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Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (TV) (w/ index).


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The Suburban Snob



Joined: 19 Oct 2012
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:53 am Reply with quote
In 2001, Monthly Shonen Gangan began serializing a fantasy manga called Fullmetal Alchemist. It took place in a world where the development of science and technology had been all but replaced by the development of alchemy... And I’m not talking about the mixing of chemicals and potions to achieve elemental alteration. In this world, alchemy is a more magical practice, using the cycling of energy to produce immediate change. This is done through the use of stylized glyphs, known as transmutation circles. The hero of our story is a young boy named Edward Elric, who along with his younger brother Alphonse, showed promise in the field of alchemy from the young age of five. Their father had left them, so all they had was their mother. When she died of an illness, they were devastated, and decided to try bringing her back with alchemy... A strictly forbidden tactic.

This attempt wound up carrying grave consequences for them. In exchange for the horribly failed transmutation, Edward had to lose his left leg, and Alphonse had to lose his entire body... But before Al’s life could be lost completely, Edward was gifted with an immense wealth of alchemical knowledge, which he used to transfer Al’s soul to a nearby suit of armor, at the cost of his own right arm.

Having been shown the error of their ways, the two torn brothers set off on an epic quest to get their old lives back.

This series was met with resounding popularity right from the start, and after only two years of it’s ten year run, the demand for an anime adaptation was overwhelming. Studio Bones took up the production, but with the manga not even a quarter of the way finished, they were left with a pretty big lemon to deal with. Fortunately, they were able to make lemonade by writing an entirely new story using the material they were given. The resulting anime was an immediate success, among fans and critics alike, winding up on more than it’s fair share of top ten lists since then. And yet, despite the fact that it was universally loved and critically acclaimed across the board, there was still heavy demand for a more faithful adaptation. Thus, in 2009, only one year away from the manga’s end, Brotherhood was born. Let’s see how it holds up.

From an animation standpoint, both shows were working with a relatively low budget. This is nothing new, of course... Japanese animation has always used a lower frame rate than American animation, and often look cheaper as a result. Low budgets are fairly common, but what really varies is how different shows have their budgets managed. By using key frames, speed lines and other useful tricks, you can cut corners where it won’t be noticed, and save your money for the moments that need to move more fluidly. If you do this well, most audiences will never notice the difference. The original series was incredibly good at this, but unfortunately, Brotherhood is not. The key frames are a lot more blatant, as frozen heads can move their lips for several seconds at a time while people in the background just sort of freeze into bluish blobs.

I rarely ever complain about an anime‘s artwork, as it’s rarely ever a problem for me, but it has to be said... Brotherhood’s artwork is lazy. I know, it looks practically the same as the first series, but look closer. It is plagued by choppy, jagged outlines. You may not notice it in far shots, but whenever any character has a close-up, it can’t be avoided. The only exception, that I’ve seen, is with it’s openings.

While we’re on the subject of openings, both of these shows are rightfully notorious for having phenomenal openings and closings. But if I’m being perfectly honest here, Brotherhoods are better. It’s not easy to improve upon perfection, but Again by Yui does it effortlessly.

As for the English dub, let’s keep this brief. It is every bit as good as the original’s. There are a few changes made, but none of them are bad, and yes, Maxey Whitehead deserves to have a statue built in her honor.

So, with all that out of the way, let’s talk about what really matters... The story.

When I first decided to try out this series, a friend of mine warned me that the first few episodes were basically a rehash of the material from the first anime. What she failed to mention is that by a few episodes, she meant the first thirteen, and by rehash, she basically meant cliff notes. Brotherhood gets off to a horrible start, pushing out a pointless Ice-Alchemist episode purely for the sake of fan-service before moving onto the rest of the rushed material. 26 episodes are crammed into thirteen episodes, and by god it feels it. The pacing is jarringly terrible, the stories are rushed, we get barely any background material devoted to the Elric brothers’ childhood, and key moments of their past are told to us rather than shown to us.

Remember how the fate of Winry’s parents was revealed to us in FMA? We opened on Winry, as a child, crying her eyes out at the table while taking her anger out on the boys. Not only were her actions genuinely and believably child like, but it gave serious insight into Pinako’s distaste for the military, and foreshadowed the fate of Trisha Elric. How was this key plot point revealed in Brotherhood? Winry sat next to Hawkeye and told her about it. No emotional impact, just exposition. And that’s just one example. Show, don’t tell, people. This is basic stuff here.

One of the biggest problems with the anime is shown right off the bat during these episodes, and never really goes away. From a dramatic standpoint, Brotherhood suffers greatly at the hands of it’s own poorly timed gag humor. Some of the most deep, emotional moments of the series get their serious tone blown away by ugly, unfunny super-deformed moments. Even when the boys are lying on the ground in pieces after an encounter with Scar, they still can’t escape this.

There are a few exceptions to this rule, the best example being the Nina Tucker storyline, which is one of the only moments of the series that was actually executed better in Brotherhood than it was in the original show. There’s also the spoiler[death of Maes Hughes,] but the best I can say about that is that it’s almost as good. Seriously, the presence of rain killed what could have been a good metaphor.

In any case, once this little catch-up session is over, the story starts to get a lot better. The pacing finally becomes bearable, as bold new ideas... At least they’re new to those of us who haven’t read that far into the manga... Are introduced. Familiar characters like Kimblee, Scar and Dr. Marco wear out their welcome, but at the same time, a flurry of compelling characters are introduced. Ling Yao, Lan Fan, and May Chang are outstanding, and their arrival placed a stamp of individuality on the show that it frankly didn’t have until then. We’re introduced to the country of Xing and the practice of alkahestry, two concepts that were never introduced in the original show, for obvious reasons.

Lust, who’s been spoiler’d by this point, is sorely missed, but not so much that we can’t appreciate the presence of Olivier Armstrong, one of the most captivating characters in either story. Many mysteries from the first show are finally explained, from ‘why are the Homunculi named after the seven deadly sins” to “why is Ed so short?” A small selection of characters are actually handled and developed better than they were in the original show, with a few examples being Riza Hawkeye and Envy. Some interesting ideas are explored through Gluttony, but I still miss his puppy-dog loyalty to Lust.

This high point goes on for a very long time, to the show’s great credit. Unfortunately, it’s at this point that I have to talk about the ending. So, yeah, spoiler alert.

spoiler[In talking about the ending of this series, there are three points I’d like to analyze. First, the relationship between Edward and Winry. EdWin, as I understand it, is a very popular pairing amongst fans. The most common gripe about the first anime is that the pairing never became canon. And, well... Here’s the thing. There are definitely feelings between the two characters. But there’s also a deeply developed family dynamic. See, the two of them were childhood friends, and were practically raised as siblings. Hell, they even kind of look like brother and sister. They’re attracted to each other, but in the original anime, that attraction was more confusing than inviting. It’s played with subtlety, but the two were never going to end up together, because in the end, Winry is Ed’s big sister... Not by blood, but by bond.]

spoiler[ In Brotherhood, and by extension I’m assuming in the manga, this bond is ignored, and instead of displaying the relationship with subtlety, they use such tired anime clichés as “show the girl in the bath to sexualize her to the audience” and “build up pseudo-romantic tension by having boy walk in on girl changing.” For more examples of these clichés, check out Sword Art Online, half of Gainax’s work, and every single harem anime ever.]

spoiler[ Since Brotherhood did manage to gloss over the childhood years, and gave Winry some excessive character development, I don’t mind so much that Ed awkwardly confessed his feelings to her at the end. I actually found the scene kind of cute. But really, did they have to show us a picture of the two of them in the future, with a couple of kids? Did they not want to leave anything to our imagination? It’s like they’re just pandering to us. “Hey, you like this pairing? Then they end up together and live happily ever after! That makes you happy, right?” I became so angry when I saw this that I almost forgot how angry I was at the fact that Pride was resurrected as a human baby... A decision I will never begin to understand.]

