Fullmetal Alchemist

Full metal Alchemist. I'd always heard a little about it but it never really caught my attention... Until I watched the first episode. Ever since the first episode, I was hooked from the start. Questions kept pouring in, things went over my head and I gladly went and re-watched episodes. It got a little uninteresting in the middle, but with every new episode I was usually brought back into the interesting zone. I loved the storyline. Questions that you yourself really wanted the answer to, twists and turns all over the place and though it may seem a bit choppy at times, as you near the end of the series, everything fits smuggly into it's own little place, joining up to everything and allowing it all to make sense. Even the things that you thought didn't really have much purpose anymore, things that you wouldn't think to be important, turn out to be in the end. So that everything happens for a reason. The characters were another great aspect of this anime. They all had their faults and their good qualities. The main characters may even be firmly held on believing something, even so much as to have one of those "I know everything" moments where they are entirely serious, to find out how wrong they were. There were of course, the moments that made you cry. I had tears in my eyes many a time while watching this anime. other times I felt really happy, and stopped watching it for a while to think about everything that has happened. I would recommend this anime to anyone, it is much worth watching, and the number of episodes shouldn't scare you, as it really is worth watching all of them, even if you are a short-series person. I loved this, and I think you will to. I've even re-watched the entire series a couple of times. Though it is different from the manga, it should be watched!!! Hope you like it as much as I did ;)

I've only ever seen an anime fall off this hard one other time in my life, and it was guilty crown. The story follows two brothers who have committed the crime of being children with magic who want their mom back. Alchemy is explained surprisingly little for being the central power system. The laws around it are explained in detail the process itself is explained as "tectonic plates or something" until the last few epsiodes, which are honestly not great. Overall if it interests you the show treats alchemy like a cooking blog where they tell you the cooks life story, where each ingredient comes from, the warranty of the stove and at the end it tells you how to make toast with peanutbutter. It sounds like I hate it but its a genuinely great anime with good themes, it did a good job of explaining the world (by world I mean the one country) and the frame of mind it is in. The main characters get a lot more characterization compared to brotherhood as well. I'm going to end with an out of context spoiler that will make no sense if you haven't watched it but I figure I should warn you. Why did they send them to post world war one Germany? They know whats about to happen their right?? Watch the followup movie if you watch this it almost saves the ending

Full metal alchemist is an easy anime to overlook, as not many people watch this since it's newer and admittedly better sibling FMA Brotherhood gets all the spotlight. However with that being said it does have it's merits and some aspects of the show are even better than it's sequel. I am probably going to get hated on because of saying that but hear me out.the characters in the original full metal for one are better developed. For example one of the villains: lust, and Edwards teacher all get developed significantly more than in the sequel, their motives are made clearer and lust ends up having a surprisingly good arc. also Edward himself acts more human as he does some selfish things, and almost ends up doing bad things to attain said selfish desires, this makes him feel more realistic. there are also various other, less important side characters that get developed more in this version as well. it's small touches like that which tend to get overlooked. THIS SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS: The other thing that this version does better is explaining some of the events better or altering said events to be more impacting or realistic. for example, the reveal of Fuhrer Bradley being a homunculus and him killing the snake girl, in Brotherhood she get's introduced for a second before being gutted; in this version she gets introduced, she gets an arc she impacts the story and her death is genuinely saddening, the same for Nina and Hughes as they both get more time to develop. lastly the ishvalan war makes much more sense, here it's caused by an attack on a political head in brotherhood it's because a little kid died, which seems like an unrealistic reason to spark a war. SPOILER END now for the negatives, and there are a couple. firstly my main reason is the end, it makes no sense and feels totally out of place in the story, it was just terrible. the second is the fact that it diverges from the main story line with equally unnecessary filler arcs in the beginning and middle. they are just there to pad out the story and almost have no purpose in the overall plot with the only exception being a cameo with two of the filler characters towards the end, very disappointing. in overall it is a very good show and i believe that the good outweigh the negatives, and deserves to have more publicity. after watching Brotherhood make some time to watch this version too, if you can look past it's flaws and see the good you wont regret it.

