In Defense of the 2003 Body Crisis
I noticed a lot of people get upset over Al running off over his body crisis, but in 2003, Alphonse runs off a lot, this isn’t the first time. Even as a little child and into the present, When Alphonse got mad at Edward, he would run away, both for comic relief and for a more serious nature. Shown in episodes 13 over cats,
23-24 over his body crisis,
and in episode 38, he kind of does it when he and Ed get into a tiff about Sloth and Scar, revealing a flashback that when Alphonse got angry at Ed, he would run away and down to the river to calm down.
It’s just a childish aspect of 2003 Al’s character that carries out into the present, because Al is still only like 14. This serves as fair reminder that not only are 2003 Al and Brotherhood Al two different characters, but also that Al is still just a kid, susceptible and naive.
Secondly, people say it’s weird for Alphonse to believe Barry’s words. But even if Barry was just a serial killer, you still have to remember that he was sealed to a suit of armor just like Alphonse was and was in practically the same situation. The more I think about it, even if it seems a little extreme in hindsight for Al to take him seriously, the more I can understand why Alphonse, a child, would question his words, and all that aside. It wouldn’t be the first time Alphonse trusted somebody else over his own brother(like with Psiren, a criminal and thief, or even Shou Tucker because Ed could see what he couldn’t at first.)
Also, I still find it laughable that people take Al seriously when he said he would be okay with Ed dying. It’s just like when a child says “I HATE YOU” or “I WISH YOU WOULD DIE” to their parents when they’re angry. Al was angry and confused, of course he might say something like that, it wasn’t like he would have been okay with letting Ed die for real. So, in the long run, I think that this makes Ed’s relationship with Al flawed and human and realistic, because they’re gonna have their ups and downs. (It’s also key to note that Al and Scar had kind of been by each other’s side back in the fifth lab, so it’s not like Al still thinks Scar is completely cold-blooded or anything. Was it reckless of him? Yes, but it’s not too far out of the picture in my opinion, given how much a lose canon Alphonse is in 2003, at one point literally threatening to rip off somebody’s arm and leg.)
Thirdly, in 2003, there was also build up to Al’s identity crisis, because Alphonse was already actually having problems remembering parts of his past, as shown in episode 17 where there’s this interaction:
Well, it was more likely Al couldn’t remember more than just her face. And then Ed saying he had something to talk about but deciding not to in the end… Al had reason to question that.
On top of all this, in 2003, Al’s identity crisis has a lot of relevancy because of the homunculi and their own struggle with finding their true identity and memories just like Al does. Not to mention that Lust’s, Wrath’s and Sloth’s desire to become human also mirrors Alphonse’s.
And on a more interesting note, it also brings up the concept of artificial memories and if their memories are just created by the feelings of their creators.
It also poses a possible answer as to why Alphonse loses his memories for so long in the end of the series when they get Alphonse his body back, and why Alphonse is a young child again.
Oh did I mention how much I love that, with Winry’s encouragement, that Ed confronts Al himself?
And that Alphonse reveals he could never blame him.
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