Everyone talks about Brotherhood being one of the greatest shows of all time, but no one talks about 03 in the same way. Kevin Nyaa link: • The End of Fullmetal A...
@@emekaamerican863 Well for one thing, the over arching story. BH has this story that involves far more than Ed and Al, it spans the entire continent and includes tons of people (BH has too many characters imo) where as 03 is centered around the brothers. And where BH has the typical shounen "with the power of friednship we will beat the great evil" 03 is far more Ed and Al alone, even those who want to help them simply can't understand their loss, they can only rely on each other. 03 is the story of Ed and Al, the philosopher's stone is just a detail to their story. BH is the story of Hohenheim and Father, it's almost has if the Elric brothers were instead a detail, one that gets focused on but there's much more at play than two brothers trying to save each other. Hell they kind of give up on saving each other halfway as the plan becomes to stop Father, only at the end does getting their bodies back get addressed.
Right…because the ultimate sacrifice that Ed gave at the end of brotherhood didn’t literally live up to its name? I watched the original a long time ago as it came out on Toonami, and I fell in love. But brotherhood really encapsulates what the original writer/creator was going for. And I hate to admit that! lol
God I love how Sloth being Ed and Al’s failed human transmutation gives them a tangible consequence to their actions and how they have to confront them instead of running away. Ed’s character arc - particularly his interaction with the Tringam’s and his last conversation with Mustang were some of the most amazing scenes of any media I’ve ever seen. There’s just so much that I love about this anime, it’s beautiful.
This is basically correct, I saw 2003 as an adult and as someone who has experienced great loss, it seriously resonated with me, to this day hearing the music instantly captures me. Brotherhood is more, for children?, it's the kind of hollywood popcorn movie where basically everything is ok in the end and never gets too serious without heavy amounts of humor to counteract serious parts. It's ok, but very much lacks the depth and character of 03.
what's funny is that 03 only had like 4 filler episodes as the rest were necessary and even played amongst one another to further the story, either to show us what Ed and Al are like, or to show that even the serious characters are human like everyone else.
@@haosmagnaingram6992 Okay "stand alone episodes", I'm referring the the ones that don't directly connect to the overarching plot. Like Viscous and Spike in Bebop, or Laughing Man in Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex. Not using filler negatively in this post.
I watched brotherhood first because a friend recommended it to me, as it was more accurate to the manga. Later on I watched 2003 and was surprised by how good it was, and by how much more I preferred it to brotherhood. It was more intimate, more dramatic, with a greater sense of tragedy-- it is a story of loss and dealing with it. Everything just seemed to have much more weight to it, and I really appreciate how the show took its time with the earlier events from the manga. In particular, the lab 5 episodes, the development and backstory of the homunculi in the second half of the show, and how they connected with the main characters. I really liked how Ed and Al had to deal with the repercussions of their actions, which had unintended consequences, particularly how Ed's actions led to the massacre in Liore. It had a more dramatic, tragic feel to it. I've come to appreciate the ending too, even though I was initially kind of disappointed by it-- the twist of what lies behind the gate is interesting, particularly how it connects to the origins of alchemy. Thanks for this video-- I feel like 2003 is often dismissed by fans because of brotherhood when it should be appreciated for what it is.
@@JOMNIplays Shamballa is bad in my perspective. Rush and the villain a joke. They should just have made season 4 and and have Alphonse and Wrath be the new brothers trying to open the gate in order to get Ed back.
I fucking love 03. People diss it for not having a 100 percent happy ending, not being on as "grand" a scale as fmab, not following the Manga, etc. But those are kinda dumb reasons to hate 03 imo. 03 was beautifully crafted, its tone was mature, its themes were well fleshed out, its characters were deeply personal, and it had some interesting philosophy too. I love 03, glad to know I'm not the only one who loves it
The funny thing is people who criticize the 2003 version don’t realize the original writer really really liked it. She knew very well it was getting close to overtaking her story as she was writing it, and she actually encouraged the writers to come up with a different second half instead of waiting for her to write more. And she liked what they came up with. Heck, she liked some of the new characters they invented so much that she put them in later volumes of her manga. She calls the 2003 version an alternate universe version of her manga where her characters make different choices.
Yeah take note that it never actually gets brought up *how well* anything is done, they only talk about little things that are completely insignificant to a discussion about the quality of the work itself. There is *no comparison* between the two. Like not even close. 03 is just a fantastic and intimate masterpiece that people of all ages can watch and bond through, but brotherhood comes off to me like "a franchise" - it isn't the same kind of work of art that 03 is, it's far more plastic and less impactful in every way in comparison. Brotherhood won't stick with you as you get older, 03 *will* stick with you. Seeing 03 when it first came out on toonami was huge for me, it asks so many philosophical questions and has so many things to teach you about life. Being like 11 when it came out that show changed my freaking life dude. It was a big deal for me, and whereas they're both technically "Fullmetal alchemist" - they don't have the same message at all and brotherhood is sanitized to such a degree that I just can't enjoy it. I don't think if I rewatched it ever I'd even bother to watch the first like 15 episodes, I'd just start where the two shows diverge from one another because the original series is just told in such a better way that it just doesn't make sense to watch the horrible abridged version in brotherhood.
I’m glad the animators change the story in FMA 2003 it made it more emotional and impactful than Brotherhood. People only say Brotherhood is better because it follows the original story in the manga and people are scared of the crazy fan base of Brotherhood
They also say it's better because of its simplicity compared to 2003's complexity. 2003 overall has so much stuff going on and has a lasting impact. Brotherhood has nothing to offer other than action. That's why I'll always love 2003 over Brotherhood.
I watched Fma 2003 when i was 13&14, and to this day, i find myself always come back to it, almost every year. It just...hits everything, always. Sadness, loss, hope, bravery. Grieving, coping, learning, finding peace in spite of not knowing. Growing up, losing things, but that's ok. That's natural. It doesn't mean your efforts mean nothing, so live. People say this series is so grimdark, so tragic, that it's a bad end. But it's not. It's an ending of hope. Because everyone will keep on living, and trying. And in the end, one day, they will get something. We will get something. It might not be perfect. But we shouldn't give up. There's just so much more that could be said, like how the show tackles w themes of racism and the military with much more impact. When colonialism has happened not even 100 years ago, the sincerity of the show has always been something I cherished. Your video is great, and i could feel your sincerity and emotions as well. Thank you for your video on this topic, and showing your love and passion
I cannot stress enough how important FMA 2003 is to me. I’ve met such incredible people through 03’s community, and the homunculi in particular are some of the most tragic characters that I’ve seen. I got attached to Wrath especially, the twists and turns his character took throughout the show were just incredible to me. All in all, fantastic video. You captured everything that makes 03 what it is, and seeing a video like this made so recently, when Brotherhood dominates the fandom and new fans are told so often to only watch Brotherhood, is so refreshing.
Yeah man Lust's backstory is very contradictory to what she does later on is very much impactful and wrath's story is like we feel empathy at the same time we feel rage for him....
This series was a beautiful love story between the brothers. Brotherhood was great as a story about community and connection, but the 2003 series was much more personal to the boys.
The confrontation of Izumi and Ed at the student having repeated the mistakes of the teacher in 03 absolutely blows Brotherhood out of the water, and it's painful that for all the love Brotherhood had, it never could reproduce poignancy like that. The lesson about life and death, the confrontation about Ed and Al's handicaps, the traumatic flashbacks as Edward stumbles out a confession, the beatdown Izumi gives for being idiots as the boys offer no resistance, and then, as they close their eyes and brace for another blow... a hug. They are fools, but they are all fools together, and they are forgiven. 10,000,000,000,000/10 pacing that scene alone. If anime was wine, that would have been ambrosia.
This scene literally made me cry like a child. I FELT what they felt. I could relate to them on physical level, despite my life was way happier than theirs. And... They did it without any words. No talks, just pure emotions. Now THIS is how you need to write and direct the scene.
The title should be "FMA 2003 IS brilliant" before Brotherhood came out everyone loved this anime and a lot people still do but the only reason some new people to the franchise watch fma:b first or just fma:b is because it's closer to the source material even though it's recommended to watch 2003 first even from some people that pefer Brotherhood
Ik right. I personally prefer brotherhood, but I always tell people to watch 03 first because I feel like brotherhood skipped the deep cuts in the beginning that you can only get with 03. 03 was also my first anime
Fax I like both my older brother and cousin did not bash 03 to the ground it was missing that fulfillment but was was tying into the plot It’s not the best ending but it’s nowhere close to where people are calling it the worst thing of all time like chill it’s a good watch for real except for conquerors Shambala
"The pleasure of a dream is that it was a fantasy, if it happens it was never a dream" "Maybe you're right, but still I have to try..." "I had the gun in my mouth Maes, but I couldn't pull the trigger. I was too afraid to end it. That's just the kind of cowardly human that I am." "Every sane person is." I think it's a master class of tone and substance. It makes me sad that it's flaws are magnified as to overshadow it because of people's preferences.
