There are no screenshots because it’s a pain to take them from a streaming site and I’m feeling lazy
Well, because you kept bugging me about it: Full Metal Alchemist – Brotherhood seems to have a set of OVAs episodes, of about 13 minutes in length, which deal with some background issues here and there. The second one talks about Winry’s earrings. At the latest episode I was already wondering what was up with them. I never knew that she had that many of them.
And as it turns out, they were gifts from Ed and Al in order to make up for how Ed kept breaking his metal arm. It makes sense for Ed to hold on to them, and actually have it as a meaningful symbol for the danger that she has put herself in.
During the first twenty episodes of this series, I really disliked Winry, as some of you may remember. Now I see that this wasn’t just her character there that got on my nerves, but also the way that the first Full Metal Alchemist used her series. For some characters, it actually created a very interesting story opposed to the manga, but the other characters received such pathetic roles that it completely prevented them from getting any depth, and Winry was one of those. I never really understood why she kept tagging along, and the situations and adventures that the creators put her in were uninspired and lazy.
I think that the biggest mistake that the first season made was that it tried way too hard to give every character something to do. It’s one of the strengths of the Brotherhood series, but the first series did that up to the point that these reappearances made no sense whatsoever, or like with Kimblee, Winry and that Library girl, just felt so out of place and pointless. The overall story was good, and isntead of the politics that Brotherhood has it instead was much more about morals and values.
But yeah, I like the Winry of Brotherhood much more than her first season version. She feels much less ditzy here, and especially in this episode you could see that she really cares about Ed and Al. She really ditched her old earrings, and instead kept all six of them on at all times. At least until the latest episode.
Rating: * (Good)
the “good” assessment of this ova is pretty much spot on. it was interesting enough as supplementary material but wasn’t exactly essential either. the earring scene in ep. 39 wasn’t drastically given any sense of poignancy because we know where they came from, to me at least.
i recently looked for the fma gaidens on the net and of the few i found the most enjoyable was a flashback of izumi’s month training a briggs. i hope they make that the next ova release.
Agreed with fathomlessblue in that I hope they animate “Tales of a Master” (Izumi training in the mountains) next. There are actually not that many gaidens left to be animated, since a few of them were covered in the old series.
The OVA was not essential to the story, but it’s a nice bit of FMA trivia.
The best gaiden that has not been animated in my opinion appears at the end of Vol. 14 giving us a little glimpse of the Elric Family. It doesn’t add anything essential to the story but it’s very cute (and Arakawa does a good job of highlighting sibling jealousy).
Hopefully my question is not to random at this point: But do you guys think one should watch the first FMA series before taking a look at FMA-Brotherhood or is it a nice stand alone? Everyone and his mom seems to praise the first series and you, psgels, say the second one is even better…
@ Thorben in my opinion the best version of Fullmetal Alchemist is the manga. Brotherhood is closer to the manga than the 1st series but it still leaves a lot out.
The first series goes in a completely different direction than the manga. Some people like the 1st series more because it’s darker/more dramatic. But I think the manga storyline has the richer world and characters. JMHO!
i prefer the manga/brotherhood (fmab) version but the first anime (fma1) is pretty good. if you like fma then i’d suggest watching the first series before.
to begin with its finished but brotherhood which prob has 20-30 episodes left. like kim says its slightly darker and atmospheric but goes at a slower pace with a fair bit of filler, but is better at introducing the setting as fmab rushes through the earlier storylines to get to new material.
overall fma1 is good but has a fair few problems. a postive factor, its pace and tone creates a better sense of bonding between the characters epecially ed and al than even the manga does.
however, like psgels says it tries to give every character, even the minor ones big roles in the second half of the series, often to v. poor and lazy effect, eg. shou tucker, kimlee, sheshka, winry and the fake elric brothers. anime exclusive characters end up even worse such as the awful character archer and his truly pathetic storyline.
its also a bit too emo. i personally like emotional settings and events and the fma1 has them in spades; however, often they’re included for no other purpose than to tug at the heartstings rather than further the plot or have any real relevennce,eg the hughs railway scene or what happens to rose. saying that many fans prefer the first anime for moments like those.
these complaints make fma1 sound far worse than it is. theres alot to love about it. theres also stuff to grumble about much of which becomes apparent only when watching fmab and seeing how much better certain elements are handled in the new series.
so yeah, watch the first series before brotherhood.
whew!
I would recommend NOT watching the first series before one finishes watching brotherhood.
The reason for that is simple – as shown by this post of psgels, the impressions of first series sometimes “mixes” with one’s impressions of second series.
TO avoid confusion one should first finish watching brotherhood and only then watch the first series.
Thank you very much for your different answers and the comparison. Now I won’t start watching FMA-Brotherhood but start with the DVDs of the first series – and continue ignoring the praise for the new series for now.
My favorite OVA would have to be the one with Alphonse, soon after he got his armor body, and him getting used to it. I thought it was very bittersweet and shows a side of Al we don’t often see.
i have to say, i catch the 1st fma anime now and again and i have to say i don’t enjoy it half as much as i used to pre-Brotherhood. IMHO Brotherhood is SOOOOOOO much more superior in terms of plot/characters, esp. after Dante is revealed as the main villain. compare her and her main goal (extending her own life) with father and his ultimate goal and the SCOPE of his goal. not. even. CLOSE.
the two OVAs have been pretty bleh to me, they’re decent but ultimately fairly forgettable.