite films of 2017.
There, Muschietti showed he was very capable of sticking to and adapting the original source material, while making some necessary changes.
This would point towards him being capable of adapting Attack on Titan, but it is too soon to say whether he will be able to actually do it.
There are also a few things standing in the films way.
First and foremost, the movie’s runtime will obviously constrain the story somewhat, making it only possible to do the Trost arc in the first film.
Then there is actually adapting it, which may prove problematic because of certain elements in the anime.
A prime example of this is the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear, which looked absolutely ridiculous in the Japanese films and, I feel, would be hard to take seriously in live-action, even with a bigger budget.
Speaking of a bigger budget though, this is another thing that may work in the film’s favor.
As I stated, the special effects of the Japanese live-action films were laughable atrocious but a studio like Warner Bros. should have the money to make the Titans look real enough.
Overall, there are both good and bad things to consider about this new Attack on Titan live-action film.
Do I think it will come close to the original anime series even if everything goes right?
No.
Am I excited for it regardless?
Yes.

Halloween Review: Delivers Both Scares and a Confusing Title.

Halloween is the reboot/sequel to Halloween… man that is confusing.
In all seriousness, this movie probably should have been called something different to avoid confusion with the original film and its remake because now there are three films with the Halloween title.
To avoid this confusion, I will be referring to this film as Halloween 2018 from now on.
Directed by David Gordon Green, Halloween 2018 picks up 40 years after the first one, completely retconning all of its sequels.
Laurie Strode, played once again by Jamie Lee Curtis, is now living in a constant state of paranoia because of the trauma she received at the hands of Michael Myers, which has almost destroyed her relationship with her family.
However, when Michael escapes while being transferred to a different mental hospital, Laurie and her family must band together to stop him.
I have only seen the first two Halloween movies but many of the other sequels do not have good reputations so, even with the positive response the film was getting from fans of the series, I came in with a level of apprehension.
After viewing it I have to say that although I did have some problems with it, Halloween 2018 still manages to be an enjoyable and frightening ride with one hell of a body count.
Seriously, this movie is especially gory, which makes the scenes with Michael as he prepares to kill someone even more chilling.

michael myers.jpg — Michael Myers is once again played by numerous actors, all of whom do a great job of bringing the Shape to life.

Michael is a force to be reckoned with in this movie, truly becoming the Shape and not just a random serial killer seen in other slasher films.
His presence is made even scarier through the film’s amazing soundtrack with both the old music from the original film and new ones sending shivers down your spine.
It also made it surprisingly sad to see some characters bite the dust because, even though most of them fit the typical tropes of the slasher genre. they still had enough nuance for me to care about them.
This was especially apparent with the Strode family, consisting of Laurie’s daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak).
All three gave fantastic performances and my favourite moment of the film had to come from Greer in a surprising moment that had me internally cheering.

laurie and karen — The Strode family is one of the highlights of the film, with all three actresses doing a great job.

I also loved the film’s main theme of trauma, with the final shot of Halloween 2018 being especially gripping.
However, there were certain things that held the movie back for me.
Halloween 2018 makes an unusual change in the series by incorporating comedy into some sections.
But, for me, this comedy never landed and always felt out of place.
Some of the characters did not work for me either.
First there was Karen’s husband and Allyson’s father Ray (Toby Huss) who has almost no point in the movie.
Then there was the plot point concerning Michael’s new doctor Ranbir Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), which I felt was unnecessary in the grand scheme of things and very off-putting.
These problems aside though, Halloween 2018 is still a good time if you are looking to get scared.
Some great character moments from the Strode family and Michael Myers himself are the main highlights.

Attack on Titan Volume 19 Review: Colossal Events Unfold.

Chapter 75: War on Two Fronts.

