Unusual plot
First of all, it is surprising that there is a world where alchemy is used, and those laws that are described in the anime were actually used by ancient alchemists, confirmation of this can be found in translated records of the Middle Ages.
Screenshot of the manga "Fullmetal Alchemist"
The basic law of alchemy is the law of equal exchange. To receive any substance, you need to give something of equal value. This is not children's magic, as in most anime, but a real, natural use of natural resources. That is, for example, a character cannot have a sword appear out of nowhere. The sword only appears when the alchemist transforms a piece of metal. This makes the plot closer to reality, although there is still fantasy in it too.
Secondly, the presence of homunculi and their unusual method of creation and existence. If we analyze all existing fiction and cinema, then mention of homunculi can only be found in Faust. No one else has played these characters so intensely and unusually. Moreover, the author did it in a very unusual way. He didn’t just decide to add a mythical creature to the plot, but endowed each of them with an interesting story and meaning of existence. The division of homunculi into mortal sins has not been observed absolutely anywhere.
Therefore, anime has the most unique and inimitable plot that has not appeared in any other anime, film, series or work. Those who still have some stereotypes in their minds about this genre of animation should first of all get acquainted with the alchemist, because the plot is far from “girlish” and not meaningless.
Flaws
No matter how hard you try, it will be difficult to find significant flaws in Full Alchemist: Brotherhood. Yes, some may not like some specific episodes, some will complain about the large amount of humor, which prevails over the number of dramatic and serious moments, but all these comments are nothing more than nit-picking. In addition, in terms of humor, the anime is entirely guided by the manga, because according to Hiromu Arakawa’s idea, her manga should first of all entertain people, and secondly, make the reader think about the problems raised. Therefore, in my opinion, it would not be wrong to call Full Alchemist: Brotherhood an anime devoid of any shortcomings.
There is a choice between endings
This is exactly what is so often missing from many viewers. It seems that the plot is interesting, the characters are unusual, but the end is approaching, and there is an unpleasant aftertaste in the soul, “something is not right.” Naturally, it is difficult for the creators of anime, or any other work, to please absolutely every viewer so that he is 100% satisfied with the ending. But there are 2 types of film adaptations, the Fullmetal Alchemist himself and the “brotherhood”. The plot is 50% similar in both versions, the main characters are the same, alchemy, homunculi, Edward Elric's goal is still the same, the denouement and the end itself are completely different.
Screenshot of the first adaptation of the manga "Fullmetal Alchemist"
Therefore, there is an opportunity to watch both seasons and decide for yourself which one you liked more. As audience reviews show, the majority were happy with the ending of the “brotherhood”.
Screenshot of the second adaptation of the manga "Fullmetal Alchemist"
Ratings
Characters - 10.0. You will meet such a number of beautifully written, deep and unconventional characters very, very rarely. Great supporting characters, especially the villains.
Plot - 10.0. The manga behind the anime is exceptional, and the writers managed to use the material given to them to the fullest.
Drawing - 10.0. Seven years have passed, but the art is not outdated at all, and still pleases the eye with bright backgrounds, beautiful characters and animation of battle scenes.
Music - 10.0. I've already run out of epithets to describe the soundtrack. You just need to hear it, then any questions will disappear by themselves.
Issues - 10.0. I've never seen an anime that even comes close to Full Alchemist: Brotherhood in this regard. Anime raises simply a huge number of pressing problems of human society.
Humor - 10.0. Unobtrusive, but truly funny. And absolutely not vulgar. Exactly what you need to dilute the serious atmosphere.
Humor breaks up the plot
Straining your thoughts for 60 episodes (if you watch only one season) is quite difficult. But, fortunately, this anime does not have that. The plot is very serious, but not boring. The author tried to dilute almost every episode with very interesting jokes, unusual humor and funny caricatures. Caricatures from this anime are a different story altogether; they have been used more than once to create funny memes and GIFs.
Still from the anime "Fullmetal Alchemist"
Moreover, they are inserted quite appropriately. Humor in the plot helps not only to dilute the development of events, but also to show in all its glory the character of each character, especially Roy Mustang and his ward Elizabeth.
Characters
The number of characters in Season 1 of Metal Alchemist will appeal to fans of variety. There is a man here named Scar, who inherited his abilities from his brother. He is obsessed with revenge on all those who started the war in his home country of Ishvar. In addition to the main characters, there are also state alchemists, but of these, only Roy Mustang appears more often on screen. Only the brothers are shown as the most positive characters, while the rest use alchemy only for the sake of their desires. The story of the homunculi, which are named after the seven deadly sins, is revealed gradually. Laziness, Anger, Pride and others from this number are the tools of the main villain in achieving his goals. Minor characters appear throughout the story, and only the narration of some of them runs through the entire plot. For a 2003 anime, the level of personalization was quite deep, but its merits were undone by the second season.