spoiler[ My second point is with the final battle. Now, this is speculation on my part, but I don’t think the main antagonist of the first series was any of the actual characters. I believe Ed’s real struggle was against fate itself... After learning what he had to do to get a Philosopher Stone, he refuses on principle, and decides to find an alternative, despite being told that their is none. Carrying the ideals he lives by on his back, he struggles against the realities of a cold, indifferent world, facing numerous evil entities on the way there, striving to overcome what he dreaded in his heart might be the truth. His struggle proves to be for nothing, as the Philosopher’s Stone is created through the exact barbaric methods he’d been trying to avoid. Even knowing this, he finally compromises, willing to sacrifice his life AND his principles to bring his brother back.]

spoiler[ The true antagonist of Brotherhood is some stereotypically evil rejected ghost pokemon design, who he takes down in a fist fight while all of his supporting characters cheer him on. I haven’t seen a final battle this shallow and disappointing since Soul Eater. I kept waiting for Ed to scream “Friendship punch!”]

spoiler[ The final point is just how manipulatively happy the Brotherhood ending was. In the original, people had to sacrifice greatly to achieve even the smallest versions of their goals, and not all of them were allowed to live long enough to redeem themselves. But in Brotherhood, everything comes up roses! Scar, Marco, Yoki, and Pride survive, and for no discernible reason. Ed and Al get their bodies back, mostly, and it’s mentioned that Mustang and Havoc are going to have their injuries healed. Because screw character development. Aside from Hughes’ death, the good guys come out okay, and almost completely consequence-free, while the bad guys get wiped out. Honestly, it’s like watching a version of how To Train Your Dragon where Hiccup’s foot magically grows back in the end. Or Watchmen, if Ozymandius was defeated, and mankind just decided to retreat from war without his help. It’s not a happy ending, it’s an insulting ending.]

spoiler[ The end of Conqueror of Shambala... Which was an okay movie at best... Sees Ed and Al stuck in the human world, possibly forever. There’s no Winry, no alchemy, none of their friends... The only comfort they get is the knowledge that they’re human, and that they’re together, and you know what? That’s all they need. It’s the beautiful, bittersweet ending that the manga author herself was incapable of constructing.]

All in all, this series was pretty disappointing. The first thing anybody says to promote it is that it's faithful to the original manga, but that often feels like more of a restriction than an advantage. With fans world-wide clamoring about it being better than the original, I had high expectations for it. Is it even as good? Not by a long shot. It never reaches the depth or complexity of the original, but as a stand-alone, it’s still a pretty decent show. It’s got some serious, jarring flaws, but it still brings to life an exciting fantasy adventure that fans of all ages can enjoy.

I give Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood a 7/10.
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Chiibi



Joined: 19 Dec 2011
Posts: 4828
PostPosted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 12:45 pm Reply with quote
Ummmmm can't say I agree with most of this review at all. Feel-good endings are not insulting. So many anime have horrible endings or non-endings, why can't there be a happy one once in a while!? And do keep in mind, you can only use the spoiler tag so far without breaking it up, as it makes viewing the rest of the post impossible, depending on your browser. :/

Quote:
As for the English dub, let’s keep this brief. It is every bit as good as the original’s.

Acting skills are one thing. Whether you like the voices is an entirely different matter.
I do not like Vic as Ed.
I do not like Vic's voice-acting much in general.
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The Suburban Snob



Joined: 19 Oct 2012
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 2:46 pm Reply with quote
There is nothing wrong with happy endings, if they're done well. Brotherhood threw everything but the kitchen sink at us to make the ending as happy-sappy and fanficky as possible. Good guys win completely, bad guys lose completely, and the audience isn't even remotely challenged as a result. Without some element of tragedy to contrast it, what does a happy ending accomplish?
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Animegomaniac



Joined: 16 Feb 2012
Posts: 4070
PostPosted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 5:26 pm Reply with quote
The Suburban Snob wrote:
There is nothing wrong with happy endings, if they're done well. Brotherhood threw everything but the kitchen sink at us to make the ending as happy-sappy and fanficky as possible. Good guys win completely, bad guys lose completely, and the audience isn't even remotely challenged as a result. Without some element of tragedy to contrast it, what does a happy ending accomplish?

... concluding the story with some measure of satisfaction to the viewer/reader?