Honestly one of my favorite aspects from this version was Ed’s and Roy’s relationship, one of my favorite scenes in the anime was Roy telling Ed about his time in the military, what he did in the war, killing Winrys parents, and there final conversation, them having mutual respect for each other as they go off to there final fights, so good man.......also you earned a subtiber good sir, Kek content.
Im someone who grew up with 2003. I did enjoy the Manga Adoption, had many feelings for it. But in the end, everytime I think of fma, I think of 2003. This anime really stands out from the rest. Usually anime series would end where the Hero wins the big villain. But this one ended where both side technically were broken. 2003 is always going to be special for me.
To this day, my argument is that Brotherhood has the better story, but '03 tells its story better. Mangahood starts as this intimate thing and develops into something grandiose and bigger than its main characters. It's awesome. But '03 stays intimate. Its a character study of 2 children just trying to fix their mistakes, realizing how small they really are in the grand scheme of things, and then resolving to just do what they can despite how unfair and brutal the world truly is. You're primed from episode one that equivalency is integral to existence in this world, but are slowly beaten down, alongside Ed and Al, with how nothing is actually fair in life. But to live is to continue to find a leg to stand on and move forward anyway.
The world building in Brotherhood and plot is excellent, but the atmosphere, dialogue and emotion of 03 is beautiful. It also has far better dialogue for Ed. I love fmab but sometimes I feel like that Ed is just a mix of "don't call me little" jokes quips. Brotherhood is basically a classic shounen, fma03 is like a seinen.
Thank you. For years I've been tirelessly defending 03 and professing on the tallest hill I can find that I like 03 better than Brotherhood. I thought I was alone for so long.
YES, YES AND YES ! Greed death and Ed's reaction to it blew my mind as a thirteen years old, as did Hughes, Lust, Nina and Sloth last words... I knew right away with Ed crying over Greed's body that this show wasn't like others. Easily at the level of 90's masterpieces such as Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop and Trigun. Same league or maybe even a bit above it's contemporary Elfen Lied and Black Lagoon. Late 90's/early 00's was a cool time to be en Otaku 😃
He did give up an equal exchange. He's brother weren't dead and he's body wasn't gone. He gave up the deepest connection and memories he had created with his brother for flesh. He gave up life and in a way time - which is the most important we have for his body.
I just finished fma 2003 after I couldn't get through fmab, from what I've seen of fmab I liked fma 2003 wayy more, the stuff with lust and scar was fantastic and I loved how the hommoculous were made from failed human transmutation rather than just being created by the father character
I'd recommend giving FMA:B another shot, but with more of an open mind now that you've seen the OG version. I can attest that trying to compare '09 to '03 was one of the initial factors that ruined my first attempt at watching Brotherhood. However, once I learned to view it as its own story, I enjoyed it a lot more.
I LOVED 03 better than brotherhood. I think people say brotherhood is better because it has more action. But the original captured my soul with how deep it is.
Brotherhood is very balanced, the story and character were done better and animation is will be of course better But it still hurts that many just Don't even try fma 2003 because they they think brotherhood is better in every aspect for me fma original = 9.5/10 Brotherhood = 10/10
@@khushalvaishnav9403 More power to you.🙄2003 is superior. Better animation, better visuals, better soundtrack, better story, better characterization, better lore, better execution of its themes, messages, and concepts, and of course, superior ending that captured what the show went for from the jump.
I always preferred fma03 over fmab for a number of reasons mostly because of the thick atmosphere and much darker story, ed is also far more relatable and human in the 03 adaptation
@FuckOuttaHerein this case it does, because it was way more immersive. Having a stronger tone, more effectively communicated through its ost, direction etc makes it better.
I still don’t understand why there are people who felt FMAB was better. I always felt FMA03 had a far deeper philosophical discussion and perfectly links each action with consequences, coupled with the outstanding music score and character development, it was just phenomenal. FMAB on the other hand felt repetitive and predictable, there was nothing out of ordinary, no profoundness or depth, just an ordinary plot with a lot more characters. I was not moved nor emotionally invested, except in the end that I wanted to find out how Father’s plot got unraveled. I say to each his own, but to me FMA03 was a masterpiece, and one of the best anime to date!
I like both versions, but I grew up with the 03 version a bit more, so it has a special place in my heart. I don't think I could have explained it better myself. Thank you for making this video!
i really enjoyed this anime and in my opinion, the ending was SO FUCKING GOOD. it even had an underlying sense of hope that in my opinion, brotherhood just couldn't capsulate. i could rant about the show forever but thank you for bringing this to everyone's attention I'm now going to send this to my friend because they don't really like 03 but love brotherhood.
@@dashman8499 I'm in agreement as only one other show did that to me. The ending to the penultimate episode in '03 hit me so hard that I didn't know if I could watch the finale to see how it ended. While the ending itself may have been bittersweet, I think Conqueror of Shamballa did a good job of bringing everything full circle and closing the story.
"If what my pop said is true, then right now Al's body and soul are inside the gate. There can be no other price for a life. Even if I offer all of myself, it might not do any good. But still, there's no reason for you to have to go away. Come back Al" God, that was my favorite line in the whole serie
I always tell people to watch the 2003 version and Conqueror of Shamballa first, and then watch Brotherhood, since it sets the tone and tells the beginning of the story so well, I grew up with 03 so I was kind of sad when Brotherhood rushed the beginning of it, like "Damn I love Fma enough to watch the beginning again!" As if I didn't watch my dvds over and over lol
@@denisel1553 I sure do! I used to have the original 4 episode volumes but I found it all on a blu ray a few years ago, I used to have the 2003 OVAs on DVD too but I let someone borrow it a long time ago and now I dont know where it is 😭
I just want to say thank you. Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 has been my favorite anime for a long time now, and it really just broke my heart that nobody seemed to appreciate it the way that I did. While I'm not saying Brotherhood is bad or worse, and while I do understand why people tend to favor it, there are just some things that made me wonder why people ignored 2003. You covered all of it perfectly. Thank you so much for giving my favorite anime the love and attention it deserves.
I cannot tell you how frustrated I get when people always say "Don't bother with 2003 it doesn't follow the manga and the filler ruins this great story". That is complete bs and I'm pretty sure if the 2003 series didn't exist majority of FMA fans wouldn't even know about this series. Also here's a fun fact-Hiromu Arakawa(FMA's mangaka) was actually involved during the early production of 2003 and she gave the production team her blessing to create their own eventual ending as she thought the anime and how she would write the manga's finale should have different endings and she to my knowledge really liked how 2003 ended. Yeah really think about that, the fact the creator of FMA likes the original anime compared to a lot of people who bash it really says a lot.
Legit facts. Hate people who say that 03 sucks just cause it doesn't follow the manga. Thats actually the worst logic I've ever heard in the anime community, which sucks cause it's so common.
In 03, 4 of the homunculi are actual characters like Lust has her entire arc, Wrath and Sloth have their arc, and Envy has their arc. And 3 of the 4 of these homunculi are related to ed and al in some what as Envy is their half brother, Sloth is their mother and Wrath is their teachers son. Whereas in brother hood their versions of Lust, Envy, Wrath, and Sloth are; Woman, Shapeshifter, Captain Obvious, and a random dude
Greed in fmab and Greed/Ling are awesome. He's all heart and he's loveable in the end. Wrath as Fuhrer Bradley is predictable but it works. The others...eh... I agree. They're caricatures, but then they're the embodiment of their sins, so it's forgivable, but they're one dimensional as a result. Lust is all buxom, seductive, focused. Envy is a loud mouth, small-minded idiot, Sloth and Gluttony are forgettable. I like Pride though: menacing and powerful and happy to screw everyone over.
