Fullmetal Alchemist

I might as well just come right out and say it to start with--I have never been a fan of Anime. In general, I watch it if it happens to be on, but more as background noise than for the actual plot content. But this series changed my mind about all that.

The first few episodes I watched were on Adult Swim. I liked the idea of magic being explained in a (somewhat) scientific fashion, so I found recordings of the aired episodes online (with subtitles) with the intention of watching them whenever I was bored.

I say without shame that I, who have not watched more than a half hour of anime in a single sitting, watched all fifty-one episodes in a single sitting. And it had me sitting on the edge of my seat every time. When a few of the episodes were corrupted, I even edited the videos manually with a hex editor to get them to play properly.

I was really turned off to Anime originally because of the way the Japanese animators use frame rates. You only really need one or two frames per second to show movement--and this contrasts with the relatively constant frame rate in American cartoons. It can look rather ugly if you're not used to it. For action scenes, though, they bring out the full 30fps, and the sudden contrast between 2fps, with the character standing there, and 30fps, where the character is executing these stunning martial arts moves, is an incredible sight to see.

But I would like to say that this series is a complete series. The last episode does, in fact, contain the conclusion--no premature terminations here. Most anime contains a "Lead-out" which gives the viewer something to think about. It makes it seem more like the characters are still doing something, still living, even after the series is over. I must say that makes the end of the series even harder to bear, because believe it or not, it's like saying goodbye to a close friend.

This series has definitely had a major impact on me. It is worth the time (or money) to acquire it. I wouldn't recommend watching all fifty-one episodes together like I did. The intrigue of the plot is intended to hit the viewers like a hammer, and it keeps them coming back week after week. If you watch them all together, it begins and ends so quickly you feel like you've been hit by a truck when it finally DOES end.

Full Metal Alchemist is a prime example of excellent story writing. It'll make you laugh and maybe even make a few of you cry, but one thing it won't do is leave you disappointed.

A friend raved about this anime, so I took a cursory scroll through it and found nothing worth noting. It just seemed so homogenized. The art didn't stand out. The characters seemed to be cookie-cutter determined types out to save the world. Even the name "Fullmetal Alchemist" seems completely avoidable with magic being the status quo in much of anime. I borrowed a disc anyways and watched it. I begged for the other discs in advance.

Fullmetal Alchemist has superb flow. 24 is the only thing in recent memory that has a comparable flow and that's only because that show supposedly happens in real time. In FMA, you have multiple reasons to continue each episode but the focus is not lost. It's always centered (unless if very appropriately not centered) on the two Alric Brothers who share perhaps the strongest bond in all of anime. This bond may be broken at any time, mainly because FMA takes place in a very dynamic world. A war may possibly re-surge. Fellow soldiers we meet rise in ranks and there are casualties. But amidst all this is a very pervasive mystery to which no one is safe. We are as blind to this mystery as the brothers and it's unnerving to stop watching, knowing that unseen forces may encounter our heroes at any time. Prepare to marathon. It's a continuous narrative, unlike that Cowboy Bebop crap.

Above all, FMA is a parable. We're told about the principle of equivalent trade, which is yin yang in other words, but we get much more than this taoist tidbit. We learn to deal with death. People do grow old and die. People do die for a reason. People do die for no reason. Some people may call FMA needlessly dark for a children's anime, but rather it's brutally honest. It's likely you will feel real pain. It's unlikely you'll forget the pain. Anyone we meet to whom a great misery befalls is so uniquely focused and blindly determined that the mechanics of his/her devastation become very clear. They seem proverbial, as though the Brothers Grimm were revived to create some of these characters. The series has enough fluff to get us through grim reality, but most of the time, it's really an opportunity to show how much heart many of the characters possess. It may seem odd for an anime centered around some teenage boys to have no sexual connotations whatsoever, but that'd just get in the way of the very strong emotions expressed in this anime. Friendship is the greatest form of love, and the one between the Alric Brothers is perhaps the greatest friendship in all of anime.

