fma fandom question

[meganbmoore]

Ok, seriously, what's with all this overwhelming love for Mei-chan?  I mean, I don't dislike her(even though she usually annoys the heck out of me) and at least she's useful, but I just don't get why I seem to be tripping over fandom love for the character every time I look at FMA stuff.

Also, what's with all the Al/Mei shippers?  I mean, yeah, she's said she's small for her age and it makes her look younger, but as she looks about six, that probably makes her...what? Eight or nine?  Maybe ten?  Granted, Al is only fourteen or fifteen himself(I forget which) but still...

(I do, though, like her scenes with Scar, especially when she had him out helping her look for her pet...because, seriously?  Scar helping a little girl look for her pet? Awesome.)

Comments

[jennawaterford.livejournal.com]

From story context and the sophistication of her knowledge, behavior, etc., when she isn't being all fangirly over her dream-Ed, Mei seems to be about Al's age--she's just very chibi (much like her panda). Also, there are broad indications that Al/Mei is [going to be] canon if you're reading the scanlations.

And then there's the fact that Mei RULEZ ;)

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

i dunno...i've been playing closer attention to mei ever since i realized people shipped al/mei, but i can't make myself see her as more than, at best, a very smart 10 yr old or so. (and yeah, been following scanslations for about a year)

I definately get the indications of canon down the line, but can't see shipping them as they are now at all.

Mei kicks butt and is a good infodump source, but mostly she annoys me and i view her as a necessary evil that goes with virtually every other female character in the series rocking.

[bzoppa.livejournal.com]

I'm almost glad I don't read them. I was so in love with Mustang in the 51 ep series, I think if I were to read something that had even more of him (this comment prompted by your icon) my heart would break into little pieces.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

But the manga is infinitely superior to the anime...as is manga Mustang...

Plus, the manga doesn't have that stupid rose/ed/winry triangle they shoehorned in at the end of the anime(I hated that)

*not to say, of course, that I don't still love the anime*

[bzoppa.livejournal.com]

as is manga Mustang...

I usually don't like military characters, but if I've ever been in love with an anime figure, it was Mustang. I don't know why.

*love* for the scene in the ep "Flame vs. Metal" when he fought Ed and starts off with "Too slow!" and zaps him.

*love* for when Hawkeye knocked down Mustang as he tried to fight Scar in the rain.

*die* for the end when he finally caught up with Ed and Al and screamed at them, "Why didn't you come to me for help?!?"

Argh. I don't think I could handle anymore awesome. I'd want to stalk a character and that cannot be.

There's a reason I still have a Mustang icon.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

*love* for the scene in the ep "Flame vs. Metal" when he fought Ed and starts off with "Too slow!" and zaps him.

*love* for when Hawkeye knocked down Mustang as he tried to fight Scar in the rain.

Even. Better. In. Manga.

Final scene is not from manga, but sentiment matches.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I have to say that I found the anime better than the manga. I just thought the humor worked a bit better, and I loved with they did with the humonculuses and especially Lust.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I don't know, but is it wrong that I've read some Scar/Mei that I really enjoyed? (she was older for the bits with actual sex.)

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Actually, as long as she's older(like, 10 years older) I can probably actually see that easier than Al/Mei. Al/Mei is just based way too much on fangirly delusions.

I shall never recover from you saying you prefer the anime to the manga.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I'm actually rather behind on the FMA manga, but yeah, I think there's a little more basis for that pairing.

I'm sorry to scar you. However, please consider: that was the gateway anime that taught me anime doesn't have to suck, I love some of the plot that they do in the anime, (Lust, Scar, Winry's parent's death, that scene with Haylate licking Riza's toes....).

Plus, while I love the way the author writes women, I think she over uses 'cartoon humor' - e.g. there are places where I think it would play better if she just had a more realistic drawing instead of a chibi-cartoonish one.