Fullmetal Alchemist

This is an example of an anime I categorize as a "well rounded shonen". Even though it is indeed included in the genre of shonen, action, steampunk , drama, adventure, thriller etc. this anime encompassed those fields emerging as an anime masterpiece, not imprisoned in those areas' stereotypes. Story: 10 "You cannot gain anything without giving something in return. To obtain something, one must trade an equivalent value - that is the law of Alchemy and the law of the world." That simple concept of alchemy gave way to top-notch anime action, character conflicts and heart-wrenching questions. First of all, Full Metal Alchemist watchers will be excited with its shonen attributes mainly: "what will be their powers or fighting skills?","Who will be their enemy?" or "When will cooler characters come?". FMA is like that yet I was amazed on how this anime is stereotypical yet does not feel like that at all: It mixed "coolness" with heartwarming and thought-provoking drama and philosophical thoughts like "what is evil? It is science or religion?", "What makes us human?" when it is full of action packed and with some suspense. It portrayed the maturing of a boy as he encounters trials with his brother and how they sticked together as family as they repent for their sins. The story showed that sin does pay-and it can be very painful. It is the same with the sick world. Actions caused people to suffer and longing to get something unobtainable will make them lose more- alchemy as a tool of war and religion as an excuse for it. And even in those hard times, one will be touched by the presence of kindness within the characters. People have different lives but all they want to live; but all has a price to pay. Art: 9 The animation is very consistent, richly colored and vibrant. What I really liked about the characters are; because this anime only used realistic hair colors like blond or brunette, a lot of characters have them similar (Riza and Winry) yet they are still easily identifiable, characters are very distinct from each other. The places,clothing, car and cities' designs are based on the early 1900's, realistic and nicely detailed. The art of the transmutation circle are also worth appreciated and is very memorable. What I also loved in its art is the distortion of the female or" kind" image to show evil and abomination in a intriguing way. Sound:9 Opening themes rock and ending themes nice, appropriate and anticipated. Though the background themes are not very addictive, they give you the necessary mood; hatred, horror, military, farewells, happiness, mother etc. They are very Baroque/Romantic/Classical European with modern arrangements, therefore familiar and eerie at certain times. My favorite song in FMA, "Bratya" the image song of Ed and Al, and will surely warm your heart and will make you curious what the lyrics are. Character:9 FMA is one of the animes with a strong character both in its plot and characters.The story was well portrayed, both in its succession and foreshadowing; well portrayed that humorous scenes are funny and serious scenes are serious and ungoofy. It is also very age and gender-friendly and very redeeming indeed. The characters have well-composed personalities and developed that are quite "human" and unstereotypical. The story progresses with their interactions(that are unforced) as their dramas coincide with each others'. The main protagonist. Edward Elric has a strong character which is a very good asset to the series. He balances his tough guy and confident shonen image to his maturity and sensitivity to others' feelings. Enjoyment and Overall:10 No episode out of 50 is wasted in FMA, and every episode clearly show either story or character- it is really amazing. I really enjoyed watching this (watched it 3 times) and I really recommend this to all anime fans, this show should not be missed nor overlooked. This anime deserves its awards as one of the best. My only criticisms are; first there were tini-tiny overuse of flashbacks in some episodes and because it is very well rounded, it did not appeal to some anime fans preference; example, a fan likes drama and found that FMA lacked it or a fan likes action and many fight scenes and thinks that FMA wasn't cool enough. It's like a circle.

