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Awhile ago I was re-watching some of the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood episodes in French (specifically 54) to reference something else, I noticed that in 54, Mustang uses the "tu" form (the informal "you") when talking to Hawkeye after being persuaded against finishing off Envy, which seems a bit odd. From the episodes/chapters I've read in French, they seem to usually use the "vous" form (the formal "you").

Does this correspond to anything in the Japanese original, and if so, what does it correspond to?

I've seen some other unexpected usages of "tu" elsewhere, but they weren't with characters that I've seen enough of in the French version to be able to see if it was unusual for people to use the "tu" form with them (in the context of the text).

кяαzєя
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Maroon
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  • There are formal and informal uses of you both in the Japanese language and within the episode. What in particular do you find unusual or unexpected? – кяαzєя Nov 12 '13 at 01:14
  • The informal usage (I think) in Mustang's words to Hawkeye after he decides to not finish killing Envy - it seems (at least from the French) that they're usually on a more formal basis... – Maroon Nov 12 '13 at 01:24

1 Answers1

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When Mustang comments to Hawkeye that he made her do through something dreadful again, he uses "kimi."

Kimi is the subjective pronoun of "you" and is used informally, typically when talking to close friends, younger siblings, but not to parents, older relatives, superiors, etc.

Normally, they have a typical superior-subordinate relationship (noted by Hawkeye herself that Mustang doesn't call her "Riza" even when they're alone) where they talk to or address one another formally, but here Mustang is being frank with Hawkeye as a close friend rather than a subordinate.

кяαzєя
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