Concerning the Technical aspects once more, the animation is great where it counts (where there's action). Being a musician, I find it odd that I don't remember any of the music. It's definitely there and fitting, just not memorable. Doesn't matter. This anime could look and sound like crap and still be worth watching.

Whilst most anime is an acquired taste, falling into the fighting (think Dragonball or Bleach) magical girl (Sailor Moon) or romantic (Chobits) genres, Fullmetal Alchemist rises above all this. As the story gradually unfolds, you are drawn ever deeper into a believable alternative world where magic replaces science and its practitioners (Alchemists) are held in high esteem. Yet, few are what they seem and you cannot trust anybody. The good are, in fact, capable of deeds of great evil, and the bad are often doing what they do for good reasons. And just when you think you're getting a handle on it, something comes along that shocks you in such a way you are left thinking about it for days to come. Whilst there are obviously anime elements (the look, fighting segments) the story and, above all, the willingness to shock the audience by hurting and killing characters we have come to know and admire, make Fullmetal Alchemist well worth your time. Of course, you will have to invest a lot of time - 51 half hour episodes and a movie means 26 hours or so of viewing. But it is time well worth spending.

This series has one of the most amazing endings I've ever seen...ANYWHERE. Out the half dozen other people I know who've seen the entire series, not one of us was able to even come close to guessing the ending. FMA reminds me a bit of Harry Potter just in that, in both series, you have 1) child prodigies, 2) engrossing character growth and plot development, and 3) a story that individuals of all ages can appreciate and enjoy. One thing I appreciated and enjoyed very much about the series is that it's like one long fable--there's moral after moral after moral. As a side-note, it's one of the only animes that I've seen which spans several years, allowing for a lot more character growth and focus on the players in the story than is typically seen in most animes. Probably the single best anime that I've ever seen, and certainly in my Top 10 favorite stories of all time. Like Harry Potter though, it may at first appear to be a kids' story, but toward the end it's oriented more toward adults. Highly recommended.

When I had heard that Fullmetal Alchemst, one of the most popular cartoons in Japan was coming to America, I must admit, I was a bit excited.

I had heard about it many times form several of my friends who were die-hard fans of anime of any kind. I myself am not a particularly big fan of anime - I enjoy one every so often, but this absolutely blew me away.

The tragic story is of the two Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse ("Al" for short). In a tragic accident, their mother is killed. Devastated, the boys decide to use the ancient art of Alchemy to bring her back to life - but there's one complication: The main rule of Alchemy. This rule of "Equivalent exchange" states that "Nothing can be gained without first losing something of equal value." The boys succeed in resurrecting their mother, but at a horrible cost - Edward's left leg is taken, as is Al's body. Desperate to restore his brother's life, Edward uses his own blood to inscribe an Alchemic circle in a suit of armor, binding Alphonse's soul to the metal. In doing so, he makes yet another sacrifice - his right arm is lost to the demons of the abyss.

To recap - Ed loses his right arm and right leg, and Alphonse's body is taken. Now, you'd think that would be an equivalent enough exchange - two body parts and a whole body for their mother's life. But then you'd be wrong, of course. The thing they bring back is not their mother, but an inhuman creature composed of hastily put-together body parts - something that is human and yet not human. An abomination that cannot move or think on its own. From that point on, Ed and Al set out to learn the secret of "Human Transmutation," the one Alchemic skill that would have any hope of bringing back their mother. But at a cost that they may be unwilling to accept...

Overall, the series is gripping. Well-written dialogue, intense plot, and the best voice acting I've heard in a television series in a long time. Vic Mignogna, the actor who plays Ed in the American cast is absolutely brilliant - the voice he provides is believable and emotionally charged, a task most voice actors tend to fail miserably at. Aaron Dismuke, the voice of the 14-year-old Alphonse is excellent as well - not only does the irony of an adolescent voice coming from a six-foot-tall suit of armor succeed in getting a few chuckles, but the voice represents the character well. The voice acting brings the characters to life in a way that no other anime ever has before.

Overall, it's an incredible series. I'd recommend this to anime fans, and fans of fantasy or sci-fi of any kind (unless you just can't stand Japanese cartoons). FullMetal Alchemist is definitely one of the best television series out there.