How The 2003 Anime Fixed Fullmetal Alchemists Biggest Issue

[@ari_peacock26]

Agreed! Some of the filler or expanded episodes of '03 really helped create more impact on viewers and be emotionally invested. Hell even having the filler episode with Ed & Winery encountering a human Barry the Chopper, makes him showing up again at the lab more menacing and chilling.

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

when people using filler as a negative term suck since anything not fully plothook after plothook is technically filler but said filler is what makes stuff feel more realized like image if half the scenes in FMA where cut in half just to get to the next plothook this is the judgment this channel has towards 2011 HxH as opposed to 99

[@dudeman5303]

Tbh I don't like the term filler used at all for fla, because there isn't any episode that doesn't serve a purpose that adds a quality to the show. The way 3veryone uses filler as a "wow u shud cut tat episode out cuz it adds nuthin", and it's not that simple. It doesn't have to add to the main story directly to add to the full picture of the world and characters and their motivations.

[@silentecho92able]

@@dudeman5303 That is true FMA used its non-canon material to its advantage and expanded the world beyond just the general story makes us understand how Alchemy works in other ways and give us a bit more of a broader image of how the world is. This is what separates it from say Naruto's filler, as the majority of Naruto filler and that it is what it is padding the runtime. We aren't expanding of the world or anything, Barry the Chopper had an impact on Ed's life and it shows and he was no laughing matter he was stone cold.

[@Cpruett]

My biggest reason for living FMA over FMAB is because the villains are just the consequences of the Alchemists actions. Having the villain be just a non- human throwing a tantrum is just less of a strong message. Having the villains be a literal mirror of the villainy in the heroes is just the greatest.

[@MrHagarenViper]

For as much as the manga and brotherhood is my preferred version I do think a big part of me liking them so much is because of the 2003 anime. Spending that much more time with Hughes, Nina and Ross in 2003 really makes their arcs hit harder in Mangahood and I wonder all the time if I'd feel the same about them if I had started with Mangahood instead. Either way, it's a rare case where both anime are pretty phenomenal.

[@LegnaiaUnderground]

Yes, I often say that although not mandatory, I suggest watching 2003 first and then 2009, to have the best Brotherhood experience.

[@MelchVagquest]

So, it doesn't bother you that the OG anime changed the timeline for Ed and Al meeting Nina? Meaning that Ed was only 12 when he met her, instead of 15. You're telling me that a 12 year old is able to cope with that type of tragedy the same way that a 15 year old would? Or what about Edward having to "prove himself" on the train with Bald, just to be allowed to try out for State Licensing Exam, despite age not being a factor in the real story? The first anime took too many liberties with a story that was only in its beginning stages, at that point

[@LegnaiaUnderground]

@@MelchVagquest Excuse me, while I can understand that Mustang deliberately sending two kids (who he had no idea whether having fighting skills or not) against a group of terrorists doesn't sound a wise decision at all... I don't get your point about Nina. It's not like Edward chose to have that trauma (I'm not referring to him deciding to go checking on Tucker's house despite Grand prohibited it), it just happened to him earlier in that timeline. And he didn't manage the thing in the same way as in Brotherhood: he was so shocked he (although shortly) decided to resign from the state alchemists due to that incident, despite all the efforts to get that title, risking losing any chances to bring Al back.

[@yayciencia]

Same. When 03 was still available to stream, I would always recommend people watch the 03 anime first, then Brotherhood. The 03 anime has an excellent first 2/3 or 3/4 (not sure where to draw the line), but the ending isn't the best. It leaves you wanting more. Following 03 with Brotherhood, and Brotherhood's timeline differences and excellent crescendo of an ending is a better experience.

[@LegnaiaUnderground]

@@yaycienciaA few weeks ago I saw a video about FMA and Harakawa history... It said that back when she was giving info to the authors of the first anime, she revealed to them how she planned to end the manga and expressly asked them to make their ending different... And so they did.

[@nickgotvyak5890]

I actually liked the second half of 2003. It had a completely different theme to the Mangahood. Mangahood was more on creating an epic team adventure, where, while not entirely intact, everybody turned out fine: brothers, Scar, Ling etc. 2003 however, stood pretty close to 3 main themes: 1 the need of the family, 2 that you have to face your past head on, and the most important - 3 you CANNOT have your cake and eat it too. And homunculi of 2003 represented a very masterful combination of all 3: homunculi were a group of mini families (Lust + Gluttony, Sloth + Wraith, Greed + Chimeras), while at the same time representing the inescapable past of the brothers, Izumi, Scar and his brother, and by themselves dealing with the inescapable past of people that were the base for these homunculi. And they all wanted was to become human, impossible task that none of them had a chance to achieve. And the brothers ending I felt was very strong (as long as you ignore Shamballa), reinforcing the theme that they couldn't have everything they wanted and were forced into a bittersweet compromise

[@CrowandTalbot]

I am a firm believer that FMAB was a better adaptation of the manga, but FMA 2003 was a better show. I genuinely believe most comic plots would be improved by a second pass since so often the writers/artists are flying by the seat of their pants for quite a while. Books get the benefit of not being published until they are fully written and have been edited and beta read. TV show adaptations should more often take the chance to give that edit and beta read passes to comics and be ok with being basically fanfiction. And it's great advertisement for the comic and more content for the fanbase to buy into without spoiling anything for people who care about that.

[@Jayasinleno]

Good take

[@cdscissor]

That's Shou Aikawa for you! An excellent writer through and through. Really knew how to make adjustments to make an already solid base glitter like gold. His writing style doesn't really do big bombastic shounen action though, so left to his own devices it's no surprise he decided to finish off 03 in a more introspective way instead. The whiplash is understandable but it's honestly a supremely intriguing move to pull in a shounen imo and I like the boldness of it. Also a few guest writers went in to write the fillers lol Also also, ANOTHER thing 2003 got right is getting Michiru Oshima on board for the project. Absolutely GOATED composer with the resume to prove herself legendary.

[@AmandaFessler]

Oshima, huh? Explains a lot, I think. Not that I know her by name, but I can tell she's great from personal experience. The 03 track is a lot more memorable to me. "Amestris" is a particular highlight and speaks to my soul about the dark root of the military. The Amestrian anthem in Brotherhood is of course the official music you're expected to hear. But for me, it doesn't speak so much of the military itself, as it does about the few good souls in it. The Armstrongs and their subordinates, primarily. Team Mustang might work out too, but I associate them more with "Patriotism" from 03.

[@PopTartNeko]

2003's presentation was SO GOOD. They weren't just adapting manga panels frame by frame and has actual cinematography in the shots, making the emotional scenes hit harder. So good.

[@bummedmachinist7483]

An interesting implication that can be taken from this is that '03 inherited its character driven narrative from these initial chapters since they lack any over-all plot, and this origin went on to characterize the rest of the series while the manga's narrative shifts to being primarily plot driven. I like your analytical principles and admire the research that goes into these. I look forward to seeing how your style will grow from here.

[@Rojiace]

One of the things I love about 03 is that their are filler episodes. Unlike Brotherhood where I feel like I'm holding my breath for the next episode as we are chugging through the plot. Also the early chapters/episodes really diversify how we interpret Edward's character. Just by how 03 tells the story we see a character study of how Edward changes in each situation that is going to beat him down after the Tucker arc. And the anime makes you feel every lost.

[@sin4406]

fma content in 2023??? hell yeah brother

[@428Dart]

Wrong year my dude

[@sin4406]

@@428Dart oh shit fuck my bad 😭

[@viralmasquerade]

It's okay, I haven't processed that 2024 has started yet either

[@WednesdayMan]

@@viralmasquerade well you're better off forgetting to process that, and start processing 2025 ahead of time.

