Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

[NamesAreUseless]

For all you FMA fans out there who don't know ... there's a new anime series!

Back in October 2008, news of a new FMA anime series (called "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood"), based along the original manga plotline by Hiromu Arakawa, was announced:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-08-20/new-fullmetal-alchemist-tv-anime-series-confirmed

And here is the original Japanese trailer for the new series (unfortunately its not subbed):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP98pvaqWpk

In fact, a few episodes of the series have already aired in Japan! And for all you people who enjoy the Japanese voices with English subtitles (or "subs") as I do, the subs to episodes 1 and 2 have been posted on the FUNimation website (the company that distributed and did the voicework for the English dubs).

Episode 1
http://www4.funimation.com/video/?page=video&v=1832

Episode 2
http://www4.funimation.com/video/?page=video&v=1858

If you've never heard or seen the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime (or haven't read the manga), then the first episode may seem alittle confusing (it goes by REALLY fast ). Thankfully Episode 2 explains a lot of the backstory and what Alchemy really is in the series.

I have really enjoyed the two episodes I've seen so far. I've read a bit of the manga before and I've always thought its had a better plot then the anime, and the original anime was awesome in its own right! I hope you all enjoy the episodes as well

New episodes are featuring every Sunday over in Japan. I'm not sure how quickly FUNimation will be uploading subs of the anime on their website, but I hope it will be weekly as well.

 

[Lucien]

Awesome, thanks for posting that. FMA is my all time favourite anime, can't wait to see more of this version.

 

[guitarsingerguy]

I've gotten through about half of the first episode, but I REALLY miss the English actors. Hopefully it brings something new to the story and doesn't simply rehash the original. FMA was easily one of my faves, so I'm looking forward to see where this goes.

 

[wellsy]

Rest assured guitar, this will be divergin from the previous series. The manga and 2003-04 series diverged in their plots from about episode 30 onwards.

As for Australians and New Zealanders, don't bother with Funimation. Go to http://www.madman.com.au/actions/video.do?method=home.

 

[Lucien]

I always watched in Japanese, so as long as they keep subtitling it i'm ecstatic.

 

[Duskbyday]

Noi.1 anime, first 2 were great but 3 dipped in quality in my opinion. I'm just waiting for the manga finale!

 

[NamesAreUseless]

I've gotten through about half of the first episode, but I REALLY miss the English actors. Hopefully it brings something new to the story and doesn't simply rehash the original. FMA was easily one of my faves, so I'm looking forward to see where this goes.

FUNimation is hosting the subs of the new series on their site for a reason. They'll be doing the dubs as last time, I'm sure of it. However, no news on if the old voice actors for the original dub will be back

I hope so, as much as I like the subs, I enjoyed FMA's dub as well

Noi.1 anime, first 2 were great but 3 dipped in quality in my opinion. I'm just waiting for the manga finale!

To be honest, the Liore arc was always pretty weak. In the manga, Liore was really just there to introduce us to the Elric brothers and the alchemy world. And here well, we already had episode 1 and 2 do that.

Next episode will be Tucker and Nina. I got a tissue box ready when the time comes

 

[Red Mask]

I'm catching the 3rd episode tonight! Weeee!

 

[DarkSuperman]

That first episode was really awesome! I was wondering what the diff between the first series and this one was and I guess brotherhood will be closer to the manga which is awesome.

 

[Red Mask]

The sequence of events are different but the details appear to be similar to the first TV series. Still, it's progressing much faster than the first season of that TV series.

 

[guitarsingerguy]

FUNimation is hosting the subs of the new series on their site for a reason. They'll be doing the dubs as last time, I'm sure of it. However, no news on if the old voice actors for the original dub will be back

I hope so, as much as I like the subs, I enjoyed FMA's dub as well


To be honest, the Liore arc was always pretty weak. In the manga, Liore was really just there to introduce us to the Elric brothers and the alchemy world. And here well, we already had episode 1 and 2 do that.

Next episode will be Tucker and Nina. I got a tissue box ready when the time comes

Well, Vic Mignona is supposed to be coming back.

 

[wellsy]

The sequence of events are different but the details appear to be similar to the first TV series. Still, it's progressing much faster than the first season of that TV series.

That's because the first series follows the manga fairly closely until about episodes 25 - 30.

Really, I feel that this series is going to try and race through the first 25 episodes of the first series in about the first 15 episodes (we're only up to episode 5, but we're equivalent to episode 15 of the first series). It feels rushed, and considering the above, I know why. But I have to admit, episode 5 was superbly animated. Really, I can't shake the feeling that we're just killing time until Brotherhood runs into

Spoiler

Hughes' death

and the pacing seems very much all over the place.

In short, OK, but could be much better (but do note - those are the impressions of the first five episodes. I'm just waiting for the series to hit its stride, for then, only awesomeness can ensue!).