Of all of the anime out there, few are more controversial than FMA. Not only does FMA not follow the excellent source material, but it is likely the only series out there to make a great series almost entirely out of filler. As far as story goes, FMA is far from perfect. There are plot holes aplenty, and many disliked the second half of the series. That said, I still loved FMA's plot. Yes, it had all of the consistency of swiss cheese, but at least it was a particularly tasty piece of swiss cheese. There are many plot twists in the second half of the series, and you will amost certainly be kept guessing till the end. The true delight of FMA's plot comes with the philosophy and insight into the human condition that the series provides. At the end of the day, FMA isn't just a story about a pair of brothers, one a double amputee, the other a diesmbodied suit of armor, and their journey to fix their bodies, it is a story about understanding the reality of life and how one must embrace that reality if they are ever to obtain happiness. The best part about FMA as a whole is, hands down, its characters. Edward Elric makes for a ceaselessly entertaining and outstanding protagonist, and Alphonse Elric for an amazing deuteragonist. The story really shines with its antagonists too, each of them having their own personal vendetta's against the protagonists (especially Sloth). Lust's character development throughout the series is nothing short of true beauty, and Envy makes for one of the most threatening transvestites I've ever seen (having recently finished Hunter x Hutner, that means quite a lot too!). I'd also say that Envy is my favorite character in the series, he's just so entertaining every time he shows up on screen and his story in the end is fairly tragic. That isn't where the Fullmetal Awesomeness ends though. Bones really put everything they had into this series, and it shows. The art and OST are both phenomenal (Dante's Theme is especially riveting), and there is plenty of imagery that your not likely to forget, such as the splatter of a certain chimera on a wall or the look of horror on a characters' face as they realize that they've just killed someone with out any intention of doing so. Fullmetal Alchemist is a great series and a must watch for anybody who is interested in anime.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 3 years since my last review of Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso. Unlike other reviewers I don’t derive entertainment in taking out the piss on a show or its fan base. I could easily choose to write on how poor Citrus has been – spending hours intricately providing examples of how poor the dialogue has been, how stale the characters are, how forced the romance feels, and how nothing seems to naturally develop. I’ll leave this to the other reviewers who find such writing necessary. For me to write, I have to be genuinely motivated and/or inspired. That’s where I stand with Full Metal Alchemist. It’s very easy- not only as someone who watches and judges anime critically, but for anyone to suffer from a few unavoidable biases. I of course, am no exception to this standard. When reviewing people tend to suffer from what I describe as “recency bias.” We tend to over evaluate or under evaluate shows based on the emotional impact they left us – the last few episodes usually disproportionately weighing by far the most importance. Just look at “Erased” as a prime example of this. I’ve literally had prominent reviewers tell me the show was “as high as an 8” for them, up until the final few episodes, yet somehow managed to derive a score of 40%. Can an ending ever be so shocking as to literally cut a show’s score in half? Why do I speak all this and why does it relate to Fullmetal Alchemist? I’m sure some of you by now are asking this question and expecting an answer. What I’ve done here is set a foundation of my own thought process and questions. Fullmetal Alchemist remains one of the first anime I’ve ever seen, and one of the first anime I’ve given to the perfect 10 to. That being said it’s been over 9 years since I’ve watched its original 51 episode run. Context is so important when taking scores into account. Scores are always going to be relative to what else you’ve seen/experienced, either within the medium; or within different relatable entertainment mediums; be it literature, television, or even video games. Nine years ago I was a freshman at North Carolina State University, walking around campus wearing a custom made “I <3 Hillary Clinton” shirt and wielding the power of the keyboard as a social justice warrior. Needless to say, Nine years is a significant amount of time & accounts for more than 12% of the average human lifespan. Nine years later – and more importantly, One Thousand Eight Hundred anime later, is Full Metal Alchemist still the unmitigated masterpiece I originally perceived it to be? My unabated, unequivocal answer to that question is a resounding “YES.” What the original 51 episode run of Fullmetal Alchemist was able to achieve was always my baseline for what anime can achieve in a 4 cours run. For right or for wrong, when anime exceed 51 episodes my default is always to ask what was it able to achieve relative to the amount of time spent watching & instinctively contrast it back to FMA. It’s an unfair bar to set. Fullmetal Alchemist wastes not even a minute getting into meaningful, philosophical dialogue. Look at this exchange from episode one, between Edward & Rose, an adamant religious believer; Ed: “Water, 35 liters. Carbon, 20 kilograms. Ammonia, 4 liters. Lime, 1.5 kilograms. Phosphorous, 800 grams. Salt, 250 grams. Saltpeter, 100 grams. Sulfur, 80 grams. Fluorine, 7.5. Iron, 5. Silicon, 3 grams. And trace amounts of fifteen other elements.” “That is the material makeup of the average adult body if you were to calculate it. And even though science has given us the entire physical breakdown, there has never been a successful attempt at bringing a human to life. There's still something missing, something scientists haven't been able to find in centuries of research.” “Their efforts are more worthwhile than just praying and waiting around, wouldn’t you say?” “By the way all these ingredients can be bought at the market with the spare change a child might have.” “Humans can be made cheap, wouldn’t you say?” “Alchemists are scientists, so God is something ambiguous we don’t believe in” “It’s ironic since we’re the ones closest to God” Rose: “You’re not a God” Ed: “The sun isn’t a God either. It’s just a mass of hydrogen. If you get too close to the sun all you’ll do is burn up.” Ed challenges her beliefs on religion and prayer, proclaiming that science/alchemy is the most effective way to find a solution to life’s troubles. He lists one by one the chemical composition of the human being but confesses that something remains missing, something even scientists have not been able to comprehend – despite centuries of research. Ed compares alchemists’ ability to “transmute” as being the closest to God, yet God being too ambiguous to have faith in. When confronted with the reality that he is not a God, Ed references the sun’s chemical composition as just “a mass of hydrogen” and when you get to close to the Sun (aka God) all you do is burn up. This is brilliant directing and is a direct allusion to Icarus of Greek mythology who infamously flew too close to the sun, and paid the ultimate price. Ed is subtly warning Rose of the dangers and pain facing her by too blindly believing in her faith, and rejecting the reality surrounding her. Nothing is wasted in Fullmetal alchemist- neither a scene, a character, a plot point, nor any dialogue. Everything connects back to the centrifugal plot points of Fullmetal Alchemist, the theme of equivalent exchange, alchemy, and Ed & Al’s journey to correct the mistakes of their past. Let’s talk about the homunculi – the seven deadly sins, and how brilliant this concept was derived in the original series. This ties back to one of the shows central points about humans and their desire to play God. Either through alchemy, through obtaining immortality, or by the cardinal sin- bringing the dead back from the grave. Tampering with life- either by taking it, or attempting to resurrect has been considered a cardinal sin of humans since time immemorial. It’s no coincidence that as a result of this grave sin, the homunculi are unintentionally created, befittingly taking on the name of Roman Catholicism’s seven deadly sins. Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Pride, Lust, Wrath, Sloth. Each homunculi is credited with playing an important role in the plot, and each plays true to their name derivative. Envy is constantly envious of Ed, of Hoenheim’s desertion of He & Dante – and being Dante’s birthright son, is aware of Dante’s manipulation of the homunculi. Envy doesn’t care if he is human; he doesn’t care if he is homunculus. He openly admits this and states that he is rooting for the destruction of mankind. Lust is the failed human transmutation of Scar’s brother’s fiancée. Initially portrayed as cold hearted, Lust’s one desire is to become human and die human. She’s the first of the homunculi to express any level of humanity, and is even willing to betray Dante to achieve this, blindly putting her faith in Ed absent of any promises. In the end Lust ultimately receives her desire, and perishes. Greed’s role is not to be understated either. In his fight with Ed, he teaches Ed two invaluable lessons. One is the lesson to kill. Without the will and ability to fight with an intent to kill, Ed would never be successful in stopping Dante’s agenda. In not only teaching Ed how to kill, he teaches Ed the mortal weakness of the homunculi. Sloth played the role of being the failed human transmutation of Ed/Al’s mom, Fuhrer Bradley (Pride’s) personal secretary, and acted as a “mother” figure to the other homunculi, specifically Wrath, who was the failed transmutation Izumi. Speaking of Pride, staying true to his name, Pride was Dante’s most prideful creation, and represented the ability to show aging, an unprecedented trait among the homunculi. Fullmetal alchemist was seamless in its ability to incorporate so many different themes – be they religious, secular or philosophical into one series and no…