[@dylansdillpickle6412]

Hood

[@ED-on8dz]

Good video, although I don't agree that Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 drops in quality halfway through. It's just that the events become darker, there are more mysteries, more introspection of the characters, and it focuses more on the journey of the Elric brothers. Unlike mangahood, which focuses on more individuals trying to stop the villain who plans to sacrifice an entire country. Unfortunately, the more characters there are, the less they are explored. For example, personally, Fu and Buccaneer's deaths didn’t seem like a big deal to me; they were underdeveloped characters. They can be likable, but the only reason I can see for liking them is their 'personality and ideals.' It's very different in Fullmetal Alchemist 2003, where they continue developing the already established characters, adding new ones that create conflict and greater suspense, making the danger feel more real for the protagonists. Characters that weren’t so essential to the villain's plan (in fact, when Dante learned that Scar could make the philosopher's stone, she didn’t hesitate to try and eliminate the Elric brothers), while in Brotherhood, the main characters are indispensable for the villains, who keep them alive until the final stretch, removing some of the 'suspense.' Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 adds super interesting scenes that became unforgettable for those who loved that version, like Dante's speech, Lust's death, and the unexpected twists that respect the viewer's intelligence without treating them like a child. It’s very different in Brotherhood; I hated the scene where Scar draws on the ground and explains to Lan Fan how he repaired the country's alchemy. Not only that, but it also deconstructs the themes and messages of Arakawa's work without having finished the original work. The first arc, from the early episodes that cover Nina's events and the episode of the miners oppressed by Yoki, teaches a lesson about Edward's arrogance regarding alchemy, idealizing it and believing he could make people happy, a childish view similar to *Brotherhood*. However, from the second half onward, Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 does something I never thought I’d see in a shonen or audiovisual medium. In this version, there is no absolute 'Truth' like in *Brotherhood* (where 'Truth' acted as a judge). The idea of higher limits or an entity defining what is right or wrong in alchemy is absent. Instead, the notions of equivalent exchange and metaphysical concepts are just opinions of the characters (like Izumi, who said that the Gate was hell, while Dante only knows that alchemical energy comes from there), meaning they could be wrong. Dante argues that life and the universe are meaningless, which goes against Edward's belief in equivalent exchange. Dante claims the world is chaotic and meaningless, and even human life has no intrinsic value. Hohenheim presents a similar view but suggests that something can be obtained without paying a price, using love as an example. However, Edward rejects this idea, preferring to believe that his effort and sacrifices have a purpose. Unlike Brotherhood, where Edward's arrogance is seen as a flaw he must overcome, in FMA 2003, his 'arrogance' is a noble affirmation that his life and decisions have meaning in a chaotic world. This concept is necessary to avoid falling into the relativism Dante preaches, and it's a key point in the series' philosophy. In the end, Edward chooses to believe in his own decisions, despite the uncertainty. This leads to a dramatic conclusion when he crosses the Gate, choosing to hold on to the idea that his actions have meaning. That’s why the scene where Edward reaches out toward the sun symbolizes his desire not to drown in a meaningless chaos, and not his arrogance. The themes of Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 go beyond a cliché, something different from Brotherhood. This can confuse viewers who don't understand the director's vision since they're unrelated, and it's something uncommon for the demographic. In the case of Brotherhood, I felt it prioritized adventure and action, with almost no reflection. It referenced philosophical concepts but in a fairly superficial way; the themes were addressed in the background. This comes down to personal taste, but I don't think the second half of * Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 is inferior to Brotherhood, even though I like both versions.

[@MelchVagquest]

You're forgetting one vital point: In mangahood, the Elric brothers losing their mother was the inciting incident to their journey. In the OG anime, they were never able to escape it and overcome. That's one of the biggest failures after all of the filler, made up characters that nobody cares about like Dante, Lyra, Frank Archer, or Chimera Shou Tucker. You mentioned not feeling anything towards Fu or Buccaneer but I cried at both of those deaths. And a friend's young son witnessed Fu and it made him understand death and loss like he never had, before

[@ED-on8dz]

@@MelchVagquest That's where you're wrong, that they couldn't escape it. In fact, I'm glad you mentioned Shou Tucker, an underrated antagonist in the classic version, when he's one of the best-written characters. His message and symbolism are clear-he was a metaphor for Dante's Inferno. In one of the circles of hell, the punishment for sorcerers is to have their heads permanently twisted backward so that they can only see what's behind them. We can see when he’s not wearing the coat that his entire human back is fused to the upper part of the main creature or chimera. It's not that his head is reversed; it's that his whole body is facing backward with his neck bent upward so that he looks forward. All of this is for one reason: in the poem, the punishment is that sorcery or witchcraft is a 'distortion or alteration of God's law.' While Ed was beating him in the scene of Nina’s transmutation, Tucker kept talking about breaking the laws of nature just to see if it could be done. Tucker’s arc concludes with the idea that he has to pay for his sins. A crucial theme of the show is addressed when he descends into psychosis, especially during the Sloth arc and all that comes with it. His fate is an ironic punishment, like those in the poem ('Just as the arts of sorcery are a distortion of God’s law, so too are their bodies distorted in Hell'). This idea is even stronger when we remember that, in the past, in the 2003 adaptation, alchemists were considered sorcerers or witches. Now, Ed compares Tucker’s punishment to having to kill Sloth, as they are opposites-both tried to defy natural law. Ed wasn’t just killing someone who looked like his mother; he had to accept that human life cannot be replaced (proving that this action was a sign that both had overcome their issues). Hence his expression when Edward says, 'a homunculus… it’s not human!' Meanwhile, Shou Tucker seeks to recover what was lost, and even though what he got wasn’t what he wanted, he embraces his sin, preferring to live in a memory with something that isn’t even Nina, falling into an illusion. In summary, Shou Tucker is physically looking backward while he is also mentally trapped in the past, trying to reverse what he did, attempting to revive Nina, and ultimately fantasizing that she and Alexander are still alive. His punishment didn’t end after being captured by the military. After they found out what he had done, they 'faked his death' and chose to use him as an experiment subject, exploiting his knowledge. Ed, on the other hand, essentially repents for his sins and tries to move on from the past, which ultimately separates the two. If you’re going to tell me that Fu and Buccaneer are better than this, I’ll just say 'XD'. This proves that a despicable, disturbing character can be excellently written with such a strong message that contributes to the protagonist’s growth, even surpassing the arc of overcoming the death of his mother in the manga. As for Dante, she’s far more interesting than Father and better written. I could tell you the reasons, but I don’t write for free.

[@SK-yy5db]

@@ED-on8dzholy shit dude both of your comments were so perfect. I've been reflecting so much on the themes and philosophies of '03 since rewatching it a couple months ago and you managed to put into words so much of what I couldn't about it. There's so much to appreciate in '03 and I'm gonna have a lot to keep in mind next time I watch it👌

[@pelucheCR7]

​@@ED-on8dz I dont think referencing another book make shou tucker well written. He was great in his introductory scenes and he should have been done with after that. If he was removed from the story nothing would have been affected, those parellels are nice for sure but not really significant.

[@ED-on8dz]

@@pelucheCR7 How could he not be a good character? Who says that, you? Tucker was literally the one who told Greed about Alphonse’s body. Without him, they wouldn’t have met the Elrics. Edward would have never learned to kill. He was the one who put the red stones in Alphonse’s watch, which caused Kimblee to have the opportunity to turn Alphonse into a bomb. Later, thanks to him, Alphonse discovered that using the stone could make him disappear after the attempt to resurrect Nina, showing us that equivalent exchange for the stone does apply.

[@MuchoLucho]

I honestly really agree with what you said about the early episodes of FMA 2003 being the best ones. I still love the original story they crafted later on, but the blend of Arakawa's story with the anime staff's own ideas to expand upon it made it so good that it's probably the part that I rewatch the most.

[@sleepisfortheweek723]

Fma 03 was so good

[@Enderson5040]

I watched both of your Full Metal Alchemist videos and are great points, I remember when 2003 version came out it was praised by everyone and then despite by everyone after brotherhood was released, which iny opinion was unfair the hate towards 2003 version considering the limitations with the source material. I really like 2003 version and you did a great job defending the pros and cons in your videos, keep it up and greetings from Venezuela

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

but his other video misses some point like how he fully forgoes the meaning of Wrath to an extant

[@orga7777]

Brotherhood coming out isn't what made people turn against the original anime. The DREADFULLY BAD ending and even WORSE movie sequel did that. I am glad FMAB came out and gave us the proper story as it should be. I will say this, though. For the most part, the beginning part of FMA was really good. It just kinda got horrible at the midway point. Dante sucked.

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

@@orga7777 that is so so not true the fact a movie even came out means it was beloved and hating the ending an every part of the movie is proof you did not pay attention to the themes an characterization an on topic of the film the cut out scenes have transcripts public viewable an one even has a dubbed fan comic this is the same with Black Butler season 1 an 2 its hates overblow by some people but its beloved AF

[@orga7777]

​@@senritsujumpsuit6021 Dude, I was there when it came out. People did not like the beyond ridiculous ending of the original anime. Just because the series was popular enough to get a movie (that was horrible) doesn't mean much, either. So many semi-popular series get movies they don't deserve. FMA deserved it more than most that do get movies. So of course it would get one. It just sucked and was stupid. There is not much else to say. It has nothing to do with "not getting it." I got it fine. It was just dumb and nonsensical. Almost a joke. There is a reason when FMAB came out it blew away the old one fully and nobody cares about it anymore. Because despite the 2003 anime having a better start that was more fleshed out than FMAB's, FMAB had better everything else, especially a satisfying ending that wasn't a bunch of garbage. And Dante still sucked. Especially compared to the actual villains we got in the manga and of course in FMAB.

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

@@orga7777 so just because you found a few people an assume those people are entirely correct an everyone else are dumbasses all your proving with this long comment is your super salty an refuse anyone sating reasons the shows not worthless

[@guylabayen1677]

Brotherhood had an incredibly crafted story. 2003 had Ready Steady Go

[@bubblecoffee7210]

Counterpoint Brotherhood has Rain

[@Kirbechu99]

Counter-counterpoint '03 has Rewrite

[@hiro45ful]

Counter- counter-counterpoint Brotherhood has Golden Time Lover

[@acos1255]

​@@hiro45fulcounter-counter-counter counterpoint it has kesenai tsumi

[@hiro45ful]

counter-counter-counter-counter counterpoint it has Hologram

[@SerifSansSerif]

What makes 2003 great and brotherhood fails is that 2003 deals with real life emotions and real life lessons. There's not always a happy ending. Life does end. Your heroes are just people doing their best and have faults and their own "shame". That's what makes 2003 superior to me.

[@ravajbains8672]

@@SerifSansSerif 100%

[@Kayas]

Commenting for the almighty algorithm. This was a great follow up to your last video, I am interested in seeing you cover other content too so you're not just pigeonholed into FMA content even if it is one of my favourite shows. Good stuff

[@tejirie.9861]

So nice to see an FMA03 appreciation video that isn't incredibly pretentious.

[@residentevil2928]

The anime originals in 2003 were very good additions. I also loved the overall darker tone and the characterization of the humonucli.

[@whade62000]

To me the biggest strength of 2003, and the biggest flaw of the shonen genre, is that the heroes are children. It's a power fantasy for kids and nobody questions it. FMAB plays this straight, but 2003 uses it to enhance the shonen protagonist trope. Ed is still an orphan kid genius who travels unsupervised, and he is allowed to make this look cool, but we never stop acknowledging that this is unusual, difficult, and possibly unhealthy. Time and time again Ed breaks down (because he's a kid), time and time again characters who act as surrogate parents show up (that's why That Death hits so much harder too). 2003 isn't just a fun world saving romp with the lads, it's a psychological study of a precocious boy struggling to become the "man of the house" after his parent's death.

[@thesquishedelf1301]

This is something I loved so much about ‘03, with its introduction of its Wrath. He’s a mirror of Ed, and it puts a blinding spotlight on how f’ed up Ed’s entire situation is. Add onto that how he latched onto ‘03s Sloth as a parental figure… it just refuses to let Ed emotionally scab over the wound left by his mother’s death.

[@a.m.theshinyjohtohunter4287]

Thank you so much for summing up my gripes with the comparison of 03 vs Brotherhood in a nutshell! Me personally, watch 03 first up to the 5th lab, then switch (also I'm told in some circles, that's a really garbage thing to do) so instead, Watch 03 Completely! THEN enjoy brotherhood in all of it's... eh, Brotherhood-ness...? I was not a fan of the excessive comedy in Brotherhood, 03 took itself, it's subject matter and it's audience seriously and it shows! With Brotherhood, I didn't get as much of that however I do agree, once it gets going, it REALLY Gets good! as for the music however, No comparrison. 03 wins. Brotherhood, like it's anime only first episode, is mega bombastic. 03 Allows for the emotions and gravity of a scene to really sink in with a much quieter, more intimate score, often simple Piano solos or Harmonica and Horn, but once the theme of the Military Kicks in, you FEEL it's weight! and why is it you see people constantly doing music covers of "Brothers" but NEVER Trisha's lullaby?... hmm...

[@PredictableEnigma]

I approve of your watch order

[@KuroKappo]

I have been saying you can’t have brotherhood without 03 and it pains me when people say to skip 03 like are you crazzyy

[@Polychromatic8]

People want their shounen. They really are missing out on an excellent adaptation though, and personally as someone who went in release order anime wise 2003 definitely takes the gold. Then again I'm also older so I appreciate the serious and deeper themes. Though even in my teens Mushishi was top 5 (even top 3) anime for me personally. Regardless 2003 just did more with what it had and blew me away on first watch

[@Yonkage-ik5qb]

2003 FMA, especially once you add in the movie, isn't a typical anime. It's almost hard to watch, because it's bittersweet leaning more toward the bitter end of things, and is both darker and more cynical without totally crossing over into edgy territory. The best way I've heard it said is that in both versions by the end Edward learns that the Law of Equivalent Exchange is false. In canon and Brotherhood it's because it's possible to gain much more than you sacrifice. In 2003, it's because it's possibly to sacrifice much more than you gain.

[@LibraryofAcousticMagic3240]

exactly. I remember how I started out with FMA. People told me to watch specifically Brotherhood. I watched the first epsiode and went Huuuuuh????. I forgot whether I wacthed the arc of the brothers past in Brotherhood before switching to 2003 to give the show another chance. And I was immediately hooked. I loved watching the series. After about 20 episodes I was completely hooked (as in I literally thought about the story in school and went home quickly to watch somemore). I was on a ride. Of course, I didn't expect the ending to be so different and had some mixed feelings after it. But when I later decided to watch Brotherhood I noticed that it felt flat. Like, the characters were there, the story too but everything felt so shallow and actionbased. Later it hit me that it felt very shounen whereas 2003 never felt like shounen to me with my experiences at the time. It made me less interested in the story, despite everything "new". However, I do have to give props to Mangahood for Greed. I already liked Greed in 03 a lot but Ling was an improvement. After about 50 episodes I lost interest in Brotherhood and started to watch the show in a faded out manner, skipping to every 5th epsiode till the end. I disliked Brotherhoods ending (which was my fault lol). A few years later I read the Manga and I gotta say, it rocks! With reading the manga in its entirety I got to like Mangahoods ending. Still I think it must be crazy to hear a previous 03 watcher say they preferred the 03 ending to the Brotherhood ending. Well, if you only watch 3/4 of the story the manga ending doesnt hit well at all. Today I wouldn't know how to recommend this story. 2003 got me good while Brotherhood never did. The manga was good but never pulled me in like 03. At the same time, I gotta admit that Mangahood probably has the better ending and a richer story. So I too think it's best to consume all three media at least partially to figure things out. However, animewise I stand with 03 as my favourite.

[@chinosarah]

I was told to skip 2003 and go straight to Brotherhood and I tried to watch it like 3 times but couldn’t get past the first few episodes and didn’t understand why people loved FMA so much. Finally I just decided to try 2003 and was hooked immediately. After watching the stories in the 2003 anime that are also in FMAB I was able to go back and watch Brotherhood and I adore it now but man does it have a rough beginning particularly the pilot. Liore is a much better introduction and establishes Ed and Al much better without being overwhelmed with side characters and foreshadowing like the pilot of Brotherhood.

