Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
"Two brothers search for a Philosopher's Stone after an attempt to revive their deceased mother goes awry and leaves them in damaged physical forms."
Alchemy is already an interesting topic to read about in real life. Fullmetal Alchemist takes real alchemical concepts and theories and builds on it. Alchemy has many uses - as a weapon, science, or medical practice. Alchemy is sometimes a basis for some sort of religion or spiritual construct. Its also insinuated that other countries use Alchemy differently than Amstris, as seen with the Xing alchemists, and it would be interesting to read on how different it is other places in the world.
The great part about Amestris is that it's only a small corner of the world, and so much happens. The history of the country is well planned and written. The culture of Amestris is well defined and that just makes the world feel real. The extensive lore and world building in every episode is fascinating is a true reflection on the high quality of writing of the anime. To read a full book about the different countries, cultures, histories, and alchemy would be a dream of mine.
Like any musical soundtrack should, the music of Fullmetal Alchemist really goes with the theme and cultural of the anime's world. It's very enchanting and can feel mysterious and menacing when it needs to be. The music really is beautiful and I've caught myself listening to the soundtrack every once in a while since I watched Fullmetal many years ago.
This anime stood on a perfect balance of both humor and sincerity, and this was a huge aspect that made the story feel real. Given the problems at hand in the plot, seriousness and focus are required to combat the high stakes of the situations. Fullmetal Alchemist can get really dark really fast, and is not shy from death and violence. However, a funny moments compilation could probably round to an hour long. There are many hilarious moments, circumstances, and interactions between characters that lead to some humorous lines and jokes. There are characters like Edward, Mustang, and Ling, who are thrown into dire situations, but their personalities go beyond their battle mindset, as all characters like them have moments where they can be dorky or comedic, and that adds depth to those characters.
Fullmetal Alchemist's greatest strength is its diverse cast of characters - Edward, Alphonse, Mustang & his entire squad, Hawkeye, Scar, Ling (both as himself and as Greed), the Armstrongs, Hohenheim, Winry, and all the other soldiers, friends, and allies. The Homunculi were the greatest antagonists, along with the Father and Bradley who had interesting backstories.
With such a diverse cast, this anime does a real good job of mixing up pairings and exploring the dynamics of different relationships. We see Ed & Al almost inseparable at the beginning, and towards the end they separate and are seen working together with others. Mustang and Hawkeye are two peas in a pod, they are strong together, and when they're alone their strengths and skills are especially highlighted. The audience got to know Azumi & Olivier for the women made of steel that they are, and the brief time they partnered up left us wanting more epic battles with the two of them. Scar and Mae contrasted each other both in personality and in story background, but they were an ultimate pair. It was also great seeing the cast form bonds with Ling, and Ling as Greed. The double persona of the character had such interesting moments throughout the anime. And of course, when it came to the final battle, almost every friend and ally was present and it was such an "Avengers Assemble" moment that was very satisfying.
With so much going on, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is, at its core, a heartwarming tale of two brothers and the bond that they share. The past and the mistakes they shared, along with their traumatic experiences, deepens their connection. Ed & Al care about each other more than anything and continuously fight side by side in hopes to accomplish their mission - getting their bodies back.
Alphonse, to me, was probably the most interesting character. Many knew him as just a talking suit of armor, not the boy he once was. Yet the idea of him being human was never in question, and it challenged the idea of what it means to actually be human. It wasn't in his appearance or body, it was the heart, mind, and voice of him - the kindness and compassion for others and his own beliefs. He was treated as an equal by all his peers and even deemed a human sacrifice despite the absence of his body. People cared for him deeply, like Mae who even hugged him in a dire moment. It has not a hug for the warmth of the body, but a hug for the soul - his soul - the part of him that proved he was still human.
That being said - Roy Mustang is my favorite character, both on the show and out of all other anime characters I've ever seen so far. He's such a diverse and layered person and I absolutely love him. He's very serious and focused, at times self absorbed and a little too ambitious. But he's also very humorous, a bit dorky, and above all, very honest. His loyalty to his comrades is always put before himself, especially when the stakes are high. He'd love to rule the world, but never at the cost of being without those he cares about. They didn't go in deep with his back story, but in one episode it's hinted with the reveal of his adopted mother. After that, you can easily characterize him as a boy who literally started with nothing, and made a name of himself all on his own. And with all the glory he's tried to achieve, his success is not nearly as important as the friends he's made - his real family.
I honestly can go on and on about Mustang and his right hand man. Just going back and thinking deeply on their history, both in the war and the time Mustang spent learning from her father, so much subtext just shows up and enforces the deep connection they have. Mustang comes across as serious, but really he's just a big soft boi. It's Riza that gives him strength. I avoid fan fiction at all cost, but with these two, I wouldn't mind a fic or two about the rest of their lives.
The Final Battle. Is 14. Episodes. Long. Episodes 50-63 are all about the invasion of Central and the defeat of the Father and his homunculi. There were many twists and turns and epic battles on all fronts. All allies from the show came together in this well thought out coup. Many last minute saves gave some epic moments of victory as everyone battled for their lives.
Greed was a huge star in this battle, whether he was fighting the homunculi or Central soldiers. Buccaneer & Fu fought Bradley and were giving it their all before their heartbreaking sacrifices. Hohenheim's plan to basically defeat a god added to the plot of his character and lead to sweet victory. Alphonse sacrificing his soul for Ed to get his arm back for one final blow to the Father, and Ed sacrificing his alchemical abilities to return Alphonse, was an even sweeter victory. And of course, I can go on and on about Mustang and his role both in planning the coup as well as his battles on this day, but I won't.
When all was said and done, good triumphed over evil. And with pure evil and centuries of corruption swept away, the end of the story was here, and an ending it was indeed.
The ending was most satisfying and most conclusive, and that's the best you can hope for the end of any well written story - the hope that the consistent high quality holds up till the end. And it very much did with Fullemtal Alchemist:
Alphonse was returned to his body at the sacrifice of Ed's alchemy, and they both were able to walk home to Winry to start the next chapter of their lives. Hohenheim was able to be a father in the final fights, was proud of his sons, and was able to finally die peacefully at his beloved's grave. Ling Yao was able to accomplish his only mission after a complicated path and returned to his home country with a philosopher's stone, ready to change his country for the better. Mustang, still on the road to becoming Furher, decided to dedicate the next chapter of his life, with Hawkeye by his side, to rebuilding Ishval and atoning for the sins committed by him and his fellow state alchemists. Scar went to help him, not to destroy the country, but to help change it.
64 episodes of story and character development lead to an ending that made sense to all these characters. When the credits rolled on the final episode, you see the montage of pictures of where our favorite people ended up, and you can't help but smile.
My Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★