Synopsis
In this world there exist
alchemists, people who study and perform the art of alchemical transmutation—to
manipulate objects and transform one object into another. They are bounded by
the basic law of alchemy: in order to gain something you have to sacrifice
something of the same value.
The main character is the famous alchemist Edward Elric—also known as the
Fullmetal Alchemist—who almost lost his little brother, Alphonse, in an
alchemical accident. Edward managed to attach his brother's soul to a large
suit of armor. While he did manage to save his brother's life, he paid the
terrible price of his limbs.
To get back what they've lost, the brothers embark on a journey to find the
Philosopher's Stone that is said to amplify the powers of an alchemist
enormously; however, on the way, they start uncovering a conspiracy that could
endanger the entire nation, and they realize the misfortunes brought upon by
the Philosopher's Stone.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a re-telling of the story from the manga's
point of view.
Alternative
Titles
English: Fullmetal Alchemist:
Brotherhood
Synonyms: Hagane no Renkinjutsushi
(2009), Fullmetal Alchemist (2009), FMA
Japanese: 鋼の錬金術師
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 64
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Apr 5, 2009 to Jul 4, 2010
Producers: Bones,
Aniplex,
Square
Enix, FUNimation EntertainmentL, Mainichi
Broadcasting, Studio Moriken
Genres: Action,
Adventure, Drama,
Fantasy, Magic,
Shounen, Military
Duration: 24 min. per episode
Rating: R - 17+ (violence &
profanity)
Review
First of all, I have seen the original FMA and although it was very popular and
original, the pacing and conclusion did not sit too well with me. Brotherhood
is meant to be a remake of the original, this time sticking to the manga all
the way through, but there were people who thought it would spoil the
franchise. That myth should be dispelled, as there's only one word to describe
this series - EPIC.
I admit that as I've seen the original and read the manga, the pacing of
Brotherhood seems to start off being VERY fast (I finally got used to the
pacing after watching the first fifteen eps or so). Events that took up half a
volume of the manga and had spread though a few episodes of the original anime
were now shown in just a single episode. However, after trying to look at it
from the perspective of someone who's new to FMA (not comparing it to the manga
nor the original), I believe that the pacing works and it manages to tell an
intriguing story effectively with little confusion. The plot is full of clever
ideas and unpredictable twists that link various parts of the story together.
By the final episode, all loose ends are neatly tied up and what's left is a
hugely satisfying epilogue.
The animation in FMA Brotherhood is crisp and very well done (although it does
sometimes dip a bit in quality). Compared to the original FMA it's a bit
simpler but that's just because the original set a very high standard to
follow. The facial emotions of the characters are also perfectly presented. The
action scenes are brilliant and VERY well animated, with a variety of alchemy
techniques and other talents being displayed nearly every episode. The various battles
are consistently exciting to watch, but somehow get even better towards the end
of the series.
The voice acting is of an excellent and consistent quality, and I think that
pretty much all the characters have voice actors which suit their personalities.
The majority of the openings/endings are a pleasure to watch due to fantastic
animated sequences and theme songs. The background music which play during the
episodes usually fit very well with the situation, although some tracks seem to
be overused a little at first. This becomes less of a problem as the series
progresses, with plenty of new music being introduced to support the story as
it reaches the finale.
Moving on to the characters (best thing about this series), the original FMA
focussed mainly on Ed and Al and on their struggles to regain their bodies,
whereas Brotherhood also explores other characters to great detail at the same
time. The majority of the spotlight is still on the two brothers, but it
highlights their interactions with new characters which were not present in the
original anime. New characters include a group of people from Xing (a
neighbouring country), another person from the Armstrong family (who I think
has become one of the coolest members of the supporting cast), and a new main
antagonist. For me, the Xingese characters in particular (Ling Yao and Mei
Chang among others) provide a new dimension to the FMA world, by showing us a
different culture to the militaristic one we're familiar with. I think the new
antagonist is an improvement on the original FMA, as this person has a much
stronger and clever link to the Elric brothers' father. Returning characters
from the original FMA, such as Mustang and Scar, are much more awesome and
developed due to the fact that Brotherhood is 100% faithful to the manga. Plus,
Winry Rockbell now has a much more active role in the story. I can say for sure
that this anime has one of the best main/supporting casts I've ever seen, and
you'd probably find it difficult to label any of the recurring characters
(whether they are good or evil) as being either boring or unnecessary in terms
of the storyline.
One of the many good things about this series is that there has been absolutely
no filler at all (yes, I'm thinking of Naruto, Inuyasha, etc), which prevents
the story from losing momentum. All the episodes are concise and every scene is
important as part of the huge plot. The dialogue fully explains everything and
is straight to the point. As multiple characters are explored there are lots of
side stories, but these are all perfectly intertwined with the main story of
the Elric brothers and more often than not directly influence their journey
too. Like most anime series, there are things from the manga which have been
left out, but these are usually just restricted to comedy moments. There has
been one episode which shows a lot of flashbacks of events so far, but that's
forgiven as it shows the most epic moments of the series, and also provided us
with some history on the father of the Elric brothers.
FMA Brotherhood will be sorely missed now that it's finished. It is excellent
in every aspect and has very little, if anything, that can be called a flaw
(maybe rushed character development at first due to the fast pacing, but this
quickly subsides). Each episode feels like it's too short, a testimony to how
much it draws you in to the story and characters. There are moments which leave
you smiling, laughing, sad and simply amazed. Try this anime, it's recommended
for absolutely everyone, to newcomers and to those familiar with Fullmetal
Alchemist.