[@gIokk]

i love the fma 2003 version honestly, while i love fmab, i just like the direction the story of 2003 went, and the emotional impact felt more real compared to fmab. dont get me wrong though, fmab is still fire.

[@AdamTheGameBoy]

As a writer, it is very so to introduce a setting very different from our own but while also still getting right to the main plot threads. I think no matter what, some people will either complain it is front-loaded or lacks direction, and it's just a coin flip which camp you should cater more to. I have to wonder how I'd have perceived FMA if I watched them in reverse.

[@WorthlessWinner]

The narration at the start of the first episode is the BEST bit. We know their motivation FIRST THING before the OP!

[@LibraryofAcousticMagic3240]

that was what pulled me in. Precisely this. I watched the beginning of Brotherhood and switched to 2003 where I felt the promised story actually started before my very eyes.

[@theassortedhobbyist]

While I do agree that the 2003 anime adaptation adds a lot to the early chapters and in some ways makes the content more engaging and emotionally resonant, that doesn't mean the chapters as they were released are as weak as you make them out to be, at least not for me. Fullmetal Alchemist is more of a character driven story rather than a plot driven story, meaning the plot happens because of the decisions and desires of the characters. It makes sense that the first 4 chapters would be more focused on character writing and character dynamics instead of setting up plot points for the future story because you want the audience to care for the cast and be engaged with how they handle the overall conflict. Even though the Elrics are presented with basic traits in the beginning, it still gives the audience an idea as to who Edward and Alphonse are as people and thus we latch onto how they would respond to the ordeals presented. Chapters 3 and 4 even highlight how Edward stands out amongst other state alchemists as a man of the people, rather than be steadfast to the rules of the military or malevolently selfish like Yoki was in chapter 3. Showcasing their strengths and competency also acts as a familiar front for readers since most shonen action stories have their main characters succeed with very little trouble early on in the narrative, only for Arakawa to pull the rug from under the readers with chapters 5-7 by reminding us that these boys are still children and only human, showcasing their weaknesses in a way that is the equivalent of an author's note telling us that this story won't be like the others. In my opinion, having a well crafted narrative won't mean much in the long run if you don't care for the cast and Arakawa does a good job in establishing the Elric brothers first before going full throttle into what the overarching plot is going to be.

[@criticaljinx]

imo, it's best to start with the 2003 anime up to Ep.50....and then start up on Brotherhood at episode 10. That way you get a lot of the slower burning storybuilding and can shift into the original story without much issue

[@Eli_Guy]

I'll admit I prefer Brotherhood, BUT whenever I recommend FMAB, I always tell people to watch '03 first until they hear about the fifth labrotory. Its a clunky transition, but imo makes B's start a lot more digestable. Also, getting inturruped by your brother while talking about FMA is amazing lul

[@bwaka9178]

Im writing this because fma 2003 means a lot to me and im curious to see if anyone has any similar experience with these 2 shows. I think the main problem people have with fullmetal alchemist 2003 is that they compare it to the manga and brotherhood witch to some degree is fair. I'm not a big anime fan myself these days but i was completely blown away by fma 2003. The main thing that i notice with fma 2003 is that it has a huge emphasis on themes and tone. It for goes a lot of other characters involvement in the story in favor of a more focused theme and character inspection. I feel fma 2003 was trying to focus on ed and al more than any other plotlines and how cruel the world can be. It focuses on how loss is inevitable and to try to fix the past will only lead to more pain. The parts it wants you to soak in in fma 2003 is done with a lot of attention to mood and atmosphere aswell as well as fleshing out Ed and Als as characters. What the manga and brotherhood did differently is add alot more to the world and the different facets of it. It added a lot more characters and their place in this fictional world. It has more of an emphasis of showing more interest in many characters and what part they play in this magical adventure. Now in my opinion i do not really care to watch brotherhood and i rarely ever think about it because of the fact don't feel i was able to really connect with it on any deep level. To me brotherhood is a magical adventure with some dark elements here and there but are mostly skimmed over. Fma 2003 to me is a story about 2 brothers who have to come to terms with there own powerlessness in a cruel world that they can never fully change and it has stuck in my mind since ive watched it. I did not get what i was able to get out of fma 2003 from brotherhood, faithful adaptation or not they did something entirely unique with the manga in question. I feel brotherhood lost a lot of ed and al's personal struggles in favor of a more broader cast and world make them seem less of a focus in the story in general. I love fullmetal alchemist 2003 for it's ability to Make you feel and relate to ed and al on such a deep level and i never read or cared wether it stayed true to the source material. It was an amazing series on its own merit's.

[@thesquishedelf1301]

FMA ‘03 is unambiguously Ed and Al’s story. Brotherhood uses Ed and Al to introduce us to the world, but the minute Ling shows up, it becomes his story. All of the hardest emotional beats in Brotherhood’s ending are with Ling and Greed, with an honorary mention to Scar. Ed and Al get the happy ending, but Ling drove the plot from the moment he showed up. Ed and Al became important characters in _his_ story, and the story of the world. And so… they just feel like viewpoints, IMO. They’re just another part of this band of characters, instead of THE protagonists.

[@JSAmember]

I am an anime only. So I cannot really comment on the manga, but I do like videos that discuss it and I appreciate the time you took to go over it. When it comes to the shows I honestly do not see many FMA defenders. There are some, but usually the opinions I see (outside of video essays) are that FMAB is better and FMA should be skipped. I really think it does the world of FMA a disservice. FMA is such a good show especially the first half. I know the overall plot and narrative falls apart at the end, but the themes and the way FMA tells its story are really good. FMAB is overall has a stronger plot thread to follow, but FMA handled so much stuff with care and really elevated what was minor things in FMAB. One change I really do not like is, as was mentioned, the Nina story. In FMA they stay with Tucker for several months (I think) and in FMAB they are only there for like three days. It is still a horrible tragedy, but it hit so much harder when you think about how long they spent there getting to know the Tuckers. I think that FMAB is better from an objective view, but FMA is my favorite even though it has a weaker ending. Obviously FMAB had a lot to cover and it wanted to go over it quick to get to new material so the skimming and cutting is expected. Afterall it takes like 8 episodes to get to like episode 20 of FMA. I do think the first episode of FMAB is a mess especially for new comers, but they probably planned it assuming most people watching new about the show so they could throw everyone in at once. It was still a poor idea, but they had their reasons. Last year, I was showing my roommate Fullmetal Alchemist for the first time and I spent a long time trying to figure out if I should show him FMA or Brotherhood. I tried to make a hybrid list where we could watch the beginning of FMA and then swap to Brotherhood until after the Laboratory 5 incident and then it could just be FMAB from there out. Ultimately I did not end up finding a way to cohesively put them together so we just watched FMAB, but I hate that many people miss out on the great story telling that was present in FMA's first half.

[@AmeCitri]

FMA 03 was how I was introduced to the franchise, so I have a bias. The animation and art style is better than in the Brotherhood, or at least looks more refined. I only grasped very little from Brotherhood version, and while I do enjoy the more serious tone of 03, I did see cool ideas in Brotherhood. But there is something I will never forgive 03 for NOT doing, that Brotherhood did flawlessly. Making Ed and Winry a loving husband and wife, with cute kids. Ed visiting real world, mind blow. Souls of people from real world being the fuel for alchemy, deep. But separating Ed and Winry...I hate that...I hate that will all my heart. Luckily we can say that the movie is not canon due to a short 4th wall breaking scene, where it is revealed that the events of the movie was...a movie. Ed and everyone being just actors. Winry appears asking Ed, who was the sexy gipsy. So, 03 > Brotherhood, with the movie being none canon. as far as I am concerned. // P.S. Nice video essay. I enjoyed it a lot~

[@CrimsonCharan]