Has someone ever told you to watch an anime that’s really popular? Has everyone said that anime is the best thing since sliced bread, and then you watch it, thinking that it didn’t live up to its immense hype? This is when we use the cursed word, “overrated”. This has happened to me on multiple occasions. In fact, I’ve done that to friends in the past. Going into Full Metal Alchemist (FMA), I was afraid that these same chain events would occur. Did it live up to its hype? Or is it also overrated? -Story & Characters- The story revolves around the journey of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse (Al) Elric. The beginning of the first episode shows the two of them as children using the common art of alchemy to do something (Later explained), however, a horrible accident occurs, and Edward is severely injured and loses his right arm and his left leg, and Al is killed. In order to prevent his soul from departing, Edward uses alchemy to transfer Al’s soul into a giant suit of armor. After this scene, an unexplained time skip occurs, and the two of them are now in a desert city trying to track down an ancient artifact known as the Philosopher’s Stone, which grants its user the ability to use alchemy without equivalent exchange, so that they can get their bodies back to normal. Equivalent exchange is the first principle when using alchemy, that in order to obtain, something of equal value must be lost. The art of alchemy can only be performed by drawing what’s known as a Transmutation Circle, however, Edward is special, as he doesn’t need one, and can perform alchemy by simply clapping his hands together. After the incident during the show’s bloody opening, Edward now has mechanical prosthetics to replace his lost limbs, and Al, as stated before, is now nothing more than an empty suit of armor. As the show goes on, the story will gradually evolve from a simple chase into government conspiracies, betrayals, and other such things. The story is easily the highlight of the whole experience, as it features many twists and turns, and while there was one plot twist in particular that I saw coming from a mile away, the rest of them really took me by surprise. The show is also surprisingly dark a lot of the time. There are serial killings, suicides, children getting murdered, people getting ripped apart limb from limb, tons of blood and gore, and other chilling events. While the show has a very good dose of comedy and silliness, it’s definitely more serious than it is comical. Although this leads me to my main issue with the story: The comedy, at times, can be too much. Don’t get me wrong, there are tons of laugh-out-loud moments in it (The attempted delivery of a baby, one of the characters giving a huge speech as to why he loves dogs, etc.), but a lot of it either feels over-the-top or completely inappropriate. On more than one occasion, there will be a serious scene, only to be completely ruined by something goofy. For instance, Edward and Al are having a serious talk in one of the early episodes, and Edward was about to reveal something to Al, only to have another character (Who is the comic relief character) barge into the room, revealing his rippling muscles. It’s things like this that break the immersion from what is otherwise and fantastic and emotional tale about two brothers and their harsh journey together. Which leads me to the characters: FMA’s cast is incredibly endearing. Edward and Al are very close to each other and will put their lives on the line if means helping the other. I was able to relate to the two of them, mainly since I also have a younger brother, and it felt like I was watching him and I on screen. Edward will sometimes be in a conflict with someone, and if that person, regardless of how shady they may be, mentions something about bringing Al’s body back to normal, Edward will blindly put his full trust in them. Even when the two of them butt heads with one another, they always end up regretting their conflicts, and eventually come to an agreement. However, the cast isn’t simply limited to Edward and Al, as the rest of the cast is equally as interesting. Winrey, their childhood friend, is a total geek, and loves to tinker with machinery (And was also the one who made Edward’s prosthetics), and Roy Mustang, Edwards superior in the military, appears stern and serious on the outside, but is actually a total goofball. The antagonists are equally as interesting, such as the group of characters that are named after the seven deadly sins and a man named Scar. The cast is very diverse, and it’s hard not to fall in love with all of them. With tons of intense, graphic, and emotional moments, mixed in with some silliness, the story is easily this anime’s brightest shining star. -Visuals & Sound- Despite coming out over a decade ago, Studio Bones delivered in the visual department. The character designs, their animations, the backgrounds, and the action scenes all look great. While it doesn’t match up to today’s standards, it is still very solid. The dub is absolutely fantastic. If you’re a follower of mine, you’ll know that I vastly prefer to watch anime in the language that I understand, and FMA does not disappoint. Vic Mignogna nails Edward perfectly, and there are some other big name voice actors that share their talents here, such as Laura Bailey and Luci Christian. For the most part, I didn’t recognize most of these voice actors, but I can say that they fit their respective roles perfectly. The soundtrack is also very strong. Despite it consisting mainly of fully orchestrated tracks, it’s surprisingly diverse, and no two songs sound the same. There are also a few piano pieces, and even one particularly haunting vocal track. The anime also features four openings, however, I only liked the first one and didn’t care for the rest of them. -Conclusion- At the time of this review, FMA is easily my favorite anime of all time. Yes, there are tons of other great anime out there that I haven’t yet watched, so the odds of this being topped are incredibly high, but for the time being, this one is my absolute favorite. I’ve heard that Brotherhood is better, but I have yet to watch it, so I can’t comment. However, FMA is still an instant classic, and it certainly lives up to its legacy. If you haven’t yet, watch this wonderful anime, it’s an absolute must-watch. +Gripping, emotional story, filled with twists and turns +Amazing cast of characters +Funny +Solid visuals +Top-notch dub +Epic action scenes +Beautiful soundtrack -Humor is sometimes injected at inappropriate times Final score: 10/10

