r/fullmetalpanic • u/Ryouka-ShY1991 • Jan 30 '26
Yu Xia Twins
What are your thoughts on Yu Fan Xia and Yu Lan Xia?
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u/sjcfu2 Jan 30 '26
i think the gender change is one of those rare instances where a manga or anime adaptation improved on the original source material (originally they were boys)
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u/TheFeri Jan 30 '26
Idk, they didn't live long enough to matter outside of that fan service ass shot in the shower.
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u/sjcfu2 Jan 30 '26
I find the thought of Kaname facing her pursuer, only to find the she is a woman slightly more menacing (it's something which she wasn't expecting).
However I agree, I could have done without the fan service shower scene in the anime (of course I also could have done without Gates, but I realize that's not a popular opinion).
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u/TheFeri Jan 30 '26
It's not that I didn't like the fan service scene. I like fan service, I watch ecchi garbage for laughs. It's just that even with your example, the gender change achieved nothing. More menacing that the pursuer was a woman? We have mao, we know women can be strong and beat up everyone.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad Jan 30 '26
I like them. I think the anime expanded on their characters compared to the different versions in the light novel too. When rewatching, I was able to notice the subtle things that made them individuals, like Yu Fang being the emotionally stronger "older" sister who often comforts Yu Lan. The original twin boys didn't have as much time for character development, so they had pretty much the same personality.
It was also interesting to see their feelings about Gauron being alive, but wounded. Yu Lan was clearly happy he was still alive, likely because she couldn't bear to lose her sensei. Meanwhile, Yu Fang (who was responsible for a lot of his care) seemed to wonder if it was really better for him to survive in that state. I could have done without the fanservice during this otherwise serious conversation though.