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Aoshi101'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

Where to start, where to start. This story introduces so many different events that it is tough to just talk or focus on one thing. That can be an up or downside depending on your preference. Personally I thought it is annoying. yes the main point is about Ed and Al getting their bodies back, but all the side stories and events that go on makes everything very confusing. At one point the story is following Ed and Al, looking for the philosphers stone, the next minute they are with Roy or with Winry following them. Totally confusing. Yes the stories themselves are well written, no doubt about that. Its just the story relies on organization too. The constant changing of who they are talking about gets annoying and frankly, just stupid. I like the scientific nature of it all, about alchemy and everything cause it brings up many moral issues. It really makes a person think. The characters are really developed which I enjoy because who likes a static character, I know i don't. Overall this story is somewhat entertaining but it has several very slow points which in this case, cannot be ignored.

Rating: 7

Art

Once again anime styles keep impressing me. I don't ever recall, out of all the aniems I've seen, seen a style like this. Its very refreshing to see a different style never used before. Its well drawn and definately the right choice for a series like this. I wouldn't have done any better. I can definately tell the emotions each character as by just a hand gesture or movement of their eyes. That goes to show how well drawn it is. There are some occasional spots where it seems really 'funky', but I can live with it. each show has their own hiccups of course.

Rating: 9

Sound

Some of the songs used for the opening and ending sounded strange to me at first. I don't know what it was. It was tough to get used to, but once I did get used to it I started to enjoy it. You got great bands/singers like Crystal Kay and L'Arc~en~ciel doing songs for the opening and ending, which they do a great job doing. There is a major problem with these songs though. Despite how good they are they get really old after a while. When listening to the full version of each song, they sound great the first couple of times but after that I never really have the interest in listening to them again. They just don't have the hook that is needed in a song to keep the audience. The voices overs in the english version (the only version I have gotten a chance to see so far) are really good actually. Despite the bad rap that dubbed animes get for having bad voice overs this one actually has some good voices. Yes they aren't perfect so to speak but its good enough that I want to watch/hear them again. I think they did an alright job on the sound overall.

Rating: 7

Presentation

Overall they do a decent job presenting this one though this anime is too hyped up. Because of the big fan base for this anime a high standard has been created. I am not saying that having many fans is bad but the fans do too much to say its perfect. That was the problem I had watching this. Because of the high standard that the fans set, I ended up going in with the same standard, thus getting disappointed. The humor is good at a lot of points and many episodes are enjoyable but a lot of cases it just goes really slow. I don't think this anime should have been anymore than 26 episodes only because of how slow it takes to get to the end. I keep hoping that the next episode is the episode that everything finally comes to a conclusion but it jsut leaves more open and a clonclusion has yet to be found. There are many questions left unanswered thus leaving me with a bad taste in my mouth. Overall this anime is decent but doesn't live up to the reputation that everyone has giving it. Sorry FMA-fans.

Rating: 6

Final Verdict

7.0000 (above average)

Reviewed by Aoshi101, Jan 12, 2006

Comments

  1. shoimi Jan 13, 2006

    great job with the reveiw since i am the first to leave a note i thought i would tell you that.

  2. animefreakzzz Jan 15, 2006

    maybe you would have given a higher rating if you had watched the original japanese voices with english subtitles..sumhow with the nature of japanese language..it is diff to translate what they truly mean into english..wld be beter if you had understood jap..haha..ever heard the image songs sung by the jap seiyuus themselves? very entertaining..

  3. Daikuro Jan 15, 2006

    I agree with animefreakzzz. I like the japanese voices for this anime more. They seem to fit the characters better and were more expressive. Defintiely agree with you on the art. The reason it's different might be bc Hiromu Arakawa was mostly self taught. I really admire that.

  4. fawna-chan Jan 16, 2006

    yup yup, like daikuro and animefreakzzz says, I like the japanese voices better and ed's voice is nice!

  5. JC206 Jan 16, 2006

    Anime was really decent should've been a lil higher rating....but i guess everyoen has their opinions on things..so I won't say anything but taht

  6. almina Jan 17, 2006

    Nice review... even if I wonder how much of the english adaptation can explain the marks (especially for sounds, stories and presentation). I've watched it (subtitled) quite recently knowing there was a hype around it and I wasn't disappointed. Now my 3rd fave anime.

    I really like the seyuus. Ed and Al's ones were great, well I did like Ed's one and I feel Al's one made an impressive job to portray the feelings young boy trapped in a less expressive big body.

    I think it's a coherent and deep plot (actually there's only a thing I feel is wrong), even if I was quite surprised by Nina's death.

  7. DarkKelta Feb 02, 2006

    Definitely one of the best anime ever made. Right up there with s-CRY-ed and Lupin the III.
    ^^ V

  8. Naruto1993 Feb 08, 2006

    It`s a great form of anime even if it is in english voices it has a great presention also.

  9. AvariSky Feb 10, 2006

    A very nicely done review, though I am a little surprise when I first saw such a low rating given to this anime. Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the best anime I have ever seen, but everyone has different expectations and opinions of what makes a good anime. After being introduced to the series, I was skeptcal about the "greatness" of it and was literally demanding the anime " to prove me wrong". I was brought and sold ever since the first 5 mins of the 1st episode.

    I have seen the subtitled version and saw a glimpse of the dubbed english one, and I have to say, the dubbed one lacked the impact and failed in comparsion to the true japanese voices. But then again, maybe its just me, I am very bias towards english dubbed animes. *shudder

    The plot and the story is actually (to me anyway) very well structured, by the end of the series, it answered and rounded up a lot of questions, leaving you ready for the movie.

    I do agree with you though sometimes, espeically the beginning of the first 10 episodes, things were moving somewhat slowly for my taste as well.

  10. Moati-san Feb 13, 2006

    OK. FMA is one of the best anime's i've ever seen! i don't talk much about FMA but it really is an amazing anime. even though i don't care much for the youth of today...i have to say that it gives them a really good message! from sacrifice, to friendship, to loss, to learning from mistakes, there's soo much a person can pick up from this anime! also did a great job on the characters! IMO its hard not to get emtionally involved this the characters of this anime, and with the anime in general. i mean, when Ed/Al are in a fight for their life, you're just sitting on the edge of your seat hoping they make it out ok. praying for them to make it out alive, as if you're watching someone you really care about struggling for survival. in all a great anime, yes an above average anime, but i feel it deserves something more along the lines of an 8.5

  11. nemu-iii Feb 16, 2006

    budget-budget-budget.. i think thats why the anime has stryed from the manga.. they want to end the series quickly as it is loosing sales... the manga offers much more depth compared with the anime.overall i think that by not going on with the plot of the manga rather than leaving the anime cut half-way, leaving without a proper ending.. (most of the anime from real long mangas stop half way... -.-'')

  12. Sanisa Sep 22, 2009

    Thanks for the review!

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