Equivalent Exchange: A Fullmetal Alchemist Podcast
by Stay Together Network | Ellen, Kayla, & Kassem
Teachings that do not speak of pain have no meaning, because humankind cannot gain something without first giving something in return. In alchemy, to obtain something, something of equal value must be lost—this is equivalent exchange. Join hosts Ellen, Kassem, and Kayla as we read through Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa chapter by chapter, exploring every twist, turn, explosion, transmutation-gone-awry, and moment of connection (and hubris) the series has to offer. Fans old and new will enjoy deep discussion—and a few tangents and laughs along the way.
Episodes
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Episode 49: See you around my friends of the soul | Finale
In our finale episode we discuss Fullmetal Alchemist as whole and answer your questions! Thank you for listening! ❤️ See you around for our next project! You can send us a lil’ tip on our Ko-fi if you want: https://ko-fi.com/staytogethernetwork
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Episode 48: What I’ve wanted all this time was friends like these | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 107 & 108
In our last regular episode, the final battle against Father ends, and we find out what happens to all our favorite heroes. Thank you for listening! ❤️ See you next time for our finale! We talked about the outtakes from FMA: Brotherhood during the episode, and since we’re all caught up on what...
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Episode 47: A life worth living | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 105 & 106
Ed faces off with Pride, questioning his continued loyalty to Father. Wrath and Scar face off. Lan Fan joins to avenge her grandfather, but isn’t able to deal the final blow. Father puts up a fight in his perfect form, but massive counter attacks led by Hohenheim and Scar weaken him significantly...
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Episode 46: The knowledge of all matter in the universe | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 103 & 104
With all the human sacrifices assembled, Father executes his plan. Thank you for listening! ❤️ See you next time! Send questions for our finale recap episode here: https://twitter.com/equivexpod https://equivexpod.tumblr.com [email protected] You can send us a lil’ tip on our Ko-fi if you…
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Episode 45: I’ve been given orders not to die | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 100–102
Geed!Ling, Fu, Buccaneer, and the Briggs troops manage to fend off Bradley, but not without losses. Bradley survives, but uses the last of his strength to help the gold-toothed doctor with Roy, ultimately forcing Roy’s decision to attempt human transmutation. In the depths of the tunnels under...
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Episode 44: Search your heart and choose a path that you won’t be ashamed of | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 98 & 99
The fight in Central continues. Wrath fights Greed!Ling, Fu, and Buccaneer. Ed, Roy, Riza, and Scar come across the gold-toothed doctor who created Wrath, and attempt to fight him. He opens a portal that takes in Ed there, an d Izumi from the tunnels underneath the Führer’s chamber. Al, with…
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Episode 43: My courage grows one hundred fold | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 96 & 97
Izumi and Sig join Olivier and Alex in the fight against the doll soldiers. Armstrong is emboldened by his muscly ally. Hohenheim begins to face off with Father, who hasn’t stopped changing since he left the flask. Hohenheim reveals more about his knowledge of the power of the philosopher’s stone...
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Episode 42: For the sake of justice | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 94 & 95
Mrs. Bradley speaks, Briggs strikes, and Izumi helps additional reinforcements tunnel into the command center. Roy stalks Envy, torturing them with his flame alchemy. Riza, Ed, and Scar catch up and help him come to his senses. Thank you for listening! ❤️ See you next time! Follow our Twitter and...
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Episode 41: Everyone wants to protect what’s important to them | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 92 & 93
Armed with the philosopher’s stone, Al takes on Kimblee and Pride. Marcoh and the healed Heinkle join the fight, as well as Yoki, who helps them make an escape. Olivier and Alex Armstrong continue to fight the sparkly fight against the doll army, with Olivier convincing the soldiers sent in to…
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Episode 40: It’s for the greater good | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 89–91
Roy’s troop starts their non-deadly rampage across the city, with many old friends returning and helping them along the way. Olivier starts a takeover of HQ, and a really General Bad Decisions starts up the soul army. Ed uses his… um… military clout? To get the gang into the tunnels under…
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Episode 39: How predictable the human spirit is | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 86–88
The fight against Pride continues. Some of our old allies return just in time to help out. When Al recovers, he and Hohenheim make a plan to shut down Pride. In Central, Roy’s gang makes final preparations for the Promised Day, taking Mrs. Bradley as their hostage. Scar and Marcoh arrive at the...
