{"id":998,"date":"2025-05-19T18:33:04","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T18:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rallesmovingcastle.com\/?p=998"},"modified":"2025-05-19T18:37:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T18:37:37","slug":"a-tale-of-two-scenes-fma-2003-vs-brotherhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rallesmovingcastle.com\/?p=998","title":{"rendered":"A Tale of Two Scenes: FMA 2003 vs Brotherhood"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Yes I know, I know! I have already made a comparison article comparing the original 2003 version with Brotherhood<\/span><\/a> highlighting some elements that I feel make the 2003 superior. Today I’m going to do a comparison with 1 scene from both versions. I do think this scene is a microcosm of what makes 2003 the superior version to Brotherhood.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

I am kinda counting on you to have already seen at least one version of FMA, if not here is a brief breakdown. Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye have just attended Maes Hughes’s funeral, it’s very emotional with everybody being all sad, the same goes for the audience by the way. Hughes was such a good character and losing him hurt us as much as the characters in the show. Also, Hughes was Roy’s best friend.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

After the funeral Roy and RIza are standing alone looking at his grave. It is early evening the sun going down and casting a golden ray, there are no clouds out, which is important.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Brotherhood<\/strong><\/p>

In FMA Brotherhood Roy puts on his hat covering his eyes and says \u201cIt’s a terrible day for rain\u201d. Riza, confused, looks to the sky and says \u201cWhat do you mean? It’s not raining\u201d<\/span><\/p>

A single tear slides down Roys’s chin as he says \u201cYes it is\u201d. It cuts to a shot of them from the back as she says \u201cSo it is\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

2003 Version\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

Same setup, Roy and Riza are standing at the grave. In the 2003 version, the colors are more muted and you do not get the golden light from the sun like in Brotherhood. The music in 2003 is more noticeable and somber, adding to the mood without feeling overbearing or manipulative<\/span><\/p>

Another interesting detail is that Roy is standing at the grave and Riza is standing behind him to the side. Roy puts on his hat, and we cut to a close-up of Riza looking down waiting for Roy to process his emotions. We then hear Roy talk while the camera is still on Roy as he says. \u201cIt’s starting to rain\u201d. Riza looks surprised at the start, but she doesn’t look up and instead of looking around or at the sky she simply looks at Roy and says \u201cyes\u201d.<\/span><\/p>

We then cut back to Roy framed with more of this face hidden since she is looking at him from an ankle and as we cut back the tear is already on his chin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

These 2 scenes accomplish the same thing: it’s a melancholy moment for Roy as he comes to terms with his best friend’s death. However, as I have laid it out here and as I have seen these scenes again, it’s clear to me just how much better the 2003 version is.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The strength of the 2003 version is subtlety. The Brotherhood version spells out things too much. Having Riza be all confused and say that it doesn’t rain until she sees him is a profound display of missing the point of the scene. The scene is supposed to be a subtle small emotional moment in a grander narrative. The Brotherhood version has so much more stuff to get to, so this scene feels rushed. Having RIza acknowledge what he is talking about while already having a tear on his cheek as we cut back is a masterful display of subtle storytelling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Having them stand further apart also works on multiple levels.<\/span><\/p>

It could be that their relationship is more professional and that they will be growing closer throughout the story.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

It could also be a subtle way of showing that Riza is giving him (literally) space for his emotions and the hard time he is in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Both scenes work, but the 2003 version manages to say so much without actually saying anything.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yes I know, I know! I have already made a comparison article comparing the original 2003 version with Brotherhood highlighting some elements that I feel make the 2003 superior. Today I’m going to do a comparison with 1 scene from both versions. I do think this scene is a microcosm of what makes 2003 the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":946,"url":"https:\/\/rallesmovingcastle.com\/?p=946","url_meta":{"origin":998,"position":0},"title":"FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood vs 2003","author":"Ralle","date":"March 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"There have been plenty of articles, videos, and other opinion pieces debating which version of Fullmetal Alchemist is better. 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