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Synopsis
- Full Metal Alchemist
Two young brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric attempt unsuccessfully to
revive their mother using the power of alchemy. In the process, the elder
brother, Ed, loses a leg, and the younger brother, Al, loses his entire body.
Ed manages to attach his brother's soul to a nearby suit of armor, at the cost
of his right arm.
This is the story of the Elric brothers as they set off to find a means to
regain their original and complete bodies.
Review
Firstly, I became interested in this series only after hearing that
Squeanix was involved, and, while I haven't touched any of the Final
Fantasy-based series (since what I've heard of them isn't too attractive),
this gives me some hope that they can spawn some decent shows, rather than
just games.
Visually, this show looks relatively good, though I'm not a big fan of
characters becoming deformed, even if it's for comedic purposes (and that's
just because I'm a spoilsport). I never noticed the animation being choppy,
inconsistent, or anything of that sort, but it wasn't quite as impressive as
some of the other shows I've seen as of late (and some were a slight bit
older, so that's really not in this show's favor). The character designs are
excellent, with even uniformed characters within the military seeming distinct
(Major Armstrong humorously standing out more so than the others), and the
lead characters(Alphonse and Edward Elric) have interesting designs as well.
In particular, I note Alphonse, the younger brother, who is encased in a
hulking suit of armor.
The music during the show is actually quite forgettable (which, for a show
that is related to Squeanix is bordering on unforgivable), though the most of
the opening themes (and one ending theme) are energetic and catchy enough.
The characters are fresh enough, and well motivated thus far, Only one
character seems somewhat stale: the brash, tomboyish mechanic Winry, who, for
some reason, irritates me to no end. The interaction between the Elric
brothers as they travel is interesting, and often amusing, with humor being a
frequent visitor to this series, rather than the constantly grim series the
summary might've indicated.
Storywise, this series is very good as well, and, while the series still
has a substantial portion remaining, it is likely to wrap up nicely and be at
the end of an entertaining ride. The series hasn't had TOO much filler,
but the flashbacks have been annoying.
I look forward to seeing this series when it is released sometime this year
(hopefully it will have been prepared competently), and recommend that anyone
looking for a predominantly fun series look further into Full Metal
Alchemist as soon as it is available stateside (which should be done later
this year, and again, hopefully it will be a competent job).
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