The Kid's Latest Obsession



Twilight cast
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 My teenaged daughter is so over "Twilight." Personally, I think Jacob (left, Taylor Lautner) is much better looking than Edward (right, Robert Pattinson).  Edward looks like he's always in pain, and rather stoned from it all.  I still think the actress who plays Bella (center, Kristina Stewart) has the emotional range of a corn cob.  Big Sister's Twilight posters have recently been relegated to the basement along with other "outgrowns" such as baby dolls and doll houses.

Her latest obsession is a series called "Full Metal Alchemist."  This is the story of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse, who are unique individuals, to say the least.



Alphonse Elric
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Edward Elric
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Edward becomes a state alchemist at the tender age of twelve, in order to help restore Alphonse to his original body.  Long story, there. Suffice it to say that Alphonse's soul resides in a huge suit of armor due to an alchemical experiment gone wrong (human transmutation) - and Edward has an arm and leg that are made of "automail." think of automail as a metallic, bionic version of limb replacement.  Their only hope of full - body restoration is in finding a Philosopher's Stone.

 



Gluttony
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Yes, obviously this is a fantastical tale. It is set in Europe, post-industrial revolution times, with many fictional elements. 

 There is the requisite good and evil, large doses of humor to balance out the violence, and enough plot twists to keep even the most avid fans of mystery/suspense reading - or watching.  Manga is in printed form, anime is animated - as I was informed one day by Big Sister, finally annoyed over my inability to keep it all straight. 



Greed
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There are even a few biblical references.  If you've ever wondered what Greed, Gluttony, and Lust would look like in animated form, they, and many others, are in this series. 



Lust
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Sloth and Pride also make appearances, as do the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins, though they aren't named as such in this series. 

 Hiromu Arakawa, the author and illustrator, is definitely talented.  Big Sister got hooked partly because of the illustrations.  Each one manages to convey the emotion intended by the author - intense, action-packed, scenic, and also comic.  Arakawa can do a lot with just white and shades of black and gray.

Big Sister and her friend are full-fledged Full Metal fans.  There are fan-fic sites (that's 'fan fiction' for those not in the know) and also a Deviant Art fan art site that's fun to check out, too. 

I don't mind this latest obsession.  When Big Sister and her friend are asked if they're "Team Edward" or "Team Jacob" , they tend to respond rather disdainfully.  "We're TEAM ELRIC," they respond, often to blank looks, to which they reply with giggles.

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". . . but our awesome, butt-kicking, short-ranting Ed was around long before Mr. Sparklepants was even a speck of glitter in Stephanie Meyer's eye"  , writes one fan of the Full Metal saga.   Full Metal fans seem to agree.

 

"Vote for Elric . . . Because men don't need to sparkle to be sexy."
This message Edward Elric approved
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As for me, I don't mind either debate.  They're all fictional characters, and I could think of much worse things for Big Sister to be obsessing over.  Fictional boys are far better for obsessions than the real, live ones, in my humble opinion.  Plus - I can sometimes tag along with this obsession.  Watching the shows and reading the graphic novels are kind of fun. 

Though I still think that Jacob is better-looking than Edward Cullen.

What were your biggest obsessions when you were a kid? What are your kids obsessed with that drives you crazy (or, that you enjoy)?

Today's writing from Mama Kat's prompt,

"Your child's latest obession: Do you love it

or hate it?"