There was a period starting around 2003, when there was only one anime that was on everyone's lips. Nothing had made such a big stir since "Cowboy Bebop" half a decade earlier (excluding mass marketed joke anime such as "Pokemon"), and it would be a few years before there would be anything else that made such a big splash again ("Death Note"). That anime is, of course "Fullmetal Alchemist". And for an anime with such a big reputation, the first question that always comes to mind is: does it live up to the hype? In my opinion, it's an emphatic YES. It's no secret that I dislike anime humour in general, but I took an immediate liking to "Fullmetal Alchemist" despite it containing an abundance of exactly the kind of over the top humour that I hate. It caught my attention straight from the word go with its powerful statement about equivalent trade in the opening credits: "People cannot gain anything without sacrificing something. You must present something of equal value in order to gain something". It's the kind of statement that strongly suggests that interesting things lies in store and it's going to be an emotional rollercoaster of a show where sacrifices often has to me made. I found the first couple of episodes to be very promising, with the chemistry between the Elric brothers and their admirable determination to reach their goal especially inspiring. One of the defining moments is when Edward Elric (who is the main character) tells a girl who is wallowing in self pity and despair to get up and walk forwards, pointing out that she still has her legs at least. This may not sound like much, but when you consider that it's advice from someone who doesn't have all of his own limbs but who is still moving forward without complaint, then it suddenly gains a considerable amount of potency. However, after this intriguing opening, "Fullmetal Alchemist" made me wait quite a few episodes before showing me something special. And that special something is episode 7: "The Night the Chimera Cried". It's a shockingly dark episode, and despite the lack of extreme graphical violence or anything like that, it manages to be one of the most vividly disturbing episodes I can remember seeing. It's an episode that gives a brief glimpse of the vast ambitions of the show, and I honestly think it's up there as one of the best single episodes of anime ever. However, this fantastic episode is followed by a few more fairly ordinary episodes (these episodes are good, they just ain't special) before things starts to pick up again, and luckily this time it doesn't stop. Twists and turns seem to appear in every episode, and it really is gripping, edge of the seat stuff throughout. I think some of the twists would have surprised me more if I didn't have this friend (who'd already seen it) who kept dropping spoilers at me. My point is that even though I enjoyed it immensely, I probably could have enjoyed it even more, which is a huge achievement in itself. As much as I was drawn in by the plot, I have to say that it's not as tight as it could have been. Allegedly, the anime went on its own track in the second half of the series, but it often "borrowed" explanations from the source manga, so the story ended up as a weird hybrid of the two. Not surprisingly, this resulted in some cracks in the plot that aren't filled in. Googling for answers after I'd watched it didn't help as I mostly found more questions that hadn't even occurred to me before. The plot development towards the end of the series regarding the other side of the gate also feels a bit weird, like it doesn't mix very well with the rest of the plot. That said, the good parts are so good that it's still one of the most awesome storylines around even taking into account the flaws. Most of the story execution is simply sublime, and it also contains some extremely powerful death moments, so I recommend you prepare some tissues beforehand in case of waterworks. I feel the need to comment on the jpop/jrock opening and ending themes used in "Fullmetal Alchemist", because despite having like a trillion different ones, most of them are pretty bad, and comes with awful WTF-worthy lyrics such as "Ready Steady give me good luck! Ready Steady never look back!" With these crap OP/ED themes marring the music credentials of this series, it's a good job that the rest of the sound department is actually pretty solid. The voice acting is of a very high standard, with the performances really shining through in the climatic scenes. The OST may have very few stella tracks, but the they way they are utilised for the background music is really effective. There is one track that does stand out, and it's a song called "Brothers" (it's sung in Russian I think, but it's worth googling for the lyrics because they're so poignant and so closely related to the series). In many ways this song can be regarded as the theme representative of the series. Not only is it played in various forms throughout (often during the most emotional moments), but it's also a song that highlights the central aspect of the show - the relationship between the two protagonists, the Elric brothers. Seeing the two of them argue, seeing them fight side by side, and seeing them willing to sacrifice so much for each... it's a truly beautiful, touching sibling relationship. "Fullmetal Alchemist" has a wonderful set of supporting characters too. Maes Hughes is a prime example. Though most of the time he acts like a jackass, when things gets serious, he's as sharp as knives and reliable as a rock, and he's a character who is really easy to warm to. Even the villains of "Fullmetal Alchemist" are memorable and many are even likeable. The pick of the bunch is Lust, who undergoes tons of character development and through this becomes the kind of villain who can really hijack your sympathies. The Character designs themselves are simplistic but very distinctive in style and therefore very recognisable. The artwork looks nice and clean in general and the special effects used for alchemy is great to watch. Like I said before, I'm not a fan of anime comedy in general. Although I was little put off by the comedy at the start of "Fullmetal Alchemist", as the series got more and more dark and intense, I can't help but feel the comedy works quite well as comic relief. Having said that, it isn't always appropriately timed. I tend to find that the comedy situations that leads into a serious one work out quite well, but the reverse isn't so good, with the comedy often end up ruining the mood of the serious situation that came before. Ultimately, there's a lot more to "Fullmetal Alchemist" than what meets the eye. The escalating chaos in brought about by the Elric brothers through their good intentions and the oppression of Ishbal paints up some surprisingly bleak and complex political dilemmas. And also, the core values at the heart of the equivalence trade principle are thought provoking and are morals that can be easily be applied beyond the scope of the anime. These are just some of the things that gives "Fullmetal Alchemist" a layer of depth and maturity that transcends its shounen label. And this is why, even though its extraordinary success owes a lot to the weight of the huge marketing campaign thrown behind it, I think the hype is completely justified. It's a show that has deservedly earned its place amongst the all time greats.

I'm not short! I just live in a big world! - Edward Elric I'll start my review by writing this quote and this will be my very first review. FMA is a very popular series and a lot of people have already reviewed it so I highly doubt that my review will even standout but it’s nice to express your point of view once in a while. [Story] - [7/10] Plot and pacing [3.5/4] - FMA had an extremely well thought plot. The staring was great and made me want to watch more and more out of it. I have always been keen of a sad or dark past and FMA does it really well. Middle part [2.5/3] - There were pretty nice character developments which I really like about the show. The story didn't get boring and kept its quality almost till the end by introducing new characters but not all the way through. [1/3] The ending was in my opinion kind of disappointing and was very unFMA like. I think I was expecting too much out of the ending because in my opinion conclusion is just as important as the staring. [Art and animation] - [7/10] Animation [3.5/5] Artwork [3.5/5] The art was.... fine to some extent but like any other old anime it was not very good. It wasn't something interesting and the animation was also not something very impressive. The quality and the character designs were fine but in all honesty the show could have been more interesting if the sceneries were a bit more colorful. Things like magic power effects were a bit too dull but overall the art was watchable and good at some parts as it was smooth. [Sound] - [8.5/10] CV [2/3] OPs and Edgings [3.5/4] OSTs [3/3] Most of the OP's and Endings were pretty likable and one of the OST's is actually one of my favorite. The voice actors did a fine job but I am still a bit unsure about Alphonses voice, sounds a bit too girlish as well as childish. Other than that everything relating to sound was pretty enjoyable and suited to the theme of the anime. [Character] - [9/10] Now this is the thing that I think made the anime so interesting. Even the antagonists were likable and there was hardly any character that I resented except Tucker ofcource. I was able to imagine myself as Ed since the beginning and each and every character was unique in his own sense. The characters are strongest point in FMA and I could certainly see why. As I mentioned before, there was a lot of room for character development throughout the show and helped the show keep its charm. [Enjoyment] - [8.5/10] Despite the ending, I found FMA very enjoyable and it took me just 4 days to complete the 51 episodes. The fights were descent and weren't like your typical shounen fights where the characters destroys everything thing other than their opponents. There were not many boring episodes. The background sound and new sceneries made the show much more interesting and I never thought that I was wasting my time on it or any sort of regrets. [Overall] - [8/10] Overall the anime was really good. It could've easily been a 9 if it had a better conclusion or better art. Nevertheless it was pretty enjoyable and I would easily recommend it to anyone who hasn't watched it yet. The story teaches you some important lessons so you better not do something that you are not told to do, otherwise the outcome can be costly.

