Honestly, I don't know what I could say about this show that hasn't already been said, but I'll give it a shot anyway.
I'm not going to do what I typically do for a review which is listing the categories and what score I gave them; just know that everything is 10/10.
I'm also going to address some critique that I've seen of the show and why I agree/disagree with it.
Also I'm avoiding talking about the 03 anime because as far as I'm concerned it doesn't exist.
I apologize in advance for this wall of text.
The story of this show is absolutely phenomenal. Not only does it manage to tell the story of the main two characters, Ed and Al, it also gives ample time to all the other characters to show where they come from and how they think. And the show does this all without losing steam or taking long breaks from the action, and also without having characters monologuing in the middle of fights. There's also plenty of comedy, but it never once ruins the mood of the show (cough cough Pandora Hearts).
People like to bash on the rushed beginning of the show, but the reason for the rushed beginning is called Fullmetal Alchemist 2003. Brotherhood quickly sped through the episodes that the 2003 anime had already covered because the good stuff was yet to come. If the pacing at the beginning isn't appealing to you, I'd suggest also watching the corresponding episodes of the original anime. That pacing is more true to the manga's. Plus, after the first 13 or so episodes of Brotherhood, the pacing slows down but, once again, without losing steam. Once the show hits episode 15, new characters that weren't in the 2003 adaptation appear and immediately take part in the story. But the new characters don't stop there. They keep appearing for a long while after that.
Everything in the story is so flawlessly executed that even this type of anime isn't your thing, you can't help but admire how perfectly everything fits together and how many pains the author took in planning every step of the story. Then when you go back and watch the show again, you realize all the subtle foreshadowing that was carefully placed and not obvious enough that you pick up on it before it happens.
This show is technically classified as a shounen anime, though I tend to cringe at that because FMAB isn't really a shounen. If you compare it to a more typical shounen such as Soul Eater, you begin to realize just how different it is. In Brotherhood, there's no yelling out the names of attacks, no long breaks in fights to monologue about plans, and the alchemy used isn't seen as an unquestionable staple of the world. Alchemy itself constantly called into question and many times the characters are forced to ask themselves if it's morally right to use alchemy to change the course of the world (whereas in Soul Eater they don't really debate the morality of the souls they collect).
Overall, even people that don't like anime like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I've gotten several of my friends (as well as my dad) into anime using this show as a beginning step. If you watch the dub and ignore the obvious fact that it's animated, it doesn't seem like what people typically perceive as an anime at all. It's on a whole other level from everything else I've seen.
In addition, Brotherhood sticks to the manga nearly perfectly (the only things cut out were some minor character development and comedy scenes). Considering Studio Bones has a tendency to deviate from the source material (see: Ouran, Soul Eater, Noragami, FMA 03, etc.), with this show they did an admirable job with delivering an adaptation so accurate that you can read/watch one and not have to watch/read the other, even though I'd recommend doing both because of the anime's gorgeous art and music and the manga's few forgotten moments and the slightly different chapter divides.
Because Brotherhood was put into production when the manga was wrapping up, the show avoids filler episodes (possible exceptions include episodes 1 and 27, in which 1 simply introduces the characters and some foreshadowing and 27 is basically a recap episode that also provides some hints at foreshadowing). If you miss an episode of the show, chances are you'll be very confused as to what is happening. Each episode smoothly leads into the next and they're pretty much unskippable. If it's your first or even second time watching the show, I wouldn't recommend skipping even the fillers because of the foreshadowing they provide. I've seen firsthand how confused the "fillers" can make people while I laugh and say that it'll be explained later. And it will. Everything gets explained so clearly, yet all the subtle ways in which the plot points connect amazes me every time I watch the show.
As far as worldbuilding, I give triple thumbs-up to Hiromu Arakawa. She created multiple countries and while we don't get to see too much of life back home (I still want a Xing spinoff), the ideology of the foreigners and how it conflicts with the Amestrian characters' clearly shows. On top of that, Arakawa designed a government system which plays a crucial role in the story (then again, everything plays a crucial role in the story), as well as all of the laws and finer points of how the country is run. I've seen several other animes in which the government is used a plot point, but none of them use government quite as effectively as Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood does. So many side stories and spinoffs could potentially grow out of the complex world Arakawa created.
Sorry for writing so much about the story, but there's a lot to write about.
