WHY FULL METAL ALCHEMIST:BROTHERHOOD IS THE BEST ANIME!!!(HONEST REVIEW)
Without a doubt, this is the greatest TV show of all time, not just for anime. (SPOILERS ARE NOT INCLUDED)
Where do I begin? The characters, of which there are many, are almost all executed flawlessly. From our main characters, Ed and Alphonse, to Roy Mustang and Maes Hughes, Hoenheim, Scar, Solf J., Ling, and the Seven Deadly Sins, to name a few. It's simply breathtaking how almost every single major character has a well-developed arc and dynamic with the rest of the cast. I never expected to care about so many characters from a single show; there was never a character I despised as a bad character, though there were plenty of characters I loved to despise.
The soundtrack is absolutely stunning, though I will say that some of the orchestral songs are used far too frequently. But what they have is incredible. Also, one of the reasons I fell in love with Japanese music, or at least the bands featured in the openings, was because of this show. Again by Yui, Hologram by Nico Touches The Walls, and Golden Time Lover by Sukima Switch are my personal favourites.
The animation is never boring, and I love how the backgrounds are hand painted. The fight scenes, especially near the end, are incredible to watch and among my all-time favourites. My only complaint is that I wish there were more, and that some of them are quite short.
The storey, as I previously stated, is characterised by the intertwining of almost all of the main characters. It's so easy to see how plot threads and storey ideas are perfectly woven into the larger storey because nothing is out of place and everything contributes to the overarching plot and themes. I'm conflicted about the ending because there were a few things I wanted to see missing, but what it is is so amazing that I'm fine with it. It is the perfect example of a storey that perfectly ends every storey thread and character arc, making it a complete storey, but also leaving the door open for a future with some of the characters. Also, the way it deals with the concepts of loss, vengeance, and redemption.
Oh, and the plot twists, my goodness. Nothing comes out of nowhere, and everything is perfectly set up. The universe has rules, and the magic system follows them while still hiding things from you. The show's big plot twist even made me yell aloud about how much of an idiot I was for not seeing something so obvious, yet so perfectly hidden.
I was sceptical when I first heard about Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Given that the original Fullmetal Alchemist was the first anime I ever watched in its entirety and was the spark that ignited my obsessive love of anime that I still have today, a remake seemed unnecessary to say the least. What could possibly be better than a show as good as Fullmetal Alchemist?
Around episode 13, when the plots of the two animes diverge, I began to suspect that this storey might actually be good. As the episodes began to air, I realised that it wasn't just good, but fantastic. After finishing the series, I knew without a doubt that I had seen my favourite anime of all time. Brotherhood's superior to the original on so many levels that the two shows cannot be compared.
THINGS I LIKED :
the voice cast was meticulously chosen to ensure that each character is accurately portrayed.I recommend watching with subtitles in Japanese. It's simply better. The American voice actors did a good job, but the Japanese voices are more characterful. The voice acting is truly excellent; it is taken very seriously in Japan, and they do it exceptionally well.
Second, the storyline was much better written than in the first series. The storey flows beautifully as we witness the characters' journey and the many twists and turns that occur.
Characterization was also superb. I'll mention the voices again, but also how the characters interact with the complex rules of the world they inhabit.
Finally, the animation is very fluid; there are no cheap faraway shots of the characters talking but not moving, as is common (see Neon Genesis Evangalion).
The plot contains morally ambiguous themes. There's some very dark material in there. However, there is also light. After witnessing some heartwarmingly good things in this show, it is truly cathartic to witness some heartbreakingly bad things as well.
As I stated in the title, I believe this is the greatest animated entertainment ever created. If you're only going to watch one anime, make it this one. If you watch anime and haven't seen FMAB, you should. It would be a total waste of your life if you were hit by a meteorite before you noticed it. When was the last time you watched a 25-hour-long cartoon and couldn't stop watching it, despite the fact that your life would be somehow empty once it was over? WATCH this as a favour to yourself.
