Ep 28 was uncharacteristic of FMA. No doubt there was an alchemy principle that it was trying to convey ("One is all, All is one"), but really there was no need for a full, dedicated ep. It was also pretty thin on plot development. However it does lead in to the more interesting ep 29. Here, the tempo picks up again. A mysterious boy, with the "I'm Homunculus" look, appears. He possesses tremendous transmutation ability, being able to manipulate and fuse both organic and inorganic materials. Ed's immediate suspicion of him set the stage for straight talk with his sensei, embarking on one of the most intriguing topics of the series: What happened during Ed/Al's human transmutation. And it was one revelation that brought about more questions than answers. Ed received visions that were full of apocalytic and prophetic imageries. The door with sinister eyes peering from the darkness was especially haunting. In addition, we find out that the Homunculous boy somehow obtained Ed's arm and leg. Apparently the theory of equivalent trade is cruelly distorting when it comes to human transmutation.

Ep 30 was a masterful tapestry of all the storythreads. There is plot development in ALL directions in ALL the layers of the story, yet they are strongly binded at the core by the main characters (Ed, Scar and Mustang). Truly, Ep 30 is the stuff that makes FMA great. Man, I need my next dosage of FMA soon *shivering hands*. Also, I get the feeling Izumi sensei is not going to last very long. It's sad since she was a fitting replacement for Hughes. Well if they are going to kill her off, it had better be gloriously spectacular. She deserves nothing less.