Fullmetal Alchemist

The story of a journey of two brothers who want to restore what they've lost after the "taboo" they have committed, a journey full of thrilling adventures, sorrowful adversities and a bitter sweet ending. So, lets begin with my modest review:- Story: this adaptation didn't follow the original story-line, so one could expect a messy story with many plot holes... which is clearly the case here. many things weren't really explicit, especially when it was nearing its ending. At first I could say that they made the story quite convincing, but when I compare it to its alternative version "FMA Brotherhood" then I could clearly tell that this version isn't really great. My rate 4.5-5/10. Art: keeping in mind when this anime was aired; I would say that the art was very good, I don't really know how to rate or criticize the art very well, so that's the only thing I could say. I give it 8/10. Sound: the OST was great, really fitting the nature of the anime pretty well, the OPs and EDs were quite good as well, the voice actors/actresses have done a good job. 8/10. Character: the depth of some characters really contributed greatly to this anime, one thing that I admire is how some antagonist characters experience much development to the extent that they end up being supporting characters, it might not be really convincing, though I don't think it's bad thing in the emotional aspect. In the other hand; some supporting characters haven't had much development throughout the story, I could say they ended up being useless characters. 6.5-7/10. Enjoyment: despite the many cons, I really enjoyed watching FMA, I was unhappy about the conclusion tho... especially when I consider "The Conqueror of Shamballa" in mind, it's not like I hate these kind of bad or bittersweet endings, but I just dislike it when many things are left in the dark or are just unconvincing. My overall rate 6/10. Thanks for reading!

I might as well just come right out and say it to start with--I have never been a fan of Anime. In general, I watch it if it happens to be on, but more as background noise than for the actual plot content. But this series changed my mind about all that. The first few episodes I watched were on Adult Swim. I liked the idea of magic being explained in a (somewhat) scientific fashion, so I found recordings of the aired episodes online (with subtitles) with the intention of watching them whenever I was bored. I say without shame that I, who have not watched more than a half hour of anime in a single sitting, watched all fifty-one episodes in a single sitting. And it had me sitting on the edge of my seat every time. When a few of the episodes were corrupted, I even edited the videos manually with a hex editor to get them to play properly. I was really turned off to Anime originally because of the way the Japanese animators use frame rates. You only really need one or two frames per second to show movement--and this contrasts with the relatively constant frame rate in American cartoons. It can look rather ugly if you're not used to it. For action scenes, though, they bring out the full 30fps, and the sudden contrast between 2fps, with the character standing there, and 30fps, where the character is executing these stunning martial arts moves, is an incredible sight to see. But I would like to say that this series is a complete series. The last episode does, in fact, contain the conclusion--no premature terminations here. Most anime contains a "Lead-out" which gives the viewer something to think about. It makes it seem more like the characters are still doing something, still living, even after the series is over. I must say that makes the end of the series even harder to bear, because believe it or not, it's like saying goodbye to a close friend. This series has definitely had a major impact on me. It is worth the time (or money) to acquire it. I wouldn't recommend watching all fifty-one episodes together like I did. The intrigue of the plot is intended to hit the viewers like a hammer, and it keeps them coming back week after week. If you watch them all together, it begins and ends so quickly you feel like you've been hit by a truck when it finally DOES end. Fullmetal Alchemist is a prime example of excellent story writing. It'll make you laugh and maybe even make a few of you cry, but one thing it won't do is leave you disappointed.

Watching a new anime is always strange, even one I've barely heard of before. But this show I tell you, absolutely amazing. I knew from the beginning it ended on a different note from a few reviews I've read on it and a few friends who told me to jump straight to Brotherhood, but I wanted to see and get a reaction myself. So I did. The first half was amazing! But I did feel like yes, it did go off course. The ending did feel incomplete, even with the movie attached, it just didn't feel like a proper ending to an amazing story. My friend commented it was like watching a fanfiction. And he was right, it did feel like I was watching a fanfiction. It also took me awhile at the beginning of the series to realize they weren't in our world but in another. The years threw me off. I was confused what world we were in until they revealed the setting more. I thought it was regular early 20th century Japan. I think it could've been more clear in that area. Overall, this show might be over ten years old, but its still seems very popular. I enjoyed this show, even though I was a bit upset with the end. -Sapphire

This one is on everyone's "must see" list, it seems. I gave it a shot to see what the fuzz was all about. It started out well, but would have benefited from from a more compressed format; perhaps 24 episodes or so. Animation Great graphics here! Cool special effects (and a lot of them, too, with all the alchemy blasting about) and nice fighting scenes. Character design is awsome, you get a genuine feeling about every person just by looking at them. Sound Not the best intro/outro music, but decent. The background music is above average, not too much "happy plonk plonk midi" stuff. Voice acting is good, but Al's constant "Nii-san..." gets a bit tedious, as does Ed's "I'm obviously a woman trying to sound like a cocky young man". Story You get caught by the interesting story from the very beginning. And it turns out to be a very complex one, with lots of twists and unfoldings. Most of the characters have a natural place in the story, which is nice. Sadly, while the story moves on, the storywriters seem to constantly paint themselves into a corner; the main characters meet the villains way too often. In almost every episode there is some kind of showdown. But since both the Elric brothers and the Bad guys have to survive for the story yo move on, the fights always end in an anticlimax. You get used to these constant disappointments, but then you expect a huge ending! Well, let's just say Kenshin delivered better on this point. So the fight scenes, while graphically cool, add nearly nothing to the story. The story itself is still great; you get to know the FMA world in an exciting way. Character As usual in shonen anime, the main characters are totally über when it comes to "might and magic". They are however still kids, and behave accordingly. During the episodes they get more mature. Their hunt for the philosopher's stone could be seen as a metaphor for the coming of age. The Col Mustang crew is cool, representing the "good authority" in the series. The Homunculi are an interesting bunch, but I never really understood exactly who was born out of what magical experiment. Value I probably won't watch this again. It's great but far too long.

