Is FMA worth a try?

[Cloud500]

While I'll admit that the first anime was not as great as the manga/Brotherhood, it was still a really good show. Bones also had very little source material to work with (four volumes of the manga, I think?) so I'll give them some credit for that. If they could have done a faithful adaptation of the manga the first time, I'm sure that they would have done so.

[steenajack]

Would it be okay if I used this thread to ask a question about the first FMA series? Besides episode 10 (with Psiren the Theif) are there any other filler episodes I can skip that contain sexual content/fanservice/nudity in them? Because I saw an AMV, and it showed a flashback of a certain married couple together in bed....although, I could tell that the episode was probably important to the plot...could anyone give any details/warnings on what episodes I could avoid and such? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

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

It's not that I don't like the first anime because of it's deviation from the manga, it's that I think that Brotherhood/manga is objectively superior. I'm not ragging on the first anime, which I did enjoy, I'm pointing out that Brotherhood and the manga are better. I would do the same if someone was choosing between two unrelated series, one of which was good, and the other of which was fantastic. The first anime did have some good moments, admittedly, but it also had it's share of flaws.

And, as far as content in the first FMA, ten is the only part with any fanservice, really. I believe at one point and mother and her child are shown naked, but not for fanservice.

[blkmage]

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

I'm not sure what metric you're using to compare the quality of the first and second series when you've admitted that you haven't finished the second.

The characterization, writing, and plotting of the manga storyline is better in pretty much every way. This is something that's unavoidable when the first series was written basically as an extrapolation based on the first few volumes of the series. Because of this, the purpose of the first anime is lost, because now we have a proper animated version of the storyline that was planned from the beginning and uses the setup of the first few volumes coherently and to their actual potential.

And because of this, there's effectively no reason, other than historical curiosity, to watch the first anime.

[ADXC]

How do you measure a series' worth? If it's by those means then I guess you'd both be right.

I suppose if I were to go as far as relate Dragon Ball Z to Dragon Ball Evolution, then I would see your point with that.


I'm not talking about general objectivity, but rather subjective enjoyment one gets from it. If I really cared how much more accurate Brotherhood is to the original FMA manga, then I would read them(Also it takes me forever to read.). But I do not have the time so I only saw the first series and now I'm watching the second.

To me, how close, to the original manga the first series was, doesn't matter. I don't think you have to have everything correct in order to enjoy it.


Really when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter how accurate an anime is to the source. Because if there is no enjoyment to be found in it then it's a waste of time.

Note: I'm not saying that Brotherhood was like that, quite the contrary. But I mean that in a general sense of everything.

However, the first series of FMA definitely was not a waste of time, I cherished it all despite whatever flaws were present. I was 14, I didn't have any friends to hang out with so I watched FMA and I learned to love anime as I do today. That is why FMA meant so much to me. Don't ever say there is no reason for anything just because it was off the mark. How it effects others is a different thing that may inspire them to pursue something great.

I'm not ranting here, I'm just stating how I feel. You don't have agree with whatever I said. I respect your opinions on life and things. But I just saw that I needed to say what I wanted to say, that's all. I'm not trying to get you to agree with me, I just don't want to keep these thoughts bottled up.

I could change this into a spiritual thing, but I don't want the thread to be closed so I won't. XD

I'll shut up now.

Ok, so soooooooooooorrry you guys for going WAAAAAAAAAY off topic. Continue!

[blkmage]

I never said that the second anime was better than the first anime just because it was closer to the source. I said that the second anime was better than the first anime because it was closer to the source, which has a better story. This has nothing to do with accuracy, but quality. And yes, the quality of a story can be evaluated, with some of the things that I listed: characterization, plotting, etc.

I mean, let's just take the manga out of the argument here. Brotherhood is simply better because it has the better story and writing. That's all.

[ADXC]

Go ahead, put everything into equations. I don't think you got what I meant.

[blkmage]

No, I understood what you meant. FMA means a lot to you, I get that. However, how I feel about a show is different from what I think its quality is. The subject under discussion is the quality of a show, not how meaningful it is to us personally. So yeah, it turns out the quality of writing is a factor in the quality of a show and your experiences with it are not.