The art and animation are amazing. Not as sharp as Attack on Titan, maybe, but it definitely fulfills all expectations. The battle animation is fluid and well executed, there's subtle use of CGI at certain points, the alchemy lightning is pleasing to watch, and the backgrounds are nicely detailed and do well to set the mood. Some people have said that it's simpler than the 03 anime's style, but I honestly can't see it. If anything, I find it more detailed. There's a few moments in which the same shot is used for more than a few seconds, as well as moments where the characters don't move around very much, but this is a minor detail and excusable considering the top-notch fight animation. There are no dips in quality throughout the show, and everything is handled as one would expect a high-budget anime to be handled.
One of the things I especially love about the art in FMAB is the subtle aging of the characters. They age gradually, like real people, and you don't even notice the process happening until you look back on their appearances at the beginning and realize how much they've changed.
In addition, the women of FMAB are completely unsexualized as well as totally kickass. After watching other animes with copious amounts of fanservice, only now can I appreciate this anomaly and not take it for granted
I really loved the music in this show. While I felt that some tracks were overplayed in the beginning, this becomes less of a problem toward the end of the show because tunes you haven't heard before are suddenly revealed. The opening and ending songs are also very pretty and catchy (though I'm not too big a fan of the third ED), with my personal favorite opening being the last one. However, the first and fourth openings are awesome as well, and I think the first one in particular captures the mood of the show. I also loved the synchronization of some of the sequences to the songs, which I think is a very nice touch.
As far as voice acting, I've seen this anime both dubbed and subbed, and while I like the dub more, both versions are really good. The actors are spot-on as their characters, and I love how they managed to get most of the voice actors from the 2003 anime back for Brotherhood. Even Alphonse's '03 dub actor, Aaron Dismuke, came back, though not as Al because he was too old at that point; instead he voices a minor but important character. Overall, the voice acting in both English and Japanese was really good, and it's safe to go with whichever one you're more comfortable with (though personally I'd say go with the dub because that way you can concentrate on the pretty art and animation).
The characters are simply outstanding. Not only do they all get their backstories thoroughly explored, they all develop and change throughout the show. I've seen a lot of people griping about the fact that the show pretty much completely changes themes from the beginning, but the theme change is BECAUSE the characters changed. Wow, characters can change? Like real people?! I had no idea!
Whenever I'm getting people into this show, I tell them, "If you see a character that you kind of like, don't worry, because their backstory will be explained." And they always seem kind of doubtful, but in the end they realize that it's true.
Another reason why I hold this show in the highest regards is that there are many different races, cultures, and religions being portrayed; and while some characters make racist comments, the cultures themselves are treated with the highest respect. The episode detailing the events in Ishval is one of the most grim of the show; the Ishvalans being handled by the story as carefully as if they were a real race.
The romance in this show develops subtly and beautifully and never once hijacks the plot. In addition, while it's amusing to watch Ed and Winry struggling with their feelings for each other, Ed does something pretty atypical for a protagonist: He blames himself for making Winry upset, and not because she got mad at him, but because he knows he should have been there for her. It's not all that often you see the male protagonist apologizing for causing the female protagonist grief.
On top of how well-rounded and three-dimensional all of the characters are, they're all very well designed. Each one of them looks and moves differently according to their personality, and a lot of the characters change outfits regularly (which doesn't seem like much, but it's the little things that count, especially considering most animes don't do this and a lot of them have some kind of uniform, school or otherwise, to avoid having to have the characters changing outfits).
All in all, every one of the characters in FMAB leave a lasting impression on the viewer, whether they were in the show for one episode or all of them. It's so hard to pick a favorite.
Even though this show, at 64 episodes, is the longest anime I've seen yet, it's such a fast watch that it honestly doesn't feel like it. While I personally haven't set any records with the speed of my watching, friends of mine have finished the show in time periods from 2-4 days, because of the sheer addictiveness of it. And the show IS addictive. Every few months I get a strong urge to rewatch it and cry all over again. And while I'll never completely forget every detail, every time I rewatch it I'm still blown away.
This show draws you in with the seriousness of the story, the depth of the characters, the gorgeous art and sound, and pretty much every other detail you can think of. To sum it up, if you want a viewing experience on a whole other level from anything you've seen, if you want an ending that will make you break down and rethink your life, if you've seen the original FMA and enjoyed it, watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. It's not the #1 rated anime on MAL by accident, and it'll definitely always be my #1.
