Is the manga ALWAYS better? AKA The Brotherhood Problem

[@KaoZorri]

Usually the good version is better.

[@1mikeap4]

+Kao Eclipse Is that you Shirou?

[@ANIMEman0519]

What if both versions are good

[@audiovideo-w6o]

+Kao Eclipse What I would give for everyone to agree with this.

[@UltravigoNightcore]

+Kao Eclipse wait blank is that you?

[@diedcurious]

Usually?

[@MagickFlavour]

The brotherhood problem should be an official anime term.

[@iFYMxDRKNSFALLS]

+16-bit gorillaz eventually it could.

[@MagickFlavour]

The brotherhood problem- when someone hates an anime simply because it doesn't follow the manga.

[@ZaGorudan]

+16-bit gorillaz If it's not on TVTropes, it needs to be.

[@thomaster8870]

Hmmm... I feel that it doesn't flow well. I'd suggest using "FMA", but then again, this acronym has too many misleading interpretations to outsiders and newbies. Yes, I think most people would read this as the "Fuck My Ass Problem" and assume it's about how a man cannot fuck his own ass.

[@danielsjohnson]

someone should go to TVtropes and write the article then it kind of will be official.

[@Stolas1221]

the manga for this video is better.

[@hydrolics7]

you don't get the joke.....

[@shernfrr6163]

Karl Marx true

[@sk9sdt142]

such a bourgeois debate. What about the proletariat Karl? What about the revolution?!! :)

[@x10creeper52]

Karl Marx The light novel for this video came first so it has to be even better than the manga in some way.

[@johnwhite3384]

Karl Marx in this way we are all marxists

[@dianeunderhill8131]

I look at Brotherhood and the Original as separate worlds, dimensions that share the same time and story, but certain actions lead to different outcomes.

[@MrAcerulez]

+Diane Underhill That's how i feel also. I like Brotherhood a little better despite the fact of seeing the 2003 first. Though admittedly I never saw the ending of 2003, but there as a reason i stopped watching it, i can't remember exactly what it was though... In brotherhood I like the philosophy and the ending is badass too. I also liked the whole frozen north arc too.

[@KidSnivy69]

Same I can watch and enjoy both, mainly because I can see them for their own things or as you said their own separate universes.

[@ShroomKeppie]

+MrAcerulez You quit watching the 2003 version for the same reason I did, probably: once it departed from the original material it lost its way

[@Pendragondnd]

+Diane Underhill for me, the true story of FMA is a strange hybrid of the two. I take almost exclusively from 2003 up until Greed vs Edward, at which point I switch and take mostly from Brotherhood.

[@RaphaelMYT]

+Diane Underhill Exactly my mindset!

[@agneskaasnielsen3828]

What I think is most amazing about the 2003 version is how well they made the later part of the story. They had no material to work with, yet they managed to do it so well!

[@1ajgtwm]

+Agnes Kaas Nielsen EXACTLY

[@rebelpoxy]

+Agnes Kaas Nielsen Yeah, though it did left a lot of unanswered questions. Which pissed me off during the time I finished it. I've watched the sequel movies, but it felt unsatisfying and felt incomplete in my perspective. Still shits on many animes nowadays

[@KhanMann66]

Don't forget the ost! What I missed most from the 2003 anime was the Brother soundtrack. Still tear up every time it's played.

[@KhanMann66]

Sucks that Brother was not brought back for brotherhood it's a sin I tell ya! Shame!

[@yankesjets06]

They really did an amazing job. Most anime can't even produce a decent filler arc so when you think about what they did I find it incredible.

[@tammraevans6634]

Reading these comments makes me wonder if I am the only one who likes both FMA and Brotherhood equally. They both had their strong points and weak points. Both had awesome world building, with great characters. Yes there are some things that one did better than the other, but many of those things are subjective. Not bashing anyone's opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, mine being that both adaptations are great in and of themselves. I just don't see other comments with the same viewpoint as me, and I guess I'm just feeling a bit alone.

[@bunsmasterbunny]

No, I'm right there with you. I love both Animes equally overall. I find myself gravitating to 03 more because it was the first I watched and because its themes really resonated with me and helped shape my tastes in writing, but I cannot deny Brotherhood's quality. The comedy that people complain about only feels off putting if you are used to 03 which had less comedy (though still a healthy amount) and shifted to a much darker and bleaker tone and outcome as it went on. If you have never seen 03 then the comedy of Brotherhood is less likely to bother you. And honestly I only found the comedy in Brotherhood to be bothersome during the beginning because of how rushed everything in that section was. FMA and FMAB are both amazing Animes that feel like they both fit and belong in the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise and both present different sets of themes and storylines for us to explore. FMA the more tragic and darker aspects of Humanity, and Brotherhood the lighter and more happy aspects of Humanity. Each has some elements that are better than in the other and both are very enjoyable. I don't understand why some people act like FMA 03 is terrible and not worth watching, and I don't understand why some people act like Brotherhood is a typical generic shonen anime. Brotherhood/The Manga are far less shonen than any other Manga/Anime that is inspired by Shonen (Excluding 03) I've ever seen and while it is more so than 03 it still isn't nearly enough for it to be what they claim it as.

[@katiekatdragon]

I prefered the way the homunculus were created in the 03, but prefered Brotherhoods ending so I love them both, I just slightly prefer Brotherhood.

[@nyodesu]

You're not alone. I watched Brotherhood first and I think both shows have their own Merits, they both have things that are better than each other. I feel like people should just enjoy both shows as they are, because both are good. They both deserve recognition for their greatness. People just think the newest versions of something is always better and that the old one doesn't matter *Cough* *iPhones* *Cough*, but still I feel that the 2003 has its advantages over Brotherhood and vice versa. Bottom line, just watch them both. 2003 first though, seriously. Glass here is right, folks! If you want a good 2003 Vs Brotherhood review, look up GoatJesus. His are REALLY GOOD too!

[@Nam3l3ssAnami]

I actually think the same way as you do, both of them are amazing! And i am saying that as someone that watched the 03 version when it was coming out. The way that they took their time developing the story and the characters in the 03 version was superb. The first epidoes where better than brotherhood, and Bratja is still one of my favorite songs. The story is different, but it's still great, and the conqueror of shambala, the movie, is one of my favorite anime movies. Its like...and altern universe kinda situation. Brotherhood rush a lil in the first episodes, but i think thats because they are assuming the viewer also watched the 03 version. But the original story? Gosh, its amazing!! The introduction of The xiniang people, the homunculus, the stuff of Ishvala, the dwarf in the flask...is just amazing!! I just dont understand why cant people see that both versions are amazing

[@panose6542]

I mean both have merits huges was a better character in 2003 because more time was spent on him, mustang and Scar were in my opinion worse in 2003 2003 does several parts much better such as how homunculi work or the initial human transmutation but 2003 out of necessity omitted lin Yao and all the ‘Chinese characters’ (I forgot the rest of their names)and the Briggs crew and chose a different style for the gate of truth, I didn’t like what they did but it is an interesting way to work around the manga’s more ambiguous ideas of god and truth that don’t match 2003’s themes of humanity so yeah I agree

[@nickdennison2663]

A good rule to live by... Never deal in absolutes. Nothing is ever 100%.

[@ARandomGuy24]

+Nick Dennison One of my mottos.

[@NancyTiddles]

Well sometimes I deal in absolutes... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@ryanw531]

+Nick Dennison Especially when it comes to RNG-Sama R.I.P. Colonel Maria "Bali" Martinez Cause your fellow XCOM soldier couldn't make a 96% hit rate shot.

[@anothisflame8266]

+Sean Chung Absolute Duo!

[@MrSecretSentai]

Only siths deal in absolutes

[@astromoonie]

"and I find it very unlikely that you can't find the time." _WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY ABOUT US, ARKADA?_

[@ThatRandomCyndaquil]

+toukakouka He probably thinks that if we have the time to watch this Video then we have time to watch Anime which is true

[@CeriseApple]

+toukakouka You could just watch an episode a day. Twenty minutes of your life spent on the original FMA won't kill you. Marathoning a show is probably the worst way of experiencing it imo. You have all time in the world; it's not like a bomb's gonna go off if you don't manage to marathon the show in three days.

[@ThatRandomCyndaquil]

The thing about anime is the episodes tend to end with you really wondering whats gonna happen next

[@astra_m00n]

+toukakouka obviously we have the choice to watch it over doing a different thing in our free time. It's just how you prioritize what you will be doing and he is right about that. That doesn't mean it's wrong to no watch the 2003 version, but it's true people like me could have prioritized it higher and make the time to watch it. And personally I won't ever deny that.

[@astromoonie]

CeriseApple why is marathoning a bad way to experience a show? i watched the 2003 version in 4 or 5 days. when you're marathoning you get _really_ into the show, and those feelings aren't split up by waiting a week in-between episodes.

[@ProfessorAnime]

I agree with Arkada. The original FMA was one of the best shows of it's time and I love both series equally but it's true, the whole trend with manga always being better is not ALWAYS true, sometimes it's in fact the opposite. Good video Arkada, keep it up.

[@sumireneso5341]

Professor Anime just look at K-On, the manga is pretty garbage, however the anime is considered a masterpiece to those who watched it

[@V2ULTRAKill]

Phoneguy 21 sir We dont talk about the k-on manga

[@shizuwolf]

I think the 2003 adaptations of FMA and Hellsing are more well written than the manga adaptations. The characters felt more fleshed out. Brotherhood has a better overall story, but it starts off assuming that you already know who the characters are without properly building them up. The original Hellsing has a better story that left me wanting more. Ultimate, however, had an op character going up against the standard nazi bad guys. It just felt pretty boring.

[@izukumidoriyaisssss3049]

well i prefer Brotherhood because i prefer the story and characters in Brotherhood however i also love FMA 2003 greatly except for Dante being a boring villain and conqueror of shambala because i think the movies a piece of garbage but the original anime did some great things with the characters especially Lust i really liked her characterisation in 2003 and i really liked Scar too but they also made Bradley Pride and made him nowhere near as cool as he was in Brotherhood so i was disappointed with that but it can't be helped

[@SKULLKR3W]

03 is not better than the manga not even close

[@clef0nite]

is that you know just.. in the background IS THAT KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE

[@GlassReflection]

+Hana Gouda Yep, google "designsbyCorkyLunn" for the artist. Picked that up at ConBravo myself.

[@andeven1]

+Glass Reflection here I found you at last . muwahahaha... *WATCH PARASYTE THE MAXIM ALREADY*

[@andeven1]

Wicked Rob but but but, you are missing out all the good parts too :'(

[@andeven1]

chicken pok pok pok pok

[@andeven1]

Wicked Rob you know, there are stuffs like that on each episodes but it doesn't get worse. there are philosophical, psychological elements to it

[@CurioslyTay]

Personally I watched Brotherhood first, then watched 2003 and liked both. I actually prefer Brotherhood, not because it's a more "faithful" adaption, but just because I prefer the story :) I think people should watch both because they both have good stories :)

[@HermanFalckHow]

I think you and a lot of people who watched Brotherhood first missed out by not watching the original show first. Not even because it's better(I think it is, but I can see why someone would prefer Brotherhood), but because Brotherhood's first "season" is an extremely rushed version of the first half of FMA, and you'll not get as much out of twists like the Nina Tucker or Hughes ones by only watching Brotherhood where they both have very little screentime. Nina has like 3 lines or something like that in Brotherhood for instance. And considering those are the first things people who watched FMA first will bring up as the most memorable moments and that is simply not the case for people who watched Brotherhood first.

[@luckyowl10]

@@HermanFalckHow I've watched FMA B first and after that FMA 2003, I can admit FMA 2003 brought some new details, twists and some more filler to the beginning of the story, but I still like the FMA B beginning more, it's simply a lot better written, directed version and it's much more efficient at making the audience feel the Elric brothers connection, their struggle and their alchemy capabilities especially. It's much better at building Scar as an alchemist killing machine in the name of revenge and Ishvala, that gets much more depth till the end of the series than it did in FMA 2003. I think quality > quantity

[@xendofenigmax]

This argument makes me mad, especially since Arakawa stated herself that she wanted the original series to take a different direction. They really shouldn't be compared past their respective first seasons, and that's it.

[@ZhannArt]

I like the story of 2003 (and the movie, despite many people not liking it for various reasons) it has more characterization of some characters. But the FMAB was more faithful to the manga and a beautiful adaptation which kept the precise Alchemy rules and philosophy, which I love btw. I would choose FMAB, but I would also recommend the 2003 series. Both are worth watching. Watching one of the series makes it worth watching the other series.

