Customer Reviews
Great anime - By: E. Mcallister, 15 Jun 2007 
This was the first anime I watched & I loved everything about it!
I would highly recomend it for someone looking for a first anime to watch!
A great start to an incredible anime series! - By: J. Snook, 10 Feb 2007 This DVD kicks off the increasingly popular anime series full metal alchemist. Volume 1 contains 4 episodes. The basic story is that two brothers, Edward & Alphonse Elric fail to resurrect their mother from the dead after using human alchemy. Alchemy is basicallly the transformation of one thing into something else that has equal value & ingredients. They soon suffer the consequences of performing human alchemy as Alphonses body is destroyed & his soul is fused into a suit of armour & Ed sacrifices an arm & a leg. Ed is then equipped with a metal arm & leg & hoping to get their bodies back to normal, they both set off on an epic quest. What follows is a well made series that can be funny, action packed, scary & emotional. The two brothers are very likeable as Ed is very loud & outgoing & he always hilariously freaks out when someone makes fun of his shortness whereas Al is quite timid & rational, you notice that he has a tough time controlling his brothers rashness & bad temper.
The animation in this DVD is simply superb, most of the scenery is very bright & beautiful & this leads to the viewer wanting to carry on watching. The animation also successfully conveys the atmosphere of a particular scene whether it be tense or happy,etc
This DVD is one of the few instances where I prefer the english dub. Even though the Japanese dub is good I think that sometimes the emotional scenes arn't as effectively portrayed as the english version. The DVD has few special features but the sheer brilliance of the episodes episodes themselves make up for that.
With its fun characters, interesting story & great action scenes, this is an essential purchase. FMA does not contain gratuitous violence, sex or language, therefore this results in an easy watch that you will most probably enjoy over & over again.
If you enjoy this, I suggest getting some of the other volumes as the story & characters develop further.
Full Metal Alchemist is an excellent anime & I would recommend it to any anime fan & even people who are not fans of the genre. If you are looking for an anime series that you have never watched before, why not try this, you may be pleasantly surprised.
A journey you'll want to take more than once - By: B. Wigmore, 03 Nov 2006 This is a brilliant series. Not alll the episodes are great (like ep 4, & to be honest you could pretty much skip the third DVD if you wanted to save the money) but the central quest for redemption is so compelling, it pulls you through any minor lulls. The two central characters, Edward & Alphonse Elric, who wrecked their lives in an alchemical attempt to bring their dead mother back, are complex & believable & very engaging, as is the relationship between them. They're joined by a large supporting cast, none of whom are wasted. Even the ones whose main function is comedy seem like real people. The animation is great, & the soundtrack superb, reallly adding to the tension or emotion as appropriate.
The one thing I'd disagree with some other reviews about is the English dub. Sure, it's probably one of the best English anime dubs around, with Ed & Al's voices being particularly good. BUT most anime dubs are rank, so that's not saying very much. Most minor characters still sound like phoned-in performances by E-list actors, & Wrath & Envy are just plain wrong! I would definitely recommend the Japanese original voices & the subtitles. The Japanese actors convey emotion with so much more subtlety. It's a shame to miss out on the brothers' English voices, but even with them, the originals are just a little bit better.
But whichever voice-track you go with, get it! And read the manga too!
One of the best series around, anime or not - By: Philip Tomlinson, 26 Jul 2006 Speaking as someone who isn't a raving anime fan, I can safely say that this is a fantastic series. Well written, expertly directed and, best of alll, it comes with a brilliant English dub that is easily comparable to the original Japanese language track. There is no reason to not buy this; Full Metal Alchemist is a testament to how exhilerating, thought-provoking & mature anime can be.
A classic series to be watched by all anime fans - By: MF Castillo, 14 Feb 2006 In this world alchemy & somewhat advanced Victorian style technology, the laws of equivilant exchange demand that you cannot gain something without sacrificing something of equal importance.
After a failed attempt in trying to ressurect their deceased mother through alchemy (an illegal & very dangerous process), Edward & Alphonse Elric are lucky to escape with their lives. Alphonse left without a body has his soul transferred into a nearby suit of armour, by his elder brother, Edward, who loses an arm & a leg in the process.
The series takes us on their journey, in recovering their former states. Edward works hard into becoming a State Alchemist & learn more in the arts of Alchemy. A moving tale that shows the brother's admiration & love for each other, overcoming powerful users of alchemy & corruption within the State itself.
A fantastic tale that will make you laugh, cry & shudder as you join the brothers in their adventures. The characters are very well structured, even characters that do not remain in the whole series are written with depth that it is hard not to feel attached to some of them.
Excellent art work & a catchy soundtrack bubblegum pop soundtrack. If there's one anime series you'll want to see this year, make sure that its this one!
