Small review equivalent exchange

Lesly 2022-04-22 07:01:39

Revisited the last two days. There is a slight comment on the viewpoint of equivalent replacement.

The first half of the animation has been emphasizing or instilling the idea of ​​​​equivalent replacement, until finally, Dante, Dad, and Quan were used to overthrow this idea.
I don't agree with the reasons for that.

Reason 1: Some candidates for national alchemists have prepared a lot but still fail to pass the exam, even if they put in more effort than others.

This is based on the equality of all beings, but in fact all beings are not equal. People are born tall and short; some people are born noble; some people are born stupid. Stupid birds fly first to catch up with normal birds. That is to say, the efforts of those candidates only make up for a part of the innate deficiencies. If they want to surpass the genius, they have to put in more effort, or be cruel, and maybe they will not be able to surpass the genius in their entire life.

The equivalent replacement is like this here. Efforts can make up for the congenital deficiencies to a certain extent. If they don't work hard, they will be even worse.


Reason 2: The love of parents for their children.

I used to agree with this point, but since reading The Selfish Gene, my opinion has changed.
Parental love is a protective expression of the spread of one's own genes. These are subconscious and cannot be clearly perceived by oneself. So equivalent substitutions apply.


Reason 3: The child dies before being born, and death does not bring anything in return.

This sentence itself is correct, but if we look at the life of this child, where does his life come from? At what cost?
One of the costs of gaining life is to meet death.


The above three points are more typical reasons. Others are in a certain episode, saying that the effort does not necessarily have the desired return. Yes, that's it. Equivalent replacement does not mean that it is equivalent replacement to get what you want. What would the seven deadly sins make the world look like if everyone had their dreams come true?

The same thing, the sense of achievement of success and the lessons of failure are both rewards. However, the rewards and efforts cannot be quantified.

In the film, Ed uses his soul and body, plus some of El's experiences and memories, to return El's body to the alchemy world.


It is said that the manga is better than the animation, but it is a pity that the manga has not been serialized, so I will not read it for the time being.

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Extended Reading

Fullmetal Alchemist quotes

  • [after blowing open wall of Lab 5]

    Scar: Full Metal Alchemist! Take your brother and get out of here!

    Edward Elric: I don't need your help!

    Scar: Maybe not, but your younger brother needs you.

    Edward Elric: Let's go!

  • Number 48, Slicer: Older Broher: No, you don't understand. You must destroy us.

    Slicer: Young Brother: He's right. You must destroy us. There is nothing for the defeated but death that is our rule.

    Edward Elric: I'm not killing anyone. That's not what I do.

    Number 48, Slicer: Older Broher: You're too kind with your words. Calling us anyone, not anything. As if we could still be called human in this twisted state. I didn't say kill, I said destroy. Destroy these thing's we've become.

    Edward Elric: To do that, I'd have to admit you weren't human. And for me to do that, I'd have to admit the same of my brother and I can't do that.

    Number 48, Slicer: Older Broher: He's your brother.