I really like Hidamari Sketch because the things it conveys are special to me. I don't expect anyone to think that HidaSketch is an amazing show just because it resonates with me. I don't think that its quality is that great either. I have no problems realizing that some of the things I like aren't very good.

That's not to say the first FMA is horrid, but when someone says that Brotherhood is better for legitimate reasons, you can't argue that it isn't because of what it means to you. When you do that, you're not arguing about quality anymore.

[ADXC]

Well, I was actually just talking about the value it means to someone.

[Nate]

You can still like something that sucks. Look at Deadly Premonition. The game is clunky, has terrible controls, poor graphics, bad sound, has very tedious combat, and yet, tons of people love it and think it's one of the greatest games ever made.

And yes, they say that EVEN ADMITTING that everything I said is just true. While it is true that usually people dislike things of poor quality, there can also be something very endearing about certain things that are bad. Ever heard of "so bad it's good?"

Now, like blkmage, I'm not saying that the first FMA anime is bad. However, it objectively has the worse story. That's not to say you can't enjoy it, or that everyone has to hate it and think it sucks. Just that, when you look at the plot/characters/events, Brotherhood is quite clearly superior.

Now, you have already seen all of FMA. You clearly saw it when it was first showing, and that's fine! But what we have here is someone saying "I have never seen or read FMA." And since we have established that the first anime is objectively of lesser quality, if they have never read the manga or seen the first anime, there really is no reason to watch the first anime, since it is of lesser quality. For those who have read the manga already but never seen either anime, that person may want to watch the first anime just to see something different (since Brotherhood is closer to the manga).

If someone has never eaten a hamburger, would you take them to McDonald's or to Fuddruckers? Both places have burgers, but one has lesser quality burgers. You may like McDonald's just fine, and that's cool! But it objectively is not as good as Fuddrucker's, and if someone has never eaten a burger before, why would you take them to the place that's not as good? Okay, this isn't a perfect analogy because as fast food, McDonald's is cheaper/faster, but you see what I'm getting at I hope.

[ADXC]

Ah I gotcha. For the most part I wasn't even clear on with what I was arguing about. So I apologize for that.

So I guess I pretty much wasted plenty of forum space with that crap. If you guys think I ought to edit those posts, then I'll do that so other people won't be confused.

[Lynna]

Would it be okay if I used this thread to ask a question about the first FMA series? Besides episode 10 (with Psiren the Theif) are there any other filler episodes I can skip that contain sexual content/fanservice/nudity in them? Because I saw an AMV, and it showed a flashback of a certain married couple together in bed....although, I could tell that the episode was probably important to the plot...could anyone give any details/warnings on what episodes I could avoid and such? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I can tell you with all certainty that FMA original never crosses the PG line. Of the episode with the couple in bed, that was a short flashback, and nothing offensive actually occurs in it. For the rest of it, the fanservice is relatively low, and there are only a few sexual references. There is some nudity, but It wasn't fancervice-ish and nothing of consequence is shown

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

The violence and serious themes definitely cross the PG boundary though. That comes with the territory.

[steenajack]

Thank you guys so much. !

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

People be warned though: Brotherhood has a bit more fancervice, but nothing to be rated over PG-13

Besides the three second scene of Winry in the bath where you can't see anything, when is there fanservice in Brotherhood?

[Lynna]

(forget this)

[Nate]

I think you mean "endowed," as "endorsed" would mean that she was approved by someone somehow.

Though I'm not sure what her bust size would have to do with fanservice anyway. Well-endowed girls actually exist in real life! Unless it's like an anime I will not name here where the breasts are comically oversized for no other reason than to draw attention to them, I think it's a bit rude and insulting to some females to imply that having large chests is equivalent to fanservice.

[Atria35]

I think you mean "endowed," as "endorsed" would mean that she was approved by someone somehow.

