FMA is a really great reread in general, but in addition to that, same as you, certain things tend to especially grow on me and look even more intriguing than they were at first. Arakawa's a master storyteller.
The actual flashback both beginning and ending with Scar is just fantastic. It unequivocally keeps the focus on how he (and by extension the Ishvalan people) were affected by the war/genocide - not that we're meant to think the Amestrian characters weren't, by any means, but the decision to frame the story that way keeps everything in perspective subtly yet effectively.
Hmm...yes, that scenario makes sense. Honestly I'm very interested in the logistics of how the real-world side of what readers were shown in a flashback played out in dialogue/an actual scene and how the different storytellers would phrase everything, how the listeners would react or interject, etc. Not sure why, the idea has just intrigued me for a while.
Even though it looks like he's surrendering his agency to Scar, I think you can also say that he's in fact taking his first two step to reclaiming it here
That's a huge aspect of my fascination with their relationship in a nutshell.
Yes, I agree. The fact that Scar asks isn't something that actually registered strongly with me until I read your meta, but you're right about the importance of that, and the implication. Marcoh's carefully considered response is equally important/momentous, for the reasons you've said. Regaining individual agency is such a huge part of both Scar and Marcoh's character arcs, though that manifests itself in slightly different ways, and their relationship with each other (and how it changes over time) is absolutely crucial to many of the changes they go through as individuals.
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The actual flashback both beginning and ending with Scar is just fantastic. It unequivocally keeps the focus on how he (and by extension the Ishvalan people) were affected by the war/genocide - not that we're meant to think the Amestrian characters weren't, by any means, but the decision to frame the story that way keeps everything in perspective subtly yet effectively.
Hmm...yes, that scenario makes sense. Honestly I'm very interested in the logistics of how the real-world side of what readers were shown in a flashback played out in dialogue/an actual scene and how the different storytellers would phrase everything, how the listeners would react or interject, etc. Not sure why, the idea has just intrigued me for a while.
Even though it looks like he's surrendering his agency to Scar, I think you can also say that he's in fact taking his first two step to reclaiming it here
That's a huge aspect of my fascination with their relationship in a nutshell.
Yes, I agree. The fact that Scar asks isn't something that actually registered strongly with me until I read your meta, but you're right about the importance of that, and the implication. Marcoh's carefully considered response is equally important/momentous, for the reasons you've said. Regaining individual agency is such a huge part of both Scar and Marcoh's character arcs, though that manifests itself in slightly different ways, and their relationship with each other (and how it changes over time) is absolutely crucial to many of the changes they go through as individuals.