A masterpiece that excels in all aspects

~Summary~
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood on the surface is about an elder brother trying to restore his younger brother's body, which was lost in an accident he caused. To further this goal, the older brother, Edward, joins the military as a state alchemist. As the brothers hunt for knowledge, they learn more about the world, it's history, and the secrets it carries. I will not go into depth since most of the plot is inherently a spoiler.

~Characters~
Edward Elric is a fantastic main character, and his character development is honestly one of my favorite things about this show. In the first episode (which is technically a filler but one that you shouldn't skip), Edward refuses to listen to the criminal he is chasing, ignoring his words and warnings. Later on in the story, he learns more and his unrelenting trust in the military and his country are reshaped based on his experiences. The side characters are also phenomenal, with Roy Mustang especially being a highlight. He is cool as hell, while also feeling like a real person. He has real goals and real ideals, while also having a life behind him, a history and experiences that explain why he holds those ideals. He is one of my favorite characters ever, but every other side character is also incredibly deep, while also being fundamentally distinct from each other.

~Story~
The story is absolutely unforgettable. I can't say much about it, since a lot of the story is delivered in huge plot twists. Even though it was a while since I watched it, and some parts of the plot are a bit hazy in my mind, the overall narrative is as clear to me as if it was just yesterday I finished it. The story slowly ramps up in scale, before quickly exploding in scope as it approaches the climax.

~Worldbuilding/Powersystem~
These are two of the things FMAB does absolutely best in my opinion. The worldbuilding never rambles on, or is there just to be looked at, every piece of worldbuilding, every detail of history, is built to take it's place in the story. The plot uses the worldbuilding to such an extent that the worldbuilding can even be considered an extension of the story.
The power system is also incredibly creative yet simple, while directly carrying one of the stories main themes right inside it's core principle. "The Law of Equivalent Exchange" is, while not being a completely unique and novel idea, a fantastic law to build a power system on top of. You can deconstruct and reconstruct, but never destroy or create. I personally prefer more detailed power systems, but I quite like this one, even if I can't say it's one of the best in fiction, it suits the story perfectly.

~Ending~
FMAB has the best ending out of any anime I've ever watched. It ties everything together perfectly, leaving no loose threads. If I had to give an example on how to do an ending right, this would be it. By the time credits roll, every question you had has been answered, every subplot resolved, every character concluded. It truly feels final, in every sense of the word. Top 3 endings in all of fiction in my opinion (as of writing this) .

~So why not 100/100?~
From how I have been describing this, it sounds like this anime is god's gift to mankind, and that it would undoubtedly get a perfect score. But I didn't give it one. For me, the difference between a 9/10 and a 10/10 is not necessarily the writing. It doesn't matter how good an anime is, to get a 10/10 from me, it needs to change my life. The biggest factor in weather something gets a 9 or a 10 is personal impact, and to be honest, this didn't impact me more than most other anime I've watched. I also didn't enjoy this anime as much as I did most other 9's or 10's on my list, and it's for these reasons that I do not give this a perfect score.

I would call FMAB flawless, there wasn't a single aspect that fell short, and I recommend everyone to watch this. Even if this didn't change my life, I still love this show and I think you will too!