[@HermanFalckHow]

It is an increasingly infuriating argument. There is nothing wrong with preferring Brotherhood, or even the Manga over FMA. I get it. But it's simply wrong to say Brotherhood is better because it's closer to the Manga. It's like saying Bill Finger/Bob Kane Batman is the best version of Batman because it's the original. It's absurd. 03 is the better executed story, I don't even think it's that close.

[@akaikensei6200]

Both this and your previous video made an excellent point about the 'original' FMA. Ever since I watched Brotherhood I find myself recommending to friends or even just people I talk to who plan to watch FMA for the first time that they watch Brotherhood and not bother with the original because it was 'better'. After watching your video on the 2003 version, I found your opinions spoke to me and I found myself going back and rewatching the 2003 and found that while it was not as enjoyable as it was the times i'd watched it pre-Brotherhood, it did remind me that when i'd first heard news of Brotherhood, I found myself not wanting to watch it as I'd thought the 2003 version wrapped things up nicely and with Conqueror of Shambala the ending was fine as it was. Eventually I did break down and ended up watching Brotherhood and found I enjoyed the shiny newness of the things that weren't in the original and I hadn't seen before such as Alchehestry. However, after having rewatched the 03 FMA I see now that it was BECAUSE I'd seen the original that I was able to enjoy Brotherhood so much and thus my stance has changed. I now plan to recommend people watch the 03 version before Brotherhood so that they might be able to enjoy it more as I did. Thanks Arkada =D~Akai

[@NawidN]

+Akai Kensei That's a very interesting point. It's a shame this point wasn't raised in the video. I believe Brotherhood to be better, because I find that it pushes forward a more truthful/engaging message than the original: That you can't make something out of nothing (ex. "Souls of the dead no longer exist and cannot be brought back"), that the arrogant/boastful must pay with despair, and that much is to be gained in overcoming loss.

[@SL-blkedt]

+Akai Kensei I agree with you. I told a friend to watch brotherhood first because the 2003 one was mediocre in my opinion. As I watched it with him, I realized there was not enough time to get attached to characters. Like the Nina episode; I was not affected at all, because there was so little time to get to know her. I loved brotherhood as much as I did simply because I had watched the 2003 version. And, to be honest, I liked the 2003 explanation of the homunculus better than the brotherhood explanation.

[@MABlacksmith]

+Nawid N. I'd actually have to disagree with you a bit. In the conclusion of the 2003 FMA, Ed saves Al, but does so at the price of his place in the world and Al's memories of their years of journeying. Then, in the following movie, Conquerer of Shamballa, that is reinforced with how Ed ultimately is forced to leave Amestris for good, turning away Winry all that he loves to save what he loves. Al's case is similar, as he also loses the same things, but reclames his memories. To me, Brotherhood does have that, but not as much. Yes, Ed can no longer perform alchemy, but he has his brother back, has saved the world, is able to marry Winry, and still live in Amestris, while the ultimate end of 2003 was more bittersweet.

[@NawidN]

MABlacksmith I didn't want the ending to be bittersweet, though. Ed & Al worked hard and held on to their ideals throughout their journey. They don't deserve to get anything less of the ending they got in FMA:B. Their effort should pay off, even making the world a bit richer. (FMA:B revises the law of Equivalent Exchange in the last episode to hit home this point.) But maybe that's just my Shounen affection doing the talking.

[@stiankristiansen2572]

+Akai Kensei I completely agree with your statement and i felt the sam way as you did when i watched 2003 and afterwards Brotherhood. You took the words right out of my mouth.

[@mariano7375]

I watched brotherhood first because a friend told me that '03 wasn't worth time because it didn't follow the manga on its second half, so I never bothered to give it a chance, however like 3 months ago I watched the 2003 version because I was told it had a darker tone and other stuff that got me interested and I actually enjoyed it much more than brotherhood, now I can say that FMA is one of my favorite anime thanks to its 2003 version. To me the pacing was better, both Elric brothers had a better relationship, the homonculi were definitely better, it was more dramatic (which I personally like), darker tone, and the ending was so unexpected and not the typical happy ending and I just loved that. Brotherhood did good stuff too, envy and second greed were very likable and had a better overall cast, but I keep 2003 as my favorite version, this was actually the first anime I've seen that changed a manga for the better imo.

[@NoNameC68]

Huh, after reading some of the comments, I might be one of the few people who believes Brotherhood to be vastly superior to the 2003 series. But I think it's because I value the strengths in Brotherhood more than I value the strengths in the 2003 series. Let me start by saying, the 2003 series did do a few things better than Brotherhood. It had a more serious tone, it had better pacing and included a few scenes that really should have been included in Brotherhood. And some of the characters had more development compared to their manga/brotherhood counterparts. Finding out Mustang killed Winry's parents was absolutely brilliant, and him contemplating suicide was amazing. (Rose getting raped was a bit too much in my opinion, but it's respectable that such a tragedy was included.) But Brotherhood had an arguably superior plot, way more character development, and less filler. And there's absolutely no denying that Al in Brotherhood is a far more independent character who takes on a leadership role on par with Ed. In the 2003 series, Al remained a sidekick character who always followed Ed's lead, which is something I can't believe people don't notice. And about the plot, I wont delve into it too much. But I feel the 2003 plot wasn't as tightly wound as the plot in Brotherhood. However, it did focus more on emotion. So some people related more to the emotional impact of the 2003 series. But then you have people like me where it was more important to have a believable and cohesive story, which is where Brotherhood's plot stands out. I can understand why some people prefer the 2003 series. I didn't find the chibi animations in Brotherhood jarring at all, but I can see why they would bother some people. And, let's face it, some people preferred how much more the plot focused on the Brothers in the 2003 series (I'm not one of them). I think the reason there's such a huge debate over which series is superior is because even though the 2003 series and Brotherhood were both overall brilliant, each one was able to master certain elements just a bit better than the other. And I think that's where the divide comes in. Do you want to focus more on emotion? Go to the 2003 series. Do you want a more believable and cohesive plot that feels more like a game of cat and mouse? Brotherhood is probably the anime to pick. The idea that Brotherhood sucked, however, is absolutely frustrating though. It's a part of this fanboy mentality where if someone feels their favorite thing is being threatened, then the other thing must be the worst thing ever. Which is dumb since both anime have their strengths and weaknesses.

[@chcoman123]

This guy gets it.

[@aliyabrown6175]

thank god I thought i was the only person who preferred brotherhood here. I like the 2003 series too but its themes are not my cup of tea.

[@swordfish1390]

I'm not sure what planet you live on if you thought that you were the only one who prefers Brotherhood, the majority of people do. I'm not one of those people, but that's besides the point. XD Both are good shows in their own right, though. It's really just a matter of preference.

[@tiaramassoni1904]

I believe brotherhood is better. Each series has some great points the 2003 has a better beginning. While Brotherhood has a better end which is why I like it better considering if I watch a movie I would rather it have a better end the horrible mess that is the 2003 ending like why are they in our earth anyway.

[@Gungus-v1g]

Nice fucking spoilers m8. I've watched brotherhood but not the 2003 version. Please be a bit more considerate next time

[@MultiKnight13]

In terms of the 2 FMA shows I like both, but I prefer 2003 slightly more. It may be because I haven't finished reading the manga, but I didn't mind 2003 being its own thing. What the creators wrote for the show I found interesting and engaging, and I prefer the explanation for the Homunculi, because it adds a bit more weight to Ed and Al's initial screw up and I just find the homunculi to be more interesting in 2003 in general. They're much more complex and I actually felt quite bad for them. In terms of the ending, this is what really separates the two for me, I think the 2003 version is much for fitting for the story being told. I don't mind that Brotherhood had a happy ending, but I find that the more bitter sweet ending in 2003 fit the tone of the story better.

[@thatman8490]

+MultiKnight13 You pretty much just summarized exactly my thoughts on the whole thing. I always wondered why I hear so many people giving the 03 version's ending flak and using terms like 'fanfic ending' when to me the ending of 03 always felt more thematically appropriate than the ending we got in brotherhood. Not that I dislike Brotherhood, I like them both, but 03 had the ending that resonated with me much more than its counterpart.

[@MultiKnight13]

I've actually never heard the 03 ending be called a "fanfic ending". It's surprising cause it fits pretty well with what was already established in the show. People I've talked to have said that they didn't like the ending, but I'd never heard that it was bad.

[@Mirality]

I like both for different reasons. As said in this video, Brotherhood glosses past the earlier material as quickly as possible, while 2003 gives it better coverage (so you should totally watch 2003 before Brotherhood, not the other way around). Both of them have well written and consistent endings -- 2003 is a bit darker and Brotherhood is a bit happier, which also agrees with that viewing order. I like to think that at the end of 2003 Ed realised that things were really ****ed up and managed to use the portal from the movie to reset the timeline and start Brotherhood instead. But that means you need to watch 2003 to get the right background context to watch Brotherhood.

[@moeneet7069]

+MultiKnight13 how do you feel about the movie conqueror of shambala? Personally I think much like the anime the bitter sweet ending is great but it gives a much sweeter than bitter ending this time around and it's also kind of satisfying to see what the characters did after the ending and how they resolve the problems that remained after the ending.

[@taylorroyal6063]

I think it's a little disrespectful of the fans to call either series trash because of whether or not it follows the ending or has a better ending. Both series are amazing and gave us memorable and lovable characters. Personally, I like Brotherhood a bit more because of the ending but not because it follows the manga ending. I thought the 2003 ending was too cruel to the brothers after all they went through. It was a beautiful ending but it left me feeling heartbroken and empty. I felt that Brotherhood's ending made more sense and wrapped up the story of every character well. 2003 was perfect for me, for the first 25ish episodes because if how they handled the character, their introductions, and their motivations. I love both versions because they are incredible and we as a fan base should stop ripping each other and arguing over which is better.

[@kurisucosmo7954]

THANK YOU! I am sick and tired of hearing that "2003 was better because it was darker, it fit the theme better, and Brotherhood was just child's play." And on the flip side of that, I'm also annoyed of hearing that then "manga is always better than the anime." Both of which are completely untrue statements. Both FMA's are pure works of art, so I don't see why there always has to be people trying to have their preferred version "ONE-UP" the other one. For FMA, since it's so amazing in both versions, it really just all comes down to preference, not which is better

[@42Caio]

I don't call the first FMA anime bad because it doesn't follow the manga. I call it bad because I think it's bad, to me that series goes horribly downhill after the middle point, is a tonal mess, is melodramatic, some of the plot makes very little sense, and it often doesn't abide to the rules it stablishes. That was before I read the manga and before Brotherhood was even made, and reading the source material and watching a faithful adaptation (though still flawed in several aspects, in my opinion. Brotherhood is good but it could have been done A LOT better) just makes those problems even more glaring.

[@HawaiianGirl808232]

I know that this comment is old but I completely agree. I loved Brotherhood so much and prefer it over the 2003 version but I appreciate having the 2003 version. With a lot of shows, I fall in love with it's characters and concepts and want to see how another story would work with them and the 2003 anime was exactly this for me. I enjoy exploring more of the world of Fullmetal Alchemist and the different turns it take. It's really disappointing that instead of appreciating the two good animes we got out of an awesome premise, people choose to fight over which is better.

[@brandynlovett4054]

Taylor Royal I don't think its direspectful, its just an opinion no offense.

[@zachlistofficial]

Am I the only one that actually likes the 2003 adaptation better? It's probably just a taste thing, but I actually like that the story's overall tone is darker and more serious, considering the whole premise of the story is about two kids whose mom died that tried to bring her back, failed, and lost even more because of it. Plus, the character development is much better, at least in the beginning. I also think that 2003 has a stronger narrative because the conflict is much more personal to the main cast (I'm thinking about Sloth and Wrath on this one).

[@ceciliafaith4132]

Nah, you’re definitely not the only one. I was initially going to just watch Brotherhood (since my friend that recommended FMA is a Brotherhood purist who’s never seen ‘03), but I came across enough comments on Pinterest expressing love for the ‘03 version. Long story short, I decided it seemed right up my alley, gave it a watch, and I love it SO much more that Brotherhood.

[@Lilibella23]

I feel the same way

[@Jon155mt]

The manga is not ALWAYS better. Hell, just look at HunterxHunter 2011

[@juanxX201]

+Jon155mt how ? its the same story

[@ActionAbe1]

+Lime Guy and the art is shit sometimes

[@juanxX201]

Lime Guy I repeat, how ? the anime has the same scene as the manga does, the only difference is that the anime is... well, animated !!

