FullMetal Alchemist [Review]

Series: FullMetal Alchemist

Writer: Hiromu Arakawa

Manga Publishing Company: Enix (201 – 2003); Square Enix (2003 – 2010)

Animation Company: Funimation

Genre: Adventure/Science Fantasy

Couple of blogs back, I did a Throw Back Thursday (TBT) with an Anime Music Video (AMV) that I made with a using a music that the voice actor of the lead voice actor – Vic Mignogna – did for his own character, Edward Elric. So in honor of that blog, I am reviewing the series of that very series.

There are TWO (2) FullMetal Alchemist series – the original airing, which is just plain old FullMetal Alchemist, and the second airing is known as FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Let me make this clear as day right this instant:

The one I’m reviewing is the first time attempt at the animation, which is just the plain old FullMetal Alchemist. This originally started off following the actual manga exactly, but at one point in the series, the anime had completely derailed away from the manga and went off to do its own thing.

The second attempt of the series, FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, actually stayed true altogether, fully and 100% completely, to the manga. It’s the series that the manga readers will always say that is the true and the ultimate anime series when it comes to animated adaptation.

Which do I agree with? As someone who reads mangas more than watching anime since reading two chapters is the equivalency of watching one episode when it comes to time period, I’d say the second statement is true – The Brotherhood version between the two animated adaptation is FAR better and defiantly bazillion, infinite times better than the first FullMetal Alchemist anime. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the first one isn’t good anime either.

The voice actors have been very well picked out, and the animation alone was very well done. What’s even better? The shading from the lights that comes off from the alchemy to day and night time settings – I have to say that it’s one of the better animations I have seen. But it’s also all having to do with the art style adaptation. Even though the computers do tend to have it easier for the artists and cartoonists, the adaptations of where to give color more focus is well divided. And I’m not saying it just because I feel as if it’s appropriate thing to say, but rather because it is a bit hard to figure out what to do just based off of the basic colors of the characters and their clothing given on the front covers of the mangas. Otherwise, the animators have nothing really to go by since the fans color their own way on how the fans think the shadings should be done. And if the animators decide to go by what the fans have done, it’s only by how they think they can adapt what fans have done into their own animated works.

What I really hate is who they decided to make into the homoculi (creatures with near immortality due to Philosopher’s Stone) when the character isn’t even supposed to be a homunculi. To make it worse, reassigning a specific sin name to another character rather than assigning proper sin character to actual proper characters.

Otherwise, is the first attempt at FullMetal Alchemist anime adaptation horrible and/or horribly made? No, it’s been wonderfully done. But does that mean that I like the fact that they changed a lot of things around? No, as a huge dork and practically a mega otaku when it comes to mangas, I hated it. I hate the fact that they made a lot of adjustments, and went with the FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood route from the start and stuck to the original story.

Next time, either Ouran High School Host Club, Gurren Lagann, or TriGun series will be the one to be reviewed if not for the upload and what I did for the make the “All About That Grace” music video. And, yes, that DOES mean that I received permission to go on ahead to make the music video for All About That Grace music. Until next time~!

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