FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST | Anime Review | Pinnedupink.com

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST

BROTHERHOOD

FMA: Brotherhood is the second anime adaptation of the Full-Metal Alchemist manga by Japanese author Himoru Arakawa. I had not read the manga, watched the first adaptation, or gone past the third episode that aired of Brotherhood, for some reason.

But it was after its incorporation into the Netflix catalog that, together with my older brother (an avid fan of the first adaptation of the series), we decided to watch it once and for all finally. And this is how today I come to deliver the review of a simply EPIC anime.

This anime tells the story of brothers Edward (15 years old) and Alphonse (14 years old), who, after the death of their mother, broke the greatest taboo of alchemy by wanting to resurrect her: human transmutation. Consequently, and due to the law of equivalent exchange, Edward loses his left leg and his younger brother his entire body. Edward seals Alphonse's soul to a great iron armor to save him and sacrifices his right arm in exchange.

Enric and Alphonse are orphans, but they are not alone. They have great allies, like Winri and her grandmother. They take them in when they become homeless. In addition to being their friend, Winry is also Enric's personal mechanic/surgeon, who designs and maintains his prosthetic arm and leg.

Enric thus becomes the youngest alchemist in the government, known as the Fullmetal Alchemist. As a state worker, together with his brother and under Colonel Roy Mustang's orders, he will have to fulfill missions while keeping track of his target.

The brothers will discover that both facets of their lives are deeply linked when searching for the philosopher's stone, a conspiracy that hides a dark secret related to a civil war, and the extermination of a nation comes to light.

The mythology of this series is one of its strong points. Not only is it a steampunk world in which alchemy exists, but there is also talk of a racial conflict that anchors it to a brutal social reality. And the Homunculi, whose origin you will know in due time.

Everything in FMA: Brotherhood is perfectly tied. It maintains the coherence of all the rules with which it builds its rich universe. When I say that it is an epic series, I fall short. It is narratively complex and surprising on a technical level, with excellent action scenes; the protagonists' story is powerful, but those of everyone else is memorable. And there are many female characters, and they are all impressive. That is always a plus for me since most Shonen sin not to develop them or not give them much weight or relevance in the story.

When it gets dramatic, no one beats it (if you watch the fourth episode, something does not break inside, you have nothing there). It squeezes your heart without mercy, but because everything matters, because of the travels of its characters, and everything at stake matters. That is why his humor seems so fundamental and necessary to me; some say that it does not fit, but I feel that it would not be the same if it were not for those moments.

This is one of those anime that I love mostly because of its characters. I like anime that have many characters, and they tell you the story of many of them without focusing solely on their protagonists. In the end, all the characters end up being protagonists in some way, and I think that is something that makes this anime so popular.

The relationship between the Elric brothers and the rest of the characters in the series is one of their strong points. Since these ties are the basis of the anime, you do not stop seeing people who care about their friends and family. You suffer with them when something happens to them. Although the protagonists are Ed and Al, Arakawa cares about all the characters. Even those that it seems will not have long-term relevance, and only one episode would be significant.

This detail in relationships also comes from the care and variety given to the characters, both in terms of design and personality, characterizing them in a few vignettes, even the secondary ones. Although most characters have grays, the good and the bad are very defined throughout the work. Despite Mustang, Hughes, and Hawkeye committing atrocities in the Isvhal War, there is no question that their intentions are pure and good.

Similarly with the bad guys. If it is true that throughout the anime, the characters evolve and change, they are still fixed on their role. Of course, without exception, you take a liking to almost all of them, even if they are bad since Arakawa defines them all in a way that you understand their motivations and why they do what they do, even if you still want to kill them because they are bad people.

I confess that the animation and character design did not attract my attention in the first episodes, but I liked them much more as the anime progressed. The character design is pretty quirky in the right way.

Although I didn't like it too much initially, as I watched new action scenes, the animation seemed a thousand times better to me, and I think the design is improving in each episode. It is also true that at the beginning, with all the comedy scenes, the constant use of the characters in chibi style seems too much, but little by little, this is pushed aside, and they focus on the dark plot making the animation more consistent with its style.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is an anime that mixes drama, action, politics, and fantasy incredibly in 64 episodes. You will not stop watching until you discover the end. The themes of death, life, resurrection, and religion are very present in this anime, and for my taste, it is one of the best things that it has, which makes it different from other anime. His characters give off charisma, they are very varied, and every one of them manages to be fond of them in one way or another.

The character design and animation may not be to everyone's taste, but in my opinion, it is very well done, and the soundtrack is terrific. Without a doubt, a highly recommended anime that leaves you wanting more.

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST REVIEW ANIME