Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

After a horrific alchemy experiment goes wrong in the Elric household, brothers Edward and Alphonse are left in a catastrophic new reality. Ignoring the alchemical principle banning human transmutation, the boys attempted to bring their recently deceased mother back to life. Instead, they suffered brutal personal loss: Alphonse's body disintegrated while Edward lost a leg and then sacrificed an arm to keep Alphonse's soul in the physical realm by binding it to a hulking suit of armor.

The brothers are rescued by their neighbor Pinako Rockbell and her granddaughter Winry. Known as a bio-mechanical engineering prodigy, Winry creates prosthetic limbs for Edward by utilizing "automail," a tough, versatile metal used in robots and combat armor. After years of training, the Elric brothers set off on a quest to restore their bodies by locating the Philosopher's Stone—a powerful gem that allows an alchemist to defy the traditional laws of Equivalent Exchange.

As Edward becomes an infamous alchemist and gains the nickname "Fullmetal," the boys' journey embroils them in a growing conspiracy that threatens the fate of the world.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Elric, Edward Main

Park, Romi Japanese

Elric, Alphonse Main

Kugimiya, Rie Japanese

Mustang, Roy Supporting

Miki, Shinichiro Japanese

Hughes, Maes Supporting

Fujiwara, Keiji Japanese

Greed Supporting

Nakamura, Yuuichi Japanese

Hawkeye, Riza Supporting

Orikasa, Fumiko Japanese

Yao, Ling Supporting

Miyano, Mamoru Japanese

Rockbell, Winry Supporting

Takamoto, Megumi Japanese

Armstrong, Alex Louis Supporting

Utsumi, Kenji Japanese

Armstrong, Olivier Mira Supporting

Soumi, Youko Japanese

Maruyama, Hiroo Producer

Yonai, Noritomo Producer

Ooyama, Ryou Producer

Kurashige, Nobuyuki Producer

Reviews

Oct 21, 2026

Anon_8584

Recommended

Came into FMAB expecting PEAK, given the ratings.

First things first, the plot starts off slow. Very slow, in fact, that it can be a struggle to watch the next episode - perhaps I no longer have the attention span I used to have.

However, it does pick up speed at around the 24th episode.

While there were a bunch of minor plotholes, the overarching plot was quite enjoyable.
There was not much character development in the main cast, as it was definitely a more plot-driven show, which was fine. However, some may say that characters lack depth.

While I personally found it hard to connect or care ... about the majority of characters at first, a couple did grow on me; and the show builds on characters not individually, but as a whole.

Music & sound was good, voice acting was fine, animation is also fine, considering its time. Nothing outstanding.

Slow start, good action towards the middle, solid ending. 8/10.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Nov 4, 2026

Cool_Hand

Mixed Feelings

Why is this series rated so high? I suspect many reviewers give it credit for work done in the original, despite those aspects having been wholly excised in Brotherhood.

The character-driven narrative and weightier subject matter that elevated the original above its contemporary anime have been replaced by an endless string of flashy battles and convoluted plot lines.

The characters are still enjoyable to spend time with, but lack the same realism and grittiness that was present in the original version.

The animation quality and battle sequences are better due to the larger budget after the IP had already become an international success.

If you like shonen-style anime, ... you'll like this show. If you prefer something more innovative and personal, I'd highly recommend you watch the superior original version.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Apr 16, 2026

Adradre

Not Recommended

Funny

Most overrated anime of all time. I only watched it because a lot of people say it's the best and blah blah blah... There are so many much better anime than this one. It's definitely one I'll never bother watching again. The story starts giving you a feeling of something much grander and ends up as a nothing special anime. The only really good thing is the music of the first opening. The good side is the originality of the story and you don't see other anime doing the same or very similar things.
Honestly, I don't know why to rate this anime MAL forces me ... to write a giant review while in others I can write anything.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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