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In Defense of Fullmetal Alchemist 2003


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CCTakato



Joined: 24 Jul 2015
Posts: 514
PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 6:04 pm Reply with quote
Winry does train in Brotherhood but unless it's something that happened in the manga that got cut out of the anime version, all that training in Brotherhood happens entirely off screen and we never get to see any of it. And Winry did get that one arc with Scar but she was pretty much a damsel in distress for the majority of it and she was never a damsel in distress in the original series and I personally think Scar's storyline was a lot more predictable in Brotherhood. And there's a difference between being emotional and crying over losing someone you love versus spoiler[Riza wanting to kill herself. She cried when Roy got injured in the last episode of the original anime and she thought he was going to die too, but even then she never threatened to kill herself because of it. ]
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machetecat



Joined: 06 Jan 2010
Posts: 396
PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 6:29 pm Reply with quote
I tried re watching FMA 2003, and I couldn't. The filler, combined with the fact that the Homunculus stopped making sense when Wrath was introduced make it VERY difficult to sit through.

But I still own it all, and I cherish it, because even though I struggle with a rewatch, because before the manga & the introduction of Homunculi physics that made 0 sense, I [expletive] LOVED that series.

And I think the best way to have seen that show is the way that we originally got it, because being introduced to spoiler[ Hughes ] through the original anime was the PERFECT way to get the audience to fall in love with him spoiler[before his demise]. However, after that, I feel that the manga makes a much better story, because I'm not spending the later half of it constantly being taken out of the story because the in-world physics make no sense in regards to the villains.


spoiler[Why are there only 7 Homunculi if they're just made from the bodies of those people have attempted to revive through alchemy?]

Why does Wrath have no other abilities beyond being able to do Alchemy? spoiler[if he can do it because of Ed's arm and leg, then he should have a second ability that's based on Wrath alone.]

They make such a big deal of Ed crying at the end of the show, but he's cried multiple times in the anime so why is THIS time significant?? At least when he cries in the manga, it's the FIRST time he's done it since he burned down his home, so its significance makes sense.

How the fudge does the entire Conqueror of Shambala movie make sense???

There are more, but it's been awhile since I've watched it, so I don't remember.

But my point is, each piece of the series is important. From the character development of anime '03 to the epic that was the manga to the celebration of the series and it's ending that was Brotherhood. They're all important pieces of this story and how the western audience experienced it, so I cant knock it down too far, because it's my intro to FMA, and what a good, albeit confusing, intro it was.
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Maidenoftheredhand



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 2634
PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 6:43 pm Reply with quote
CC Takato Winry was never a damsel in distress. It was a fake out to trick Kimbley and if anything it showed her bravery and her resourcefulness.


As for Riza it's a moment of weakness in an extreme situation but it's not just love that ties her to Roy. If you think a strong female character can never have moments of weakness then I disagree with you. Roy also had moments of weakness in the story does that make him any less strong of a character. So do many of the other male characters. Also I don't remember Riza consiously committing suicide more like giving up which are different things.

Unless you mean much later spoiler[when she implies she will kill herself after killing Roy if he lets his revenge overcome him. Well that was a pact they had long ago. While the manga does not support the theme of suicide....this is what gets through to Roy. Riza's life is ultimately more important to Roy than his revenge for Hughes death]


I am sorry you don't like the female characters of the manga/Brotherhood but you are certainly twisting their characters to suit your goal. Anyways I'd much rather see you say why the first anime series had great female characters then try to prove to me why the manga/Brotherhood's version are weak because as a fan of those ladies I strongly disagree.


Edit: Also I may use examples that are in manga only and not in Brotherhood. For that I apologize I have read through the manga many times but only saw Brotherhood all the way through only once.


Last edited by Maidenoftheredhand on Thu Aug 06, 2015 6:46 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Lynxikat



Joined: 10 May 2008
Posts: 75
Location: Maryland
PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 6:45 pm Reply with quote
I don't get why there's even an argument about which series is better. They're great anime, I don't see why there should be any fighting between fans.
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gedata



Joined: 04 May 2013
Posts: 617
PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 8:59 pm Reply with quote
machetecat wrote:
spoiler[Why are there only 7 Homunculi if they're just made from the bodies of those people have attempted to revive through alchemy?]

