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Xenjin's Fullmetal Alchemist Tv Review

Fullmetal Alchemist

Fullmetal Alchemist tv Review

"You can't gain something without sacrificing something else of the equal value. This is the principle of the equivalent trade."

The story takes place in Amestris, in the early 1900's. Two brothers, Edward and his younger brother Alphonse Elric, live with their mother, Trisha, in the small village of Resembool. Although their father left home when they were still very young, his sons inherited his passion for alchemy and practiced it on their own. In 1909, Trisha dies of an unknown illness, the boys' father still nowhere in sight. When Ed finds out about human transmutation from one of his father's books, he and Al engage in intense training in order to be able to perform the ritual that will bring their mother back.

In 1910, the Elric brothers cross the forbidden line; unfortunately, the resurrection attempt is a complete failure, as Ed loses his left leg and Al — his entire body. In a last desperate attempt to undo the damage, Ed binds his brother's spirit to a nearby suit of armor, at the further cost of his right arm. After recovering, the two embark on a journey to find the legendary Philosopher's Stone, rumored to facilitate alchemic tasks without the requirement of equivalent exchange, in hopes of getting their original bodies back.

Story & Characters

Full Metal Alchemist hails the dawn of a whole new age of Japanimé. Rarely does an anime series captivate the imagination from the very outset of the first episode and hold its audience on the edge of the seat right through its bittersweet conclusion. This 51 episode Japanimé extravaganza has everything from mind bending action sequences to tear-jerking dramatic set pieces. As if that was not enough, the story itself is worth the price of admission alone.

Full Metal Alchemist is based in what appears to be Germany, in the early 20th century, when industrialism was the order of the day. However, in this 'universe' of things, a particularly fascinating science forms the basis on which the entire story of the anime is based. It is known as Alchemy. In layman's terms, Alchemy is a form of chemistry in which the molecular arrangement of some mass is rearranged, thereby changing that mass into something else. This process is called transmutation. However, there are some ground rules:

1. Logically, you can only transmute something into something else of equal mass, keeping the energy level the same in each transmuted form. This is called the law of conservation.

2. Like the chakra molding hand sequences in Naruto, you need transmutation circles to guide the flow of energy that will re-arrange the mass.

3. While virtually anything can be transmuted, Human transmutation is impossible, and we are not told exactly WHY this is impossible until the very end of the series. The explanation is quite logical (in this anime's scheme of things) and it will most certainly shock you by the time you get to Episode 49.

4. Failed human transmutations create what is known as a homunculus, a soulless being with the exact resemblance of the human that the alchemist tried to transmute. Human transmutation is usually attempted when an alchemist tries to resurrect a loved one from the dead.

It is the principles in rules no. 4 and 5 that literally drive the entire plot of the anime series. For when an alchemist becomes so powerful, to the point where he starts to transmute even the very elements of nature itself (e.g. water, fire, earth, wind and so on...) he becomes so enamored by his own skill, that he starts to research the transmutation of human lives. Unfortunately, even if one should observe the very context of the law of conservation to its exact proportions, whenever human transmutation is attempted, the results are devastating - and the plotlines that are weaved become more and more complex with each successive episode.

However, there is a loophole in the law of conservation: The Philosophers' stone. It is a gem which when used with alchemy, allows the alchemist to perform transmutations outside the boundaries of the laws of conservation - which also enables the user to perform a successful human transmutation.

If that were not enough, the human side of the series significantly intensifies the complexity of the plot - making for an extremely unpredictable storyline - which in any anime series, is a VERY good thing. Each character presented in the series is in and of them self a highly complex individual, with particular reference to the characters which possess the ability for alchemy and the soulless characters embodied in the homunculi, which together strive to acquire the philosophers' stone.

The quest for the philosophers' stone had begun long before the main characters became even remotely concerned with it; but when they did (as we see from the third episode), the quest takes them all over the continent, meeting all kinds of benign and equally diabolic individuals. The cast of characters they encounter are as complex and varied as there are personalities on earth. They meet everyone from friendly dog lovers obsessed with technology (the beloved Winry) to fiendish centuries old alchemists who hold the secret of the mystery behind human transmutation, (the beleaguered Dante).

Even more so than alchemy, Full Metal Alchemist is about true unbreakable brotherly love. The main characters, Edward and Alphonso, are inseparable brothers and team mates throughout the entire series. The brotherhood of friendship between these two young men is consistent and unchallenged, irrespective of the daunting dangers they face. The series begins on an accentuated note on the bond between the brothers, and ends (albeit on a bittersweet note), on the same inseparability of their family union. The end of the series is quite open ended, as there is a feature length movie that is currently in production as I write this that will tie up any loose ends.

I have never had the pleasure of enjoying such a wonderful anime story before in any iteration for any anime series. The story and plot elements have more twists than fierce mile-wide tornado. The story is THAT intense! I rate Full Metal Alchemist very highly for its extremely exciting and addictively intense story elements. No anime in history has a plot this good.