Not as good as the original manga or Brotherhood (wich is basically the same), but it make som interesting alterations that makes this a good anime on it's own. My biggest problem is the lack of humor and comedy, and the overly dramatic vibe of the show. There's so much emphasis on sentimentality, there's so many grave and serious talks and dialogues, that it's at times difficult not to laugh. The original manga and the Brotherhood-anime managed to balance the action with comedy and drama to near a perfect blend. Still, the story in it's self and the animation are very good. As I said the story make some interestering alterations that works. The action sequences are great. Sadly the character-development are not nearly as good as in the manga/Brotherhood. As I've read somewhere, it feels like the characters are at the same place at the end as they where in the beginning. It is a good anime. No doubt about it.

Well first off, Fullmetal Alchemist, both this version and the Brotherhood adaptation, are definitely a couple of my favorite animes. They're both amazing, and I enjoy elements of both. But since this is not a comparison, I'm just going to look at this one on its own, with minimal references to the other series. Story: If there is one thing I can definitely say about this series vs. the Brotherhood adaptation, it's that this has a much better beginning, while Brotherhood had a much better ending. The story itself is fine, and most of it builds up in a fairly satisfying way. One thing I really like about it is that episodes that feel like filler end up being important and coming back in a big way later on. The comedic episodes are actually funny (and both have plot-important parts), and the dramatic ones hit the right notes. Because the story goes in a different direction here, it does leave a couple things hanging, but most of the main story threads are resolved either at the end of the show or in the movie that follows the show. My only problem with the ending, and the reason I don't think it's as good as the Brotherhood ending, is mostly that it felt really anticlimactic. I won't give away anything here, but the last two episodes felt really rushed, there was no big fight at the climax (I don't require a big fight at the ending of every show, but it would have been nice for an action show to have one), and the way it was all resolved wasn't really explained until the movie (which I didn't actually watch until quite a while after I finished the show). Besides the ending, however, the story is really good. Art: I really like the character design in this, and how every character looks distinct from each other. The backgrounds look pretty good, and the imagery is unique. The fight scenes aren't the best, and even seem a little slow at times, but overall, the animation does its job, and I don't have any major complaints about it. Sound: I really like the music in this. It always sets the mood well, and some of it is very pretty. The voice acting - in both the Japanese and English, is great, and no one seems to have a weirdly dissonant/annoying voice actor. It's worth mentioning that this is one of the best English dubs I've ever seen/heard. Overall, it sounded great. Characters: On the heroic side, protagonists, Ed, Al, and Roy are all great characters. I like how wide a range of personality and emotions we see from all three of them, from loud hammy comedy (Ed's reactions to being called short and the (in)famous "tiny miniskirts" line), to complete, crushing sadness (Ed's reaction to what happens to Nina is completely heartbreaking, as well as Roy's "it's raining" speech). The range of emotion keeps them from being one-note and is always well done and in-character. The supporting characters are mostly enjoyable too, with a couple exceptions. I won't mention everyone here (there's too big a cast for that), but I will mention a couple of stand-outs. I like that everyone is plot-important, even if they aren't all likable or enjoyable. I do think that a couple were better done in the Brotherhood version (especially Hawkeye, Winry, and Hohenheim, although since their backstories/arcs weren't revealed in the manga when this came out, I can't fault this too much for not giving either of them as much to do.), but even with that said, they all felt like they needed to be there. I'm also not a huge fan of the anime-only characters, but more on that later. On the antagonistic side, I have a little less love. I really liked Lust, Greed, and Scar, and thought they were all really well done antagonists with complexities and good arcs that ended on appropriate notes. Wrath and Sloth (both different here than in the manga/Brotherhood) had interesting, though somewhat similar backstories, but both ultimately had just enough weight in the story that I got invested in their arcs, and Gluttony and Envy are both somewhat one-note, but they do their job, and I can't complain too much about either of them. My problems come with the other villains. Now, I didn't find Father (the main antagonist in the manga/Brotherhood) all that interesting, but at least he had a good presence, and I did enjoy watching him. On the other hand, there's Dante, the main antagonist of this series. I can't get too deep into her role in the story without giving a ton of stuff away, but long story short, I don't like her very much as the big bad. She doesn't have enough presence to be enjoyably evil, she doesn't have enough focus to be complex, and she doesn't do enough cool stuff to be bada#%. Basically, she's boring. I kind of had the same problem with this version of Pride, although that was mostly due to a lack of focus and a really late reveal as to who he was (once again, can't say anymore without spoilers). The real standout here as far as bad villains was Frank Archer, an anime-only character. I think the point of him was that he was a warmongering villain, but we already have a couple of those in the story, so we don't really need another one. Much like with Dante, he's incredibly boring, and while Dante at least had a point in the story (she does get a lot done as the main villain), Archer doesn't do anything that couldn't have been done by someone else. Basically, he's boring and pointless, and the only character I don't either like or love to hate. Overall, with a couple of exceptions, the characters are really good, and nearly all of them are plot-relevant. Enjoyment: I really enjoyed the show. I'm honestly not sure what else to say here, but I was never tempted to stop watching it, so I did really like it. There were a couple of slow paced parts, and like I mentioned above, the ending wasn't all that great, but it was still good. Overall: Like I said, not trying to compare this to Brotherhood, but I feel like this went less for the big, sprawling, action epic feel of Brotherhood and more for a smaller, more personal story that put more focus on Ed, Al, and their own quest to restore themselves, and I think that both angles work well. I do like Brotherhood a little bit better (not for artistic reasons, necessarily, more for personal taste reasons), but this version still stands on its own as a really good anime, and while it does have it's problems, I would definitely recommend it.

