03 while still adapting the material is still peak FMA. You almost get not enough emotional beats to process Hughes in Brotherhood. 03 was already off the rails in there but they do so much more with it. 03 was just better directed.
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Is FMA: Brotherhood a near perfect anime? (LTTP)
- Thread starter sph3re
- Start date
Because Mustang vs. Lust needed that extended shot of Lust's boobs taking up the entire frame and jiggling mid shot while Mustang and Havoc crack jokes about it. Not fanservice at all.
Yeah that why omakes giving hints of the author personality are great.
FMA is the gold standard in building characters reputations, escalating the tension of an upcoming battle, then delivering on a thrilling fight that sets up the next round of escalation. It never feels forced by a previously unknown character showing up that's super powerful, or one of the main characters getting a mid-fight powerup that changes everything forever. Every few episodes the intensity is ratcheted to a point it feels like the screen is going to explode, and the fights always deliver. Great choreography, and innovative use of the characters unique attributes. By the last few episodes, I'm pumped enough to run through a brick wall. King Bradley's final rampage is swagger defined. FMA:B is a classic.
Yes.
FMA2003 fans will try to tell you otherwise but FMAB, even with its rushed first few episodes, still triumphs over 2003 with flying colors. It has zero filler episodes (ok maybe one) vs many in 2003's, and its 100% loyal to the original author's manga, unlike 2003 which has aa back half completely different including a totally new ending which sucks and doesnt get full closure unless you seek out a movie that properly ends the 2003 FMA series.
Dont get me wrong, if you can watch both do it, FMA03 is still better than most anime out there, but FMAB is that much better.
Also: FMA03 is in 4:3 while Brotherhood is in 16:9 so there's that too :)
No because Ed gets to keep his arm but sacrifices his ability to ever use alchemy again and his leg which he'll never get back. The FMAB ending was perfect.
FMA03's ending on the other hand....
Well Lust is Lust, she is supposed to be attractive and make men drool in order to take advantage. It is silly but it does with the character at least.
The scenes with Winry in a baththub and her about to change clothes (hello underboob!) could've been cut off though.
Despite it being my favorite anime, no, it is not perfect. The beginning is particularly bad. It's way too fast paced and assumes you pretty much watched at least the first 25 episodes or so of FMA '03.
Despite all that, it's absolutely an amazing anime, and it's very, very good.
But by all means, gush all you want. I suggest watching '03 FMA in case you want another itching of FMA. It's decidedly inferior in most ways in my opinion, but it does do some things better. Namely the beginning. Just know that Brotherhood is pretty close to the manga, and '03 was completed before the manga, so after about Hughes' death, it deviates greatly. Most of the changes were for the worse, but it's still worth watching.
Despite all that, it's absolutely an amazing anime, and it's very, very good.
But by all means, gush all you want. I suggest watching '03 FMA in case you want another itching of FMA. It's decidedly inferior in most ways in my opinion, but it does do some things better. Namely the beginning. Just know that Brotherhood is pretty close to the manga, and '03 was completed before the manga, so after about Hughes' death, it deviates greatly. Most of the changes were for the worse, but it's still worth watching.
On a rewatch, I'm noticing how frequent the chibi faces and shit are. Or as I used to call them, "anime-isms". That's really the only thing I could see most of my friends taking issue with, if I were to recommend the show.
However, a week or so ago I made a Facebook post referencing FMAB (the Shou Tucker Father's Day thing), and it got a ton of likes, so apparently I know a lot of people who are familiar with the show, though hardly any of them are really "anime fans".
However, a week or so ago I made a Facebook post referencing FMAB (the Shou Tucker Father's Day thing), and it got a ton of likes, so apparently I know a lot of people who are familiar with the show, though hardly any of them are really "anime fans".
No.
Brotherhood survives off the strength of the source material, not the strength of the adaptation. It's mired with irregularities in pacing and and questionable content omissions and splicing.
Aside from putting the panels into motion, I don't think it really did anything to elevate the source material on its own other than expanding upon how Kimblee tracked Scar to Briggs.
... really didn't do justice to some of Arakawa's shaded panels, either, although that's a frequent problem in anime.
Brotherhood survives off the strength of the source material, not the strength of the adaptation. It's mired with irregularities in pacing and and questionable content omissions and splicing.
Aside from putting the panels into motion, I don't think it really did anything to elevate the source material on its own other than expanding upon how Kimblee tracked Scar to Briggs.
... really didn't do justice to some of Arakawa's shaded panels, either, although that's a frequent problem in anime.
The first half definitely, after that? Naaah
Maes Hughes is a one of the best characters in anime and
The Saddest death ever
OP
OP
Gotta be honest? Wasn't super shaken up by his death. It sucked, but it was... eh.
That was, until the funeral. That was some heartbreaking shit. Hit me right in the goddamned feels.
OP
OP
Wow alright. So, I failed to mention that I watched all of Brotherhood in Japanese. I very much enjoyed it.
I just watched that funeral scene in English. That is some killer voice acting. Wow.
