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OMG!!!! HIDEYOSHI!!!!! <3<3<3

So...would you recommend I watch the original Fullmetal Alchemist before watching Brotherhood? Or can I just go ahead and skip to the newer version?

I was truly amazed when I read that Funimation was releasing another season of Shin-chan. I heard the figures weren't great and the voice actors, espcially Laura Bailey (who I like) always sounded really bored and unenthusiastic about the series on the audio commentary. (There was one guy who kept talking about how cool it was that there were spots on the walls and carpets in the show, but he was the exception to the rule.)

I made sure to pre-order both part 1 and part 2 of the Season 3 volumes to put my money where my mouth was and support it. Sounds like it will be a lot of fun.

Out of curiosity, which figures did you buy at Comic Con Bamboo?

I just finished watching the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Part 4 DVD set the other day that I checked out through my local library system, so it was nice to see a review for Part 5.

After reading your review, Bamboo, I am definitely going to have to log in to my library system's website and put in a purchase request for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Part 5.

SaharaFrost wrote:

So...would you recommend I watch the original Fullmetal Alchemist before watching Brotherhood? Or can I just go ahead and skip to the newer version?

You can skip to the newer version. The two shows are completely independent of one another, and while both have their upsides, neither one is necessary to watch for the enjoyment of the other.

(If you're watching fresh, it's actually better to just watch Brotherhood first... part of the reason it was so hard for me to get into FMA:B at first was because the first volume is largely a retread of a story we've already seen.)

@here-and-faraway The figure I'm in love with the most is Gentle Giant's Captain America bust!

Last edited by doctordoom85 on Mon Aug 01, 2011 5:53 pm; edited 2 times in total

Well, the problem FMA Brotherhood had initially was that it was aware the first 13 episodes would be stuff old fans had already seen but went too far with that knowledge. Yes, plenty of old fans would be watching Brotherhood, but plenty of new fans would be too. It starts to get better as it went on, and by the time they meet spoiler[Greed] it wore off, but the early Brotherhood episodes suffered from ridiculous pacing. Geezus, poor Ed and Al's mom gets ONE SCENE before she's offed. Freakin' Batman Begins and Spider-man 1 gave more screentime to their "deceased parents/uncle" figures and they only had 120+ minutes to use compared to Brotherhood's 1,400+. Considering their mom's death was the trigger that started everything, I was shaking my head in confusion saying, "does BONES really think every single viewer has watched the original?" Also, the overuse of "chibi" scenes in the early episodes was annoying and could easily turn away newcomers.

Still, the show does improve vastly from there, however I still rank both anime to be equal. Brotherhood offers more of a complex story, diverse characters, and an epic ending, while the original offered more focus on Ed and Al's bond, greyer morality (when it comes to the Homunculi, some are better and deeper in the original and some are better and deeper in Brotherhood), and an emotional ending. Also, I think most people would agree that while Brotherhood's music is great that the original's music is still superior. Also, as more of a personal preference, Hughes gets more screentime in the original, and seeing as he's my favorite character that obviously makes a difference to me. Anyway, I've got Brotherhood parts 1-4 and will order part 5 during the next TSRI FUNimation sale.

Baka and Test is a fun show. Honestly, I would have got bored if they kept doing avatar fights all the time, so I'm glad they moved on to just letting the characters run wild. Hideyoshi is sexy awesomeness and Yuuji, Kouta, Shouko, and Kubo are hilarious. Honestly, I disagree with the whole "view on girls" thing, I would hope most viewers would prefer Minami, seeing as she only hurts you if you say something unnecessarily mean to her (nothing wrong with standing up for yourself) and is fun and amusing, while Mizuki is a LETHAL cook and is rather bland in personality. If anything, I'd say the show could have a more likable lesbian character, as Miharu is an irritating psycho who constantly has to show up and kill the moment. It's not the abuse that annoys me (as Shouko kinda goes beyond the impossible there), but the way she'll ruin any moment for Minami to have a chance with Akihisa drives me up the wall, whereas Yuuji doesn't show any particular interest in a specific other girl not to mention he does care about Shouko in a way so her controlling attitude isn't annoying. Plus, Miharu attacks the other characters too whereas Shouko does not. Anyway, got the LE of this and love it.

Shin Chan was amusing on Adult Swim, but I could never see myself owning it as I felt most of the jokes would only be funny once or twice and I never got into the characters that much.

Edit: this week's shelf-provider is a Calvin and Hobbes fan. Good taste! Smile

I also approve of some of the "western" DVDs, Adventures of Pete and Pete, Samurai Jack, Animaniacs, etc., great selection.

SakechanBD wrote:

SaharaFrost wrote:

So...would you recommend I watch the original Fullmetal Alchemist before watching Brotherhood? Or can I just go ahead and skip to the newer version?