Well, my dad recommended this to me........I LOVED IT! This anime is about two brothers, only a year apart. Their names are Edward and Alphonse Elric. Ed and Al live in a small town called Resembool with their mother, Trisha. They started pouring into alchemy, an extraordinary science when you can put together several things and turn them into something new. (But there are rules to this process.) Well, one day on their way home, they see their mother deader than a doorstop on the floor. They flipped out, had a funeral, cried to death and then things got interesting. Edward insisted to Alphonse that they should perform a forbidden art in alchemy called human transmutation. If they successfully do this, they can bring their mother back to life. So they made all the measurements, drew their transmutation circle, and attempted to sacrifice their pointer fingers in exchange. They were confident that they would succeed. But in the middle of the transmutation, chaos struck. Watch this absolutely beautifully conveyed anime to find out. This series can rip your heart out, but make you laugh at times as well. There's definitely not a more heart-breaking, action-packed anime out there. Watch it. Fuck this review. Just watch it NOW! Still, this wonderful 2003 anime by Hiromu Arakawa will definitely have a special place in my heart for generations to come. And I hope it touches your heart too. Thank you for reading this.

This review will not give detailed explanations about how good / bad this anime is with respect to FMA:B, but it will highlight why it has stood out as another independent masterpiece. As most of you know, this version, the older version, largely deviates from the manga after a certain point, as the manga could not keep up with the anime. FMA:B, on the other hand, follows the manga to its core. Having said that, many would assume that the 2003 FMA would be worse than FMA:B, as it deviates from the manga. This is not the case. FMA and FMA:B are both enjoyable. I have viewed FMA twice (the first time when it first came out in 2003; I was merely 10 years old that time, but I did find it amazing) Story- 10/10 FMA is a much darker anime with respect to FMA:B, while FMA:B is more hilarious. Not even once did I get bored while watching FMA. Even the filler episodes are highly enjoyable, and adds more to the story. Before FMA:B, this anime was considered a masterpiece, and that was rightfully so. It stands out as an independent piece of class, doing full justice to the alternative story and setting. Art- 9/10 FMA came out in 2003-04. That was more than 10 years back. Comparing it to the other anime of that era, FMA was leaps and bounds better than most. Even if you are new to the series, and will be watching it soon or in the future, be not afraid; its animation will continue to amaze, unless there are major changes in the animation technology. Sound- 10/10 For some reason, the only thing that comes to my mind while mentioning the sound effects / quality, is that one scene involving Nina Tucker and the Elric brothers. I will not be giving out spoilers, but that scene, combined with the sound effects, voice effects etc., still sends chills down my spine. Character- 10/10 I feel the character development for this is better than FMA:B. Characters were covered more in details, each character serving a major purpose in the build up of the story. You'll begin to sympathise with most of the characters, even some of the villains. You'll laugh with them, get angry, annoyed, and even cry at some of the events (them onion cutting ninjas). Enjoyment- 10/10 I enjoyed it thoroughly, so much that I cannot exactly pinpoint the reasons for the same. The entire anime overall was a piece of art. Overall- 10/10 This anime, along with its alternative FMA:B, are both amazing. It takes you through a priceless journey (2 journeys in this case), and it was a memorable one. Recommended for watching? Hell yes. This anime will never cease to amaze you. Watch both this and FMA:B to fully appreciate the FMA universe. Each has its own unique story, and are equally enjoyable. FMA (2003) is a masterpiece in its own right.

First of all, i really liked this anime. I watched it till like the 30th episode and then i found out that the full metal alchemist series didnt follow the manga and so didnt follow the original series. This kind off dissapointed me and i wanted to cut the series off and start watching brotherhood, the other full metal series that did stick to the manga till the end. BUT, since i already where this far in the series i thought it would be a shame to just cut it off, so i finished it. I want you guys to know that its best to watch the other series, the brotherhood serie. Since this is the real one and sticks to the real story to the end, so if you have to choose between them and dont feel like watching both i recommend you watch brotherhood. if you wanne watch them both then i would recommend watching this one first since its not the real one, and then see what really is supposed to happen in the brotherhood series. Putting this aside, i really enjoyed this anime even tho its not the original one. the story in the beginning is pretty boring, at least i thought so. but when you watch it more and more you start to like it and the story is becomming more interesting. All kinds of suprises are waiting for you in this anime, since its really unpredictable which is something i really like in an anime. If your the adventure type a guy/girl, watch this.

This anime was very enjoyable, targeted towards a more mature audience it is a heart warming tragedy with a very enjoyable plot line that rarely strays (come on Full Metal Vs. Flame? The Flame Alchemist? Who didn’t like it) Full Metal Alchemist will capture you from the first episode to the last, it is an anime you can laugh and cry along with. I Enjoyed Full Metal Alchemist for its engaging story lines, relatable and likeable characters, the art work and the music that seemed to capture the moon of each character perfectly. A sad but heart warming tail of two brothers that is highly recommended to watch. Epically if you like action, suspense and sifi with a bit of comedy along the way. Full Metal Alchemist was on or, it not the best anime’s ever created.