[@khaaaled2007]

+Passive Hater Some people here took the question too literally and they're actually comparing the two mediums take on the same story

[@juanxX201]

Alla Maz whats the point of that lol , obviously with sames stories, the anime is more entertaining for most people

[@KetenReviews]

Great video, Arkada. Might actually be my favorite of yours. One part of adaptation I think a lot of people overlook is the fact that when adapting something, you are transferring a story from one medium to another. Changes need to be made. You should take into account the advantages that come with being an anime, that being that things are animated and in comparison to manga or novel, have music and voice acting. Using Mushishi as an example, the mushi move in a way that could never be conveyed in live action no matter how many practical effects you have, it would require CG. They feel out of this world and like something you've never seen before and when they move, they feel that much more alive, something the manga cannot do. It's music is absolutely gorgeous, relaxing and fits the show perfectly. It adds to the atmosphere and it's something the manga can't have. Now, as you said, manga can get away with infodumps to a point because it's writing on a page that you can read at your own pace while in anime, it's boring to sit through and can cause confusion. The premise of adaption is changing the source material. Perhaps not the script but DEFINITELY the presentation of said script. No matter how fluid the animation of something is, if all the anime does to convey information is infodump time and time again, I view it as a poor adaptation. You can change the script as well of course. One of the examples I know of is the original Dragon Ball anime which had quite a lot of filler added into it. However, instead of making it drawn out and dull, a lot of the filler actually added to the characters, made some parts more fun and even foreshadowed certain events. When making changes to a script, you need to make sure it benefits it in some way. Make sure it either fixes problems in the source material or expands on certain elements, which honestly could lead to good results or bad... It can also take the story into a different direction but at that point it's not so much an adaptation so much as a re-imagining or in 2003 FMA's case, what they had to do to keep the story going, which is not inherently bad. When adapting something, you need to take liberties at least in some form because following too closely to the source material is just another way of saying, "Just go read the source material". Give the adaptation a reason to be experienced.

[@pieoverlord]

The version with more Hughes is the better one. Case closed.

[@Polystyreenileijona]

This is so valid

[@clementines7032]

Pew, pew, pew.

[@alexisruiz9051]

pieoverlord brotherhood deals with Hughes better

[@devocrankseven1546]

@@alexisruiz9051 sarcasm ?

[@alexisruiz9051]

Devocrank seven not really brotherhood does handle Hughes better

[@minuterice19540]

I felt that the Attack on Titan anime was better than the manga chapters it was based on. Yes, they were very close to each other in terms of content and story presentation, but the anime has the advantage of having gorgeous animation, a perfect soundtrack and a few extra moments here and there that weren't in the manga. A good example being when *spoiler warning* titans attack the Scout Legion on the way back to the wall, which leads to an emotionally powerful scene where Levi has to dump the bodies of his former teammates in order to get some extra speed for their caravan as well as slow down the titans. It was not only emotionally powerful in its own right, but it adds to the weight of a later scene when Petra's father singles out Levi to talk to him about Petra, revealing that Petra had feelings for Levi. Sure, the scene with Petra's father was in the manga, and was quite moving, but the scene mentioned above wasn't, and it's little things like that make me feel that the anime is the superior version. Ah, I can't wait for Season 2.

[@TheWolfgangGrimmer]

+Jeremiah Shelton I'd add that telling the story in chronological order provides some much-needed dramatic impact.

[@minuterice19540]

Ghost7856 Good point.

[@beannguyen1885]

+Jeremiah Shelton that not fair to compare dude :C

[@missbonde92]

+Jeremiah Shelton I'm surprised that you mention this particular scene in Attack on Titan. I've not read the manga, but I've seen the show and (please don't judge me) ;) - I sometimes felt the characters were over-reflecting and repetitive (still like them alot, and perhaps it's a cultural thing on my side...). However, this scene was my favorite in the whole series. Perfectly paced, no talk or inner dialouge but showed instead of telling.

[@minuterice19540]

missbonde92 Don't beat yourself up over having only seen the show. I actually watched the anime before I read the manga. I only read the manga because the wait for season 2 was killing me.

[@monkeysir35]

Not always but 99% of the time yes.

[@MonoMino1197]

not really. School Live is the latest example. they changed events, added in there own material and everything and its so good even hardcore manga fans prefer the anime. and that was a kind of popular show of last season

[@TheDerBorn]

he did state that it's not always the case

[@Gambino.-]

+MonoMino but it barely sold 1k BD. I liked it though lol

[@edl01reviews]

99% is a massive exaggeration. Unless you consider a series bad if it changes anything from the source material a lot of adaptations are superior to the original. A lot of changes made in adaptations can actually improve the story, while others of course ruin it. Personally I would say at worst its a 70/30 situation.

[@DarkLink1996.]

+monkeysir35 I say the original is better, not just the manga, which in some cases is the adaption.

[@chcoman123]

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is my favorite anime of all time. I had watched a little bit of anime before it, but in truth, it was the anime that got me interested in watching more. I didn't care if it followed the manga or not, I loved. I eventually decided to watch the 2003 anime, and loved that too (although the pacing was REALLY odd for me, coming off of brotherhood). To quote Cinemasins "The book do not fucking matter". They really don't. Whether or not a product cannot stand on it's own and be good on it's own is what matters. "They changed it so it sucks" is not an argument. What about the changes made it worse? Does a plot point not make sense? Is a character arc different now? I swear, if this is the mindset that many people have going into an anime, it needs to fucking stop. A mangaka is not an all-powerful, all knowing GOD who can never do anything wrong and that everything that he/she writes and draw is perfect. It's just not true. There are some shit manga out there. Hell, there's shit manga adaptations of anime! So stop complaining about whether or not it "follows the manga", because it really doesn't matter. What matters is if it's good on it's own.

[@CJCroen1393]

What bugs me is when the Manga/Brotherhood fans act like Hiromu Arakawa (FMA's original mangaka) is on their side. Arakawa _approved_ of the changes made in the 03 anime and in fact, _encouraged_ them. This was mainly due to the fact that she was savvy enough to realize that the anime wouldn't be able to keep up with the manga's update schedule so it was better to just make an entirely new ending rather than go by the one she had planned.

[@SKULLKR3W]

the book does matter you cannot look at an adaptation on its own because without the manga without the source material there is no adaptation to be had and you bring up allthese shit manga which is stupid because fma is one of the greatest series of all time youre talking about a classic not just some shit off the street so yeah the book matters a lot cause if an adaptation doesnt follow the manga then its a shit adaptation

[@bunsmasterbunny]

Hddd that's untrue entirely. If it's good with the changes then it's a good adaptation. By the books does not equal good by default.

[@bunsmasterbunny]

Fma 03 is a high quality anime that adapts the Manga into its own original story beautifully. It's a different story but still feels like FMA. It just focuses on the emotional and philosophical part of the series and makes it one of the greatest animes ever created. It's just as good as the Manga.

[@dennisthechemist4413]

TheZeldaExperienceWithin but what he's saying is that it's more important to view something as it's own product first and as an adaptation second.

[@gateauxq4604]

I had watched Brotherhood a few times because roommate and couldnt get into 2003 for the same reasons you describe. Get in the Robot made a video about why both anime are kind of two sides of the same kind so I watched 2003 and I was THRILLED. Many of the characters who don’t get a lot of time in Brotherhood do in 2003, notably Mustang’s crew, Rose (😭), ALFONSE, and of course Hughes. Mustang is this weird sadist who hides his ambition by being a dork and picking on Ed yet is much more sympathetic. We see how integral Hughes was not just to his plan but also to his motivation since they were best friends. Al got a lot more lines, screen time, and personality. He always had chalk to make transmutation circles and was mush more willing to call Ed on his shit. Im really glad I did finally watch 2003 and was a little bummed to watch Brotherhood again afterwards and see characters be underdeveloped yet again. Brotherhood’s ending was definitely more epic tho.

[@bobsamurai]

If the 2003 version wasn't rushed into production before the manga ended we would never have this debate because they would have gotten it right the first time. 2003 has a much stronger introduction, it felt as if Brotherhood cut corners under the assumption that their viewers had either read the manga, or seen the previous anime. Usually adaptations are flawed across the world because they're being created before the completion of the source material (ex game of thrones). Due to pacing and lack of the creators input we get variations in the story, not only relating to main plot but also slight changes in characterization and tone. While the adaptation staff may have read the source material, they did not write it and that really makes a difference. I don't think adaptations always have to be carbon copies, but if they attempt a re-imagining and fail in areas that the source excelled then there's no excuse. I remember the 2003 anime working very well, but back then I had very different standards so id have to revisit it someday and see. Chamballa sucked though..

[@brechtvermeersch]

New idea for a vid? Its a great topic

[@bobsamurai]

maybe someday, i generally don't like to do a topic right when someone else on yt does it unless i have opinions which aren't being represented

[@halflucan]

+BobSamurai Anime Reviews You could call it a fortunate failure. The animation quality on Brotherhood is good! and it might not have looked like that had they got it right the first time (kind of like my relationship with having to wait 10 years for Final Fantasy 15)

[@max101victory]

Hey Bob, I didn't know you watched any of Ark's videos. That's really cool

[@eap415]

+BobSamurai Anime Reviews True Iove both adaptations of fma, but I still believe that the 2003 anime was superior, it simply captured the themes of equivalence and brotherhood better, I felt the focus on action got in the way of character development in Brotherhood.

[@Old_Joseph]

I did exactly what you said (never seen FMA before) and watched 2003, then waited one month then just recently finshed brotherhood. I want to thank you, the 2003 did a great job making me understand and care for the characters I would have to know for brotherhood. I cried when Hughes died in the 2003 adaption, learned about Lust and the old greed, saw the chimera girl, and enjoyed the Armstrong family for much longer than brotherhood had time to show me. I think watching the 2003 first really helped me, it was like a rap next to a mountain. It's slow going, but much more safe compared to climbing the mountain.

[@Old_Joseph]

I think I liked brotherhood because I saw the original adaptation.

[@khaaaled2007]

I'm one of the people who have watched the original FMA first then Brotherhood and still prefer brotherhood, the original went astray with the story around the half way point and I didn't like it all that much from that point on, I don't think people claim that a show is better as long as it is loyal to the manga Smaurai X trust and Betrayal comes to mind, it is completely different from the chapters it was adopted from and it couldn't have been the masterpiece it is if it was loyal to the Kenshin manga,I think the argument is that when the source material has a complex plot line and certain intentions for all the characters,adopting the first half of the personal ideas of a writer to a certain point and then having liberties with the second sometimes yields jarring results, inconsistencies and plot holes, that's why filler endings and fillers are usually bad, there are always exceptions of course, but most of the times we would all prefer the intended ending. Again, I think people should watch both FMA and brotherhood,the pacing is much better in the original for the first half and handles the introduction(which was rushed in Brotherhood) much better but the story isn't as good in the second half

[@bluerangerx11]

+Alla Maz i like the 2003 more because brotherhood felt too easy

[@merry8343]

the 2003 fma has better things happen thought out the story but the ending isn't a happy ending and brotherhood has worse things happen though out the story but has a happy ending

[@PrincessNine]

im the only person who doesnt think brotherhoods story is better

[@merry8343]

DeathgGod ya the 2003 had better storys overall like barry but some brotherhood has some good storylines but the 2003 had better ones including the the fillers like the dog and the ghost part

[@shygirl2927]

+DeathgGod I liked them but the music for 2003 was something I could never come to love like I did brotherhood. it was bad imo. not my thing I guess tho I did kind of like a couple of the songs like ready steady go. I watched brotherhood first then 2003. loved it. I did think that the first one was much funnier than the second. that was the part I enjoyed most and though I didn't enjoy the second half as much I wouldn't call it bad. it was just different. like I said I loved both of them.

[@dvklaveren]

The problem comes in two, I think. People value the content more than they do the medium. As a critic, we want to see how well the medium is used to convey story. As a fan, we just want to see the content of the story and do not neccesarily care about the medium itself. The other problem is that if you want to compare it to the original, it will never be 100% the same content. What we often look for in the manga/book, we won't find in the anime/movie. That means that to someone who only looks for the content, there will always be less content in the anime/movie and there will always be a difference. Rather than taking a movie as an opportunity to learn more about the thing we love so much, people... Don't. It's pretty frustrating, I agree.

[@tastynuggets21]

This comment's on point, anime and manga are two completely different mediums and the finer points of each should be appreciated as such. Some stuff that works in comics just don't translate to the screen well. The humor that feels fine in the manga comes off as jarring and forced in Brotherhood. In the end all it really comes down to is telling entertaining and interesting stories while using the medium to its full potential. Faithfulness is overrated. It really boggles my mind when people champion Madhouse for their dull and uninspired panel-copypasta renditions of Parasyte and HxH. When in reality shows they did like Trigun or Beck were much better, even if they took significant liberties with the manga content.

[@aceotaku]

+Alderick van Klaveren hwoever, there's also the fact that some adaptations lose something the original had in trying to go for original content. characters are missing, character development is altered or ignored, aborted arcs (be it character or story arcs) and of course the ending may not be as well thought out. of course, the reverse can also happen, but its less common.