You can skip to the newer version. The two shows are completely independent of one another, and while both have their upsides, neither one is necessary to watch for the enjoyment of the other.

(If you're watching fresh, it's actually better to just watch Brotherhood first... part of the reason it was so hard for me to get into FMA:B at first was because the first volume is largely a retread of a story we've already seen.)

Both shows are wonderful in their own way, the first series concentrates more on the Elric Brothers and is more emotionally involving for the characters while Brotherhood has an excellent plot that keeps topping itself every time.
I would watch the first series and then the second. Either way you're getting a great story.

Baka and Test is a very funny show--when it isn't a fighting show but a shounen romantic comedy, i.e the ten episodes of filler. I hated the fighting parts, and a lot had to do with my very opinionated views on education. Now, I ain't no bleeding heart liberal, but the concept of punishing the stupid is the worst possible to try to teach something, since it creates an unhealthy level of stress and competition. A certain percentage of intelligence is genetic, and so punishing the stupid is like punishing people for their hair color (which, coincidentally, is also punished in Japanese schools. Note: I'm basing this from Toradora and 12 Kingdoms, so caveat emptor). And I know, I know, it's just a cartoon, but the inherent wrongness bothers me. So Baka Test is two/thirds of a good show and one/third trash, and I have to agree with Ms Bamboo Dong here and say that it is not shelf-worthy, although good enough for a viewing.

SaharaFrost wrote:

So...would you recommend I watch the original Fullmetal Alchemist before watching Brotherhood? Or can I just go ahead and skip to the newer version?

Generally, on shows so similar, you will like whatever you watch first and dislike (or not like as much) the second. Here's the difference: the first series is set in an amoral universe with fuzzy lines of right and wrong, while the reboot is set in a moral universe with strong lines between right and wrong. The conflict of the first is between man's capacity for good versus his capacity for evil, while the reboot is a standard good humans versus evil demons conflict. So I'd what whichever of those suits your personal philosophy better. I like the first, but I'm also a born cynic.

How would I go about sending in my anime shelf?

Doctordoom85, whos a Calvin and Hobbes fan?

Ness_Success wrote:

How would I go about sending in my anime shelf?

Just send your pics (jpg, please) to [email protected], and they will magically appear in a later column. Smile

mglittlerobin wrote:

SakechanBD wrote:

SaharaFrost wrote:

So...would you recommend I watch the original Fullmetal Alchemist before watching Brotherhood? Or can I just go ahead and skip to the newer version?

You can skip to the newer version. The two shows are completely independent of one another, and while both have their upsides, neither one is necessary to watch for the enjoyment of the other.

(If you're watching fresh, it's actually better to just watch Brotherhood first... part of the reason it was so hard for me to get into FMA:B at first was because the first volume is largely a retread of a story we've already seen.)

Both shows are wonderful in their own way, the first series concentrates more on the Elric Brothers and is more emotionally involving for the characters while Brotherhood has an excellent plot that keeps topping itself every time.
I would watch the first series and then the second. Either way you're getting a great story.

The first anime concentrates on Ed (most infamously moving a scene meant for Winry much earlier into the anime so Ed could now do it), first anime Al always came off as someone whose entire purpose was to have a person who Ed could have a bond with. I don't really remember first anime Al as ever having a standout scene.

So what exactly did Bamboo buy at Comic-con? :3

(I'm nosy, leave me alone)

Charred Knight wrote:

mglittlerobin wrote:

SakechanBD wrote:

SaharaFrost wrote:

So...would you recommend I watch the original Fullmetal Alchemist before watching Brotherhood? Or can I just go ahead and skip to the newer version?

You can skip to the newer version. The two shows are completely independent of one another, and while both have their upsides, neither one is necessary to watch for the enjoyment of the other.

(If you're watching fresh, it's actually better to just watch Brotherhood first... part of the reason it was so hard for me to get into FMA:B at first was because the first volume is largely a retread of a story we've already seen.)

Both shows are wonderful in their own way, the first series concentrates more on the Elric Brothers and is more emotionally involving for the characters while Brotherhood has an excellent plot that keeps topping itself every time.
I would watch the first series and then the second. Either way you're getting a great story.

The first anime concentrates on Ed (most infamously moving a scene meant for Winry much earlier into the anime so Ed could now do it), first anime Al always came off as someone whose entire purpose was to have a person who Ed could have a bond with. I don't really remember first anime Al as ever having a standout scene.

You mean... Like in the last episode where he saved Ed's ass?

Both my husband and myself liked the pacing of FMA: Brotherhood better. Hubby said the first series "milked the misery" a bit too much for his taste.

I think I watched the first two episodes of Baka and Test, and then forgot to watch the rest. I think, Bamboo, your review was much more entertaining than the show. At least IMO. Smile

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