Serving as the chapter that builds up the second confrontation between Eren and Reiner, chapter 75 is another decent one from this arc.
It gives us various interesting concepts for the series as well, with a new Titan Shifter being introduced.
I will say though that this new Shifter does look goofy to me but I guess I will just have to see what it can really do before I form a proper opinion on it.
Along with this, it seems like all those Titans that transformed last chapter are actually just normal ones under the control of the Beast Titan.
This is both confusing and has interesting implications because it could mean multiple things.
I think what is happening here is there were multiple people who injected themselves with Titan Serum, dooming themselves to be mindless Titans forever, just to take part in the battle.
If I am right about this then I wonder what could motivate people to do this?
Other than the interesting questions the chapter presents, the rest of it is fairly standard with it being made clear that the warriors are trying to kill the horses to prevent the Scouts from escaping and Eren preparing to fight Reiner.
There were a few great panels here and there though, with one depicting the Beast Titan’s forces and the scouts on opposite sides of the battlefield and another showing that when Reiner transformed he still had Levi’s sword in his neck.
Overall though, “War on Two Fronts” was a standard Attack on Titan chapter that clearly builds towards future events and revelations.

Chapter 76: The Thunder Spears.

Coming into Chapter 76, “The Thunder Speaks”, I was concerned that the second battle between Eren and Reiner would just turn out to be a replica of the first.
However, while the battle between the two this chapter was not as good as that first one, it was still well crafted and unique enough to provide entertainment value.
Eren used his recently gained hardening ability to attack Reiner and Reiner, in turn, lifted him by the foot to slam him into the ground.
It is very entertaining to look at.
On top of this, we also got to see the Scouts going against Reiner, not just Eren, which was great.
Especially, with the new weapons that were presented, the thunder spears, which the chapter is named after.
Watching the scouts use these new weapons to defeat Reiner was very exciting, although it did lead to a moment from Reiner that made it difficult to care for him because of the hypocrisy he presented.
The best scene of the chapter came when Erwin reflected on all the soldiers who had died on his orders.
This leads to a brilliant moment where he imagines himself standing on a literal mountain of corpses where we see the bodies of dead Scouts like Miche, Gelgar and Nanaba.
There were plenty of other great moments seen throughout the chapter, a personal favourite of mine coming when Levi shouted at his troops, “I forbid you to die!”
Chapter 76 was an action packed chapter that presented some very good character growth.

Chapter 77: The World They Saw.

Wow, this was a fantastic chapter.
Chapter 77, “The World They Saw”, is the best of this volume and the best in the Shiganshina Arc so far.
It primarily features a flashback from Bertholdt that reveals plenty of things.
First there is the reveal of how Marco really died in Trost District, with him overhearing Reiner and Bertholdt talking, forcing the Warriors to steal his gear and leave him to die.
While I had already guessed that something along these lines had happened from what was shown in season two of the anime, the full reveal in this chapter was still engaging through how it happened.
It helped to humanize the warriors by showing they really did not want to hurt Marco, through how Reiner forced Annie to remove his gear so she could prove herself, and this being revealed to be what caused Reiner’s split personality.
Then there is the revelation Marco had before his death about how when Reiner said, “if we do it, we wait until they gather”, he was sneakily talking about destroying the walls.
This is what I love about Attack on Titan.
There are so many small moments that seem meaningless at first but, when you go back and read them again many chapters later, they take on a new meaning.
Along with this we also got a more recent scene between Reiner, Bertholdt and the Beast Titan who is revealed to be named Zeke.
I know who Zeke is thanks to a troll spoiling me but I am still very interested to see how this will be revealed.
Zeke himself looks to be a very interesting character, being both threatening, yet oddly human.
There is a great moment here when he drinks some tea only to flinch at how hot it is, showing that, despite being a huge threat, he is still a human being.
Finally, there is the conversation between Reiner and Bertholdt at Shiganshina during the flashback.
I liked the interaction between these two but there was one thing that worried me.
Reiner said that he made a promise to Ymir to protect Christa and it sounded like he was talking about her in the past tense.
I really hope Ymir is not dead because she is such a great character and really underused so far in the story.
From here the chapter went to the current timeline, during the battle for Shiganshina.
Reiner was revealed to have had his entire head blown off from the thunder spears but was somehow still alive.
I have no idea how this is even possible and it felt like an extreme case of plot armor.
I did, however, like the reaction from Jean, Connie and Sasha when they thought they had killed Reiner.
It showed that even, after all he has done, they still considered Reiner their friend.
Then there was the cliffhanger, which was absolutely brilliant.
Bertholdt was revealed to not be inside the wall but in a barrel on the back of the new Titan Shifter, which the Beast Titan then throws over the wall for Bertholdt to transform.
I was on the edge of my seat when I read this and just had to read the next chapter after I finished it.
“The World They Saw” was a fantastic chapter of Attack on Titan that produced many shocking and edge of your seat moments.