[@Indarow]

I love the 2003 adaptation. I actually own all of it. I see both storylines being able to happen in the same universe. The way Homunculi are created; two COMPLETELY different methods, still seem 100% plausible in the same universe. And the idea of the Homunculi’s only motivation (minus Envy) being to become true humans really dug between the layers more than “a dude in charge of the bad guys wants to become god”. I love the 2003 adaptation, it has its issues, but it’s deeper, darker and grittier to me.

[@bluerangerx11]

I think some filler makes an anime better if it expands on the stuff the manga could not get to

[@Icarus975]

I agree and disagree. I disagree because filler can turn away ALOT of people off from a series if used to an extent

[@bluerangerx11]

but if its used in small amounts can can really help a story out

[@ShouVertica]

+bluerangerx11 I think it needs to be relevant. If you introduce fuck-all characters like naruto/bleach then yeah, it's a problem. But if you have reoccurrent characters like OP/DB then yeah, it adds to the story.

[@Icarus975]

+bluerangerx11 That's really true and in my opinion is how filler should be used

[@Icarus975]

+ShouVertica Weird question but I don't get what you mean by "fuck all" characters

[@Kiiriminna]

I find this argument of which one is more faithful to manga kind of stubid because when they started making FMA03 Arakawa actually told them how the manga was going to end and asked them to make things happen in a different way in the anime. So original anime was loyal, if not for manga, for author's wishes, and I think that that's the important thing.

[@cdscissor]

I like to call it, as goofy as it sounds, "mangaka accurate."

[@rory2698]

To be honest I actually prefer FMA 2003 to both the manga and Brotherhood. Both the manga and its 2009 adaptation use too many generic, cliche shounen tropes for me to enjoy. FMA 2003 on the other hand took risks and broke a lot of those tropes. In fact it could easily be considered a seinen due the sheer darkness and complexity of the series. Not to mention FMA 2003 handled its themes, subplots, character development, and emotional depth much better than either of the former.

[@Brownnf23]

I'm honestly not sure how much I would have enjoyed Brotherhood if it wasn't for the 2003 adaptation. The reason behind this is because how detailed the world was in the 2003 version. Even though the world was much smaller than Brotherhood, I felt the characters were given much more depth and all of those feelings and thoughts I had on these characters carried into Brotherhood. I will admit, the 2003 anime made a certain character's death in the first few episodes even more sad.

[@britipinojeff]

McCrillis Nsiah I dunno how travelling to more towns = better world building. A lot of places in Amestris kind of look the same. In Brotherhood we got people from different countries, Xerxes, and traveling from the East side of Amestris to Central North and South. And seeing the maps all the time coupled with the part at the end when the transmutation circle is used, you actually get a feel for how big the country is and the world around it.

[@bunsmasterbunny]

Brotherhood has more world building than 03 does. It has Amestris, Ishval, Liore, Briggs, Xing, Xerxes, and Drachma. 03 has Amestris, Ishbal, Liore, and a brief mention of Drachma. You get to see more of the world in the Manga compared to 03.

[@katakanatabro2048]

more worldbuilding doesn't mean better worldbuilding.

[@Christina-zo1vr]

I'm so glad I watched the 2003 version first, I would have never watched it if I watched brotherhood first. They are both equally as good (even though I like Brotherhood better) and I'm reading the manga now and the manga, brotherhood, and 2003 are all amazing in they're own way! Ok I'm done

[@Pokemonvspuddin101]

Exactly! Why can't people just be like this. :(

[@isauldron4337]

Finally, comments with sanity

[@Tahmitron697]

The manga is usually better, but anime has the charm of animation and the soundtrack which you just don't find in manga.

[@bananaking1511]

I was about to say the same thing...

[@Icarus975]

I so agree with you my man. I always love the anime versions of fights better because it's animated and not confusing looking like in the manga

[@merry8343]

true i always listen to an anime's sound track if i watched it while reading or rereading the manga ^¬^

[@primu_]

I prefer a good Story.

[@merry8343]

Primo me too it my look good but the story is why i watch a show

[@dane1647]

I think when you look at shows like Monster the adaptation can only be better. Some mangas are so text heavy that when you add music and animation you bring out so much emotion and pure entetainment that cant always be conveyed through text.

[@TheWolfgangGrimmer]

+dane1647 Especially when it's handled as brilliantly as Madhouse did with Monster. Well, if you pay close attention, they did remove some... unlikely situations, which was probably wise of them. Threatening four or five muscular thugs with just a pen ? Nope.

[@dane1647]

Ghost7856 who did that i dont remember that

[@TheWolfgangGrimmer]

dane1647 Tenma in volume 4. And yeah, the anime didn't use it, because, you know... it's kinda stupid.

+dane1647 yea monster anime is good but bokurano for example is much better in its manga version

[@rahn45]

I kinda wonder if anyone has tried to incorporate the better paced beginning of FMA into FMAB to essentially tell a better overall story. There's certainly some visual disparity of that would happen, and certain things like forshadowing would have to be removed or added in depending. FMA certainly has the stronger start, but it has real problems later on into the plot; the main one being that it's pretty much just Ed's story, and no one really grows aside from him. Everyone else is completely set in their ways, and perhaps worst of all Al loses his memories leaving him a husk of a character. All the other characters simply go through the motions of who they are, there's relatively little self-reflection, redemption, or forgiveness. Instead there's a lot of wallowing in regret and self-doubt, and it's Ed's job to snap them out of it (How many times does he have to do this? It seems like he has to do it a lot). Which is probably why Nina and Hughes dying in FMA hurt a whole lot more: They were characters that weren't mopey and down on themselves like everyone else was. Everything felt like it went off the rails completely at the end, introducing concepts into the lore of the world that just seemed very forced and out of place. They were things that were obviously to advance the plot than something that was inherent to the world itself. Neither ending provided for FMA was satisfying in anyway for me. Both endings just gave me that empty feeling of "That's it?". I think that feeling is why I appreciated FMAB all the more for the ending it was able to provide, even if the opening episodes of FMAB were weak and rushed compared ot what FMA did with those parts of the story. FMAB on the other hand for me has the better overall character development and story, because it's one that strives to give redemption to the characters instead of having them wallow in self-pity. Where as FMA the characters are stubborn and basically are "I am who I am, I can't change that" FMAB the characters are "I have the ability to choose." The motivations and goals of other characters are far more well-defined as well, not many of the FMA characters broke out of their stereotype or caricature; let alone played off their given trope. For as great as FMA was, it always bothered me how utterly and completely set in their ways the characters were throughout the course of the story. FMAB gave characters other than Ed a proper arc, and it was much easier to get invested in each of their journeys to see them succeed or fail; to watch their lives come into focus and understand the path they took. I also appreciated the poetry and irony of the fate of each sin in FMAB. Lust was killed coldly calculated and without passion, Wrath died peacefully, Greed died wanting nothing more, Sloth died from overexertion, Gluttony was eaten, Pride (of a homunculus) became human and Envy killed himself after being pitied. In the end I don't see a reason why to pit one great series against another great series. FMA goes for the "We're going to make you sad" angle, while FMAB goes for the "We're going on an adventure" angle. Both know what they are and they work towards it.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

And sone people think fma 03 overall is just the better show.

[@Jude74]

rahn45 wow, really great insights. I really appreciate your observations about the deaths of the homunculi.

[@seacliff217]

I'm not going to argue on the side that the manga is always better, but I should get this off my chest. Many manga adaptions, especially in the past few years, don't even cover the entire manga.They seem like a twelve episode long commercial to cash in on the source material. This gives me little to no reason to even touch the anime in the first place, especially when a see a review done by you saying so-and-so anime has a 'read the manga ending'. Now I'm sure this was a problem since the dawn of anime adaptions, but it seems much more noticeable than ever. Just my two cents.

[@batman88891]

+Sea Cliff (Seacliff217) Most things that get turned into anime now have an excuse though. Most of the time they tend to rush through the source material, covering all the important bits, and then by the end of 12-13 episodes they have to wait for more of the original source material to come out.

[@seacliff217]

batman88891 I'm afraid I have to disagree. Maybe I'm just not at the right places at the right time, but most of the time with these 'read the manga' styled endings, we never do get a continuation, even when more than enough source material is out there, or hell, when the source material itself finishes. I wouldn't call rushing an excuse, but I will admit there are excuses. However, why would an animation company pick up an unfinished source material they know they will catch up to in the first place? That's why I feel they are more like 'commercials' since that's what the anime is urging you to read.

[@batman88891]

Sea Cliff I feel the main reason for this is because of the fact that most anime simply aren't popular enough to warrant a sequel. Not a lot of anime ever do get a sequel, and when it does it's only (very rarely is it not) for the most popular series out the previous season (or the season previous the previous). It's the exact same reason most anime companies don't take chances and stick to the things guaranteed to make at least a little bit of money. I believe Digibro said something about this subject that I think fits here: don't complain about there not being a second season when you didn't buy the first one. If the sales of season one just aren't good, they won't make a second season. Views and streams don't really matter, what matters is how many hard, physical copies were bought. Mainly how many Japanese physical copies were bought. I don't think "rush" was a word I wanted to use, but it was just the word that came to mind. Most anime adaptions DO convey nearly everything that was done in the original source material, but simply go through it much faster than in the source material did. Everything that was in the source material is there, but it's shown in a much faster way. Something that takes about 150 pages in a light novel will most likely only last about 2-4 episodes in an anime, simply because of how much faster it can be actually animated out. Honestly, I've always thought of adaptations as just giant advertisements for the source material. Even here in America, nearly every movie adaptation of a book is basically just a summary that goes by some cliff notes, passing by anything that isn't vital to the story. Depending on how much you liked the "summary", you'll go out and read the book. Or comic book adaptations, where most of the time they just completely ignore the comic book and just use the characters covering the very, very basics of maybe a few of that character's stories. The point of ANY adaptation in my mind is to get you to go out and buy whatever it's based off of. Now, should it be able to stand on its own? Maybe, it depends on if that's what the adaptation was trying to do. In my mind, if you like something enough to get actually mad when there isn't a continuation, then you might as well read the source material. Or, you should go out and support the actual makers of the anime, showing them that there is a large enough fanbase to warrant a sequel. Although, you might as well move to Japan for that. Speaking of Japan, I think that's definitely where cultural differences come in. In Japan, A LOT less people complain about series that have "read the source material" endings, since if they actually liked the series they have the means of going out and buying the series, maybe even the entire series if it's completed. That, and most anime are made due to the extreme success of a source material, so most people who are watching the anime already know what happens next, and having a second season isn't really necessary.

[@audiovideo-w6o]

+Sea Cliff (Seacliff217) I agree, but it's important to note that this is not the fault of adaptations themselves but of what I call "adaptation mentality" where everyone seems to think that the only purpose of an adaptation is to serve the original material rather than stand alone as a work of art (which FMA 2003 does, spectacularly).

[@KevinLyj12]

They are advertising the manga through the form of 'anime', not everyone watched all that you watched and not everyone knew about what show or manga is that. Through anime, they can increase manga sales or popularity even though the anime itself is not as good as the manga, or is unfinished etc.

[@samuelshin4746]

I've had this experience before. Someone recommended me to watch Brotherhood. Saw the first 4 episodes and didn't enjoy it much because it was so fast. I didn't understand who the characters were and there were a lot of them. Your review made me decide to watch the original. I loved it. Even with a lack luster ending, the character development and pace were much better. Now watching Brotherhood feels right. I can match the pace of the story.

[@Cerberus804]

Glad I'm not the only one on this stance. Whenever I would recommend FMA I would always recommend 2003 first then Brother and would explain the reasons you stated, but without spoiling character info. Great video!

[@Cerberus804]

*Brotherhood.

[@Remi-Toruzen]

I can honestly say even though I did enjoy brotherhood more it was only after the new manga section and I was disappointed with the rushed early episodes especially since I fell in love and HATED what happened to Nina during the Tucker arc. It just felt disrespectful to speed past some of the main focal points like you mentioned.

[@Remi-Toruzen]

Basically 2003 is the for story and it helps the viewer to truly see the world and what the inner workings of the characters and world are. If you skim the first few chapters of a book what are our left with? I would say yes to watching it then brotherhood.

[@ha420weednumber]

+Dead Panther I've had friends say they started Fullmetal Alchemist after me gushing about how good it is and they say that they were watching brotherhood and I simply tell them to stop and watch the original first

[@Remi-Toruzen]

+TheNostalgiaProjects Glad someone else shares my view despite what is said 2003 should still be watched to get a much better feel of the characters and world that was cut out of brotherhood.

