Full Metal Alchemist and its 2009 reboot Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood is often considered to be among the greatest anime ever. The Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood is sometimes considered to be the very best! While the question of what is the best anime is a debate for another time, what is beyond doubt is that Full Metal Alchemist gave us one of the most harrowing depictions of cruelty on screen ever.
While fans of the manga would have had a first taste of the tragedy of Nina, anime fans who went into this fresh were in for a shock. This is one of the most disturbing and tragic moments in any anime period. The transmuting of the young girl Nina and her pet dog Alexander was tragic. That moment, followed by the protagonist uncovering the horror and the realization of the fate of the girl and her loving pet dog, was too much for many first-time viewers. Here we will revisit this powerful but tragic story in Full Metal Alchemist. Spoiler alert!
The Nightmare of the Sewing-Life-Alchemist
The events surrounding this tragedy take place as our heroes, the Elric brothers, are preparing to take the state alchemy exam and end up lodging with a shady but outwardly friendly character named Shou Tucker. Something appears off about this guy, but his loving daughter and her cute and ever-playful dog, Alexander, help defuse much of the tension.
As the heroes work to pass the exam, strange things are afoot in the Tucker mansion. The idea of talking chimaeras is attributed to the works of the Sewing-Life Alchemist. An investigation by Ed reveals a shocking truth: the Sewing-Life-Alchemist has been merging the bodies (possibly the souls) of living humans with those beasts. The latest in his horrifying experiment was none other than his own four-year-old daughter Nina and their lovely pet dog, Alexander!
A Horror Story in a Shonen Anime
What makes the revelation truly shocking from the standpoint of the viewer is its unexpected nature. While there is no shortage of vile characters in Hiromu Arakawa’s works, the idea of a man subjecting his own daughter to such an ordeal is beyond comprehension. Speaking of yours truly, I remember actually feeling sick after watching this horror unfold as a grown adult!
There are many horrifying things in the world of manga and anime, but in terms of sheer shock, the tragedy of Nina and her loving dog being merged into one creature takes the top spot. For those who watched it for the first time, most likely as teenagers or young adults, it would have been terrifying.
The Original Version Hits Home Harder
For some context, there are two adaptations of the famous manga. The original 2003 version and the newer, more faithful manga adaptation of 2009’s Brotherhood. My introduction was the 2003 version, which I happened to watch through when I’d first encountered this story. Having revisited the newer anime, an argument can be made that the original’s adaptation of Nina’s story is more hard-hitting. For one thing, there is a longer buildup as the relationship between the Elric brothers and Nina’s family grows.
So when the revaluation finally comes, it is all the more tragic. I recall almost giving up on the show, given how disturbing this moment was. But there you go. The tragedy of Nina and Alexander is truly one of the most terrifying moments in anime and has scarred a generation.
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