I first heard of Fullmetal Alchemist in high school chemistry, when a boy who liked me told me about it. I remember concluding, based on the boy’s description, that it wasn’t for me; he argued in its favor which annoyed me so I moved on. (I later went to prom with this boy — not in that same year — and totally broke his heart.)
I came across Fullmetal Alchemist on my own sometime later. This time, I was more open to it, but that was probably because a friend of mine recommended it and watched the first couple episodes with me.
The franchise was simple back then. It was the mid-aughts, when it took two to three years for anime to reach North America (legally at least). Back then, there was one anime and the manga.
Turns out, Fullmetal Alchemist is a pretty popular property, so much so that it’s starting to get annoying. In North America, the manga was re-released twice — once with 3-in-1 omnibus editions, and most recently in fancy hardcover versions. Netflix released a live-action movie earlier in 2018, around the same time they finally released the final 12 episodes of the second anime.
One manga, two anime (originally released 2003 and remade in 2009), three movies, at least two video games, and another who-knows-what that may never reach North America. While there are so many properties it’s tiring, it’s probably the only big-name anime franchise I would recommend. But if you didn’t grow up with it like me, or otherwise don’t know where to start, there is a simple question with a complicated answer:
Where do you even start?
If You Can, Read the Manga
The manga version is the original tale told as the author intended. As such, this is the best possible way to consume Fullmetal Alchemist. However you acquire the manga is up to you (I’m a fan of libraries myself, but I’m also aware not everyone lives in a city with an extensive library collection).
Do you need to read the manga to enjoy the anime? Absolutely not. Both anime are adaptions, but each tackles the source material from different angles.
First Watch the 2003 Version: Fullmetal Alchemist
In the larger Fullmetal Alchemist fandom, you’ll probably hear people decry this version because it’s not as good as the others. Don’t listen to them. I once said that the first half of this version of Fullmetal Alchemist was the best thing to grace my television screen, and I still hold to that.
I strongly believe that the only way to introduce yourself to the characters of Edward and Alphonse Elric is through the Liore mini-arc, as seen in the first two chapters of the manga and the first two episodes of the 2003 anime. I’ll come back to this point in the next section.
The ending may have excellent ideas that get caught in mediocre execution, but I give the producers the benefit of the doubt. The manga was still in its early stages when the anime was produced (a common practice in the anime industry). Instead of making filler episode after filler episode (looking at you Naruto), the production team decided to craft their own ending and got it signed off by Hiromu Arakawa, the manga creator. If the tone suddenly takes a turn for the “standard anime feel” as I like to call it, it’s because the story lost Arakawa’s influence.
When you’re done with this series, the accompanying movie is Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shambala, which takes place in the same universe (uh, kind of). Several years ago, I watched Conqueror of Shambala on it’s own without remembering much from the show and laughed at the tone, which hits the melancholy nostalgia a little hard. You’ll have to watch the anime right before to dull the pain.
Finish With Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
In 2009, with the manga wrapping up and the story diverging greatly from the 2003 anime, the animation studio Bones decided to remake Fullmetal Alchemist. The result is a show that’s more thematically coherent with better character development, so everyone is going to say that it’s the superior anime overall.
It’s one downside is the first 12 episodes, which feel rushed and disjointed. As a result, a couple deaths lose their overall impact to the audience. Those episodes were written under the assumption that anyone who has seen them is already familiar with the source material and/or didn’t want to re-watch the first anime.
I don’t blame the creators for not wanting to recreate what’s already been done, but I do mourn the loss of an adequate beginning. From a storyteller’s perspective, I like the new first episode of Brotherhood, but only in theory. As I said in the previous section, the only good way to introduce yourself to the characters is through the Liore mini-arc.
Some people might recommend watching the first half of the 2003 version and then picking up Brotherhood from the Lab 5 episodes. That is certainly a way to do it, but you miss out on some things because the two shows are really different. For instance, there are a pair of brothers meant to be a foil to Ed and Al that appear in the 2003 version but aren’t even mentioned in Brotherhood. Brotherhood also has a vaguely religious undertone to it that the original removes completely.
The movie that accompanies this anime is Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, which actually takes place during the events of Brotherhood. You don’t have to finish the anime to watch the movie, and it’s ambiguous when the movie takes place in the larger canon of the show. It’s a fun time, especially since Ed and Al take almost side-roles to the more interesting characters.
Tell Me What You Thought of the Live-Action Version
As of this writing, I have yet to see this live-action movie (currently available in North America on Netflix). I haven’t heard much about it, but I’m interested to see it. Preferably with friends, just in case it isn’t as good as I want it to be and we can while away the hours with snarky commentary to dull the pain.
Do you agree with my assessments? Let me know in the comments!
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