[@70cuevas]

I love fma 2003. it had more of a realistic emotions

[@DiestroCorleone]

In general, I think (and luckily, for what I've seen, a lot of the internet reviewers agree) that all you said is true. I watched FMA 2003 years ago and I loved it. A few days ago I binge-watched Brotherhood, and I can't say I loved the first arc. It was rushed, didn't give me time to empathize with some characters, while the 2003 version did: the Shou Tucker story, Hughes... They are handled much better by FMA03 than by Brotherhood. Then, when they part ways, the second gets its time to shine. But they're both enjoyable in their own ways. You should definitely watch both of them, in the order they aired.

[@WIZA327]

The ending for 2003 makes sense? That's all you have to say about it?! I feel like I'm the only one who really thinks the 2003 FMA has a better plot... Just the theory crafting they did for it was fantastic and really made the viewer think. Plus, the ending to Brotherhood just felt super cliche to me. Same old shonen about the main characters having to prevent some big bad baddie from destroying the world. What else is new, Brotherhood? Have you looked into doing something original for once? Like, say, 2003 FMA did?

[@Uhhhhhyeahuhhhh]

Yeah where the villains are 100% evil and the heroes are 100% good? Fak u brotherhood.

[@AnnaKrnn]

THANK YOU SOMEONE FINALLY SAID IT

[@mr.l3938]

@@lucapompey-buslon6857 well yeah because it's not written right if there were written great then yes in a nuanced way yes but this was 2003 it wasn't that bad in the time and besides the original was actually pretty great for what they did and the ending had actual sense but I'm not saying that this is better than Brotherhood I agree with you but at least for me I love the ending of the original more it fits well with everything about fma2003 it's dark atmosphere and somber storytelling that was with the series sense the beginning most sad ending movies just can't do that :/

[@poisonoak2719]

My main problem with 2003 adaptation is that Bradley is Pride rather than Wrath, that just bothers me

[@thesquishedelf1301]

Why? I never got any real indication in Brotherhood that he fit Wrath at all. His character was entirely restrained most of the time and only offered threats when he wasn't being a badass. Granted, most of the other sins don't exactly fit him either, but still, why does he need to be Wrath?

[@yourfreakyneighbourh]

I feel that Wrath fits him way better. His type of wrath is not lashing out at his opponents in pure rage, instead it's calculated, cold and hateful wrath. I feel that pride does not fit him at all.

[@bucklesocks9173]

pretty sure i saw your comment on the (SPOILER FOR BATTLE FROM FMA BROTHERHOOD) scar vs bradley video saying that,and i agree,Wrath fits him better,but his character wasn't really explored in the 2003,as for brotherhood,they did give him a backstory,but it felt kind of late for that.

[@bunsmasterbunny]

He's Pride because Selim is the Pride of and joy of his life and once he realizes that Selim is just like any other Human and can and does make huge mistakes he can't let him live because of his own pride.

[@InugamiTheHound]

Furher Bradly as Pride makes sense he is a ruler who ruthless like a Tyrant. Kings only care about their pride not their people.

[@reclusivebestfriend5044]

Arkada, you have summed up my frustrations with this particular argument almost perfectly. I am a fan of both anime adaptions, though with this particular example; it's an almost unique case where audiences have been given 2 adaptations of the same original material. I, personally, am a fan of the original 2003 adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist - but only when the two adaptations are viewed as a single series. The whole problem when it comes to deciding which Fullmetal Alchemist anime is better call comes down to a single question- 'Have you seen Fullmetal Alchemist before?' Bones made FMA: Brotherhood after 2003, and directed it assuming that audiences had already seen the original adaptation. Without that initial viewing - the motivations behind Roy's quest for vengeance and Ed and Al's mourning of a past failure just aren't as resonate with the audience as they really should be. The introduction of new characters steals the show from the original cast, and without the audience having gotten to know them prior - they aren't nearly as important to us as they are to Roy and Ed, creating a dissonance between the viewer and the story. They're made to be seen as part of a whole. The idea is toe see them both - and anyone telling people to ignore 2003 is doing them a grave disservice if the intent was to get them invested in the characters, lore and energy that this show can give. Both series are standalone greats on their own - but together they create the bedrock that the current fandom of FMA sits on. If you take one half away? It all crumbles, sitting on the DVD shelf gathering dust.

[@jacobfoxfires9647]

I find this an interesting subject on anime to discuss. More specifically comparison to the 2003 verison and Brotherhood version of FMA. I will give a bit of insight of what I think though. Since I do say both are good in their own right. Now for me, I will just begin with structure of the story. And just so I am clear I may spoil things so I will assume that since you are watching the videos and that you seen both of these versions. To me for 2003, it is very mythotical and, at least to me, felt like it had great pacing for the majority. While yes it didn't had those big moments found in Brotherhood, it was consistent with how the story was doing. It didn't felt rushed, or at least not enough to be noticeable. But again, the climax isn't some giant spectacular finish, but still felt important. While compared to Brotherhood, which does felt rushed in certain places. It is very noticeable at the first part. But what it does is make them feel grand and very powerful climaxes. Now with animations I will also say the same for each anime. 2003 felt very consistent with the style of animation. There are fewer instances where it breaks that style. And while it is not the best, it doesn't break from this. While Brotherhood does have those animation spikes. Where at parts the characters can look like an elementary school student drawn their version of those characters, but then goes back into a beautiful animation and art style. The fight scenes in both are great. But the characters? Well each one actually felt like they have their problems and had their own great characters. For one the brothers are about the same in each. But some characters I felt were best represented in 2003. An example I will say was most of the main baddies. Like if I compare Lust for example in both. Lust felt like a very deep character in 2003. The goals for the main baddies were to just be human. And for Lust's case, she had many points where she had moments of character building. She did wanted to be human once again, but not be controlled. Play by her rules. And felt like a character. Unlike Brotherhood which she was much more intimidating and more of a thereat, her character was lacking and was killed off fast. Heck most of the homuculi deaths were pretty lackluster in Brotherhood and didn't felt too impactful besides ones like Bradley, which also had a better character in Brotherhood compared to his 2003 version which just felt like "oh he is a villain must kill" kind of feeling, and deaths like Pride and Envy. And then there are Kimbley. In 2003 he just felt like a psycho who just kills for the heck of it. While in Brotherhood, he felt like what a general should be. Very ruthless, tricky as hell, cold, and maleficent, someone you don't want to run into. And their are characters like Scar. He is a difficult case in both. While in 2003, when he started he seemed like he was cold, calculating, and wanting revenge which he kept deep inside. Someone you may have fought with once, but then would be fighting you the next. And in Brotherhood, he seemed like someone who is completely bent on revenge, which may be a bit 1 dimensional at first, even if his reasoning and motivation is good, but he has much deeper character development. I will also give Brotherhood props for the new characters like Ling. I really liked his character and was one to have done anything for his country. And the songs. Personally the songs during the 2003 versions were better, but opening and ending themes were not as great. At least to me. While Brotherhood is the opposite. Not much to talk here. And now for the sort of stories that represent the different animes. Now Brotherhood is a more stranger story. Like I said for 2003, it kept and be the same throughout the entire show. And the filler episodes were more of to use as character development. At least for some. And it was more of a basis of the clashing of ideals. Like for the climax, it wasn't as grand and did had bitter sweet moments, but with say Ed facing aganist the mastermind, it didn't felt like a hero going against a villain, but a clashing of ideals. Where she kept on challenging his ideals and perseverance. Not as a grand showdown like in Brotherhood, but it was more contained and well fought out. While Brotherhood, it is more simple in plot. You know what the heroes are, you know what the villains are, we have some that are a bit in the grey area, but you can know what the characters are. Heck the climax might have been this huge battle, everyone fighting others, war breaking out, one trying to out play the other, but it is still the hero vs the villain cliche. I mean they did this good, but it is something you can see everywhere. But it is still something you should see, even if it is cliche'ed to death I will still watch that climax over and over. And that rings true for both. To watch both since both are good. It shouldn't be "which one is better" but more of which one you like. So for both I will recommend both of these animes, along with respected movies, and to just enjoy them.

[@CrystalRubyMoon]

Man, I watched the 2003 version of FMA before Brotherhood, and I really enjoyed it. Made my experience with watching Brotherhood better since I got to know more without needing to read the manga. And I agree with you! Some twists in the anime are sometimes better than the original!

[@cloudstrife4534]

I love your icon, but it reminds me that the only thing I didn't like about this video was the callous-feeling way he brought up the review of the anime your adorable icon is from. Sorry for the weird comment, but that's what I immediately thought.

[@CrystalRubyMoon]

cloudstrife4534 Lol XD What a way he brought the anime up in the end.

[@cloudstrife4534]

+CrystalRubyMoon Haha! XD Yeah I kinda wish he would stop bringing that review up, because then I can keep pretending that he never made a review I didn't like! I'm not going to trash it or anything, but I'll just say that whenever that video is in my recommended list, I give it a "Skip It" rating!

[@CrystalRubyMoon]

cloudstrife4534 Looooool

[@wolfpawn]

Thank you for this video. It is so fluent and better articulated than anything I could think of to explain to my friends what they should do when it comes to watching Full Metal Alchemist (2003) and Brotherhood.

[@KraigTheMan]

I love both versions of FMA and think both do different things well. I did start off with the 2003 series before Brotherhood (at the time, I thought FMAB was actually a sequel so I watched the 2003 first). I am shocked by how many people I see criticize the 2003 series nowadays, it used to be seen as a must-watch back in the day. I still think people should watch both versions. Although I agree with you that it would be better to watch the 2003 version first before Brotherhood. The other way around just seems odd to me. I feel like Brotherhood felt a bit more satisfying in some ways after seeing the 2003 series first.

[@gleeman959]

I know that I'm stepping in it, but I have to say that I felt 2003 to be the stronger of the stories. While Brotherhood fans can justify the happy ending of FMAB as having enough sacrifice to not be "they lived happily ever after", I didn't really see the consequences of FMAB's ending. Ed gives up his Alchemy and states he doesn't need it because he has his friends and family, then decides to leave all his friends and family to go study Alchehistry. Where's the lesson learned? Where's the sacrifice? In 2003, the brothers learn that their bodies weren't the only consequences to their actions; the humunculi were the living, breathing reminders of alchemists' hubris. Edward having to kill his mother, and watch her die all over again knowing that he created her in the first place; his additional sacrifice to give Al his body back and lose all connection to his home, friends, and family along with his Alchemy. These actions seemed more in line with the philosophy of Equivalent Exchange. Even the brothers learning how the universe doesn't really work by equivalent exchange, and their reactions to the undermining of their core principles, was more impactful than a non-human entities wish to become human-but-better. Even the questions raised about the humunculi were deep because we had to ask, "what makes us human?," "they think and feel as we do, don't they deserve to live?" Anyway, I don't really mean to rail on FMAB. I know it tells a more cohesive story and has better character development outside the Elric brothers. I merely wanted to give an adequate defense for 2003's ending and diversion from the manga. And that reminds me that my biggest beef with FMAB was that the ending with Father and god and a giant being reaching out to a giant eye in the moon felt much less like FMA than Ed being sent into our alternate universe by "dying" in his.

[@Teifling]

First time watcher here! I really enjoyed your analysis of this type of debate. I had grown up watching anime long before I knew that it was an animated adaptation of Japanese comics (manga). I often felt upset by the condescending way that manga-enthusiasts would talk about anime series and movies that I loved. I know that Trigun had a similar issue with it's anime finishing before the manga, but I still loved the anime.

[@Steel_blade_alchemist]

Me and my friend were recommending Fullmetal alchemist to another friend and she told her do not watch the 2003 Fullmetal alchemist and I felt so frustrated. She said the only reason she liked brotherhood more was because it followed the manga. No other reason. To use her words she said don't even bother with 2003 FMA. It's crap. Well if I give her the cold shoulder tomorrow too bad.

[@huzzabuzatrolol]

I really think that this would make an interesting debate on Podtaku

[@huzzabuzatrolol]

(not specifically FMA 2003 vs. Brotherhood, but the whole source material vs. anime idea)

[@ARandomGuy24]

+samuelm34 Well I think everyone would agree with Tristian so it wouldn't really be a debate.

[@huzzabuzatrolol]

ARandomGuy Get Jimi or Jean on there, they would find a way to disagree with Tristan

[@lanatherana157]

Love your reviews 👍👍🙂 I appreciate your care that you put into it and how you cover each topic! Thx so much😎

[@HybridAngelZero]

FMA is just amazingly special in the fact that the manga, the 2003 anime and Brotherhood are all simply fantastic. I don't think arguing is necessary, I would say that intaking all of the adaptations and the original is part of the FMA experience, if you really want to know what makes the series so special, I think that you have to take it all in

[@2mccue4u27]

I wouldn't say that a manga is always better than an anime. I would say that Brotherhood is superior to FMA 2003 in every way, though. And part of that is b/c of the longer, more expanded/complete story that Brotherhood has, pulled directly from the manga. And before anyone jumps on me, I totally agree with Arkada's opinion that you should watch the original FMA first. It's worth a watch. But then you get to Brotherhood and see just how much better it is...it's a reward.