Though I'm not sure what her bust size would have to do with fanservice anyway. Well-endowed girls actually exist in real life! Unless it's like an anime I will not name here where the breasts are comically oversized for no other reason than to draw attention to them, I think it's a bit rude and insulting to some females to imply that having large chests is equivalent to fanservice.

Coming from one of said well-endowed women, I fully endorse this statement. I would hate for people to think it's inappropriate for me to be around their children IRL just because of my bra size.

[Lynna]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone. Just forget what I said T.T
*goes into corner and dies of shame*

[Atria35]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone. Just forget what I said T.T
*goes into corner and dies of shame*

It's okay, it's just... People seem to have only a little problem with it- if any- in real life, but absolutely have a problem with it in animation. I think it's the remnants of the (rather recent) time where well-endowed women were automaticaly seen as people likely to be promiscuous, because that bit of their sexuality is very visible. So there seems to be a leftover feeling that it is wrong, even if the girl/woman that's well-endowed isn't doing anything but standing there. It's surprising how many somewhat nasty comments are made in media about a girl's size. I hear them in tv shows and movies all the time, usually made by the leading female characters towards their more-endowed female co-characters.

So it's also something that's being perpetuated. I don't blame you, Lynna, I blame the people who perpetuate that feeling.

[Nate]

Yeah, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. Honest, I wasn't! And like I said, there are definitely times when bust size is played up as fanservice in anime (Grenadier is a good example of this). It's just that large chests are not always fanservice. In fact, these days it's often the opposite. But let's not discuss these things in an FMA thread! XD

[ADXC]

I don't think having big busts are a fan service problem, but they may be seen as too much fanaticism.




XD I kid.

But yeah, don't worry about it. Sometimes there is too much fan service that distracts and sometimes there is just a little that maybe adds to that character.

[AnimeGirl]

So I bought volume 1 of the manga, 'cause when I was at the bookstore and saw it there, I was like "I've been putting off trying this out for way to long!" so I got it, and.....I LOVED IT!!! Not as bad as I expected. Sure, some of the scenes were...gruesome. But not as bloody as I thought (Tsubasa still wins for bloodiest manga I read XD!!!!), of course, that may change as the series progresses, I assume. And despite Ed being agnostic and the first arc, I didn't feel like the manga-ka was trying to down believing in God, but rather, this is just a character who feels that way, and despite being agnostic, it's funny how he told that one girl "This is what happens when you trespass God's domain..." so I felt, despite the way he feels about religion, is typical of how a scientist would think and was handled very well. And despite saying humans are "cheaply made", he mentions how it seems like there's a missing ingredient scientists don't even have a theory about. All in all, I am HIGHLY enjoying this series! I plan to buy more of the manga and start on the first anime right away!

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

Too late....I've only read volume 1 and already he's automatically became my favorite XD!!!

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

I'm actually curious to see what it's like for someone to go through the manga volume by volume, rather than the marathon up to where it had currently been released, which is what I've seen. I'm highly curious to see how you react to the next volume now.

[QuirkyIceHeart]

So I bought volume 1 of the manga, 'cause when I was at the bookstore and saw it there, I was like "I've been putting off trying this out for way to long!" so I got it, and.....I LOVED IT!!! Not as bad as I expected. Sure, some of the scenes were...gruesome. But not as bloody as I thought (Tsubasa still wins for bloodiest manga I read XD!!!!), of course, that may change as the series progresses, I assume. And despite Ed being agnostic and the first arc, I didn't feel like the manga-ka was trying to down believing in God, but rather, this is just a character who feels that way, and despite being agnostic, it's funny how he told that one girl "This is what happens when you trespass God's domain..." so I felt, despite the way he feels about religion, is typical of how a scientist would think and was handled very well. And despite saying humans are "cheaply made", he mentions how it seems like there's a missing ingredient scientists don't even have a theory about. All in all, I am HIGHLY enjoying this series! I plan to buy more of the manga and start on the first anime right away!



Too late....I've only read volume 1 and already he's automatically became my favorite XD!!!

