Can’t decide between Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood? Choosing between the two might feel as tricky as an alchemist’s potion mix-up. After all, these two anime adaptations share a name but offer distinct experiences. Which one’s the real gem? Do you dive into both or stick to just one?
To aid the confused crowd, here’s a brief guide that sheds light on the disparity between the two series.
Fullmetal Alchemist Manga: An Overview
To start, it’s important to note that both Fullmetal Alchemist and Brotherhood were adaptations of a single manga, titled Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa.
The story follows the exploits of two brothers, Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric, as they search for the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. After losing their mother, the two young boys attempted to bring her back to life by conducting a forbidden method, called human transmutation. Naivety and desperation led them to realize that tampering with the natural order of life exacts a dreadful toll.
As a consequence of their actions, the young Edward lost his arm and leg, while the younger brother, Alphonse, lost his physical body (his soul was later attached to a large suit of armor).
Together, the two brothers wander around in hope of finding the famed Philosopher’s Stone, a legendary device which they believed to be the key to getting their bodies back.
Their journey takes them to a revelation that forces them to reevaluate their long-held beliefs, compelling them to grasp the profound truth that gaining something often comes at the cost of losing something equally significant.
Are Fullmetal Alchemist and Brotherhood The Same?
Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are two different anime series. Although they share the same set of main characters, neither one of them is a sequel to the other. Hence, you can watch one without the need of watching the other as well.
Interestingly, both series starts off with the same premise: two brothers on the quest for the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. However, the two offer completely different twists and endings.
How did that happen? The principal reason is that while one remained true to the story of the manga, the other did not. Specifically, Fullmetal Alchemist veered away from the original story. Meanwhile, Brotherhood faithfully portrayed the plot in accordance with the manga.
Why are there two Fullmetal Alchemist Anime?
The reason why there are two adaptations is because when Fullmetal Alchemist was aired in October 2003, the manga is still ongoing. Eventually, the anime caught up with the manga. As a result, Bones, the studio behind the TV series, ran out of material to based their episodes on. In its effort to continue the show instead of going for a break, the studio decided to come up with their own story to fill up the remaining episodes of the TV anime.
Ultimately, the Fullmetal Alchemist manga was supposed to have a total of 27 volumes. However, only 8 had been released at the time FMA anime was showing. This means barely half of what was in the original manga made it to the anime adaptation.
Years later, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was released. It was produced also by Bones, the same animation studio behind the 2003 adaptation. Compared to the first FMA anime, Brotherhood is a more faithful adaptation of the manga.
Which Fullmetal Alchemist Anime is Better?
Both Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are highly praised by the public. Still, it needs to be said that Brotherhood is generally the darling of the crowd due to it being the more faithful adaptation, its organic storytelling, and superb animation.
However, this doesn’t mean that Fullmetal Alchemist is the lesser series of the two. Although it diverged from its source text, the anime is still regarded to be a classic and a remarkable work of art. The 2003 adaptation also has a large fanbase of its own.
Should You Watch Both or Only One?
To avoid confusion and to enjoy a more organic watching experience, you may want to start with the 2009 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood to know the original story first. After doing so, you can then explore the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist to see different relationship dynamics between the characters and witness an overall different ending.
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