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Jun 6, 2015
“Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy’s First Law of Equivalent Exchange” — Fullmetal Alchemist
The quote above is certainly true when one thinks about the adaptation history of Fullmetal Alchemist. As compared to the 2003 version, Brotherhood is vastly different. The former did not follow the source material all the way through and pacing was off, whereas Brotherhood followed the source material from beginning to end, and that is why it’s so great.
If one doesn’t at least know the prolouge story of FMA, then they have no business even
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reading any reviews. Quite simply, Fullmetal Alchemist as a whole is about two brothers who have committed the ultimate taboo of their world and they paid the price for it. So, they desperately try to get what they have lost, but along the way they uncover truths that they were not ready for.
The pacing of Brotherhood started off a bit iffy. In the first ten or so episodes, I felt it being a bit episodic. I mean, sure the first arc was about them uncovering the first batch of hard truths about what really was happening, but to me it felt just a little too episodic. Once it got around episode 11, I think that’s really when the show found its ground floor and it was uphill from there on.
When everything was laid out for us and we were slowly fed what the over-reaching plot was, I couldn’t help but find myself so hooked to the screen episode after episode. Each one just pulled me in closer and closer, made me feel for these characters, made me want to know what was happening next, all the while not wanting to miss a single minute.
Sometimes anime can either bring better art styles to an adaptation than the manga ever did or it could be worse. In Brotherhood’s case, I think it fell somewhere in the middle of all of that. Bones really did do a great job capturing the essence of the art style of Brotherhood while also throwing in their own specific style. From how it all flowed in animation to how all of the fights were so brilliantly created.
I admit, I only watched the dub, so I can’t compare to how the English dub did as compared to the original subs, but I will say this: Funimation never fails to deliver on a great English dub. All around, the dub had a great cast. I don’t think no single voice actor or actress failed at what role they were given. A few standouts were: James Douglas(Major Miles), Vic Mignonga(Edward Elric), Kent Williams(Father), J. Michael Tatum(Scar), and Colleen Clickenbeard(Hawkeye).
As for the sound effects and soundtrack, I think everything fit well. They timed the right moments with the right tracks. I think certain tracks definitely help set the mood for certain moments while not taking away from said moments. The Ops and Eps definitely were rightly selected. They were great Jrock tracks. I specifically loved the second OP and EP.
Now to the characters. Such a large, yet wonderful cast of characters. Of course, thorugh it all, Ed and Al are the main focus through the first half. Then, that were we got to know the other characters at least in some bits. I really liked how each main character had their own arc and were given time to develop and grow in their own way. For example, I loved how Scar was able to grow in a way that made sense for him. I also liked how Greed kept on swaying from good to bad. I really felt for him.
One standout character through this all was Roy. I loved how his constant arc of the show was a combination of two things: Becoming fuehrer of the country and avenging Hughes. Throughout the entire ordeal of everything going around him, those two main objectives kept his character the most interesting, I think, especially the dark path he took for a few episodes. That really brought the realism of this show full circle and how one decision could set us down the wrong path.
In the end of it all, Fullmetal Alchemist finally gets the adaptation that everyone was waiting for. We finally got a proper one -- one that satisfied those who read the manga all the way through. It might have a few bumps here and there, but Bones showed us -- and other studios I hope -- how to PROPERLY do an anime series that faithfully follows the source material.
In any case, it’s a wonderful series that tugs so many heartstrings that we begin to feel like this show’s b-word.
Story: 10/10
Art and Animation: 9
Sound, Music, and Voice Acting: 9
Character Cast and Development: 10
Enjoyment: 10
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Nov 2, 2014
When this first aired a few years ago on Adult Swim’s Saturday Anime block, I will be the first guy in the room to admit that I wasn’t too interested in it. I originally thought it was boring and had nothing for it, but then again, I was a sour pissant back then. However, a few days ago, I decided that I needed a good few days of anime to watch, so I gave it another go and boy I couldn’t have been more surprised in my life. There has been no anime aside from Fullmetal Alchemist that has got my attention from the very
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get-go. I don’t know if it was the story, the OP’s or the ost that made its way into the series. It just all came together and was well-crafted.
I will talk about the story itself cause I feel that deserves some credit. It took me a while to get onto what exactly was happening cause there were bits that went forward, flashbacked, and just pretty much went back-and-forth. It sort of reminded me of the American Dramedy, How I Met Your Mother, where it was told in flashbacks and flashforwards. I will admit that it took at least three episodes for me to get the groove of it, but once you stick around for that long, I will be the first one to tell you that it did not disappoint. It was a well-crafted, well-paced story that will have you begging for more.