Oooh yes, that's what I thought about Ed's beliefs. I'm glad you're enjoying it!! Also, enjoy the first anime! Everyone hates it, which drives me crazy, but it really is one of the best anime out there. ^_^ I probably even like it as much if not more than the second and the manga. I'm curious to see your reactions to it, too. I love seeing people go through the same sense of discovery and wonder as they enter a new world and experiance things for the first time... ENJOY It, YOU!!

Actually though, you should know that later on in the series, religion is actually an important part of things. Not to spoil anything, because it only comes in near the end... but there most certainly is a god in the FMA world, that does play a part in the story. The view though is that 'all is one and one is all', thus, essentially the universe is god, even though there is also a seperate consciousness that 'god' has. So... yeah >.< It also gets way more violent, though not necessarily more bloody (Bloodless violence abounds... mostly around the humonculi. Beware of the Sloth, Lust, and Envy battles >_> If you want details, PM me and I'll try to keep spoilers/too many details low)

And to whoever up there was worried about fanservice/suggestive stuff (PLEASE DO READ THIS, PEOPLE NEGLECTED TO MENTION IMPORTANT POINTS UP THERE) First series-wise, outisde of Psiren, there is very little fanservice or suggestive things at all. HOWEVER. [spoiler]There is an assumed relationship between two people in the backstory, and I don't believe they were married. The same person goes on to have a relationship with someone else, and I don't think they were technically married either (different last names, and the manga confirms it) VEEEEEEERY subtle though. You could miss both of those. Also, to put it bluntly, one character is raped. No one says it, but it's clear that it did happen. (Taken to the soldiers' camp, 'something horrible happens', and she comes back with a baby)[/spoiler] That being said, it didn't have anything without meaning in some way. It was hardly just throwing bad things around... Psiren was the only meaningless thing that happened in that direction. Everything else was deliberately tied to the plot, and the plot had meaning.


And I'm going to yell at the haters of the first anime now
I don't mind people picking favorites, but it just horrifies me how people brutally insult it like that...

People who hate the first series are merely insensitive people that can't get over first impressions. (Joking, love ya'll) It's the more emotional, heavy, sensitive, meaningful, and quality story, with much less bad content. You can just SEE the thought and emotions that went into it; it's practically dripping with them. They took what they had from the manga, and built upon it. Between the scenes that were the same (aka, the first bit of both the manga and the anime), the anime easily won. If you take a retarded formulaic way of judging things ("It must follow a typical story set-up and not sway from it, and if it does, clearly it is bad"), then of course you won't like it. It's not going to follow your retarded little formula, because it's unique. I've heard people talking about how much the first anime affected their life in a positive way, especially depressed and lonely people. (We gets very attached to certain characters...) I've heard nothing of the sort from the fans of the manga. Coincidence? No. The first anime had way more heart from the beginning, and if it follows YOUR standards or not, there is no way it deserves any of the awful judging it gets. That and it has an awesome, heartfelt soundtrack and great animation <3

The Brotherhood has the FULLER plot, more characters, and way more content in general. And while it has a much fuller more developed plot, with full explanations to everything you'd ever want, it also isn't near as weighty and deep as the first. Sure, every character actually gets a climax and does something. I was thrilled to see that even my favorite minor characters did SOMETHING. Whereas Ed and Mustang were most of the first anime, the manga/Brotherhood has... everyone @_@ How awesome! Plus, it has Prince Lin, and the alchemy rules/concepts are better (The other side of the gate was good for emotional reasons, but.... eeh... not so good set-up wise. I mean, that was just a weird thing to pull on the watcher after not so much as hinting for an entire series) You leave feeling like every plot string was satisfactory, and every character got their moment(s!). All the same, Ed was an empty shell of what they made in the first anime Reading/watching it, I felt intensely involved, I even cried (which I didn't do in the first anime after the Nina episode), and I was always grabbing to see what happened next. I was and still am genuinly obsessed over the thing. It also has some of the FUNNIEST humor I have seen from anything.
All the same, I just don't get that sense of... wonder, and depth. It's cheaper, somehow. One simple face expression, look, or comment could mean EVERYTHING in the first anime. It built itself well enough to do that. Even small things meant the world. The manga... has to do so much more to get people's attention. Bigger things happen, but they mean less in general.
I love the artwork and Arakawa's humor, btw @_@
The Brotherhood ruined the artwork and took out tons of the humor, as well as a lot of dialogue that I had thought important for some of the characters AND a lot of the Ishvalan war, but it has an awesome soundtrack



Just my opinion.

