Fullmetal Alchemist or Brotherhood
Bones Resurrects 2004's Popular Franchise - But to What Avail?
May 5, 2009
Continuing the Spring 2009 Anime Roundup, this article looks at the new Fullmetal Alchemist series, subtitled Brotherhood for Western distribution. Comments in this feature are based on viewing episodes two to four, due to streaming issues with episode one.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Story
While 2004 is a recent memory for many, it is an eternity in the constantly shifting and changing world of anime fandom. Fans who have been around long enough to remember FMA the first time already know the story, but for those who don’t it goes something like this:
Edward and Alphonse Elric are bright, eager boys growing up with their mother in the town of Resembool. Turning to their absentee father’s books to pass the time, the two begin studying alchemy (which replaces most applications of non-medicinal science in this world.) After their mother dies in a plague, the two decide to breech the rules of alchemy and resurrect her. As expected of engaging in forbidden practices, it goes horribly wrong and Al loses his entire body while Ed loses his leg. Sacrificing an arm to keep Al’s soul intact, Ed manages to bind it to a living suit of armour.
Fast forward a few years and the duo are now working for the largely benevolent military dictatorship which rules the land. As a state alchemist, Ed is granted extensive resources to advance his research, which he focuses on discovering the nature of the elusive Philosopher’s Stone in an attempt to restore his own and his brother’s bodies.
While this plot mirrors the original series, the story diverged greatly from Hiromu Arakawa’s original and still ongoing manga and rode out its own fully realised and worthwhile conclusion. As Arakawa beings to wind down the series, Bones have revisited the franchise in the hopes of creating a new version which hews closer to the source. So far, excluding an anime exclusive first episode, the series is all but identical to both the original anime and the manga.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Sound
The original FMA series was known for its opening theme music due to the collaboration of Sony Music and major artists such as L’Arc~en~Ciel. The current themes, by Sony artists YUI and SID are enjoyable but not yet up to the impossibly high bar of the original.
More importantly, fans of the original series in the Japanese language will be glad to note that Romi Paku and Rie Kugimiya have returned as the Elric brothers, along with a number of the supporting actors, along with newcomers such as Shinichiro Miki as the pair's commander, Roy Mustang (originally played by Toru Ohkawa.)
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Vision
FMA: Brotherhood also boasts a mix of old and new production staff including the return of character designer Hiroki Kanno. While Kanno’s designs are similar in the new series, the seem slightly simpler now, perhaps due to Soko Nakao’s new colour layouts and in contrast to increasingly lush and detailed backgrounds. Director Yasuhiro Irie also displays some questionable tone control, including gag shots during what should be more serious and high action combat scenes, versus Seiji Mizushima’s focus on humour as character development.
Summary
New fans unwilling to subject themselves to 52 episodes of the original series will find Brotherhood an accessible starting point to the FMA franchise while established FMA fans are stuck in a period of recap as the series has yet to approach the original divergence point. The overall production values are still high and the story maintains its punch even to those familiar with the early events.
This series is being streamed officially by FUNimation Entertainment. Readers can click this link to watch all episodes broadcast to date legally and subtitled in English.
