Fullmetal Alchemist was extremely popular with fans in the early 2000s, but it comes with some harsh realities with every replay.
Created by Hiroma Arakawa, Fullmetal Alchemist follows the exploits of the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse. The law of alchemy is one of the equivalents of exchange, which the Elric brothers discover in one of the most brutal ways when they try to revive their dead mother; Edward loses an arm and a leg and Alphonse loses his entire body.
The biggest pre-Attack On Titan anime, Fullmetal Alchemist was extremely popular with fans in the early 2000s due to its dark plot and commendable character development, despite its lack of manga material. However, this anime comes with some harsh realities on every re-watch.
10: Time has not been kind to animation
Typical early 2000s animation has not aged well with Fullmetal Alchemist. While the series has some extremely dark points and terrifying situations, the animation doesn’t do justice to the horror and helplessness the characters experience in those situations.
Rewatching Fullmetal Alchemist may shock current anime viewers due to the lack of dynamic animation now possible with flash and digital animation. The show’s colors and vibrancy are also a hit because of the old-fashioned animation that was the highlight of the 2000s.
9: Shonen purists consider this inappropriate for the genre
One of the most popular and prominent genres of anime is shonen. Fullmetal Alchemist officially belongs to this genre. However, due to its dark and twisted plot and themes, many purists disagree with assigning the shonen genre to Fullmetal Alchemist.
With extreme themes such as murder, war crimes, religion, and corruption, Fullmetal Alchemist is considered more suited to the seinen genre. The Fullmetal Alchemist genre further becomes ambiguous due to the dimensional shift towards the end of the series.
8: The story does not follow the manga
The story of Fullmetal Alchemist deviates from the story of its manga due to a lack of material from the manga during the production of the anime. While the story follows more edgy themes with limited character development in the manga, the anime strays a bit from that.
Some fans of Fullmetal Alchemist might also call the anime and manga completely different pieces of fiction due to their differences in plot and theme. While some parts of the anime followed the manga, they can be considered set in different universes.
7: Predictability takes experience
Fullmetal Alchemist has a lot of twists and turns in the plot that will keep the audience on edge until the very end of the series. However, viewers can anticipate major twists, such as the alchemist’s Sewing-Life experiment, where he combines his daughter Nina with their dog Alexander. This takes away from the horror of the moment when Edward and the audience learn the truth about what happened to Nina.
The identities of the Homunculi, particularly the Pride and the Hom While plenty of fans prefer Fullmetal Alchemist over its successor, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, rewatching the former has its pros and cons. While the deep philosophy and near-exact scientific principles discussed throughout Fullmetal Alchemist become easier to understand with repeated viewings, certain pacing issues become more pronounced. From Roy Mustang’s personality to the sudden and brutal death of his friend and associate, Lt. Col. Maes Hughes, the pace of Fullmetal Alchemist oscillates between slow and fast, rarely giving the audience a semblance of stability. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the successor to Fullmetal Alchemist and follows the manga more closely than the latter. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which was produced in the late 21st century, is accepted by fans as a true part of the shonen genre. However, the use of slapstick comedy and making light of serious situations for comic relief does not sit well with fans. Despite its excellent animation, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood cheapens the entire plot and doesn’t allow the characters to grow and develop to their full potential. Fans may be discouraged from watching the original again after seeing Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The concept of alchemy and the law of equivalent exchange were Fullmetal Alchemist’s unique selling point. However, like other anime with fresh concepts like One-Punch Man, Gintama, and Mob Psycho 100, Fullmetal Alchemist loses its novelty charm after replaying. Fullmetal Alchemist’s characters, eccentric and serious, all had their own charm and quirks that made them likable and unique. Along with these characters like Roy Mustang, Greed, and Maes Hughes, the core philosophy of the anime is also aging because the audience knows what to expect. Just like clichéd plot lines and characters in TV series, anime can be clichéd. Shonen is one of the most famous genres of anime and has certain tropes that make up the genre’s repertoire. Fullmetal Alchemist also belongs to the shonen anime genre and is full of clichés. Whether it’s Scar’s motivation for his actions, Roy Mustang’s stoic personality, Edward and Alphonse’s brotherly love, or his father’s tyrannical ideals, fans who rewatch Fullmetal Alchemist can easily tire of these clichés and stereotypes. It is natural for viewers to adopt a comparative mindset when returning to an anime after watching a similar anime or anime of the same genre. This constant comparison can make it difficult for viewers to rewatch a series they intend to. It’s inevitable for viewers to compare and contrast tropes, character arcs, and animation styles, which often leads to some disappointment when rewatching anime. Fullmetal Alchemist is no exception. Despite the shortcomings of Fullmetal Alchemist and its series of successors, Fullmetal Alchemist remains a timeless classic to this day. Fans keep coming back to the comfort of the story and characters again and again – even after watching newer anime series with elaborate animation, relevant themes and excellent storytelling.6: Narrative and pacing issues become more prominent
5: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood doesn’t do the original any favors
4: It is no longer unique
3: Some clichés cannot be ignored
2: Constant comparison is a stark reality
1: Fullmetal Alchemist is a timeless classic
Since Fullmetal Alchemist is a timeless classic, after watching Fullmetal Alchemist again, viewers may find themselves extremely disappointed with the anime they chose to watch. They are too engrossed in the nuances of the characters, the heart-wrenching story, and the intricate world-building to delve into something new.