Ranked #1

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

First of all, I have seen the original FMA and although it was very popular and original, the pacing and conclusion did not sit too well with me. Brotherhood is meant to be a remake of the original, this time sticking to the manga all the way through, but there were people who thought it would spoil the franchise. That myth should be dispelled, as there's only one word to describe this series - EPIC.

I admit that as I've seen the original and read the manga, the pacing of Brotherhood seems to start off being VERY fast (I finally got used to the pacing after watching the first fifteen eps or so). Events that took up half a volume of the manga and had spread though a few episodes of the original anime were now shown in just a single episode. However, after trying to look at it from the perspective of someone who's new to FMA (not comparing it to the manga nor the original), I believe that the pacing works and it manages to tell an intriguing story effectively with little confusion. The plot is full of clever ideas and unpredictable twists that link various parts of the story together. By the final episode, all loose ends are neatly tied up and what's left is a hugely satisfying epilogue.

The animation in FMA Brotherhood is crisp and very well done (although it does sometimes dip a bit in quality). Compared to the original FMA it's a bit simpler but that's just because the original set a very high standard to follow. The facial emotions of the characters are also perfectly presented. The action scenes are brilliant and VERY well animated, with a variety of alchemy techniques and other talents being displayed nearly every episode. The various battles are consistently exciting to watch, but somehow get even better towards the end of the series.

The voice acting is of an excellent and consistent quality, and I think that pretty much all the characters have voice actors which suit their personalities. The majority of the openings/endings are a pleasure to watch due to fantastic animated sequences and theme songs. The background music which play during the episodes usually fit very well with the situation, although some tracks seem to be overused a little at first. This becomes less of a problem as the series progresses, with plenty of new music being introduced to support the story as it reaches the finale.

Moving on to the characters (best thing about this series), the original FMA focussed mainly on Ed and Al and on their struggles to regain their bodies, whereas Brotherhood also explores other characters to great detail at the same time. The majority of the spotlight is still on the two brothers, but it highlights their interactions with new characters which were not present in the original anime. New characters include a group of people from Xing (a neighbouring country), another person from the Armstrong family (who I think has become one of the coolest members of the supporting cast), and a new main antagonist. For me, the Xingese characters in particular (Ling Yao and Mei Chang among others) provide a new dimension to the FMA world, by showing us a different culture to the militaristic one we're familiar with. I think the new antagonist is an improvement on the original FMA, as this person has a much stronger and clever link to the Elric brothers' father. Returning characters from the original FMA, such as Mustang and Scar, are much more awesome and developed due to the fact that Brotherhood is 100% faithful to the manga. Plus, Winry Rockbell now has a much more active role in the story. I can say for sure that this anime has one of the best main/supporting casts I've ever seen, and you'd probably find it difficult to label any of the recurring characters (whether they are good or evil) as being either boring or unnecessary in terms of the storyline.

One of the many good things about this series is that there has been absolutely no filler at all (yes, I'm thinking of Naruto, Inuyasha, etc), which prevents the story from losing momentum. All the episodes are concise and every scene is important as part of the huge plot. The dialogue fully explains everything and is straight to the point. As multiple characters are explored there are lots of side stories, but these are all perfectly intertwined with the main story of the Elric brothers and more often than not directly influence their journey too. Like most anime series, there are things from the manga which have been left out, but these are usually just restricted to comedy moments. There has been one episode which shows a lot of flashbacks of events so far, but that's forgiven as it shows the most epic moments of the series, and also provided us with some history on the father of the Elric brothers.

FMA Brotherhood will be sorely missed now that it's finished. It is excellent in every aspect and has very little, if anything, that can be called a flaw (maybe rushed character development at first due to the fast pacing, but this quickly subsides). Each episode feels like it's too short, a testimony to how much it draws you in to the story and characters. There are moments which leave you smiling, laughing, sad and simply amazed. Try this anime, it's recommended for absolutely everyone, to newcomers and to those familiar with Fullmetal Alchemist. read more

Now, this is a prime example of how to adapt an manga into an anime the RIGHT way. The original Fullmetal Alchemist, though well made and very popular, went into a downward spiral as soon as it diverted from the manga storyline and never seemed to recover. This however, shows that instead of trying to add their own story elements when adapting manga/visual novels etc., sometimes anime producers should just sit back and retell the great story that has already been written in the original.

This anime starts off at a breakneck pace. It shoots entire volumes of the manga in a couple of episodes. It was to be expected though, as Bones is trying to fit 100+ chapters of manga into a 1-year long series. However, once you get used to it the pacing seems very appropriate for the series and only seems to increase the suspense. While small elements have been omitted from the manga, these are mainly non-essential and have no impact on the story. Yet while many of these omitted elements are comedic in nature, Brotherhood still manages to switch between seriousness and comedy so fast you'll get whiplash. I quite enjoyed this particularly as a sort of trademark of the series. The actual plot-line twists and turns in unexpected ways and keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the climax grips you like no other. Many disregard the plot as being generically shonen, but it is these twists and its exploration into the psyche and motivation of the characters that propel it past this "generic shonen" label.

The art is of a different style to the original FMA. It is a little simpler, and comedic scenes sometimes even stray into an outright chibi style, but this is by no means a bad thing. If anything it is closer to the the style that Hiromu Arakawa draws with in the manga. What its lacking in detail, it makes up for with first-class fight sequences (as to be expected of Bones). The animation overall is quite polished and character movements are very fluid and natural.

The characters on both sides really caught my attention as one of this series' strengths. It boasts a diverse range of characters, all of which have considerable substance and a distinct purpose in the storyline. The Homunculi especially turn out to be completely different from the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime, and more awesome in my opinion. Edward and Alphonse are still the main focus of the story as they quest to find the Philosophers' Stone and restore their bodies, but now Winry also takes a more central role along with Ed and Al's father, Hohenheim. There is also a host of new characters which didn't feature in the first anime adaptation, including a few from the mysterious country Xing and a new main villain. Being completely faithful to the manga, all the characters' separate journeys and origins are told in much greater detail. Each character's values and beliefs are tested almost to breaking point as the story reaches its later stages, providing a somewhat surprising and refreshing depth to the cast.

The one thing I initially disliked about this series was the soundtrack, which lacked substance and was very repetitive. The first opening was brilliant, one of the best I have seen, but the background music was lacklustre. However, as the series went on more music was added and the soundtrack began to add a great atmosphere to fight scenes and dialogue alike. The voice actors also really show their ability throughout the series and seem very well suited to their roles. With such an all-star cast of voice-actors you wouldn't expect any less.

Overall Bones has done an awesome job surpassing its previous effort and faithfully retelling the Fullmetal Alchemist manga. Enjoyment wise, you'd be hard pressed to find a shonen anime that will entertain you as much as FMA Brotherhood. Truly a great anime, there's no other way to describe it. A must-see for people new to anime and hardened otakus alike. Overall score: 9.4/10 (rounded to 9). read more