Story: FMA is the story of the Elric brothers living in a parallel universe from us. In this universe, there is a special ability called Alchemy. Alchemy allows the user to change substances, for example to create weapons instantly where there is metal. Normally alchemists use a transmutation circle and place their ingredients within it. However the older brother Edward has the ability to transmute by clapping his hands. The only law of alchemy is equvalent exchange. Meaning you can't just transmute a grain of sand into millions of gold bars. At a young age, the brothers Ed and Al start learning alchemy by researching their father's notes of transmutation cirlces. Their dad left their mom around the time Al was born, so Ed still remembers and hates his father. One day, their mother falls on the ground of their home, she was sick for all the time that her husband was gone. On her deathbed, Edward learns why his mother loves watching the boys play with alchemy, it remained her of her husband. When she dies, Edward swears to learn more alchemy and use it to bring their mother back to life. Of course, that's not the real goal of the story, as possibly predicted, bring someone back from the dead isn't just piling all the elements of the human body together, because there is something called the "soul." When the human transmutation on their mother goes horribly wrong, the "gate" appears before the brothers and pulls Al in. When Ed sees the monster that was suppose to be his mother, he reopens the gate and pays an arm and leg to attach his brother's soul to a peice of armour. The story revolves around the brother's jouney to find the "philosiphers stone" which can be used to preform alchemy without obeying equivelant exchange, so all their mistakes can be solved and the brothers can be normal again. The storyline was was very fixed, there were no fillers, only some bits of comedy relief (and what a relief they were). The simple little quest of a little red stone draws the brothers into darker and more dreadful secrests of the world, and their own father. And all the strings are pulled neatly back together with the ending movie, Conquor of Shamballa. Art: The art is pretty fine for my belief, the blocky bangs of some of the males did annoy me a bit, but overall the art fit. Sound: There were repeats of some bits of music but they fit the mood. To be honest I was too busy with the plot to listen to the music. Characters: You can definatly see character devolopment from this. Edward turns from a selfish and more or less simple minded child to a mature and understanding adult. Other side characters didn't seem to change much, however their father had a bit of a change as well. Though we don't really see him in the past before his change. I was just a bit mad that Al just stayed much the same though out. He was always just, "I'll follow you brother!" and never really had a time to think himself. Edward however had some times where he put out a great joke, in a really bad time. It just lifted all the very much wanted tension! Enjoyment: Overall very enjoyable, I spent about a week after finishing the story going back and finding all the themes. It really relates to WWI! Which it's suppose to because it was the same time that WWI was occuring in our universe. Overall: This anime still deserves a 10 overall, the little bits that didn't fit well got covered up by layers of beautiful fabric storylines. So if you didn't already, watch Full Metal Alchemist!

Characters/Development At first I thought 51 episodes would have been a bit much but the length of it kept your interest in characters and the story for longer. I didn’t find a single episode boring as each one is as good as the last, with different adventures throughout the series developing the story more as it progresses. Characters were overall really good with great designs and their own personalities which are shown throughout, be it hilarious or serious. Some good moments was when Hughes brags about his daughter and when Armstrong brags about his muscles. Each character is developed and not forgotten about, especially those who appear early in the series, with more appearing with a useful role to play out. Even the villians had some good character development, learning more about them and getting used to them a lot more rather than just being people that only have the view to rule the world. Story wise, I found them repeating stuff about the Philosophers Stone with the same information each time got very annoying. I found the anime to flow well but a bit on the slow side, but not on a level that was boring. However, towards the end it started to get more to the point. There are a lot of twists in the plot throughout the whole series, and they are always there. These then also change how you feel towards some of the characters and get you thinking during some sections in the anime. There’s a good mix of comedy, action and emotion in the anime, which all worked well and didn’t go over the top with things. Animation/Scenery Animation wise, was very good and it got better as the series progressed. The battles were quite exciting but I did expect something as good as in the opening sequences, but they weren’t bad either and there was sometimes a little too much talking during those times. I felt Alphonse didn’t do too much during the majority of battles which was a shame. The backgrounds were really detailed keeping you immersed with the surroundings were crafted very well, great colour and toning. There were a lot of locations in Full Metal Alchemist adding a lot of variety to the places you see. Audio/Music Audio was good quality with a wide selection of sound effects and ambience used throughout the series. Voices for all the characters didn’t sound at all too similar and fit well with their characters. The Opening themes were all good, I loved the first one most as it set the scene far better than the rest. But not to say those were bad as I enjoyed each one. Can’t say much for the endings as I never listened to them, except from the first one, which I enjoyed. Conclusion Exciting and funny which was a very good watch that flows well and keeps on track without getting boring at all. Lots of twists and turns that can keep you at the edge of your seat with some great characters and development throughout.

One of the most popular Animes ever in the US, an anime that uses a different form of Alchemy then that to the US. An anime with action, adventure and a little comedy in it. Fullmetal Alchemist was awarded the six of eight American Anime Awards in Febuary 2007, winning awards such as Best long Series, Best actor or the Best Anime theme song. I have enjoyed this anime it is was got me into it, the Fantasy and action gave me a new look into the anime lifestyle it was pretty cool. After that i have senn many different types of anime because of this show. Hope you have enjoyed what i have enjoyed, thanks for reading.

