Discovering TV shows : a ‘Fullmetal Alchemist brotherhood’ review

It is impossible to create something out of nothing. If one wishes to obtain something, something of equal value must be given. This is the law of equivalent exchange; the basis of all alchemy.

Pretty intriguing right?? I can’t pretend that I’m a huge fan of Anime. I mean there are series that have 800 + episodes and it’s quite daunting to try and complete that many episodes. To be fair, I’ve only watched the most popular and short animes, like Death note and Attack on Titan. But every time I’ve seen a list of top Anime, Fullmetal Alchemist brotherhood has always been there so when 4 days back Netflix recommended it to me, I thought, let’s give it a shot and I guess the fact that I’ve finished it speaks for itself.

Fullmetal Alchemist brotherhood is a story about the laws of equivalence, about how you have to pay a price for everything. In the world where everything can be created from alchemy, it’s a story of two brothers;Edward and Alphonso Elric , who perform the taboo of human transmutation to bring their mother back and thus, we follow their journey as they try to untangle the mysteries of alchemy to get back what’s lost.

Let me make it pretty straight forward. I really liked FMAB. What I liked about FMAB is that it gives simplest of concepts so much depth. The concept of alchemy, it’s uses, pros and cons are as vital part of the story as the characters. Alchemy isn’t just a tool created to service the plot, it almost like a character itself.

Speaking of characters, they are another really strong point of this Anime. FMAB knows how to treat it’s characters. This show may have it’s protagonist in the form of Elric brothers but, that no where means that other characters are treated as any less. Every character is treated with respect and had a fulfilling story arc that kept me hooked. Whether it’s Colonel Roy Mustang(The Flame state alchemist), Scar, the homunculis or Ling, I cheered for all of them. Nowhere throughout the entire story did I feel one arc is superior to another because even though it’s about separate characters, in the end they are all interlinked together perfectly.

I guess my only criticism with the show is that, it doesn’t explain the Father character’s motivation properly. Can’t say much about it as it’ll ruin the plot but that’s one part where I wanted more.

Netflix provides the option to watch the anime Subbed as well as Dubbed. While I tried both, I personally preferred the dubbed one. This isFMAB one rare instance where the dubbed version is also good.

Like I said in the very beginning, I’m not really a know it all when it comes to Anime culture. So I’ve not watched the Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) Anime yet. But if people are worried that they are interlinked or is it necessary to watch the first one and then start this, your answer is No. From what I’ve read, they are different takes on same story and FMAB is pretty self sufficient. So, I can assure you, you’ll have a great experience with this Anime without watching it’s predecessor.

In the end, if anyone is interested in a unique story with great characters then do check this Anime out. This might become the show that sparks your interest in Anime because it surely did mine.