That being said, I absolutely adore both and would never want to give up either *huggles both *


Long enough post? I'm known for these things on another forum I'm on... I would apologize, but I'm sick of that -_- People don't communicate enough, so whatever XD If you didn't want to read it, you shouldn't have. That's all I have to say

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Mate, you are taking this way too personally. Is it really a crime that people like the manga better? Is it really a crime to like tighter and better written stories with less filler? I don't think so. You have your preferences, we have ours. That's okay.

[the_wolfs_howl]

[quote="QuirkyIceHeart (post: 1423154)"]I've heard people talking about how much the first anime affected their life in a positive way, especially depressed and lonely people. ... I've heard nothing of the sort from the fans of the manga. Coincidence? No. The first anime had way more heart from the beginning...[quote]

Generally, I agree with Warrior up there, but let me tell you something: The Manga Has Affected My Life In A Positive Way. I personally think the manga is the best version of the story, but I still love the first series a lot. And while the first anime was my first introduction to the story, that doesn't downplay what the manga has done either. It took me three times watching the scene between the Elric brothers next to the river in the first anime for me to make a connection that should have been obvious between the bond of these brothers and the relationship between me and my own brother. But all it takes in the manga are pages like...

[spoiler]when Al talks about why he wants his body back, when Ed comes out of Gluttony's stomach and Al expresses how worried he was, when Al gives his soul up to get Ed's arm back...[/spoiler]

...and I sit there staring at the page or computer screen, and realize I want to be that. Not the desperation or the danger or adventure or cool powers or anything like that. I just want to be as good of a sibling as the Elric brothers are for each other. I want to be there for my siblings like they are, and I want to be as willing to give up everything I have for the people I love. I never made that conscious of a realization watching the first anime.

FMA has also influenced my writing in a very definite and positive way, though that's a bit more off the mark. So I just wanted you to know that there are people who have been affected by the manga as much as the first anime. You're entitled to your own opinion, of course, but I personally can't see how anyone could look at pages like that and think the manga any less heartfelt than the first anime.

[Atria35]

^ You really should take down those links. As illustrating as they are, they are links to illegal manga sites, which isn't allowed.

But I agree- while in the first anime,[spoiler] they decided to focus on the alchemy aspect and the horrible things done to gain that power, so the bonds between the Ed and Al and the other characters fell by the wayside. They ultimately weren't as important as the 'saving the world' aspect. The manga is about the bonds between the brothers, and indeed between all the characters, which is superimposed on a story about saving the world. It never loses sight of those bonds.[/spoiler]

[Etoh*the*Greato]

While I'll admit that the first anime was not as great as the manga/Brotherhood, it was still a really good show. Bones also had very little source material to work with (four volumes of the manga, I think?) so I'll give them some credit for that. If they could have done a faithful adaptation of the manga the first time, I'm sure that they would have done so.

I'm enjoying Brotherhood, but I thought that the music certainly and some of the moments in the original were simply more powerful than in Brotherhood... Like when Ed gets his arm rebuilt and goes out he and Al have a sparring match to recover from their argument. In the first series that really got to me. In Brotherhood moments like that felt brushed over. They're emphasizing the very concept of brotherhood more thoroughly all over, but some of my favorite moments in the first series seemed lessened.

[AnimeGirl]

Steena-chan and I have already arranged to watch the first episode of the first FMA series on FUNI's website. We've set a time on Sunday, and we'll be chatting about what we think about it. ^.^ I'm so excited!!! I was gonna buy volume 2 of FMA, but they didn't have it at the bookstore!! Kyaah! Oh well. I can tell it's a series you CANNOT read in random order.