Is FMA worth a try?

[AnimeGirl]

Oh Ella. XD
It is a great show. I would only warn for the original FMA (can't speak for brotherhood) there are a few things in the show that disturbed me spiritually. You may not feel the same way if you watch it but just giving you a heads up.
Other than that it is an awesome show. Also, you should watch it dubbed to give support to Vic Mignogna!:grin:

I like dubs, anyway! ^.^

[Ella Edric]

Oh, and also, you'll be in love with Edward by the time the series is over. Just a warning. xD

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

I've watched several volumes of the anime series and thought it started off great but was later only decent. I've read the first nine manga volumes and found it significantly better than the anime. It's tighter, deeper, more intelligent. There's less filler. On the downside, there's no colour or movement and some scenes are rendered much better and more interesting in the anime. Still, from what I've seen the manga wins out over the anime.

Anyone know how many volumes there are to the manga?
Thanks

[Atria35]

I've watched several volumes of the anime series and thought it started off great but was later only decent. I've read the first nine manga volumes and found it significantly better than the anime. It's tighter, deeper, more intelligent. There's less filler. On the downside, there's no colour or movement and some scenes are rendered much better and more interesting in the anime. Still, from what I've seen the manga wins out over the anime.

Anyone know how many volumes there are to the manga?
Thanks

It's still ongoing at over 25 volumes. And I'm assuming you're talking about the original whith the lots of filler? Yeah- I don't think anyone's going to disagree, but that's also because the manga wasn't finished. Have you checked out Brotherhood yet? Do you feel the same way about that one?

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Yes, I'm talking about the original anime, not the remake. No, I haven't checked out Brotherhood. We can't get it in Australia and many streaming video sites block international users.

Wow, 25 manga volumes? I could be at it for awhile. Will have to buy the rest gradually. Thanks for your help.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

A note on watching it dubbed, if you decide to watch the far inferior first anime, sub or dub is fine, both are good. However, if you decide to go with the much better Brotherhood(it's almost finished, it will be done in June, and it will be awesome) definitely go for subs. The cast, minus a few like Vic Mignogna, Travis Willingham, or Chris Patton, all sound much worse than they did with the original anime. If you prefer dubs that much as to watch an inferior version, I suppose you can go with it.

Of course, if you read the superior manga you wouldn't have to worry about any of this.

[Atria35]

A note on watching it dubbed, if you decide to watch the far inferior first anime, sub or dub is fine, both are good. However, if you decide to go with the much better Brotherhood(it's almost finished, it will be done in June, and it will be awesome) definitely go for subs. The cast, minus a few like Vic Mignogna, Travis Willingham, or Chris Patton, all sound much worse than they did with the original anime. If you prefer dubs that much as to watch an inferior version, I suppose you can go with it.

That's a shame- even though I didn't care for some of the voice choices for the dub of the first, I thought their acting was decent.

[Yamamaya]

NEIN. It sucks. Don't waste your life on such a piece of pathetic fiction as FMA!(obvious joke is obvious).

FMA and FMA Brotherhood are great. However, FMA moves at a slower pace than brotherhood and it contains several fillerish episodes. The original FMA does do a good job with characterization though. The baddies in FMA are very well developed while in brotherhood they're just another battle for the good guys to fight.

[the_wolfs_howl]

The baddies in FMA are very well developed while in brotherhood they're just another battle for the good guys to fight.

I would disagree. The Homunculi are pretty much completely bad in Brotherhood, but many of them still have an incredible amount of depth for Bad Guys Who Have To Be Killed. Greed, Envy, and Pride in particular.

And all the big human bad guys are amazingly deep - Scar and Kimbley in particular are much subtler and stronger characters than they are in the first anime, if you ask me.

The bad guys are one of the main strengths of the FMA story, I think.

[Sapphire225]

I loved FMA. The plot is totally original with cool yet realistic characters and have tons of actions and a plotline of the century. The first anime is different form the manga and second anime, in the sense that it drifts from the original plot due to the fact the manga had nt been completed yet. Still, they are both really good and I highly recommend both of them. It draws you in and you'll become a fan just like that.

Also, it has excellent dubs...

[AnimeGirl]

FMA has already been added to my Amazon wishlist, part 1 of season 1, and volume 1 of the manga. ^.^ I'm looking forward to viewing it, and I'll let you know if I love it or hate it.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

FMA has already been added to my Amazon wishlist, part 1 of season 1, and volume 1 of the manga. ^.^ I'm looking forward to viewing it, and I'll let you know if I love it or hate it.

If I may ask, are you ordering Brotherhood or the original?

[AnimeGirl]

If I may ask, are you ordering Brotherhood or the original?

The original. I wanna see that first 'cause there was a CAA review of it, and so far, the content isn't too much for me. I do plan on watching Brotherhood, though. But I'd like to see a review of it before I do.

[ich1990]

The original. I wanna see that first 'cause there was a CAA review of it, and so far, the content isn't too much for me. I do plan on watching Brotherhood, though. But I'd like to see a review of it before I do.

Brotherhood has a PG to PG-13 level language. It isn't very frequent, but it does occur periodically and for fairly justifiable reasons. There is no sexual content. The nudity is limited to a brief bath scene a partial disrobing, and a shot of a tattoo on a woman's back for plot related purposes. Violence is fairly heavy, with people getting impaled, sliced in half, burned to death, and once blown into pieces. Although, I should note that many times these deaths are temporary and the characters pull themselves back together and heal from their wounds. Also, the camera pulls away from the infliction of many of these wounds. Blood is about at the anime standard; significantly more than real life, but not Monty Python's Black Knight style geysers. The story also gets pretty dark and includes violence against children and genocide. Both are stridently condemned.

