It’s tough to beat Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Viewers would be hard-pressed to find an anime that is simultaneously as accessible to entry-level fans, representative of the shōnen form, skillfully drawn and rendered, and balanced in terms of plot and pacing, character development and world-building, and humor and tragedy. Its predecessor, Fullmetal Alchemist, is also an excellent show, but its creators didn’t wait for the manga by Hiromu Arakawa—the male pen name of female manga artist Hiromi Arakawa—to end her series before they start their own, and thus were forced to make up a perplexing, albeit fascinating, ending from whole cloth. (Do you hear that, Benioff and Weiss?) FMAB, on the other hand, is true to the manga in all its silly ups, crushing downs, and batshit glory. And by batshit glory, we mean homunculi made from human souls and named for the seven deadly sins and a monster that literally tries to eat god—we think.
April 5th marks the 10th anniversary of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. And while the show bears many a hallmark of great shōnen, there’s really no shōnen quite like it. It’s a favorite among The Dot and Line staff—our editors love it almost as much as staff writer Sarra Sedghi, which, frankly, she probably thought was impossible. As such, we’ve decided to celebrate ten years of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood with this short package. There’s a lot here we won’t touch on, as there’s simply too much to cover. But if you’ve got an idea for a piece on the show and you’d like to see it published, drop us a line. (Be sure to dot it.)
In the meantime, join us as we cry tears of sensitive joy with Major Alex Louis Armstrong and cower in fear of his sister, Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong. Crush on, and giggle at, the smoldering (but useless when wet) Flame Alchemist, Colonel Roy Mustang. Mourn, and learn from, the tragic pasts of Scar and Van Hohenheim. Admire the skill and dedication of Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, the talents of Winry Rockbell, the grit and guts of Ling Yao and Izumi Curtis, and the giant heart of Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes. Endlessly drop references to the law of equivalent exchange. And, as always, cheer on the Elric Brothers, Edward and Alphonse. Such brave and principled young alchemists deserve nothing less.
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