Chapter 78: Descent.

Bertholdt was again the star of this chapter where, after abandoning his transformation to save Reiner, he had a very revealing conversation with Armin.
I loved the interaction between these two as their dialogue was perfect and really reflected how great of a writer Hajime Isayama is.
This also led to a very interesting revelation from Armin as he seemed to have deduced that whoever is ordering the warriors around wants them dead because they are “descendants of devils”, whatever that means.
Bertholdt, however, said he does not believe this but stated they all have to die anyway.
While I did like the dialogue that came from this, I will say that I personally did not like how quick this character change felt for Bertholdt.
When we last saw him in the Clash of the Titans Arc, Bertholdt was very remorseful for what he had done but, in this chapter, he seemed to be lacking in any of that remorse.
Maybe it had to do with Armin threatening Annie but it still felt like a very abrupt change.
Another thing I did not like was the reveal of how Reiner survived, which felt very contrived.
The reason Reiner survived getting his head cut off was because he transferred his consciousness to other parts of his body and I do not know if this is even possible.
However, the chapter quickly gets better with its final moments when Bertholdt transforms, creating an explosion like a nuclear bomb that had to have killed at least half of the Survey Corps’ forces.
This may even include Hange and Moblit, but I doubt Isayama would kill Hange like this because it would be disappointing.
On a final note, I was very impressed with a few of the panels in this chapter.
The shot of Bertholdt shouting at Armin with his eyes obscured by shadow gave great insight into his character and inner thoughts.
This was another good chapter that set up what will probably be an epic fight with the Colossal Titan next chapter.

Attack on Titan Volume 18 Review: The Battle for Shiganshina Begins!

The first half of Attack on Titan season three ended last week and, unfortunately, we will not be getting the next arc for another six months.
Since I have a bad tendency to get spoiled when it comes to this anime and because I do not want to wait any longer to see what happens, I have decided to read the manga.
I just read Volume 18 so I will review the chapters of this volume from where season three left off.
This means I will not be reviewing chapters 71 and 72 because they have already been covered in the anime.
However, I will be reviewing the remaining chapters 73 and 74.
I will also be reviewing the volumes as I read along, before I get to the recent chapters, which I will review individually.
Until then, here’s my review of the final two chapters from Volume 18.

Chapter 73: The Town Where Everything Began.

This chapter kicks off with a great opening to the Shiganshina Arc, with narration over the images of the aftermath of Reiner and Bertholdt’s destruction of Wall Maria.
What I liked about this was it clearly established what was at stake.
Although I will admit, some of the artwork during this section, like when Eren was shown vowing to destroy the Titans again, was rather off-putting because there was an uncanny valley to it.
From here the chapter goes on to detail the Scouts arrival at Shiganshina and them starting to enact their plan of using Eren’s hardening ability to seal the wall.
There were some great character moments during the chapter, like Armin and Eren’s discussion at the beginning.
This conversation made Eren overcome his fear of failure because it reminded him of how Armin started his dream of going outside the walls.
It looks like Armin will get a lot of development in this arc based off the build up he has had in regards to starting Eren’s dream.
Overall, this was fairly standard stuff that is primarily setting up the real battle for Shiganshina, ending with a compelling cliffhanger that reveals Reiner and Bertholdt preparing to strike when Eren goes to seal the hole.

Chapter 74: Mission Objective.