This hit harder for me. It was darker. Brotherhood was flashy and overhyped No one important dies and a lot of overrated people in Brotherhood. Love 2003 had more heart and better connections
FMA 03 has always been my personal favorite anime of all time and it's good to see someone finally give it the credit it deserves. Thank you so much for this video. I truly hope others see this and give 03 the second chance it deserves.
i especially love how Edward went after Nina when the military came to take her away, whereas in FMAB he kind of gets angry briefly and then leaves it.
fma2003 might just be my favorite show of all time. i was instantly hooked on the aesthetic, the art style, the early 00s edginess, the characters. 03 isn't as much of a fighting anime as brotherhood, which is as shonen as it can be, but when it gets to action scenes, it is crafted wonderfully. this is one of the reasons why i enjoy 03 so much - it's a character piece first. don't get me wrong, i absolutely love me a good shonen, but fma03 becomes a psychological show very quickly and it does wonders. for what it was, it really did not have to go so hard on the trauma but i am so glad they did. the story is dark. really dark. it feels hopeless sometimes. but what i like the most, might be the contrast. the contrast between childhood innocence and emotional trauma combined with pure filth. best evidence? edward himself. his design is much more child-like than in brotherhood and i believe it to be a good thing. why? the contrast. ed is a child, you can clearly see that, even when he matures at the end of the show, for the most part, he is still a child. the barry and tucker episodes? he was 12. twelve. and the world? scary. a 12 years old shouldn't be subjected to it. but ed needs to mature, he tries to mature, he tries to act strong but at the end, he is still a traumatized kid. but he comed a long way. a really long way. ed is generally more emotional than in brotherhood, which i honestly prefer than the "he never allows himself to cry..." stunt in broho. because in 03 we see him actually overcome his trauma and emotions instead of getting it handed to us instantly like in brotherhood. also, the nina situation. in broho she just kinda... yk we meet her and the stuff happens, boohoo but in 03 she's alive for more episodes and she develops a close bond with edward, which makes her death even more painful to watch because ed actually cares for her as a person deeply, not just in the "aw man poor kid" way, he thinks of her as his younger sister, he cherished her deeply even though they didn't get that much time anyway. and it hits hard. really hard. he breaks down big time. because guess what, aside from the fact that it would hurt anyone, HE'S A CHILD and the show makes it clear that he is too young to face a reality like this, but he has too, because he is now a soldier tl;dr fma 2003 gives us more time to understand ed and see how he grew before the actual plot starts, the show itself being much more character focused
For me FMAB story is like you will be rewarded for all the hard work you have done in the end while FMA teaches me that life does not always give you what you want. In short FMA story resonates with me the most.
FMA 03 had heartfelt moments and drove me emotionally, but certain event never clicked for me. FMA Brotherhood had moments that never felt outta place and drove me logically, but characters didn’t have the kind of depth they did in 03. When something happened in 03, I felt like I was cutting onions. When something happened in Brotherhood, I felt like I was solving a puzzle piece. Ed in 03 felt like someone who had grown to become a true alchemist by excepting Equivalent Exchange. Ed in Brotherhood felt like someone who had grown more human by learning of equivalent exchange and found the loopholes, ya know. Either way, both are great on their own. With Brotherhood, I always get hyped with how things played out, but man, 03 was a gave me great times too!
Thank you! I loved the 2003 anime along with its ending. I don't know myself whether I'd have wanted to watch all of Brotherhood without having previously watched this adaptation which was much more a character study than the second. And thank you especially for finding a way to articulate what happened at the ending. I have to add that '03's score was so much better! Wonderful video analysis and yeah, I'm subbing~!
@@etheri0n959 finally completed man what a show. are there any sequel to this. dont know u kind feel bad for the homunculi too this kind of stuff makes it more humane
@@gamester5067 there's the movie, conquerer of Shambala. I personally didn't enjoy it that much, but it is a part of the 03 canon and it serves as the conclusion to 2003. If you want to watch it, I hope you enjoy it.
I just watched fma a week ago Haven't watched brotherhood . It's good. It showed the value of life it's not just some chemical reaction ,if it was then we would have created someone's loved one with science .
@@etheri0n959 Thanks. Glad to be here 😁 Everything I've seen and heard, people were talking about Brotherhood like it was this great masterpiece but I honestly didn't like most of it. There were some things I like, but in my honest opinion, FMA 2003's strengths outweigh Brotherhood's strengths
I really liked 2003 a lot more. I felt like the story and the ending was played out perfectly. And seeing Ed die but to only come back, and have to save Alphonse was really touching. Even more as it was the only show I question if they will ever see each other. ( Like other ones with open minded endings ) I happened to get my answer with Conquer Of Sehaba ( I know it's wrong ) , as they do reunion it and see how each character Alive and those who come back but are part of a different universe continue where the story ended. And don't get started with the soundtracks! Beautiful made.
I'm lucky that I didn't put any research into the series before I watched it. I saw the first episode of brotherhood and assumed it was a sequel series, so I stopped and watched 2003 first. It was great that I could experience it without needing to compare it to brotherhood. It also makes part 1 of brotherhood look like a joke.
just got my wife to start watching 03 with me. she doesn’t have much of a history watching anime, but once we got to episode 7, she was hooked and now we are straight binging it. i have watched 03 several times, and brotherhood once, and i know for a fact that she would not have been drawn in by brotherhood. there is something so emotionally evocative about the characters and their relationships in 03, while brotherhood really feels just very stereotypical shonen. 03 holds a special place in my heart and i’m even more confident in its brilliance after seeing how my wife so easily became invested in it. i was honestly shocked to discover brotherhood is rated number one on my anime list, i watched it a single time through when it first came out and it didn’t do anything for me. i feel like that says a lot about what the average anime fan values in art.
I grew up watching my dad watch fma 2003 and just finished it today. I watched the first episode of brotherhood and can barely stand it with Al's voice
Hello! Thank you so much for making this video. I recently - literally just recently - finished watching both versions of FMA. I knew deep down that I liked the 03 version just a tad bit more than Brotherhood - but couldn't quite pin point why. I always wondered if the reason for this was because I watched it waayyy too fast with the mindset of "I gotta finish this so I can watch Brotherhood." I really love the character development and the world building - I felt attached to the homunculi for sure, especially Lust. Everything came back in full circle, just as you said, and I truly do appreciate that in this series. I even enjoyed the Conqueror of Shamballa film as well and was quite okay with the ending. Just the overall idea of another world was just pretty neat and though I felt bad for Winry, but at the end of the day I was in it for the brothers. In conclusion I love both: Brotherhood for my girl Winery's happy ending, the action, the animation, the openings/endings, the explanation of each Homunculi's names, Ed's glow up - like bro I was like "Daaaaamn!" by the end LOL!. Then the 03 for basically everything you said.
I watched 2003 when it first aired on [adult swim] and it, alongside Wolf's Rain, showed me the potential anime has as a medium to tell stories that move you, break your heart, and make you feel like you've grown as a person after experiencing it. That is to say, I may be a bit biased toward 2003, as the mere memory of it is infused with nostalgia, however, I still feel confident in the assessment that it is a brilliant piece of fiction. When I watched Brotherhood, I honestly did feel some frustration with the beginning episodes, as they felt rushed, as though they were saying to the audience "you already know this part, let's hurry through it so we can get to the new stuff". Having seen 2003, yes, I did already know those parts of the story, but I wished Brotherhood could have started stronger, so that new viewers could get the same experience I had when I first watched 2003. As it was, I realized that in order to truly enjoy the beginning of Brotherhood, new viewers really would need to watch 2003 first, because they would be missing the same emotional connections to certain story beats without it. I was still sad about Nina and Hughes, but I wasn't devastated the way I was with 2003. In the end, though, I'm glad both versions exist, because it was nice to have the manga story play out in Brotherhood while also getting a very different story with 2003, so neither feels superfluous, they each provide a unique and worthwhile experience.
Ah a fellow fma 2003 sympathizer 🤩 you my friend are cultured. 2003 & brotherhood should be reviewed and watched as separate entities bc the themes and characters and end story plot differ that it is such a great anime on its own. Just cause it’s not the manga story, doesn’t it make it any less amazing . 2003 made me a hard anime fan. This video is brilliant. Your deep analysis and breakdown is great. And idk if it’s the music or the passion in your narration, but I LOVE this video and totally agree with what you’ve. You got me here wanting to make my own video on this topic ahaha I’m going to go ahead and sub now
The funny thing is people who criticize the 2003 version don’t realize the original writer really really liked it. She knew very well it was getting close to overtaking her story as she was writing it, and she actually encouraged the writers to come up with a different second half instead of waiting for her to write more. And she liked what they came up with. Heck, she liked some of the new characters they invented so much that she put them in later volumes of her manga. She calls the 2003 version an alternate universe version of her manga where her characters make different choices.
Excellent video analysis!! I'm so glad I found it. ❤️ I’ve watched FMA 2003 and Brotherhood, but looking at them in comparison, for me, Brotherhood never really hit hard as much as 03’ did. Both series are great, but 03’ is an underrated masterpiece on its own. It strays away from the source material at times, but the way it handled the first few arcs; (Tucker Arc) and character development, brilliant. Thank you so much for making this video! ❤️ You earned a new subscriber! :)
I felt like shamballa had more too offer, apparently originally a show was pitched or something but then plans if brotherhood came into action so it couldn’t happen. Also shamballa’s original script was 4 hours long but was cut for obvious reasons. Sucks tho shamballa had so much potential to complete this masterpiece of an anime
I remember seeing both shows on Netflix and choosing 03 to start my journey. I was very into it and watched it start to finish in a few days during summer break. When i first saw the ending, I was infuriated because I dont think I was looking for any deeper meaning, but I was also just a kid. At the age of 20, exactly a month before my birthday, a memory resurfaced. The song "Melissa" used in opening 1 came to mind, which i had first heard in the Final Fantasy Sonic flash game even further back into my childhood. The song still holds up today and is now one of my favorite anime themes ever. After making this rediscovery, I remembered the parts of the show I liked and discussed with a friend how much better the beginning of the show was and admitting that the origin of the Homunculi was amazing in its own right and added a new layer to their characters. Last night, I searched to find the show on no platforms outside of forbidden sites and I'm loving the rewatch. Knowing theres a movie that I haven't seen, I look forward to changing my opinion of the conclusion and finally watching the movie. Regardless, no matter which version you watch, one thing is abundantly clear to me. Fullmetal Alchemist is the best anime ever made...
You wouldn’t believe me when I’d say I willingly watched the equivalent exchange segment through every single episode, no skipping. I literally sat there and recited it every time it would play. I LOVED that part and I’ll continue to love it. It just seems to me like something I’d never get tired of.
Just as you are glad that someone is fighting for FMA 03, I am glad that someone mentioned Shaman King as an example of an amazing adaptation. I want to mention if you didn't know. The main director and screenwriter of Shaman King are the same two dudes who held the same positions in the production of FMA 03. Seiji Mizushima and Sho Aikawa
Even after finishing both I will still return to at least the first half of FMA 03 to experience the wonderful and tragic first act of the whole plot wonderfully paced. The beginnings of FMA 03 is S Class
I've always preferred 2003 and I've always been perplexed by the way its looked at in the Anime community. Brotherhood is seen as the pinnacle of anime and while I do think it's extremely good, much of early Brotherhood is quite rushed in comparison to 2003, which takes its time to flesh a lot of things out(probably because there wasn't as much to adapt). As a result of this and the darker color palett and tone, 2003 ends up feeling much more personal and philosophical in a way that never comes off as talking down to you but more so trying make you think about whats being presented to you. And while I'm probably in the minority on this last part, I prefer the ending of 2003 to Brotherhood. While it does have some issues, I had more issues with the way Brotherhood concluded its story. Nice Video
2003 proved that even if you make an original branch off from the Manga, FMA will still be good. That's how good the source material is. The Bradley Family and the Armstrongs were done dirty in 03, though.
It was an emotional and philosophical experience whereas brotherhood was more exciting and optimistic and 'celebration of being human' centric. Excellent video my friend! However Ed & Al & did pay. The loss of important memories made together by Al was a great loss. It may have been painful but time spent together and lessons learnt are always important, I think. So I think that the law remains unviolated until the end. 😊😊
Yeah, it's open to interpretation. The reason why I said that was because Ed said it himself at the end when he was worried that the transmutation didn't work. Thanks for watching.
It took two attempts, but I did complete FMA:B a short while after finishing FMA '03. Imo, while the OG version seemingly lives in the shadow of its descendent, Brotherhood isn't as perfect as many make it out to be (i.e. Episodes 2-13 glossing over a lot of details that were covered extensively in '03 and less time with characters like Hughes, Nina, Sheska and the first iteration of Greed). However, I will say that both versions are great in their own unique ways and deserve an equal amount of love and appreciation.
Agreed. The '03 version is great and actually does several things better than brotherhood (which is also great). Especially the homunculus works much better thematically in '03. It's so wierd how that they are the emotions that the original homunculus removed from himself, while he at the same time express no other emotions, than the ones embodied by the sins.
FMA ‘03 is a philosophical reflection upon life, it is beautifully crafted and it is truly a life lesson.
This man gets it.
Put so very well to say the least. 👌👌
That's why I prefer it
Yeah it explained backstory of homunocullus very well then FMAB , which gave so much impact to the story till the end....
Yep bttee than brotherhood trash
In short; FMA '03 is more about brotherhood, than Brotherhood.
How. I haven't watched 03 in a while? I'm currently rewatching Brotherhood.
@@emekaamerican863 Well for one thing, the over arching story. BH has this story that involves far more than Ed and Al, it spans the entire continent and includes tons of people (BH has too many characters imo) where as 03 is centered around the brothers. And where BH has the typical shounen "with the power of friednship we will beat the great evil" 03 is far more Ed and Al alone, even those who want to help them simply can't understand their loss, they can only rely on each other.
03 is the story of Ed and Al, the philosopher's stone is just a detail to their story.
BH is the story of Hohenheim and Father, it's almost has if the Elric brothers were instead a detail, one that gets focused on but there's much more at play than two brothers trying to save each other. Hell they kind of give up on saving each other halfway as the plan becomes to stop Father, only at the end does getting their bodies back get addressed.
Right…because the ultimate sacrifice that Ed gave at the end of brotherhood didn’t literally live up to its name? I watched the original a long time ago as it came out on Toonami, and I fell in love. But brotherhood really encapsulates what the original writer/creator was going for. And I hate to admit that! lol
Yep
Literally lol
God I love how Sloth being Ed and Al’s failed human transmutation gives them a tangible consequence to their actions and how they have to confront them instead of running away.
Ed’s character arc - particularly his interaction with the Tringam’s and his last conversation with Mustang were some of the most amazing scenes of any media I’ve ever seen.
There’s just so much that I love about this anime, it’s beautiful.
fma 2003: the reality
fma brotherhood: the dream that everyone wants
“the pleasure of a dream is that it is fantasy, if it happens it was never a dream” insert harmonica cover of bratja
@wolf 9973 well, Brothergood isn't so edgy, so is the reality, so I agree
PRECISELY ITS HAPPY EVER AFTER
This is basically correct, I saw 2003 as an adult and as someone who has experienced great loss, it seriously resonated with me, to this day hearing the music instantly captures me. Brotherhood is more, for children?, it's the kind of hollywood popcorn movie where basically everything is ok in the end and never gets too serious without heavy amounts of humor to counteract serious parts. It's ok, but very much lacks the depth and character of 03.
Commit yes
2003 is so fucking good, it makes me mad that people don't appreciate it just cuz brotherhood is closer to the manga. 😭
I feel the same way man. Thanks for checking out the video.
@Karina Kamichi I like your FMA 03 videos :D
@@The_BEST_Rookie_Cop Ahhh thanks 😭❤
Same, F for us
ikrrrrrrrrrr i just cant fucking stand when many idiots say that 03 is bs . :'(
The first FMA to me is proof that there are "fillers" that are better than the actual source material sometimes.
26 episode animes do it well (Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Ghost in the Shell) loose overarching story with fillers in between. It's the perfect combination.
what's funny is that 03 only had like 4 filler episodes as the rest were necessary and even played amongst one another to further the story, either to show us what Ed and Al are like, or to show that even the serious characters are human like everyone else.
@@jish55 not 4 bro only 2 fillers rest are anime canon or very small recap episodes....
Episodic shows aren’t filler el duderino.
Also FMA really only has 2 (3 at the absolute most) episodes I would arguably consider calling filler
@@haosmagnaingram6992 Okay "stand alone episodes", I'm referring the the ones that don't directly connect to the overarching plot. Like Viscous and Spike in Bebop, or Laughing Man in Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex. Not using filler negatively in this post.
I watched brotherhood first because a friend recommended it to me, as it was more accurate to the manga. Later on I watched 2003 and was surprised by how good it was, and by how much more I preferred it to brotherhood. It was more intimate, more dramatic, with a greater sense of tragedy-- it is a story of loss and dealing with it. Everything just seemed to have much more weight to it, and I really appreciate how the show took its time with the earlier events from the manga. In particular, the lab 5 episodes, the development and backstory of the homunculi in the second half of the show, and how they connected with the main characters. I really liked how Ed and Al had to deal with the repercussions of their actions, which had unintended consequences, particularly how Ed's actions led to the massacre in Liore. It had a more dramatic, tragic feel to it. I've come to appreciate the ending too, even though I was initially kind of disappointed by it-- the twist of what lies behind the gate is interesting, particularly how it connects to the origins of alchemy. Thanks for this video-- I feel like 2003 is often dismissed by fans because of brotherhood when it should be appreciated for what it is.
