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Movies and TV Reviews

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

So, Square Enix liked the first season of Fullmetal Alchemist so much that they gave the go-ahead for another round, called Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I’ve watched the first three episodes, and figure that’s enough to give a bit of comment.

First of all, rather than follow on from the end of the original series (or the subsequent movie), the team has decided to start again. The first episode is set after Edward becoming a State Alchemist, but before they go to Lior (where the church of Leto is). The second is a flashback to the Elrics’ youth, attempt to resurrect their mother, and Edward’s State Alchemy Exam. The third is a rehash of the original Lior incident.

It’s readily apparent that instead of being suppemental to the original FMA, Brotherhood is a complete reset. Familiar incidents are given new, and sometimes contradictory details. There’s some implications (like Lust’s reference to the homunculi’s Father) that this is going to follow the manga much more closely.

I’ve got my reservations about how this will turn out, as the manga is a long story arc, and while the original anime series was different, it was entirely self-contained and strongly plotted. There are already intimations that Brotherhood may not be anywhere near as focused.