Episode 03

Synopsis: Finally, the story on how Edward lost his arm and leg, and how Alphonse lost his entire body. ((Note: this is the start of a many-episode flashback))

Full Review

Visual Change
Again, "Older Brother/Younger Brother" has been translated as "Edward/Alphonse" on the visual overlay. I think I'll just assume that they're always gonna do this, and not mention it from here on out.

Dialogue Addition
Ed does not originally ask for someone to shoot him.

Important (IMO) Dialogue Change
Originally, Ed says that he guesses they'll have to go back to Central, since they're out of leads. He does NOT comment on Mustang at this point, mainly because THE VIEWER SHOULD HAVE NO CLUE WHO HE'S TALKING ABOUT!!! By having Ed say "Mustang's gonna scream my ears off," instead of "maybe we should go back to Central for now" completely changes the viewer's perspective on the current events. With the original dialogue, it's implied that Central is where Ed is based out of, so by going back there, he may receive new leads. In the dub, it implies that Ed is going to get yelled at for not succeeding (granted, he is, but the viewer isn't supposed to know about the 'relationship' between Ed and Roy at this point). It spoils the fun of learning of their bantering first hand a few episodes down the road.

Slight Opening (Dialogue) Edit
They have left in Al's opening commentary before the opening, although Al calls the Principal of Equivalent Exchange the "First Law of Equivalent Exchange." I've forgotten to mention this with the previous episodes, but it's finally enough to bug me... "First Law?" Since when are there more than one laws of Equivalent Exchange?

Voice Comment
Now that we've heard more of it, I really don't mind Winry's voice THAT much for when she's younger (but it's still not very good). Winry's parents have okay voices (too bad this is their only speaking part except for a small scene later in the series), but I LOVE Trisha's voice (that would be Ed and Al's mom, BTW). I really hope that they keep Trisha's voice for another character who shows up later (they originally have the same seiyuu).

Dialogue Addition (x3)
Al's comment about their father leaving when they were young was added (IIRC, Al was too young to remember), as was the comment about learning to be alchemists like their father. I thought we'd already established that he was an alchemist by their mother's comments on 'when did he teach you'? Finally, the line about "feeling like you were magic" was also made up by the dub. I thought in the past two episodes they made it pretty clear that Ed believes in Alchemy and Science, not Magic or Religion.

Dialogue Change
Winry did not insult Al by calling him stupid originally. 

MAJOR Dialogue Change
Now, other than attitude changes and giving away information too early (and some really corny lines), the dialogue edits haven't actually changed the story much. However, this dialogue change makes me REALLY mad, because it directly contradicts events later in the show. In the dub, when discussing her parent's death, Winry says "They went to be surgeons for the war in Ishbal. There was a surprise attack." In the original, only that they had to go to the war in Ishbal because they were doctors was said.
Now, here's my problems with this gross error on the dub's part. First off, what kind of doctors they are is never said, throughout the whole series. I don't mind them making them into surgeons, but really, it's never said. Secondly, this is the major part, THERE WAS NO SURPRISE ATTACK. I won't give it away now what really happened, but be assured that it was NOT a surprise attack. What really happened to her parents is important later in the series (in this series, everything is related), but it was NOT a surprise attack, nor does Winry BELIEVE that it's a surprise attack.

Dialogue Change
Again, Winry calls Al stupid. Also, the comment about their father running out on them was added.

Dialogue Change
Again, with the idea of alchemy = magic...

Dialogue Change
I suppose I knew that this one was coming, but "old hag" has been changed to "backwards old bat." **sigh** I would've been fine with just "old bat," but they have to throw in the "backwards" (which is kinda stupid, considering pretty much EVERYONE agrees with her on the subject of human alchemy).

Dialogue Addition
Ed's line about 'Winry having lost more than they ever will' not only is stupid, considering the fact that you already know from previous episodes that they do lose their mother (making the line redundant, especially since they KNOW that at some point their mother will die, be it immediately, or many years down the road), but it's also an example of 'silence = evil'... there was no dialogue until Al's 'poor Winry' line.

Dialogue Change
Al's lines about "how are we going to do this?" were originally "let's go home." Although the change to Ed's next line ("we're not, we'll revive her" from "let's revive her") fit nicely with Al's new line.

NOT a Visual Change
The eyecatch has returned... are they going to have it in every other episode now?

