Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

 

This week's anime is a 2009 acton, adventure, shonen and what I think is the best anime made of all time (rated 9.1 on IMDb, 100% on rotten tomatoes, and 9.2/10 on MyAnimeList).

This show follows two brothers, Edward and Alphonse (or Ed and Al for short) Elric on an adventure to get their original bodies back after a failed alchemy attempt of human transmutation in hopes of bringing their dead mother back. Because of this failure, Ed lost his left leg while Al lost his entire body. Ed while bleeding out from his lost leg, did some alchemy stuff and bonded his younger brother Al's soul to a nearby empty suit of armor while sacrificing his right arm in the process. Oh, they were also both 11 and 10 years old when all of this was happening.

Fast forward, Ed is offered a title as a state alchemist that will allow him access to a bunch of military research and documents that he otherwise couldn't in exchange for protecting the countries citizens and taking whatever orders the military deems fit. So, Ed decides to get automail for his missing limbs.

Now you may think because this is a shonen anime, it has different arcs and filler episodes. This show has neither of that. FMAB is one straight story where every episode and character matters and is handled as their own. This show can actually be considered as the Avatar the Last Airbender of all anime. Not only are both shows similar in structure, but both are incredibly good at world building. Just as a lot of places in Avatar were based from various countries, you can think of the world in FMAB in the same way.

What makes FMAB stand out amongst all anime is how timeless the themes are. Yes, this show deals a lot with fantasy aspects like homunculus, chimeras, philosopher stones, immortality and much more. There's also obviously alchemy but in this case, you can think of it as magic with a bunch of rules that only a few people decide to learn. The FMAB world doesn't rely solely on alchemy, but it is a big part of the show. But this show also deals a lot with military, war, riots, and all the horrors that come with it. It blends all themes into one coherent story. So that also means we get a mix of really all genres.

There are a bunch of characters from all backgrounds and races, each add to the story in their own way whether it is being the last survivor of your race because of the war of extermination on your people, or being a pyro state alchemist who can incinerate anything in his way with a snap or maybe the seventeenth royal princess seeking the truth to immortality. You will definitely fall in love with at least one character, hopefully it's not one that gets offed since this show isn't afraid to kill its character's off. Which, I think many shonen lack with "plot armor". This show just has it all.

Also, unlike many shonen, the females in this show are powerful and each do a lot to progress the story--they aren't just eye candy, but it's expected as this show is written by a woman.

So, if you want a fun but also tragic show, FMAB is the one to go. This journey is one to watch.

"A lesson without pain is meaningless. That's because no one can gain without sacrificing something. But by enduring that pain and overcoming it, he shall obtain a powerful, unmatched heart.. a fullmetal heart."

Here is a trailer of what to expect (It's a fan-made one, but still captures what the show is about):

And here are places to watch the show:

• Netflix
• Hulu
• HBO Max
• Crunchyroll
• Funimation
• VRV

I highly recommend dub, it's one of the best ones out there. And no I'm not saying that just because I watch dub.

This show was actually a reboot of the original 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist. Although, the original anime did not actually follow the original manga, it went anime original at some point. That anime is not bad, it just is 10 times slower with a few plot holes and a rushed/different ending. FMAB follows the manga to the tee (minus minor scenes that don't add any significant story progress). I definitely recommend anime beginners to start with FMAB and if you want more, then watch the 2003 version!

FMAB has 64 episodes with each being around 22 minutes long, but trust me they go by fast. You either end up crying from laughter or just flat out crying since this show gets sad real fast. The show does end with a complete story and what happens to the remaining characters afterwords which is always neat! But if you did want more, there is also a 2 anime original movies and the "original" 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist. I have my personal favorite anime, and this one isn't necessarily one of them but I firmly believe that with how well this show blends all these themes and elements together, this is just the best anime out there--a masterpiece really.

If you already watched this anime or plan on it, let me know your thoughts in the comments below! (: