Reviews

I have seen both versions of Fullmetal Alchemist (Brotherhood) and both are good to watch. In the first version (Fullmetal Alchemist), the first half of the series is really good. The fight between Edward Elric and Roy Mustang & the State Alchemist test taken by Edward Elric are notable ones. In second half, the story takes lots of twists and turns and I find it is not as impressive as the first half.
Anywayz, Fullmetal Alchemist is, in a way, unique. It is very much a mainstream series, with the appeal of a huge cast of unique characters, action that commonly involves special powers, a fairly straight forward story with some mostly obvious symbolism, and a mix of comedy, action, drama, and even some romance. These are all common staples of long running anime series that lean towards a more commercial and public appeal. And yet, for a mainstream series, it manages to continually surprise with a very mature and serious tone. There is a great deal of tragedy and some moments are even frightening and memorable. Few series achieve such a perfect balance of mainstream entertainment and gut wrenching drama and tragedy.
And I will finish by saying that if you are going to watch one anime in the entirety of your life time, Choose FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood