For the Win(ry)!!

Written by MithrilSword on March 26, 2011 at 5:37 PM

Its hard find people within the anime circle who haven't at least heard of Fullmetal Alchemist. When I caught wind of this second attempt at a FMA anime, I had to watch it because I loved the first anime produced in 2003. Sure it didn't follow the manga, but I was okay with it. The story the writers produced worked very well for not knowing which direction the manga was going. This one follows the manga to the T. And those who liked the first FMA, will absolutely love this FMA.

Story: This is FMA: Brotherhood shines brightest. The story is incredible; compelling, mysterious, heart-warming, heart-wrenching, driven, and sometimes even frightening. All the characters are fully developed to serve the purpose of the anime. Perhaps what I love most about this story is the growth of the characters. YES! Brotherhood has character back story AND character development throughout the series. Its a simple tool to use in storytelling I wish more anime would utilize properly. Brotherhood does this flawlessly, better than its predecessor anime. The story is fulfilling and rewarding. By end of all 64 episodes, viewers will find themselves completely satisfied.

Dialogue: The voices are great! 99% of the actors fit there roles and the character personalities. I'll even go out on a limb and even compliment the English dub for those watching Brotherhood on TV - they do an equally impressive job. There is not a line wasted in this anime. A lot of it contributes to and reinforces the plot and the nature of the characters. Sometimes the characters are every-so-slightly stifled in their emotions, though that's a rare occurrence. Even the comedic sections of Brotherhood are appropriate, working to slightly lighten an overly heavy mood and not make the characters ridiculous.

Animation: This is top-notch product. Viewers from the older FMA will have to get used to the slightly different drawing style of Brotherhood; this anime is styled much like the manga. The fighting scenes are clear and crisp and the alchemy effects are amazing. Its not often this anime goes over the top with his action sequences, but when it does, there's generally a good reason for it (I don't wanna spoil too much, but just wait until King Bradly pulls out his sword and you'll see what I mean). For the people who've seen the first FMA, I also greatly appreciate the fact that I feel Winry was drawn much hotter this one. But that's just my personal opinion.

Entertainment: From start to finish this anime will keep viewers hooked. There are no fillers, no side movies to follow (unless you want to watch them), no BS arcs to keep up with. Even the relatively slow episodes contribute to the story of Brotherhood and are important to watch. More importantly, the viewer will want to watch even the slower-paced episodes and be generally pleased with them. One thing to keep in mind for people who watched the first FMA is to virtually forget everything about that anime and don't expect Brotherhood to follow it. They may start out the same, but this goes on a completely different trip - one I feel will be equally, if not more, pleasing.

Final Verdict: FMA:Brotherhood wins. I'm more into older, vintage anime, but this one is a cut above even most of those in my book. Dare I say that Brotherhood is the best anime of the 2000-2009 decade. I recommend this to any and everyone, even people who typically don't like anime.