Review for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - Part 1 (2 Discs) (Review)
Thursday, 19th August 2010, 19:48

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Introduction
If it ain't broke, then don't try and fix it. That's a truism that I ascribe to, which is why I scratched my head with more than a degree of consternation when I heard that Studio Bones was going to remake the Fullmetal Alchemist story from scratch. The first Fullmetal Alchemist series was released here in its entirety a few years ago, followed up by the Conqueror of Shamballa movie, and even after this much time, I still consider it one of the best anime series ever made. It was a gripping and epic tale, set in a richly drawn universe full of compelling characters. This tale of alchemy was magic with consistent rules, the search for redemption, and a story where twist followed turn, revelation compounded on revelation to provide an anime experience that I still find breathtaking today. It seemed to me that the only possible reason for remaking it would be to take advantage of a widescreen ratio, which seems scant justification for such an outlay of effort. Then I learned that the first Fullmetal Alchemist series was itself incomplete. The creators followed Hiromu Arakawa's original manga for the first half, but then when the manga ran out, they got permission to create their own story to conclude the series. I think it's one of the rare times where such a decision has paid off, as the story they concocted was stunning. Normally such developments lead to Naruto-loads of filler, or the conclusion of Gantz.

However, since the first series, Hiromu Arakawa has concluded the Fullmetal Alchemist story in manga form, and with that in mind, it actually seems logical to animate the Fullmetal Alchemist story anew, giving it a widescreen and HD polish in the process. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the manga story, adapted into some 64 episodes, and now you can watch the story as the creator intended. I ought to mention, that I'm not a hardcore fan of the manga, and with first Funimation, and then Manga Entertainment streaming the show online, this is one of the few times that I have been able to preview the show before the DVD release. I watched about half of it before developing 'monitor neck', and I do have some issues with the direction the story goes in, and the overall tone of the show. It isn't quite as bad as New Coke, but it is telling that I haven't been able to stick with the online stream of the show. But, watching it on television is a whole other experience, and I'm hoping to pick up more nuance to the show than I did originally.

Alchemy is the art of the transmutation of matter by means of an incantation, a mystical circle, or sheer willpower alone. For centuries charlatans and the deluded pursued the creation of gold by alchemical means but to no avail. But in Full Metal Alchemist, alchemy is a realised science. Set in an alternative world during the early years of the twentieth century, the transmutation of elements is indeed a reality, and the state regards such talent highly indeed. Full Metal Alchemist tells the story of brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, two precocious alchemists who are on a quest. The young brothers had attempted the unspeakable, resurrecting their mother. But the Law Of Equivalent Exchange cannot be flouted, only objects of equal mass can be transmuted, and the dead cannot be brought back to life. The attempt failed disastrously. Now, Alphonse is a disembodied spirit bound to a suit of animated armour, while Edward has replaced his leg and arm with metal automail, but it's his prodigious facility with alchemy that has earned him the name, Fullmetal Alchemist. Now they search for a means to restore their bodies.

This first collection of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood comes with 13 episodes across 2 discs from Manga Entertainment. Also, this is the first mainstream anime series in the UK to be released simultaneously on Blu-ray and DVD, although it must be noted that Brotherhood was broadcast as a 540 source in Japan, and all of the Blu-ray releases worldwide involve a degree of upscaling. Also, both the Madman and Funimation Blu-rays have player forced subtitles in the Japanese audio to deter reverse importation in Japan. I don't know if the Manga discs will be the same though. There are none of these issues on the DVDs of course.

Owners of the first series should be aware that most of this first collection would be repetition for them. In essence with a few significant differences, these thirteen episodes, with a lot of judicious edits and restructures and omissions, retell the story from the first half of the first series. Twenty-six into thirteen does go, if you push it. Skip to Page 3 if you want to avoid the episode synopses.

Picture
It may not be a Blu-ray, but Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood gets a very fine 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer on DVD, NTSC-PAL issues not withstanding. The image is clear, sharp and colourful, the detail levels are high, and Studio Bones makes sure that the full widescreen scope is put to good use, and the animation is vibrant and energetic. Of course I can't help but compare it to the first series, and you'll have to take my bias into account when I say that I feel something is lacking in this second series. The action animation is better, especially given these five years or so of technical advancement, and I must say that Brotherhood is a much prettier anime to experience. However, I do feel that the show doesn't compete when it comes to detail. Backgrounds seem more generic, character animation is a little simpler and lacks nuance, while the actual character designs are subtly different, a little stockier and broader and not quite as elegant as before. Also, in these first thirteen episodes, there is a whole lot of comedy, meaning that characters are apt to go super-deformed at the drop of a hat, much more so than in the first series, and taking a leaf from the manga, there are a whole lot of comic thought bubbles and graffiti that require signs translations this time around.

Disc 1 suffers from an ill-placed layer change.

Sound
You have the choice between DD 5.1 English, and DD 2.0 Surround Japanese, and I must say that the added surround for the Japanese track is certainly welcome, although of course the 5.1 track is miles ahead when it comes to audio placement. You have the choice of translated subtitles and a signs only track as you would expect. But, just like with the video, I feel a little disappointed in the audio for FMA: Brotherhood. My choice as always is for the Japanese audio, and it is certainly an acceptable way to watch the show. However, if like me, you have become accustomed to the cast of the first series, you may be disappointed to hear that of the main cast, only Romi Park (Ed), and Rie Kugimiya (Al) reprise their roles. I certainly gave more than a few double takes at the odd-sounding Winry and Mustang. It's quite the contrary with the English dub though, as other than Maxey Whitehead taking the place of Aaron Dismuke (whose voice broke) as Al, the majority of the cast return. Something did feel a little off about the dub though, and I put it down to the greater comedy focus in these episodes; I've never been all that fond of English comedy dubs of anime.

But these are small issues, as by far the greatest disappointment in Full Metal Alchemist's audio is the music. Admittedly the themes are good, and the first opening theme by Yui is as good as any of the L'arc en Ciel tracks that the first series used. But the incidental music takes a hit that doesn't do the show any favours. For the first series, Michiru Oshima created a score that was grand, theatrical, and operatic, and very much a character in the show. For Brotherhood Akira Senju provides the background music, and the most I can say about it is that it is bland and forgettable. There were one or two problems that I noticed with the subtitles, a mistake in episode 3 (Ed says "I'm religious" when he should actually say, "I'm not religious"), and one subtitle that strays off the edge of the screen in episode 5, as well a couple of minor typos.

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