Separate Paths: A Review

In this post I will be reviewing FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD episode 10: Separate Paths. This episode is about the untimely demise of Lt. Colonel Maes Hughes...

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In this episode we will witness the demise of one of the important characters in this series. Sadly enough, his death is caused by his own realization of the truth. Truly, ignorance IS bliss! In this episode, Hughes eventually realized the military conspiracy behind the establishment of Lab 5 and the creation of Philosopher's Stone and how they were connected to the battle of Ishval. As revealed in episode 8, Philosopher's Stone can only be manufactured by using human souls and during the battle of Ishval (or Ishbal) thousands of Ishvalans were killed as a result of ethnic cleansing executed by the military.

However, upon knowing the truth he was visited by one of the humonculi, named Lust. He was stabbed at the shoulder however he managed to give a good fight. With his bleeding shoulder he walked out from the building. And when he tried to call Colonel Roy Mustang and warned him about this, he was slaughtered by another shape-shifting humonculous named Envy who was disguising himself as Lt. Maria Ross.


Then, after the funeral, there was an investigation went on at the murder scene. Towards the end of the investigation, Major Armstrong came to see him regarding on what he knew about the murder. He spoke in code regarding the matter because earlier in this episode, Führer-President King Bradley visited Elric brothers and he had ordered everybody including Armstrong to keep anything they discovered under the radar. However, Col. Mustang understood that it had something to do with an organization and the philosopher's stone when Armstrong said, quote-unquote...

"what THEY are looking for is almost LEGENDARY".

Mustang also knew that someone with high rank in military had ordered Armstrong to keep his mouth shut. So, from the conversation it is revealed that an organization that has its power in the military and the philosopher's stone is involved in the murder of Lt. Col. Hughes.


My two cents...

In my opinion, this episode is very unexpected as well as heart wrenching. I never thought that Hughes will be killed off in this episode and then, BAM!... it hit me. Regarding his demise, I guess I didn't see that coming. Maybe if I read the manga first, this would not be a surprise at all. But then again that is THE reason why I restrain myself from reading it. I want it to be a surprise...

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Moreover, I really cried during the funeral when Hughes' little daughter, Elicia, cried and asked her mother, Gracia, why was her father buried. And then, she kept on crying saying how could her father go to work if he was buried. And Gracia was hugging Elicia tightly in order to console her. That, imho, is an ultimate tear-jerker moment.

Also, I always thought that Maes Hughes is a major character in this series.... I wish he did not die or at least he should be given enough screen time to last up to 25th episode (as in the previous version of Fullmetal Alchemist). Well, I think his death is really important in the development of the plot. Because, based on the manga, the plot will be significantly developed after his death.



Lt. Col. Maes Hughes, may your soul be blessed, Amen...