Well, maybe he could be, but it would be very hard and could even come off as awkward. Why is this the case though? I'm going to talk all about this below. Also, I'm not writing this to be controversial, but to offer an analysis of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009-2010) from my own point of view. Enjoy!
So, if you've never seen Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, I highly recommend doing so asap. It's a very well-thought-out show that is based in a lot of principles of Western and Eastern philosophies. The two main characters, Edward and Alphonse, like many others in the world they live in, practice alchemy. Throughout the series, the two boys search for ways to get their bodies back after sacrificing themselves with alchemy to try to bring their deceased mother back from the grave. You'll find in the first few episodes of the series that the boys failed in their attempt to bring their mother back, resulting in Edward losing an arm and a leg and Alphonse losing his entire body; at that point, Alphonse is forced to cling on to life by way of having his soul alchemically bonded to a suit of armor. It might sound a little hard to follow on the outset, but if you give it a chance, I guarantee you'll quickly see that the show is a masterpiece.
On to my point about the show. So, the father of Ed and Alphonse Elric, Van Hohenheim, is a mysterious man who leaves his family behind to try and resolve a problem he believes is mostly his fault. And this problem is no small potatoes--it could cause the imminent demise of the entire world. As a result of this important obligation, Van Hohenheim is not there for his family, even when they need him most, because the world needs him to fix the issue he contributed to. This is a complex moral dilemma that causes some emotional damage for Van Hohenheim's children that made them feel abandoned. And, in all reality, they were. You have to ask yourself though: what would you have done if you were Hohenheim? Save the world, or be there for your family? Either way, you would be shirking one responsibility or the other, but obviously his family falls under the "saving the world" category as well.
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| "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog," by Caspar David Friedrich |
What's my point? Well, I was pondering the show after watching it a second time through, and I tried to see if all of the characters would work gender bent just for fun. Oddly enough, I discovered that Van Hoenheim, as executed, could not be a woman, while the other characters could be switched just fine. Why? I wasn't sure about it at first, but now I think I have an idea. First of all, Hoenheim's character was a wanderer, which women usually are not portrayed as. I mean, think about the most famous wanderer types you know of: Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, and that famous painting, "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog." In sum, I discovered that women are seldom ever in the role of the wanderer. Coincidentally, I took a class this past semester on diasporas in which I learned that men have historically moved about more often, while women only move to go from one permanent dwelling to the next. I.e. if a woman moves, it is not to explore opportunities or horizons, but to buckle down and take care of her estate. Interesting, right? This is wonderfully changing as time moves on, but is how things have been for quite some time.
In the case of Van Hoenheim, I try to imagine Ed and Alphonse's mom changing places with him, and it seems unusual. Why? It's hardly been done. Both in art an in real life. Also, I honestly think that a woman would bring her family with her, rather than leave them behind. That said, changing the gender of the wanderer type to female once in a while with the intent to alter the current culture surrounding art could be super interesting. Think about it: moms going out to save the world finally, while dads hold the fort (sort of like the new Incredibles movie, but to an even greater extent). This could be a real opportunity for art to take up moving forward, but there would have to be a few conditions. One would have to be that the woman is strong enough to hold her own--no male travel companions. It is essential that the wanderer, no matter the gender, travel long distances alone. This is not something women do very often in TV or movies. Generally, what I'd love to see moving forward is more women on the move with an agenda of their own, rather than following someone else's rules and decisions.
Well, I hope you've enjoyed this article! Let us know what you think in the comments below. Do you think Hohenheim could be a lady? Let us know below and explain why you think so.
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