Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is undoubtedly one of the strongest shōnen shows to date...

~This review has spoilers hidden under tags!~

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Before I begin: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is undeniably one of the most popular and highly praised anime among the anime community, with good reason. Although it has a few minor problems stemming from age and (in my opinion) the very same hype that allows it to be so well known, it still stands strong as a shining example of what draws so many people into media, animated or not.

~~~Scores, for those in a rush:
Use of Themes and Motifs: 10/10
Music: 9.5/10 (minus .5 because of the OST. OPs and EDs are outstanding)
Voice Acting: 9.8/10 (I actually prefer the dub over the sub in FMA:B! The English cast was picked wonderfully, with most reprising their roles from the 2006 adaptation. I cannot speak on the sub.)
__Pacing: 9.8/10
Art/Animation: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overall Writing: 10/10__~~~

Theming and Motifs: Arguably one of the most well-known things about the show is its use of philosophical ideas and the varied exploration of each one. Whether it's the intriguing deconstruction of ideas like _the Problem of Evil_, human morality, identity -- or the smoothly engrained agreements with schools of thought (for example, _Existentialism_) -- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood does not hesitate to include ideas that may not be noticed or appreciated on the first watch. This boldness thankfully does not go to waste, as it offers a variety of things to look out for on each rewatch, both of individual episodes, parts, and the show as a whole. Although subtle, each part of the show has plot-lines that neatly intertwine with philosophical/moral ideas, such as part 1 and 5 relating to the Problem of Evil (if God exists, He is not all good, or He is not all-powerful. In FMA:B, Truth is not all good), or part 2s connection to human identity and the importance of the 'soul'. Motifs throughout the show contain the well-known cycle of hatred, love, and military + government corruption.
One specific motif I would like to briefly touch on is love. Throughout the show, we get to watch relationships form and evolve; including familial, platonic, romantic, and even self-love. We get to see the ways that love can differ from 'couple' to 'couple', whether it's the familial love between Edward and Alphonse, the growth of Edward and Winry's relationship, the protective/'platonic' love between Roy and Riza, or the slow self-love Scar starts to show towards himself, platonic love towards his companions (May Chang), and even 'love' for alchemy. Arakawa shows 'love' between characters in soft, intricate ways that allow us to enjoy the connections without throwing off the balance between action and comedy towards romance. I personally find it adds a lot to the writing and makes the characters feel much more human and fleshed out, and it also adds to rewatches! ^^
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Music: The OPs and EDs of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are absolutely outstanding. Sonically, they're just great songs, and lyrically, the way they connect to the show without being corny is great as well. This honestly just speaks for itself, and this is without touching on the beautiful visuals.

~Watch on YouTube~
This praise extends to the OST as well! Each song has a feel that matches the setting of the show nicely, with a few notably beautiful pieces that stick out (in a good way). Although the OST matches most scenes very well, (my favourite being this moment with Lan Fan and Fu) there are a few instances where a broader soundtrack would have greatly assisted the mood and impact of each scene. My least favourite tracks grew to be Lurking, Anticipation, and worst of all, Spiral of Truth. They are by no means ill-fitting to the show or poor songs, but they are CRIMINALLY overused. I am all for using music to make the viewer subliminally expect or associate things with each other, but when songs are used in almost every single episode of a show, especially when they dull the moment, it takes away from the effect! Unfortunately, this becomes even more obvious upon rewatching, as I can't help but think about how much a different song would have expanded the impact of a scene. This, to me, is a problem that stems from age, as frequently recycling themes was very common back in the late 2000s. It doesn't truly take away from the show, but it's certainly a gripe worth mentioning. Aside from this, the OST is very solid.

Voice Acting: As previously mentioned, I cannot speak on the voice acting in the original Japanese version of FMA:B. However, I can speak for the dub, which is what I will be doing (obviously). This is by far one of the strongest dubs I have ever watched! The cast is great, with role reprisals being appreciated and deserved. There are no misses on the voices selected for each character, some of my favourites being Edward, Roy, Lust, and Ling. Like any show, sub or dub, there are a few moments where something in delivery feels off, and sometimes even overdramatic, but overall it's great! I would like to point out the scene in episode 19, Laura Bailey was absolutely incredible. Spoilers for Episode 19! Watch on YouTube

Pacing: The pacing is great for first-time viewers, events unfolding fast enough to keep intrigue, but not too fast to the point where concepts are hard to grasp and key topics are lost. Although there are certainly spots where things start to lag, the mid-beginning of part 3 being the worst offender, overall the show is very consistent and delivers where needed/expected.

Art/Animation: It's BONES! The animation looks great and the art style is true to the manga. OPs are beautifully animated, their visuals are stunning and symbolism underrated, and also give us a taste of what a "modernized" version of the show would look like. Fight scenes are well choreographed and fluid, and comedic moments are done perfectly! One thing I'd like to point out is the literal growth of Edward throughout the series. We can see him grow taller, gain muscle, his hair grow longer, and his face mature. (Link leads to screencap from part 4, [episode 46] click at risk.) This can be seen in the other characters, but it is by far most noticeable in Ed. As for pure polish?:~~~



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Characters: By far some of the best-written characters in the shounen genre. Each character has their own arc, whether big or small, that wraps up neatly and suits their personal motif. I also can't talk about this show without praising the female characters; female characters who aren't reduced to love interests who rely on their male counterparts are VERY rare in the genre still, however, FMA:B has so many. Winry, Riza, Izumi, Olivier, Lan Fan, Lust, etc. They're great and deserve all the praise they receive. I don't want to delve too far into what makes each character in the show so great, so all I will do is list my favourite characters (writing and entertainment-wise). Roy is by far my favourite character, as his character theme is one of the show's most central motifs and he portrays it so dynamically -- plus, he's just a badass. Izumi Curtis first seems relatively unimportant to the story, although having a strong connection to our MCs and their past, it seems like we'll just get a few (very) touching moments and move on, but instead she persists throughout the plot. Of course Edward and Alphonse, but it's expected for MCs to be good! Olivier Armstrong is probably one of the most entertaining characters in the show, although the comedic moments she has are more understated, she's funny as hell, strong, and ALSO a badass. Finally, I want to praise Scar's character because just... Wow. Every time I rewatch the show and reread the manga, I get to see more and more depth. There are two more I'd love to bring up as well, but spoilers would ruin how great they are ^^

Enjoyment: To briefly summarize, FMA:B is bound to entertain all types of viewers in one way or another. The analytic type? Yes, for sure. Comedy enjoyers? Totally. People who watch for fight scenes? Yep. Casual viewers? Definitely. Even people who enjoy romance can find entertainment in the show and its characters! Like mentioned earlier, FMA:B features a wide variety of things, whether it's good writing, cool fight scenes, romance, comedy, social commentary... I genuinely do think that everyone can find something to love, and there's not much else I can say to prove that (unless I go on longer than I already have).

Verdict: If you haven't seen Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood I promise you that you won't regret watching it. It deserves every bit of praise it gets. It's easily one of the best anime out there. Although there are clichés, small nitpicks, and the issue of insanely high expectations, it won't let you down. After going into the show completely blind with average expectations, I was blown away, and as my expectations continue to heighten and my tolerance of flaws drops, I still hold a lot of love and praise for FMA:B.

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