Hey, glad you enjoyed, Really happy that you got to enjoy 2003. And glad that I could reach you with this video.
I just finished watching both series for the first time. I watched 2003 first and I actually liked it more than Brotherhood
Have you seen the conqueror of shamballa, it’s a sequel to the 03 anime and ends things off pretty nice
I completely agree with u
@@JOMNIplays Shamballa is bad in my perspective. Rush and the villain a joke. They should just have made season 4 and and have Alphonse and Wrath be the new brothers trying to open the gate in order to get Ed back.
The music man. For some reason, fma ‘03 music really helped deliver so many emotional hits and moments in a way no other anime has done.
I fucking love 03. People diss it for not having a 100 percent happy ending, not being on as "grand" a scale as fmab, not following the Manga, etc. But those are kinda dumb reasons to hate 03 imo. 03 was beautifully crafted, its tone was mature, its themes were well fleshed out, its characters were deeply personal, and it had some interesting philosophy too. I love 03, glad to know I'm not the only one who loves it
The funny thing is people who criticize the 2003 version don’t realize the original writer really really liked it. She knew very well it was getting close to overtaking her story as she was writing it, and she actually encouraged the writers to come up with a different second half instead of waiting for her to write more. And she liked what they came up with. Heck, she liked some of the new characters they invented so much that she put them in later volumes of her manga. She calls the 2003 version an alternate universe version of her manga where her characters make different choices.
Yeah take note that it never actually gets brought up *how well* anything is done, they only talk about little things that are completely insignificant to a discussion about the quality of the work itself. There is *no comparison* between the two. Like not even close. 03 is just a fantastic and intimate masterpiece that people of all ages can watch and bond through, but brotherhood comes off to me like "a franchise" - it isn't the same kind of work of art that 03 is, it's far more plastic and less impactful in every way in comparison. Brotherhood won't stick with you as you get older, 03 *will* stick with you. Seeing 03 when it first came out on toonami was huge for me, it asks so many philosophical questions and has so many things to teach you about life. Being like 11 when it came out that show changed my freaking life dude. It was a big deal for me, and whereas they're both technically "Fullmetal alchemist" - they don't have the same message at all and brotherhood is sanitized to such a degree that I just can't enjoy it. I don't think if I rewatched it ever I'd even bother to watch the first like 15 episodes, I'd just start where the two shows diverge from one another because the original series is just told in such a better way that it just doesn't make sense to watch the horrible abridged version in brotherhood.
I grew up on this one I didn’t watch brother hood until it was finished on RUclips
I’m glad the animators change the story in FMA 2003 it made it more emotional and impactful than Brotherhood. People only say Brotherhood is better because it follows the original story in the manga and people are scared of the crazy fan base of Brotherhood
They also say it's better because of its simplicity compared to 2003's complexity. 2003 overall has so much stuff going on and has a lasting impact. Brotherhood has nothing to offer other than action. That's why I'll always love 2003 over Brotherhood.
'Brotherhood has nothing to offer than action'?
I love 03, but this is definitely not true.
I watched Fma 2003 when i was 13&14, and to this day, i find myself always come back to it, almost every year. It just...hits everything, always. Sadness, loss, hope, bravery. Grieving, coping, learning, finding peace in spite of not knowing. Growing up, losing things, but that's ok. That's natural. It doesn't mean your efforts mean nothing, so live.
People say this series is so grimdark, so tragic, that it's a bad end. But it's not. It's an ending of hope. Because everyone will keep on living, and trying. And in the end, one day, they will get something. We will get something. It might not be perfect. But we shouldn't give up. There's just so much more that could be said, like how the show tackles w themes of racism and the military with much more impact. When colonialism has happened not even 100 years ago, the sincerity of the show has always been something I cherished.
Your video is great, and i could feel your sincerity and emotions as well. Thank you for your video on this topic, and showing your love and passion
The ending of the show broke me. I can not put into words how much I love 2003 and it just gives you a certain feeling upon finishing it.
I cannot stress enough how important FMA 2003 is to me. I’ve met such incredible people through 03’s community, and the homunculi in particular are some of the most tragic characters that I’ve seen. I got attached to Wrath especially, the twists and turns his character took throughout the show were just incredible to me. All in all, fantastic video. You captured everything that makes 03 what it is, and seeing a video like this made so recently, when Brotherhood dominates the fandom and new fans are told so often to only watch Brotherhood, is so refreshing.
Glad to hear that man. '03 definitely deserves some more love. Thanks for checking out the video.
Yeah man Lust's backstory is very contradictory to what she does later on is very much impactful and wrath's story is like we feel empathy at the same time we feel rage for him....
This series was a beautiful love story between the brothers. Brotherhood was great as a story about community and connection, but the 2003 series was much more personal to the boys.
The confrontation of Izumi and Ed at the student having repeated the mistakes of the teacher in 03 absolutely blows Brotherhood out of the water, and it's painful that for all the love Brotherhood had, it never could reproduce poignancy like that. The lesson about life and death, the confrontation about Ed and Al's handicaps, the traumatic flashbacks as Edward stumbles out a confession, the beatdown Izumi gives for being idiots as the boys offer no resistance, and then, as they close their eyes and brace for another blow... a hug. They are fools, but they are all fools together, and they are forgiven.
10,000,000,000,000/10 pacing that scene alone. If anime was wine, that would have been ambrosia.
This scene literally made me cry like a child. I FELT what they felt. I could relate to them on physical level, despite my life was way happier than theirs. And... They did it without any words. No talks, just pure emotions.
Now THIS is how you need to write and direct the scene.
The title should be "FMA 2003 IS brilliant" before Brotherhood came out everyone loved this anime and a lot people still do but the only reason some new people to the franchise watch fma:b first or just fma:b is because it's closer to the source material even though it's recommended to watch 2003 first even from some people that pefer Brotherhood
That's a long title...
I like it.
@@etheri0n959 well I mean "fma 2003 is brilliant" is shorter lol but my point was that it has always been brilliant but good video
Ik right. I personally prefer brotherhood, but I always tell people to watch 03 first because I feel like brotherhood skipped the deep cuts in the beginning that you can only get with 03. 03 was also my first anime
Fax I like both my older brother and cousin did not bash 03 to the ground it was missing that fulfillment but was was tying into the plot It’s not the best ending but it’s nowhere close to where people are calling it the worst thing of all time like chill it’s a good watch for real except for conquerors Shambala
Obviously Brotherhood has the better story and better ending, but I recommend 03 version to be watched first.
"The pleasure of a dream is that it was a fantasy, if it happens it was never a dream"
"Maybe you're right, but still I have to try..."
"I had the gun in my mouth Maes, but I couldn't pull the trigger. I was too afraid to end it. That's just the kind of cowardly human that I am."
"Every sane person is."
I think it's a master class of tone and substance. It makes me sad that it's flaws are magnified as to overshadow it because of people's preferences.
100 percent agree. Thanks for checking out my video.
Honestly one of my favorite aspects from this version was Ed’s and Roy’s relationship, one of my favorite scenes in the anime was Roy telling Ed about his time in the military, what he did in the war, killing Winrys parents, and there final conversation, them having mutual respect for each other as they go off to there final fights, so good man.......also you earned a subtiber good sir, Kek content.
Hey sorry for the late response. I think that that aspect of the show was definitely one of the highlights. Thanks for the support.
Im someone who grew up with 2003.
I did enjoy the Manga Adoption, had many feelings for it. But in the end, everytime I think of fma, I think of 2003.
This anime really stands out from the rest. Usually anime series would end where the Hero wins the big villain. But this one ended where both side technically were broken.
2003 is always going to be special for me.
To this day, my argument is that Brotherhood has the better story, but '03 tells its story better. Mangahood starts as this intimate thing and develops into something grandiose and bigger than its main characters. It's awesome. But '03 stays intimate. Its a character study of 2 children just trying to fix their mistakes, realizing how small they really are in the grand scheme of things, and then resolving to just do what they can despite how unfair and brutal the world truly is.
You're primed from episode one that equivalency is integral to existence in this world, but are slowly beaten down, alongside Ed and Al, with how nothing is actually fair in life. But to live is to continue to find a leg to stand on and move forward anyway.
Brotherhood story felt all over the place and very childish
The world building in Brotherhood and plot is excellent, but the atmosphere, dialogue and emotion of 03 is beautiful. It also has far better dialogue for Ed. I love fmab but sometimes I feel like that Ed is just a mix of "don't call me little" jokes quips.
Brotherhood is basically a classic shounen, fma03 is like a seinen.
