FMA is an interesting adventure following the Elric Brothers' pursuit for the sorcerers stone, hoping to regain their original bodies lost when they attempted to transmute their mother back to life.
The series can be fairly dark at times and explores many themes such as what it means to be human in great detail.
The series starts a bit slow but it quickly picks up the pace resulting in many cliffhanger endings, which induces rapid chaining.
This is a very good classic and should be enjoyed by a wide variety of anime watchers.
Animation:
The animation is very good considering when it came out. There is some annoying CGI occasionally but it doesn't interfere significantly. There are a lot of battles and lots of special effects, all of which were done very nicely. While it isn't as crisp in style as current animes, it still comes off as being one of the better ones.
Sound:
To be honest, the OP/EDs and BGMs weren't all that memorable to me. The BGMs did complement the series well, but doesn't stand out as something I'd want to get the OST for. The VAs do a very good job as there are a huge range of emotions that all the characters have to go through in this series. Only one question remains: how does Al talk while just having his soul attached to an armor?
Story:
The story of FMA is very detailed and many events from earlier in the series will return to play a part later on in the series. The plot line is very well planned out and will lead to some very ironic or tragic moments.
There are many mini arcs as Al and Ed become more famous for their actions around the nation, but these are minor compared to the second half of the series, which just explodes as a mass of intensity.
The plot line throws many twists which keeps one wondering who is really on the good side... and whether any action IS good.
The story builds to a large climax near the end where many secrets of the world and alchemy in general are revealed. It seems interesting how they tied the ending together, and how they made it relate to real life.
The only qualm I have with the entire series is the ending, and the open nature of the conclusion. However, hopefully FMA2 will answer all the questions (and not turn into SNS2, where character development was completely thrown out in exchange for pure action).
Character:
There are dozens of characters in this series, all of whom play an interesting role in the series. The characters are well explored, and many episodes will give details about a character that may make one reconsider what they thought about that character.
The series plays with one's senses of where the line is drawn between good and bad actions, and good and evil characters.
Value:
What is the value of your life? Is there an equivalent trade that one would make for their life? or is it as priceless as Mastercard says. FMA asks some very philosophical questions in addition to providing a strong set of characters and plot line to ponder upon. There isn't much in terms of romantic development as the show is action/adventure based, but the show is a great watch overall. Possibly a bit long for a full re watch but certain arcs are definitely worth it.
