I was pretty annoyed a month ago when that alleged Bones document was leaked. I haven’t seen Darker than Black, but I definitely knew that I didn’t want a Fullmetal Alchemist sequel. The ever on-going status of the manga is irrelevant because the anime veered away from it a long time ago. FMA is done. It had a shitty-as-hell ending, but it was an ending, and I was done mourning the fact that such a wonderful series should have such a crappy conclusion (one that was further supplemented with crap via the movie). So I breathed a sigh of relief when Bones came in to trump the rampant rumors… only come back now and say, “lol, jk, it’s true after all!” Seriously, what the hell? Why would you do this to us? Why??
I have yet to see an originally unplanned sequel that is not complete trash. Storylines that are tacked on later just because the original was popular just don’t work. Look at Gundam SEED Destiny. Look at Dragonball GT. It has been four years since FMA finished airing, three years since Conquerer of Shambala. It can’t be more obvious they’re just milking this.
(The rest of this entry contains spoilers for the FMA anime.)
I haven’t read the manga, so I have no idea how different it actually is, but I really, really don’t see how they plan on continuing the anime, especially if they plan to pick up where the first series and movie left off. All the homunculus are dead. Or something. Lust, Greed, Sloth, and Pride are dead. Envy is a giant snake. Wrath and poor Gluttony are trapped in the Gate. The brothers are completely isolated in post-WWI Germany. They cannot perform alchemy. Al has already been restored to his body. At this point, I seriously doubt Ed gives a damn whether or not he needs to give with false limbs for the rest of his life, so what’s their goal anymore? To go back home? It might work, but I can’t shake the skepticism.
My main problem with a sequel to FMA is probably my abhorrence of FMA’s ending. The backdrop of 1923 Germany in a sequel, especially if significant time has passed, seems like it would be much more influential than I would like. That isn’t to say I don’t think alchemy and a historic setting can work; indeed, Baccano! is proof enough that it can, but FMA was never supposed to be a historic anime. I don’t want to watch the Elric brothers struggle in Germany while the Nazi Party is on the rise. I don’t want this series to turn into Fullmetal Alchemist: Number the Stars or Fullmetal Alchemist: The Diary of the Elric Brothers. Just think, 20-year old Edward and 19-year old Alphonse are helping to shuttle poor Jews out of the country while trying to unearth underground cults that have the power to send them home! …No.
Some people have been guessing that perhaps they’ll just get some new protagonists and a new story. Oh, hell, no. Then it’d be a spin-off, not a sequel. Besides, the characters made up half the milk cow, no way they’d get rid of the Elrics. I think, if anything, I want them to retcon the original ending and continue from before they decided that lol, the Gate is a dimensional portal to EARTH, what a twist! It’s doubtful that will happen though. When have they ever retconned anything in anime?
I guess I’m done venting. After all the facepalms and headdesks and screaming “why” towards the sky, there isn’t much else we can do but wait and see. Thus far, the sequel has only been said to be in production. We don’t have a premiere date. Maybe there’s still hoping that it’ll be canceled before ever seeing the light of day (fat chance).
I’m angry myself that there’ll be a Darker Than BLACK sequel. I haven’t finished FMA yet (and thus I haven’t read a portion of your post, unfortunately) since I’m still On-Hold with it at the fourth episode (not getting into it very well). Darker Than BLACK ended wonderfully, in such a way that it was both open and satisfyingly concluded at the same time. However, I suppose I could be happy if the sequel was done well enough to merit my viewing pleasure and for it to still bring about another great conclusion.
~Alexius
Was the Darker than BLACK sequel confirmed after all? If Bones is still denying the leaked document and hasn’t gone back on it and said specifically that there is indeed a DtB sequel, there still may be reason for you to be skeptical. Like I said, I haven’t seen the series, but if it was rather open-ended, it still has a chance, yeah? It’s a more recent series also, so that may help as well.
As for FMA, it takes a little easing into, I suppose, since it is a longer series, but yeah. I wanna say it starts picking up a little around episodes 7-8.
You should watch Darker Than BLACK. I think you’d like it. Top-notch animation, characters, and music. Another one of those animes that takes some getting used to, but once you’re into it, it’s hard to separate yourself from the characters.
And, that’s true, I suppose. We’ll see, I guess.