@@plingploong Well said 👏🏿
No pun intended with the 'leg to stand on' comment, I presume?
@@chrisbreezy3048a little late to responding to you but I randomly got a notification for my comment. Pun FULLY intended lol
Thank you. For years I've been tirelessly defending 03 and professing on the tallest hill I can find that I like 03 better than Brotherhood. I thought I was alone for so long.
YES, YES AND YES ! Greed death and Ed's reaction to it blew my mind as a thirteen years old, as did Hughes, Lust, Nina and Sloth last words... I knew right away with Ed crying over Greed's body that this show wasn't like others. Easily at the level of 90's masterpieces such as Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop and Trigun. Same league or maybe even a bit above it's contemporary Elfen Lied and Black Lagoon. Late 90's/early 00's was a cool time to be en Otaku 😃
FMA 03 was the first ever anime i watched so i will forever cherish it
He did give up an equal exchange. He's brother weren't dead and he's body wasn't gone. He gave up the deepest connection and memories he had created with his brother for flesh. He gave up life and in a way time - which is the most important we have for his body.
I just finished fma 2003 after I couldn't get through fmab, from what I've seen of fmab I liked fma 2003 wayy more, the stuff with lust and scar was fantastic and I loved how the hommoculous were made from failed human transmutation rather than just being created by the father character
Yeah, that change '03 made was really good for character growth from both the protagonists and the villains. Thanks for checking out this video.
I'd recommend giving FMA:B another shot, but with more of an open mind now that you've seen the OG version. I can attest that trying to compare '09 to '03 was one of the initial factors that ruined my first attempt at watching Brotherhood. However, once I learned to view it as its own story, I enjoyed it a lot more.
I LOVED 03 better than brotherhood. I think people say brotherhood is better because it has more action. But the original captured my soul with how deep it is.
Same here man.
The action isn't a reason I'd watch FMA
Brotherhood is very balanced, the story and character were done better and animation is will be of course better
But it still hurts that many just Don't even try fma 2003 because they they think brotherhood is better in every aspect for me fma original = 9.5/10
Brotherhood = 10/10
@@khushalvaishnav9403 More power to you.🙄2003 is superior. Better animation, better visuals, better soundtrack, better story, better characterization, better lore, better execution of its themes, messages, and concepts, and of course, superior ending that captured what the show went for from the jump.
I love FMA 03. The darker tone, art, music, and development are all amazing. I get so much more feels from FMA 03.
I always preferred fma03 over fmab for a number of reasons mostly because of the thick atmosphere and much darker story, ed is also far more relatable and human in the 03 adaptation
Glad you did. And yeah, Ed is a lot more nuanced in the '03 version as well.
Immersion and atmosphere and lastly good narrative for the story which sets it different to brotherhood trash
@FuckOuttaHere too bad,not many people can understand that.
@FuckOuttaHere yeah, better equals better
@FuckOuttaHerein this case it does, because it was way more immersive. Having a stronger tone, more effectively communicated through its ost, direction etc makes it better.
2003 > brotherhood anyday, although brotherhood is masterful as well.
I still don’t understand why there are people who felt FMAB was better. I always felt FMA03 had a far deeper philosophical discussion and perfectly links each action with consequences, coupled with the outstanding music score and character development, it was just phenomenal. FMAB on the other hand felt repetitive and predictable, there was nothing out of ordinary, no profoundness or depth, just an ordinary plot with a lot more characters. I was not moved nor emotionally invested, except in the end that I wanted to find out how Father’s plot got unraveled. I say to each his own, but to me FMA03 was a masterpiece, and one of the best anime to date!
Thanks for making this video, I really enjoyed watching FMA '03 and I love hearing people talk about it
Hey man thanks for commenting. Really glad you enjoyed it!
I like both versions, but I grew up with the 03 version a bit more, so it has a special place in my heart. I don't think I could have explained it better myself. Thank you for making this video!
Of course. Thanks for checking out this video!
i really enjoyed this anime and in my opinion, the ending was SO FUCKING GOOD. it even had an underlying sense of hope that in my opinion, brotherhood just couldn't capsulate. i could rant about the show forever but thank you for bringing this to everyone's attention I'm now going to send this to my friend because they don't really like 03 but love brotherhood.
I completely agree man, thanks for the comment!
no ending has hit me harder than 2003
@@dashman8499 I'm in agreement as only one other show did that to me. The ending to the penultimate episode in '03 hit me so hard that I didn't know if I could watch the finale to see how it ended. While the ending itself may have been bittersweet, I think Conqueror of Shamballa did a good job of bringing everything full circle and closing the story.
The ending was actually really good, it just wasnt the satisfying victory that we're used to in shounen.
"If what my pop said is true, then right now Al's body and soul are inside the gate. There can be no other price for a life. Even if I offer all of myself, it might not do any good. But still, there's no reason for you to have to go away. Come back Al"
God, that was my favorite line in the whole serie
I always tell people to watch the 2003 version and Conqueror of Shamballa first, and then watch Brotherhood, since it sets the tone and tells the beginning of the story so well, I grew up with 03 so I was kind of sad when Brotherhood rushed the beginning of it, like "Damn I love Fma enough to watch the beginning again!" As if I didn't watch my dvds over and over lol
Dude, are you saying you have FMA 2003 on DVD??? I WANT IT SO BAD (dub especially) AND I CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE, HELP BRO 😫 😭
@@denisel1553 I sure do! I used to have the original 4 episode volumes but I found it all on a blu ray a few years ago, I used to have the 2003 OVAs on DVD too but I let someone borrow it a long time ago and now I dont know where it is 😭
@@evilbutterfly8 I've scoured the internet and can't find it for purchase ANYWHERE. 😭
According to the FMA Subreddit, Brotherhood didn't rush the beginning, the 2003 version just took more time with the beginning (than the manga).
@@apoptosisduellinks109 Brotherhood didnt rush the beginning, it completely changed it, there was never an "Ice Alchemist" in the manga.
I just want to say thank you. Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 has been my favorite anime for a long time now, and it really just broke my heart that nobody seemed to appreciate it the way that I did. While I'm not saying Brotherhood is bad or worse, and while I do understand why people tend to favor it, there are just some things that made me wonder why people ignored 2003. You covered all of it perfectly. Thank you so much for giving my favorite anime the love and attention it deserves.
I cannot tell you how frustrated I get when people always say "Don't bother with 2003 it doesn't follow the manga and the filler ruins this great story". That is complete bs and I'm pretty sure if the 2003 series didn't exist majority of FMA fans wouldn't even know about this series. Also here's a fun fact-Hiromu Arakawa(FMA's mangaka) was actually involved during the early production of 2003 and she gave the production team her blessing to create their own eventual ending as she thought the anime and how she would write the manga's finale should have different endings and she to my knowledge really liked how 2003 ended. Yeah really think about that, the fact the creator of FMA likes the original anime compared to a lot of people who bash it really says a lot.
Legit facts. Hate people who say that 03 sucks just cause it doesn't follow the manga. Thats actually the worst logic I've ever heard in the anime community, which sucks cause it's so common.
It is indeed. I’m glad to see people finally appreciating it. It’s my childhood
In 03, 4 of the homunculi are actual characters like Lust has her entire arc, Wrath and Sloth have their arc, and Envy has their arc. And 3 of the 4 of these homunculi are related to ed and al in some what as Envy is their half brother, Sloth is their mother and Wrath is their teachers son. Whereas in brother hood their versions of Lust, Envy, Wrath, and Sloth are;
Woman, Shapeshifter, Captain Obvious, and a random dude
Greed in fmab and Greed/Ling are awesome. He's all heart and he's loveable in the end.
Wrath as Fuhrer Bradley is predictable but it works.
The others...eh... I agree. They're caricatures, but then they're the embodiment of their sins, so it's forgivable, but they're one dimensional as a result. Lust is all buxom, seductive, focused. Envy is a loud mouth, small-minded idiot, Sloth and Gluttony are forgettable. I like Pride though: menacing and powerful and happy to screw everyone over.
Not 3, 4. You forgot about Pride, being his superior.
zookeps 13 how brotherhood Bradley bad?
This hit harder for me. It was darker. Brotherhood was flashy and overhyped
No one important dies and a lot of overrated people in Brotherhood. Love 2003 had more heart and better connections
Glad to hear that. Thanks for the comment.