I'm probably biased from having watched this first and then Brotherhood, but in my opinion these two are almost completely different and FMA-2003 pulls ahead for me as the one most memorable. The impact that FMA-2003 has is on a different level. The goosebumps, the heart pumping, the confusion, the anger and the gut wrenching feelings of injustice are just different. Brotherhood had the classic anime ending we want of the good guy winning. It had a plot that was easier to follow. FMA-2003, without giving away spoilers, was and still is one of the few animes that show that overcoming the porblem doesn't mean everything will be set back right. The journey was different, though the end goal was the same. Going through the journey with Ed and Al the first time had me desperately following them along, eager for them to get the happy ending they wanted. I flinched along with them, cried along with them, pumped my fist for them. It left me with a hole in my heart but a bittersweet smile on my face. In Brotherhood, it was like I was walking beside them and sometimes pulling ahead and impatiently waiting for them to follow. The urgency and genuineness of their plight fell a bit short (but that's not really saying much since Brotherhood still pulls up better than most animes) in comparison. Brotherhood is the closure that you need after watching FMA-2003 because it neatly ties everything together. The beauty of FMA-2003 was that it left everything open ended, that I could imagine and learn from Ed and Al what going through life means. Sappy as it is, FMA-2003 shaped who I am today because of the lessons of morality and human nature it showed me. If you haven't watched this anime yet and are thinking of doing so, I can't promise the same impact. The art and sound were brilliant when I watched this back in 2005 but rewatching this may not be up to par if you compare them with the 2010s anime. However, I guarantee that the characters, the story and the enjoyment of this anime will still be 10/10 no matter what year you watch it.

The greatest strength of the 2003 adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist was that it essentially takes the earlier chapters of Hiromu Arakawa's series and expands upon them to create their own continuity, as well as providing greater character depth to the major characters of the series. While the manga goes for a more "safe" approach by having a conventional story and faster pacing, the first FMA series chose to go for a mature style of storytelling that depicts grey morality for its characters and slower pacing. This results in the series creating flawed heroes and villains with tragic upbringings which the series takes its time at exploring and allowing the viewer enough time to connect with. This style of storytelling hugely effects the Elrics and the Homunculus in this series. The Elrics are forced to confront moral dilemmas in regards to events that they directly or indirectly influenced from earlier episodes of the series while the majority of the Homunculus are given background and motivation for their actions where they aren't simply henchmen for their ringleader and are seeking some sort of purpose for themselves. The series also retains a consistent mood as it knows when to stay serious during dramatic and tense scenes while adding in comedic moments during breather episodes to lighten the mood, a major flaw of the earlier manga chapters as they had a habit of throwing in slapstick and super-deformed moments at the most inopportune times. The series isn't without its flaws. Some characters closely connected to the major plot of the series are quite underdeveloped compared to how they turn out later in the manga and don't appear as regularly in the anime. This flaw seems to come from the anime catching up to the manga source material in later episodes and not having enough time to properly fit these characters into larger roles for the anime's continuity. In addition, the later episodes tend to get quite shoddy in their plot developments as a revelation concerning the source of alchemy and what happens to two major characters got quite ridiculous compared to how cohesive the plot was building up in earlier episodes. In a way, the finale to the first series seemed like a big excuse just to get fans to watch the Conquerer of Shambala movie. In terms of visuals, I found the FMA anime to sport brighter color and more defined details than Brotherhood. While not as visually impressive as 2003 titles like Last Exile and Planetes, scenery within FMA is vast with a good amount of detail and character designs are just as good in quality. While the series usually resorts to shortcuts with animation, it does have its moments of fluid movements and solid action sequences. The soundtrack for the anime is quite elaborate featuring a wide range of instruments used for insert music such as piano, brass and stringed instruments that do very well at enhancing the show's many dramatic scenes. The OP and ED musical choices consist of differing J-Rock and alternative songs with the OPs being upbeat to get one hooked onto the show and the EDs mostly be mellow songs meant to be a breather following each episode of the series. Overall, I found the 2003 adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist to be the better adaptation of the series than its manga and 2009 anime counterparts due to not being afraid to take risks with its storyline. While the two latter sources go for a more conventional shounen story, the 2003 take on the series takes the manga's plot and characters and expands upon them to create better characterization and smoother story flow from the title's earlier chapters. While the title's attempt to create its own continuity does have some bumps in its later episodes, I still found it to be a more worthwhile adaptation than what the manga and Brotherhood intended with it. Those wanting a better portrayal of the manga's earlier events and better character development should give this adaptation of FMA a shot if they've already sampled the manga and/or Brotherhood.