Oh, and there's mother's still dead but nowspoiler[their immortal father's dead, Ed can no longer use Alchemy and he never got his leg back and while the good guys have control of the government for now, who's the say it won't end in a civil war between Armstrong's forces and Mustang's?] Hardly an "everything's perfect" ending and there's no "They lived happily ever after". They lived, sure, but even in the direst of situations, they all never did see eye to eye.

You could almost say there's a moral here about enjoying the small things because the big things will always get you in the end. spoiler[Father was a villain but the Dwarf in the Flask was pity in a bottle] and this was a lesson he never got.

And Pride's fate? Death by irony as all the sins. spoiler[He never died but he was given a more human body, the form of those he despised the most.]

What, no comment on spoiler[Al and May?] Oh right, you'd have to acknowledge a basic truth the first series couldn't come to terms with, that Al and Ed are separate people who will eventually go their own way. {No, they thought tuning Al into Ed was the thing to do}.

Hey, it even happened during the series. Not physically but more importantly, morally. spoiler[I would never imagine Al giving in to become Greed's minion. Working with Scar, yes, but he'd never commit to obeying him.]

Also, didn't Ed and Al fight to see who'd marry Winry in the first series? Hardly the actions of brothers towards a sister, well, usually...

I do agree with the sentiment about the early part of the new adaptation being rushed but I disagree with the thinking that the shifts in mood was out of place. In a series where the psychopaths can be heroic and noble and the heroes can be tried for war crimes, you have to be prepared for anything.
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Charred Knight



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 3085
PostPosted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:46 pm Reply with quote
Hirmou Arakawa herself explains why she didn't create that "Beautiful, bittersweet ending". There is no reason for Ed and Al to choose between two bad choices when they could choose a third option that's better for them.

Also why would you kill Yoki? He was purely comic relief spoiler[Its not like his death in the first anime was handled with drama or even made any sense. ]

From the argument it seems like your entire reasoning is based on the idea that "tragedy= art". Tim Marcoh[spoiler] death is horribly handled in the first anime. Envy just simply mentions it towards the end of the series just to resolve a plot point that's been hanging for half the series.

Scar's story in the manga is one of a man who lost his way and then found it. In the first anime spoiler[he just loses his way and his final act is one of revenge to kill a massive number of people just to get back at the Amestrian military for the Ishval massacre. Its a continuation of the cycle of revenge not an ending to it]

Also you constantly reference the first anime adaptation as the original. As you mentioned yourself the manga is the original. A large amount of the first 26 episodes (probably at least a third) of the first anime series is anime original work that isn't in Brotherhood simply because its not part of the original manga and doesn't fit into a more accurate adaptation of it. Even if you were to adapt Brotherhood into one chapter for each episode at which point you can animate everything you would get 16 episodes of content.
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Chiibi



Joined: 19 Dec 2011
Posts: 4828
PostPosted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:22 pm Reply with quote
Charred Knight wrote:
Hirmou Arakawa herself explains why she didn't create that "Beautiful, bittersweet ending". There is no reason for Ed and Al to choose between two bad choices when they could choose a third option that's better for them.

Damn straight.

As for 100% HAPPY....well two things bummed me out a little:

1.spoiler[Hohenheim died. Now the boys are orphans. I mean, he FINALLY was able to bond with them....and he bloody died, what? Barely a month later? Was it even that long?
MADE ME SAD.]


2.spoiler[Ed had to sacrifice alchemy. Who is Edward Elric without alchemy? THAT WAS HIS WORLD. That was his reason of being. He loved it and took so much pride in it....so to lose it...yeah, that sucks. Sad]

I don't find bittersweet endings all that "beautiful". Honestly I'm getting sick and tired of them...because THEY ARE USED TOO OFTEN. And I wish fans of the 03 series would lay off Brotherhood already. Guys, you got your cake. Some of us didn't like the flavor. So they made another cake. Let us Brotherhood fans enjoy our cake in peace. You'll always have yours!
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The Suburban Snob



Joined: 19 Oct 2012
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 7:02 am Reply with quote
Yes, those things happened. But was any of it really tragic?

Spoilers below, and I'm not blanking them.

Yes, Hoenheim died. But it's not tragic, because the guy was hundreds of years old. He was tired, he was ready to die, and the lucky bastard even got to pass away peacefully at his wife's grave. How much happier of an ending could he have had?