Fullmetal Alchemist is definitely the best anime I've seen so far. The plot is pure genius, the theme is absolutely one-of-a-kind. The plot twists really hook you to the anime and make you want more. You'll never get tired of it, no matter how many times you re-watch. The animation is top-notch, as expected of BONES, and the quality is consistent throughout the whole series. The background music and the OP/ED themes really suits the series. The character development is also steady, and there is just enough comic relief to lighten the mood. This anime is definitely a huge production success.

Fullmetal Alchemist! It's amazing. Just plain amazing. Journey with two brothers in the world of alchemy as they learn the truth behind the Philosopher Stone and the motives of the people around them! FMA is one of the most original animes out there! It's got a great storyline, crazy and hilarious characters. There are tear-jerking moments and sentimentals parts. There's kicking-butt pwning people and action scenes that leave you on the edge for more! The voice actors are all fantastic making this 52-episode anime a must see for all!

I really think this is the best version of Full Metal Alchemist it has the best slow burn story with interspective characters better character setup and payoffs I think the character design looks more childish. Look more young and has a better design. I cannot put word to it and I like how they are much better to showing all the little mechanical details to things. I really enjoy how the art design is just so expressive it has the right to make them look happy and sad and horrified especially the horrified eyes are really good in this anime. I really enjoy how it doesn't go away from the more horrible parts of War about how the people are oppressed and tweeted after they have lost, I really enjoyed the darkness that is in the show it just makes it so much more interesting. I just enjoyed that they don't go away for the darker subjects. How much build up there is, this show and how even after everything has happened? They still feel like children who love each other very much but I still way over their head, how because of the smaller cast we can have more intimate relationship with every one of the cast. How it main characters main always feel way over their head like they are doing the best, but they are not as strong they think they are. How the anime is about a more Petty small things that make people do horrible thing instead of an overall evil in this world. For me this is one of my favorite anime of all time, it has many flaws but I can still love it.

