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Funimation to Offer 2009 Fullmetal Alchemist on April 9 (Update 4)
posted on by Egan Loo
The animeanime.jp website reports that the North American anime distributor Funimation will begin offering the 2009 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime series on its own website on April 9 at 12:00 p.m. — four days after the Japanese television premiere. This is the second television adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's dark fantasy manga, which follows two brothers who risked their bodies with human alchemy to unsuccessfully resurrect their mother. Now the two attempt to restore their bodies by seeking the illusive Philosopher's Stone, and they are not alone in their quest. France will be able to see the same Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime series on the YouTube video-streaming website. Funimation also holds the licenses for television broadcast and packaged video releases in North America.
The multinational television channel Animax Asia had already announced that it will run the program in Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Taiwan within six days of the anime's Japanese premiere. Similarly, Madman Entertainment will stream the series on its Australian website within days of the Japanese premiere, and will also host a simulcast of the first episode at the Supanova: Brisbane convention this weekend.
Viz Media will publish the 18th volume of the manga version in North America next month, while FUNimation Entertainment released both the first television series and its theatrical movie finale.
Images © Hiromu Arakawa/FA Projects, MBS
Update: Additional information added.
Update 2: The official Japanese Fullmetal Alchemist website has confirmed the details of the multinational premieres:
| Region | Source | Premiere Date |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Madman.com.au | Days after April 5 |
| Francophone Europe | YouTube/Dybex | Within 1 week of April 5 |
| Hong Kong | TVB | April 22, 11:30 p.m. |
| Japan | MBS/TBS network | April 5, 5:00 p.m. |
| North America | Funimation.com | April 9, 10:00 a.m. CT |
| Philippines | Animax Asia | April 10, 8:30 p.m. |
| South Asia | Animax Asia | April 10, 8:30 p.m. |
| Southeast Asia | Animax Asia | April 10, 8:30 p.m. |
| Taiwan | Animax Asia | April 11, 10:30 p.m. |
Hong Kong will start receiving an over-the-air digital broadcast via the TVB station on April 22.
Update 3: The French anime distributor Dybex announced that it will stream the anime for free in Japanese with French subtitles to Francophone Europe within one week of its Japanese airing. Funimation has posted its official announcement.
Update 4 Madman's website address corrected. Thanks, slykura.
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history