What really stands out here is Edward's character. At the very start of the story, he's an edgy pseudo-intellectual. He criticizes belief in higher powers, mocks divinity, basks in science to stimulate his ego and lashes out on people he disagrees with. He's childish. The story starts well, but it is after the adaptation outpaces the manga, his character suddenly shines so much brighter. Instead of making peace with himself, Edward's obsession with redemption throws him deeper into the abyss. From an idealistic kid who'll never kill, he becomes a willing murderer. From a kid horrified with violence, he starts screaming for vengeance. Once a believer into equivalent exchange - the ideal order of the world - he starts doubting. Edward is forced to confront the very embodiment of his sin and his world falls apart once again. How can he find redemption?
Whereas most shows that dabble into edgy territory stay there, FMA does something amazing and ends up successfully conveying genuine hope without feeling forced and denying or overplaying its dark and sobering tone. It hides nothing evil or disappointing about the world, yet its message of striving for something higher is both idealistic and sober. Whereas equivalent exchange is an imperfect law, it's still recognized as a higher spiritual, or dare I say it, religious principle. A law of morality which should be longed for even in an imperfect physical world. Does that strike anyone else as very Christian? Considering Christianity is acknowledged multiple times by the show, I find it interesting.
Not to focus only on Edward, FMA also excels at characterizing other people, masterfully handling characters such as Nina and Hughes or Izumi and her husband. Another point of brilliance rarely given its due is Alphonse. Throughout the series he's used as a voice of childish empathy and forgiveness sorely needed to ground Edward. It's a very subtle and understated relationship, but one of the best of its kind I've seen in anime.
Another point where FMA shines brighter than almost any anime is its literal lightning. While the animation is average on the pretty side of things, directing is great. You won't get many cool weird shots, but its direction is immensely elevated by masterful use of color and lightning. It can't be overstated how emotions of characters get accentuated through the use of moody lightning and atmosphere. With the use of lightning FMA regularly shows sadness without weeping. Edward's moments of madness are horrifying without him yelling. Show don't tell. It's chilling to the bone.
There are some great music tracks and leit motifs in FMA's soundrack. Some of its songs lie right next to Shostakovich's 2nd Waltz in my music folder.
There's a lot to be said about Dante, the themes of duality, human soul and immortality, tragic stories of homunculi and more. However, the gist of this review wouldn't change even if it were five times longer. FMA 2003 isn't "one of the best shounen out there". It's one of the best bildungsroman anime, if you will. It's got no final boss and all the important fights are short and brutal. FMA 2003 is a mature coming of age story that transcends mere "boy fun". Depth of characters isn't spelled out by mediocre dialogue scenes and characters are deep enough to hold a 51 episode series. In fact, dialogue feels very natural and is one of the heroes making this adaptation as good as it is.
You won't always get what you want. Not everyone can be punished. A man should know when to stop. And Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 is one of the best.
