Full Metal Alchemist.
This was recommended to me recently. I'd watched Full Metal Panic and really enjoyed the mix of action, comedy and school life in that series, so decided to give FMA a try thinking it would pretty much be more of the same.
First thing, FMA is a lot longer, running to 51 episodes and a film.
The story takes place in an alternate universe where Alchemy has been developed as a science. The principle of Alchemy is equivalent trade, you can only transmute something of the same value.
In this world we meet the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse, who are sons of a famous Alchemist who has not returned from going to war years earlier.
They learn Alchemy whilst being brought up by there mother. When she dies of an illness while the boys are still young, the two brothers attempt that which is forbidden, human transmutation, in an attempt to bring back there mother. This attempt ends in failure as a portal is opened to "The Gate" and Edwards Leg is cut off, followed by Alphonse being sucked in. Ed manages to quickly transfer Al's soul into a nearby suit of armour, but at the cost of his arm also being taken.
Nearby are friends who own an automail store, and Ed is patched up with a robotic arm and leg.
And thus begins the story....yes, that is just the first episode.
What follows is an incredible journey for the two brothers to learn enough to return Al to his body and Ed's arm and leg. Nothing is straight forward though, as Ed joins the military to become a hated State Alchemist, a refugee called Scar appears whose mission is to kill as many State Alchemists as he can, a type of super being appears and corruption in the military is hinted at. All these elements come together in what is one of the most in depth stories I've seen. At the end of 51 episodes there are loose ends to a story that has travelled a very long way. The film wraps nearly all of those up, leaving one of the freshest, well thought out anime's I've seen.
Comparisons are hard, it moves along as quickly and as full as Noir for instance or Cowboy Bebop, but it also has that something else, that secret ingredient, that marks it as a cut above,
Animation wise, this is quite basic, but the use of OTT cartoon gestures and scenes adds some good humour to this show and stops the main characters from taking themselves too seriously. I could'nt see any CGI, and for once this was a nice change in a show that needed none.
Overall I'd have to rate this as one of the best Anime series I've seen. Not everything happened that I wanted to by the time it wrapped up, but I'd still give it a very good 4 out of 5.
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