‘Fullmental Alchemist’ is a well-known popular series both for its manga and anime versions. Since its birth, its been well-loved by people worldwide. The anime series though follows the manga has its own differences when it comes to storyline. Beginners often question which one they should start with since ‘Fullmetal Alchemist‘ and ‘Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood‘ have the same characters and more or less the same plotline.
The basic story revolves around two brothers Ed and Elric Alphonse who lost parts of their bodies while performing alchemy to revive their mother. In this process, Elric loses his whole body with only his spirit remaining. He and his brother Ed goes on a journey to get his body back while getting entangled in a deep web of conspiracy that threatens their whole continent.
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Difference Between ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ And ‘Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood‘
Starting with their storyline, the series ending, characters, and even the animation differ from each other. ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ released in 2003 loosely follows the manga. The story’s main antagonist appears to be Dante an old woman who seeks immortality through the use of the Philosophers Stone (a product of alchemy). She controls strong alchemy demons, named after the seven deadly sins.
‘Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood’ is quite different from the original series. Unlike the previous one, this series loyally follows the manga’s storyline with the main villain being Father. Here like Dante, Father also uses the homunculus (demonic being) as his puppet, named after the seven deadly sins. The animation is way better in this series than in the 2003 version. It’s crisp with amazing color combinations and good character emotion portray.
The 2003 series though, focuses more on the characters, be they secondary or main ones. Each has their own side of the story, making us attached to them emotionally. In the 2009 series, some of the secondary characters are shown only when they are necessary. No detailed backstory is given, but if you spend enough time with them, you’ll love the characters regardless.
The vast difference will be the ending of both series. One thing I like about Brotherhood is that the anime intrinsically draws an end for all the characters. In each plot, each character gets their perfect ending. On the other hand, the original series transports the main characters to an alternate universe, to be precise, our universe. They try to find ways to get back to their world while the other characters search for them desperately.
This felt a not over-the-top and not-needed ending for such a beautiful story. In the Brotherhood, the romantic relationship of the characters is also given the chance to grow. In the end, it shows that Ed sacrifices his alchemy magic in order to get Elric’s body back. While Ed weds Winry Rockbell and settles in a village, Elric continues on the path of an alchemist in the city.
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What Is The Right Order To Watch Both Series?
Honestly, it doesn’t matter. If you want to follow the manga plot, it’s better to watch the Brotherhood. Since both animes are not a sequel to each other, you can start with whichever you find interesting.
The plot line changes after Maes Hughes’ death. Both the series start to differ from that point forth. The ‘Brotherhood‘ carries 64 episodes, while the original contains 51. Not much of a difference there.
