Fullmetal Alchemist
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
The 2003 original, and the question every new fan asks: which Fullmetal do I watch first? The honest answer: they are two different shows that share a first act. The 2003 series ran while the manga was still being written, so it diverges halfway into its own darker, melancholy story with an ending that is genuinely bittersweet in a way anime rarely attempts.
Where Brotherhood is the faithful adaptation with more action and a grander plot, the 2003 version goes deeper on grief, guilt, and the cost of the boys’ sin. Its villain reveals are more haunting, its tone is more gothic, and some fans will always prefer it precisely because it hurts more.
You cannot go wrong either way. Watch this one if you want the melancholy classic, then Brotherhood for the full story. Or watch both: they are both top shelf.
Our take: 8/10. The darker twin, and a classic on its own terms.