The battle for Shiganshina kicked off in this chapter with intense scenes of action and suspense that prepares the reader for what is to come.
One thing that did surprise me about this chapter though, was how easily Eren sealed the wall without interference from Reiner and Bertholdt.
It felt like Eren going to seal the wall would have been the perfect time to strike but maybe they did not know which one he was due him wearing his hood.
Either way, Reiner and Bertholdt’s clever hiding was not enough to save them because Armin expertly deduced that they were hiding inside the walls.
I loved how Erwin put Armin in command of a squad in this chapter because it showed how good he could be in a position of power.
It was also very funny when Armin gave orders to the scouts under this command only to follow it up with a “please”.
Armin’s quick thinking led to Reiner being discovered, however, he was prepared and killed a soldier before anyone could blink.
Then, before Reiner could do anymore harm, he was brutally stabbed by Levi in an intense moment of action that had me on the edge of my seat.
Reiner managed to escape and transform, however, and it was after this that the scariest moment of the chapter happened.
As Erwin is handing out orders dozens of Titan’s shift into being on the horizon, including the Beast Titan.
This raises so many questions like if all the Titans with the Beast Titan are Shifters and, if so, why had they not attacked before now?
If they are Shifters then the Scouts are in for a whole world of hurt and bloodshed.
Speaking of which, I expect we will be seeing a round two between Eren and Reiner next chapter if the cover of Volume 19 is anything to go on.
Overall, this chapter was a great way to kick of the battle for Shiganshina and has me terrified and excited about what will happen next.

The Walking Dead, Season 9, Episode one, The Bridge Review: Another Solid Episode

Spoiler Free Review:

The Walking Dead season nine continues on track in its second episode, “The Bridge.”
Since seeing the season premiere over a week ago, I have been optimistic about the show’s future given that the new showrunner, Angela Kang, helped produce an episode that was better than almost every episode in the last two seasons.
“The Bridge” continues this, giving us an episode just as good as the last one, providing more great aspects of acting, character development and action.
This episode primarily follows Rick and the others’ attempts to build a bridge for the Sanctuary and the disastrous consequences that follow.
During this time we got an expansion on character’s relationships since the time skip that I enjoyed, for the most part.
There was one relationship reveal that I personally was not a fan of, which I will get into in the spoiler review section.
Aside from this though, I loved the character interactions both major and minor that presented once again top-notch performances from the cast, especially from Ross Marquand who was the standout.
The performances have got significantly better in these two episodes than prior seasons and I am looking forward to seeing what the cast can pull off in the future.
The episode also gives us a few cliffhangers, some I like and some I have mixed feeling about.
Overall though, “The Bridge” was another good episode of The Walking Dead, which can hopefully continue to the end of the season.

Spoiler Review:

“The Bridge” picked up at least a month after the cliffhanger of the previous episode where Maggie hanged Gregory and made her position on the Saviours abundantly clear.
Now Rick and the other communities were working together to build the bridge for the Sanctuary, leading to a horrific accident that caused Aaron to lose his hand after it was crushed under a log and had to be amputated.
Ross Marquand did absolutely incredible in this scene, giving not just the standout performance of the episode but the standout performance of his entire time on the show.
He pulled off the agony his character was in extremely well and it made me feel incredibly sorry for him.
On a lighter note though, many fans have pointed out that now with his beard and missing hand Aaron looks more like Rick in the comics than Andrew Lincoln himself, which is funny.
The cause of Aaron’s accident was an incompetent Saviour named Justin, played by Zack McGowan.
However, Justin was not long for this world because he is attacked at the end of the episode.
Justin clearly recognized whoever attacked him and this has sparked the theory that it was a Whisperer wearing his dead friend’s skin.
If this is the Whisperers I am eagerly anticipating their arrival as they are by far the most disturbing villains of the comics.
However, while I did like this moment near the end of the episode, there was one moment I was not so sure about it.
This is when Anne sees the helicopter from season eight again in the night sky.
I have a feeling that what this helicopter means will either be great or bad for the series so we will have to see if that plays out.
If it is the Commonwealth, however, I think they are introducing them far too early.
Speaking of Anne though, another thing I have mixed feelings on was the reveal of her relationship with Gabriel, which, in all honesty, felt pretty forced to me.
But it may improve in the future, who knows?
Even though I did not like the interactions between Anne and Gabriel very much there were plenty of other interactions I loved.
For example, there was the interaction between Carol and Ezekiel, where Carol agreed to wear his ring but refuse his speech, and the conversation between Earl and Maggie about Earl’s alcoholism.
Then there were the Rick and Negan moments, which were great as Jeffrey Dean Morgan is perfect as Negan.
However, I will admit, it is sad we will never get to see him interact with Carl in the New Beginning story arc because their odd friendship in the comics is very interesting.
Even so, I will still say that “The Bridge” is another great episode of The Walking Dead.
It is not without its flaws but it, and the previous episode, are still better than what came before.