Also King Bradley can go straight to the darkest pits of hell
I just watched that funeral scene in English. That is some killer voice acting. Wow.
Also King Bradley can go straight to the darkest pits of hell
I agree with what you said OP but the honor for near-perfect goes to Naoki Urasawa's Monster. There are some pacing issues with all the politics being thrust upon the viewer; as well as the mob character and Dieter following Tenma, but overall for me the show is a nail-biter all the way through. Just a near-flawless show that needs to have Urasawa's other works adapted, like Pluto.
There's been a few threads about this lately... I only saw bits and pieces of the original show when I caught it airing. Seemed interesting but for whatever reason I never gave it an earnest watch, especially after seeing how long Brotherhood is.
Huh. Alright, I'll check it out.
Huh. Alright, I'll check it out.
OP
OP
Isn't Monster dark as hell?
I LOVE dark anime. I loved Higurashi (and hated its ending) and dark themes in general. Or maybe I'm just tired of the typical anime tropes.
It's by no means perfect... but yeah, it's pretty damn close. Still one of my absolute favorites to go back and rewatch.
Is more heartbreaking in the first anime because they show a lot more of Hughes
His family, how he acts as a father for Edward and Alphonse
It's only problem is that it's first 5-10 episodes assume you have seen either the original anime or some of the first two volumes of the manga and kinda speed through the early parts of the story. After that it's just an incredible adaptation of an incredible story.
Oh. I guess this is a good place for this.
Darling Thieves did a cover of the 4th fma 03 opening, rewrite:
Darling Thieves did a cover of the 4th fma 03 opening, rewrite:
The show is dark in that it deals with nazis, mafia violence, abuse and other forms of violence. But it is definitely not at the ridiculousness of Higurashi. There are some imagery that may be disturbing but it's not played out for edginess also like Higurashi.
With that said, it is required viewing because of how good it is.
OP
OP
...Higurashi was a bit edgy, wasn't it?
Wow, so a serious, dark anime. I can dig it.
Well yeah man, because you watched Brotherhood and not FMA 2003 where it was done better.
I like how the original plays up the fact that he's an exceptionally competent officer who is trolling Mustang with the clown act about his daughter.
So I just got to the scene where Hoenheim visits Tricia's grave after the climax.
Damn... its a terrible day for rain.
The climax really is infinity war Ă—100. So many hype moments. Ed vs Father, Armstrong + Izumi + Ed + Mustang team up, Briggs soldiers firing on Father, Al's sacrifice, Greed's sacrifice. All that in 2 episodes! Damn good stuff
Damn... its a terrible day for rain.
The climax really is infinity war Ă—100. So many hype moments. Ed vs Father, Armstrong + Izumi + Ed + Mustang team up, Briggs soldiers firing on Father, Al's sacrifice, Greed's sacrifice. All that in 2 episodes! Damn good stuff
WHAT I did not know a manga special of Hoenheim reuniting with Tricia and talking about Ed and Al existed!
And now it's raining again. Damn.
And now it's raining again. Damn.
Not the best anime because while finally it respect the original and better story than the shitshow that was the first (wtf is Dante?) , the OST didn't match and the ambient is still too cartoonish while the manga have the "political thriller" vibe.
I mean Pride revealed was huge it was the big manga shocking event of the 2008 year and we had Sasuke VS Itachi at that time.
In Brotherhood it was "...meh"
Arakawa is the Naoki Urasawa counterpart. She control her story and reveals so well , it was a shame that Brotherhood didn't matched the intensity of that.
I mean Pride revealed was huge it was the big manga shocking event of the 2008 year and we had Sasuke VS Itachi at that time.
In Brotherhood it was "...meh"
Arakawa is the Naoki Urasawa counterpart. She control her story and reveals so well , it was a shame that Brotherhood didn't matched the intensity of that.
Used Brotherhood as a series to get my mate into anime, he's fully invested now. We've made a deal to sit down and talk about it after every 5 episodes and it's quite nice watching him get invested into the world (and discovering anime tropes). It's also my wife's favourite series, so many great scenes in it. I just finished watching Dwarf in the Flask which is one of my favourite epsiodes, I love the lore and world building stuff.
Part of Brotherhood's problem is that the pacing slow downs during the action sequences and speeds up during the character moments. It also keeps the especially lengthy character moments from taking up too much screen time by splitting them up into multiple episodes (pretty much everything involving Ishval was a self-contained volume before going to Briggs, but in the anime, Ishval is sprinkled in bits and pieces across episodes throughout all seasons).
I like FMA 2003 a lot more, first 10 or so eps were better paced, it just a lot slower paced show and because of that character investment was better. And the main theme is way way better. FMA b is competent but I feel like the tone was clashing too often for me. And I really hated the last 5eps or so. Then again we got Ling and greed awesomeness so idk.
HxH is better i feel, the themes are not at the forefront compared to fma, but characters are just better written and tension and Scenarios and overall world building is just better
HxH is better i feel, the themes are not at the forefront compared to fma, but characters are just better written and tension and Scenarios and overall world building is just better