 

[TheVileOne]

I'm encouraged that Funimation is streaming the series, I hope this means they will pick it up and the English cast comes back.

Christine Auten says she'd be prime to come back as sensei. Vic Mignogna wants to play Ed.

Just wonder how they will handle Al since Dismuke is almost an adult. Perhaps play Al with a deeper voice?

 

[GoTHamJeWeL]

I cant wait to see this!!
Fullmetal Alchemist is an amazing anime and magna!!
Thank you for posting!

 

[Lucien]

So after episode 25, how does the anime differ from the manga?

 

[wellsy]

So after episode 25, how does the anime differ from the manga?

OK, I'm going to put this in spoiler tags (and I'm going off memory alone here as well, so I may miss a few things too).

Spoiler

First, there's the introduction to Dante, who acts as the overall villain for the anime (and doesn't exist in the manga). She and Hohenheim were lovers 400 years prior to the story, when Hohenheim created a Philosopher's Stone, but he was so exhausted that he nearly died. In desperation, Dante attached Hohenheim's soul to another man's body, and they unlocked a form of immortality. However, their bodies began to decay and they had to keep jumping. Hohenheim had wanted to settle down and raise Ed and Al with Trisha, but left when his body began to decay.
Then, there's the homunculi, who in the anime are the products of failed human transmutations. This causes a lot of development on their part, to the point where Lust, created by Scar's brother, helps Ed and Al, Wrath is the result of Izumi's transmutation of her child, and Sloth is Ed and Al's mother (and this can be seen from before episode 25 as well).
Finally, we also have Scar. In the manga, he remains a heartless, unrepentant murderer, while in the anime, he forms a grudging respect of Ed and Al, and realises that his arm is an instrument to create a Philosopher's Stone. This ultimately leads to him turning Al's body into the Philosopher's Stone, by destroying Liore (and himself) in the process (after the civilians have been evacuated and the army has moved in).
Apart from that, Bradley is Pride in the anime and Wrath and the manga, no characters from outside of Ishbal and Amestris are involved in the anime, and in general, the whole end of the anime is quite different from the manga.

Really, that doesn't do it all justice. My recommendation is just to go and watch it and make the comparison yourself.

 

[Lucien]

Sorry, maybe I should've said how does the manga differ from the anime. I've seen the anime, got it all on dvd, but I havn't read the manga.

But from what you say it seems the manga is pretty much the same but with less content/filler? And a poorer character arc for Scar? I like a remake like Dragonball Kai which gets rid of needless filler, but I don't think any of the FMA anime is bad, at all.

Was any of the actual story changed in any drastic way? What was different about the Homonculi? The new opening of course with the water alchemist is different, though i've flicked through the first issue of the manga and didn't see any of that.

 

[wellsy]

Well, the manga only just recently finished being serialised in Japan, so the anime of course has a wildly different ending to the manga. For a series along the line of the first FMA anime's relation to its manga, think Chrono Crusade. They're kindred series in terms of being divergent adaptations.

The first episode of Brotherhood is exclusive to the new series. The Homunculi are... I don't know what, though as I recall, King Bradley was a human who was injected with the Philosopher's Stone, survived and became a homunculus. And like I said, the entire ending of the anime is quite different (no Earth as we know it in the manga, in addition to numerous other changes, some of which were listed in my previous post).

Really, reading wikipedia may be a good way to check the differences if you don't mind spoilers on the manga.

 

[mfbtl]

Even though I like the Brotherhood version so far I figured they would make it a touch more serious. I enjoyed the funny parts in the first anime series as much as the next, but I just assumed they would take it a step further this time around.

It would take more than a simple forum post to explain the differences between the manga and the first series. Lucien I recomend reading the manga. It goes by quicker than you think it would and I guarantee that you will see that as great as the first series was you will enjoy the manga even more.

 

[mfbtl]

Argh my first double post.

 

[Lucien]

I'd definately like to read it, it's incredibly tempting lol. I have other things to buy atm tho. How many volumes are there in total?

 

[mfbtl]

You don't need to buy them. Just go to onemanga and you can read them. I'm not sure how many volumes there are, but there are 95 issues so far.

 

[Lucien]

*bookmarked*

Cheers!

 

[Fading]

I just finally got caught up to 7 (8 should be out later today), and so far I like it better than the original anime. It's just much more to the point. I think it was most clear when Brotherhood just mentioned a that State officer who was running that corrupt operation in that town while the first anime centered an entire episode around him.

I also slightly spoiled myself on something, not the ending, but just a few of the changes inbetween the manga and first anime (this is something I did before I knew about Brotherhood). Gotta say I like the direction the manga takes, so looking forward to how this plays out. At first I was worried it'd be like watching the first anime again with just a few tweaks, but it sounds like it's going to be an entirely different beast.

 

[Duskbyday]

Cnt wait till they show Greed 2!