Like everybody else in the United States with access to basic cable, I had seen bits and pieces of this show out-of-order on [adult swim], and had picked up most of the story through osmosis just by being involved in anime fandom. Maybe that is why I felt as though I could put off a total watch-through for so long. There were three shows that, for most of my high school career, everybody was obsessed with: Naruto, Bleach, and Fullmetal Alchemist. I'm none-too-fond of Naruto, and Bleach is fun but not a favorite, but FMA had always intrigued me. I remember seeing it available through fansub when it was still running in Japan, and wanting very badly to see it--it reminded me of Folken from Escaflowne, my current obsession, who was a sorcerer/alchemist with a metal arm, and I'm obsessed with arcane sciences and magics--but, alas, for whatever reason, I never got around to it. And here I am, a junior in university, finally having sat down and watched all 51 episodes in order. Whatever. That's neither here nor there. I do not give out 10's lightly. I give out a lot of 9's, even 8's, but 10's are the shows that work their way under my skin, tug at my chest, and express so beautifully the things we already know deep down, but could not put to words, or consciously conceptualize. Fullmetal Alchemist is a singular show in that regard. It is a singularly imaginative, beautifully-written masterpiece on par with the greatest works of literature. Some of the political commentary feels a little heavy-handed, but then again, when does it not? The oppressive, violent military is not portrayed as a singular body of "AMERICA FUCK YEAH" heathens, but a diverse body of human beings with individual motives, value judgments, and sacrifices. The Ishbal people are not portrayed as selfless martyrs--usually, the oppressed people have to be perfect to garner any sympathy, but in this case, they are flawed humans as much as anybody else. Ultimately, the show does not make any black-and-white assertions of right-and-wrong, truth-and-myth. Everything is still shades of gray when all is said and done. The only conclusion that can be made, as Al so beautifully states, is that there is no one law that governs the world--it's too complicated and flawed. Life is unfair and sacrifice does not guarantee gain. And yet, the power of determination is not undermined. It is not wholly pessimistic nor wholly optimistic. That would be too simple. That would be too clean. Life is not like that. This is one of those shows I feel I can recommend to anybody. It is universal, it is powerful, and it is not dogmatic in a way that would turn off somebody who does not agree with that central dogma. It represents fundamentalist religious activists and atheist scientists with equal humanity and flaw. Ultimately, nobody is shown to be in possession of the one, and only, truth.

The tragedy of Icarus, so artistically applied in this series, comes to mind whenever I think of" Fullmetal Alchemist". A series that broke away from the original story, and generated an eclipsing fan base, only to be smacked down by the steady hand of reality. You might hate me for saying this, but allow me to justify myself. Story: 6/10 What might have been...the story was great, initially. It sought to take a story that was still in development, change it, and make something new out of it, in other words Alchemy! It is intriguing, inquisitive, full of great action, while not failing to lose track of it's philosophical motive of being... for the most part. Unfortunately this story has the same failing as "the Matrix" trilogy. The dilemma in the Matrix was if you know one world to be reality, then suddenly, that reality is pulled out from under your feet and you find a new reality, how can you ever be sure you are truly experiencing reality, since you couldn't tell before. Of course they were completely unable to answer such a question so they shifted to pure action and romance... The same thing happened with FMA. They asked What is Alchemy if the law of equivalent exchange can be bent, or even broken! Then similarly could not answer such a question so they shifted to pure action and romance. The dilemma they proposed began to eat away at what was left of their plot, and there you have it, the tragedy of Icarus. Art: 10/10 Outstanding art. The story truly bothered me but that didn't stop me from loving the animation and wonderful (especially considering the time) effects. The characters are well made and backgrounds are not at all constant. Sound: 10/10 Both subbed and dubbed voices are good, I enjoyed the dubbed better. The Openings are both very enjoyable. The endings are so-so, but they make up for that with special endings. Such as plot changing events having their own special endings, very well done. The sound track is perfect for the series and fits everything well. Character: 8/10 The brothers are done perfectly, splendid job on them. Winry and The old lady are done great as well. My problem lies with the Homunculi, their entire reason for bearing the name they do is cut out of the series, not to mention sloth is non existent, replaced by a homunculus who is definitely not slothful...7 sins remember, not 6. I don't mind them being changed around a bit, but I wish it was a bit more coherent. Another issue I have is Primary supports seem to simply disappear, and reappear whenever it seems most convenient, without even a plot device. What i really did appreciate in this series is the role of villain is spread far and wide, which is difficult to do, but they pulled it off well. Enjoyment: 9/10 Despite all of the plot holes I really did enjoy watching this series. and admittedly I didn't see them until I watched Brotherhood. So despite all this criticism, it definitely is worth a watch if you like shonen, and are into science, a little. The majors like me should stay away, you'll end up picking out flaws like this and ruin the series for yourself. Truly a tragedy of a series...but know that I've graded it much harsher than I normally would, because of it's undeserved (in my opinion) rise to fame.

