ROFL

[taotrooper]

Now that there is a translation around.

Okay, it seems there are two versions of the first pages. I find interesting that umeko_pyon's (ZOMGFTA) translation happens to mention Lan Fan during the coversation:

Ling: IF I RETURN EMPTY-HANDED I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FACE THE RETAINER WHO EVEN CUT OFF HER OWN ARM TO SERVE ME!!!!!

...while prides_tears's (wttsn) translation doesn't mention her, at ALL. I should mention r_enoah happens to be a LingEd fangirl (or moreover, an Ed/anyone fangirl). Yeah. I thought, is this a translating interpretation, or are they sailing on a river in Egypt called Denial?

Well, as a good Ravenclaw, I went and google searched for "arm" in Japanese. The word is, if you can see it, 腕 (うで). (Source). Take a guess. That kanji? With that furigana? IS THERE. In LING'S SPEECH. Go check. He HAS to be talking about Lan Fan, because Ed's arm has nothing to do there.

So. Yeah. The river in Egypt.

Dude, he's talking about her. But shipping aside, this really suits my gen theory on why Ling is accepting. What I was telling you on YIM, Este! I started to believe Ling might be accepting Greed because the Lan Fan's issue made him realize he's currently doing crap for his goals, that he's too weak, that Lan Fan was prepared and he wasn't; so he just decided (be it for guilt, be it for his own wishes, which I believe are well-said in his conversation with Greed -power in order to protect, obtain, and so on) he'd do anything in his might, even though is dangerous, scary or painful, so he can get it.

I think I should go further on this theory, with pretty images and references to other chapters and stuff. However, since I have no time to prepare this kind of post, I tell you you have to read chapter 48, page 39. And also, notice in 54 that Ling didn't start to grin and tell the brothers to butt in, like, one or two pages AFTER Ed says Ling has someone waiting for him. What I believe is this: that phrase reminded him of his cowardice and her courage, and it was THEN, and not sooner, when he made the decision.

It's surprised the conversation actually supports the theory instead of killing it.



And some loose thoughts on Mei:
a) She recognized Ling as a Yao clan member, but she doesn't know if it's him. Therefore, she doesn't know him personally. I wonder what made her think he's a Yao. Clothes? Hairdo? Facial expressions? Skin color?
b) Fantasy!Mei: I'm sorry, I was nothing but an imperial princess
AHAHAHAHAHA CONFIRMATION.
I knew she was a daughter of the emperor and one of Ling's sisters for MONTHS.
And shame on me for not recognizing the man in her fantasies as the Xing Emperor.

But really, it was all stuff I could tell just by reading through lines. It was too obvious for me she's an imperial princess, and that she shouldn't know all or most or none of her siblings (and the same with Ling).

Oh, and the AlMei is WORSE with the translation! Al allies with Scar FOR Mei! And behold Al, the ultimate EdWin shipper! XDDDD

Comments

[onijutsu.livejournal.com]

Amen to all the above, mwahaha some people can't face the shippy TRUTH >D

ED YOU ARE OUR LEADER! *bowworship*

[goodchristina.livejournal.com]

haha i knew they had to be realated, i mean really! i always go with zomgfta for a trans, i dont feel so bad now about ling accepting greed as i once did. call me stupid (or blissfully ignorant) but i didnt even know people were shipping ed/ling. i feel so behind in the fandom, though i would be perfectly fine if i had never discovered that v.v

[brigitanastasia.livejournal.com]

People are deliberately mistranslating in order to support their own ships?

This makes me very sad.

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

No. They do that so other ships that contradict them won't be so obvious.

Or they just really, really dislike Lan Fan.

[brigitanastasia.livejournal.com]

How can they dislike Lan Fan? Lan Fan pwns. Everyone always seems to be bitching about the lack of good female characters, yet Lan Fan gets ignored.

Damn. I need a Lan Fan icon now.

Please don't tell me the manga fandom is about to get it's first shipping war. I actually thought the manga fandom was saner than the anime fandom. And the saddest part is that Ling/Lan Fan doesn't even contradict Ling/Ed. Polyamourity is the norm for Ling, so Ed/Ling/Lan Fan would actually make more sense than Ling dumping her to be monogomous with Ed.

I'm bitter now. *sigh*

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

The thing is, I'm not sure *shrugs* I guess they see her as Riza. They don't bash her, or not too much (compared to Winry or anime!Rose), but most of them tend to ignore there's as much -or even more; I think it's waaaay more in manga, and the anime series ending was so... whoa- Royai subtext in canon as RoyEd. Therefore, they ignore Riza.

However, Lan Fan is even more ignored. I guess they do see her as his servant/maid, the one who's going to wash the bed sheets after Ling and Ed's hawt butsexxxxors, or a Ling groupie, and nothing more. I've never seen any shipper going "eww, Ling/Lan Fan" or "Lan Fan sucks! She should've died!" or anything.

Actually, all Xing characters but Ling are kinda ignored. Mei Chan not so much, though, since she has the comic relief factor and Scar bonding on her side. But Lan Fan or Fu? Wallflowers.

I've never seen shipping wars over Ling so far. And mind you, they already started to ship him with anyone hot with a penis. Ling/Ed is just more popular because they have a great friendship/rivalry going on.

About the threesome, I'm not sure she'd want to join it, lol. Or at least IC. She's too shy and jealous for that.

[brigitanastasia.livejournal.com]

I probably overreacted. I'm very protective of female characters.

As for the threesome thing, I can't see it happening, myself. It was just something I'm keeping in the back of my head to shut people up if the shipping wars do start. I've nver seen an OT3 that was logical, anyway.

[ariad.livejournal.com]

Where do I get chapter fifty-fiiiiiiiiiive? Please don't say IRC. Please don't.

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

fm_alchemist. You have to be a member since they're locked.

[ariad.livejournal.com]

Thank you!