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Episode 38: In order to change the world, you must first change yourself | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 84 & 85
Ed and his crew—I mean Greed’s crew—and Winry and her body guards connect hilariously in Resembool. Scar, Marcoh, Jerso, Zanpano, and our favorite character little Yoki reunite, and meet up with Scar’s master and other Ishavalan refugees, and head toward Central. The Armstrong mansion is…
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Episode 37: It’s a bond between souls | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 81–83
Al reconnects with Hohenheim, Rosé and Winry connect, and Jerso, Zampano, and a reluctant Yoki help with the reconstruction of Liore. Olivier learns more about the army’s great plans with the homunculi and father… then encourages her father to retire and travel, and fights with Alex over control...
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Episode 36: We’ve won, Marcoh | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 78–80
Hohenheim arrives in Liore, looking for something. Under the old church of Leto, Rose and the restaurant owner lead him to a tunnel, where he confronts Pride. At Briggs, Kimblee has led the Drachman army to a confrontation, promising that with Olivier gone, the control of the fort will devolve…
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Episode 35: A philosopher’s stone with one soul’s worth of energy | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 76 & 77
A plan to kill Kimblee doesn’t go… as planned, leaving Ed seriously injured. The Scar gang connects with Al, but he slips away again. They finally get an opportunity to review Scar’s brother’s notes, and make new discovery. Kimblee gets a special visit from our favorite zoop-y homunculus. Thank…
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Episode 34: You and I stand at the center of the world | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 74 & 75
Olivier arrives and makes her case for killing Raven to the Führer, including a deal for his seat at the table. Roy and Riza have a coded conversation. The military looks for Izumi, who has randomly run into Hohenheim on a train. Hohenheim’s past and how he became the way he is today is explored....
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Episode 33: It’s our duty as humans to be angry at injustice | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 72 & 73
A surprise phone call helps Riza recover after her encounter with Pride. The Briggs tunnel rescue crew returns just in time. We flash back before the end of last chapter. Winry devises her own plan to escape being used as a hostage to manipulate Ed and Al. Ed, Al, Scar, and Miles help pull it…
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Episode 32: I will always be watching you from the shadows | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 70 & 71
In Central, Roy gets a secret message from Briggs. Riza makes the unfortunate acquaintance of Pride. A Briggs, soldiers are rescued from the tunnel. Kimblee gives Ed his new assignments from the Führer. The search for Scar heads to Baschool. Ed, Al, and Winry coordinate to get away from Kimblee’s...
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Episode 31: The powerful rule | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 68 & 69
Hohenheim again in the woods. He reflects on a past memory with Ed, Al, and Trisha. The tunnel a Briggs is explored, to disastrous results. General Raven spills the beans about the army’s big plans to Olivier and asks if she’s in. He orders that they put the Sloth back in the hole and seal over…
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Episode 30: In order to accomplish their goal | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 66 & 67
Marcoh and May continue to study Scar’s brother’s notes and discuss alchemy. Yoki and Scar head to meet them after the fight with Kimblee. The Briggs crew rounds up Sloth, and while not able to kill him (even with tanks), they at least remove him from the fort, and start to investigate the tunnel...
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Episode 29: Any means necessary | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 64 & 65
Ed and Al make their way to Fort Briggs, but not before being surrounded by soldiers in a snowstorm. They meet Major General Olivier Armstrong and her subordinates, and learn more about the strict code of conduct at the fort. May and Marcoh recover Scar’s brother’s notes. Kimblee and Scar meet...
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Episode 28: Flames of ambition burning brighter than ever | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 62 & 63
Scar breaks Marcoh out of Father and the homunculi’s prison, but the homunculi call in an old friend to hunt him down. With all his loyal subordinates gone, Roy may be down, but he’s not out yet. He makes a covert call and schedules clandestine meeting call to try to stir another old ally into...
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Episode 27: Mid-Series Special!
We take a look back at the series so far and answer your questions about the Fullmetal Alchemist manga & anime, and about us three hosts! Thank you for listening! ❤️ See you next time! Follow our Twitter and Tumblr for updates: https://twitter.com/equivexpod https://equivexpod.tumblr.com You can...
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Episode 26: Inside me, the war will never end, as long as I live | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 58–61
Edward returns Riza’s gun and asks her about what happened in Ishval. Through a series of flashbacks we learn more about Riza and Roy’s intimate past, Armstrong, Roy, Hughes, Riza, Marcoh, Knox, and Kimblee’s roles in the extermination campaign, and the Rockbells’ clinic in Ishval. We see the...
