FMA: Brotherood Ep 16

The footsteps of a War comrade.

If ever there was a more heart-wrenching anime episode, then I don’t wanna see it. Honestly, I didn’t feel as bad about Hughes’ death when he died, then when Winry, Ed and Al find out about it.

Not much to say for this episode really, one has to see the whole thing to appreciate how nicely BONES handled this delicate situation. Nothing melodramatic, no rivers being cried. It was interesting to see Roy Mustang amused when Armstrong said he couldn’t tell the boys about Hughes’ death back in Dublith, and then later on Mustang couldn’t bring himself to tell the boys either.

Understandably, Ed blames himself for Hughes’ death, and rightly so, because Hughes did find out something sinister regarding the whole Philosopher’s Stone affair. However, as Gracia says, Hughes did this out of his own will, helping out his friends, and the Elric brothers should stay on the path they set out on, for Hughes’ death would’ve been in vain otherwise. No hard feelings then, only regret for the loss of a loved one. Such is life, we accept and move on.

The other major development was towards the end of the episode, where Envy finds out that Mustang is snooping too much into Hughes’ death, following up on leads. So they decide to feed him false information, namely making Leiutenant Ross the chief suspect witness in Hughes’ murder case!

Dood what?!!

That, and Lust is dating Leiutenant Havoc.

And on that bombshell…

PS: The first line got me thinking and I distinctly remember choking at the end of Chrno Crusade and Wolf’s Rain.