"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the greatest animes ever and for good reason. However, here's what bothers me the most. I've seen all of the first anime and I have seen all of Brotherhood. I love both equally but I hate the fact that Brotherhood exist. Meaning I hate the fact that Brotherhood has to overshadow the first anime as the first anime did some things WAAAAAY better than Brotherhood even with everyone on Myanimelist giving Brotherhood high ratings. Art: Fullmetal Alchemist is just beautiful. Studio Bones really knows how to make things detailed and distinctive. Every single waking scene is filled with life and color. Even with the grimmest locations like in the middle of a desert, the serious inside of a military, or even at night in the pouring rain, there are so many little details that should be appreciated here. Even better, no one truly is a carbon copy of each other, they are all different and their uniqueness adds to their personality. Truly of work of art as far as animes go and I love every moment. Also, one thing that the first FMA anime has that Brotherhood doesn't have was that in first anime the characters have the absolute most terrifying faces when a shocking situation emoting the fear in their eyes sending chills down the spine. Sound: This is what Brotherhood should've at least kept: The excellent score. I remember the score of the first FMA more than I remember the score of the Brotherhood. Granted, I do think the openings and endings are better in Brotherhood, but the score in Brotherhood was not that all memorable. There are times in FMA where the score would have string instruments to show beauty of one scene then switch to a more cheerful piece to signify more comedic relief. It comes in at the right time and knows how to set the mood. The sound design is also great with one of the most memorable sound effects in anime, the sound of Alchemy. On to the voice tracks, if you read my reviews you know that I watch shows dubbed and FMA is no exception in fact to all you weeaboos who think dubs suck should watch FMA's dub. We all know that Vic Mignogna is legendary as Edward Elric. A little criticism for Vic is that while I do love him in every role he does small or big, he probably has the most narrow vocal range because you just know it's him every time. Though as Edward, he fits the role well being serious when he needs to and breaking out into one of his memorable Edward rants. We all know Vic, but there are so many other notable roles here. Laura Bailey, providing her sexiest performance as well Lust, Travis Willingham and Colleen Clinkenbeard as Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye, respectively, Aaron Dimuske, before the voice maturation as Alphonse, Christopher Sabat as the oh so lovable Major Alex Louis Armstrong and even Johnny Yong Bosch makes an appearance in one episode if you could believe it. Got to watch this show dub, it is excellent plus it makes sense being all these characters have english names. Story and Characters: Before I get to talking about how this show compares to Brotherhood let me just say something about FMA in general. FMA is one of the most emotional and powerful stories ever. It is a triumphant tale of two brothers, their big mistake, and their journey to return to the way things are. On this journey, they gain and lose friends, overcome obstacles, and make the best out of every situation even if there are disadvantages. The other thing about FMA that even my other top animes don't have: THERE ARE NO CHARACTERS IN FMA THAT I HATE NOR FORGET! Every character large and small is memorable, all of them have personalities, all of them have their moments, and all of them are just the greatest characters. Even Shou Tucker, the character that people hate the most in FMA I don't happen to mind because at least he is interesting because the sick act that he has done. FMA truly is unbelievable and I love it. We all know why people don't like this first anime that much. It is because halfway through the series, it strays away from the manga to an ending that while not completely ridiculous, is a little out of the blue. Now I am going to say something that you all have to think about: FMA Brotherhood has a better story, but the first anime told it's story better. I'm dead serious. Brotherhood I felt was a story on steroids with things going at a faster pace which is great. Here's what I like about the first FMA. Some characters are around longer and have more significance to the plot which I like a lot better. Brotherhood is dark but the first anime is even darker. I feel the Homunculi are more evil and nihilistic. There were more conflicting and somewhat psychological situations between characters. I think the show conveys more atmosphere and gives the audience much more time to breathe and enjoy the scenario. Unlike Brotherhood which I feel everything is rushed, plot threads gets solved faster, and things are all happening at once. Brotherhood, however, is the much better story and is how the original creator intended but then again she was satisfied with the direction the story of the first anime went and to tell you the truth I really think the first anime is somewhat superior. Yes, the ending the was a little random and the fact that it continued in a movie that while not entirely bad was absolutely pointless. Seriously though the first FMA anime is excellent on it's own and I really wish that people didn't write it off at all. Enjoyment: FMA is an emotional roller coaster. It makes you laugh, cry, cheer, and even can get pretty scary at times. After you watch one episode, all you want to do is move on the next one. Even when I go back to revisit an episode I am tempted to watch the whole show again because I forget so many things and remember the reasons why I love this show so much. Overall: If you haven't watched this show, or really loved Brotherhood, then get to it. This is one of my top 5 animes of all time and even I who hasn't watched it second time through yet can safely say that you will not forget this anime. I don't care if it doesn't follow the manga. I agree the story of the manga and Brotherhood is way better but the first anime has it's own story and it is presented so much better than Brotherhood. Don't pass this up please. Now If you'll excuse me I have to study my alchemy.

Alchemy has advanced the world. People have learned much from it's endless possibilities. To perform alchemy, to transmute, one must understand, decompose, and reconstruct and object into another object with the same mass. Human transmutation, the forbidden alchemy, is when an alchemist attempts to revive the dead. This has always failed, and the result is something that is not human, that has its own unique ability. This creation is called a Homunculus. Human transmutation is only possible with a legendary artifact called the Philosopher's Stone. The Stone allows for bypassing the Principal of Equivalent Trade, meaning an alchemist can perform any kind of alchemy without having to use the Principal, allowing for limitless possibilities. Central City, the home of the State Alchemists, the dogs of the military, has proclaimed that human transmutation is illegal, and anyone who performs such crimes will be sentenced to death. The Elric Brothers are one such pair who tried to use human transmutation to revive their mother....They failed. Alphonse, the younger brother was sealed inside a suit of armor and Edward, the older brother, lost his arm and leg. Now, nearly 6 years later, the brothers are on a quest to get their old bodies back. They will stop at nothing to return themselves to who they once were. Join their adventure as they travel around the country in search of the Philosopher's Stone. Along the way, you'll meet an incredible cast of characters and be awe-inspired by the wonders, and horrors, of alchemy. Full Metal Alchemist is the perfect combination of action, comedy, adventure, and suspense, as the Elric Brothers not only find out the truth of the Philosopher's Stone, but also the truth behind a forgotten war and the military's crimes. You'll be laughing, crying, and gaping in wonder as the brothers face danger after danger to fulfill their dream, and witness the horrors and atrocities of the sins of mankind. Watch Full Metal Alchemist today and discover the power of magi-science!

This anime is the shit. If you watch anime, you need to watch this, your life is not complete until you haven't watched this. Where do I begin, this anime is pure perfection. It has a world-class sci-fi story that anyone can love. The characters are very likable, and each character adds so much to the story. This anime really brings lots of food for thought on life and so much more. The story starts with two brothers named Edward and Alphonse Elric. Their mother has recently passed and their father has gone away for unknown reasons. Left alone, the two try to bring their mom back using this anime's form of alchemy. In this anime, alchemist can use transmutation circles to transmute and shape the molecular and physical structure of materials around them for there own needs, but one taboo of alchemy is Human Transmutation, or resurrection. When the boys try to resurrect there mom, Alphonse loses his entire body and Edward loses one of him legs. In order to get at least Alphonse's soul back, Edward quickly uses alchemy for the task, in doing so loses 1 arm. With Alphonse's soul, he fuses it to a suit of armour making Alphonse one walking-talking Tin Can! Edward and Alphonse set out on an adventure to find the philosopher's stone in order to get their bodies back to their original states. This anime is fucken amazing, and a must watch. If you have never watched anime before, this show is a great one to start with and will instantly get you hooked!

Basically, this series has something that other series should model after, which is greatness. it's by-far my favorite show and anime because of its story, character development, and idealistic concepts. People who are not anime fans like this show because it is so well-developed and has a deep storyline. Overall, it's easily 10/10 without playing favoritism.

In 2001, I began reading the manga series "Fullmetal Alchemist". Over the span of about two years, I fell in love with the characters, plot, setting, and artwork. Within those two years, I began thinking of the possibilities of an anime adaptation, my favorite characters being animated and given their own voices. And then, to my extreme delight, it was to be adapted into an anime. At first, despite my happiness, I was worries about the changes that would, undoubtedly, befall the link between the FMA manga and the FMA anime. I knew from experience that there would be plot changes (after all, the manga was no where near being completed when the anime began), personality changes, and, perhaps, even name changes. However, I was in for a surprise. The FMA anime is, just as its manga counterpart, one of the most well-developed and interesting series I've ever watched. Despite being more familiar with the manga's plot, the anime's plot is just as amazing. The characters, despite changes in their personalities, are brilliant, and the setting is amazing. The animation, specifically fights and the movie, is beautiful. The music is simply amazing, and the voices chosen for both the Japanese and English version fit the characters perfectly. BONES (and, later, FUNimation) did this series justice. I highly recommend this series!

