Note: this post is about Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood , the 2010-11 show. Not Fullmetal Alchemist , 2004-2006 or the book series. ...

FMA:B Review/Fangirl Flip-Out Over the Elric Brothers.

Alexa Mintah

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Note: this post is about Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, the 2010-11 show. Not Fullmetal Alchemist, 2004-2006 or the book series.

Original image from tumblr

I started watching this show thanks to my good friend Rebecca, who is way into anime and finally convinced me to watch a real one (apparently, according to some, Avatar doesn’t count). 

giphy.com At least I'm warning you.

The premise of the show is that two of the best brothers ever, Edward and Alphonse Elric, live in a world where alchemy exists and they attempt to use it to bring their dead mother back to life. It does not work. The reaction backfires, causing Ed to lose a leg and Al to more or else disintegrate. Ed just manages to bind his brother’s soul to a suit of armor--but it costs him an arm. Now Ed has an automail (metal) leg and arm, Al is just a soul in an empty metal suit, and they’re both searching for a way to get their original bodies back.

I know, I know. it sounds crazy. But seriously, this show is ridiculously awesome.

In a way, it kind of reminds me of the Marvel movies, in the sense that FMA:B has everything: funny moments, sad moments, serious moments, action moments, relationship moments that just make you wanna cuddle up with a bucket of feels and ice cream and DIE (then resurrect of course so you can continue watching the show).

Plus, the art, the art is gorgeous. Admittedly, I don’t know much about any kind of art, much less anime, but to me everything seems very nicely done. I so desperately want to draw all the baby charries, but I am sadly not that good. Yet. I fully intend to reach that point and fill an entire sketchbook with FMA:B fangirl drawings... at some point in my life.

To talk specifically about the title characters though.

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Ed is a lovely little *snickers* darling who is practically perfect in every way: he’s a freaking genius, the youngest State Alchemist ever, cares so much about human life that he even refuses to kill his enemies (often resulting in his serious injury and/or near-death, but let’s not talk about that). He’s an amazing fighter, and a good friend, the kind of kid who'll just tell you the straight-up truth, like it or not. But he doesn't do it to be mean (or more accurately, not just to be mean). He does it because he cares.

What might be my favorite thing? Every once in a while, the sweetie breaks out of his *glare*-I’m-a-state-alchemist-*glare* persona, and actually acts like the little kid he is. It is so freaking adorable and it makes me want to hug him and squeeze him forever and ever.

And I don’t even like to hug people.

This is me normally, if someone wants a hug.

giphy.com Well, perhaps not that drastically and certainly not with everyone. But you get the idea.

This is me if Edward were to want a hug

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Understand my feelings, now? Glorious.

And then there’s Al.

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This is basically how I feel about Al.

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OH MY ADORABLE LITTLE BABY ALPHONSE. He’s so freaking sweet, such a little kid most of time, yet then he’ll jump up and fight for the people he cares about and OH *dissolves in feels and fangirling. quickly reintegrates to finish the post*

As mentioned above, Al doesn’t actually have a body, not technically. But that doesn’t stop him from having personality, and emotions, and asdfghjkl, just hats off to the animators and the voice actor for packing that much feeling, beauty, and just plain liveliness and humanity into a flipping suit of armor.

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As Rebecca said when we talked about this post, one of the best things about the boys is that they need each other and they take care of each other. Ed never ever ever ever brushes off his little brother’s feelings, and Al wouldn’t even think of not acknowledging Ed’s. They are absolutely always there for each other, will literally do anything for the other, (Ed does give up his freaking arm when he’s already bleeding out from a missing leg to bond his brother to a suit of armor), yet that doesn’t make them super uptight about each other, doesn’t keep them from joking around and--occasionally--have fun like normal siblings do.

For most of the series, the Elric brothers are inseparable: they stand together and they fight for each other. Their main goals--to get the other’s body back--never waver, but what makes me loves them so much is that they often put those goals on hold or just set them slightly to the side so they can help other people. They’re wonderful on their own, but they’re better with each other, and none of us (them or me) would have it any other way.

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In short, they are perfect and lovely and adorable and they absolutely overwhelm me with feels.

pinterest Only in a good way, of course.

This post is getting a little on the long side, so I’ll just mention one more charrie I adore and then finish up: Winry Rockbell.

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Winry is the boys’ childhood best friend and Ed’s automail mechanic. What I love most about Winry is that she’s a normal girl: she doesn’t kick butt, she gets upset, she cries... kind of a lot actually. But that doesn’t stop her from being strong. From teaming up with the man who killed her parents, so she can help Ed and Al, to repeatedly whacking the brothers in the head with her wrench when they needed some sense knocked into them, Winry Rockbell just doesn’t stop being amazing.

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I could go on and on about the amazing awesomeness of this show, about how all the charries are so wonderful and lifelike, the villains are complicated and hilarious yet thoroughly terrifying, about how the mystery and the intrigue has kept me riveted the entire time I’ve been watching the show.

But like I said, this post is getting a little long. So I’ll simply leave you with this: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is AMAZING. Granted, the show can get pretty violent and bloody, plus Ed likes to curse on a regular basis. :p But if you can handle all of that, I’d highly recommend this show. Because seriously, it really is phenomenal :D

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QUESTION TIME: Have you ever watched Fullmetal? Any other animes? Who are your favorite fictional brothers? Is there one (sib-ship, bro-ship, romantic relationship, friendship) that you’d like to see me do next? Comment me!

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