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Shelf Life - Band of Brothers [2010-06-28]

For what it's worth, I would say that as great as the original Fullmetal Alchemist TV series was, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood blows it away. Hands down, no contest.

The reason there's so much ambivalence towards it online is that...well, what everyone has already said: the first 20% of the series is a reanimated version of about 50% of the original show, only sped through and with slight differences that become less slight later on such that you can't easily skip those 13-14 episodes. And what do the lion's share of anime reviews focus on? The beginning, because if you talk too much about the later parts of a series you risk spoiling things for people. So it is that many FMA: Brotherhood reviews have an unavoidable "this is awesome...but we've seen it before..." vibe to them.

The experience is akin to watching the first 13 episodes of [insert 50-episode Sunrise mecha series here], which serve solely as exposition with a "been there, done that" kind of feel before the REAL story starts. Said story almost never make senses if you skip ahead (except for GaoGaiGar; by all means skip the first box set entirely on that and start with the second box where it gets great since the first half is the definition of average and it's all recapped anyway), so you have to just grit your teeth through them. In an era where most entire series are 13 episodes long, most people decide it's not worth the effort. Here's hoping that once the second set of FMA: B comes out in the US, more people who are currently thinking "eh, I already watched this show 6 years ago" will give it a shot.

Bones really took a gamble on the original FMA by having it deviate completely from the source material such that the entire second half could technically be called "filler" material. But it unfolded so well that you don't hear too many complaints about it (I do agree that the FMA movie does diminish the impact of the original TV series' ending). Unfortunately, when they used the same strategy with Soul Eater, the end result wasn't as great...

Sheska had a big role in the first series.
She's only make two appearances in Brotherhood.

Hohenheim (Ed and Al's father) make more than just one appearance in the first series.

What also bothered me is that Roy's seiyū was replaced. I loved Toru Okawa a lot, and his voice suited Roy.

Why isn't Soul Eater on Cartoon Network? Is it the brief nudity? Is it because Death the Kid shoots someone in the face in this season?

I really hate it when people compare the second season of FMA to filler. Filler is the type of thing where the show twiddles it's thumbs waiting for more source material to follow and accomplishes nothing that can't be undone or outright ignored. Here, we have a case where the show moved on in it's own direction and didn't wait, with the manga-ka's approval. Comparisons are unavoidable, but it's not filler.

Quote:

Why isn't Soul Eater on Cartoon Network? Is it the brief nudity? Is it because Death the Kid shoots someone in the face in this season?

my guess, especially wrt CN rather than AS, is maybe because someone--whether Funi or CN--doesn't want the expense of having to edit the show?

As far as Kenichi goes, even Naruto was edited and so is Shippuuden (different channel, but same demographics), so I'd figure Kenichi would have to as well for CN. Probably less for the violence, and more so for the ecchi humor and jiggly boobs although there isn't much. But maybe if it's not a primetime slot they don't have to?

Greed1914 wrote:

I really hate it when people compare the second season of FMA to filler. Filler is the type of thing where the show twiddles it's thumbs waiting for more source material to follow and accomplishes nothing that can't be undone or outright ignored. Here, we have a case where the show moved on in it's own direction and didn't wait, with the manga-ka's approval. Comparisons are unavoidable, but it's not filler.

It all depends on your definition. If it's not canonical, even if it's incompatibly non-canonical, especially if it started out with canon, then it could still be rightly called filler, even if it's great.

Also consider that CN is more concerned with developing their own properties (spending quite a bit of time on their live-action stuff), why would they pay for the rights to show something that will generate nothing for them in the long term? I mean, with shows like Chowder, Generator Rex, etc, they probably get a cut of any toy, video game, clothes profits that come with a show if it hits big. Even if Soul Eater hit it big, they probably see no benefit other than ad revenue while it airs. As far as AS is concerned, its probably not such a bad thing that its not on their as they would stick it at 1 am on a Saturday/Sunday and may futz around with the show time as it is running.

As far as Kenichi goes, while I haven't watched it, I can see an exec looking at it and thinking "this is like Naruto, but without all the crazy ninja powers. This has already been done. Next!"

Vapors wrote:

As far as Kenichi goes, while I haven't watched it, I can see an exec looking at it and thinking "this is like Naruto, but without all the crazy ninja powers. This has already been done. Next!"

that makes sense. And yeah I can see the execs doing saying as well lol.

PetrifiedJello, I have to side with Anime World Order on this, Brotherhood will get better, and it will become just as good as the first series. That is to say It's an amazing show, don't miss it!

But I don't agree that you *have* to watch the first 13 eps of Brotherhood in order to "get" it, especially if you saw the first FMA. I just burst into Brotherhood at episode 15 or so, and it's good from there (although I've read most of the manga, so that helps! )

That one episode of filler has been the only filler in Brotherhood. So nice job on letting one episode deter you from a rather excellent series.

PetrifiedJello, I have to side with Anime World Order on this, Brotherhood will get better, and it will become just as good as the first series. That is to say It's an amazing show, don't miss it!

It all depends on your definition. If it's not canonical, even if it's incompatibly non-canonical, especially if it started out with canon, then it could still be rightly called filler, even if it's great.