Fullmetal Alchemist

Review date: 04/18/2008
Reviewed by: lojack aka Nathan

"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange."

So goes the first law of alchemy, the dominate science in the world of Amestris. For the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse, it's also the driving force behind their quest to reverse their abuse of it.

Fullmetal Alchemist follows the journeys of the Elric brothers as they discover the secrets of alchemy and continue to their ultimate goal: restoring their bodies to their original state after a forbidden human transmutation went horribly wrong. To accomplish this, they will need the one thing in their world that ignores all laws of alchemy, the Philosopher's Stone.

The viewer joins Ed and Al in the city of Lior as they work to discover the real source of a so called miracle worker priest. They realize early in the episode that the priest is no miracle worker, and they attempt to expose the phony father. The viewer is introduced to the daily lives of the Elric brothers as they encounter dangerous villains, and the extensive uses of alchemy in both everyday use, and its limitless uses in combat.

Following the two episode flash forward is a flash back to the start of the Elric brother's journey, and the new start of the anime. The Elric brothers delve into their past and their near fatal mistake that cost Edward an arm and leg, and Alphonse his whole body. Narrowly escaping death, Edward manages to save his little brother while keeping himself alive, only to stumble half-dead onto his childhood friend Winry Rockbell's doorstep. Winry and her grandmother get Ed and Alphonse sorted out, and Edward, now clad in his new Automail arm and leg, leaves his childhood home with Alphonse as they make their way towards Central, the capital city of the country. Edward's only leads towards the Philosopher's Stone requires him to become a State Alchemist, and join the ranks of the state military. They can only hope that they can live to finish their journey as they meet many enemies, gain new allies, and experience new adventures that lead them closer and closer to the Philosopher's Stone.

Fullmetal Alchemist is a great anime for anyone who loves a deep plot that has lots of twists, turns, and surprises. The Elric brothers sometimes find themselves questioning the morality of situations and ideas, as well as the forbidden practice of human transmutation. On the flip side, the humor in FMA is top notch, and you'll often find your sides hurting! This is one 50 episode anime that won't disappoint, and you'll try hard to find a place to stop at and continue later. In my personal opinion, I couldn't watch another anime until I found one this good, and only after lowering my standards a bit did I continue watching a steady series. You'll love FMA and everything about it, let's just say there isn't much not to like.