Cons: Rushed Beginning, art style is a little cartoon-y
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is undoubtedly one of the most popular animes out there, and for a good reason. It follows two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric who attempted to bring their mother back to life with the most forbidden alchemy: Human Transmutation. Their attempt failed, costing Alphonse his entire body, and Edward his left leg. In a desperate attempt to keep his brother with him, Edward willingly sacrificed his right arm in exchange for Alphonse's soul. Edward bound Al's soul to a suit of armor he found in his basement.
This plot is perfectly explained in the original anime "Fullmetal Alchemist". It's like they created this with the thought that everyone watched the original first. I would highly recommend watching the first one if you want more insight on the transmutation, or reading the manga version.
I also criticized the art style to be a little cartoony for my taste, but gave it a 8. The style itself is clean and fresh but feels very simplistic. However, overtime when you watch this anime- one of my favorite parts is that the characters do not stay the same age. The characters grow in the story as you watch, and you don't realize it until you see the teenage protagonist actually looks like a young adult in comparison to the 12 year old you once got introduced to.
The soundtrack is wonderful, it's a great listen. The openings also make the characters grow/change like in the anime. When you see them separately, and look at them side-by-side, you'll see the growth. One of the most uniquest things I have ever seen in an Anime.
The characters in FMAB, are all lovely. They each have there own story/quest. In the end, you really enjoy watching them grow with the protagonists and see them help Edward and Alphonse reach there goal including there own.
Overall, this anime is wonderful and heartbreaking, and will make you laugh and cry. Even though this anime has flaws, I gave a 10 because of the wonderful journey it gave me. Its truly a treat. It's a beautiful story you will honestly never forget.