Funny how everyone says FMA Brotherhood cuts out the Youswell mining arc and Yoki's backstory, when in actuality, it kinda doesn't. While it doesn't fully adapt it, we do see it in Episode 38 of the show, through a quick series of, admittedly funny black-and-white, Charlie Chaplin-esqe vinettes. It's a choice that, for me at least, turned out to be the best course of action. For one, Yoki's a bit of a joke, and those vinettes do a good of highlighting that. But there are a few more, much bigger reason why I think jumping straight into the Tucker arc after Cornello works for me. I see Cornello and Yoki as sort of the same: lowly sleazeballs drunk on power oppressing a small town, albeit in different ways. Seeing two of those back to back would've been a little repetitive, so for variety, it makes sense to jump straight into the story of Shou Tucker, someone who, unlike the other two, was a twisted psychopath with no morals. Another big thing is that, while Yoki's story was just a one-off that ends with him getting chased out of Youswell, Cornello was a puppet in a much larger game (unknown to him). Once Ed and Al exposed Cornello, Father and the Homunculi simply got rid of him, and twisted the fallout in their favour. The riots that happened in Liore as a result of that were gonna happen anyway. It's just that, as Lust said, 'they finished ahead of schedule'. Episode 4 and Tucker's story, even though it's technically a one-off similar to Youswell, has a ton of thematic significance (extremes of science/alchemy) that Youswell didn't, while also being an emotional gut-punch. On top of that, it was also an effective introduction for Scar. Up until the end of that episode, he was nothing more than a mystery man who was running around and killing people. When he kills Nina at the end, we see that he is capable of mercy, showing that there is a person underneath: something that's expanded on in the next episode, when we learn of the Ishvalan genocide. Ultimately, every choice Brotherhood makes end up in its favour. Even the first episode, which is, by all accounts, a filler, comes around later: the Philosopher's Stone has a soft introduction, and we learn why Ed and Al have been searching for it in episode 2. In episode 35, once the big plan's been cracked, the show flashes back to the Ice Alchemist, where we see Isaac warning Ed and Al that King Bradley would 'lead us all to ruin', something that, at the time, Ed dismissed without consideration, and is now living in its consequences. Whether the show doing so reveals its hand at the bigger story a little too much too early, you be the judge. But it's this ability to build off and meaningfully recontextualize the events of the first few episodes that makes Brotherhood stand out. And while I do wish Nina and Hughes stuck around longer than they did, their presence was still significant enough to make those moments hit. At least, that's how I see it.

[@Talyrion]

I mean, i see it less as an adaptation, and more as a saving throw - a funny one, but still. Cutting the Youswell chapter does create a few problems, I think. It's the place where the three alchemy taboos are introduced (and as a result, when it comes back waaay later with the introduction of the manequin army, it feels like Brotherhood pulls it out of its ass, since it only ever talked about human transmutation). It's the first, easily dismissible, sign that all is not well with the military, but done in a more subtle way than having basically every answer handed to you as in the Brotherhood filler opening. It means the introduction of Yoki as Scar's would-be betrayer, then guide, is just plain weird. It also weakens Mei's character a lot, since it cuts her introduction, and remove a lot of why she chose to come back for the finale. I honestly disagree with every early Brotherhood choice playing in its favour. In general, I do think pacing is Brotherhood's main weakness, and not just for the first ten episodes.

[@nothingsacred8684]

I’ve only ever seen Brotherhood. I never felt like I experienced an information overload. I was hooked from episode 1

[@princessthyemis]

I'm forever grateful for FMA 03 for introducing me to the world, concept, story, overall exisitence of Fullmetal Alchemist at all, because it was one of my very first anime (when i fully knew what anime was) that I discovered and was excited to watch by myself. I went in totally blind to everything about it, and not knowing what was going to happen each episode was amazing. I'd never seen anything that dark or mature before and it glued my emotions to the screen; captivated me like nothing else. Now, FMAB and the manga are my favorites of all time. I wonder if I'd still like 03 if i watched it again. Simply seeing some clips here are giving me nostlagia!!!!! :D (Not to mention 03 introduced me to Asain Kung Fu Generation [i just realized that, and it's lowkey blowing my mind] since they have become one of my favorite bands for almost 18 years now!!)

[@idagergely6235]

I think you cant really say you watched Fullmetal Alchemist without having seen both animes. There are so many things in both of them that fill out the missing parts in the other anime. Its kind of a package deal, and if you wanna get the whole experience of this masterpiece you gotta watch them both. What i really love is watching the old version on rainy days, when i want to see something super dark and mature, and when i want to be uplifted i watch Brotherhood to feel happy. Or even best, sometimes i watch the half of the old version, and then i switch the the newer version to finish with a manga accurate ending. The beginning of 2003 was so strong it still haunts me till this day...

[@smily1717]

i appreciate this video for making me realize how much of the 03 anime provided so much characterization context for when i read the manga as a teen, i think my impression of the manga was so high ONLY bc i had seen 03 first. i think i got the best experience of watching 03, reading, and then seeing fmab. thanks for sharing!

[@knghtbrd]

FMA2003 is a really good anime. It seriously is. And people saying "yeah but Brotherhood is better" are making the mistake of comparing apples and oranges. They're also forgetting that they know the stuff that Brotherhood doesn't really spend much time on. And … you can't really stitch the first half of 2003 on to Brotherhood. So: if I think someone will like FMA, I introduce them to 2003. If they're gonna be hooked, they will be and they'll binge watch it and tell me the show was great. Then I'll show them Brotherhood and warn them it speedruns right up to Lab 5… And they binge watch it and love it! They might like one or the other more in the end, but the fact is they'll love both if they were gonna be into either.

[@kingofbel6499]

Brotherhood was good but FMA 2003 is just objectively better written. The feeling that I get after watching both is that 2003 was a story made for adults who would understand better its dark and mature themes, while Brotherhood was made with a younger and more casual audience in mind. Also Brotherhood just felt rushed at times, despite them having 64 episodes to work with. Compared to 2003 the story was way too tame, with a happy ending that anyone could see coming a mile away. The whole message about alchemy is that you gotta make sacrifices to achieve something, and while 2003 delivered that beautifully, Brotherhood gave the characters what they wanted with barely any losses.

[@h0110wkn1ght-y]

Fmab is a great way of watching fma without having to rewatch fma

[@oleksandrbyelyenko435]

Lol

[@The4leggedpirates]

The inverse is true as well

[@imhopelesslyaddictedtofent4266]

I watched fmab first and I was very confused for the first several episodes. It expects you to have already seen the original.

[@enigmatic2878]

I really wished I knew about the part where fmab doesn't properly retell its stories though... If I did, I could have watched 2003, then switch to fmab the moment 2003 starts to diverge from the original source

[@robertsnitchler3016]

Brotherhood EXPECTS that you've already seen 03

[@NFoot10]

My favorite filler of 03 is ep 16 when the girl steals Ed's metal leg to help his Grandfather. And also I still recommend people to watch ep 25 of 03 over ep 10 of Brotherhood, because it's infinitely better adaptation of Hughes's death. That said, I think FMA deserves a true adaption, I think it needs to be remade by someone who can take the best of all 3 versions and combine them into a complete adaptation so that we don't have to go back and forth between 03 and Brotherhood anymore, maybe even try to dig deeper into the source material, for the depth of this work is immense.

[@sabeaur]

the 03 anime didnt even have to do all that. they cold opened on a failed resurrection. job done.

[@rebootmyth8753]

FMA started great but loses steam midway and towards the end - I remember in particular feeling that the vices are not fleshed out enough and feeling a lot of the world-building leading nowhere - partly because the manga itself was still in production, I guess. I'd argue it's a better an animation overall since it does a better job contextualizing for viewers and the initial pacing was really well done. FMAB started in a mess (I agree here) but ramps up nicely and ended with the proper amount of emotional commitment from the viewer as it benefitted from a synchronised ending with a very good manga. I'd still put this above FMA because it's a better *adaptation* overall. The former isn't too rare amongst the titles we see anime after several season. The latter is a rare animal we almost never see.