Dialogue Removal
Because Ed's comments on why he believed human transmutation was forbidden ran for longer than in the Japanese, Ed's comments that their mom would be happy to be resurrected so they could live together again were removed.

Dialogue Addition and Changes
I'll post both lines, and you can see what was added and what was changed.
Dub: We used some of the money to find ourselves a teacher. And we learned alchemy from page one. We were done making dolls and roses.
Original: We found a teacher, and relearned alchemy. Then on that day...
As you can see, paying for their schooling is not mentioned, and I'm pretty sure that their teacher didn't expect them to start all over from the basics (in fact, I'm pretty sure she expected them to already know the basics.

As a side note, I just realized how worried I am about how they're going to do her voice...

Dialogue Addition / Removal
The dub added 'sulfur 80g' to the list of ingredients, as well as mentioning the 'trace amounts of 15 other elements'. However, originally they also mentioned the construction equation (you can't use just any array). 

Strange Dialogue Change
Originally, Ed says that they will call their mother's spirit back and bind it to the body they create. The dub has them CREATING a soul, and they were going to use the soul to bring her back. Umm... What does CREATING a soul have to do with bringing their mother back? Wouldn't they want her original soul/spirit?

Dialogue Change
Ed's dub comments on what a soul is, and the "our blood from her" and the "that's a fair trade, right?" comments really confuse me (especially the fair trade thing... how are two drops of blood equal to a human soul?). Originally, he just said that their blood would be the information for her soul. Nothing about equivalent exchange at all.

Dialogue Change
"There's something foul in the air." was originally "Rizenbull Village, eh?".

Dialogue Change
We'd been going all episode with "Brother" from Al, until his one line of "Edward!" After which, he immediately goes back to calling him "Brother." Tell me, what is so wrong with Al calling Ed "brother"?

Dialogue Addition
Ed never tells Al not to look.

Dialogue Change
Now we see why Ed is so much ruder in the dub... he learned it from Pinako. Pinako never originally called Roy a 'dog.'

Not a Visual Change
Okay, originally their village was pronounced "Risenbul" or "Rizenbul". In the dub it is "Resembool". The letter Roy shows, however, in BOTH versions, does read "Resembool." Also, ignore the name on the letter of a "Mr. James Herbert." No character with this name appears in the anime. Although it might be important in the manga...

Voice Comment + NOT a Name Change
I really hate Roy's voice. He just doesn't sound 'suave' like his Japanese voice does. It's not so much that I'm comparing the voices, either. This voice would work fine, but he just doesn't sound 'suave' enough. I mean, Roy IS a ladies man. However, Hoenheim's name and pronunciation was left alone.

Dialogue Changes + Important Dialogue Addition
The conversation between Roy and Pinako is much different. However, it all ends up the same place. Although Pinako's "I've had enough lives ruined by the state" is added. I feel that it shouldn't've been there, because of info you learn later.

Stupid Dialogue Addition
"Al, you're on!" Sheesh... does Winry really hate Al that much? This is the third time they've added her insulting him (this time comparing him to a machine) this episode.

Minor Dialogue Change + Dialogue Addition
Originally, Ed called Roy by his first name. In the dub, by his last name. But Pinako's quite a bit angrier in the original. Man... it sucks not being able to explain why her anger at the military at this point is inappropriate, without spoiling things. Anyway, I'll just say that dub Pinako's comment about alchemists being involved when Winry's parents died is true, and has to do with the REAL reason she's mad at the military. Also, in the original, Ed's comment about being a "guun no inu" (Dog of the Military) is the first time in this episode it's mentioned. In the dub, Ed doesn't use the phrase. Right after this is Pinako's comments about "fix you or the world?" That's not in the original at all.

Minor Dialogue Change
Again, Ed originally called Roy "Roy" here, not "Mustang." I guess they'll probably do that for the rest of the show... oh well, it's not too long before he changes to "Taisa" (Colonel) anyway.

Dialogue Change
Ah, finally, it's explained. Apparently, dub Ed was a jerk all along, and Al's the one who keeps him from being a jerk (not a very good job so far, Al). Originally, Al was going with to keep Ed from slacking off.

Dialogue Addition
I really don't like Al's "Some memories aren't meant to leave traces" line... I find it stupid, since you'll always have the memories inside (this comes into play in a later episode, mind you), even if you take away the physical traces.

Final Thoughts
This episode was weaker than episode 2. However, episode 4 is a stupid piece of filler that has nothing really to do with the rest of the series, so there's no reason for it to be translated badly.

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