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Should Full Metal Alchemist be the next anime I watch?

Ashby

Ashby

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,631
I like shonen. I was the right age for FMA but its one of the few good (or so I'm told) shonen that I missed. I'm thinking of giving it a shot because my buddy is a big fan and I know he'd get a kick out of geeking out about it with me. I know Brotherhood is supposedly the better version, would love to hear difference of opinion on that. Or if anyone thinks I'd prefer another shonen show! I'm a big fan of MHA, YYH, HxH, DBZ (to a lesser degree). Please don't recommend One Piece because I know I would love it but I don't got time for a 1,000 episodes lol.
 
Gravidee

Gravidee

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,363
I watched FMA after Brotherhood and thought that it had too much filler, had slow pacing and had an ultimately intriguing but disappointing end to the series. If you want an actual cohesive story then please go with Brotherhood. There were some things that FMA did better but they are few and far in between.
 
Massicot

Massicot

RPG Site
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
2,232
United States
I think the original show is more thematically interesting (at times, anyway) but the later show is more wholly cohesive (and canon to the source material if that's important to you).

I would personally suggest watching both.

Edit: And yea, Brotherhood if you're only going to do one.
 
OP
OP
Ashby

Ashby

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,631
Argh, this difference of opinion is what I was afraid of! I've only got time to watch one!
 
Keasar

Keasar

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,724
Umeå, Sweden
You only got time for one, go with the best one, Brotherhood.

It is the best one from beginning to end, no filler, great pacing, it's excellent.
 
Lotus

Lotus

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
105,931
Yes, watch it ASAP. Only bother with Brotherhood, the one most faithful to the source material, especially since you only have time for one.

Ashby said:
Please don't recommend One Piece because I know I would love it but I don't got time for a 1,000 episodes lol
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So what you're saying is you have time to read it? :D
 
Heh

Heh

Member
Dec 12, 2017
611
If you had to choose between one or the other, watch Brotherhood.

If you can watch both, watch the 2003 version first then Brotherhood.
 
Mobius and Pet Octopus

Mobius and Pet Octopus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,591
Brotherhood and forget the other exists. I dunno why people suggest watching both. Instead of watching both, watch brotherhood and then watch an entirely different anime.

Dub or sub? Whatever your preference.
 
Vulcano's Assistant

Vulcano's Assistant

Member
Oct 29, 2017
13,519
Ashby said:
Argh, this difference of opinion is what I was afraid of! I've only got time to watch one!
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The original is better directed, and thus the parts they both cover are better done, it just happens to jump to a completely made up plot after 2/3rds of the way. I'm sure someone came up with a precise episode to jump boat if someone wanted to.

edit: Actually, maybe that's as clean as I thought. That jump from one to other other may not translate that well, there's also the issue that the original tries to be more grounded, so the tone is not actually the same between the two shows, plus there are characters only shown in Brotherhood introduced earlier than the point where they diverge.
 
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.exe

.exe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,251
The vast majority will agree Brotherhood is the better show. Watch that. If you're hungry for more, sure watch other run.

Edit: Will also agree that the dub is quite good. I've watched and enjoyed both, but I think I prefer the dub.
 
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Deleted member 6730

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
11,526
The parts the original does adapt is better than how Brotherhood handled it. If anybody tells you Nina and Alexander were handled better in Brotherhood they're a cop.
 
Lulu

Lulu

Saw the truth behind the copied door
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
26,680
Brotherhood is just better. FMA dub is solid too
 
Finaj

Finaj

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,362
I prefer Brotherhood, but the original series is still worth checking out.

If you do intend on watching both, watch the original first then Brotherhood.
 
Lotus

Lotus

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
105,931
Mobius and Pet Octopus said:
Brotherhood and forget the other exists. I dunno why people suggest watching both.
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It baffles me too. I mean, I get in the sense of a lot of people ended up having watched both years apart, since Brotherhood came out way afterwards.

But recommending that one watches both one right after another? Gross. Stick with Brotherhood and call it a day.
 
McScroggz

McScroggz

The Fallen
Jan 11, 2018
5,973
Yes, and watch Brotherhood as it's the better all around version (though each has their respective strengths). If I were to compare it and how it fits amongst its peers to a movie I would say it's like The Dark Knight of comic book movies (comic book movies being representative of shonen anime). It's just a little more grown up in all of the right ways compared to its peers while not being so different that it becomes more artsy and elevated like Joker and as such it's arguably the best anime because it will be a lot of people's favorite, a lot of people will place it in their top 5-10, and just about everybody really likes it. Other anime might be too mainstream/casual to get the critical response, while some are just too intense or niche to see real widespread acclaim - Brotherhood and Attack on Titan are the two anime that I think come closest to pleasing all types of anime fans.

