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In Defense of Fullmetal Alchemist 2003


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MarshalBanana



Joined: 31 Aug 2014
Posts: 5294
PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:15 am Reply with quote
When i saw the title I was expecting it of been written by Jesuotaku, given how much of a fan she is of this particular adaptation of the Manga.
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HunterAlchemist



Joined: 05 Aug 2015
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:22 am Reply with quote
As much as I prefer Brotherhood over 03, I still think that the original isn't receiving much credit.
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Ali07



Joined: 01 Jun 2014
Posts: 3333
Location: Victoria, Australia
PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:23 am Reply with quote
Hmm, while I've always planned on "going back" and watching the rest of this series, I don't think that I will. Had seen a large chunk of it way back when, as it was airing on CN in Australia.

But, after seeing the movie, which is meant to be the end of this series, years ago...I just feel like there is no pay off for me. I didn't really enjoy that movie, but, I didn't see the final episode of this series, and that could be the reason for this.

Still, I always toss up between finishing off the original anime, or just going with Brotherhood...since that once has the manga's ending and all...
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brucepuppy





PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:25 am Reply with quote
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.
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FilthyCasual



Joined: 01 Jun 2015
Posts: 2165
PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:28 am Reply with quote
All of the stated points are well and good... but they're all points inherent to the original Fullmetal Alchemist. Is your argument that the 2003 anime still has the strengths of the manga, and that's why it was good?

I was expecting a defense of the anime-original material, so a lack of mentions of it is somewhat surprising.
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ParkerALx



Joined: 09 Apr 2014
Posts: 194
PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:29 am Reply with quote
Quote:
The first anime was designed to be its own story from the beginning

I wouldn't go that far. Roughly, the first half of the series pretty much follows the events of the manga, barring filler. In fact, at times it feels like Bones was planning on going the typical Shonen route of using filler (really, what else does an episodes like "The Phantom Thief""add to the story?) to avoid catching up with the source material. Then around Ed's confrontation with Greed in the Devil's Nest, they seemed to finally realize it wasn't going to work, and then decided to go in a completely different direction.

Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 is a great show and without a doubt more historically important than its successor for the impact it had on the anime fandom. I still prefer Brotherhood for its tighter plot development, stronger world building and larger scale, but the first anime has plenty of traits that make it a compelling watch. It's more reflective, somber tone, Lust's character portrayal and the tragic bond shared by Izumi Curtis and her Humunculis child all come to mind. In fact, I'd say it's one major flaw is that the episodes that follow the manga and those that tell their own story don't exactly match up, mostly because the "canon" content is building up to a much larger conspiracy (Father's centuries-old plan to merge with God) than what we got from Dante. She's a great villain, don't get me wrong, but I just can't picture her as a mastermind capable of pulling the strings of an entire country.


Last edited by ParkerALx on Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:56 am; edited 6 times in total
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BassKuroi





PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:31 am Reply with quote
My article about why 03 is better than Brotherhood:

It has "Rewrite" by AKFG and Brotherhood don't.
The end.

The truth shall prevail.
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invalidname
Contributor



Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 2434
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:34 am Reply with quote
Getting away from the source material is why I like FMA 2003 more than Brotherhood or, indeed, the source manga. It seems like Arakawa hit a point where she chose to drastically expand the scope of the story, bringing in the characters from Xing for example, and giving it an epic scope. That happens after the branching point in the two stories.