Fullmetal Alchemist: I can't name an anime that I've heard more hype over. A great number of my friends told me it's one of the best things they've ever watched. Naturally, I was excited when I started watching it. However, after all the hype I heard about Fullmetal Alchemist, I found myself slightly disappointed at the end. Story (7/10) - The story of Fullmetal Alchemist is pretty well known, and you could just as easily look up a synopsis, so I won't bother summarizing it for you. The story left me rather torn, mostly because of the first major portions of the show. The first two episodes had me absolutely hooked, leaving me eager to find out what happened next. However, the story quickly drops into what almost felt like filler to me. Some of the early episodes are interesting, but many of Ed and Al's adventures take them from one fake lead to another, where they think they'll find the Philosopher's stone, but come up empty-handed. It was during this stage of the show that was reminded of the very episodic story of Pokemon, where the protagonist meets a new character, has a nice little mini-adventure with them, and never sees them again. This grew increasingly wearisome for me as the "filler" feel continued for about twelve episodes. The end of the story is far better, and never falls back into that "filler" feel, but it wasn't enough to redeem the early woes that the story goes through. Perhaps it was unwise of the creators to deviate from the manga. in any case, the overall story is quite good, but seems to grope around in the dark for it's purpose and direction early on. The last episode doesn't completely resolve the story, leaving the conclusion in the "Conqueror of Shambala" movie. While the movie did provide closure for the series, I really didn't like the story of it, and found that it made the rest of Fullmetal retroactively worse. You'll want to see the conclusion, but the movie will leave you very disappointed. Art (8/10) - I really have nothing to complain about here. The art was solid, with no noticeable instances of shortcutting or lazy computer animation. Not what I'd call outstanding, but certainly better than many. Sound (8/10) - While not the most compelling of soundtracks, this one is very good, with the music fitting the setting and themes of the show quite well. It's less memorable than others I've watched, but I found it satisfactory. The voice acting is top-notch, and I was pleased by the performance of pretty much every actor. You won't find too many annoying voices in this anime. Character (8/10) - While the character development is arguable very good in this show, I didn't find the protagonists (Ed and Al) to be especially compelling characters. Although the two of them go through quite a lot of trials, and come out very changed by the end of the anime, I never loved them the way I loved protagonists from other animes. The one character that genuinely annoyed me was Armstrong. His constant ripping off of his shirt and flexing to supposedly prove a point ceased to be funny after about the third time he did it. Other characters, such as Mustang, are much more compelling and have great stories behind them. That's not to say that Ed and Al's story is bad, but it gets frustrating when the protagonist who's a famous alchemist repeatedly loses battles until around episode 25, where he finally wins one. Anyway, I've made my point. Enjoyment (6/10) - Why so low? Because FMA never truly lived up to all of the hype that it received, especially during the long and boring stretches early on in the show. Many people say that Naruto is the most overrated anime out there, but I'm going to be so bold as to suggest that FMA may actually claim that title. It's definitely worth watching, but I went into it with my expectations so high, I was doomed to be disappointed. Overall (7/10) - As I said, definitely worth watching, but it has a lot of obvious, yet widely ignored flaws. I did enjoy watching it, once I got past the boring stuff, but it took me almost 25 episodes before I wasn't forcing myself to keep going. If you ignore the hype and go in with slightly lower expectations, you'll likely enjoy this anime a lot more than I did.

Fullmetal Alchemist is a great anime with an amazing story. A fantastic job is done creating characters that feel human, protagonists have flaws and antagonists are more than beings of pure evil who can't know love, or whatever bullshit "bad guy" archetype you want to plug in there. It gets of to a slow start but not just because the show is building its world. The last 25 or so episodes have a clear goal and everything that is being done happens for a purpose. The first 25 or so episodes wander a little bit more. Ed and Al are traveling around a lot and a ton of different characters are introduced, with enough description to make you sympathize/empathize with them, and then they get whisked away for the the next episode and another character you're made to feel sorry for is given a brief spotlight. In the end there are still new characters in nearly every episode, with characters from a single episode, 40 episodes ago, are brought back with the air of "hey remember us! We matter now!". It's a little convoluted but still fun and the message is clear. Overall the characters a solid (only an 8 because of how *many* there are, it makes it impossible to appreciate all of them) and the story is amazing. Story and character are what makes FMA, FMA. It's as good as it is because the story and the characters are fully bought into and they feed off each other, each making the other stronger.

Fullmetal Alchemist was and still remains one of the few anime that takes itself completely seriously . Now , now don't get me wrong , there are many,many wonderful series out there .But yet most of them fail to inspire in you the respect Fullmetal Alchemist does .To put it simply you can feel and understand the care/respect with which the creators handled it - it gives off a vibe that you would get from reading a book ,one that the author would have spend most of his life working on . That can clearly be seen from the ending - where unlike other anime , you get the feeling that it was truly meant to end at that point - the story is over as it should be - after all it was not made to entertain a crowd constantly , it was made to be told , for the mere sake of it .And all stories must end at some point . As far as the Story goes it is simply perfect : you may or may not like steam punk , you may or may not like strategy and war descriptions , yet even then , if you want to be honest you cant avoid praising the consistency, the twists and pace . Referring once more to my previous analogy about a book , Fullmetal Alchemist really breaks any chains that a story being told in Anime format might be constrained from and manages to make you forget that you are watching anime .You are watching a story - the format is irrelevant - the tale you are experiencing will always have it's value - no mater in what format it is presented . Following up , an integral part of the story - of each and every story - are the characters . Once again Fullmetal Alchemist shines , binding excellent story development with an also great character development .The characters are human , there are always stronger and smarter people than them , they make mistakes and they pay for them , they have emotions and inner conflicts that are subtly viewed , they quickly get not only your interest and your sympathy , but also your anger and sadness as you observe them in their week moments staying true to their logic and way of thinking , that is not always the best to use for the situations they find themselves into . The Art is good , as good as you ll ever want it to be in Fullmetal .And with that phrase i mean that -as i said before- you forget that you are watching anime , you don't care about the Art or the background details because you are immersed in the story so much .Fullmetal Alchemist made it clear to me that when a Anime is more than just good , you don't focus on the art when watching it . The Sound is great : the soundtracks fit the story and the moments they accompany just perfect and they even have value independently - as songs and not just soundtracks.A great job was done with the sound - you ll find yourself moved because of it , experience the same emotions as the character because of it . The enjoyment that the series give you is high quality to say the least : you can both relax and take it in or use it to feed your mind with thoughts and philosophical question .How do you use what you get is entirely up to you and your mood -but weather you are sad or happy , tired or eager to work on new ideas in your mind , Fullmetal Alchemist will seem to you like it was made for the exact time you are watching it and the mood you have at the moment . Overall Fullmetal Alchemist is a unique gem that still shines amongst all the anime produced until now .It is outstanding and it sets a standard that i have never seen in any other series (with the exception perhaps of Legends of The Galactic Heroes ) and that no other series try to reach unfortunately . Fullmetal Alchemist doesn't care that it is an Anime series , it competes with the greatest films and the classical books on equal footing - refusing to be taken lightly .If you haven't seen it yet you still have no idea why anime can be considered meaningful art .

