Episode 24: Inside the Belly (2009 series)

Inside the Belly
Series	Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Episode number	24
Japan airdate	September 20, 2009
U.S.A. airdate	September 24, 2009 (online stream) July 25, 2010
Run time	0:24:41
Language	Japanese/English
Subtitles	English
Navigation
Preceded by	Girl on the Battlefield
Followed by	Doorway of Darkness

Gluttony’s twisted powers overwhelm the Elrics – and the creature's appetite is satisfied by battle's end. Meanwhile, Mustang acts on his suspicions of Bradley and finds himself in the belly of the beast.

Full Synopsis

At the Homunculi's hideout, Envy comes into Marcoh's room with food and is surprised that he isn't eating at all since he is supposed to be an important sacrifice. Marcoh can only speculate that it has to do with using the land and people to make a giant transmutation circle, which Envy admits he is on the right track. Envy reminds him that if Marcoh betrays the original deal that he made with Lust, then the Homunculi will exterminate everyone in his village. Envy then comments on how humans are emotionally weak, by stating he killed a man by transforming into his wife. Meanwhile, Pride, who is hiding, talks with Wrath (King Bradley) about his recent problems: Scar getting away from him, and Gluttony's capture. Wrath admits while his position as the leader of Amestris is part of Father's plan, there is still a lot of interference from Colonel Mustang, the Elric brothers, and the foreigners from another country. Wrath admits that the younger generation is coming around the corner, which Pride agrees with, but asks to not tell this remark to Father, since otherwise, he might be considered a traitor. Changing the subject, Wrath reveals that - based on reports from MPs - he believes he knows where Gluttony may have been taken.

At the safehouse, Mustang orders Lt. Hawkeye not to get too close as the aura created by Gluttony's absorption eats away a portion of her shotgun. Mustang makes it clear that Gluttony is after him as Gluttony has transformed into a form, which within his stomach, resembles The Gate. While Ling works on getting Lan Fan outside, Ed is surprised by Gluttony's transformation due to alchemy, but Mustang decides to take him down since Gluttony has seen too much and knows everyone's names and faces. His attempt with Flame Alchemy fails as Gluttony absorbs it into his stomach. Barely dodging the next shot from Gluttony, the Elrics and Mustang lure Gluttony away from the house and into the forest. Deciding to scatter, Mustang finds Gluttony is still after him, but Hawkeye arrives and shoots Gluttony in the head. However, Mustang's injury, due to his earlier battle with Lust, begins acting up again. As Ling is helping Lan Fan into Doctor Knox's car and notices a dog, Gluttony finds and tries to suck Mustang into his body, only to find it is a dummy.

Thanks to Ed's distraction, Hawkeye was able to get Mustang to Knox's car. Mustang reluctantly agrees with the Elrics and Hawkeye's suggestions to flee with her, as well as Knox and Lan Fan considering he is too injured to help and that due to the Führer's involvement Mustang must do something about it while the Elrics will remain behind with Ling to fight Gluttony. Before leaving Hawkeye offers Ed a gun that he reluctantly accepts, and Ling asks they take care of Lan Fan. Following Gluttony's destructive rampage, and watching as he is destroying the forest, the Elrics and Ling are contemplating on how to fight him when they notice the dog which is actually Envy. Recognizing Envy and attacking him for calling him a pipsqueak, Ed learns Envy is only there to retrieve Gluttony, though he doesn't stop attacking at first due to being called that before by Envy in Laboratory 5. Envy tells Gluttony that Mustang already left and not to attack Mustang or the Elrics due to them being important sacrifices. Ling demands to know how many souls they possess in their bodies, and Envy realizes he is the same kid that fought against Wrath earlier. Before an insulted Ling can fully introduce himself, Envy decides that only Ling can be killed and gives Gluttony the order. Realizing this, Ed transmutes a giant wall so they can face Gluttony and Ling can face Envy.