In the 2003 version, they basically run out of source material right around spoiler[Hughes' death], so the second half of the show is all new material. And it doesn't turn into an epic. In fact, quite the opposite: it deliberately turns inwards, bringing everything back to Ed and Al. The various homunculi introduced from here all relate back to the main characters: Envy is spoiler[their half-brother], Wrath is running around with spoiler[Ed's arm and leg] (and is also the spoiler[stillborn son of their teacher]), Sloth is spoiler[their mother], and the Big Bad is spoiler[their father's ex-lover]. All of this turns the focus back to Ed and Al, how they deal with it, and the close relation of all the villains brings out the specifics of Ed and Al's character and moral nature by contrast. Whereas in the manga, I kind of feel like Ed and Al get lost in the epic story, since it has so damn many characters and subplots to keep up with.
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aisuru113



Joined: 09 Mar 2013
Posts: 19
PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:42 am Reply with quote
FMA is the only anime that I loved and never finished. Nina and the death of Hughes were traumatic to my over-stuffed college brain. I can even think about going back to finish without getting upset.
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Videogamep



Joined: 10 Jun 2014
Posts: 564
Location: CA
PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:45 am Reply with quote
I'm glad this was more about praising the 2003 anime than outright comparing the two. I prefer Brotherhood, but FMA 2003 is still a great show that shouldn't be discounted just because Brotherhood's newer or more faithful. I think the ideal way to watch FMA is to watch 2003 and then watch Brotherhood. People who skip directly to Brotherhood are missing a lot.
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Hidders



Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Posts: 61
PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:54 am Reply with quote
I view them both as separate series of the same universe, both are valid but not to be denied for the other. There's a reason FMA'03 was one of most the popular anime worldwide until 2009, Brotherhood's existence doesn't alter that fact. spoiler[Hughes' death] had a lot more impact in FMA'03, I didn't feel much emotion for the same scene in FMA:B.

invalidname wrote:
Getting away from the source material is why I like FMA 2003 more than Brotherhood or, indeed, the source manga. ...

... And it doesn't turn into an epic. In fact, quite the opposite: it deliberately turns inwards, bringing everything back to Ed and Al. ... All of this turns the focus back to Ed and Al, how they deal with it, and the close relation of all the villains brings out the specifics of Ed and Al's character and moral nature by contrast. Whereas in the manga, I kind of feel like Ed and Al get lost in the epic story, since it has so damn many characters and subplots to keep up with.

Same here. I liked how things fell into place in FMA'03.

Videogamep wrote:
... I think the ideal way to watch FMA is to watch 2003 and then watch Brotherhood. People who skip directly to Brotherhood are missing a lot.

Yes. Agreed. If you jump straight to FMA:B it's harder to watch FMA'03 later and get into it since its world is a lot smaller.

Merxamers wrote:
... The 2003 series is an emotional wringer; ... It's solid storytelling, but not exactly uplifting.
...
Basically, I agree with the article and also that 2003 FMA is the better show, but there are quite a few things I like better about Brotherhood as well.

Maybe that's why I like it more, I felt more emotionally invested in FMA'03. The downs were extreme and I ached for those moments. And yeah, the deaths hit harder because we knew those people better and longer.


spoiler["Fullmetal Alchemist: Wakare no gishiki (#1.25)" (2004)
[as the honor guard buries Lt. Col. Hughes]
Elysia Hughes: [grabs Gracia's hand] Mom, how come? Why are they burying daddy? Who are those people? Why are they burying him? Why?
Gracia Hughes: [holding back from crying] He's gone, baby.
Elysia Hughes: They can't! I don't like it. Daddy said he has lots of work to do and if they bury him he can't do it when he wakes up.
Gracia Hughes: [breaks down and hugs Elicia] Elicia.
[cries]
Elysia Hughes: Stop them, mommy! Daddy needs to do his work. He told me.
Major Alex Louis Armstrong: [crying]
Elysia Hughes: Why are you burying daddy, mommy? Why?
[yells]
Elysia Hughes: Daddy, wake up!]

Tears me up. Every. Damn. Time.