[@merry8343]

when i got into fma about 2 years ago i had no idea brotherhood was a thing and watched the 2003 verson the watched brotherhood and brotherhood is better i wouldn't have liked it as much if i haven't of watch the 2003 verson

[@Nison545]

+Andrew McCue Original had some amazing music, and the explanation of the homunculi and how alchemy works was just awesome.

[@merry8343]

Nison545 ya and brotherhood doesn't have anything like that but sloth in brotherhood is a better way of showing the deadly sin it stands for. But the first opening of brotherhood is amazing. I don't get why people say one is better than the other just why not both brotherhood is nothing without the 2003 fma

[@PrincessNine]

+Noah Dotson am i the only person who doesnt think its better

[@merry8343]

DeathgGod no alot of my friends like the 2003 better and i love both of them but more the 2003 because i watched it first

[@stevenostuni6266]

Thank you Arkada, this video was great. For those deciding which versions to watch, I will say this: FMA 2003 is a thoughtful, philosophical character drama with complex writing, skillful directing and an evocative soundtrack. Brotherhood is a creative, well-plotted adventure series with great action, fun characters, and strong world-building. They both had very different goals, and I think they both came equally close to achieving their respective goals. Ideally, I think people should watch both, but which one they prefer will largely depend on their genre preferences.

[@NightlyJin]

I like the ending to brotherhood alot more than 2003 because It gave me a better sense of closure, the oroginal FMA's ending just felt like it came out of nowhere for me. but on ALL other points I agree

[@Chronoflation]

You ever watch the Conqueror of Shambala movie? It's an epilogue to the original FMA. It's supposed to be a bit open ended to give a sense of wonder at what's to come, but CoS pretty much closes it off. That said, you do kinda feel like you missed some stuff when you get into the movie, but it closes off the original well enough

[@NightlyJin]

there just isn't that sense of resolution that was in brotherhood is all. but I can understand why a lot of other people felt that it was completed with the movie, and I did enjoy both movies that tried to tied loose ends with the series

[@Chronoflation]

***** Really? I felt like it at least closed off that story for a number of the characters, leaving them able to move on past the events of the show and past their involvement with the Elric bros. It's not an ending that answers all the questions, but I felt like it answered all the important ones for the series...aside from "How the heck did Hoenheim and Envy get into that situation and all those military people even find out about the other world?"...but whatever. Maybe I just like the open endings. I still loved Brotherhood, both shows just scratch a different itch for me, I suppose

[@Sotel0sc]

I feel like I couldn't have enjoyed brotherhood as much as I did without watching fma 2003 first in all honesty

[@elijahmedina288]

I actually saw Brotherhood first than the 2003 version and I would like break the myth of 2003 version spoiling the excitement of brotherhood because its not entirely true. When I saw the 2003 version, it was more or so of having a new experience with the FMA franchise which was actually a really great experience with its more darker and its use of unfamiliar characters, adding great twists to the story that tied each and every factor of the story satisfyingly.

[@Unreal_Ra]

Let me prephase this post by saying that I am a fan of both series, and think each one has their strengths. So I just finished watching FMA for the first time in probably 10 years. I haven't seen it since I was a teenager. On the other hand, I've seen Brotherhood twice, last time being about 2 years ago. Whoever I ask, usually says that Brotherhood is the superior series, and up until recently I would've agreed (being that it was more fresh in my mind), but now that I've rewatched FMA as an adult, I have a very different opinion. I think FMA is objectively better in terms on writing, pacing, mood/tone, musical score, character development, and overall depth. Brotherhood comes off like a shounen, while FMA definitely feels more like a sienen being that it is a more mature series. The characters tragic backgrounds are much more deeply explored in FMA and it is much easier to emphasize with them. Side characters like Nina and Hughes are also better developed and given more screen time, to make their deaths that much more impactful. In brotherhood the Nina arc was rushed to the point where the transformation came off as a shock moment, and nothing more. To me FMA let her character and relationship with Ed and Al breathe, so I was actually sad when she was turned. I also think that Ed and Al's backstory with their teacher was better developed and was more emotional, especially being that she also attempted human transmutation. The homonculi had a MUCH better backstory and reason for existence than Brotherhood, and it's not even debatable. The reasoning is darker and more twisted that what Brotherhood presented, it felt weak in comparison. Lust's story arc was tragic and incredible well told, as well as Sloth's. Again, Brotherhood feels tame and PG in comparison. FMA explores the themes of life and death, and the general meaning of existentialism much better than Brotherhood ever did. FMA had many more shades of grey and showcased the tragedies that war and politics can cause on a much deeper level than Brotherhood did. Brotherhood also suffered from what I call "Marvel comedy syndrome" aka forced comedy for no purpose other than garnering a cheap laugh from the viewer. Too much comedy in the series just took away from serious moments, FMA on the other hand had just enough comedy where it wasn't overwhelming and pointless, and lightened the mood when neccessary. There are many other examples I can use, but I've typed a lot as it is. So let me ask, why is Brotherhood considered better? Is it because of the more complete ending? I'll give Brotherhood that win over FMA, but is that enough to disregard everything else I have listed and more? The one argument I always hear is "it's closer and more faithful to the manga". To that I answer, so what? Just because it follows the source material, does it automatically make it a better story? I loved the manga, but I think the FMA anime told a much better and darker story, and I have to give them credit for working with no source material, and making it that damn good. What other anime has ever done that? To me Brotherhood is good, but forgettable. FMA is a series that will always stick with me, just like Berserk 97, Death Note, and Gurren Lagann.

[@EODM07]

I will admit, when I saw the anime D-Frag!. I got curious on the manga. So I decided to go and look at the manga, and I will say the anime does the manga justice. Since it covers almost all of the chapters in the first five volumes, except for one being an old folk tale which I admit is really funny. So I am kind of disappointed that they didn't add that one in, and that the small arc where Noe and Sakura start to get along was thrown into an OVA was kinda dope. But oh well. It's a shame that D-Frag! didn't get a 2nd Season. I'd watch it. :'c

[@Betuor]

+EODM07 I'm still hoping.

[@icecube7923]

+Betuor Gripley same here

[@johnbradshaw3001]

+EODM07 same here. i watched the anime and then the manga, they're exactly the same, well great comedy manga.

[@moonchild5483]

Im so mad at myself for not watching fma sooner 😔 But i agree with the things you said in this video!

[@666verisade]

Not to pull everyones' brains back to the 90s age of anime here, but Yu Yu Hakusho. I felt so much more of Yusuke's emotions on-screen than i did on the page and was able to take Sensui at least marginally more seriously as well.

[@Leonan_Brin]

I watched Brotherhood before I watched the original as I had heard it was better than the 2003 edition with people saying the original's ending was terrible. I am now watching the 2003 adaptation and while I don't enjoy it as much as Brotherhood it is by no means bad. It is still a fantastic anime and I'd rewatch it after some time has passed

[@jewelsims8805]

In Shigatsu Wa Kimi no Uso the music is so powerful and just makes it so emotional I can't even imagine how the manga could be better without that aspect.

[@Fullmetal1890P]

THANK YOU. HOLY GOD. I've been saying this for years. Mangas are rough drafts. Anime has to be rewritten because the manga often has tons of plot holes that weren't addressed due to time constrains needing to get it published so quickly. The writer of Attack on Titan completely agrees and uses the anime as opportunity to make the story even better. They did the same with FMA in '03, making one of the best written animes EVER. There was no reason to make FMAB other than to pander to the manga fans and make a quick buck off of a cash cow that had finally wrapped up and they weren't making additional money off of anymore.

[@nickpastorino5370]

I watched Brotherhood before I saw the 2003 anime. The 2003 anime is way better, especially the ending. I'm being serious.

[@NerezaDarkBlood]

I actually did prefer original anime adaptation of full metal alchemist as well. Wile the ending was bitter sweet both in the series and in the movie it was immensely stratifying. Every lose end tied up everything explained though science more so then magic and it was fantastically well done. and as a fan of the manga it was so nice to see characters we never got to see finally animated in brotherhood and it did have that Disney-esk ending everyone secretly wanted to happen. but aside from the stellar animation and manga story line it didn't add anything original or memorable to the table that hasn't already been seen before. For me part of my preference is that a lot of it seemed rushed out and far more magic based then science a lot of the time. Although that's not always the case the remake or continuation of Inuyasha for example I say was the other way around the original never really had a stratifying ending so to get that was fantastic. or the animation on the berserk movies was incredible to see even if the cgi was off punting at times. I'm not against remakes in the slightest but its possible that some people do like the first animated rendition and there's nothing wrong with that (I also like the first hellsing too so sue me)

[@astrobot9596]

+Glass Reflection have you ever tried watching FMA and FMAB simultaneously? Like watching FMA til Hues dies then going to brotherhood. I did this when i rewatched the series for the second time, and I thought it both fixed the plot holes of brotherhood and has an easier to understand ending than 2003. I dont mean to say that i didnt like 2003's ending (it had great emotional impact), i just found it kind of convoluted and over complicated. That and I found 2003's version of immortality kind of sick compared to brotherhood, that and 2003 didnt have some of my favorite characters, Olivier Marie Armstrong, anyone from Xing, and sweet little Pride Bradley

[@astrobot9596]

^ also, comment number 1000

[@eugenefindit]

+Astrobot What? Ling Yao's not in the 2003 version. No way...

[@nuimee5884]

+Astrobot Don´t care about spoiler, everyone knows them anyway.... but you´re right though, but I would only recommend it for rewatches, the second half of 2003 isn´t bad and the first 10 episodes of brotherhood neither

[@kiptelgat]

+Astrobot they didnt exist at the time btw have you watched conqueres of shambala

[@abandonedchannel6251]

Personally I am NOT a manga reader or a reader in general but for me I started with brotherhood because I started watching it on Toonami a couple years ago I watched it it was awesome and before I actually watch 2003 I was like well is this the same story just animated slightly different or is it a somewhat different thing and then then I watch it and I personally believe that 2003 is better than brotherhood not saying that Brotherhood is bad but 2003 without spoiling anything for those who have not seen it the story is darker and the villains are more complex and this is why I think that 2003 is better than brotherhood not by a crap ton but still butter and I know I'm the odd man out in this situation.

[@rolan5948]

Your missing out because 80%+ of jseries have a better manga counterpart due to censoring, horrible directors, shit pacing and filler that will make you fall asleep

[@StoneBreakerStudios]

Cosmic Turner Most of the filler in the original was actually pretty good, giving characters more motive and personality. These episodes taught us more about Ed, Al, Mustang, Scar, and Lust. And I always found it awesome that filler characters weren't just one and done characters in the original. They came back to have importance later on in the story (The fake Elric brothers being a good example, same with Lyra). That's what made the original so unique. With the story being so different from brotherhood and the manga, I'm not sure I can even call most of these episodes filler, just extensions of a unique take on FMA

[@SKULLKR3W]

nah 03 is shit it sucks completely and fails as an adaptation brotherhood is good but the manga is the be all end all

[@bunsmasterbunny]

It succeeds as an adaptation and is high quality all the way through. It's got less problems than Brotherhood with its terrible beginning. 03 is one of the greats and a shining example of how an anime should adapt a Manga series for a new medium.

[@bunsmasterbunny]

Stone breaker. They aren't filler characters if they are important to the plot. tge only filler episode is episode 10 which is the only bad episode in the series.

[@ConvincingPeople]

On the note of differences between the two, I feel like both final antagonists are fascinating for entirely different reasons, although both address the question of what makes a full human being, which I think is a nifty parallel.

[@owenstephens3389]

Great insight Arkada! However, one thing that I think happens with this problem of people ALWAYS saying the anime is inferior, is that sometimes, the source material itself is bad, but everyone just looks past most of the mistakes and enjoys it anyway. Then, when something is animated or acted out, even if it's based entirely on the source material, not deviating at all, the mistakes of the source material can be amplified. For example, the Romeo and Juliet story (I know this isn't an anime, but it can help my point here). The story is very overrated and rushed, and anytime I saw film adaptations of it, it becomes even more so, especially if the play or movie follows exactly to the source material.

[@thomasffrench3639]

Mediocre source material is perfect for adaptations. Look at some of the best films of the 60s and 70s.

