Aside from the usual everyday anime Art and Sound standard(of which most animes pass anyways), there are essentially three main factors that I see as important in Anime:
1. Complexity(detail) (which adds Depth)
a. Characters
b. Plot
c. Setting
2. Progress (which adds Depth)
a. Character Development
b. Plot Development
c. Shifts of Setting
3. Novelty (which, again, adds Depth)
a. Characters
I. Personality
b. Setting
c. Plot
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1. Complexity(detail)
It's understandable that because FMA: Brotherhood paid attention to its simple-minded viewers(readers), the resulting complexity of the entirety of the anime would turn out bland. The characters were too simple, particular the main characters. The plot was horrendously predictable after 3-4 episodes and then there was the lack of focus in the setting. We see an icy place, dessert place, and then there's the ordinary regions where the main characters dwell.
a. Character
Edward Elric, supposed talented alchemist(or close), with a terrible past. He is strong-willed but at the same time childish. He gets very attached to acquainted "war" victims and is always affected by the past. He uses automail(right arm and left leg) and alchemy to fight his way through almost everything. *At first, He hates his father*. He wants to bring back his and his brother's bodies. That's it. No deep personal philosophy. No internal struggle. No moral ambiguity. No split "demonic" personality. No subconscious complications. No crazy stuff. No bullshit. He just does what he feels is right. True, Ed experiences things such as guilt and sorrow because of the things he feels as mistakes. He consistently feels regretful for trying to transmute her own mother, and his own dad accused him for actually just being a coward. Nevertheless, said reaction and thoughts are way too simple. In the end, the show just forces the viewer and Edward to just swallow everything and move on.
Alphonse Elric. I actually preferred this guy over his brother. I mean think about the psychology of a character stuck on an empty armor? Think about its implications. I also liked the idea that Alphonse is naive yet inhumanely able. He doesn't have to eat or sleep and is almost immortal. (though arguable since it was mentioned that there is a possibility that the armor would reject his soul eventually.) Link "naive" to his actual physicality. His main vulnerability is still an internal idea---the seal transcribed within his metal body. The only problem with the character is the lack of focus on his own thoughts and so on. The lack of exploration in his psychology. There was one episode that showed Al's doubt of his own existence, but this wasn't clearly detailed enough.
B. Plot***
Not much to say here. Mother dies. They become state alchemist. Look for philosopher's stone. (How are they even allowed the time?) *They meet homunculus. They save everyone from homunculus at the same time they get their bodies back. That's it. They should've at least included Lin's "chinese struggle" and absorbed the surrounding nations within the plot.*
C. Setting
Automails? Interesting idea. Problem: Detail, no elaboration.
How many nations were there? I only remember desert, snow, and the rest of the dullness. Where is the economy?
Alchemy. The main idea of the show. Quite elaborate in terms of "the gate", "immortality", and other plot-devices. Problem: How much variety of alchemy did Ed and Al actually use? Move rocks and move more rocks. Mustang did fire tricks. Where are the complicated algorithms? The "super moves"? The classification of alchemy? There were mentions of "eastern alchemy", "western alchemy"; "comprehension, deconstruction, reconstruction"; "equal exchange" but these things weren't sufficiently fused and utilized as a basis for a unique battle system. sigh.
2. Progress***
***Ok. What happened again? They walk everywhere and found out that what they were looking for was right beneath their city and that it's sourced out of human souls? How did they change physically and mentally? ***
A. Character Development
How much did Ed grow? How much did his personality go from A to B? How much did his height go from A to B? Ask yourself.
How much did Al grow? After experiencing all those moments, you'd think they'd have a more bad-ass versions of themselves...
I mean at least change the character's appearances. Transmute Al's armor into some flexible form or cut Ed's hair.
B. Plot Development
When I said I already knew the outcome after 3-4 episodes, I wasn't kidding. Maybe that's exactly why I felt there wasn't much change. These "homunculus" just won't die. They keep coming back and it's like a show of power-puff girls where the girls continuously fight their arch-nemesis's. And don't even get me started on the shallowness of the homunculus'. (though I particularly liked Envy and his end.) Almost nothing, aside from what was already known, was happening. They found out about city's secret and they go back to their traveling and meeting new friends and then they go back traveling and finally they decided to finish the job.
C. Shift of Setting
I guess I shouldn't have expected One Piece. There were some interesting places such as the destroyed kingdom or the northern camp but almost everything happened in the same region.
3. Novelty
Alchemy and Automail(Shounen) is an interesting combination. If I hadn't watched the first anime, It wouldn't better. Not really. They give you interesting general ideas and they stop there. More details would have produced more novelty. Character-wise, the two had too normal personalities. Interestingly enough, the flashbacks had a more novel point of view than the original.
A. Characters
What would have really gotten well was if their circumstances actually shaped a plenty of their personalities. The loss body parts didn't serve much meaning in terms of their character build up. What I saw was stubborn kid and naive brother. How swell...
B. Setting
Good General Idea - Not detailed = meaningless.
C. Plot
Novel in general but the lack of detail lessens the entire novelty.
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Clearly not for CPN(character, progress, novelty)-oriented individuals.
