 |
| 10 years ago this month, two brothers returned home after completing their long and fateful journey. |
"There's no such thing as a painless lesson, they just don't exist. Sacrifices are necessary. You can't gain anything without losing something first. If you can endure that pain and then walk away from it, you'll find you now have a heart strong enough to overcome any obstacle. A heart made fullmetal." ~ Edward Elric
On Friday, July 4, 2010, the 64th and final episode of the shounen anime series, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood aired, bringing to a close the epic journey of two brothers seeking redemption for their attempt to break the laws of nature using alchemy.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, the second adaptation of Manga author Hiromu Arakawa's award-winning series Fullmetal Alchemist, is widely considered by many fans of Japanese anime as one of the greatest anime series ever made -- well, maybe second only to Cowboy Bebop in this writer's humble opinion anyhow.
I watched the series several years following its final episode airing in the United States on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim nighttime programming block from February 2010 to September 2011, and later on Netflix when I was finally able to see the whole story in 2015. It remains to this day one of the most emotionally satisfying and beautifully written anime series I've ever watched.
With immaculate world-building, exciting action, rounded and multidimensional characters, and an emotionally resonant story, FMA: Brotherhood will change the way you think about anime. It will have you laughing, crying, and everything in between while providing you with a memorable story that will stay with you long after the final credits play.
(Warning: slight spoilers ahead)
FMA: Brotherhood is the story of two young brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, (voiced brilliantly in the English dub by Vic Mignogna and Maxey Whitehead) who attempt to break the laws of nature by using alchemy to attempt human transmutation and bring back their dead mother. The attempt goes horribly wrong and results in one of the most dreadful and emotional scenes in amine history. This failed attempt to break the taboo results in both brothers being physically and emotionally scared -- the elder brother, Edward, loses his right arm and left leg; while the young brother, Alphonse, loses his body completely, resulting in his soul being bound to a suit of armor.
As a result of this, Alphonse is doomed to live in a body that does not allow him to sleep, feel human contact, warmth or cold -- a truly terrifying concept to imagine for anyone to go through, let alone a young boy. Edward meanwhile must undergo painful surgery to install automail prosthetics to allow him to walk again. With the help of their childhood best friend Winry Rockbell and her grandmother Pinako (both automail mechanics) Edward is able to fully recover physically within a year.
Feeling guilt over what happened to Alphonse, and determined to find a way to help his suffering younger brother, Edward later reluctantly becomes a State Alchemist for the military dictatorship of his home country, Amestris, to allow him the freedom of traveling with Alphonse to search for a method to recover Al's body.
After passing the exam under the direction of Colonel Roy Mustang, Edward is dubbed the "Fullmetal Alchemist" by the military. Following this the brothers begin their long quest to regain their full bodies through the use of the fabled Philosopher's Stone, which is capable of alchemy without sacrifice, or equivalent exchange.
Along the way, the brothers encounter and defeat corrupt officials and religious leaders, and earning a reputation for helping people; facing new enemies and making new friends and allies. In their search they make a horrific discovery, one that will lead them to another even more terrifying revelation, one involving their estranged father, Van Hohenheim, and the secret of a lost civilization that died out hundreds of years before.
The anime shows the bond between siblings as they go through hardships and hurt. These brothers stick by each others side no matter what. A fateful journey that takes up 64 outstanding episodes that never feel like they are too long. Even the less exciting scenes don't seem like filler and they lead to major plot developments and character growth for the vast selection of the secondary characters of the series.
With the help of their friends and allies, the Elric brothers must help stop a major conspiracy within their country's military, one that would have unimaginable consequences for everyone in the country.
The journey of the Elric brothers will take you on an epic journey that is a roller coaster ride full of incredible fight scenes, drama, action and some pretty dark elements. FMA: Brotherhood also has some strong themes about the value and dignity of human life and the bonds of love between family. What truly sets it apart is it's ability to evoke such a powerful emotional response on a deeper level at the same time.
The story deals with real problems in the world like war, hurt, trauma, love, dealing with grief and loss, acceptance, overcoming obstacles, and above all never giving up when you are knocked down.
Now I will give y'all fair warning if you are an easy victim of those pesky onion ninjas, FMA: Brotherhood is chock full of emotion, with heartbreaking sad and beautiful moments throughout the series that will move even adults to tears.
Despite the comedy side to this animated tale of redemption -- and believe me there are more than a few -- the tough scenes balancing them really do hit hard. Particularly when it comes to the permanent nature of death.