FMA 03 has always been my personal favorite anime of all time and it's good to see someone finally give it the credit it deserves. Thank you so much for this video. I truly hope others see this and give 03 the second chance it deserves.
i especially love how Edward went after Nina when the military came to take her away, whereas in FMAB he kind of gets angry briefly and then leaves it.
fma2003 might just be my favorite show of all time.
i was instantly hooked on the aesthetic, the art style, the early 00s edginess, the characters. 03 isn't as much of a fighting anime as brotherhood, which is as shonen as it can be, but when it gets to action scenes, it is crafted wonderfully.
this is one of the reasons why i enjoy 03 so much - it's a character piece first. don't get me wrong, i absolutely love me a good shonen, but fma03 becomes a psychological show very quickly and it does wonders. for what it was, it really did not have to go so hard on the trauma but i am so glad they did.
the story is dark. really dark. it feels hopeless sometimes.
but what i like the most, might be the contrast. the contrast between childhood innocence and emotional trauma combined with pure filth. best evidence? edward himself. his design is much more child-like than in brotherhood and i believe it to be a good thing. why? the contrast. ed is a child, you can clearly see that, even when he matures at the end of the show, for the most part, he is still a child. the barry and tucker episodes? he was 12. twelve. and the world? scary. a 12 years old shouldn't be subjected to it. but ed needs to mature, he tries to mature, he tries to act strong but at the end, he is still a traumatized kid. but he comed a long way. a really long way.
ed is generally more emotional than in brotherhood, which i honestly prefer than the "he never allows himself to cry..." stunt in broho. because in 03 we see him actually overcome his trauma and emotions instead of getting it handed to us instantly like in brotherhood.
also, the nina situation. in broho she just kinda... yk we meet her and the stuff happens, boohoo
but in 03 she's alive for more episodes and she develops a close bond with edward, which makes her death even more painful to watch because ed actually cares for her as a person deeply, not just in the "aw man poor kid" way, he thinks of her as his younger sister, he cherished her deeply even though they didn't get that much time anyway. and it hits hard. really hard. he breaks down big time. because guess what, aside from the fact that it would hurt anyone, HE'S A CHILD and the show makes it clear that he is too young to face a reality like this, but he has too, because he is now a soldier
tl;dr fma 2003 gives us more time to understand ed and see how he grew before the actual plot starts, the show itself being much more character focused
Thank you! FMA 2003 is SO MUCH BETTER in every way! This review brougth me memories, maybe I will rewatch.
For me FMAB story is like you will be rewarded for all the hard work you have done in the end while FMA teaches me that life does not always give you what you want. In short FMA story resonates with me the most.
FMA 03 had heartfelt moments and drove me emotionally, but certain event never clicked for me. FMA Brotherhood had moments that never felt outta place and drove me logically, but characters didn’t have the kind of depth they did in 03. When something happened in 03, I felt like I was cutting onions. When something happened in Brotherhood, I felt like I was solving a puzzle piece. Ed in 03 felt like someone who had grown to become a true alchemist by excepting Equivalent Exchange. Ed in Brotherhood felt like someone who had grown more human by learning of equivalent exchange and found the loopholes, ya know. Either way, both are great on their own. With Brotherhood, I always get hyped with how things played out, but man, 03 was a gave me great times too!
Your comment explains my feeling very well.
When ever I watch FMA. I always watch both.
… Finally. Someone called it for what it is.
Thank you! I loved the 2003 anime along with its ending. I don't know myself whether I'd have wanted to watch all of Brotherhood without having previously watched this adaptation which was much more a character study than the second. And thank you especially for finding a way to articulate what happened at the ending. I have to add that '03's score was so much better! Wonderful video analysis and yeah, I'm subbing~!
Thanks for the support. So glad that you can sympathize with my opinion.
@@etheri0n959 Yeah. Hell, I share the opinion and have since I initially watched Brohood.
honestly glad that this was the first anime I watched
I started watching 03 and I amnot disappointed. It's gut wrenching but it's worth it nina scenes hit me pretty hard can't wait for the rest
Hope you enjoy it. Have fun man.
@@etheri0n959 finally completed man what a show. are there any sequel to this. dont know u kind feel bad for the homunculi too this kind of stuff makes it more humane
@@gamester5067 there's the movie, conquerer of Shambala. I personally didn't enjoy it that much, but it is a part of the 03 canon and it serves as the conclusion to 2003. If you want to watch it, I hope you enjoy it.
@@etheri0n959 ooo i will check it out
Fma 2003 is what got me into fullmetal alchemist, I love the character development and world building of it way more
I knew Brotherhood was more upbeat than 03 so I watched 03 first and watched Brotherhood after to recover from the trauma.
Fma and Fmab are both amazing but god the tragedy of 03 is so beautiful
True. thanks for the comment.
Thank you for speaking up for this one. I was a young teen when this aired and it was powerful. Thanks for highlighting it
My favorite anime. Glad to see not everyone has forgotten it.
Me too, so glad to see all the comments contributing to the discussion. Thanks for the comment.
My brother used to make fun of me because I prefer FMA 03. (He never watched it). I’m really glad people share my opinion.
Hey, glad you could find some solace in this video. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment.
I just watched fma a week ago Haven't watched brotherhood . It's good. It showed the value of life it's not just some chemical reaction ,if it was then we would have created someone's loved one with science .
Just finished watching both and I'm here to join the minority club who prefer FMA 2003
Welcome.
@@etheri0n959 Thanks. Glad to be here 😁 Everything I've seen and heard, people were talking about Brotherhood like it was this great masterpiece but I honestly didn't like most of it. There were some things I like, but in my honest opinion, FMA 2003's strengths outweigh Brotherhood's strengths
Fma 2003 is the darkest and the most intense anime I have ever watched
I really liked 2003 a lot more. I felt like the story and the ending was played out perfectly. And seeing Ed die but to only come back, and have to save Alphonse was really touching. Even more as it was the only show I question if they will ever see each other. ( Like other ones with open minded endings ) I happened to get my answer with Conquer Of Sehaba ( I know it's wrong ) , as they do reunion it and see how each character Alive and those who come back but are part of a different universe continue where the story ended. And don't get started with the soundtracks! Beautiful made.
Glad you could appreciate 2003, thanks for checking out this video.
@@etheri0n959 yeah you're welcome my friend. It's a really good one and shows the quirks of what other videos missed.
Hey man , great video fma 2003 is really good and it is rare to find someone else with that opinion and just keep up the good work :)
I couldnt agree more, this version is absolutely beautiful, great job explaining why!
The 'filer' really helps build the characters and makes them seem like real people.
I'm lucky that I didn't put any research into the series before I watched it. I saw the first episode of brotherhood and assumed it was a sequel series, so I stopped and watched 2003 first. It was great that I could experience it without needing to compare it to brotherhood.
It also makes part 1 of brotherhood look like a joke.
just got my wife to start watching 03 with me. she doesn’t have much of a history watching anime, but once we got to episode 7, she was hooked and now we are straight binging it. i have watched 03 several times, and brotherhood once, and i know for a fact that she would not have been drawn in by brotherhood. there is something so emotionally evocative about the characters and their relationships in 03, while brotherhood really feels just very stereotypical shonen. 03 holds a special place in my heart and i’m even more confident in its brilliance after seeing how my wife so easily became invested in it. i was honestly shocked to discover brotherhood is rated number one on my anime list, i watched it a single time through when it first came out and it didn’t do anything for me. i feel like that says a lot about what the average anime fan values in art.
It is sad that every anime reactor chooses to react to FMAB instead of FMA 2003 these days (as if it is the only correct choice).
I grew up watching my dad watch fma 2003 and just finished it today. I watched the first episode of brotherhood and can barely stand it with Al's voice
Hello! Thank you so much for making this video. I recently - literally just recently - finished watching both versions of FMA. I knew deep down that I liked the 03 version just a tad bit more than Brotherhood - but couldn't quite pin point why. I always wondered if the reason for this was because I watched it waayyy too fast with the mindset of "I gotta finish this so I can watch Brotherhood." I really love the character development and the world building - I felt attached to the homunculi for sure, especially Lust. Everything came back in full circle, just as you said, and I truly do appreciate that in this series. I even enjoyed the Conqueror of Shamballa film as well and was quite okay with the ending. Just the overall idea of another world was just pretty neat and though I felt bad for Winry, but at the end of the day I was in it for the brothers. In conclusion I love both: Brotherhood for my girl Winery's happy ending, the action, the animation, the openings/endings, the explanation of each Homunculi's names, Ed's glow up - like bro I was like "Daaaaamn!" by the end LOL!. Then the 03 for basically everything you said.
So glad you enjoyed the video. Loved '03 too, thanks for leaving this comment.
