Fullmetal Alchemist Manga/Brotherhood Anime

I figure that since not all of us read the manga and I'll admit I haven't read it through in ages but have recently marathoned Brotherhood, we can start talking about it and just see where we go. Given that most of this group, as far as I know, really likes FMA in some incarnation at least, we should get a lot out of it. I have no objection to compare/contrast with the original series either. This might also be a bit of fun while we wait for Star of Milos to come out. I'll start with a few questions we can work off.

Maenos and I were discussing this one at some point, and he may be able to elaborate more, but how do you guys interpret that we saw multiple versions of the Gate of Truth, depending on who did the transmutation? The ones I remember for sure are that Ed and Al's gates looked similar, but I'm not sure if they were exactly the same, and Mustang's, which was different from theirs.

What are your thoughts on the different means of making a homunculus in the two series? I know we probably pounded this out in the message boards years ago, but I don't remember and haven't been there in ages, so it's worth bringing up again, with the manga ending this month in the States.

This will probably bring on some argument because of preference, but what about the two different endings? We can bring up Conqueror of Shamballa if you wish, though I don't care for it very much and haven't seen it in ages.

For now we can start here, feel free to bring up any other points that stick in your mind and see where this goes. I miss this kind of discussion, so let's bring it on!

Working!!

Sometimes all I need is a breath of fresh air when it comes to anime. As much as I love great dramatic stories with gorgeous animation, excellent voice acting, and flawless soundtracks, a zany comedy can break up the monotony (so to speak) and remind me why I enjoy anime in the first place.

Working!! is a comedy about a group of quirky people who work at a family restaurant together. There are only a few "normal" characters in this story, and they get next to zero screen time. This story is all about the eccentricities of this unlikely group of coworkers. The manager is only there for the food, which her chief-of-staff dotingly prepares for her each day all the while carrying around a katana. A waitress has severe androphobia and attacks any man that comes within range of her fist. An easygoing chef blackmails his coworkers so that they will do his work for him. And this is just the beginning.

Both seasons of Working!! (the second season is differentiated as Working'!!), comprised of 13 episodes each, are available on crunchyroll. If you need something to make you laugh, this is an anime for you.