Full Metal Alchemist, the original anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's masterpiece, stands as an unparalleled testament to the power of storytelling and character development. While Brotherhood may have garnered its share of praise, it is the first adaptation that truly captures the essence and emotional depth of Arakawa's original vision. Where Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood rushes through the narrative, the original anime takes a more deliberate and measured approach. The pacing allows for a nuanced exploration of the characters' backgrounds, motivations, and relationships, creating a more immersive and emotionally resonant experience. The slow burn of the narrative in the original series allows viewers to savor each moment, fostering a deeper connection with the Elric brothers and their tumultuous journey. Character development is the true strength of the original series. Ed and Al's growth, struggles, and the moral dilemmas they face are given the time and attention they deserve. The complexities of the supporting cast, from Roy Mustang to Scar, are explored in a way that adds layers to the narrative, making every character feel integral to the overarching story. The animation style in the original Full Metal Alchemist possesses a unique charm that distinguishes it from Brotherhood. While the latter may boast higher production values, the original's artistry has a timeless quality, capturing the darker, more mature tone of the narrative with a subdued and atmospheric aesthetic. The soundtrack of the original series, composed by Michiru Oshima, stands out as a masterpiece in its own right. The haunting melodies and evocative score enhance the emotional impact of pivotal scenes, creating a synergy between visuals and music that remains unparalleled. One of the most significant departures in the original anime lies in its divergence from the manga's later chapters. Rather than being a drawback, this creative decision opens up a unique narrative path, offering an alternative and equally compelling conclusion that resonates with the themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the consequences of playing god. In conclusion, Full Metal Alchemist, the original anime, is a triumph that surpasses its successor in its patient storytelling, rich character development, and evocative artistic choices. For those who seek an immersive and emotionally charged experience, the journey with the Elric brothers in the original adaptation remains unparalleled, standing as a testament to the enduring brilliance of Hiromu Arakawa's masterpiece. Ratings: 9/10.

Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) is the best example of the phrase "It aged poorly". It's an obsolete version of FMA that's no longer as praised as before and it's been completely overshadowed by FMA Brotherhood, and for good reason, in first place it was never even canon and it basically looks like a cheap fanfiction that somehow got animated compared to the orginal material. The reality of this show is that it was never even good to begin with and the only way to defend it is by biased nostalgia or superficial aspects within the show. The main problem with this version is that it came out when the manga had only began to publish and the people behind it didn't understand what the story was actually about and didn't know the direction and overall message that Arakawa wanted to give to its work. The show wasn't faithful to the manga at the beginning and then tried to make it's own thing, it was actually never faithful to the manga and it was always rewriting the story to change completely the plot of the first arcs, like the State Alchemist Exam, the Nina episode, Lab 5, Greed's episode etc, and after that, they had to create a new original story from the scratch to fill the rest because they ran out of material to adapt. So basically, this version is the vision they had of FMA when the manga was only beginning, the show is basically the writers having to fill the plot-points that hadn't been resolved yet in the manga, and that's why it ended up having another villain, another explanation for the origin of the Homonculus, another orgin for Hohenheim and a completely different Truth Door, and because of this, the show became an incoherent and incomplete mess that contradicts most parts of the original story and basically it had to end the story unsatisfactorly with nonsense bullshit and pretentious messages and philosophies. Another reason why this version feels incomplete and empty compared to Brotherhood is the characters, in Brotherhood all of the characters participate directly in the story and have an appropiate development that ends up having a conclusion at the end of the show, here the only good characters that have a consistent relevance and development are Edward, Lust and Scar, the rest of the characters like Alphonse, Winry, Hohenheim, Bradley, Greed, Mustang etc end up doing almost nothing and are ridiculously inferior and even some of them become a parody or a joke of what they used to be in the case of Alphonse and Hohenheim. Overall, the only good thing that this version managed to do is the introduction of the story and the characters in the first episodes and its beautiful and gorgeous soundtrack, specially with songs like Brothers or Dante's theme, but in the end this version is just a non-canon filler that has the level of a fanfic written by an edgy and pretentious teenager that only gets to be decent at best because of its good introduction, some interesting ideas or characters, some technical aspects and for keeping some of the elements of the original material. 5/10.

Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) is one of the quintessential coming of age anime. It focuses on Edward Elric, a kid with a murky past turned soldier. Over the course of this journey, Edward uncovers the harsh nature of reality and learns to cope with it. Make no mistake. This isn't a comfortable adventure like Brotherhood. Whereas Brotherhood is a plot driven roller coaster, original FMA is a character driven exploration of humanity and its reconciliation with the fallen nature of the world. An optimistic adventure versus a sobering tale. A tale of obsession and madness. What really stands out here is Edward's character. At the very start of the story, he's an edgy pseudo-intellectual. He criticizes belief in higher powers, mocks divinity, basks in science to stimulate his ego and lashes out on people he disagrees with. He's childish. The story starts well, but it is after the adaptation outpaces the manga, his character suddenly shines so much brighter. Instead of making peace with himself, Edward's obsession with redemption throws him deeper into the abyss. From an idealistic kid who'll never kill, he becomes a willing murderer. From a kid horrified with violence, he starts screaming for vengeance. Once a believer into equivalent exchange - the ideal order of the world - he starts doubting. Edward is forced to confront the very embodiment of his sin and his world falls apart once again. How can he find redemption? Whereas most shows that dabble into edgy territory stay there, FMA does something amazing and ends up successfully conveying genuine hope without feeling forced and denying or overplaying its dark and sobering tone. It hides nothing evil or disappointing about the world, yet its message of striving for something higher is both idealistic and sober. Whereas equivalent exchange is an imperfect law, it's still recognized as a higher spiritual, or dare I say it, religious principle. A law of morality which should be longed for even in an imperfect physical world. Does that strike anyone else as very Christian? Considering Christianity is acknowledged multiple times by the show, I find it interesting. Not to focus only on Edward, FMA also excels at characterizing other people, masterfully handling characters such as Nina and Hughes or Izumi and her husband. Another point of brilliance rarely given its due is Alphonse. Throughout the series he's used as a voice of childish empathy and forgiveness sorely needed to ground Edward. It's a very subtle and understated relationship, but one of the best of its kind I've seen in anime. Another point where FMA shines brighter than almost any anime is its literal lightning. While the animation is average on the pretty side of things, directing is great. You won't get many cool weird shots, but its direction is immensely elevated by masterful use of color and lightning. It can't be overstated how emotions of characters get accentuated through the use of moody lightning and atmosphere. With the use of lightning FMA regularly shows sadness without weeping. Edward's moments of madness are horrifying without him yelling. Show don't tell. It's chilling to the bone. There are some great music tracks and leit motifs in FMA's soundrack. Some of its songs lie right next to Shostakovich's 2nd Waltz in my music folder. There's a lot to be said about Dante, the themes of duality, human soul and immortality, tragic stories of homunculi and more. However, the gist of this review wouldn't change even if it were five times longer. FMA 2003 isn't "one of the best shounen out there". It's one of the best bildungsroman anime, if you will. It's got no final boss and all the important fights are short and brutal. FMA 2003 is a mature coming of age story that transcends mere "boy fun". Depth of characters isn't spelled out by mediocre dialogue scenes and characters are deep enough to hold a 51 episode series. In fact, dialogue feels very natural and is one of the heroes making this adaptation as good as it is. You won't always get what you want. Not everyone can be punished. A man should know when to stop. And Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 is one of the best.

It's truly a pleasure to come across something that you can enjoy on both the standpoint of a higher narrative and just of pure enjoyment without one ever overriding the other. It's particularly great when you see this from a Shonen that rarely lets on the impression that it's truly something bigger. The sheer amount of thought put into Fullmetal Alchemist as a story and a production are both commendable and helps the show stand as one of the best accessible TV shows around. I originally passed up FMA when it was airing on Toonami. I'm not sure what turned me off, but if I had given it a chance it would have completely supplanted my love for many other shows at the time. The creative premise of creation, differences between humans, and a constantly moving adventure is immediately approachable and toyed with brilliantly. Some of the ideas the story pulls out really had me desperate to learn the reasons behind it and how that effected the overall narrative. I never felt like things were too convoluted to fit because they gave a solid 13 episodes of establishing the dynamics of the world without ever losing pace for the story. My favorite part of the general narrative is how it uses its characters. This show really surprises you with whom they bring back into the show and the roles they are given. The world truly feels interconnected through them, though I did feel that some of the players were less than they needed to be. I've never seen Roy Mustang, for example, as a truly great character, even though he accomplishes a lot. The Elric brothers really anchor everything though, and their interactions really make this story find its stride (save for an annoyingly predictable conflict earlier on). FMA is a quintessential fantasy series with some incredibly smart world-building which plays heavily into the scenarios at hand. It doesn't feel overwhelming or pretentious, and when it plays into the action it can be quite fascinating. I wish the action was a bit more frequent, but perhaps that's just wishful thinking. Presentation all around is excellent, as expected of Studio Bones, being consistent despite the many changes in environment and tone. Music is a bit more hit or miss, though the first and last opening are standouts in that department. The dub is amazingly on-point at every turn and other general sounds convey the world and its surroundings very well. If anyone has qualms about this series, I implore them to really just give it a chance. It's quick to establish, incredibly deep, and makes the whole ride enjoyable without use of too much melodrama. It's an astounding example of TV storytelling with more than a few moments that make you gasp in awe at its well-formulated narrative.

