Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - 4-Koma Theater

Amusing little clips that parody parts of the anime... if you miss the characters after finishing Brotherhood, this is a nice way to bring em back. The best one by far was Roy Mustang's rap! And I wish there was more Ling Yao in them. =) But sure, it'd take maybe 40 min of your time, just watch em! It's stupid sometimes, funny sometimes, but overall it's just nice to see the characters again.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood sets itself apart from the acclaimed "original" Fullmetal Alchemist series back in 2003 by staying loyal to the manga. An important part of the manga was the 4-Panel Comic section at the end of every volume. These humorous comics were comedic parodies of significant events that transpired in the current volume.

Their ability to take a serious event that elicited major emotions from the readers and turn them into something funny and laughable was something that the 16 episode, 2 minute "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - 4-Koma Theater" OVA series brought back with the DVD/BD releases of the show.

If you can recall the type of animation that Brotherhood had during comedic parts of the show, apply that style and ONLY that style to the 4-Koma Theaters and you have a grasp of what animation style the OVAs have to offer.

Whether you watched Brotherhood in Dub or Sub, The 4-Koma Theaters are available in both. This means that all the original voice actors return for these 16 short clips. There are no Opening and Ending themes for these clips, not counting a simple "duh-duh-duh-DAAAH" in the beginning of every clip and a short jingle at the end of every clip that plays as the credits roll by.

Every main character, from the Elric Brothers to the mannequin soldiers, make at least one appearance in the OVA series. For long term fans of the show, it is nice to see some beloved characters make a light-hearted and fun return in this manner.

Overall, The Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - 4-Koma Theater OVAs deserve a chance to make you laugh and remind you how special Brotherhood was. As with all comedic series, not all the clips will make you laugh, but there are plenty side-splitting gags throughout this OVA series (I'm looking at you Scar and Bradley in episode 15 :P) to keep you coming back for more. I implore you take ~40mins of your day to enjoy this hilarious revamp of the 4-Panel Comics in the back of the every Fullmetal Alchemist manga volume.

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Critic’s Log - October 3, 2015. Supplemental Review of FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD




Well… I went over Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and it’s OVA’s and it turns out I got another thing to talk about before I go over a certain anime movie. I am referring to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Comic Theater



I have no reason to give a synopsis about this one because this whole entire thing is a self-aware parody of the series. This anime is inspired by the manga omakes that were at the end of a volume of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga. Interestingly enough, 99% of the segments are parodies of some of the events that took place in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The first segment is the only one that was based on the manga omakes (extras). Also, it should be made clear that the Comic Theater is not meant to be part of the series canon. It is a parody of the series after all.

There is no need for me to go over too much on the animation but I must say that I do appreciate the change of character design to make the self-awareness obvious. There is no need for me to bring up the soundtrack or the characters. Hell, there is no need for me to bring up the plot.

I do have one last thing to say… This Comic Theater parody is worth the time for bonus material. Some of the segments are funny as hell. I would like to add that The Japanese cast is alright but how the English Dub handled some of the dialogue made me laugh my ass off. I recommend that you watch this Comic Theater after watching the entire series of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood because they are parodies of key moments so… keep that in mind. I had some good laughs.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Comic Theater is available by Funimation through the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA Collection.

Overall, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Comic Theater is a hilarious addition to one of the best modern animes out there. It is self-aware of what it does and even though some segments don’t really work. Most of it is guaranteed to give you some laughs.

I give Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Comic Theater a 9.6 out of 10

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Very funny, makes you feel better after the sadness "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood" left some of us with (because of the deaths and all). "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - 4-Koma Theater", for those who read the manga, is basically the animated version of the omakes (the funny extras at the end). They are also very short and don't take a long time to watch.

I recommend this to anyone who watched FMA:B or have read the manga, but not to those who haven't yet because they contain a lot of spoilers and things people won't understand without the context. So if you haven't watched/read it yet, go and see/read it first, then check those silly shorts.

I have watched all the 16 episodes. I give it a 10/10, I really enjoyed watching it.

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