Current Events > Should I not be watching the original Full Metal Alchemist?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'm generally a completionist who hates skipping things, always goes in release order, etc. I had seen people to say just skip ahead to Brotherhood, but I said fuck that, release order.

But I just learned that Brotherhood is meant to be the "true" version of the story? Like the original started during the manga run and the story cut away when it caught up to the manga. And Brotherhood is a remake that follows the manga to the end.

Is this accurate? I guess I'm enjoying the show alright so far. I just watched the ep with the chimera, pretty fucked up. Does the quality hold up?

Any other anime you guys recommend for someone who hasn't watched much?

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All I know is it's got a cooler theme song.
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EndOfDiscOne posted...

Any other anime you guys recommend for someone who hasn't watched much?

Steins;Gate, Clannad, Madoka Magica

The 2003 anime is fanfic garbage. Stick to the canon stuff.

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FMA03 is fan fiction, FMA: Brotherhood is da true real deal story and a much better anime
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Kitt posted...

All I know is it's got a cooler theme song.

BS, FMA:BH's first opening is still one of the best anime openings to this day

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ChrisTaka posted...

BS, FMA:BH's first opening is still one of the best anime openings to this day

I'm talking specifically the song. I think anime openings in general are stupid.
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I wouldn't go so far to call 03 fanfiction but Brotherhood is overall the superior anime.

However I actually do recommend you read the manga first since there's quite a bit that the first part skips over like Yuswell(?).

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If you're willing to watch both.

Brotherhood assumes you watched the original and blazes through the beggining parts

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I liked the original a lot more. The humunculous were a lot cooler. Plus I liked the ending more, it felt more real, especially after watching the movie too. They're both great though so watch them both

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If you really want release order:

1. Read the manga up chapter 28.

2. Watch the 2003 anime and movie

3. Finish reading the manga.

4. Watch Brotherhood.
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I'm probably one of the few that liked the original better, but yea its not canon. Brotherhood was good but it just felt like a typical anime (won't go over details but basically the plot was much more predictable).

If you do watch 03 though keep in mind that it touches on some pretty dark stuff that even Brotherhood or the manga doesn't touch with a 10 foot pole like Rose.

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I'm watching the first 25 eps of 03, then all of BH, then I'll probably go back to 03

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Brotherhood is better

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YookaLaylee posted...

Brotherhood is better

Yes and it's not even close.

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Brotherhood is better, but it builds off the original series by skipping/glossing a lot of introductory stuff as they figured that everybody watching had seen the original already that more thoroughly delved into that stuff.

I'd recommend still watching the original and accept that after a short while it basically becomes filler, and even decently well-done, too.

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Given the comments ITT, I'll continue on with the 2003 series and then watch Brotherhood afterwards. I'll at least watch the first half of the 2003 series, and if I start to get tired of it I'll skip to Brotherhood.

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The original is still pretty good, but when you watch Brotherhood it becomes obvious that the original anime crew was flying by the seat of their pants after a certain point. Brotherhood has a much more satisfying and complete conclusion than the original does.

Light spoilers for Brotherhood:

Mustang is also ten times more of a badass in Brotherhood than in the 2003 anime. Like so much more of a badass that it isn't even funny. It's incredible.

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IMO, the '03 series is better than Brotherhood until the last 9 to 10 episodes, iirc, where it mostly turns to shit.

but the stuff with the Homonculi is a lot more interesting in the '03 series than it is in Brotherhood, even though Brotherhood Wrath is GOAT.

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boxington posted...

Brotherhood Wrath is GOAT.

True facts, here.

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EndOfDiscOne posted...

But I just learned that Brotherhood is meant to be the "true" version of the story? Like the original started during the manga run and the story cut away when it caught up to the manga. And Brotherhood is a remake that follows the manga to the end.

Is this accurate? I guess I'm enjoying the show alright so far. I just watched the ep with the chimera, pretty fucked up. Does the quality hold up?

Yes.

Where they choose to deviate in the original version is legitimately far worse.

Depends on what you like for recommendations

I do agree with Steins;Gate though, that was pretty enjoyable.

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I think they're both pretty good and you don't really 'lose' anything by watching one before the other.

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Yeah, definitely watch both. They're both good, but the internet has to go to extremes, so Brotherhood being better meant that the first one was now "terrible."

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It's good. I enjoyed it.

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EndOfDiscOne posted...

Any other anime you guys recommend for someone who hasn't watched much?

Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Psycho-Pass
Cowboy Bebop
Gurren Lagann
Baccano
Durarara
Black Lagoon
Dr. Stone
One-Punch Man
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious
Silver Spoon
Kabukichou Sherlock

Not actual anime, but the artstyle is kind of anime-inspired?

Castlevania (Netflix)
Seis Manos (Netflix)

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Im biased because I like brotherhood but I say watch both

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03 is overall the better story. the tone is more consistent (brotherhood has way more of those corny shounen jokes) and the concept for the homunculi is way more interesting.

that being said, Brotherhood is still good

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Anyone remember which episode of the 03 had Heymans Breda surprise the mustang unit by coming in dressed as Armstrong complete with fake sparkles?

I want to see that scene again but I cant find the episode.

On a a side note anyone else getting a lot of repeat text?

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ChrisTaka posted...

BS, FMA:BH's first opening is still one of the best anime openings to this day

Rewrite better

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Seriously, the opening themes in FMA:B are fantastic. Netflix asks to skip the intro and I fucking watch them every time.
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Gobstoppers12 posted...

The original is still pretty good, but when you watch Brotherhood it becomes obvious that the original anime crew was flying by the seat of their pants after a certain point. Brotherhood has a much more satisfying and complete conclusion than the original does.

Light spoilers for Brotherhood:

Mustang is also ten times more of a badass in Brotherhood than in the 2003 anime. Like so much more of a badass that it isn't even funny. It's incredible.

Yeah I actually felt bad lust when he killed her. It was brutal

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I actually wouldn't skip it.

Brotherhood zips through the material the original already covered too quickly and I think the original has significantly better music and atmosphere. And the Homunculi have better backstories, too.

I'd argue you'd have something to lose from skipping the original as the impact of the events of the first half can be lessened by Brotherhood's abridged approach.

Like Nina is in, like, one episode before she's killed off which is one of the most memorable things in the original and is probably the thing the series is most well-known for by people who've never seen it.

And there's Lust's expanded backstory instead of getting killed off extremely early.

And Brotherhood's ending feels too typical of shonen anime. It's too happy. Shame there isn't a middle ground between the saccharine Brotherhood ending and the first's ending where all Ed and Al do is really trade places. It's funny that after the two shocking deaths early on in the series, the rest of the deaths are all played so safe, like an old man, a non-human, and Buccaneer.

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