[@DualReload]

This is how I think about both FMA shows. FMA and FMA BH are in different time lines or worlds. Think of the multiverse theory. The beginning of FMA will happen in every time line. Because of this, I can treat both equally and receptively (BTW I remember the important parts of FMA and FMA BH if you read my other comment)

[@BigBoss-sm9xj]

That is actually what I was thinking XD like exactly what I was thinking I'm current watching full metal alchemist brother hood after I finished watching full metal alchemist and the movie for it :3

[@DualReload]

FOX HOUND Lol Great minds think alike

[@BigBoss-sm9xj]

I guess XD

[@johnanth]

+Hopping Gnar +Hopping Gnar I don't think such an interpretation is necessary. I'm a huge Metal Gear Solid fan, for instance. If there's anything MGS2 (a narrative masterpiece) taught me, it's to stop worrying about canon and learn to love subtext and intertextuality. Of course, a narrative has to be cohesive and to some degree contained in one or multiple connected works. There's no reason to come up with plot explanations of things, but it is important to take away something from each work and make something of its themes, ideas, and entertainment value. So I think a better approach is to make 'canon' a non-issue, an idea that hampers creativity, free thought and critical analysis. All that matters is that FMA 2003 is true to itself, and that Brotherhood is true to itself. Both have great narrative arcs they carry through to completion. That's the way I see it.

[@DualReload]

johnanth Yeah that way of thinking is great, but when there comes a point where I ask myself the question between FMA or FMA BH. This would be my answer.

[@SindianStar]

I like you opinion and you made me think more about the subject, many times you have to judge a show by what it is and not what it came from

[@DabiTodoroki]

I'll be honest, I watched 2003 first, so I'm biased in terms of preference. For me, the thing that drew me in to 2003 was how vivid everything was-the characters were so remarkable and had such a presence about them that I could be drawn into it and enjoy it. I really loved the Elric brothers' relationship and I loved the animation and the storyline was unlike any other I'd ever seen. It did lose its steam in the middle but I think it still managed to be pretty solid-though the ending was...eh, not good. I didn't like the ending much. But I loved the gray moral tone to it and how Ed thought at first that he could solve everything with alchemy. Just how he was a naive kid at the beginning and how it showed us that there is no good or evil, everyone can do things you might not agree with. I just loved all the parallels the series made to the main characters and the villains-it made you think, dammit. I mean, when I watched Naruto, the series was clear-cut: Naruto was good guy, people like Orochimaru are evil because they oppose the hero. I decided to try the manga and was underwhelmed, by the same reason others have listed here-too much comedy. The comedy killed the drama element of the story. While I was interested in it, I didn't feel the same emotions I did for the ones in 2003. I was always so attached to Ed and Al's relationship-I didn't understand why I wasn't feeling the same instant CLICK the same instant hook that got me believing that it was more than a manga or a tv show. I tried Brotherhood and I was...well to be honest, I was bewildered and puzzled by how fast the series moved. Then the animation changed and I wasn't sure I liked that. Then the fight scenes became outright childish and I'm like...that works for DBZ but it doesn't work for FMA. The thing that killed it for me was the constant humor. I mean, constant, abrupt humor that destroyed the seriousness and made me question whether I was watching the same story. And I get that Ed is snarky but he's also not a comedian, he doesn't fire jokes every five seconds. It was more or less the "feeling" I got while watching both anime that resulted in me dropping Brotherhood. With 2003, I got an instant attachment and reacted emotionally like "HOLY SHIT THEY DIED", "THIS STORY IS SO GOOD!", etc. When I can react to an anime, I know it's good. I felt like Ed and Al were real people and I could identify with them. I knew this was the same story, the same series, yet I couldn't feel a thing for them. Nina was so rushed I could barely register that she was dead. I knew that was "wrong" as so many others liked it, yet it wasn't giving me the suspense of disbelief, it wasn't registering with me as anything more than an anime series. That lack of suspension of disbelief to me is why I stopped watching it, not because I believe 2003 is better, I believe both are good on their own merits, I just couldn't enjoy it like others could. That being said, the attitude some have in this community is unfortunate. I don't hate Brotherhood, I just couldn't find the "on" switch to say "goddammit, I'm hooked!" like I could with other series. And yeah, I remember watching Naruto and Inuyasha and thinking "Why are these so popular?" and then picking up the manga to both and being like" holy shit, the difference in tone. Naruto's first chapter had me hooked and the manga writing was just excellent, no filler, just the story. I mean the reveal of him having the Kyuubi in him was amazing and packed a gut punch. Inuyasha's manga was well-done and managed to not have that "we're chasing Naraku and can't get him bullshit" filler that plagued the anime.

[@CJCroen1393]

Here's my issue with Brotherhood, having watched both versions and liked them just fine: Brotherhood's key problem was that it opens with one of three assumptions imposed on the viewer: Assumption #1: You watched the 2003 anime. Assumption #2: You read the manga. Assumption #3: You watched the 2003 anime AND read the manga. These are what Brotherhood believes you did. At no point does the series even attempt to convince itself that the viewer is going in blind and has had no prior exposure to the franchise before FMA: Brotherhood. And this is Brotherhood's biggest weak spot. The series is extremely dependent on both the first series and the manga, which results in it rushing through the first part of the series to, as Ark put it, get to the new stuff. It doesn't develop the cast the same way the '03 series did because why should it? As far as it's concerned, everyone watching has already seen the 03 anime or read the manga or both, so everyone watching already knows at least most of the returning characters and thus they just throw them at you a mile a minute and doesn't even bother to hide a fair bit of spoilers--seriously, King Bradley is introduced looking all sinister even though logically we're not supposed to know he's a villain yet. This is fine and dandy for people who have already seen the previous series and doubly so for people who read the manga and are excited to see how the manga exclusive scenes would look animated. But it's not so great for people who have never seen the show before and thus have no idea what's going on. But that's just my opinion.

[@mysticrelaxationmusic8162]

nah bro I agree with your opinion. I never watched 03 or the manga and I am on episode 7 I do not know how man times I want to drop this but will give it a chance because somehow it is supposed to be the greatest anime of all time?

[@muhammadshafeeqbinishak1509]

Love this video. Its not common to see people prefer FMA2003 over Brotherhood

[@TheBlueCerulean]

I watched FMA 2003 first and am now having a hard time getting through FMA:BH.

[@WondderWaffel]

+Mr. Poopybutthole Once you get past the shared arcs in brotherhood it gets a whole lot better, so if you can push yourself up until that point it should become interesting again since the stories differentiate so much. But trough the shared stories you'll mostly find that brotherhood will kinda rush trough them and the 2003 version will seem kinda better in that sense.

[@TheBlueCerulean]

WondderWaffel I'm still definitely gonna get through it but there are some things that I think the 2003 version did better. I guess I'll hold off on judging it until I complete Brotherhood, but so far I just prefer FMA.

[@Chronoflation]

Give it time. Brotherhood's beginning feels rushed and the divergence sort of just drops on you, I felt like, but once you get past that jarring "who is this, what is happening, you're not the same homunculus I know" feelings, it gets better. Though maybe you got past that and still aren't feeling it. Personally, I didn't feel any real attachment to brotherhood until I got near episode 40. That said, I found the final arc amazing and while I preferred the original for everything up to that point, the mix of action, comedy and drama in the final arc really felt climactic and yet still realistic within its universe to me (unlike shows like DBZ or Naruto where they just one up their "power levels" til a 15 year old is stronger than anyone ever and can snap his fingers and destroy a city because main character"). As someone who loves the 2003 FMA, trust me, Brotherhood becomes worth it. And honestly, at the very least, the episodes that don't grab you totally are more FMA to enjoy

[@rollercoasterdude96]

+Mr. Poopybutthole Just treat it as a wholly different story. Both of them are great, just separate them as entities that *need* to be compared.

[@DarthJoshReturns]

+Mr. Poopybutthole The problem is that we've already seen that shit before. Remember when people complained about "The Amazing Spider-Man" just retelling the origin story that we've already seen a decade ago? Well, that's the problem here. How many times do we have to see Trisha Elric and Maes Hughes die?

[@KyleHauff]

Even though I like Brotherhood more, I always recommend watching the 03 version first, purely because it builds the world so much better. Many of Brotherhood's strengths come from the later parts of the show, and many of those powerful moments are built on the foundation of strong character building, which 03 and the manga succeed so much better in. Speaking as someone who watched the 03 version first, I honestly feel that it allowed me to appreciate Brotherhood more since its early "recap" episodes are, quite frankly, rushed and pretty lame.

[@TheMrMundo]

I'm glad I stumbled onto this gem. I haven't seen the 03 version precisely because of that fact that it doesn't follow the manga thoroughly. It really started with the movie Eragon. I guess I felt so insulted from that that any mention of deviation from original content automatically put me in a jaded & pessimistic mindset. As readers we fall in love with these stories & expect a proper adaptation. Though I've managed to stay away from all manga for various reasons and I don't see myself getting into that. Now that I think about it, it means I can enjoy all anime without that reader's expectations. What this video helped me realize is to be more forgiving & accepting. It's not entirely their fault they caught up to the manga & pretty much had to wing it. When you think about it you get TWICE the amount of FMA, each with its own unique flavor. I will definitely watch FMA 2003 now since Brotherhood is a favorite anime of mine. Awesome video, definitely got a sub from me. This isn't directly related but I have an idea/request. Could you do a Top 5 or 10 series/mini-series? You could do the usual genre division but I know that won't be easy since not all animes can be tied to one genre. Even if it were easy the range of genres in anime is staggering. I know its's a lot to ask for and if it's not an option then I'll just ask that you review Ushio and Tora. I'll be browsing your channel during this long weekend since I'm new & all. Love what I've seen so far.

[@epicderp6167]

I hate the debate manga V anime. Just enjoy the show and or story!

[@bigdog80000]

I do but say the story does a 180

[@epicderp6167]

bigdog80000 The only thing stopping me from checking the manga out would be finding a source to read it off of. I have an anime source, but not a manga one. Other than that, by all means I would try to read it.

[@bigdog80000]

Epic Derp are you saying that you need a source to read manga if so www.mangamint.com/manga/full-metal-alchemist-manga an examples of anime that are highly suggest read the manga is Rosaria vampire

[@SuikaNine]

+Epic Derp (artist52x0) but we can't enjoy the medium if it isn't done justice. look at Rosario vampire, it's a fantastic series that transcends the typical harem anime yet the anime left it off as just an immature fanservice show.

[@epicderp6167]

+bigdog80000 Thanks! I mostly do anime, and I started reading the manga. Now I can see for myself.

[@jish55]

This mentality is bad, and here's why. It's good to follow the manga, to a point. If it is spot on, doing everything the manga does, it can ruin the anime because the manga is not developed for anime, and as such some things are only good for the manga. Brotherhood suffers this terribly and ruined every episode because instead of taking a little leniency and removing a few things, they add EVERYTHING. This includes the comedic moments that work in a manga, but ruined the pacing of the episode. There was only one episode that didn't have an assanine comedic moment. A good way to explain this will be the episode within the dessert city (first episode for 2003 anime, and like episode 2 or 3 for Brotherhood). When Ed is talking to Rose about human transmutation and why it's idiotic to pray to the sun, he starts explaining how a human body is made. In the 2003 edition, you see confusion on Rose's face, as if trying to process it, but she is taking Ed seriously. In brotherhood, during an extremely serious moment, while Ed is explaining the process of the components to a human body, Rose get's a goofy look on her face, thus ruining the pacing and as such removing the emotion that goes with it. It can very much ruin an episode because of something like this, and the fact every episode in Brotherhood minus one or two pulled this, really destroyed the pacing and as such removed us from being sucked into the episode. Another example is Bradly. In the 2003, if you didn't read the manga, he came off as a father figure, one who we looked up to and respected. When it was revealed who he was, it was shocking, it was intense to see him being this actual monster, even tho he seemed like a father figure for the Elric brothers. Yet in Brotherhood, they take no time showing him as nothing more then a henchmen for the actual villain. We stop caring for Bradly right away and don't even get invested in him. Then there's the the instance of who killed Winry's parents, with Roy being the one to do so, it helped develop who he was, he held onto that pain, feeling responsible, and as such made him want to be a far better person because of it, the concept that one is forced to kill doctors for the line of duty really weighed on him, to which it was worth an entire story line. With Scar, it didn't feel like adding to his character, it didn't seem like something that really effected him, and as such just made him come off as a terrible person with no redeeming quality. Finally, and here's my biggest issue, the villains were terribly done in Brotherhood. Father is just another typical take over the world villain we see countless times in many different manga's and action animes. The humunculi were just henchmen for father, with no real reason to be there except to do whatever father tells them. In the 2003 adaptation, the humunculi were given a human aspect, making us sympathize with them, to the extent of being unsure if they were really villains, because they had a human side, they wanted to become human, to regain themselves. They weren't just mindless peons, they needed a reason, and we actually rooted for them as well, to the point we couldn't decide who we truly hated. Then there's the main villain who really holds the same fear many of us do, she feared death, getting old, to which she would do many things to avoid. This is what we all go through, we all fear death at some point, so even if she didn't have as much character (Father was just as bland as her), at least we could understand why she did it, to which it gave us a harder time deciding who was truly in the wrong, to which it made us think, made us wonder what we would do. Now, there are some things brotherhood did better, some characters that were added in were better, like Armstrongs sister, Greed was done better, the fight between Roy and Envy was done really well. The action was also really well done, and the art is spectacular. But even still, this does not make it superior when there are so many issues that the first one did better. The ending, which everyone hates, was really good actually, it shows us that we can't always achieve what we want, that we must deal with it, and that sacrifice is what we must deal with to protect the ones we care for. So I'm sorry, but with better pacing, better story, better character development, and all around better story that isn't just a slug fest, but instead one of depth and substance, 2003 is definitely better.