This series is a masterpiece of beautiful storytelling that will leave a mark on your heart that you will never forget. If you haven't seen this series yet, you're truly missing out. Please check it out, you will not regret it.
On Friday, July 4, 2010, the 64th and final episode of the shounen anime series, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood aired, bringing to a close the epic journey of two brothers seeking redemption for their attempt to break the laws of nature using alchemy.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, the second adaptation of Manga author Hiromu Arakawa's award-winning series Fullmetal Alchemist, is widely considered by many fans of Japanese anime as one of the greatest anime series ever made -- well, maybe second only to Cowboy Bebop in this writer's humble opinion anyhow.
I watched the series several years following its final episode airing in the United States on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim nighttime programming block from February 2010 to September 2011, and later on Netflix when I was finally able to see the whole story in 2015. It remains to this day one of the most emotionally satisfying and beautifully written anime series I've ever watched.
With immaculate world-building, exciting action, rounded and multidimensional characters, and an emotionally resonant story, FMA: Brotherhood will change the way you think about anime. It will have you laughing, crying, and everything in between while providing you with a memorable story that will stay with you long after the final credits play.
(Warning: slight spoilers ahead)
FMA: Brotherhood is the story of two young brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, (voiced brilliantly in the English dub by Vic Mignogna and Maxey Whitehead) who attempt to break the laws of nature by using alchemy to attempt human transmutation and bring back their dead mother. The attempt goes horribly wrong and results in one of the most dreadful and emotional scenes in amine history. This failed attempt to break the taboo results in both brothers being physically and emotionally scared -- the elder brother, Edward, loses his right arm and left leg; while the young brother, Alphonse, loses his body completely, resulting in his soul being bound to a suit of armor.
As a result of this, Alphonse is doomed to live in a body that does not allow him to sleep, feel human contact, warmth or cold -- a truly terrifying concept to imagine for anyone to go through, let alone a young boy. Edward meanwhile must undergo painful surgery to install automail prosthetics to allow him to walk again. With the help of their childhood best friend Winry Rockbell and her grandmother Pinako (both automail mechanics) Edward is able to fully recover physically within a year.
Feeling guilt over what happened to Alphonse, and determined to find a way to help his suffering younger brother, Edward later reluctantly becomes a State Alchemist for the military dictatorship of his home country, Amestris, to allow him the freedom of traveling with Alphonse to search for a method to recover Al's body.
After passing the exam under the direction of Colonel Roy Mustang, Edward is dubbed the "Fullmetal Alchemist" by the military. Following this the brothers begin their long quest to regain their full bodies through the use of the fabled Philosopher's Stone, which is capable of alchemy without sacrifice, or equivalent exchange.
Along the way, the brothers encounter and defeat corrupt officials and religious leaders, and earning a reputation for helping people; facing new enemies and making new friends and allies. In their search they make a horrific discovery, one that will lead them to another even more terrifying revelation, one involving their estranged father, Van Hohenheim, and the secret of a lost civilization that died out hundreds of years before.
The anime shows the bond between siblings as they go through hardships and hurt. These brothers stick by each others side no matter what. A fateful journey that takes up 64 outstanding episodes that never feel like they are too long. Even the less exciting scenes don't seem like filler and they lead to major plot developments and character growth for the vast selection of the secondary characters of the series.
With the help of their friends and allies, the Elric brothers must help stop a major conspiracy within their country's military, one that would have unimaginable consequences for everyone in the country.
 |
| Edward and Alphonse (Al) Elric on their journey to restore their original bodies and find peace with their past. |
The journey of the Elric brothers will take you on an epic journey that is a roller coaster ride full of incredible fight scenes, drama, action and some pretty dark elements. FMA: Brotherhood also has some strong themes about the value and dignity of human life and the bonds of love between family. What truly sets it apart is it's ability to evoke such a powerful emotional response on a deeper level at the same time.
The story deals with real problems in the world like war, hurt, trauma, love, dealing with grief and loss, acceptance, overcoming obstacles, and above all never giving up when you are knocked down.
Now I will give y'all fair warning if you are an easy victim of those pesky onion ninjas, FMA: Brotherhood is chock full of emotion, with heartbreaking sad and beautiful moments throughout the series that will move even adults to tears.
Despite the comedy side to this animated tale of redemption -- and believe me there are more than a few -- the tough scenes balancing them really do hit hard. Particularly when it comes to the permanent nature of death.
This series is a masterpiece of beautiful storytelling that will leave a mark on your heart that you will never forget. If you haven't seen this series yet, you're truly missing out. Please check it out, you will not regret it.
No comments:
Post a Comment