Happy ending and living characters
The creators of the anime “Fullmetal Alchemist” pleased their viewers well. If we analyze the second season (“brotherhood”), then of the positive characters only Edward’s mother, father, friend Roy, the Rockbell family and Nina died. Almost all the positive characters remained alive, and even after the plot ended, their happy lives were shown.
For some, a happy ending may seem banal and canonical, but as practice shows, most viewers expect just such an ending, because it’s nice to believe, even as an adult, that good will definitely defeat evil.
Family Championship
It cannot be said that after watching this anime, your family relationships will easily improve, but the position from which this question is presented here makes you think. For Edward and Alphonse, nothing is more important than their family ties. This means so much to them that without any doubt the children were ready to resurrect their mother. And they go through almost their entire subsequent journey to help each other.
Elric brothers. Still from the anime “Fullmetal Alchemist. TV-2"
Even their father, whose actions from the first episodes are not liked by everyone and seem harsh, did everything in exactly this way to save his own family. Despite the fact that he was a proud, unpleasant character in his youth, the love of his wife and children was able to change him into a man who is ready to give his life for a great mission: saving his own family and the whole world. If such love and trust for brothers and sisters reigned in all families, then the world would clearly be much kinder.
We believed in justice when we were little
An anime that has a little bit of everything and nothing superfluous.
Dream? Of course not, because there is “Fullmetal Alchemist” or in common parlance “Full Metal Alchemist”, although I am one of those who believes that “Full Metal Alchemist” is still correct. But this eternal dilemma with the correct translation is no longer interesting to anyone and is quite boring from film to film, from series to series. So, what is this anime? Let's take everything in order.
Point 1 - Drawing. On high. But not for everyone. This is because they didn’t pay special attention to her, didn’t try to attract her, but simply drew her with high quality. And sometimes, looking at new items, you just want to shout: “Hey! More meaning and less super art! Why? Firstly, in my opinion, you can wrap anything in a candy wrapper, but not many people can make something of high quality and then wrap it, and sometimes they don’t even try. Secondly, if the drawing stands out, then the plot is sometimes lost while you admire the picture, or, conversely, in a bunch of scribbles you try to see the very meaning that sometimes you listen to anime while doing something else abstract. So here that same line is maintained perfectly, the art is such that you enjoy the picture and don’t tear yourself away from the plot.
Point 2 - Plot. I have never seen anything more ideal. And here I think everyone will agree. After all, even those who don’t like anime watched this anime; in this regard, the anime is on a par with “Death Note”.
I won’t describe the plot; it is an absolute spoiler for each episode separately. I'll say a little in general. It is composed in such a way that it keeps you intrigued and does not confuse you, and even a small number of episodes is generally ideal for a shonen. All dialogues can be safely parsed into quotes. For example, this one:
People cannot receive anything without giving something in return. You must pay something of equal value for what you want to receive. This is the principle of equal exchange in alchemy. We believed in justice when we were little.
By the way, you can describe the whole plot to her.
Clause 2.1 - Theme for the plot. Alchemy. This is the main theme of the entire anime. More precisely, what place does alchemy occupy in life? The anime shows that alchemy is not just an "equal exchange". And provides the viewer with the other side of this coin.
35 liters of water, 20 kilograms of carbon, 4 liters of ammonia, 1.5 kilograms of calcium oxide, 800 grams of phosphorus, 250 grams of salt, 100 grams of saltpeter, 80 grams of sulfur, 7.5 grams of fluorine, 5 grams of iron and 3 grams of silicon. Plus 15 more elements. <…> This is what the body of an average adult person consists of. <…> By the way, all these components can be bought on the market for pennies. People are cheap.
In general, there are a lot of topics here. They are mainly tied to social behavior. Violence. Murders. Rape. Friendship. Enmity. Psychological and physical torment. And blood, blood, blood...
No, don’t think, there are no rivers of blood here. But it’s enough to understand how cruel the world is. In general, I have set you up for what awaits you, then catch up on your own...
Point 3. Music. As with the drawing, there is no clutter or lack here. Always in moderation, on topic and pleasing to the ear. Another “Thank you!” to the authors.
Point 4. Heroes. To be honest, this is where I have problems. I can't say that the characters were a success. It would be more correct - they are depicted (I’m not talking about drawing, as you understand) as they should be in order to convey the meaning, and not to make them fall in love with themselves and close the eyes of the audience. After all, the main characters here are not sinless and often make mistakes. But, as they say, we get to the goal through trial and error. Really thanks to the authors for this. After all, how often does it happen that the main character is made such that all his actions always seem correct to us, because he is so correct and cannot be any other way.
If you glue all the characters together, you get a kind of Yagami Light, who achieves a good goal in a not the most humane way. Therefore, for me, “Fullmetal Alchemist” and “Death Note” are the best anime, analogues that I have never seen. And despite the different genres, the characters in them are very similar, and the plots are not so far apart in meaning, they are just presented differently. Which is doubly nice.
