Product Details

• Actors: Aaron Dismuke, Vic Mignogna, Romi Pak, Rie Kugimiya, Tôru Ôkawa
• Writers: Jared Hedges, Joel Bergen, Mike McFarland
• Producers: Hideo Katsumata, Hirô Maruyama, Justin Cook, Masahiko Minami, Ryo Ôyama
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Funimation Prod
• DVD Release Date: September 20, 2005
• Run Time: 30 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0009MAOIC
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,912 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 5: The Cost of Living (Episodes 17-20)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

The hobbled Elrics return to their childhood village for the first time in four years. As the Rockbells construct Ed's new limbs, the boys sift through the ashes they left behind. While Al comes to the fearful realization that his memories are fading, Ed visits his mother's grave, and both must redefine their view of family and home before returning to Central's library to research the work of Dr. Marcoh. Nothing could prepare Ed for the shock that is to come. Having just learned the Stone's secret ingredient, how can they reconcile their strong desires to fix their own bodies with the knowledge of its gruesome costs?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fullmetal gets deeper, and even better., October 20, 2005

By 

C. W. Fitch (Wichita Falls, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 5: The Cost of Living (Episodes 17-20) (DVD)

The latest installment of one of the best anime series in the past couple of years advances through its compelling story. The action is about to reach a fever pitch, and revelations will be discovered.
In Vol. 5, Ed and Alphonse Elric pay a visit to their old hometown for repairs after their first battle with Scar. The aptly named Major Armstrong, appointed to watch over the brothers, accompanies them home. After a rather unemotional reunion with their childhood friend Winry and her grandma and a visit to their mother's grave, the Elrics get put back together again and head for Central to seek more information about creating a genuine Philosopher's Stone. What they discover there may change their course of action and their whole motivation for creating it. Meanwhile, as Scar resumes his search for the Elrics, he encounters the Homunculi Lust and Gluttony and barely escapes with his life. The military is also looking for Scar to bring him to justice for the murders he's committed.
During their detective work, Ed and Al come across a pair of assassins who seemingly have close ties to the brothers, and make a few new discoveries about themselves as they engage in fierce battle.

Confused yet? Well, if you're here, I certainly hope you are at least familiar with the story leading up to this volume. "Fullmetal Alchemist" is well into its second season with this chapter (Episodes 17-20), and it is moving along at such an intriguing pace that I find myself marking Vol. 6's release date on my calendar. This is one anime series that pulls no punches emotionally, and reaches its audience by one shocking plot device and/or twist after another. The series, set in an unrevealed time period but teeming with technology and magic (in this case, two great tastes that go great together), does a wonderful job of grabbing hold of the viewer and keeping them locked in to every detail, character, and story element. As the series progresses, you'll actually identify with Edward and Alphonse and their terrible plight. You'll watch them grow and mature, and even feel for them as they come closer and get further away from the goal of their quest with each episode. The entire supporting cast is chock full of memorable characters as well, especially the other State Alchemists (my personal fave being Alex Luis Armstrong at the moment). At certain times, mostly during the beginning of the series, slapstick elements and humor even inject themselves beautifully into the mix. At this point in the series, though, the story's taken a very serious turn, although every once in a while a poke at Ed's height (which happens at least once an episode) or Alchemist Hughes showing off pictures of his infant daughter breaks up the somberness.
Talk about a series that's got it all together. Whether you're a fan of sci-fi or fantasy anime (or both), or you just want to watch a deep, intriguing story with incredible and memorable characters, this is the one. The dubbing, usually one of the most critiqued elements in anime, is absolutely excellent: Al's and Ed's English voices, especially, capture their every emotion with expert precision. I can't imagine the difficulty in voice-acting a 10-year-old boy without a body whose soul is trapped in a case of armor, but darn it, it's nailed here. Top it all off with a rawking opening theme from J-pop legends L'arc-en-Ciel ("Ready, Steady, Go"), and you've got a winner for the ages. The only minor aggravation I found with this volume, though, was in the way the DVD is set up: FUNimation forces you to watch a 2 ½ minute preview of the latest volume of (the albeit slick-looking) "Samurai 7" and a small blurb for another series before the menu even comes up. (I've seen this on other discs before; don't know if this is a flaw, but if every copy's like that, it should be an extra on the disc rather than shoved down our collective throats at the beginning.) Do not miss this series; if you haven't seen it up to now, back up and look for Vol. 1 this instant! You won't regret it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fading Memories and Bloody Battles, July 2, 2006

By 

Antonio D. Paolucci "Collector of Entertainment" (Beaver Falls, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 5: The Cost of Living (Episodes 17-20) (DVD)

The previous volume of FMA left the Elric brothers in a less-than-hearty state, and had them journeying home to get some much needed rest and relaxations, as well as a replacement for Ed's destroyed auto-mail arm. This volume picks up with the boys' arrival in the tiny village they once called home. Accompanied by Armstrong, the brutishly gentle alchemist, the boys explore what they left behind. Later, with the repairs completed, the brothers continue their search for the work of Dr. Marcoh at Central's library. Only what they find isn't what they had hoped for, and Ed becomes more determined to seek out the Philosopher's Stone, leading him to what appears to be a prison where only the most dangerous criminals are. Once here, the brother's Elric face off against creatures very familiar, at least in concept, to Ed and Al.

Fullmetal Alchemist only continues to deepen, adding a few conflicts to the characters that make them more and more lovable, especially Alphonse, who faces a sad realization in this volume. Scar also has a few moments on this volume. But the greatest surprise in this volume is Armstrong. He had a small role in the previous volume, but he really becomes something special in this volume as Ed and Al's protector while in their vulnerable state.

I'm now completely sure that FMA ranks high up there as one of anime's greats, standing easily beside classics like Akira, Cowboy Bebop, and Neon Genesis Evangelion, all anime I hold in high regard. If you're reading this you've probably already found some interest in FMA, so I probably don't have to recommend this. But still, I have to, as FMA is quickly becoming something close to legendary in the anime world.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE GUARDIANS OF FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE, November 10, 2005

By 

Sesho "www.sesho.libsyn.com" (Pasadena, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 5: The Cost of Living (Episodes 17-20) (DVD)

After a long but not intentional absence and some life-threatening adventures the Elric brothers along with the impressively strong but impressively vain Major Armstrong arrive back in the village of their birth. Their purpose for Ed to repair the arm that was crushed by Scar and for Al's armor to be reformed. They have to hurry because the answer to the secret of the Philosopher's Stone is finally within their reach as the two brothers secure Dr. Marcoh's notes about its formulation. But the question is whether the two boys are prepared to find out the cost of making it. And somewhere out there are Lust and Gluttony who seem to be manipulating the situation for their own ends, even if it means crossing the murderous Scar!

What's new about this show? It is simply excellent. It's nice to see them coming to terms with their past and we have a bit more sympathy for Scar now that we know a bit more about his past. The villains are deftly drawn and mysterious without being annoyingly obscure. The quest for the Elrics to claim redemption continues on its always interesting path, which you can already sense will not result in all of their hopes being fulfilled.