Fullmetal Alchemist is one of those anime that everybody knows about, whether they've seen it or not. So, while relatively new to the anime scene, I decided to watch it. I'd heard that this series should be watched before Brotherhood, so that's what I did, and I definitely recommend that route. Comparison of the two is at the end of the review. Story: 8 It's hard to say whether the story of FMA is original or not because, well, everyone knows it. But I'm going to say that it is pretty original. I'd never heard of homunculi before watching this show and I didn't know much about alchemy either. Of course, there are other anime that talk about alchemy, but this is the first one to do so. The story of FMA starts off pretty simple: the brothers Ed and Al make a horrible mistake in their alchemy, losing some limbs and in Al's case, his entire body. In order to regain them, they vow to search for the "Philosopher's stone" which is said to surpass the law of equivalent exchange. While this does serve as the baseline for the story throughout the show, it is built upon considerably. FMA also tackles topics of religion, racism, and genocide during its 51-episode run, making an excellent commentary on society and its problems. Of course, the ending is not based on the manga. Around episode 30, the show begins to make up it's own story because it catches up with the manga. And honestly, it was still pretty good. I was impressed with the creators of this show for coming up with a plausible explanation to alchemy and linking many events together. It's too bad that the ending is obviously set up for a movie, which was made, but it just doesn't feel right. (And to be honest, the movie doesn't wrap up the show very well either.) Art: 8 The art of FMA is pretty average compared to other anime in this day and age, but it does have to be taken into consideration that this was made 11 years ago. And when you think about that, it's pretty amazing. The battle scenes are always smooth and the emotions of the characters come across nicely. Sound: 9 I've seen other reviews saying that the music of FMA is pretty unremarkable, but in my mind, it was incredible. Just listening to the various themes brings back the feeling of the scene it was played during. All of the music is catchy and adds a lot to the anime itself. Just listening to it brings a sense of nostalgia. The openings are ok; they're very "2003". If you've seen a lot of old anime, you'll know what I mean. Only the last one is memorable in my mind, just because it's pretty epic. Character: 9 The characters of FMA are it's shining point. Almost all of them (and that's a lot) are developed nicely by the end of the series, and their interactions are very enjoyable. None of them are troupe-ish at all; in fact, many of them defy it. Ed and Al's relationship is awesome. It's obvious how much they love each other, and it makes the show that much more emotional. At the beginning of the show, it's obvious how black and white they think the world is, but as it progresses and they're faced with complicated problems, they learn that not everything has a good solution. The members of the military (Riza, Roy, Armstrong, ect.) are also really great. They all have a lot of emotion, and because of certain events, many of them hold a strong guilt, which they slowly accept by the end of the show. The enemies of FMA were some of my favorite. Most of them were likable in some way, and Lust particularly stood out in my mind. She was such a complex enemy, which is a rarity in the entertainment industry. Scar, one other enemies, is also very complicated, and helps the development of other characters too. Unfortunately, FMA doesn't elaborate too much on some of its characters, like Winry, which was disappointing. But overall, it does an excellent job of handling its large cast. Overall: 8 FMA is a great show that every anime lover should watch. It always keeps you on the edge of your seat, and although it's a fairly long show, none of the episodes seem wasted. There's a reason this one's a legend, people. FMA03 vs. Brotherhood I'm going to have to agree with most people and say that FMAB is the better anime. But I also think that skipping FMA03 is a bad idea. FMAB covers 30 of FMA03's episodes in 10, making the beginning of it very rushed. In turn, FMA03 sets up the story much better. It's also interesting to compare the two's endings: I was very surprised with how good FMA03's was considering that most anime with a made up ending are terrible. Of course, the manga ending is better, but FMA03 puts up a good fight in that sense. FMAB also delves into the characters more. You get to see more of Riza and Roy's relationship, Ed and Winry's relationship, and more of Hohenheim. So yes, FMAB is better, but I honestly think that it would be a bad idea to skip FMA03 just because of FMAB's rushed intro season.

A Gripping anime from start to finish, with so many plot twist and surprises. This unpredictable anime always left me wanting to watch more. The story was brilliant, the action scenes were tense and well executed. But what really won me over with this anime was how all the characters were so well developed. You could even sympathise and feel compassion for the "villains". I wont go on to much, but this is a beautifully constructed anime, that is a must watch!!

I've been waiting to write this review for a long time. This is the anime that transcended generations of anime fans throughout the years to come and at the time, it was a massive juggernaut of an anime. This is the anime that everyone went nuts for because this is the one anime that had everything that we wanted out of an epic anime: A big engaging story with complex or lovable characters, awesome action scenes, dramatic emotional scenes, interesting social commentaries, a fantastic world for us to learn and discover, and simply the greatest anime soundtrack in anime series or film. This is the anime known as Fullmetal Alchemist, a series that was adapted from the mangas by Hiromu Arakawa and the anime became such a big phenomenon into the anime community that it spawned another FMA series that's closer to the manga, 2 FMA movies, different FMA OVAS, merchandise and even awesome cosplays that will make your jaw drop so hard that the balance of the Earth will shake to it's core. How do I know all of this? Simply because I am a big fan of FMA and I owned every single FMA anime DVD out there... Well, except Brotherhood and the Premium OVAS of the 2003 version of FMA but I'm still trying my damn best to buy them. My first encounter with FMA is when I watched an episode of FMA on Adult Swim called "Night Of The Chimera's Cry" and let's just say that I could never sleep well for the rest of my life after watching that episode but I was so engaged in the story and characters that I just wanted more. Fuck it, I'm just gonna spit it out: I love FMA and I think it's one of the best anime series that I've seen throughout my life watching anime. It's pointless writing a synopsis because everybody just knows the story of FMA but for those who never heard of FMA, I'll be nice to summarize the story. FMA is the story of The Elric Brothers who live with their mother in the quiet land of Resembool with Edward Elric, who's the older brother, and Alphonse Elric, who's the younger brother. One day, their mother, Trisha Elric, died of a terminal illness and the boys are now alone without a mother or a father because their father left them for unknown reasons. Lonely and desperate, the brothers decide to perform "Human Transmutation", a taboo in alchemy that's forbidden to use by any means necessary, and suddenly, everything goes downhill with Edward losing his left leg and Alphonse losing his entire body, leaving Edward to sacrifice his right hand to grab Alphonse's soul and put his soul into a full-set armor. Days go by and as they grow older, The Elric Brothers set out on a journey to find "The Philosopher's Stone, which is rumored to grant them immense power to the user, and set out to recover their lost bodies in return. Only to discover that the brothers are pulled into a conspiracy that pulls them into something much more grand than just finding the stone. The story is just huge and what's nice about the story is that everything ties up well in the grand plot that the series offers, There are stories about the disturbing history of The Ishbalan War, the story behind the truth of The Philosopher Stone, the origin of the Homunculi, which are beings that are created from the stone and can survive any harm or the story behind the Tucker family. I will not spoil the story because the overwhelming mystery and wonder in the story of FMA is what makes the anime so enjoyable to watch because the world is not only interesting but feels so real that it could be some place that we never knew it exists. I also love the deep themes about the nature of humanity and how we can overcome our weaknesses through peace, reasoning, determination, courage, faith and understanding rather than bloodshed or war and the themes fits because this is the story about the human spirit and how we all must stand together as one for us to keep on living. The characters are all wonderful because again, they feel like real people with real personalities and every character is likable. I love Roy Mustang's stubborn attitude but also this sense of kindness to him because he does care for his friends and you do feel his pain because of the disgusting choices that he was forced to make by the military, I love Colonel Hughes because he is a loving father and a strong soldier that's always there to help, I love Armstrong because.... He's Armstrong and he is just awesome. I even adore The Elric Brothers because not only are they brothers but you feel a powerful bond between the two. You see them learn to adapt on the world that they never knew outside of Resembool, they learn new and interesting things during their travels and most importantly, they develop their relationship with other people they meet through friendship and connection. We also see their struggles on what is right or wrong or learning of the appreciation of life during the last episode of the series. Simply put, all the characters and even villains of FMA are just wonderful and it is impossible to hate a single character in FMA because these are such great characters. The animation in FMA is beautiful. Even though it's dated because this adaptation was an early Studio Bones effort, the animation still holds up pretty well with fantastic visuals, gorgeous lighting effects, imaginative background designs and beautifully fluid animation on character movements. It may be rough at times but the animation is still good looking to boot. The music in FMA is just breathtakingly magnificent with fantastic use of orchestrated tunes and well put together piano track pieces that matches the atmosphere of grand wonder to the show and that's thanks to composer Michiru Oshima and simply put, the guy was a genius for making such a perfect musical score. Both the Japanese and English dubs are excellent but the English dub by Funimation is just superior and it's not really hard to see why it is so good. Funimation has put money, time and effort into creating a dub that actually manages to be as good as the sub with Vic Mignogna nailing the role of Edward Elric, Aaron Dismuke perfect as the naive but strong Alphonse, Travis Willingham gives a deep and very passionate performance as Roy Mustang and J. Michael Tatum was just a great fit for Scar. Do i need to tell you why this dub is amazing? It simply is a fantastic dub and every voice actor was chosen perfectly into each role. Fullmetal Alchemist is just an amazing series and a phenomenon that I am glad to be part on. Few animes can reach a goal of perfection while other animes can't quite achieve perfection but FMA is that rare breed. It took a bunch of mangas, re-wrote some of the unnecessary fillers that were in the mangas and the anime series just avoids them perfectly without stopping the pace. As for Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, I'm not gonna review the series because it's basically the same as FMA 2003 but closer to the manga and don't you dare start the whole "OH! You're a FMA 2003 fanboy because you're a FMAB hater!" bullsh*t because I love both FMA and FMAB period. Both shows are amazing in their own rights and for those who haven't seen FMA, I suggest you do cause this is one anime series that it is worth sinking your teeth into. FMA is one of my favorites anime series of all time and it deserves all of the praise it got 11 years ago.