To be entirely honest, though, if you are going to read the manga you probably don't need to get Brotherhood as well; the former tells the same story as the latter, better.

Eh, what am I saying. Get all three and enjoy them, especially Brotherhood and the manga, which are masterpieces in their own right.

[AnimeGirl]

I'm gonna have alot of anime to watch.....XD!!!! Brotherhood sounds....wow, more grusome.

[Atria35]

I'm gonna have alot of anime to watch.....XD!!!! Brotherhood sounds....wow, more grusome.

They both have their moments. Taking the context into account, it's not terrible. Baccano! is probably far worse

[MightiMidget]

They both have their moments. Taking the context into account, it's not terrible. Baccano! is probably far worse

Though Baccano! seems to be the standard for gore everywhere...

[Atria35]

Though Baccano! seems to be the standard for gore everywhere...

LOLZ! I wonder why?

[ich1990]

LOLZ! I wonder why?

Hm, probably because it is the goriest anime that everyone has seen.


[SIZE="1"]Except me.[/SIZE]

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Hm, probably because it is the goriest anime that everyone has seen.


[SIZE="1"]Except me.[/SIZE]

Only when it involves Claire Stanfield. Or Ladd Russo. Or both.

It's kind of like how there is all the things you can do to homunculi since they regenerate. Except there isn't any limit on these people.

[rainbowchick_02]

Oh my gosh, yes!! Watch it! It is soooooo good!

[Atria35]

Only when it involves Claire Stanfield. Or Ladd Russo. Or both.

I think Czeslaw was involved in some pretty nasty incidents, too >.>"

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

I think Czeslaw was involved in some pretty nasty incidents, too >.>"

Yeah. When Claire Stanfield or Ladd Russo are there.

[spoiler]The thing Ferme did to him were all offscreen, so those don't count.[/spoiler]

[AnimeGirl]

I had a strange dream that I was watching FMA for the first time. XD!!! I DOUBT it'll be anything like my dream....XD!!!

[Atria35]

I had a strange dream that I was watching FMA for the first time. XD!!! I DOUBT it'll be anything like my dream....XD!!!

LOL! You know you're anticipating something when you start dreaming about it! XD

[AnimeGirl]

I am fully trusting you guys that the series is good, 'cause I'm like....planning to buy half of season 1 before even watching it! XD!!! However, I have to wait 'till I get my pay for doing my chores first. If I get impatient enough, there's always Netflix!

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Because you were planning on watching the far inferior first anime because it's finished, you should know that the manga has finished and Brotherhood will have its final episode on Thursday. And all of Brotherhood is streaming free.

[QuirkyIceHeart]

OOOOOOHMIGOSH. Yes, watch it @_@ It is one of THE best anime in existance O_O *dead serious *

I could ramble on about it, and all three of the versions... but everyone already did that ^_^

The first anime: The most touching of the three, with a little more weighty involvment. It's very sweet, and has GREAT quality (soundtrack, animation, actors, everything) The main character, in my opinion, is best here.
I LOVED Ed, he was my favorite <3 Mustang was such a close tie though O_O

Manga: It has a much, much grander plotline than the first anime. Goes to hugely epic proportions, sometimes almost overly so (the climatic scene... eesh) But it's extraordinarily involving, and I ended up crying more times in it than I did in the anime. >_> <_< The once I did cry in the anime was much harder, though... hmm... *crying is not connected to actual moods though, so this may not be accurate * Anyway, more charas with more plot involvement. WOOT! Even little side dudes get their time to shine I liked even more characters here than I had in the anime, but ultimately, Ed dropped a lot of notches, and everyone else climbed higher.
In the manga, I am torn between Prince Lin and Mustang (And after them, Hawkeye and Envy)

Brotherhood: Umm... same plot as the manga, of course. But the animation is cheap (which, in some ways, makes it look awesomer XD ). The soundtrack sometimes doesn't really fit... But it's growing on me. The new English actors aren't so good, but most of the old actors come back to act again The first few episodes just skim what they already animated through the first... so... it's not all that good at first, but they added enough new material to keep it awesomely interesting

Alright... done stating what others have already said... *skuttles off *

XD

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Since you want to go for the far inferior first anime first, Funimation has begun posting episodes of the first anime up on Youtube(and presumably their own site and Hulu), both subbed and dubbed.

Of course, Brotherhood is finished and Funimation has every episode up on Youtube, Hulu, and their own site, so you should go check that out instead.

[ADXC]

Far inferior first? Ha, I don't think that's very good way to treat the first. I honestly loved the first series and so did my family. I honestly don't care about whatever the manga says(It really doesn't matter to me if it's all "cannon" or whatever.). I do respect that it has it's own way of telling it (and that if it adds to the anime or takes it away, that's your beef, not mine.), but it doesn't matter to me. The thing about manga is that I really do not like to read it that often unless it's of a series that has no anime counterpart. They chose to make the first series the way they did, no need to complain because Brotherhood is also out (So you can watch that instead.).

As far as Brotherhood goes, I've seen through episode 24 and it's awesome. I won't lie about that, but don't treat the first series as crap. Because I think at heart, this is all subjective.

If you think it's inferior or not as good as Brotherhood, that's fine. Just keep it as your own thoughts and opinions rather than adding it to the title. "The Far Inferior Full Metal Alchemist" does not sit well with me.

Rant over