[@happyliltre3721]

I think everybody should watch 2003 and then Brotherhood. I loved both and just appreciate the different ways of adapting the story. Very odd case for 2 anime’s to be so good and so different and that’s what’s also special IMO. Ed and Al are just great characters in both

[@borjankosarac3645]

As an ardent defender of FMAB, there’s a big part of me that wishes we had an adaptation that actually adapted the first few stories in order and in turn, recaptured the manner of Arakawa’s presentation of the world and characters… Both FMAB and FMA2003 restructure the events preceding the first Scar encounter, which give us a distinct atmosphere to build the story off of: in the manga after the two Lior chapters, we get the Youswell/Yoki chapter, followed by Bald on the train (which is our introduction to Roy Mustang in person); in 2003, their version of Lior (which is indeed the most fleshed-out) is followed by an extended flashback story arc which creates a few self-contained episodes but has those two and the Tucker story in it… reordered to fit, but helping to introduce Maes Hughes better than both other versions; Brotherhood makes the interesting choice to give us a different opening story that introduces a few major characters, followed by the flashback episode, then one for Lior and then Nina Tucker and Scar in that order… BH has a lot of my favourite elements, but I do wish there was around 10-13 more episodes. Most of which I’d have put in the first third of what we got (so before the fight with Lust at the 3rd Laboratory); the adaptation has an introductory first 10-15% that is both too fast yet also too slow. Paradoxically, once we meet Greed the storyline hits the brisk stride that really makes it a phenomenal story in terms of pacing, but it does take a bit to get there…

[@lucthelazysquid20]

No need to stress over the quality of the video, you did a great job with it, specially considering you're having to balance it out with IRL stuff like school and etc. I've watched both this one and the HxH video, and had pleasant and even informative time with both. Keep up the great work, and wish you some good sleep.

[@Shadowknightarchfind]

i feel a reason for the skipped parts in fmab might be because they assumed most of the audience would be people who have watched fma 03 so the world building that did happen didn't in the early episodes would be wasted on them, and the first episode is a good way to get old viewers back into the groove and manga readers to know this will be a much more faithfull adaptation than 2003's anime

[@JunTekuTheEngima]

The only problem with that is episode 1 of brotherhood is terrible. Why start the story in spot that doesn't match the manga or the 03? If anything episode 1 is basically foreshadowing to the extent that borders on spoilers.

[@DrTimes99]

@@JunTekuTheEngima It's a show-off episode. It showcases how beautiful the new animation is. It throws in copious amounts of action scenes. We get tons of screen time for fan favorites Armstrong and Hughes, Mustang literally getting dunked on, a beautiful scene of Bradly being a B.A., and an intro scene for Kimbley, important since he's going to play a more significant role this time around. I think the biggest spoilerly thing that happens is subtle enough not to ruin things for people new to FMA, but a good way to show '03 viewers that this isn't going to be a rehash of the the old version. I understand why people think it's terrible, but I also see why it exists.

[@JunTekuTheEngima]

@@DrTimes99 why would any of that be necessary? The fma story isn't really supposed to be an action based plotline, I mean the most important and engaging part of the story is the story itself. If anything it's dumb to start any fma story anywhere but with liore and cornello. The whole point of that story is to slowly introduce us as an audience to the world and to showcase how alchemy works while also introducing us to the brothers and their goal to find the philosopher stone. the significance of Ed's clap alchemy is lost when you introduce all these alchemist in episode 1 not having to draw out their circles- which ruins the significance of it when your audience doesn't entirely know of how alchemy works as a power system.

[@DrTimes99]

@@JunTekuTheEngima It's not necessary at all. That's why I called it a show-off episode. It exists to be red meat for fans of the '03 anime. It does nothing for the story. It's flash instead of substance. It's sprinkles on ice cream. Some people love how they look, other people think they ruin the dessert. Ultimately though there's no substantial change. Having a lot of action doesn't make it an action based plot-line. It's a man-hunt episode, and the story focuses on trying to understand their target to catch him. It introduces the idea of government corruption and Ed's short-sighted tendency to disregard situations that aren't currently affecting him. On the other hand, it does make the beginning feel redundant as now it seems like every other person goes, "What no transmutation circle? An automail arm and leg? An empty suit of armour? You attempted human transmutation the ultimate taboo!" For crying out loud, they even shoe horn Mustang into the story even though he shouldn't even be in Central, just for fan service. I'm not saying it's good, or that I like it, or that I agree with it's inclusion. Only that I understand why it exists.

[@mategido]

Idk how much of that is cannon cause I still havent read the manga but I still love the og FMA opening episodes following their childhood, entrance exams for the military etc

[@KatherinaBathory]

FMAB was made so close to the first adaptation that I'm sure they thought most target audiences at the time had seen it. So it's faster and uses the first episode as a way of getting the fans to clap at seeing the brothers being badass immediately. So, when I introduced the series to my husband who had never watched it. I used the 2003 opening of the show and then switched to brotherhood. 😅

[@mellow8176]

funny enough, FMA was my first ever manga, and I was so excited to get it that when barnes and noble didnt have volume one the day went, I just got volume two and started there! I wonder how that impacted things. I still got so absorbed bc i got to see cool homunculi and all, but man it was dark fast

[@davidriddell5573]

I always suggest people watch the 1st half of FMA before starting FMAB. The 2 are great companion pieces and the brothers in 2003 get so much more subtle depth added to them. They're so much more realistically flawed people in that adaptation.

[@figlet6427]

Love the way you break down some of the lesser discussed aspects of these stories, thanks for the good work💛✨️

[@Glamador]

I was completely absorbed by the second arc of the 2003 manga. I had never seen such a dark and violent show before, as I was still quite young snd US TV animation just... didn't do that, back then. When I tell you I became *obsessed* with FMA 2003, I don't think I can truly put into words just what that meant for me. It was my favourite thing in the world for the entire run on Adult Swim. I adorned myself in merch, discussed it endlessly online, and proselytized it to anyone I could corner. I've spent a lifetime now loving and hating FMA, as Brotherhood has almost entirely erased the discourse around 2003's take on the concept. Nobody wants to give it the time of day, whereas I could talk about it forever. I think the best reference for my hatred of FMAB would be the "hate" monologue from I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream. It consumes my thoughts every time I hear the phrase "FMA", to the extent I cannot even bear to remember my favourite anime because the hate for its replacement has eclipsed it so completely. It's terrible.

[@tejirie.9861]

13:47 LMAO Honestly with how Ed left Winry for GERMANY in Shamballa, this would be the best ending for her.

[@Yonkage-ik5qb]

One of the biggest changes for me is a piece of characterization that is subtle and literally nobody else has mentioned. Roy Mustang and Flame Alchemy. See, in the manga and Brotherhood it's a big plot point that the technique is a secret one that was tattooed on Hawkeye's back, and Mustang burned it so nobody else could learn it, because it was so powerful and dangerous. In the 2003 anime, that plot point hadn't happened. What results is the inevitable conclusion that in 2003 literally anyone could do Flame Alchemy, but Mustang is just really good at it because he's that much of a badass. In the canon it ends up feeling like his character is undervalued, because his power is just that he knows a secret that nobody else does.

[@l.n.3372]

I honestly felt like the 2003 anime didn't even get a true ending. Some plots aren't wrapped up without conqueror of shambhalla. An extra movie was a bad way to conclude the show. But if you exclude the movie entirely, then a bunch of stuff just goes completely unresolved and unanswered. That's bad too. The manga and brotherhood resolved and answered everything they set out to do. And anybody who didn't like said anwers is free to have their own opinions of course. But all that means is that they prefer the filler anime to the source material.

[@juannaym8488]

I think there's nothing wrong to leave some things unanswered. The ending of FMA03 suits the narrative and theme. If some things stay open, so be it, some plot threads are better left tangling

[@l.n.3372]

@juannaym8488 I disagree. They made a movie to wrap up loose ends. Whether the movie is good or not depends on the person. But the fact that said movie exists means that even they felt that the show didn't do enough to conclude itself. Otherwise they'd not have made said movie.

[@rollio1678]

​@l.n.3372 They definitely wanted to do more since the movie was initially conceived as a new season, but since brotherhood started development that switched to it being a movie and them ending things off. Shamballa suffers greatly from them trying to shove a whole seasons worth of ideas into a single hour 30 movie that in of itself was cut down to reduce time. As much as I wish 2003 continued for a little bit I think ending it when they did was the right call, especially with brotherhood already in the works.

[@l.n.3372]

@rollio1678 That makes sense why Shambhalla movie was disappointing.