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Episode 25: It’s only when I’m fighting a real monster that I feel truly human | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 56 & 57
Ed and Al are taken to meet with Wrath after the incident in Father’s lair. Roy’s team is disbanded, but the fight isn’t over yet. Knox’s house is overrun with guests/patients. Scar meets another key player from the extermination campaign. Ed goes to return what he borrowed from Riza. Thank you…
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Episode 24: I need absolute power | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 54 & 55
More is revealed about Father while in his lair. Ed starts a fight against him, Scar and May end up in making it to the lair just in time to get involved. Ling makes choice. Thank you for listening! ❤️ See you next time! Make sure you send questions for our mid-series recap special by April 3rd!...
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Episode 23: An awfully arrogant concept | Fullmetal Alchemist 52 & 53
Roy’s team of supporters is swiftly and systematically dismantled, and we learn the truth about the creation of Wrath. Al and Gluttony, followed by May and Scar, make their way into the depths of the Father’s secret hideout under Central. Ed nearly gives up during a fight against Envy, but just...
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Episode 22: Best of luck to you in battle | Fullmetal Alchemist 50 & 51
In his uncontrolled rage, Gluttony swallows Ling, Ed, and Envy. In the mysterious disgusting void, Ed and Ling learn how truly horrifying homunculi can be. Roy takes the battle to a different front. As he continues his quest for the top role in the military state, he realizes, perhaps too late,...
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Episode 21: With everyone’s help, I’ll pull through | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 48 & 49
Thanks to May, Scar escapes the fight with Ed & Al, but it seems the encounter with Winry continues to give him pause. Ed & Al reconnect with Winry, and Ed finally tells her what he knows about her parents. At the hotel, she takes a call that helps her see that she’s not always the one waiting on...
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Episode 20: Power succeeds only in creating tragedy | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 46 & 47
Hohenhiem stops bandits with his body, but not in the way you’d expect. Ling and Lan Fan continue to face off against Wrath and Gluttony. Lan Fan makes a great sacrifice to enable their escape. Winry hears about the fight going on between Ed, Al, and Scar, and stumbles in to Ed asking Scar a...
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Episode 19: The truth is cruel but justified | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 44 & 45
Havoc is discharged, but not off Roy’s list of allies just yet. Ed returns to central, more sure than ever that Al’s body can be restored. Unsure of how exactly to move forward, they decide they need to learn more about the lab and the homunculi. With Scar on the loose again, they team up with…
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Episode 18: You did this, and no one else | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 42 & 42
Ed “reconnects” with his father Hohenheim in Resembool. In spite of their poor relationship, Hohenheim is able to get Ed to question if the body he and Al transmuted was truly their mother. Ed enlists Pinako to help with determining who—or what—that thing was. In Central, Ling’s quest for...
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Episode 17: No choice but to move forward | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 40 & 41
In Resembool, Ed and Armstrong join Breda and a mysterious man named Mr. Han from Xing, who sneakily leads them out of Amestris to the ruins of Xerxes. Exploring what seems like ancient alchemical marks, he nearly gets kidnapped by Ishvalan refugees, but is spared by an older woman with a…
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Episode 16: Whenever possible, use the element of surprise | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 37-39
Roy decides to fish for more information about the dark schemes going on within the military using Barry the Chopper as bait, but the homunculi’s scheme of using Barry’s body to find his soul ends up leading the gang all the way to bowels of Lab 3, where they encounter a more challenging enemy…
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Episode 15: I’d rather stay in this body forever | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 34–36
Ed, Al, Winry, Ling, Lan Fan, and Fu arrive in Central… where Ling promptly faints and gets picked up by the police for traveling without a passport. No one is able to break the news of Hughes’ death to Ed, Al, and Winry, but they soon find out nonetheless. Roy continues to investigate the…
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Episode 14: There’s something not right about this country | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 32 & 33
May Chang arrives in Amestris after a long journey across the desert from Xing. Kayal revives her and her teeny tiny panda companion with his father’s lunch, and almost immediately tragedy strikes the mining town. Fortunately May is able to save the miners using Alkahestry—Xing’s version of...
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Episode 13: To the promised day | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 29–31
The Führer leads the raid on Devil’s Nest. Ed is rescued, but Greed doesn’t get past Bradley in the sewers. An incident during the fight enables Al to remember his meeting with The Truth. It doesn’t get him and Ed any closer to their goal of getting their bodies back… but they do leave the raid...