I watched 2003 when it first aired on [adult swim] and it, alongside Wolf's Rain, showed me the potential anime has as a medium to tell stories that move you, break your heart, and make you feel like you've grown as a person after experiencing it. That is to say, I may be a bit biased toward 2003, as the mere memory of it is infused with nostalgia, however, I still feel confident in the assessment that it is a brilliant piece of fiction. When I watched Brotherhood, I honestly did feel some frustration with the beginning episodes, as they felt rushed, as though they were saying to the audience "you already know this part, let's hurry through it so we can get to the new stuff". Having seen 2003, yes, I did already know those parts of the story, but I wished Brotherhood could have started stronger, so that new viewers could get the same experience I had when I first watched 2003. As it was, I realized that in order to truly enjoy the beginning of Brotherhood, new viewers really would need to watch 2003 first, because they would be missing the same emotional connections to certain story beats without it. I was still sad about Nina and Hughes, but I wasn't devastated the way I was with 2003.
In the end, though, I'm glad both versions exist, because it was nice to have the manga story play out in Brotherhood while also getting a very different story with 2003, so neither feels superfluous, they each provide a unique and worthwhile experience.
Ah a fellow fma 2003 sympathizer 🤩 you my friend are cultured. 2003 & brotherhood should be reviewed and watched as separate entities bc the themes and characters and end story plot differ that it is such a great anime on its own. Just cause it’s not the manga story, doesn’t it make it any less amazing . 2003 made me a hard anime fan. This video is brilliant. Your deep analysis and breakdown is great. And idk if it’s the music or the passion in your narration, but I LOVE this video and totally agree with what you’ve. You got me here wanting to make my own video on this topic ahaha I’m going to go ahead and sub now
The funny thing is people who criticize the 2003 version don’t realize the original writer really really liked it. She knew very well it was getting close to overtaking her story as she was writing it, and she actually encouraged the writers to come up with a different second half instead of waiting for her to write more. And she liked what they came up with. Heck, she liked some of the new characters they invented so much that she put them in later volumes of her manga. She calls the 2003 version an alternate universe version of her manga where her characters make different choices.
@@JustAPrayer that’s really what it is, an alternate version with its own nuances and twists. Still so good on its own
Great work, so nice to see others who like this series!
Excellent video analysis!! I'm so glad I found it. ❤️ I’ve watched FMA 2003 and Brotherhood, but looking at them in comparison, for me, Brotherhood never really hit hard as much as 03’ did. Both series are great, but 03’ is an underrated masterpiece on its own. It strays away from the source material at times, but the way it handled the first few arcs; (Tucker Arc) and character development, brilliant. Thank you so much for making this video! ❤️ You earned a new subscriber! :)
Thanks so much for the support. Glad you liked the video.
i love you and i love that you made these videos about '03
03 was really good with new ideas
Unpopular opinion...
2003 is better
Agreed
Hard agree
I felt like shamballa had more too offer, apparently originally a show was pitched or something but then plans if brotherhood came into action so it couldn’t happen. Also shamballa’s original script was 4 hours long but was cut for obvious reasons. Sucks tho shamballa had so much potential to complete this masterpiece of an anime
Hell the Japanese voice actors for FMA 03 made fun of shamballa since they were also disappointed in the ending
Yeah, I don't find Shamballa to be absolutely terrible. But, I do feel it was pretty boring over all, and it missed a lot of good opportunities.
Shamballa was a boring ass movie.
I remember seeing both shows on Netflix and choosing 03 to start my journey. I was very into it and watched it start to finish in a few days during summer break. When i first saw the ending, I was infuriated because I dont think I was looking for any deeper meaning, but I was also just a kid.
At the age of 20, exactly a month before my birthday, a memory resurfaced. The song "Melissa" used in opening 1 came to mind, which i had first heard in the Final Fantasy Sonic flash game even further back into my childhood. The song still holds up today and is now one of my favorite anime themes ever.
After making this rediscovery, I remembered the parts of the show I liked and discussed with a friend how much better the beginning of the show was and admitting that the origin of the Homunculi was amazing in its own right and added a new layer to their characters.
Last night, I searched to find the show on no platforms outside of forbidden sites and I'm loving the rewatch. Knowing theres a movie that I haven't seen, I look forward to changing my opinion of the conclusion and finally watching the movie.
Regardless, no matter which version you watch, one thing is abundantly clear to me.
Fullmetal Alchemist is the best anime ever made...
You wouldn’t believe me when I’d say I willingly watched the equivalent exchange segment through every single episode, no skipping. I literally sat there and recited it every time it would play. I LOVED that part and I’ll continue to love it. It just seems to me like something I’d never get tired of.
Yep I’ll skip the openings sometimes but never Al’s speech
Oh my god, this show is so fucking underrated. Great video, you managed to encapsulate so well why this show is so fucking amazing.
It really is man. Deserves way more love. Thanks for watching.
@@etheri0n959 And you didn't even get around to talking about the fantastic soundtrack, voice acting, and animation!
Thank you so much for giving 03 the attention it deserves!
One of my favorite anime
I can't thank you enough for fighting for fma 2003 side because this and shaman king proved to me that the source material isn't always superior
Just as you are glad that someone is fighting for FMA 03, I am glad that someone mentioned Shaman King as an example of an amazing adaptation.
I want to mention if you didn't know. The main director and screenwriter of Shaman King are the same two dudes who held the same positions in the production of FMA 03. Seiji Mizushima and Sho Aikawa
@@astemirabazekhov9005 Thanks for sharing the latter info
This is a damn good video! You earned yourself a subscriber!
Thanks so much. Really appreciate that you enjoyed the video.
Even after finishing both I will still return to at least the first half of FMA 03 to experience the wonderful and tragic first act of the whole plot wonderfully paced. The beginnings of FMA 03 is S Class
Very accurate description. 2003 is indeed a masterpiece like nothing else I've seen
"I can't kill you !!
Your the ultimate shield !!!"
As I begin to WEEP
I've always preferred 2003 and I've always been perplexed by the way its looked at in the Anime community. Brotherhood is seen as the pinnacle of anime and while I do think it's extremely good, much of early Brotherhood is quite rushed in comparison to 2003, which takes its time to flesh a lot of things out(probably because there wasn't as much to adapt). As a result of this and the darker color palett and tone, 2003 ends up feeling much more personal and philosophical in a way that never comes off as talking down to you but more so trying make you think about whats being presented to you. And while I'm probably in the minority on this last part, I prefer the ending of 2003 to Brotherhood. While it does have some issues, I had more issues with the way Brotherhood concluded its story. Nice Video
I watched '03 before Brotherhood, and I will say that I (in the end) enjoyed Brotherhood more, but MY GOD NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE APPRECIATE '03.
You put all my thoughts perfectly into words. Thank you!
2003 and Brotherhood to me are like the Sonic 3 & Knuckles of Anime. Both shows strengthen each other to create something truly worth watching.
so glad to see some more fma03 praise :’) i think anime fans’ love for it is //slowly// returning, thankfully
Let's hope so man, thanks for the comment.
2003 proved that even if you make an original branch off from the Manga, FMA will still be good. That's how good the source material is.
The Bradley Family and the Armstrongs were done dirty in 03, though.
2003 Makes me feel so much more than Brotherhood dispite brotherhoods ending, and the director was just leagues better.
It was an emotional and philosophical experience whereas brotherhood was more exciting and optimistic and 'celebration of being human' centric. Excellent video my friend! However Ed & Al & did pay. The loss of important memories made together by Al was a great loss. It may have been painful but time spent together and lessons learnt are always important, I think. So I think that the law remains unviolated until the end. 😊😊
Yeah, it's open to interpretation. The reason why I said that was because Ed said it himself at the end when he was worried that the transmutation didn't work. Thanks for watching.
Atleast 10k people know how important this anime and now it's upto to them to spread it......
Thankyou for making this video, you've said everything I've ever wanted to say about FMA 03 better than I ever could
No problem. Thanks so much for checking out this video.
Its back again, and about time too!
It took two attempts, but I did complete FMA:B a short while after finishing FMA '03. Imo, while the OG version seemingly lives in the shadow of its descendent, Brotherhood isn't as perfect as many make it out to be (i.e. Episodes 2-13 glossing over a lot of details that were covered extensively in '03 and less time with characters like Hughes, Nina, Sheska and the first iteration of Greed). However, I will say that both versions are great in their own unique ways and deserve an equal amount of love and appreciation.
2003 is really underrated.
Agreed. The '03 version is great and actually does several things better than brotherhood (which is also great). Especially the homunculus works much better thematically in '03. It's so wierd how that they are the emotions that the original homunculus removed from himself, while he at the same time express no other emotions, than the ones embodied by the sins.