Full MANGA Alchemists

Send us Fan Mail As Shinichi rushes to Izu to protect his dad from the parasite that killed his mom, he encounters, of all things, a meet-cute with a jr. high girl who may have a crush on him. Then he pieces together the events surrounding his mom’s murder. Meanwhile, Tim and Patrick find some more goofy sound effects. it’s “Parasyte” chapter 13 by Hitoshi Iwaaki!

Send us Fan Mail We've arrived at this series' most shocking moment, analogous to FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST's "Sho Tucker Moment". In Chapter 12 of PARASYTE, Hitoshi Iwaaki goes further than the previous chapter's cliffhanger.

Send us Fan Mail In PARASYTE chapter 11, disaster strikes during Shinichi’s parents’ vacation. Is this really as bad as it looks? Meanwhile, while discussing the story, Tim and Patrick go down their usual rabbit holes: tricky translations (as evidence by the differences between the Mixx/Tokyo POP translation and the Del Ray one), Japanese life and culture, and their own pop cultural backgrounds. A...

Send us Fan Mail Shinichi is so desperate to prove that he’s not an animal, in comparison to the “ruthless” parasytes; does he end up proving just the opposite?

Send us Fan Mail Between volumes of PARASYTE, we return to FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST and an article entitled “ Fullmetal Alchemist is a Brilliant, Piercing Critique of Capitalism .” This kotaku.com article by Sean Aitchison spurs some discussion, including on characters and aspects left unmentioned in the article. What was the point of making Father and Hoenheim look the same? Where does Scar fit in? Li...

Send us Fan Mail Tamiya Ryoko discovers that you can’t fool Mom: If your body has been taken over by a parasyte, she’ll know something’s wrong! Extremely appropriate as we approach Mother’s Day, PARASYTE Chapter 9 focuses on a mother’s instincts to protect her child, and know when something is wrong. Meanwhile, at Mixx, the need for an experienced letterer becomes brutally clear…

Send us Fan Mail The parasyte Mr. A terrorizes the school! Can Shinichi do what needs to be done to keep his classmates from being eaten? Tim and Kumar discuss chapter 8 of Hitoshi Iwaaki’s “PARASYTE”.

Send us Fan Mail Migi senses a parasyte is coming to the school to kill him and Shinichi! Can Shinichi do what’s needed to fight off the attacker, and protect his classmates? This time we discuss PARASYTE chapter 7, and continue comparing two different English translations of the series.

Send us Fan Mail Shinichi’s teacher is a parasyte! Does that mean he and his classmates are in danger? Or, is Migi correct to admire this parasyte’s adaptability? Tim and Patrick discuss the chapter, and continue to compare the 1998 Mixx/Tokyo Pop translation , which tries to adjust the language for Americans’ lack of familiarity with Japan and manga at the time, to the 2007 Del Ray translation ,...

Send us Fan Mail In the ‘90s, when Americans were just beginning to read manga, the translator had to either do a lot of handholding, explaining relevant bits of Japanese society, or change them into things that were familiar to Western readers. We see a lot of the latter in the translation published by Mixx (later Tokyo Pop) in those days. Starting in this episode, Tim brings both Mixx and DelRay...

Send us Fan Mail This chapter of Hitoshi Iwaaki’s PARASYTE gives us a lion preying on humans, and then recoiling in fear of a parasyte, and Shinichi apparently bringing similar fear to a rival for Satomi Murano’s affections. Tim and Patrick share horror stories of encounters with creepy crawlies, and ask: How necessary is it to put profanity in the translation that’s not there in the original?

Send us Fan Mail Shin believes he’s the only human who understands what the “Mincemeat Murders” really are. Should he tell someone? Should he have Migi examined? Hitoshi Iwaaki begins to build his themes of “sensing danger” and the difference - or lack thereof - between parasytes eating meat and humans eating meat in chapter 3 of “Parasyte”. Tim and Patrick take another bite.