note: i watched brotherhood before this, but i have not read the manga. feel free to check out my review of that show as a standalone, and also skip to the end of this review to see my thoughts on brotherhood after watching FMA 03. a gestalt is something that is more than the sum of its parts. the human composition, for example, could be bought for a few bucks at a flea market. but cook it in a pot, bake it in an oven, pop it into a microwave, and you still won’t get a human being; it’ll just be an incomplete puddle of shit. in other words, that shit ain’t a gestalt. it’s ONLY a sum of its parts, nothing more. in human composition, specifically, it lacks a soul. that was what i experienced when i watched FMA: Brotherhood for the first time. don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a bubbling pile of shit, per se. in fact, i enjoyed my watch all the way through. but at the end, i just couldn’t help but feel that something was missing. so in a desperate attempt to fill that void, i watched FMA. and boy, oh boy, did i find myself a motherfucking gestalt. but more importantly, i found the soul that, for me, Brotherhood DESPERATELY lacked. that soul permeates the entirety of this show, it holds everything together, makes every minute of FMA feel compelling and weighty and entertaining no matter how dark it gets, and yes, no matter how lighthearted and comedic it gets. no matter what happens, it’s all for the purpose of showcasing the show’s characters, and their noticeably flawed, noticeably human traits. none of the main cast have actions that feel plot motivated, doing things that were obviously written in to push along the pace (lookin at you, Brotherhood!). no, actions are done as direct extensions of character flaws, of character motivations, and most notably, character obsession. obsession. as fellow MAL user Archaeon pointed out, FMA revolves around that singular theme and STICKS with it. from the Elric brothers to the Homonculi to characters like Winry, Mustang, and Frank Archer, every main character throws caution to the wind and dedicates their entire self into their dream, their passion, their obsession. it’s not a good trait to have, and definitely isn’t healthy. but hey, here we are, with a show revolving around two teens obsessed with fending off the demons of their previous obsession of resurrection. layers, man. obsession is a trait that has a way of brushing the line between good and evil, and it was extremely compelling to see all of these characters clash with each other, not shouting shonen diatribes, but firm questionings of what’s “wrong” and what’s “right” when at the end of it all, everyone is on the same side and different sides all at once; everyone is out to fend for their own dreams, no matter the cost. it’s a point of contention that’s brought up multiple times, and is the very reason why the main antagonists of the series were born in the first place. everyone and everything isn’t connected through a thread of fate, nor for the sake of an overarching plot, but by the result of their own obsession, their own impulsive actions to achieve what they want. as a result, there’s a BITE to this show that just gives it a very mature edge. subtle little moments like Al crying after helping delivering a baby and wondering how soft he used to feel, or the race relations that were brushed over in Brotherhood between the Ishbalan’s and Amestrian’s, or the 03-exclusive revelation of where alchemy’s power is derived from, this show really doesn’t hold back any punches. if you think it’ll go there, it GOES there, without being too edgy. God, ik i’m sounding vague af right now and rambly, but that’s what i look for in a show: i look for themes, seeing how those themes materialize into characters, how it wisps into threads of plot, how it becomes the soul of a story. FMA’s key strength in allowing this soul to really seep and marinate into the show’s writing is its pacing. my biggest