Rating: 9

Art

Full Metal Alchemist artists pay attention to artistic detailing on the cast of characters - especially with reference to their location. Gone are the days of the big blue-eyed, tiny nosed, red/blue haired caricatures with two strands of frontal hair hanging over the face as is atypical of standard issue Japanime. The artists have made an effort to contain the caricatures to tight resemblance to the Aryan Caucasian appearance of Germans in the early 20th century. This adds a very significant air of believability to the storyline. You do not have a hard time believing that these characters are actually Germans, and not Japanese caricatures that have moved to Germany.

While the artwork and the style of drawing is refreshingly different, (thank God!) the artists to allow the characters to maintain a somewhat cartoony texture, especially when extreme reactions to certain situations become apparent. The atypical iconified facial expressions do take precedence over the otherwise neatly drawn faces and bodies. A good example is where Alphonso's knight-armour literally changes to a cartoony exclamation to exhibit extreme emotional reaction, like embarrassment. The effect that is given is well felt, and can prove to be quite humorous whenever it occurs. Another atypical standout is the popping veins of extremely angry characters. For example when Edward is called a chibi-san (shorty) by characters, his expression changes completely and the artwork exhibits the extreme caricature of a cartoony Japanime character in rage. Very funny stuff.

While these elements serve to accentuate the emotional effect of the story, it does contribute some amount of inconsistency - as Full Metal Alchemist is not really an anime directed at making one laugh. However, it is fairly forgivable, as it is done with a specific intention in mind. The artwork is otherwise quite decent.

Rating: 7

Sound

Full Metal Alchemist has one of the better anime musical soundtracks I have ever heard. It's a nice mixture of J-pop and sweeping themes. I have a few favorites among the many tracks. They include:

Porno Graffiti - Melissa: A rather entertaining J-pop entry that makes good use of the contemporary rock band genre. I really love the melody and the hip up-beat pacing of the tune, which introduces the series to us for the first 13 episodes. To this day, I wish they continued to use this track, because for some reason, I never loved the other opening tracks as much as this one. Maybe if they pulled something from Shaka Labbits, like Monster Tree, I might change my mind.

Crystal Kay - Motherland: A sweet sounding Japanese rendition in the R&B genre. This has got to be the very best R&B Japanese attempt I have ever heard. Fantastic. None of the closing themes come anywhere close to matching this. Unless of course, Rie Tomosaka's Mokuren no cream were to be used, I might again, change my mind.

FMA OST - Brother: A wonderful sweeping theme featuring the voice talent of a german boys' choir (keeping the context of the story intact). This is my all-time favourite. The track is slow paced and really accentuates the beautiful coalescence of young male voices in wonderful symphonic harmony. The track is a celebration of the brotherhood theme between Edward and Alphonso, and is played many times throughout the duration of the anime. It's a truly wonderful piece.

The sound effects and presentation was adequate for my tastes, blasting through my 5.1 home system and making good use of the multiple channel sound. Pretty decent. Comparably however, Naruto has a far more enjoyable soundtrack and sound, with many more likable tracks to its credit. So to be fair, I have to rate Full Metal Alchemist's sound presentation in light of this fact.

Rating: 6

Presentation

Full Metal Alchemist does strike out of the rest of the pack in many areas that make it an extremely special series worth checking out. I will briefly highlight these aspects here:

Originality - This anime has by far the single most original storyline I have ever seen. This is not about giant robots, machines or monsters. This is not about samurais or ninjas or hidden villages or super aliens with powers to destroy planets. This is not about space cowboys, or intergalactic menaces. This is not just a clothesline for ecchi or suggestive adult themes. This is not about some sexual fantasy between students and other aliens or about some cyborg or cybernetic entity trying to find their identity. This is not a story about dragons or elves or monsters or goblins. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find a story that is even vaguely similar. Full Metal Alchemist's original story is the first of its kind, and it is a hallmark of what good Japanimé is all about.

Themes - The series runs the gamut of every theme from brotherly love to revenge and every possible theme in between. There is suspense, truck loads of action, drama, love, defiance of authority, rise of underdogs, friendship, intrigue, horror, sorrow and boatloads of wacky humor - without over saturating the somber theme of the entire series. Full Metal Alchemist is a thoroughly entertaining affair. There is something here for everyone.

Replay Value - Let me just put it this way: When the DVDs come out, I will be first in line. If you've never owned Anime on DVD, this is the first series to buy. As I have said before, it is worth the price of admission alone. I strongly recommend this series to anyone who even remotely likes a good story. If you're not already a Japanimé lover, this is the series that will convert you. However, upon completion of this series, it will be extremely difficult to watch and love anything else.

Of the hundreds of Japanimé series that I'm familiar with, in all my nearly 20 years watching anime, Full Metal Alchemist is simply the very best Japanime series I have ever seen. Period. Not even Naruto or Gundam Wing or DBZ series can touch this. This anime is in a class all by itself - and rightfully so. This is the acme of Japanimé. This is the new standard to beat.

Rating: 10

Final Verdict

8.5000 (very good)

Reviewed by Xenjin, Oct 16, 2004

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