Send us Fan Mail Parasyte chapter 2 is a bit all over the place - humor, splatter scenes, and sexual references which don’t at all represent the direction the rest of the series will go. But we see the parasyte in Shinichi’s hand, now called “Migi”, learn about his surroundings and Shinichi starting to become comfortable with the relationship… for now. Tim and Patrick try not to lose their hearts...

Send us Fan Mail This time, we go back to 1989 and begin our chapter-by-chapter discussion of Hitoshi Iwaaki’s PARASYTE. Alien organisms land on Earth, take over the brains of some inhabitants, and then start eating some! But it’s not all horror, as a high school boy ends up with an alien in his hand, leading to some comic moments. Join Tim and Patrick for a look at chapter 1!

Send us Fan Mail The conflicts of FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST — foiling Father’s plan, Ed and Al getting their bodies back — were resolved last episode ... but chapter 108 isn’t over! This time, we discuss the many loose ends that Hiromu Arakawa ties up to conclude the chapter, along with the various back matter of volume 27!  And… is that the end of the podcast?? Nope! Listen to find out what’s next!

Send us Fan Mail Ed gets in the final blow on Father! Ed and Al’s quest for their real bodies reaches its conclusion! FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST is almost done, as Tim and Patrick split the extra-long 108th and final chapter into two parts. In this episode, we cover volume 27, pages 79-139. Bring your own hankies.

Send us Fan Mail Father has reached godlike levels of power! Ed, Al, and their friends do their best to control the threat he poses to humanity. In the penultimate chapter of FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, can the Elrics turn the tide? Tim and Patrick note that this chapter reminds us what this manga has always really been about.

Send us Fan Mail So just what was it that Scar’s brother noticed about Amestris’ alchemy (back in chapter 59!) that was “strange”? At last we find out, as Scar employs is brother’s plan to counteract Father! But Father has other tricks up his sleeve... Meanwhile, Ed has his final faceoff with Pride, as a familiar face from the past makes one final appearance. Tim and Patrick dig into FULLMETAL ALC...

Send us Fan Mail Father’s plan is coming to fruition! As the eclipse continues, he takes advantage of ALL his countrymen to get ALL the power! Can Ed, Al, Hoenheim and their comrades turn the tables on him? Tim and Patrick discuss FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST chapter 105, things you don’t know about us (that might be fiction), unwritten rules of sound effects, and more.

Send us Fan Mail The eclipse is here! Father/"Mr. Eyeballs" sets his plan in motion! Can Ed, Al, and company fight back? Tim and Patrick give the play-by-play on FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST chapter 104, with ... well, fewer digressions than usual.

Send us Fan Mail It becomes clear in FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST chapter 103 that causing Mustang to open the portal shouldn’t have been possible, and Pride did it at some cost to himself. How will that play out? Will Mei be able to beat Father, a.k.a. “Mr. Eyeballs”, in a fight? And what’s up with these Ishvalans - are they setting up to play a party game? Probably not, but these are all questions raised...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when Mustang is forced to open the Gate of Truth against his will? Ever seen two nameless men fight to the death? And why on earth would Al turn down a chance to get back in his real body? As we move closer to the climax of the story, Tim and Patrick discuss FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST chapter 102!

Send us Fan Mail FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST chapter 101 asks some important questions: Will Hawkeye bleed to death? How will Pride and Father open the portal? And… is it possible to talk while strangling someone with your tongue? Tim and Patrick have (correct?) answers!

Send us Fan Mail Can you believe we’ve done 100 episodes now? Can you believe we’re almost done with the series?? FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST chapter 100 hits us hard, with two deaths, a serious injury, and … whatever that is that’s happened to Hoenheim. The eclipse is almost here, and the human sacrifice candidates are being gathered; can they turn the tables in time??

Send us Fan Mail Stuff gets real as Foo and Bradley fight it out! Ed, Al (finally in Central City), and Izumi disappear from their respective locations! Tim and Patrick discuss FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST chapter 99. Plus: Volume 24 back matter! Does a video game ad reveal something unexpected about Ed???