problem with Brotherhood (sorry i keep bringing it up) was that the pace was too fast, too slick. sure, many problems and issues and themes were brought up and just as quickly solved, but that’s the problem. Brotherhood never gave a chance for those themes and its characters to just breathe. to just pause and really let the audience marinate on themes presented, to let the impact of big revelations to really SETTLE in before just moving on to another big revelation or another heavy idea. that’s where FMA triumphs. with the slower, more episodic framework, the soul and themes that are brought up are given time to truly settle into the characters’ minds, and subsequently, ours. we are given time to digest everything before yet another plot thread, character, or revelation is shoved down our throats. it’s telling that the main plot twists of FMA are revealed throughout 40+ episodes in FMA, and in under 20 in FMA:B. it makes for much more fleshed out characters that are presented and studied in intimate detail, makes for a much more compelling battle of morals that culminates into a muddled mess of “so was everyone wrong?” instead of a trite and vanilla “at the end of it all, it’s FRIENDS that are the answer!” sure, there ARE some issues with the show. but those issues for me stem from how fucking GREAT everything is. like how i wish there was just 20 or 30 more episodes to really explore character dynamics that were untouched or were introduced without any further exploration (winry and mustang or hoenheimm and dante, in particular. or how, ironically, the pacing speeds up a bit too quickly in the final 4 or 5 episodes, plopping revelation after revelation into our laps and we’re left dragged along in the show’s wake as it lunges towards the finish. but in the end, the flaws don’t detract from the experience much. after all, the writers were given the daunting task to adapt an unfinished popular manga and they took it as an opportunity to insert their artistic license whilst building off the themes that were the foundation of the source material (themes that were, ironically, cast to the wayside in said source material), weaving a story that in many respects, SURPASSES the quality what they were supplementing, a work of art that’s wholly its own. now, with all that being said, what do i think of Brotherhood after completing this? well honestly, i like it even more AS supplementary material. for me, Brotherhood as its own work is, as i stated in the review i posted of that show, fine. it’s clean, polished, slick, entertaining, and fun. but that’s it. however, as a work that is to be watched AFTER watching FMA 03, i think it’s great! it brushes over the main revelations that 03 took 40+ episodes to really mull over, and because we know the characters so well from watching FMA, there is justification to set aside screentime for new compelling characters. there’s also a lot of cool contextual subtleties in Brotherhood in relation to 03 that totally flew over my head during my first time watch; it’s obvious that the creators of Brotherhood were writing and pacing that show with the assumption that the audience watched FMA 03 or at least have some passing knowledge of it. for me it’s like NGE and the Rebuilds. don’t get me wrong, i do not think for a second that the Rebuilds are just as good as NGE and subsequently EoE. BUT, as supplementary material, those three films (3.33 in particular) are fantastic watches just for the spectacle of seeing characters and settings you know and love remixed with a bigger budget and more action-oriented storytelling. just as NGE was more about deep character studies and The Rebuilds more about flashy visuals and thrilling action, i think the same goes for FMA 03 and Brotherhood. in the end tho, i can see why people would prefer Brotherhood over FMA 03; it’s much more shonenlike, and, despite my misgivings and distaste for it’s all-too-polished fast-paced plot, the writing keep…