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Episode 12: Nothing is impossible | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 27 & 28
Izumi kicks some goon ass to try to rescue Al from his kidnappers, but leaves at his request to bring back Ed. Greed wants to make a deal—information for information. Ed runs into his favorite people while trying to take his annual state alchemist exam at the South HQ. The Führer & Armstrong…
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Episode 11: For me, there’s no turning back | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 25 & 26
Izumi dumps Ed & Al as her students, but as Sig points out, now they’re able to speak as peers. Ed & Al learn more about how Izumi came to know Truth from Sig, and make a plan to try to recover Al’s memories from the failed transmutation attempt—if his whole body was taken, he must know more than...
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Episode 10: From now on, you’ll be known as The Fullmetal Alchemist | Fullmetal Alchemist 23 & 24
Ed and Al return to Resembool after training with Izumi more determined than ever to bring their mother back to life. After months of preparation, they’re ready to try. The transmutation seems to work at first, but rebounds. Al is taken away, but Ed is taken to a mysterious place to learn the…
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Episode 9: Where should I begin? | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 20–22
Ed and Al reconnect with their teacher Izumi. They chat about their travels and demonstrate how much they’ve progressed in their studies and alchemical practice. Izumi realizes that all has not been well with the boys since they last met, and demands that they spill the beans. We learn more about...
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Episode 8: Human beings are awesome | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 17–19
The gang arrives in Rush Valley. In the chaos of all the mechanics there ooh-ing and ahh-ing over Ed’s automail, a pickpocket named Paninya makes off with his State Alchemist’s pocket watch. Winry eventually catches her, and it turns out that she too has automail to ooh and ahh over. Winry...
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Episode 7: The enemy is always one step ahead of us | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 14–16
Winry arrives and repairs Ed’s arm. Al finally explodes about what’s been on his mind since the fight with Barry the chopper, Winry yells at him, and he and Ed patch things up, resolving to become even stronger. Winry stays with Hughes and his family while in Central, then leaves with Ed and Al…
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Episode 6: No doubt that I’m human | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 12 & 13
Ed continues to fight #48 in the abandoned lab, but he has a trick up is armor sleeve. He manages to win, but before Envy and Lust arrive and take care of things before #48 can divulge any information that might help Ed in the search for the stone. #66 introduces himself as the famous Barry the...
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Episode 5: The truth within the truth | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 10 & 11
Ed & Al make it to Central to continue their research. An arsonist’s recent destruction of the First Branch initially dampens their spirits, but they find a former library employee with photographic memory who read Marcoh’s… er… cookbook… and transcribes the notes for them, landing a job with the...
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Episode 4: The great elixir | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 8 & 9
Ed & Al head to their hometown to get Ed’s automail repaired. At a stop along the way, Armstrong notices a familiar face—a state alchemist who’s been in hiding. The boys take the opportunity to talk to the medical alchemy expert about his research. Though he regrets his work, he points the boys…
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Episode 3: Not a fight for normal human beings | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 5–7
Ed & Al’s travel continue in the east. To help with their research, Colonel Mustang points them in the direction of Shou Tucker, the Sewing Life Alchemist. Lust and Gluttony are joined by another known as Envy, and they continue to sow violent discontent in the east. An Ishvalan man known as Scar...
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Episode 2: Dogs of the military | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 3 & 4
Ed and Al head to a mining town in the east, and while there’s no word of the philosopher’s stone on this trip, they manage to take care of a corrupt military leader and restore the power to the people of the town. On their way back, they use the power of alchemy (and being a suit of armor, in…
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Episode 1: Something of equal value | Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 1 & 2
In Fullmetal Alchemist chapters 1 and 2, we meet Edward and Alphonse Elric. Their attempt at human transmutation as children left them without their whole bodies. On a mission to find a way to restore their bodies, they pass through a town in the grips of a corrupt preacher, Father Cornello. On…
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Equivalent Exchange: Trailer
Teachings that do not speak of pain have no meaning, because humankind cannot gain something without first giving something in return. In alchemy, to obtain something, something of equal value must be lost—this is equivalent exchange. Join hosts Ellen & Kayla (of the Fruits Basket podcast Let’s...
About this show
Teachings that do not speak of pain have no meaning, because humankind cannot gain something without first giving something in return. In alchemy, to obtain something, something of equal value must be lost—this is equivalent exchange.
Join hosts Ellen, Kassem, and Kayla as we read through Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa chapter by chapter, exploring every twist, turn, explosion, transmutation-gone-awry, and moment of connection (and hubris) the series has to offer. Fans old and new will enjoy deep discussion—and a few tangents and laughs along the way.
Hosted by
Stay Together Network | Ellen, Kayla, & Kassem