May 19, 2004
Full Metal Alchemist
Okay, so I'm a bit late in getting around to talking about what could be one of the biggest license announcements of this year. Yeah, I know Full Metal Alchemist was the number 1 show I wanted to see get a North American release. Don't get me wrong, I was estatic! I did a whoop of joy and then a double whoop when I realized it was going to be premiering on Cartoon Network in October. However, the joy was dampered by the masses of my peers who nearly had a heart attack when they heard that Funimation was the lucky company handling the release. So I held off for a bit, until the waters had semi calmed. Of course, the hard core elitists still have their panties in a bunch, some have even started "online petitions"...whatever...
Anyway, IMO, THIS show is the best release of this year. I can't think of any other series out there that is better than FMA. No, not Naruto (and I love this show too) it doesn't even come close. Actually, this might be the best TV anime I've ever seen.
Why?
Because it is put together so beautifully. This series just FLOWS...it doesn't lag, it answers it's questions, it's never boring, everything fits together and makes sense. I have yet to see an episode where I felt like they tried to cram too much information into 23 minutes or decided to brush over important plot elements because of time and budget. No, everything here is perfectly in place.
The characters are compelling and well constructed. They have personality. They have a goal. They have faults. Ed and Al have been given the tools to be good characters, thanks to this and the great script. Even more astounding is that the minor characters are so well rounded, they're never dull, tedious, or irritating. Every character has a role to play and each one is important to the story. It's simply incredible.
So what's it about?
Ed and Al are two brothers. They lose their mother when the are young, and since their father was a great alchemist, they decided to learn alchemy and bring her back. In this world, alchemy works on the rule of equivalent trade. You must give something of the same value to create something of that value. However, what is the value of human life? Human transmutaion is forbidden, and the two brothers learn why. The price they pay to just attempt to bring their mother back is a heafty one. Younger brother Al loses his entire body when they attempt the transumtation. The older Al loses his leg, then sacrifices his arm to bring his brother's soul back and bind it to a suit of armor.
Though they made a horrible mistake, the two of them set out on a journey to find the Philosopher's Stone, which is said to amplify the powers of alchemy. The brothers hope to use the stone to get Al's body back and restore Ed's arm and leg. As for now, Ed is equipt with "Auto-mail", a type of prosthesis with is made of a heavy metal and is attached to the nerves of his body.
As they journey, Ed takes governement test to become a National Alchemist for the army in hopes of having more information avaible to him about alchemy and the Philosopher's Stone. However, the two of them soon find themselves at the center of a dangerous conspiracy. People are after their lives, while others are trying to use them to get to the stone, and others are trying to start another war...
FMA is a mix of action, drama, and humor. I've laughed, I've bawled my eyes out, I've gotten angry while watching this show. It's fantastic how well everything fits into place and works together. I wish more shows were as well thought out, scripted, and had such expressive, captivating characters. FMA is a masterpiece.
Funimation has released the 2 trailers for FMA already. I really don't care too much for the narration, it sounds too much like DB GT to me (I'm not being anti funi here, I don't care for the narration on GT either, but the show is cool). However, I DO like Al's voice! LOL He actually sounds like a little kid!
BTW:
I highly recommend the manga when it becomes licensed. Though the anime is different from the manga, the elements are all the same. The manga is just as incredible, if not more so.