[@reidwallace4258]

I'm not a big anime guy. I like it well enough, but its never been my thing really. I remember years ago I watched Brotherhood because Netflix or somebody shoved it infront of me. I liked it well enough having never interacted with the franchise before, watchable show. I told my friend, a big anime nerd, that I liked it and he flipped his shit that I hadn't seen the good one. Next thing I know we are sat down watching it. Nothing is better about it from a TV show perspective. I'm sure if you go into it knowing the story from the Manga/other series, Brotherhood falls flat as fuck, sure. I whole heartedly believe that... But holy shit, the pacing, the tone alternating between lightheaded and childish and dark as fuck at random, really interesting questions being posed then just fucking ignored while we go do another side story... The man had an amazing story to tell, and built a glorious setting to tell it in. His art kicks ass... But he did not make the script for a super watchable TV show.

[@AubreyTheKing]

Both the Manga, the 2003 adaptation and Brotherhood are OUTSTANDING! They're all perfect in their own way! No matter what version you choose, doesn't matter. They're all one of the best piece of medias of Fullmetal Alchemist! Let's just all agree that the Netflix adaptation was trash. Ok? GOOD!

[@Kaitalise]

Wait, am I the only one who usually loves the beginning of shounens most? The first episodes or arc where we see the daily life and adventures of this unique hero and his personality and powers in their special fantastic home world. After that the arcs and fights get so dragged on and everything turns into the same formulaic battle goo. Be it FT, Bleach, OP or other. What parts of a hundreds of episodes long shounen do I rewatch? The start of course!

[@spectacularspider-man4886]

As someone who hasn't seen either yet this video helped a lot. Ty, u got a new sub

[@SenJenko]

I foresee greatness for you Another banger man

[@SenJenko]

Also I love your choice of music. I have a bunch of deltarune and Undertale remixes on my page (hate the fucking fans but my god does Toby fox make good tracks) they're not as good as many others but feel free to use any of them if you ever want for these

[@BenjoKazooie64]

I started with Brotherhood and then went back to 2003. Loved both, and as great as the mangahood story and characters are, they're not the ones that completely stuck with me as the best versions. The time the original show spends on establishing the more human aspects of all its characters and the drama/tragedy surrounding the events of Amestris/Ishval goes so far for making you feel and understand these characters and the underlying reasons for why you should care about them and their world. The parts of Brotherhood where you're watching condensed and stereotyped versions of the original characters kind of cheapen the experience until the 'real' plot not covered by 2003 starts to hit its stride. Even then I feel like 2003 goes further in its darker aspects and lingers on the humanity of its character drama better. I wish for a perfect world in which we'd gotten a more finished version of 2003's story that also incorporated what makes mangahood so beloved. Either way you're not getting the complete FMA experience without having watched both. Thanks for really cementing how 2003 deserves to be remembered. Edit: forgot to mention that 2003 has Rewrite, which is simply the greatest OP of the entire franchise

[@EmeralBookwise]

In some ways, I feel like brotherhood is better if one just skips its adaptations of the earlier chapters entirely, substituting instead the counterparts from 03 for everthing before the fifth lab. There are certainly bits and pieces that don't quite line up, and maybe an ideal version would be some kind of fan edit that splices the early episodes from both amimes together.

[@suprabonumetmalum]

I see this recommendation constantly every time I watch FMA 2003 videos and all I can do is get frustrated. Why can't people understand that FMA2003 is its own thing different from Brotherhood and accept it for what it is?

[@EmeralBookwise]

@@suprabonumetmalum: to be clear. I wasn't saying to skip the second half of 03. I think it's still a plenty good series that stands just fine all on its own. What I was saying is that the first half of 03 is so much better that there's arguably no reason to watch the truncated Brotherhood version of those episodes.

[@badbeardbill9956]

Just watch both and understand their differences

[@slvrgrrtt]

I love fma 03, i prefer the darker nature of it and also the timeline and events at the beginning. What really bothered me though was that some events were so anticlimactic. Especially with the brothers discovering hughes death. In the show, Hughes' character is a symbol of lightheartness and being carefree, so, when Hughes dies, its a turning point in the show, from it being more lighthearted to suddenly much more serious and dark. However, the brothers finding out is another turning point, theres a tension because of the dramatic irony of everyone knowing about his death except them, everything is much more serious now, but the elrics are still (somewhat) lighthearted like before the death. So, when they discover Hughes' died, this should be a big turning point because now the Erics have caught up to this change. In 03, it is not until close to the end that they find out which is very anticlimactic and really loses the point because all the tension has fizzled away because the death was so long ago and ,at that point ,ends up irrelevant. It does this similarly with them finding out that the town they believed they saved they actually had worsened. Overall though, i think i prefer 03. I wasnt a fan in brotherhood when there's the pandagirl and the guy that becomes greed (I'm not great with names).

[@asherward3671]

I was introduced to fma through the 2003 anime and so got really attached to Nina because of the extra time spent with her due to the filler. It also established them as a warm familial environment for the boys in that house which makes it even more tragic when everything is torn away. In that way that was always my one major disappointment with brotherhood because that section feels so rushed that it is almost like a monster of the week rather than a fundamental core trauma for Edward and Al that fuels a lot of their inner conflict and philosophy going forward. That and there being no adaptation of the “brothers” track which is such a melancholic piece of music although that probably fits the overall darkness of the 2003 anime where the boys feel more out of their depth and vulnerable in general

[@sword3197]

Watched 2003 and brotherhood when I first got into anime and was surprised to see brotherhood was more popular. Years later still feel the same ngl

[@andrewmitchell2343]

Also does anyone question why Cornello transforms into Senator Armstrong in Brotherhood? Like what were they afraid he was too lame a villain?

[@spitfiremanlizerd]

The author really said " I don't wanna write anything sad anymore" after Nina. The manga became a much more upbeat shonen manga compared to something like shambala. 2003 FMA was borline seinen.

[@TheChristXYz]

I remember not even knowing there were two series and damn when i think of fma i still think of the og first and brotherhood second. Daga brotherhood is what unironically turned me into a hardcore anime fan

[@Cindy67917]

The one thing that I lime about the 2003 series is the character growth of Ed and Al and everything they were going through. Heck, I even made a fanfic based on the original series.

[@MelchVagquest]

The OG anime was good when it was all we had, but once the manga was completed, it was clear just how off the mark they really were. Nobody cares about the "Other Eric Brothers", Dante, Lyra, Frank Archer, or Chimera Shou Tucker. Not to mention the timeline changes to running into Bald, meeting Yoki, and the events of Nina, Alexander and Shou Tucker

[@l.n.3372]

It also royally fucks with the existing characters. When you read the manga or watch brotherhood, all of 2003 anime feels off. For example, the plot that Hohenheim had a child with Dante (envy) that died and was human transmuted. This made up plot ruins envy story by giving a completely new background for said character. And it lessens Hohenheim character too. And for what? The mediocre payoff of their deaths in conqueror of shambhalla?! Such a waste.

[@ZackeroniAndCheese]

I've only seen brotherhood and never seen 2003 nor read the manga. So this was insightful for me

[@ravajbains8672]

03 is Awesomeness... ❤❤❤

[@lets_talkabout_anime]

I always try to spread love/awareness for '03 because is it perfect? No. Does it have some annoying filler and a bad ending? Yes. But as you perfectly laid out here I think you're really doing yourself a disservice not getting all that extra character and world building, and I don't think I would have gotten as attached to as many of the characters as I did had I not watched '03 before Brotherhood even came out. Over on my anime blog on Insta a lot of that community seems to be relatively newer anime fans and a lot of them have ONLY seen Brotherhood. And they still generally think it's amazing, but in a different way than older fans do. I would recommend to anybody to watch '03 first and THEN Brotherhood as the ultimate way to experience FMA. In fact I think Brotherhood was written, in part, assuming viewers had already seen 03 so there was less of a need for exposition and to rehash character development. But the further out we get, the less that seems to be true. And hot take: I like the origin of the homunculi as failed human transmutation better in '03 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@36inc]

I have to point out the obvious problem with this critique. Its full metal alchemist. We all got hooked twice atleast so obviously these early chapters did have enough intrigue. Imrpivement is not always from anlosing positon to a winning one. Sometimes its from a strong one to a stronger one.

