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Does the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime deserve the hype it gets or does it not live up to the expectations of viewers?
Created by Studio Bones, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the second anime adaptation of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga. However, the series has far surpassed its predecessor as it stays more faithful to the source and has better animation quality. For over a decade since its release, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has been considered by anime fans to be the pinnacle of storytelling.
This makes it the crown jewel of rankings wherever you go, as it continuously receives universal acclaim. At the same time, this leads to the question of – is the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime overhyped?
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood definitely deserves the hype it receives, but it can tend to go overboard due to its intense fandom. This leaves it with an astronomical reputation that no show in the world can live up to. Nevertheless, the series is still a must-watch for all anime fans.
The Brilliance of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood follows the lives of Edward and Alphonse Elric as they navigate through a world filled with Alchemy. Due to a Transmutation gone wrong, both of them have lost essential body parts and are looking to restore them. During their adventures, they soon run into a conspiracy that could threaten the entire world.
The series is brilliant because it remains consistent from start to finish while exploring a mix of genres. Most anime today struggle to maintain quality from the first episode and often decline by the conclusion. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, however, increases in scale and improves in standard as the story progresses.
Beyond its narrative, the story excels in exploring political and mythological elements that give it a layer of depth. Its portrayal of government corruption, military coups, and the inadequacies of a Führer-led system goes past the screen. For instance, the Ishvalan Civil War serves as a sharp critique of colonial oppression and ethnic conflict.
Mythology also helps in amplifying the richness of its story. Alchemy is presented as a science but framed through a spiritual lens, exploring God, ambition, and the value of life. The Seven Deadly Sins, represented as the Homunculi, embody human flaws while giving Fullmetal Alchemist a biblical allegory. Additionally, the Ouroboros symbols on the sins represent the eternal cycle of destruction and recreation in Egyptian and Greek mythology.
The series combines these grandiose themes with more grounded ones such as bonds, friendship, and sacrifice for loved ones. Additionally, despite having a large cast, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood develops each character thoroughly, regardless of their screen time.
The protagonists, antagonists, and supporting characters are unique and remain crucial as the series nears its conclusion. With elements of action, suspense, drama, fantasy, and even romance, it consistently delivers if its premise captivates you.
Why Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Is So Popular in the Western World
While its roots are in Japan, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has gained remarkable popularity in the Western world. The technical reason for this can be attributed to websites such as Crunchyroll and Funimation gaining more popularity globally, but the anime itself still needs to be good to become a hit.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is unique because its plotlines resonate globally, not just within Japan. The series still has the staples of anime, such as the power of friendship and concepts of the spiritual world. This is reinforced by terrific voice acting. Concurrently, its themes comment on global issues.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood majorly focuses on equivalent exchange and characters grappling with the cost of their actions. It has political drama, large-scale machinations in the background, and deals with existential questions of humanity and sacrifice.
The story incorporates historical and biblical symbolism. By drawing from themes of colonial oppression and the aftermath of World War 2, the series gives a feeling of historical relevance. The Ishvalan Civil War echoes the effects of imperialism, with the Ishvalans resembling persecuted groups such as Middle Eastern or Southeast Asian communities.
As we have seen earlier, Biblical undertones are also deeply permeated in the series. Concepts such as the Church, the seven deadly sins, and divine judgement will resonate more with the Western Abrahamic narratives than with Pagan and Buddhist influences in Japanese storytelling.
Another subtle but important factor is the design of the characters. The only Asian-looking characters in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are the Ishvalans and Xingese. The rest of the cast resembles Western people, making it feel more universally accessible.
Due to these reasons, it transcends just the Japanese fanbase and has gone global. The series’ various aspects resemble comics and graphic novels, making it naturally appealing to the Western otaku fandom.
The MyAnimeList Rating Issue and the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Fandom
We have now seen a lot of the positives in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, but the reason the anime gets a lot of heat is its infamous fandom. When a series is beloved by a group of people, it is natural for fans to show passion.
Additionally, this means that there is the possibility for this love to become more extreme. We have seen many other anime, such as One Piece and Naruto, where large fandoms become a dominant voice while not allowing more niche stories to gain the spotlight. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood suffers the same fate due to the toxicity of a certain part of its fandom.
Believing that the series is superior to everything else and should always be at the top, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood fans have taken to the popular anime database – MyAnimeList. Giving a high rating to one’s own show is understandable, but they also downvote any other series that threatens Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’s place at the top.
Instead of giving an opportunity for other possibly high-quality anime, these “devoted” fans have caused a decline in ratings of other shows such as Kaguya-sama and Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War.
MyAnimeList ratings are subjective and display one’s emotional connection to a series rather than the quality of the anime itself, but they help bring traction to a lot of good stories. Resultant of toxic behavior like this, many anime watchers have naturally been put off by the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime and believe the hype it gets to be overrated.
Is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood the Perfect Anime?
No anime in history can be classified as perfect, and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is no exception to this. Even so, the story itself checks most of the boxes. The hate generated by the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood fandom could trickle down to the anime, but most viewers agree there are no glaring faults with the series.
The plot revolves around important issues but also stays fascinating enough as a fantasy tale on its own. Every character is memorable, and the adventure through its expansive world never gets stale. As it remains satisfying from the first to the last episode, there is a good argument for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood being one of the best anime ever.
However, the other side of the conversation exists. Some viewers believe that the beginning episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are very abrupt and the pacing is all over the place. The creators assumed viewers had already watched the 2003 anime adaptation, resulting in a rushed introduction that can confuse first-time watchers. This issue resolves itself as the series progresses, but it remains a stumbling block for new audiences.
Anime veterans have the opinion that the story is predictable at times and adheres to classic shonen tropes. When compared to avant-garde series such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, it could be considered “simple” in some senses.
These flaws, while valid, are mostly minor when compared to the accomplishments of the series. The emotional weight of scenes such as Maes Hughes’ funeral and the shock of Shou Tucker’s reveal is hard to match. Hence, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood might not have reinvented the wheel, but it does come close to perfecting its own craft.
Conclusion
The question of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood being overhyped is a complex issue. While the fandom’s outspokenness could leave viewers disappointed, the story itself deserves a lot of praise. This case shows an instance of where too much love could eventually turn self-destructive to even the best of series.
Still, for most viewers who end up watching the show, it remains an unforgettable experience that shapes the rest of their journey through anime.
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