The art and sound had a certain zing to it. I don’t know how exactly I can explain it, but the two went hand-in-hand with each other. With the almost jazzy-esque sounds for the dramatic moments to the soothing piano to the more emotional moments, the music definitely gave it a great atmosphere. I also have to give major props to the voice acting. I only watched the dub version, so I don’t know how the subbed/original did in comparison, but in my opinion, the dub was pretty spot on. I will actually go on record and state that it was one of my favorite dubs out there. Of course, that’s not counting Future Diary or High School DxD.
The highest point of the series was definitely the vast array of characters that the series had. We had almost every types out there. It ranged from classic shounen-types to the shy main character, to overbearing husbandos to over-the-top angry males. I mean seriously, the characters had such a different personality in each of them, I was so surprised at how well-balanced each of them seemed to mesh with the seires’ over-the-top atmosphere. Some of my favorite moments definitely came with the main characters were interacting with the supporting characters. Also, the way that each character had their own story but seemed to find a nice balance as to not overshadow the other characters, well it was well done.
So, at the end of this review, what have we learned? Durarara is an over-the-top, almost barbaric series with even more over-the-top, and barbaric moments, but at the end of the day, it’s one of those series’ that you just have to watch and experience first hand. It’s one hell of a ride full of moments that will make you laugh out loud and reach for the nearest tissue.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 27, 2014
With such series' like Rosario Vampire and Aki-Sora, the ecchi and harem genre has never been stronger. It is with such series going around that the genre being what it is that makes High School DxD an instant hit for fans of the genre. On the surface, it's an over-the-top, high-paced, fan-serviced spectacle that many fans of this genre love. With its rather cliche plot and possibly even more cliche characters, it'll capture you granted that you don't mind tits and asses.
Storywise, it starts out slow. The build-up is slow and the way the overall premise is established is slightly faster, but still very much
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slow. The story goes through two arcs in the first season. Possibly one of the highlights is the insults of the writing. Yes, I definitely think that the insults and the multiple ways of calling a person a douche and even the multiple terms for wanting to have sex with someone. Granted, sometimes the writing interferes with the story, but as I stated, the story itself is a bit cliche, but it catches on and somehow you'll find yourself being drawn to it.
I think one of the most impressive things about this series is the art style. It's with the art that one is drawn to an anime or manga first. We look with our eyes before we read and delve into the universe presented to us in the visual form. The fluid animation brings an added bonus to the art itself. It just might be the best thing about the series.
The musical score and other such sound effects really brought the series to life. With a brilliant composer such as Ryosuke Nakanishi, it's hard not to just fall deeply in love with the music. I will admit that at times it slightly felt out of place, but that's only in the smallest of ways.
As stated beforehand, the characters took a while to build and some of them had cliche moments, but there definitely was a good amount of heart put forth into them. As much as the series is fan service, the characters showed surprising development in the twelve episodes. That's not to say that there weren't moments where I had my doubts — cause there were. There were even some characters that I felt that could have been left out. Hell, there were even some characters that I felt were wasted opportunities. Still, with that being said, I felt the main characters, at least, were handled well.
So, overall the series is good for those who like harem, ecchi, laugh-out-loud moments, and over-the-top action that makes one question their sanity. It's a good time and the heart is there. My final score is 7/10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 21, 2013
You know what I say when I think of Inuyasha? So much potential.
Inuyasha revolves around the adventures of Kagome Higurashi, Inuyasha, Miroku, Songo, Kirara, and Shippo as they travel Feudal Japan in search of the Sacred Shikon Jewel Shards. In their adventure they run into several types of demons, but one remains at large until the end of the series: NAraku. Oh, Naraku; that bastard has such power and that's not even from the jewel fragments he gathered throughout the series.
Our group of adventures go through japan finding themselves, bonding with each other, running into trouble whether it be forced, accidental, or for complete comic
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relief. I mean come on, this series definitely has the cliche aspects of shounen. You got tons of action, suspense, romance, comedy, and all that good stuff. Most of the comedy, I will admit, comes from the lecherous monk, Miroku; but you also get a good deal with the conflicting personalities of all characters — both major and minor.
The series ran for a long time, which is surprising since quite a few episodes were filler. The anime and manga both have a decent story and to my knowledge. The art of the series is good in my opinion. It had some moments where I thought the character design was a bit weird, but for the most part it was good. I think the character development could have gone a little better. This is where the potential I spoke of in the beginning comes into play. It had the potential to be as good of a shounen series as Yu-Yu Hakusho and Dragon Ball Z, but it fell flat near the end. Though, in the anime, I really liked the soundtrack and sound effects. That's probably the best thing about the show.
So, overall, I would say this is a good series if you want one to jump into that sticks to shounen format. Though, if you're afraid of the length, then skip it. My overall rating is six out of ten.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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