They're translating them fast -- I think they're up to 21 or 22, something like that? And now that I've run out of library copies (though I ought to check and make sure that someone just didn't have the rest of the series checked out) I'm going to have to ration myself. *g* Oh well, it'll be good for me! Teach me willpower!
The only problem that I'm having right now with the official Viz translations is that they're going for a YA audience, which means that there are some occasions (especially in the fight scenes) when it's very obvious that they're being considerably more vulgar than what the translation is supplying, which is usually along the lines of "Hey, you!" XD
Sorry I can't help you out with fic or anything - I haven't really felt up to dealing with fandom yet, not with so much canon to digest. But if you find stuff, I'd love recs, I think.
*nods* It's really more canon that I want right now, anyway. *makes grabby hands* Come to think of it, I started writing a Riza & Roy genfic back when I was into the show before; perhaps I should find that and finish it. (It was her daily unofficial notes on the goings-on around the office, or something like that ...)
The characters are just so wonderful! This is one of these series where I feel like I should be into the angst of the main characters more than I am, but find myself gravitating towards the supporting ones instead. It's not that I don't love the Elrics; it's just that for some reason, Roy's bunch of ridiculously loyal military folks are the ones that really mash my buttons down. But I love everyone enough that I really don't feel like complaining when the scene changes to a different group. (Admittedly, the situation at the end of vol. 10, with Ed going off to Xing by himself, is making me go "... wait", because Ed and Al apart is just not right! *makes woeful sounds*)
Roy and Riza are just so awesome; I love the mutual respect, and how she protects him, and is able to yell at him when he's being an idiot. I adore how she's as badass as he is in her own way, despite not having alchemist abilities -- which I think is really part of the draw for me, because I adore characters who are relatively underpowered in a group of high-powered individuals ... the "normals" in the midst of the weirdness XD).
The two of them kinda get me the same way that Murphy and Harry do in the Dresden books.
One problem with loving the characters so much is that Arakawa does kill people (... oh, Hughes ;_; ...) and nobody, except probably Ed and Al, is really safe until the end. I enjoy the delicious edge-of-my-seat tension, but I'm almost afraid to cling to Riza too tightly, not knowing if she'll make it.
Oh, the fight with Lust is EPIC - Roy is as badass as badass can be, and especially following his moment freaking out about Havoc (ordering people not to die!!) and then Riza freaking out about him and. Awwwwwww~!
*nods vigorously* And ripping Lust's heart out to heal Havoc, OMFG ...! (Well, to try to heal him anyway. Way to fail, Roy! But you get A+ for effort ....)
And yes to what you said about the brutality of the fight scenes! The manga-ka doesn't ever really let you forget that Roy's way of killing people is really gruesome, and that he used it on humans during the war. It's heartbreaking but I like that it isn't backgrounded or glossed over, even when he's going after a being like Lust.
FMA really took the angst and ran with it (ran a whole marathon, dragging your heart over broken glass for half the way), but in the manga - sure, the angst is there, but there's a lot of other things, too.
Hee! Excellent point. :D And I loved the anime too, but I definitely see what you mean about the manga being less, well, soul-crushing. XD
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The only problem that I'm having right now with the official Viz translations is that they're going for a YA audience, which means that there are some occasions (especially in the fight scenes) when it's very obvious that they're being considerably more vulgar than what the translation is supplying, which is usually along the lines of "Hey, you!" XD
Sorry I can't help you out with fic or anything - I haven't really felt up to dealing with fandom yet, not with so much canon to digest. But if you find stuff, I'd love recs, I think.
*nods* It's really more canon that I want right now, anyway. *makes grabby hands* Come to think of it, I started writing a Riza & Roy genfic back when I was into the show before; perhaps I should find that and finish it. (It was her daily unofficial notes on the goings-on around the office, or something like that ...)
The characters are just so wonderful! This is one of these series where I feel like I should be into the angst of the main characters more than I am, but find myself gravitating towards the supporting ones instead. It's not that I don't love the Elrics; it's just that for some reason, Roy's bunch of ridiculously loyal military folks are the ones that really mash my buttons down. But I love everyone enough that I really don't feel like complaining when the scene changes to a different group. (Admittedly, the situation at the end of vol. 10, with Ed going off to Xing by himself, is making me go "... wait", because Ed and Al apart is just not right! *makes woeful sounds*)
Roy and Riza are just so awesome; I love the mutual respect, and how she protects him, and is able to yell at him when he's being an idiot. I adore how she's as badass as he is in her own way, despite not having alchemist abilities -- which I think is really part of the draw for me, because I adore characters who are relatively underpowered in a group of high-powered individuals ... the "normals" in the midst of the weirdness XD).
The two of them kinda get me the same way that Murphy and Harry do in the Dresden books.
One problem with loving the characters so much is that Arakawa does kill people (... oh, Hughes ;_; ...) and nobody, except probably Ed and Al, is really safe until the end. I enjoy the delicious edge-of-my-seat tension, but I'm almost afraid to cling to Riza too tightly, not knowing if she'll make it.
Oh, the fight with Lust is EPIC - Roy is as badass as badass can be, and especially following his moment freaking out about Havoc (ordering people not to die!!) and then Riza freaking out about him and. Awwwwwww~!
*nods vigorously* And ripping Lust's heart out to heal Havoc, OMFG ...! (Well, to try to heal him anyway. Way to fail, Roy! But you get A+ for effort ....)
And yes to what you said about the brutality of the fight scenes! The manga-ka doesn't ever really let you forget that Roy's way of killing people is really gruesome, and that he used it on humans during the war. It's heartbreaking but I like that it isn't backgrounded or glossed over, even when he's going after a being like Lust.
FMA really took the angst and ran with it (ran a whole marathon, dragging your heart over broken glass for half the way), but in the manga - sure, the angst is there, but there's a lot of other things, too.
Hee! Excellent point. :D And I loved the anime too, but I definitely see what you mean about the manga being less, well, soul-crushing. XD