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Plot Synopsis

"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 an alternate world from ours in the early 1900's. Two young brothers, older Edward Elric and younger Alphonse Elric, live with their mother Trisha in the small village of Resembool. Their father left home when they were still very young, but Ed and Al inherited his passion for alchemy.

1909. On a fine day, Trisha dies of an unknown illness, leaving her two sons orphans. Ed blames his father for Trisha's death and wants to find a way to bring her back to life. At this time, Ed was 10, Al 9. When Edward finds out about flesh forging in an alchemy book that belonged to his father, he engages in an intense training with Al in order to be able to perform a human transmutation.

On February 1910, the Elric brothers cross the forbidden line trying to resurrect their mom. The attempt ends in a complete failure. In the process, Ed loses his left leg and Al his whole body. In a last try full of despair, Ed uses alchemy to restore his brother's spirit putting it in a suit of mail, at the further cost of his right arm. When Al wakes up in the armour, he suddenly realizes what happened and takes his unconscious injured brother to the neighbours, the Rockbells.

After that day, the two decide to embark on a journey to find the legendary Philosopher's Stone, rumoured to create anything from nothing, in hopes of getting back their original bodies.

Story & Characters

Full Metal Alchemist has a fantastic story. It has one of the most unique stories out of all of the anime series I have seen. It develops some marvelously new ideas into a intriguing and griping story. The basic setup is two brothers who have a natural gift for the science of alchemy attempt to bring their dead mother back to life and fail. The result is that one brother, Alphonse, loses his body. The older brother, Edward, loses one leg during the attempt to resurrect their mother and then loses one of his arms in order to bind Alphonse's spirit to a suit of armor so that Alphonse does not die. Because of this mishap, the brothers are on a quest to find a way to return their bodies to normal. That is the basic set up for the story. From here, the story branches in many different directions. This unique science of alchemy is explored fully in the various ways that it can be put to use. From combining various animals into chimeras, to creating various objects, to binding spirits to certain objects. The variety that this science allows adds a unique flavor to the series and creates a magical feel while not simply giving people magical powers. The science is developed as a natural science that has to obey certain laws. If you attempt to break any of these laws, failure is always a result. It is a refreshing new idea that sets Full Metal Alchemist apart from all other animes and places the series on the top pedastal with works such as Cowboy Bebop, Princess Mononoke, and Ghost in the Shell.

Rating

9 (very good)

Art

The artwork in Full Metal Alchemist is some of the best I've seen. It may not be the most detailed or the most realistic, but it changes to fit the characters, events, and over-all tone at any given time in the series. It has a great mix of lighter colors and tones for upbeat and more positive events in the series. It also will hit you with dark colors when the mood is one of shock, fear, or tragedy. Full Metal runs the gamut with the various colors and tones through out the series and does a masterful job of setting up the situation with appropriate artistic work. The clothing is varied for every character. Even the State Alchemist who are all in uniform have their own unique look. Each character is unique and are given unique faces, clothing, and colors to match the role they play in the series. Some of my favorite artwork comes from the transumation circles that the alchemists use when performing alchemy. If the transmutation they are performing is simple (such as putting together a broken radio from the remaining pieces), then the circle is fairly simple. What I love are the complicated transmutation circles that are used for things such as creating a chimera or the one Ed and Al used when attempting to revive their mother. There are many different types of circles due to the various tasks alchemy can perform. The more complicated ones are works of art as much as they are carefully detailed pieces of a scientific puzzle. The artwork is fabulous through out this series.

Rating

8 (good)

Sound

The sound for Full Metal plays as important of a role as the colors and artwork. Each scene utilizes the appropriate type of music. Disturbing scenes utilize mysterious and unnerving music, while the more whimsical situations in the series are accompanied by upbeat and light sounds. In addition to the music the sound effects are brilliant. No sound is left out. Since Al is always moving about as a suit of armor, he is always clinking and creaking like a suit of armor would. The various transmutations performed by the alchemists are accompanied by unique sounds instead of a simple "poof" sound as something is being created. Some of the more disturbing situations, such as a creature being deconstructed (blown up in a since), are accompanied either by the appropriate sound effect or by silence. I personally feel that silence is not used often enough. Full Metal makes fantastic use of the lack of sound in appropriate situations. Nothing is more gripping than to hear music that is building and building while watching the action become more and more intense to suddenly have the music cut off and the action cut to a slow motion take of the character you did not expect to get injured or killed reacting to the sudden pain they are feeling. It will leave you slightly disoriented and help you empathize with that character. Full Metal makes fantastic use of sound to add to the story and situations.

Rating

8 (good)

Presentation

This series is completely original. They took an intriguing concept (alchemy) and actually developed a science around it. They applied rules and boundaries for which this particular science was to abide. From there, they developed the various legends and uncharted area that always accompanies the most fantastical ideas. To this they added unique, innteresting, and likeable characters. Even with the villians, you cannot help but find them interesting. The series is highly enjoyable to watch. It does have those moments that are hard to watch. The moments where you are not sure that the character is going to be able to find a way to continue after what they have just witnessed or experienced. It plays on your emotions just like real life. The characters act and behave as if they could lose their lives at any time. The characters are real and highly believable, and that is what makes this series so interesting to watch. You laugh when they laugh, cry when they cry, get scared when they are scared, and generally feel like you are right there with them. Once you start watching this anime you do not want to stop. It will hold on to you and keep you watching, waiting to see what will happen next.

Rating

9 (very good)

Final Verdict

8.67 (very good)

Reviewed by chdwck, 3y 18wk ago