Point 5. Rating 10/10. A brutal anime, not only in terms of the number of murders, but also in moral terms. There are a lot of scenes that are difficult to bear psychologically, despite the fact that absolutely nothing will happen on the screen. This is actually about the dialogues that I missed. Because there’s nothing to say other than “they’re amazing.” I really want to listen to them forever.
Point 6. Dilemma. Those who were once interested in "Fullmetal Alchemist" know that there is also "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood", which is considered the second season and not everyone likes it or, on the contrary, likes it more than the original version. So, for those who are just planning to watch, I will say: “It doesn’t matter where you start.” They are simply two versions of the same story. The original version, somewhere in the middle, departs from the manga and goes its own way in the development of the plot, and the second version is completely consistent with the manga, and was created, apparently, so as not to offend the authors, and, of course, in order to please the fans.
After watching one of the versions, I do not recommend watching the second one right away, because... the first halves coincide by ~80% and viewing the same thing with a slight deviation can only do harm. However, in both versions the ending is a little blurry, but in general both versions have the right to exist. And full-length films smooth out the ending.
Point 7. Post scriptum. Enjoy watching. Stock up on popcorn and handkerchiefs. In the meantime, I'll look for something fun for next time!
<Hell Hell! From a brain explosion to a fountain of tears>
Issues that are relevant in our world are considered
Another important anime idea that should not be forgotten. And there are a lot of such questions in anime. First of all, contempt for race is considered, which is actively discussed now. In the anime, because of the color of their skin and eyes, the Ishvarite race was almost completely destroyed. Few managed to survive and most of them wanted revenge. But there were wise people who showed that this method of solving problems will not lead to anything good. And in the end, they were able to achieve justice, free life in the new state, and even take important positions in the political governance of the country.
Screenshot of the manga "Fullmetal Alchemist"
The question of immortality is eternal, because it has been studied for many millennia, almost from the moment people themselves appeared. And in the anime there is a strong desire of some people, especially rulers, to receive the coveted philosopher's stone and become immortal. But at the same time, it also shows a paradox. The person who received immortality spent most of his life absolutely miserable. Only towards the end of his life did he become happy thanks to his loving wife and the faith of his children in him. And he experienced the greatest moment of happiness just before his death, dying at his wife’s grave. This shows that you can live 1000 years, but it is better to live 50, but with your loved ones and in absolute happiness.
Universe in the first season
The entire world in the Metal Alchemist anime is based on the science of equal exchange. Its main law states that a new object can be created only from a suitable amount of materials for it. A special circle is drawn where the initial resources are placed, and as a result of human intervention, transformation occurs. This fact, as well as the existence of the mythical philosopher's stone, was the basis of the plot. The two brothers entered government service only to have the resources to search for information about him. The existence of artificial people, homunculi, is also explained by the limitless possibilities of the stone, which can even grant immortality. In the 2003 anime Metal Alchemist, the narrative is leisurely, and the universe is revealed only around the main characters. Several flashbacks at the end allow us to better understand the history of the appearance of the philosopher's stone, but many topics remained explored superficially or not touched upon at all. That is why the story was rewritten in the second season.
Music and voice acting
It is worth noting this important part of the anime. The openings of each part deserve special delight. The music is perfectly matched to the development of events, especially well chosen for tragic moments. At such moments it is already difficult to hold back tears and sadness because of the plot, and the music makes it even more difficult to hold back.
Voice acting depends more on what format and language the viewer has chosen. But if we talk about the original Japanese voice acting, then it feels like it was chosen as correctly as possible. Eiyu (Japanese voice actors) did a great job. The voice of the 2 main characters is softer, there is a sense of immaturity and youth in them. The voices of military characters are as strong and deep as possible, rough, which further emphasizes their character.
The original voices of the homunculi deserve special attention. Lust's voice sounds velvety, emphasizing the significance of her sin, Envy's voice is haughty and arrogant, almost every voice fully reflects the essence of the character.
Characters
In Season 2 of Metal Alchemist, some of the characters will be familiar to those who watched the first, original story from 2003. For example, this is Roy Mustang, although he now has his own personal team, the story of which will be shown throughout the series. Scar with his revenge for the war in Ishvara, Shu Taker and the episode with the chimera were also shown, although the story was changed a little. Among the main changes, it is worth noting the well-known history of the homunculi, which was completely changed. The essence of each of the artificial creatures was depicted quite deeply. Friends from the service of the main characters often appear on screen, including Louis Armstrong, Maes Hughes and Olivia Armstrong (a little later). Those alchemists who are satisfied with the opportunity to use force in war are also shown. Among them is the interesting personality of Zolf Kimblee, and the episodes feature Bask Gran. The total number of characters has increased significantly. As the story progresses, new personalities appear and are smoothly woven into the plot. The viewer has no questions about whether it is necessary to introduce new personalities, and this is a good result in view of their total number.