[@kenshin6553]

Every time an episode ended and Tobira No Mukou E started playing…I got chills

[@justacarbuncle]

29:48 yes it is in fact false. In an interview the director said he purposefully chose not to watch FMA03 because he did not want any to be influenced by it and wanted to take his own direction on it.

[@jamesdietz29]

Brotherhood is my favorite adaptation, but there are aspects of 03 I would like to "fan edit" into it. Thanks for your essay!

[@wherfus]

When I tell people FMA is my favorite anime of all time, what I mean is both shows together. That's how I consume it on a rewatch. I watch 03, the OVA, then Brotherhood. IMO its the best of all worlds.

[@yournumberonepal]

I prefer the 2003 version.

[@Seek1878]

same!

[@raymontyoungblood4453]

You did a great job on BOTH videos. Like I said on the last one, even though we can agree to disagree, I still think that you made some valid points as well. Keep growing and keep improving, but also--it's KZbin lol... Don't let it get in the way of your studies haha

[@jaysuuk1458]

I thought the review was very efficient. Ive watched the series at a young age and watched it over and over, I love channels like this.

[@kokoado]

I propose the prologue-cut of anime FMA : Begin with 2003 until the laboratory arc, then switch to brotherhood to keep to the cannon story.

[@cfehunter]

I *much* prefered the 2003 version of the first arc to the brotherhood version. It's just way darker and it sets the tone so well. Brotherhood all the way for everything past that frankly, the alternative earth stuff got weird.

[@GrizverG]

I was hoping to hear something about the greatness of the improvised plot compared to the finished source material, not comparison between a well done opening sequence and liberties taken by the second run to not bore returning viewers to death by repeating things that were already done great

[@Eboshis_right_arm]

Holy canoli, This is the first time I've used a slower speed setting vs 5x. I had to put you on 0.75x cause you were talking so fast it made me anxious 🤣 great vid though!

[@itsdantaylor]

I am one of the few who preferred FMA and Conqueror of Shamballah to FMAB. MOSTLY because it didn't end up like every shonen anime with the protag basically getting god like power, beating GOD, and basically getting the super happy ending. The characters have to ask hard questions about themselves and their enemies, they have to deal with consequences of actions, and not everything works out in the end but they have to keep moving.

[@TheYoungVulnerableAnimeGirls]

Good video. Will you make a video about Magical Pokaan now?

[@Landuskir]

I loved FMA2003 until the 5th lab arc. Then it felt like it went off the rails. Learned later that there was a manga and read that from beginning to end. Then saw Brotherhood. If I had started with the manga, I'm not sure if I would have stuck with it. 2003 did a phenomenal job of selling the story.

[@evilbutterfly8]

I feel like the artstyle and the music was better in 03, they always did a good job portraying the mood with the use of lighting and darker shadows, whereas botherhoods Ed and characters looked more round and wide, later on the characters looked better, and the backgrounds always have this grainy spraycan look, I love brotherhood but 2003 has some better artistic choices...on another note, one thing that I always think about is that no matter which series you watch, Ed always ends up with the same outfit at the end (I guess its his Dads old clothes or something)😂

[@AndyBC09]

Its incredible how easy i forgot how much i love FMA, it's easily my favorite anime, even so i only watched it twice and don't consume so much content

[@shawnleeguku]

I generally prefer 2003 overall, and I could name all kinds of reasons but I think it's just because I saw it first and it resonated with me emotionally in ways that Brotherhood didn't. 2003 also dealt with religion and faith in a way that I found more compelling and interesting. The rushed chapters aren't as much a problem for me since I almost always watch Brotherhood after rewatching 03, so I've still got that introduction arc fresh in my mind, but the homunculi's origins are less interesting to me as minions split off from one bad dude instead of a reflection of the sins of various real humans. Brotherhood's feel-good, somewhat bittersweet ending really hits home though--Somewhere in the back of my head I like to imagine that '03 Ed and Al find their way to the same happy ending eventually.

[@Teifling]

I still need to watch Brotherhood, but I want to rewatch '03 first. I did watch about 4 episodes into brotherhood and felt lacking, despite people online saying "Skip '03, it's trash. Just watch Brotherhood". I think, knowing how much I liked '03 and knowing that it covers those early chapters so thoroughly while ingraining the emotional ties so well, it's probably best to watch it to get that groove wo I can power through the early episodes to get to the meat of Brotherhood's adaptation of the full manga.

[@GerroxJr1]

One more thing I really like the 2003 version for, is that Alphonse's suit of armor, isn't a soul, bonded to the armor. The crest is just an image or copy of what Edward could remember about his brother. That hit SO much harder than just having his soul bonded to the armor via a crest.

[@sh3n3ng]

Your video essay sounds sincere, which not everyone can do.

[@AmandaFessler]

Wait... you're telling me the backstory starts in Chapter 21? Holy... They definitely did it right by putting that in episode 3. As for Brotherhood's cutting things out, and I guess I'm probably thinking about this in the wrong way - from a fan's perspective rather than a first time viewer's - I just assumed that they were making BH based on the assumption that I'd already seen 03. Dumb teenage thinking, but that made the most sense to me at the time. The first parts of BH were me doing a retread, with the meat being in 03. Then it goes into the main narrative that was left off when 03 branched out. It's also the reason I thought they did that Freezing alchemist episode: Just a grand old reintroduction to everyone, catching up after 6 years or so, while hinting at the direction the manga took, i.e. the glimpse of Father in the end.

[@thales7178]

Hello! I saw your two videos about fullmetal, pretty good man! I think you make your point clear, even if I disagree with some things (I got hooked on the show on the first episode LOOOOL). Also, I think you could lower the volume of your transitions (Right at the beginning and at 1:59, to give you examples), for them to be in a closer volume to your voice (to not have contrasting volumes). I hope it helps you in some way! Keep going, I hope your channel grows.

[@LunaticThePhantom]

@@thales7178 thank you so much ^^

[@blackcatpirates8134]

​@@LunaticThePhantom Yo buddy, do you need a video editor?

[@LunaticThePhantom]

@@blackcatpirates8134 I'm fine with what I got (Vegas Pro 18) but I wouldn't mind getting a better one sometime in the future

[@LegnaiaUnderground]

Good video! While I cannot recall my first reactions about it from 20 years ago, I think ep 4 didn't hurt me so much in fhe first place, it has got various defects but I can deal with them no problem (other episodes have defects too, like 10 where I save the Lupin the third homages and not much more)... The one who bugs me more is that, after you get to know better Edward in later episodes, you realize his lack of emotion after the death in ep 4 is *really* out of character. But I can just take that episode for what it is and and accept its a bit sub-par.

[@Kai-lp5ej]

03 is peak I’m not tryna hear anything else

[@MrVaern]

When I was watching the beginning portion of Brotherhood it really felt like they had made it with the assumption that their target audience had already seen the '03 anime and they wanted to rush through the stuff that everyone had already seen to get to the point where '03 diverged from the manga. Brotherhood may have started with that anime-original episode at least in part to show its audience something new right from the start and reinforce that the series was not just going to be a repeat of the same story that they already knew from a few years ago. I would have rather they simply scrapped that first episode, though, and put the extra 20 minutes of screen time towards reinforcing some of the more important moments in the story. For example, Shou turning Nina into a chimera after spending several episodes with the family in '03 resulted in the most impactful emotional gut punch in the series, maybe one of the most memorable moments in all of anime; but Brotherhood isn't able to have nearly the same impact on the audience, as we only have about 10 minutes to get attached to the characters from the time they arrive at the Tuckers' home to the big reveal. It's a shame '03 doesn't seem to be available for streaming anywhere. I'd like to rewatch the first few episodes, and maybe draw up an episode guide for watching about the first third or half of '03 before picking up Brotherhood from the point their stories diverge.

[@teapealee8918]

Also a really good video ^^ I hope to see more content from you in the future