Predictions:

Every time I see a new couple get together in season nine I always think one of them is going to be on the receiving end of a machete and have their stuck on a pike by the Whisperers. First I thought Ezekiel would die this way, now I have a feeling Anne may as well, after she finishes her helicopter storyline though.
Speaking of Anne, I wonder when she will reveal what she knows about the helicopter and why she did not tell everyone about it after she joined the group at the end of season eight? Hopefully this will be revealed soon.

Bad Times at the El Royale Review: A Priest, a Singer and a Cult Leader Walk into a Hotel.

Drew Goddard is a fantastic writer, having many film credits to his name but only one directorial credit, this being The Cabin in the Woods.
Well, now he has two to his name as his latest film Bad Times at the El Royale has been released.
Upon seeing the trailer for this film I was very intrigued by it, although I will admit it showed too much.
Even coming in knowing a few things that were going to happen, however, I still had a blast with this movie.
The basic plot is that a bunch of wacky characters consisting of a priest, a singer, a salesman, a hippie, a psychopathic girl, a guilt ridden hotel employee and a sadistic cult leader all stay for the night in the dying out El Royale Hotel.
Each of them have their own secrets, some not being who they claim they are.
What follows is a series of choices between California and Nevada, good and evil and red and black that results in numerous intense twists and turns.
The acting across the board for this film is stellar with many of the actors including Jeff Bridges, Lewis Pullman and Chris Hemsworth (for the brief time he is in the film) giving knockout performances.
The real standout of the film though is Cynthia Erivo in her film debut as Darlene Sweet, the singer who gets roped in on Bridges’ Father Flynn’s secret plans.
Ervio not only provides great acting but a great voice as well with her singing being of importance to the film, even going on to provide a very tense scene.

Cynthia Erivo does a fantastic job as Darlene Sweet, owning every scene she is in.

Along with the acting, the cinematography is amazing and created tension between characters and added new meaning to scenes.
About half-way through Bad Times at the El Royale I remembered the odd way the first shot of the film was composed and the meaning behind it, which was brilliant.
Seamus McGarvey did an amazing job with the film’s cinematography.
A lot of people are comparing this film to Quentin Tarantino’s work, which I can definitely see because this film reminded me a lot of The Hateful Eight.
However, even though it is reminiscent of Tarantino’s films, it is not dependent on them and stands alone as its own individual film.
The one issue I had was the flashbacks, which were sometimes very jarring.
This is especially apparent in the final act when one of these flashbacks interrupts an action sequence and it took a few minutes for me to adjust as things were explained.

Chris Hemsworth.jpg — The final act, initiated by the arrival of Chris Hemsworth’s charismatic cult leader Billy Lee, is interrupted by a flashback that briefly kills the momentum.

Still, this did not completely put me off as I was still enthralled with the arcs these flashbacks presented for the characters.
Overall, Bad Times at the El Royale was a fantastic film from Goddard that I had a ball with.
That being said the film will not be everyone’s taste with its slow pace, which I think it earns but others may not.
Either way, I still recommend you check it out to see if you like it or not.