As they begin the fight, at the Führer's home, Selim Bradley reads a poem he wrote about his father. Envy comments on Ling's swordsmanship and allows him to move close and strike his abdomen so he can turn his arm into a snake to bind him. Turning his other arm into a blade, Envy attempts to finish off Ling, but Ling times it to kick sand in Envy's face and then break free followed by cutting off Envy's right arm with his sword. Envy is angry by that trick and Ling tells him that due to his status he had been targeted for assassination since he was young and had to develop the necessary skills to survive, which included to learn how to use dirty tactics. While they continue to insult each other with Ling determined to get Envy to talk about the Homunculi's secret to immortality, Ed transmutes a well to trap Gluttony, but fails due to Gluttony using the bones from his new form to escape.

At the wrong moment, the Elrics knock Gluttony through the wall and though it distracts Ling, he stops Envy's latest attack. Transforming into the injured Lan Fan, Envy distracts Ling to have Gluttony digest him. When Ed moves in to protect Ling, realizing what is happening, Envy tries to stop him, resulting in all three of them being digested. As an angry Al demands that Gluttony return them, reverting to his previous form, Gluttony reveals that he can't, causing Al to scream in agony. Meanwhile, Doctor Knox has moved Lan Fan to his house and has to let her recover on his bed to avoid suspicion due to him living alone after his divorce. When Lan Fan demands she must head after Ling, Knox points out there is nothing she can do in her condition to help. Knox then confronts Mustang as he and Hawkeye are preparing to leave to confirm who their friends and enemies are. Mustang assures him that despite his condition he can't let things stand the way they are and that he also can't waste the sacrifice that Ed, Al, and Ling had done to help them escape.

On the car ride there, Mustang admits he is following what both Hawkeye and Hughes said to him earlier. After arriving at Central Command, Mustang finds that Hawkeye won't run if things turn ugly admitting how stubborn she is. Mustang then meets with Lt. General Raven and makes small talk with him, admitting he heard of how Raven is devoted to his men from Lt. General Grumman. While accompanying Raven to one of his meetings, Mustang makes up several rumors he heard, including one of the Führer being a Homunculus. However, when arriving at the meeting, upon seeing all the members of the top brass there and finding that Raven demands he tells that joke, as well as the Führer's arrival, Mustang becomes nervous. Realizing he had been played, Mustang acknowledges that Hughes' advice wasn't about the corruption coming to the State Military, it was actually the corruption within the military itself. As Mustang admits that he and Ed have stepped into hell, Ed wakes up in a mysterious location filled with objects and is covered in blood.

Episode Cards

Title Card

Eyecatche #1

Eyecatche #2

Episode Notes

• This episode is based on content from Chapter 49: A Monster Among Men and Chapter 50: In the Belly of the Beast.
• The Transmutation Circles that appear in the episode title card are Roy Mustang's Flame Alchemy circle and a simple circle often attributed to Alphonse.

• This episode marks the first appearance of the Homunculus Pride in the 2009 anime series. In the manga, Pride appeared earlier during a fight between Ling, Lan Fan, Envy and Gluttony which was omitted from this production.

• While King Bradley (Wrath) talks with Pride about Gluttony's capture and where he is likely located, in the manga, he mentions this to Envy in the Homunculi's hideout instead, near where Tim Marcoh's room was located. Also, the anime adds a clearer illustration of how Bradley suspected where Mustang's crew had taken Gluttony due to the various MP reports.

• Envy arrives at the scene of the fight disguised as a dog in this episode, whereas in the manga, his form was that of a horse. Additionally, when disguising himself as Lan Fan, the manga version has Envy using her masked form while this episode uses her unmasked and injured form.

• In the English dub, King Bradley (Wrath) knows that Ling and his comrades come from Xing which can be seen as a dub error, as Ling did not mention this fact to him yet. However, it's possible that King Bradley encountered Xingese people before or went to Xing prior to the main story.