It's pretty simple. spoiler[While the homunculi are brought into the world by human transmutation, they don't gain their shape, immortality, or their weird superpowers until they feed on the red stones Dante provides them. This much is shown when we see the flashback with Dante taking in the creature the Elric's made by mistake. We don't have any reason to assume that any one besides Dante knew how to create super soldiers like this.]
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Hyro_10



Joined: 17 May 2015
Posts: 80
PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 9:30 pm Reply with quote
Maidenoftheredhand wrote:


I am not surprised you think only the 2003 needs to be defended since you admitted yourself that is the version you prefer. When we are closer to something, criticism hits us harder. As someone who likes the manga more I've seen plenty of unfair criticism leveled at it as well. But I've already accepted that there is never going to be a consensus on what the better version is. Personally I think people should experience both (and read the manga) and decide for themselves. In the end both versions of FMA are well loved even if it is by different fans. Lol


It's not that I think only the 2003 version needs to be defended but I think if one had to be defended it would be the 2003 version. Again it's an adaption that deviates from the source, a lot. That alone will make people dismiss it, without considering anything the story has to offer. When an adaption deviates from the source you usually have to make a case for why it's relevant. I even used the example of someone, who in this same thread stated that the 2003 version shouldn't exist, and went on to say that he actively discourages friends from watching it because it deviates. All versions get flak but when one is as easily dismissed as the 2003 version I think that's the one that would get defended or would 'need' defending.


I made it clear were I stand, I love the 2003 version but if someone calls it crap, no problem. If someone said it's crap because it doesn't follow the original or it's worse for the same reason, then I would be a little upset and scratch my head. Not because I love the 2003 version but because I've never been able to understand the hate that adaptions that don't follow the source faithfully get. If I posted in some forum that I was interested in Tokyo ghoul and asked for advice, i'm sure most people would respond with "go read the manga the anime doesn't follow it completely". I hate to use the example but if I was to do the same for Fate, the fans would dismiss the DEEN version first, then proceed to fight over which one follows the source best.
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gedata



Joined: 04 May 2013
Posts: 617
PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 11:13 pm Reply with quote
Hyro_10 wrote:
I made it clear were I stand, I love the 2003 version but if someone calls it crap, no problem. If someone said it's crap because it doesn't follow the original or it's worse for the same reason, then I would be a little upset and scratch my head. Not because I love the 2003 version but because I've never been able to understand the hate that adaptions that don't follow the source faithfully get.

As much as I am a fan of the OG FMA anime, I must say I do understand why well-versed fans of anime would be apprehensive about a series that deviates from it's source. Because most that do are simply worse for it. Because most that do simply do so just to bring the series to a close after a set number of episodes without room for a sequel no matter how anticlimactic nonsensical and plothole ridden it ends up. The creators of FMA did a great hob of working around their limitations by building up/foreshadowing the storyline that wasn't in the manga early on as opposed to waiting until the final episodes to hastily construct a finale for some sort of closure.
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CCTakato



Joined: 24 Jul 2015
Posts: 514
PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 11:44 pm Reply with quote
Maidenoftheredhand wrote:



I am sorry you don't like the female characters of the manga/Brotherhood but you are certainly twisting their characters to suit your goal. Anyways I'd much rather see you say why the first anime series had great female characters then try to prove to me why the manga/Brotherhood's version are weak because as a fan of those ladies I strongly disagree.
I am not twisting the characters just because I'm interpreting things different from you and that's an unfair characterizing of my opinions. These were criticisms of Brotherhood brought up in the ANNCast review so clearly I'm not the only one who has these issues. As for examples of strong female characters in the original anime series, you have characters like Rose who started off as emotionally vulnerable and easily manipulated. She goes through a lot of abusive and horrifying situations but she gains the strength to stand up for her rights against the corrupt military invading Liore. spoiler[There's that very inspiring scene where Hakuro is threatening her with violence if she doesn't obey them and he claims the military is in Liore to liberate them, but she basically tells him to screw off and that they have their own legs they'll use to stand up with. And later on she becomes a powerful religious figure who saves her people from complete genocide.] Even with the antagonists, you have characters like Lust who after spoiler[she realizes the truth about her past and that she used to be in love with Scar when she was human, she decides to defy the Homunculi and Dante's will and works together with Ed to try and achieve her dream of becoming human. Those final scenes between Scar and Lust are some of the most powerful moments of any anime. ] Even with minor characters like Sheska who are just one shot comic relief in Brotherhood, Sheska becomes a huge player in the original series. Even though she doesn't have any special skills like Winry or amazing alchemy like Ed and Al, and she knows she could be killed by the military for investigating, she still goes to great lengths to spoiler[find out the truth about Hughe's death to try and bring justice to the ones responsible. ]
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Lady Multi



Joined: 11 Dec 2004
Posts: 675
PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 7:31 am Reply with quote
I love both versions though I prefer manga-verse (thus Brotherhood).