would you chase after a dream, if it meant that your world would come crashing down? that despite your desperate attempts, things would never be the same as before? if it meant that people would die and cry because of your mistakes and choices? Would you sacrifice all this, if it meant your only brother coming back? Edward Elric, a young prodigal alchemist, and his younger brother Alphonse committed the taboo: human transmutation. All they wanted was to bring their dead mother back. to see her smile again. it all seemed so simple. but they never thought that by doing so, their lives would change forever. the rules of alchemy state that to obtain, something of equal value must be lost. because of this, Edward lost his left leg, and Alphonse lost his life. Edward, desperate not to lose the last thing he held so dear, sacrificed his right arm and transmuted his brother's soul to a suit of armor. And so begins Edward's trials of sacrifice, as he searches for the one thing he believes can fix his past mistakes: the Philosopher's Stone this whole story revolves around one thing, and one thing only: sacrifice. the story beautifully portrays edward's feelings as he has to choose between one thing and another all for his brother. the story is very unique, making you question things that we normally take for granted. and it's a very good length. it is neither too long nor too short. although the manga and the second season Brotherhood are quite different. the idea of using our seven greatest weaknesses (envy, greed, wrath, lust, gluttony, sloth, and pride) as the main villains is a very unique and clever thing. this story is heart warming, tear jerking, and has a bittersweet feel to it. you'll begin to feel for all the characters, good or bad, as each character has a different story to tell. the art is somewhat different than others. it's one of the things that captivate you. it makes you want to pay attention to every detail, such as a fold in the clothing, the blowing of their hair, or a change in background. unlike some other arts, they don't slap on different hairstyles and colors to the same model. each character is genuinely unique. their facial expressions are portrayed beautifully, and you get a full grasp on their sadness, happiness and so forth. they don't use short cuts (using the same scene over again) and the art fits the story excellently. the lighting changes with each scene, giving it a more darker or happier feel. people, clothes, background, you name it. you won't find anything lacking in the art. the cast of characters are what brings this story to life. the main protogonists are Edward and Alphonse. Edward is rebellious, willing to help, strong-willed, selfless, and short. he absolutely hates when people call him anything remotely close to small, breaking out in rants and violence. but no matter how tough he acts, he has a soft side that he allows only Alphonse to see. he absolutely refuses to kill, and can be quite helpless and scared somtimes. throughout the series, you'll see how helpless and incompitent he believes himself to be, and see how he even wants to give up and forget everything that's happened. but his strong love for his brother and the yearning to get his brother's smile back is his motivation that keeps him going. he wants all the blame of their mistakes bestowed on him, believing all that's happened is his fault alone. his twist of character is what makes him everyone's beloved Ed Alphonse is kind natured, quiet, and humble. he too, like his brother, is always willing to help. he loves cats and proceeds to use his hollowness to his advantage, hiding them in his armor without Ed knowing. he looks up to his brother greatly, seeing a side of him that others don't. because of his great admiration for Ed, he doesn't want him to bear the burden of their mistakes alone. don't be led astray. just because i focus on just Ed and Al, doesn't mean the other characters are any less amazing. the side characters support these two main characters perfectly. Such as the ever cocky Roy Mustang, or the very important, gear freak, childhood friend Winry. Each side character has their own sad tale, and are no less greater in character than the Elric Brother's themselves. they are all so very important for the story. another strong point is the sounds. the sounds are also an amazing work themselves. for starters, the opening. FullMetal Alchemist has one of the best openings and endings i've seen. the songs are catchy and great, and the animation is there to back it up superbly. the background music is also an amazing feat. the music can either inhance the humor to a scene, or sadden it even more, pulling at your heartstrings. whether it be "Brothers" or "Pint-sized Alchemist" the music never seems to fail me. the voice acting makes the characters stand out even more. english or japanese, you won't be disappointed in the efforts each voice actor put into their characters. it's no surprise that Edward is Romi Paku and Vic Mignogna's most memorable character, because they put so much emotion into every scene. As you can see, this story is one to recognize. it's packed with action and humor, and will yank your emotions back and forth. probably one of the best stories i have, and ever will come across. So tell me. would you sacrifice so much, for one selfish dream?