I can’t believe the majority of people will not watch this masterpiece just because « It does not follow the manga ». Seriously, it’s my favorite anime alongside Brotherhood ! The story does not follow the manga in its second half but it offers some good alternatives ! The origins of the homonculi is different than the original and it’s GOOD, the ost is beautiful, especially Bratja, the pace is slower but for developing the characters the tone is way much darker and the ending is bittersweet. If Brotherhood is centered around battles, 2003 centers around the characters. For example, Edward and Alphonse have much more small moments that makes feel them like people that live outside the main story. Overall, you will sure enjoy this version if you like darker stories :)

I am shocked not to find this ranked in the top ten. I am really shocked. This beats Naruto, Death Note, Bleach, and many others above it. Story Simple and Juicy. Unlike animes like Naruto or bleach, nothing here is forced out. It has GREAT flow. I love how it flows. Not fast not slow and honestly, just start anywhere in the first ten episodes and you understand. The story is very touching and thoughtful. I really enjoyed the end, although i hated it had to end. The author really put her heart into this series. The anime is VERY different from the Manga, but she still told the studio what to do and how to do it. She really pulled it off. Art The art is amazing. I really liked every design of every character and even the symbols and items have much thought. I really love the cities and the backgrounds too. FMA really has it's own world Sound Some of it I didn't like. The sounds of alchemy were ALWAYS the same and explosions were to. But I would have to say, the fun FXs like in the episodes where it was all fun, they were silly and fit the mood. I loved those =D Characters I love each and every one of them. The designs, personalities, and their clothing always suited them. Maes Hughes was one of my favorites, you rarely see characters like him. Roy was interesting and thought out. He had great alchemy and his personality really suited the way he was drawn. Edward really struck me as what he was, brave, thoughtful, smart and heroic. He is still one of my favorite characters in anime. Alphonse is great too. The armor outside makes you think, "O_O ROBOT!" but after you really see him and hear him speak, he is nice and thoughtful. All the characters were great and contributed in their own way. Overall, definitely should e in the top ten. All the others are Hype. To me, this anime will never get old. It will be a classic forever and I have a feeling someday, 30 years from now, people will still be watching it. Like Scooby-Doo, only much better.

Another botched adaptation—it’s a waste of time to even watch it. I just don’t get people who say there’s something more to be found in this adaptation when it doesn’t stick to the source material at all, but I get that most of them haven’t even read it and just watched the anime. Out of a total of 51 episodes, only 21 stick to the manga (1-3, 5-7, 9, 13–15, 17–20, 23, 25–28, 33–34), of which 3 episodes (4, 10, 37) are filler, and the remaining episodes (8, 11–12, 16, 21–22, 24, 29–32, 35-36, 38-51) are the studio’s own figments of imagination. Personally, I only watched the 21 episodes that stick to the manga (vols. 1-7), though I’d say they’re a mix of both the manga and the studio’s own figments of imagination, designed to tie into their own storylines, so I mostly skipped half of it, which frustrated me while watching and further confirmed just how bad this first adaptation is, since they weren’t afraid to skip entire chapters. Personally, I recommend reading the manga first and then, at your own risk, watching this anime. I’ll see how the 2009 remake holds up. The only thing I like about this anime—and really, about any anime from that era—is the artwork and animation, and the 4:3 aspect ratio, which always warms my heart whenever I see it.

This is the first time I am writing my review on one of the animes I watched. FMA was the very first anime I watched (I had watched many before this too, but those were just casual viewing), and thus holds a special place in my heart. I therefore decided to review it the very first. I will try to keep it as low on spoilers as I can, but it might contain a few here and there, so be warned, thought I won’t discuss about any major turn-around event, so rest be assured. And I will score the anime again in 10 different aspects. Concept: 9.7 Beginning with the concept, the show had a really brilliant and rather unique concept to start with, which is the Alchemy of course, and through it, introduced more like the concept of Homunculus, the Truth etc. The series never deviated from this base, and throughout, the concept was well brought out and nicely laid down. There were hardly any contradicting theories told, or rarely was there any exceptions to the original concept introduced to explain certain events. I didn’t give it ten because the concept of Parallel Dimensions was also there, and while it was a good thing in its own, it certainly didn’t hold out much. Storyline: 9.8 The storyline gets a huge score, because from the beginning till the end, it kept its originality. Midway through the series, the story deviates from the original manga, but still the ending was equally acceptable and justified. There were no gaps, and all the events were explained well enough, and everything seemed perfectly connected in a flow. Characters: 10 Truly speaking, the characters in the series were the main reason for the show’s huge fandom. Not just the lead characters, but even the villains of the series were well thought of, and each had their own back stories and purpose of what they wanted to achieve. Every relevant character in the series was given so much depth, that after a certain time, they all seemed so much connected with us, that any tragedies happening shocked us emotionally. From the Elric brothers, Maes Hughes, upto Riza Hawkeye, and all the way till Lust and Wrath, you are going to love each and every character. Tragedies: 9.6 Speaking of tragedies like deaths and loss, then this anime had its fair share of tragedies. In fact, it had few of the most sudden and unexpected deaths throughout the anime. Of course I won’t reveal them here as they might be spoilers, but the deaths of certain characters were so horrifying, that you would be definitely in grief for a few days. But yes of course, after a certain point, death of certain characters became evident while the losses of the lead became minimal. Pace: 8.4 Most will agree with me here, that FMA certainly at times became a bit slower and lost its momentum here and there. I, for one, thought the pace to flicker a lot throughout the show. In the beginning, the first few episodes just flew by, giving just insights upon the main characters and with no progress in the storyline whatsoever. Somewhere around midway, events start to happen one after another, keeping viewers on the edge, then suddenly, the speed just drops and the continuity between episodes appears to be lost. Then around the end, things start to pick up again, but before we can even feel the intensity, the show ends. And the series definitely had some fillers too, but in all those fillers, something or the other was told, which was key to a certain character’s behaviour or explanation to some other events. But again, I still felt, things like those could be explained in a much more smaller time interval, rather than having one complete episode built just around it. Soundtrack: 9.0 The soundtrack for this anime was pretty nice too, and the opening and ending themes were good to watch and listen too. People may or may not agree with me here, but what I felt was that the soundtrack just did the job it had to do, it couldn’t create any lasting impact that other anime sometimes do. We certainly felt the heat of the moment, and that’s perfectly fine, but once the moment ended, that song in our memory ended as well, and it could never create a deep impact upon us. Real Life Values: 9.7 I guess most of the anime score high in this aspect anyway, but nevertheless, this show had its own ethics and principles to narrate and all of them were too beautifully shown. The show’s very first event tells the desperation of two sons to see the smile of their deceased mother again. The inner resolve of Mustang reflects a lot about the struggle one goes through when he wants to change the entire system. The lives of the military dogs, the consequences of civil wars, the thought of not having one’s own identity and memories, FMA really gave us a lot to think about. Content: 9.6 Well this show was both funny and emotional in exact amount. The ‘pip-squeak’ joke never appeared as a drag any time, because it was never overused more than what it really had to offer. Armstrong was funny too in his own ways, and that never seemed repetitive either. And from the emotional side, this show had a remarkable depth to it. Winry, Lust, Hughes, Tucker’s daughter, all gave us some remarkable emotional moments. Last, talking about the action scenes, well there were plenty, and though they might not be that intense (the show is more than ten years old), they were not mild in any way either. Thus, content wise, the show had a lot to offer, especially in all the three major aspects. Animation: 8.5 It is average in animation, but its mainly because of its age. But then again, a review done in the present year will only compare it with modern day thresholds. From that perspective, yes it might take you a while to accustom to, but you will definitely never hate the series because of it, and I am sure of that. Climax: 9.0 Every story have its own climax, and this one had one too, but to be honest, I didn’t feel it much intense than I had expected it to. Things were quite slow during the mid, until of course the creation of ‘the thing’, and when one could expect things to heat up more (it was essentially the climax point of the series), it took a detour, went slow, and then started rising and before it could reach some peak, show ended. Final Score : 9.33 And the final score sums up to 9.3 which I consider optimal for this series. It is certainly one of the top picks among the anime. A remake with a slightly different ending and with better animations aired in 2009. It was FMA: Brotherhood, and since I watched FMA first, I decided against comparing the two in this review, although I might do that in future in a separate post.

