wwwwhhhhoooo

*(I’ll try very hard not to post anything remotely close to a spoiler).

I can’t go into great detail on this first part (because I don’t know details) but if ‘Fulllmetal Alchemist’ rings any bells right off, there’s good reason for that. There was an entirely separate series before Brotherhood around 2005 (don’t quote me on that). It was very popular, but due to the fact that the manga was still being written at the time, the series had to go in a different direction storywise/plotwise than the manga. It was good, but after seeing both series in their entirety, I will say without hesitation that in my modest opinion, Brotherood is superior (even though I’ve not read the manga). It’s better animation, plot, more characters, much more development of characters, just better all around.

If you don’t know the plot/have never even heard of Fulllmetal Alchemist, I’ll leave you to look up a plot synopsis if you wish (or better yet, just start watching it!) but basically it follows two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, in their quest to get something of theirs they’ve lost (due to their own hubris/strong, genuine desire to bring back a lost loved-one from the grave). Although there are many fantastic elements, & the narrative takes place in a fictional world (it is definitely meant to resemble our world, paralleling perhaps an early 19th century western Europe), the journey we are taken on with Edward, Alphonse and the many interesting and colorful characters they meet along the way is one of a journey not only through these various people’s personal ambitions/struggles/lives, it is also a journey through the human psyche, hitting on almost every major theme out there about human existence: what it really means to be human, how we interact with each other/co-exist as humanity, the existence of God/a higher power (or lack thereof), morality (societal, personal, religious), core beliefs, virtues, balancing the advances of science with ethics, religion/spirituality…like I said, you name it, there’s traces of it in here. By analyzing the main antagonists of the series, huamoid creatures called homunculi we get a rare opportunity to really analyze and evaluate what it means to be human, and all that comes along with it–the good, bad and everything inbetween– from the outside looking in, from the perspective of these inhuman creatures. This inevitably leads us to examine not only humanity in general on all levels (past and present societies, nationalities, etc.) but also humans on an individual level, & ultimately most intimately, ourselves.

& powerful symbolism, thought-provoking themes aside, it’s just a great experience overall: there’s sooo many fascinating characters, all of which are amazingly human (even the non-human ones) whether they be ‘good guys’, ‘bad guys’ something in-between, or the just plain disturbing, the characters are an amazing spectacle all on their own.

Add that to a compelling, very original plot, a believable world in which the events unfold, great settings, and fantastic animation with all sorts of elemental alchemy thrown every-which direction sometimes at a million miles an hour, there are sequences which are sure to leave you on the edge of your seat. There are also times which will make you genuinely laugh out loud, feel every other sort of emotion for different characters–pity, empathy, fear, excitement– & may even make you cry at times. Thanks to awe-invoking visual effects, beautifully developed characters, and an amazing group of VA’s, this experience known as Fullmetal Alchemist will draw you in from the very start right to the adrenaline-pumping and maybe even tear-jerking end. I could not recommend this action/drama/comedy/slice-of-life/thriller/romance/philosophical inquiry-provoking (ok, I’m rambling a bit, but you get the idea) anime any more. SEE THIS ANIME! You won’t be disappointed.