One of the best anime by fact, i must see by all, even after years the series is still in the top 10. Final Series Score: 10/10 Rewatchablity: High Pros: excellent animation, has an amazing plot, with mixed emotions throughout for e.g at times its very happy and funny and sometime its extremly depressing. Cons: this is a hard one, but the whole series is different from the manga i heard so this may annoy people, plus the director of FMA is in the process of making a series 2 and this would bring the show down in my aspect, as the 1st series totaly finishes the story so no more can happen, but who knows. Full Metal Alchemist follows a young teenager called Ed Elric who studies Alchemy, along with his brother Al or Alphonse. One day when Ed and Al were young kids, the mother of these two became extremely ill, and after a checkup off the doctor, who explains that the mother has a critical illness, and shortly after dies. However Ed and Al believe that their is a way to bring the mother back, so to do that they must train, so they find a sensei and begin training. after finishing training Ed believes he is ready to bring back his mother to life, after setting up an transmutation circle in order to bring back the mother, Ed and Al begin ( note this is banned as a human transmutation is not allowed as no one has ever succeeded and alchemy is based on equal trade, so in order to bring someone back to life, you must take one life away, unless you have the ingredients to make a human.) however the human transmutation goes wrong, and Ed loses his leg, and Al is just about to dissapear however, Ed uses a transmutation circle to put Al in the closest thing around, however for this he loses his arm. After the two awake to find the human transmutation gone wrong as the mother is still not a live human again, and Al being in a suit of armour and ed having lost body parts. after this, the main story starts, Ed swears to bring back Al to a human form and in order to do that Ed and Al must get an item which is the only thing would make Al back to his human form even slghtly possible, However Ed & Al arnt the only ones who would like to get the stone and a fight against time begins, however Ed is not alone as a group of soldiers are willing to help, commanded by Roy mustang This is a must see by all, and i hope you like my reviews, please comment me if you like them and i will start to do more, or comment if you think im missing a certain Reviewing element and i will start to use that :] and please tell me if my reviews are good for my age =/ Josh Age 14

Story (7.7) - Interesting, simple and clear..easy to understand and it goes in a good pace, i mean, neither too fast or too slow. It starts with 2 boys, who did an forbiden transmutation trying to get theis mother back from the dead. The price for that was high, one lost his body, and the other 1 arm and 1 leg. After the incident they decide to find someway to get their bodies back, but on the process they get involved in the secrets of alchemy and in the middle of some fights caused by homunculus, with the objective of acheiving their main goal..get the philosophers stone, that requires thousands of lives to be created.. Its a good story, however some parts could habe been better worked. Art (7.2) - Character design is fine, but nothing great.. the graphic aspect is not the strongest point in this anime. Sound (7.9) - I think its good enough, i liked some of the op and ed.. Characther (8.2) - In this point my opinion is different from this evaluation of this aspect.. Taking my personal opinion out, some characters are very well made and well develloped. My opinion is influenced by the fact i didnt like the characthers at all, with some exceptions..some are really really anoying and others only appear 2 or 3 times :(...i would give this only a 7, but i admit most of them are well develloped, and even if i dont like them is no reason to not give an 8 on this one. enjoyment (8.8) - Its the strongest point. Lots of action, nice effects,special moves, suspense..well, each point individually are nothing great, but toghether they make this anime very good. I enjoyed watching it so there´s no reason in here to give less than a 9. overall (8.0): I see why this one is on the top of the best rated anime. Its really a good anime and i believe than even those that are not fan of this style of anime will admit that this is a very good 1. My opinion is no different from most of the people, i reccomend.

The only other perfect anime series I've seen besides Cowboy Bebop. First a brief summary of the plot. The story takes place in a alternate earth in a country called Amestris. Alchemy is uesd heavily in this world, unlike our own. The story follows Edward and Alphonse Eleric brothers on their search for the Philosopher stone to restore their bodies they had lost when they tried to bring their mother back to life. They join the STATE ALCHEMIST under Roy Mustang so they can search better for the stone. Now onto the many reasons why this series is perfect. First the story: It's simply brilliant, I've seen nothing like it. The story is captivating, it draws you in and never lets you go. It mixes drama, action/adventure, religion, family, and fantasy perfectly. It's emotionally charged as you follow Ed and Al on their tragic journey. There are no flaws int the story, it even surprises you when one of the main characters dies, which will surprise you and even bring tears to your eyes. Second are the Characters: Simply Perfect. There are many characters from Ed and Al to Roy, Winry, Riza Hawkeye, Maes Hughes, Scar, Lust, and many others. Each bring something to the series and engage you into the series. Of course my favorite character is the one who ended up getting killed, I won't say which one, but it drew me even more into the series. As the story progresses onto the second half of the series you'll be introduced to even more great characters. Third is the Animation: The animation was excellent. It was done by Bones which has done other great series like WOLF'S RAIN, RAHXEPHON, EUREKA SEVEN, and MARS DAYBREAK. Fourth the music: It was classic. The music which was mostly classic style was breathtaking and added extra emotion to the show. Overall Fullmetal Alchemist is perfect series which makes statements about war, religion and family. It is a must to any anime fan. Though skip the movie it adds nothing to the series and isn't good. I don't even think of it as part of the series.