What can be said about this anime that hasn't been said already? Brief overview: Two brothers attempt to bring their mother back from the dead. They fail, and the attempt comes at a great cost: the loss of limbs for Edward Elric (the protagonist) and the loss of Alphonse's body. They are on a quest to somehow restore their bodies through alchemy. First off, the story: This is an anime where every character has purpose. There are very few throwaway characters, and if they are, they at least make a significant impact in some way. The plot is tied together very well, despite the numerous character arcs (which all bounce off of each other). The animation is also top notch. Plenty of fast-paced, well animated action but also minor details clearly received love and attention, like the swish of hair. Don't expect to find frozen scenes with dialogue over it. The only minor nitpick I have about this anime is the music. I know it's an odd thing to pick out, but the rock is a bit out of place is this dramatic, grand-scale story about the ethics of science and knowledge (although it is, at it's heart, an adventure story). I recommend this greatly. This is an anime to show people that are not fans of anime, because it has an almost universal appeal. If you haven't watched it, you should. Not because it's an 'anime classic requirement', but because it's something that you'll very likely enjoy. And isn't that the most important thing about a story?

Fullmetal Alchemist (A+) &ndash; the ultimate in story telling, personal and epic at the same time. Rich, depressing, uplifting. Even the so-called &ldquo;filler&rdquo; episodes beat out most other main story arc episodes on other series. It also has the strongest opening scene of any anime. The story is not really about one character, but two. The brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric have perpetuated the greatest of taboos and have paid dearly. Though both brothers had their distinct personalities and traits before their tragic accident, this moment transforms and traumatizes them forever. The hotheaded Edward is a great character, one who comes with a bit of a &ldquo;Napoleon complex&rdquo;, and acts like an adult. But in his greatest moments reminds you that he is still a child who misses his mother and feels terrible guilt for what has happened to his brother. The younger Alphonse is now merely a soul bound to a suit of armor, trying to live normally. He seems to be way too innocent and childlike at times even if he appears to be walking metal monster. The supporting characters also have strong personalities and it appears everyone is connected and has some tragedy of their own. Two of my favorites are actually bad guys, the homunculi, Envy and Greed. Greed may personify his name completely, but someone how he becomes a sympathetic character that shows heart and (dare I say) qualities you find admirable in a person. Envy is the kind of character that is so heartless and powerful that he transcends his role. As a matter of fact, he and Major Hughes have one of the best scenes in the show. As Major Hughes becomes another transcendent and memorable character. Episode by episode the plot is tightly woven and told better than any other story I&rsquo;ve seen. Everything is well thought out and interconnected, the beginning, middle and end are all equally as important and there are no throw away episodes. The show flawlessly goes from pure horror to light-hearted fun, and back again. Even the silly episode dealing with Major Armstrong&rsquo;s family and a haunted warehouse has some meaning to the overall plot. The action in the show is also smart and exciting and varies greatly. We see moments of terror as a character try to escape serial killers. We see the fantastic action of alchemy against alchemy and also sword and gunplay. The action definitely shows off its shonen roots. And many of these fights become heart wrenching, always giving the life of a person, any person, its proper weight in the story. Some of my favorite battles are Edward versus Colonel Mustang, Edward versus Greed and Edward and Alphonse versus Sloth. The deaths of people are never glossed over or taken lightly in this series and I think that that is the shows greatest message and legacy. There are MANY deaths in this show, major and minor characters alike, and there are many tragedies as many people foolishly or ignorantly meet their end at the cruel hands of a fate and malice. No matter what though, the show always finds time to ask what the price of life is. The ending for the series certainly throws a curve ball at you as some nagging mysteries are finally revealed. In a way, the ending was satisfying even though everything wasn&rsquo;t neatly wrapped up. But honestly, the real ending is the fantastic Fullmetal Alchemist movie, which may be one of the most satisfying anime ending you&rsquo;ll ever see. Edit: I know the 10's across the board may seem a bit "fanboyish", but I honestly and personally didn't find any flaws in the show to make me downgrade the scores. It is a perfect example of not only shonen, but what anime is general can do.

This is Fullmetal Alchemist, the best anime i've ever seen. In terms of animation quality, story, characters and enjoyment, this anime is simply fantastic. Never before an animation series combined so well these factors. This show is very regular throughout the whole series, always maintaning its quality at very high levels, no fillers, no low quality episodes, every episode from the begining, at its best, high quality animation, fantastic story, enjoyable and charismatic characters and spetacular scenes, make this animated series what it is, a masterpiece, its Fullmetal Alchemist, to the end...