Ed lost his ability to use alchemy, but did he really need it anymore? Ever since the failed transmutation, he's been using his alchemy for one thing: Getting Al's body back. That's been accomplished, and hey, because of him, a world-ending conspiracy has been put to rest for good. He has no more need to be a state alchemist, so what does he lose by losing his alchemy?

Ed doesn't get his leg back. This isn't a tragedy because... Who cares? His automail leg works just fine. He's even dating a top-notch automail mechanic, so he's probably going to get really good discounts on maintenance and repairs. And even if that wasn't true, this journey was never really about his limbs. It's been about Al's body, since day one. Sure, he says 'we're going to get our bodies back,' but that's just pretense so his little brother never has to feel bad about putting Ed through so much trouble. Because yeah, that's something Al would feel. Ed not getting his leg back barely qualifies as a stake.

And Al becoming Ed? That didn't happen until Conqueror of Shambala, which wasn't a very good movie in the first place. Like I said before, it's okay at best. I probably wouldn't even own a copy if it wasn't for the fact that I love the ending so much.
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Chiibi



Joined: 19 Dec 2011
Posts: 4828
PostPosted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 2:35 pm Reply with quote
The Suburban Snob wrote:
Yes, those things happened. But was any of it really tragic?

Yes.



Quote:
Yes, Hoenheim died. But it's not tragic, because the guy was hundreds of years old. He was tired, he was ready to die, and the lucky bastard even got to pass away peacefully at his wife's grave. How much happier of an ending could he have had?


Oh gee, I don't know....he could have gotten to spend more time with his SONS. >:/
You know...the ones that he parted with when they were like TWO?

Quote:
He has no more need to be a state alchemist, so what does he lose by losing his alchemy?

He LIKES using it.
He obviously enjoys alchemy so much that Winry calls him an alchemy otaku. Rolling Eyes
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Charred Knight



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 3085
PostPosted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 3:56 pm Reply with quote
The Suburban Snob wrote:
Yes, those things happened. But was any of it really tragic?


Maybe and this just some crazy thought but just maybe life isn't just one tragedy after another. Maybe just maybe having your life be improved through hard work is something that actually happens.
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Sariachan



Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 1486
Location: Italy
PostPosted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 2:00 pm Reply with quote
People are really complaining about Fullmetal Alchemist plot? Laughing
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Chiibi



Joined: 19 Dec 2011
Posts: 4828
PostPosted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 10:59 pm Reply with quote
People complain about everything. Rolling Eyes
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SamuraiNinjaDragon



Joined: 16 Feb 2015
Posts: 76
PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2016 10:38 am Reply with quote
Sorry for posting in a 3 year old thread, I didn't realize this one was so old. Anime smile + sweatdrop

I really loved FMA Brotherhood! It was a bit better than the 1st anime, but nothing is better than the manga! <3

I wonder if anyone is still a fan of FMA even after all these years? Smile

I hope I"m not the only one that's still a fan even after the manga and Brotherhood ended. ^^;
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nobahn
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
Posts: 5120
PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2016 2:17 pm Reply with quote

Well, this is why these designated threads exist – of course, most threads are not so designated, so you need to check the discussion index first!
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SamuraiNinjaDragon



Joined: 16 Feb 2015
Posts: 76
PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2016 5:15 pm Reply with quote
Understood! Very Happy Sorry if it seemed like I was spamming in some threads with almost the same message. I had trouble thinking of different ways to express myself without it sounding too confusing and I was just feeling nostalgic about the series. Again, sorry. It won't happen again. If it seems like I was spamming, I do apologize. That was never my intention. I just wanted to try to start the conversations again, however not realizing how old the threads were and due to lack of knowing different ways to say stuff. *bows apologetically* Sorry, everyone for the spam. I didn't mean to do that. I didn't realize until I was done that it looked kind of spammy. Whoops..... ^^;;;; Embarassed
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Sariachan



Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 1486
Location: Italy
PostPosted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 3:29 pm Reply with quote
@SamuraiNinjaDragon: I'm still a fan of it too. ^^
Did you know that next year a FMA live-action movie will be released in Japan?
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