So after Brotherhood if you enjoyed the darker aspects and more mature themes of FMA:Brotherhood I highly recommend Attack on Titan. When it first came out I wrote it off as more generic Hot Topic anime but it's absolutely not. It's legitimately great and has a very respectable chance at finishing in the top 10 best anime of all time in my opinion - though I'm not an expert.
 
.exe

.exe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,251
McScroggz said:
So after Brotherhood if you enjoyed the darker aspects and more mature themes of FMA:Brotherhood I highly recommend Attack on Titan. When it first came out I wrote it off as more generic Hot Topic anime but it's absolutely not. It's legitimately great and has a very respectable chance at finishing in the top 10 best anime of all time in my opinion - though I'm not an expert.
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My partner and I tried watching this as it came up in the suggestions for "people who liked FMA:B also liked this" but could not get over our mutual dislike of the main character. We really enjoyed Mob Psycho 100 and One Punch Man though, both of which also do that thing with a main character and supporting character who play off of each other real well. FMA:B used to be my top anime (yes, very vanilla, sue me lmao), we rewatch it almost yearly, but Mob Psycho 100 season 2 overtook FMA:B when I watched it this year. Incredible show. Would recommend it to anyone.
 
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EinBear

EinBear

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,672
I'm watching Brotherhood for the first time myself at the moment, am just down to the final few episodes.

It's absolutely incredible OP, would highly recommend watching it! I'm going to be very sad when I've finished.
 
Illusion

Illusion

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
8,407
Watch Brotherhood. It's a anime that will stand the test of time for an extremely long time.
 
Cirrus

Cirrus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,121
They start to diverge really early on, I think after about Episode 8 (I can't remember exactly when) of the original they started to make things up.
 
Vyse

Vyse

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,393
It's one thing to suggest Brotherhood since it's the most canon adaptation but dismissing the original entirely is absurd, Brotherhood butchers the first half of the series since it was already covered by the first anime so anyone that does have the time SHOULD watch the original first if they want a fuller experience that doesn't rush through half of the work (understandably but still bad overall)
 
Mendrox

Mendrox

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
9,439
No you should watch Chihayafuru instead and then you may watch FMA. Also start with the old series and then watch Brotherhood. Chihayafuru even has tournament arcs so it's shounen enough ;D
 

Deleted member 6730

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
11,526
Mobius and Pet Octopus said:
Brotherhood and forget the other exists. I dunno why people suggest watching both. Instead of watching both, watch brotherhood and then watch an entirely different anime.

Dub or sub? Whatever your preference.
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TBF even if 03 is inferior, it's still better than a lot of other anime. And besides both series combined is about as long as HxH so if you have time to watch both, watch both. If you don't then watch Brotherhood and also watch sub because fuck Vic.
 
Aadiboy

Aadiboy

Member
Nov 4, 2017
3,656
If you're going to watch both, watch both. Maybe take a break of like a year or few months in between. If you're going to just watch one, go with Brotherhood.
 

Deleted member 2834

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
7,620
How does Brotherhood compare to HxH or Attack on Titan? I adored AoT and I quite like HxH but it's losing steam now. I'm at episode 107 and the Chimera Ant arc is dragging on forever, and I don't find it very interesting either. I legit prefer Dragon Ball to this show honestly. Either way, Brotherhood is next on my list. Attack on Titan season 3 part 2 was some of the best time I've had all year.
 
AoM

AoM

Member
Oct 31, 2017
7,302
Imp the Dimp said:
How does Brotherhood compare to HxH or Attack on Titan? I adored AoT and I quite like HxH but it's losing steam now. I'm at episode 107 and the Chimera Ant arc is dragging on forever, and I don't find it very interesting either. I legit prefer Dragon Ball to this show honestly. Either way, Brotherhood is next on my list. Attack on Titan season 3 part 2 was some of the best time I've had all year.
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Still need to watch FMA myself, but as for HxH, you're right before the start of the big events of that arc (my favorite in shonen).
 
Aaronrules380

Aaronrules380

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
22,477
Imp the Dimp said:
How does Brotherhood compare to HxH or Attack on Titan? I adored AoT and I quite like HxH but it's losing steam now. I'm at episode 107 and the Chimera Ant arc is dragging on forever, and I don't find it very interesting either. I legit prefer Dragon Ball to this show honestly. Either way, Brotherhood is next on my list. Attack on Titan season 3 part 2 was some of the best time I've had all year.
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I like HxH but it definitely has pacing issues at times and tends to like anticlimaxes a bit too much for me. I think FMA is generally much better paced (especially the manga, since the Brotherhood anime kind of rushes through the early material that was covered in the original anime for better or worse)
 
Kung Fucius

Kung Fucius

Member
Jun 28, 2019
700
They're both good, but if you can only choose one - Brotherhood. It's the one that actually follows the manga all the way through, so it's canon. Very tight storytelling, there's no filler or waste in this series.
 
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