Last edited by Hidders on Wed Aug 05, 2015 10:12 am; edited 2 times in total
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Merxamers



Joined: 09 Dec 2013
Posts: 720
PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:56 am Reply with quote
I don't think anyone would argue that the original FMA isn't the superior series. It was the first anime i ever watched, after all Smile

I honestly just prefer Brotherhood because it's a much easier rewatch. The 2003 series is an emotional wringer; Izumi comes off like an abusive foster parent (in my opinion), you get to know spoiler[Nina] and spoiler[Hughes] for much longer before their respective tragedies, spoiler[Bradley strangles his own child to death ON SCREEN], and Scar spoiler[loses both arms, turning himself into a suicide bomb (RELEVANCE)]. It's solid storytelling, but not exactly uplifting.

Brotherhood may go too far the OTHER way sometimes and become too sappy, but it's got spectacular action sequences (I <3 Wrath so much), and just FEELS a bit happier (also, Al isn't useless this time around, and Scar's narrative arc is much more satisfying).

Basically, I agree with the article and also that 2003 FMA is the better show, but there are quite a few things I like better about Brotherhood as well.

Quote:
In fact, quite the opposite: it deliberately turns inwards, bringing everything back to Ed and Al.


That's actually a very interesting point- a lot of the emotional impact in the original series was, for me, because of how personal the stakes were to the protagonists.
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AutoOps007



Joined: 03 Jan 2014
Posts: 245
PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 10:02 am Reply with quote
ParkerALx wrote:
Quote:
The first anime was designed to be its own story from the beginning


I wouldn't go that far. Roughly, the first half of the series pretty much follows the events of the manga, barring filler. In fact, at times it feels like Bones was planning on going the typical Shonen route of using filler (really, what else does an episodes like "The Phantom Thief""add to the story?) to avoid catching up with the source material. Then around Ed's confrontation with Greed in the Devil's Nest, they seemed to finally realize it wasn't going to work, and then they decided to go in a completely different direction.


No, there is no way they would adapt a monthly manga that was about 6 years away from ending with the intention of following the manga until the end. The studio knew the manga was years away from ending, and according to screenwriter Shou Aikawa it was always planned to be 51 episodes.
Filler episodes in the beginning of the series could be for a number of reasons including; needing more episodes to reach the full 51 episodes, the story for the later half of the series was yet to be finalized as well as wanting to develop the characters more (Shou Aikawa also stated this was a goal of theirs). Besides, we only had a handful of filler episodes (that had little impact on the series) at the beginning of the series, so there would've been a lot more if they wanted to go until the end.
Anyone including the staff knows that with most adaptations for ongoing monthly manga, that the anime would not be able to complete the end of the manga. Even if the manga was close to ending, the 51 episode limit would not allow for it given the amount of filler that would be needed.

Also, lot of anime adaptations of monthly follow the manga for the majority of their run. The blue exorcist anime for example, followed the manga for 17 episodes before going into filler for the remaining 8 episodes (the manga only had about 25 chapters at the time so there was no way they were going to be able to complete it).
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Maidenoftheredhand



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 2632
PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 10:08 am Reply with quote
Is there going to be a "defense of Brotherhood" as well? Because plenty of people sing the praises of 2003 and put down Brotherhood as just dumb shounen action and not as deep as 2003 because it dares to have a happy ending.


Brotherhood is NOT more popular than the 2003 series. If anything it is 50/50 and on this website I would say 2003 is more popular. So I am not really sure why we need to defend 2003.


But yes lets have another Brotherhood VS 2003 debate.

Anyways I am fine with an article saying why you love the 2003 series. Please spread the love but I just don't think the series really needs to be defended.


Last edited by Maidenoftheredhand on Wed Aug 05, 2015 10:14 am; edited 1 time in total
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Gasero



Joined: 24 Jul 2009
Posts: 939
Location: USA
PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 10:10 am Reply with quote
I didn't dislike FMA 2003, but I also didn't follow the manga so I didn't have any bias towards how the series progressed.

For the most part, FMA is what made me take anime seriously. The complex political and moral dynamics of the main plot were things I had not seen in an anime (I was 13 at the time). The well written main plot of FMA made the out-of-tone humor even more annoying to me.
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