Genre: Action, Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure
Season: 1
Episodes: 64
Producer: Hirō Maruyama, Noritomo Yonai, Ryo Ōyama, Nobuyuki Kurashige
Directors: Yasuhiro Irie
Studio: Bones
Original Airtime: April 5, 2009 – July 4, 2010
Plot
Alchemy is, as it is understood in the Fullmetal Alchemist series, the ancient metaphysical science/mystical art of manipulating and altering matter by using natural energy. This act is known as “Transmutation” and its sequence is usually described as: Comprehension, Deconstruction and Reconstruction.
The proper application of this craft requires not only a full understanding of chemistry and ancient alchemical theory, but also a sort of natural talent towards recognizing and manipulating the physical objects with energy, which require uncommon levels of intelligence and aptitude. Those remarkable individuals capable of studying and practicing alchemy are known as “Alchemists”. The basic tenet at the very foundation of all alchemy is that of Equivalent Exchange
Trisha Elric, a middle aged woman, dies prematurely because of illness. Her two sons Edward and Alphonse could not bear to think of a life without their mother. So to bring back their mother they perform a forbidden alchemic experiment “Human Transmutation”. However, the experiment went wrong and the consequences were catastrophic. Edward lost his left leg and right arm while Alphonse lost his body but Edward somehow used his alchemy to bind Al’s body to a suit of armor. The two brothers now set out on an epic journey to get back what they lost. A journey where they will make new friends, encounter a lot of foes. A journey that is filled with struggles, sufferings and hardships. Will they survive? Will they get back what they lost on that tragic night?
Story: 9.5/10
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is adapted from the famous manga “Fullmetal Alchemist”. It is a show with an extremely fascinating plot. The pacing is inch-perfect. There are tons of great anime out there but it is difficult to find an anime that showed so much depth of plot. The anime showed a lot of promise from the very first episode and did a stunning job of fulfilling that promise. The suspense and thrills will keep you at the edge of your seats from the word go. It is extremely difficult to predict what awaits the viewers the very next moment. Although the initial episodes were a bit rushed but it was nothing too serious. The show just got better and better. Towards the end, the anime will leave you speechless. From the beginning till the very end Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has hardly set a foot wrong. An enthralling story that will leave you speechless, astonished and make you wonder the utter brilliance of the writer who is capable enough to come up with such a masterpiece and be able to execute it with such excellent precision.
Character: 9.7/10
If the plot of the anime is marvelous, the characters have surpassed the bar set by the plot. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood has a huge set of characters. There are many anime with large set of characters but what makes it so special is how successfully each character is portrayed. It is one thing to have a large set of character but completely different to give them equal priority and ensure each character is important enough to influence the plot. The story circulates around the journey of two brothers who try to get back what they lost in the tragic incident. Edward is hot headed alchemist who has profound love for his brother and is willing go to extreme measures to protect his brother. He is also the youngest state alchemist in history. His brother, Alphonse Elric, is also an extremely talented alchemist himself. They are under the commands of Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang who is better known as the Flame Alchemist. He is captivating character who has high ambitions and is willing to go to wit’s end to achieve his goals yet he is caring enough to put his life on the line for the sake of his friends. Riza Hawkeye is his assistant who has vowed to follow Mustang to hell and one of those very few who know the true intentions of Mustang. Major Armstrong is one of the funniest characters of the anime, always bragging about the Armstrong family and how various things are passed down to them for generations. An anime with such vast set of characters and each having great influence on how the story would pan out is extremely commendable.
Here are some notable characters from the anime:
Animation and Art: 9/10
In terms of visuals and animation Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood has done a terrific job. The drawing was clear. They did not try to over complicate things. The color choice was good and vibrant. They kept it simple but good enough to add that extra edge to the action scenes. Overall a job well done by Studio Bones.
Here are some screenshots from the anime:
Music: 9/10
Just like I said, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is the near perfect anime. The anime has some of the most stunning soundtracks I have ever come across. I loved each and every single soundtracks used in the anime.My favorite opening themes are “Again” by Yui and “Golden Time Lover” by Sikuma Switch. On top of that every single background score was amazing and performed to perfection in accordance with the representing scenes. Akira Senju has done a masterful work at composing the music for this anime.
https://youtu.be/2uq34TeWEdQ
Final Thoughts
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a once in a lifetime masterpiece . An anime that is worth watching again and again. This is an anime that will give you an adrenaline rush, it will break your heart, it will make you laugh, it will take your breath away, it will take you through an emotional roller coaster. Over the years, going through so many anime I seriously doubt I will ever see something so masterfully crafted. They say nothing is perfect. But Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood goes the closest in achieving perfection.The word best is subjective. People have different way of judging things, but if it were up to me I would say Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is the greatest anime of all time and I seriously doubt I will ever find an anime like it. If you haven’t watched it yet, I urge you to watch it now and even if you don’t want to listen to my advice, you will listen to Lelouch. Because Lelouche Vi Britannia commands you, “Watch Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. NOW!”