The original just fell into the trap many anime have, the anime production passed serialization of the manga. Happened with Sailor Moon, Inuyasha, Naruto, Bleach, and many many more.
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SamuraiNinjaDragon





PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 8:12 am Reply with quote
I actually love BOTH FMA 2003 AND FMA 2009! Very Happy

BOTH are very good in their own way and have their own way of telling the story and adapting the manga.

Yes, the 2003 series spoiler[ended on a cliffhanger] and never finished the manga, and had A LOT of filler and changed A LOT from the manga, sure. But, you can't deny that the 2003 series was amazing in its own way. If it wasn't for FMA 2003 and for InuYasha (2000 anime), I don't think I would've been as big of an anime fan as I was for years. Naruto (2002 anime) was also part of it, but not as big as InuYasha and FMA was. These anime series were what started me on anime and kept me wanting more.

FMA 2009 was amazing AND finished the manga and had very little filler. While it's true I love FMA 2009 a little better than FMA 2003, I still love both series. I will ALWAYS be a huge fan of both FMA series. <3

I love the FMA manga more than both anime series, but I still love these two great classic anime series! Very Happy <3
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the-antihero



Joined: 17 Aug 2010
Posts: 726
PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 12:08 pm Reply with quote
People clearly do not know the definition of the word 'filler'
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Levitz9



Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 1022
Location: Puerto Rico
PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 1:17 pm Reply with quote
Man, FMA03 needs no defense. I may not have gotten swept up in it when it aired (I was watching Eatman), but I always loved how smart it was. I'll always find Brotherhood entirely redundant; it's pretty, but if you want a story that's closer to the manga, then just read the manga.

I find 03's writing and decisions inspired. If Len or whatever his name was important, his loss was never felt.

Also: 03 is a great example of what we can get when creators are allowed to. E political.
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Maidenoftheredhand



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 2634
PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 4:50 pm Reply with quote
CCTakato wrote:

I am not twisting the characters just because I'm interpreting things different from you and that's an unfair characterizing of my opinions. These were criticisms of Brotherhood brought up in the ANNCast review so clearly I'm not the only one who has these issues.


I don't really care that these issues were brought up in the ANN cast review. Winry was a damsel in distress in Brotherhood is not an opinion it is a misinterpretation of what was actually happening in the story, same as Riza committing suicide.

I never bashed the female characters of the first anime but yes I do think Brotherhood and the manga has much more rounded & well written female characters. That is my opinion. I don't think you are wrong for thinking otherwise.
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Hellsoldier



Joined: 21 Jun 2013
Posts: 815
Location: Porto,Portugal,Europe,Earth,Sol
PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 9:42 pm Reply with quote
brucepuppy wrote:
I agree wholeheartedly with this article. I love both versions of fma, probably because the source material is already strong. Yes I know some adaptations could go very wrong, but thankfully this one did the things right.


I get that I must watch both, since both are apparently great. But which one should I watch first?
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Videogamep



Joined: 10 Jun 2014
Posts: 564
Location: CA
PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 10:12 pm Reply with quote
Hellsoldier wrote:
brucepuppy wrote:
I agree wholeheartedly with this article. I love both versions of fma, probably because the source material is already strong. Yes I know some adaptations could go very wrong, but thankfully this one did the things right.


I get that I must watch both, since both are apparently great. But which one should I watch first?


I'd recommend starting with FMA 2003 since it does a much better job of covering the early parts of the series. Brotherhood covers the first 30ish episodes of FMA 2003 in about 13 episodes, which made it feel a bit rushed. It also means that Brotherhood will spoil a lot of the major twists from FMA 2003, while FMA 2003 will only spoil parts of the beginning of Brotherhood.
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