[@joelgalindo3648]

L

[@johnnixk2818]

L

[@AliAlslaman]

+Geoff Roach You just have read my mind. Anyone who truly watched 2003 first can feel the rush and the half-backed story that brotherhood done for the old characters.

[@jo53ha]

I first watch the 2003 version, then i started to read the manga and then i wacthed Shintetsu. For me you can see Shintetsu and the 2003 adaptation like 2 diferent routes of the same story. I really enjoy both. Of course i always prefer the manga than the anime adaptation because the manga is the invention and the passion of an author that has work several hours to bring us an enjoyable story.

[@ChristianWS.]

+jo53ha : "the manga is the invention and the passion of an author that has work several hours to bring us an enjoyable story." Are you implying that the director, writers and the artists that made the 2003(or any adaptation) didn't have passion? I know this isn't what you meant, but still... +McCrillis Nsiah : Yeah, 2003>Brotherhood. Broho is a typical story, I think it was really well made, but in the end it is still typical. I disagree about Greed, in a history where the most valuable thing is a human life, it do makes a lot of sense for the representation of greed wanting to have friends or something

[@Mullenman5]

Thank you very much. You addressed all of my concerns about this issue in just 12 minutes. Good job.

[@MivMusseStudios]

Sailor Moon Crystal is NOWHERE NEAAAAAR as good, as the org. !

[@Ineedgames]

+MivMusseStudios Anything Toei ani make is never going to be better, even in another universe.

[@musabtheloser176]

Aya ya Toei can't even compete with their older work in terms of animation. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJerc6WegrJomM0

[@andeven1]

btw, *MANGA WAS BETTER FOR TOKYO GHOUL*

[@minepjotr]

Well that is your opinion

[@matrotyramat2445]

+Karel van Wayenburg facts can be opinion

[@merry8343]

true and there is the re story

[@jhevaughn69]

+Karel van Wayenburg Nope when it comes to Tokyo Ghoul that is a definite fact. I can say that without a doubt on this one.

[@drake10X]

Yes, but people have to understand that when compared to other Anime it's actually really good. Yes it could be better, but people say stuff like the Anime is garbage when it's actually really good if you compare it to other Anime instead of the manga.

[@MayorTrent]

After watching first 2003 version and them FMA brotherhood, I found myself with some similar opinions. both shows where awesome and I couldnt say which was better even if they where different. When commenting on both similarities and differences, I use the example of Major Hughe¨s death. (Dont kno wif I spelled that one right, I watched dubbed version so I dont have to look down the screen) - In the FMA he dies talking to himself about how sorry he is for his family, but really that is there just for the audience because of how little he and his family have screen time- and we cant really emphatise with them. - The 2003 on the other hand does really take care to let us meet them and invest our viewing time into their life and relation to the Elricks. With that in mind, when he dies he doesnt say anything, but the whole monologue- regret, sadness...- is clearly visible just from his face as life drains out of him, and we can understand it because all of that was shown to us through the previous episodes so well that words are literally unnecessary. The first half of VALUE of 2003 version is that it prepares all of the characters we see in FMA but dont get time to know them, as well as some explanations like Roys gloves. The second half of the value? An individual story that stays true to source material in form, if not content. The equivalent exchange rule is never broken, characters motivations are always there, no fillers, skirmishes between Religion, science, filosophy... it is all there, albeit in different form and content. A very well done job of making their own story to the authors. The following movie-... not so much.

[@lust4lyfe101]

I see books and shows in different light, I feel is unfair IMO to say that a show sucks cause it does follow the original source material as not just FMA but Sailor Moon is another good example plus Cowboy Bebop etc, I honestly like how manga and anime are diff so I can see my fav characters or stories in a diff light and it feels I get more out of the story that way

[@Lugmillord]

The old "the book is better"-debate. Many people may be on that side but I'm actually on the opposite side. As for normal books, I guess I'm just too lazy to read it. Therefore I liked the Harry Potter movies bettern than the books. As for manga, I don' have too many. As for Elfen Lied, well, the manga is twice as long so that's no fair comparison anyway. As for Higurashi, I absolutely love the anime. And the manga was great, too. For me, I have seen the anime first and I consider the tension to be more there, if there's movement and music and voice actors.

[@mathiasrosier660]

Higurashi is a visual novel so the anime/manga are equally adaptations of it and the manga is not the source material

[@Lugmillord]

Mathias Rosier I know but that isn't what I wanted to talk about anyways. It's just "is the manga better than the anime?" what I wanted to respond to. I haven't watched/"played" the visual novel of Higurashi and don't plan to do so since the character drawings look pretty ugly in my opinion.

[@HamaraCS]

+Lugmillord I think that the Harry Potter movies missed many interesting/important elements, but to me they are still good movies I enjoy watching. I'm also kinda lazy when it comes to reading book :( As for Elfen Lied, I truly enjoyed the manga. The anime was better for the drawings (oh god, this amazing opening) and the music. But there are a lot of great stuff in the manga that was not in the anime and I'm a bit sad. But in the end, I can't say I like one more than the other. I consider them to be two different pieces based on the same story, and both have great assets!

[@TheFailOrNot]

+Lugmillord I'd say that I'm on a middle ground here. I think that an anime is easier to get into than the manga as a movie is easier to get into than the book. For Elfen Lied the anime was perfect for me to get interested in the story enough to go out and read the manga and I still love the anime to bits despite thinking that the manga is actually better. But as you said, that is not a fair comparison. For movies and books, well I've watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy and got really interested in the entire works of Tolkien. Thus I read the LotR books, I read the Hobbit and am currently reading the Silmarillion. After I read LotR I found the movies, while they are really good movies, to be lacklustre and I was not only disappointed but felt ripped off after watching the Hobbit movies. The appropriate quote would be "I feel thin, sort of stretched, like one book spread over three movies." - Anonymous Though I have to admit that the soundtrack for LotR is in the top three of my all time favourite soundtracks for anything ever. On the other hand, I never enjoyed the Harry Potter books and always found that the movies conveyed the overarching story a lot better than the books did. I think it is all rooted in personal interest as one of my friends who loved the Hobbit movies really enjoys Game of Thrones while I think that the setting of GoT is very interesting but the characters in the show completely kill it. After I compared the first few episodes to the books I'd say the books are better, at least for me. Well that comment got out of hand pretty quickly ._. Would you like a potato for the long post?

[@minatotogami1616]

+Lugmillord I have the same problem. It's takes months for me to finish a manga.

[@UGNAvalon]

Some TV Tropes pages come to mind:Adaptation Expansion, Adaptation Distillation, Pragmatic Adaptation, and Adaptation Displacement - to name a few.Great resources when seeing how things get cut/expanded/adjusted during adaptations, as well as whether or not such adaptations overtake the original material in terms of visibility (if not popularity or quality).

[@pikaheere7111]

I like the 2003 anime better.

[@johnnixk2818]

L

[@IslarfPokemon]

I'm the same. I've watched 2003 first. and from what I've seen from the first couple of brotherhood episodes. I can't watch it. I truly can't. It doesn't feel entertaining.

[@drakenfist]

+Islarf That is a shame. Maybe you should skip to the divergence which is around about episode 12. To be honest I think the two compliment eachother beautifully. I got seriously depressed after the end of the 2003 version, it was sooo sad! and it never let up!..and I wouldn't call brotherhood all roses and sunshine but there wasn't doom and gloom all the time and it was just a great breather to compliment it. That is why I think the two work best when seen in that order 2003 than 2009 as the first focuses on the past and how no matter how hard you try your mistakes will come back to haunt you. Brotherhood (2009) series is about the future, the past is the past, tomorrow is a brand new day, lets look to the future to make the most of it).

[@drakenfist]

***** that is because many anime. Especially shonen anime do not deal with the consequences of ones actions that much and follow through to a logical conclusion. Traditionally its about "if you struggle and try, you can achieve anything". In that way, I agree that fullmetal B is allot more shonen than 2003.

[@drakenfist]

McCrillis Nsiah I get what your saying, I do. However, I do think the plot is just paced better in brotherhood and how it builds character along with story. Yes the ending was a little corny (though I do like the stuff with the gate and how al got his body back). It did a better job at reigning in the story that the 2003 version lost the plot with. It got so muddled that it drowned in its own misery and the last 7 episodes felt like the writers saying "shit!! we have only 7 episodes left!. We better start tying all of this up!". That is why I like them both because if you start trying to point fingers they both have just as many flaws and plot holes. Such as how allot of the foreshadowing in the 2003 version makes no sense given with the revelations that come in that version when it was meant to foreshadow the ones in brotherhood. and people complain about brotherhood speeding through story but the tucker plotline in the manga was EXACTLY how it was shown in brotherhood. There were also ALLOT more flashback scenes of the brothers and their past in the 2003 one than brotherhood and the manga too. That is because it was telling a different story. It was focused on the past while brotherhood is on the future. Sure a sweet spot of a brilliant full metal series would be something between full metal and brotherhood. But since we aint going to get that I think they both just serve just fine as two sides two the same coin. yin (2003) and yang (brotherhood).

[@nobodyimportant2470]

I think a large part of the 'manga is better' attitude comes from the massive amounts of low quality and poorly placed fillers that long running series get. Switching to a filler arch or 10 in the middle of a climactic battle will piss off a lot of people. I won't name any but I am pretty sure any anime fan can think of at least 1 show that has done this. One of the things that made the 2003 anime good was that instead of just making filler to stall while they waited for more source material they used what they had as a framework to build a quality story on their own. Yes it was different but it was also good. I also agree Brotherhood cut to much of the early story so they could get to the stuff that wasn't in the first anime.

[@Jjames763]

I like both of them equally, which is kind of amazing considering just how wildly different they are in tone, plot, and scope.

[@nashuu4336]

I think the Hunter x Hunter 2011 anime is better than the manga

[@nashuu4336]

True

[@chaosking_R]

The N Guy true the manga has kinda gone south like FT.

[@rolan5948]

Chaos King the fairy tail manga is better than the anime so wtf are u talking??! 0.o

[@musabtheloser176]

Cosmic Turner He's talking about Hunter X Hunter not your stupid Fairy Tail, idiot.

[@V2ULTRAKill]

The TMG Specialist fairy tail was trash as a manga too

[@Scorchlette]

This is an old vid, but I'd like to point out a potential point you could have brought up- anime that came BEFORE the manga. The most notible example of this (that I'm aware of) is Kill la Kill (while, yes there is only a one-day difference in release with the anime first airing on October 3rd and the manga on October 4th, the manga took a lot longer than the aniem to actually finish, and is generally considered not as good as the anime.)

[@dankwaifu2093]

One other small potential point could've been brought up are series that were conceived to be anime first but who's manga adaptations ended up getting released earlier. A notable example would be Evangelion. The manga adaptation of Evangelion released almost a year before the anime did due to how badly the show got delayed in production. With the manga coming out in December 1994, and the anime releasing October 1995. The manga diverts some in plot and characterization, and didn't end until 2013 because of all the hiatuses it took. It's also considered not as good as the original anime, and gets compared a lot to the Rebuild movies.

[@axosunder2625]

(2/4) Another plot point done better in 2003 was Hughes' death. Like you said, you hardly got to get invested in the character in Brotherhood, whereas in 2003 he was in several episodes becoming such a likeable character, providing comedic relief while also helping the brothers in pretty deep ways and supporting them (and Roy). I can still remember the kind of angst I felt when he died! Overall, what the brothers went through was represented in a powerful way in 2003, so if the intro to Brotherhood were like this, then the accomplishments the characters make later would have been so much more felt. Having watched 2003 first, I kept that in mind when I was watching the second half of Brotherhood. All of the accomplishments they made were beautiful because I remembered the hardships in the 2003 series.

[@chrono47minecraft]

Brotherhood wasn’t very failthful to the manga for the first 10 or so episodes. They changed the ordering of things, cut out parts of events, changed details of things which were integral to the message of the mini arc, and even removed parts such as the train fight and mining town incident

[@adeeplyconfusedman7484]

It’s obvious, the show with Olivier Armstrong is the best