With outstanding characters and amazing audio music I am amazed how much I disliked this anime after re-watching it after Brotherhood and reading the manga. Unfortunately I'm a stickler to the 'anime must follow manga' motto. Perhaps it's even because of this anime that I think so. The story, which I in the end have the most problem with, is good up to a point. I loved seeing Edward and Alphonse in training, and the filler episodes weren't half bad. However, the later part just makes no sense. The story veers off in the middle and never makes it back on track. The character exposition up until that point is now useless and only suffices to finish the anime. There are a couple of things that I detest immensely about the story but for the sake of spoilers I will not mention. Just prepare yourself for the 'Are you serious?' moments, there will be plenty. The art isn't bad, for the period it was made in, still it can't be rated higher than fair. The sound however, is amazing. Now, the openings and endings are generally a hit and miss for me, and it was the same with this anime unfortunately. However the tracks played during this anime were fantastic. I had to listen to them over and over just to make sure of it and yep, still great. I think that I was in the end mostly just disappointed with the way they executed the second half of this anime. Next to Brotherhood, who tells a whole meaningful story pulling the strings since episode one, you have this that while it's not horrible it's just not good. I wish they'd put more effort into making it rather than giving us a huge green monster, parallels with out world and dimension travelling.

~This review is for FullMetal Alchemist ONLY~ How shall I review an anime which does not require any introductions? WELL, this are for those people who will experience FMA for the first time. If you do not like science fiction, rest assured that this will (i hope) change your view on the genre. You may want to try this because people who watched this (people i know, mind you), calls this a legendary anime. The adventures of the two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric are the highlight of this anime. You are going to be intrigued about the concept of Alchemy and their principle of "Equivalent Trade". Because they are two brothers who tried to revive their mother from the dead (human transmutation) but ended up losing their arms and legs(for edward) and whole body (Al). Because of Edward's love for his brother, the soul of his brother before it totally vanishes, was transferred in a suit of armor using alchemy. The story then is focused on their journey to find the Philosopher's stone to get back what is lost to them. I will give this a 10/10. After watching this, never forget to watch Book 2, Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood.

It was great it takes you through the eyes of people who fight to get back what they once had the anime ending is fantastic but the movie ending well was nevermind i just feel sorry for winry

Fullmetal Alchemist is unlike any other anime that I have ever seen. If I could have, I would've rated it a 20 instead of a 10. It was incredible. The story line was great. The idea of alchemy makes me wish that I could leave my world and jump into their's. Although, as an anime for beginners I would recommend watching something else first. Parts of it can be creepy for people who are easily scared (not that that is a bad thing). For instance, the homunculus Gluttony. My (older) sister found him scary, while I did not. Also, parts of it are sad. Ed, Al, and all the other characters were fabulous. I liked how much the brothers cared for each other. Other than that, it's hard to say exactly why I felt the need to re-watch it over 3 times or why I get nostalgic at the slightest mention of this amazing series. One thing I do know is that I absolutely hated the ending. It was a total cliffhanger, not to mention sad. It wasn't sad in a way, "Oh no, my favorite character died," No. My thoughts were, "Why did that have to happen?" *frown*. There is a sequel to the series, Fullmetal Alchemist: Conquer of Shambala, but the ending to that was as, if not more, depressing as the series. But it's equivalent exchange, I guess. Even though I didn't like the ending, Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood were (and still are) two of the best anime series that I have ever seen. I highly recommend giving my favorite anime a chance.