Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Anon_8584
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 i…
Read at the sourceDSmark
I didn’t really understand the appeal of *Steins;Gate* that much. *Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood* is often called a masterpiece, but in my opinion, it doesn’t quite live up to that reputation. The art style is good, and the story has potential, but the execution isn’t as strong as I expected. There are several parts where I felt bored.
I have similar issues with anime like *High School DxD*, *The Testament of Sister New Devil*, and *Hunter x Hunter*. Fans might consider these anime masterpieces, but from an average viewer’s perspective, they don’t necessarily deserve that label. That’s why I’d rate them somewhere between 7 and 8.5 rather than calling them masterpieces.
Read at the sourceGwangsta
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was really good, but I definitely think it’s overrated compared to the near-universal praise it receives. It’s easy to understand why it’s so highly regarded because it does very little wrong and executes its ideas consistently. The story is cohesive, the pacing is generally solid and the ending is easily the strongest part of the series. The overarching message is great, and the way everything eventually comes together gives the story a sense of purpose that makes the conclusion feel deserved. But being hard to criticize isn’t always the same thing as being unforgettable.
For a lot of the series I felt strangely indifferent while watching it. I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it, I was mostly just watching the story move forward. The story itself is what ca…
Read at the sourceMoldyAvocados
This was a rewatch, and I watched it with my twin brother this time. I won’t say much, but this series is genuinely one of the greatest pieces of art in all of fiction. Saying it’s astounding in every way is honestly an understatement.
The world-building, alchemy power system, cast of characters, character development, themes, and storytelling are all masterfully done. Everything feels like it has a purpose, and even on a rewatch, there’s still so much to appreciate and notice. It’s one of those series that reminds you why anime can be such an incredible form of storytelling.
One of the greatest shonen anime to this day. It really is timeless.
Read at the sourcetoryus
What an incredible masterpiece this was. This anime was on my watchlist for over a decade, and for some reason I never felt like watching it. I am incredibly happy with finally deciding to watch it.
From production to characters, story, pacing, literally everything about this was perfect. I loved everything about it, and I have nothing for which I could take away points from this anime.
The plot was established pretty early in the show, yet it evolved into something much bigger, yet all was done in a natural and exciting way. The final third of this show was so good I could not simply stop watching, which is why today I binged 24 episodes and finished the show. The ending was also amazing and unsurprisingly had me crying.
Currently due to recency bias this show is my #1 I've ever seen. I…
Read at the sourceMaizeArc8400
After finishing FMA:B for the first time ever I think that this should be a show most anime watchers must see at least once,
To start with the first episode tells you everything you need to know within 22 minutes and that is a feat in of itself and to execute so much exposition so incredibly well whilst setting up the entire story so well from the homunculi to Scar and then in the following episodes (2-5) setting up the darker tones such as the whole Shou Tucker and Nina Tucker chimera arc to the Letoism arc fantastically sets up the distrust of the military and the moral dilemma of human transmutation.
One of the aspects in this show I adore is the character writing, this is mainly due to how Ed and Al's characters develop from naïve kids to battle scarred and traumatised adults is fant…
Read at the sourceoAsafe
Sinto que eu demorei demais pra assistir essa obra de arte. É um shonen que quebra todos os estereótipos de algo infantil.
Mexer com genocidi0, f4scismo, humanidade, r4cismo e eug3nismo de uma forma tão leve mais ao mesmo tempo profunda não é para qualquer um.
Os personagens são marcantes e definitivamente fmab não entra naqueles animes que tem personagens femininas inúteis e sexualizadas, as personagens femininas são um ponto altíssimo neste anime, e me impressiona que uma obra de 2009 tenha tamanha capacidade de fazer isso.
Os plots são absurdos e o final é bonito e poético. FMAB é um daqueles animes que você diz: ''Isso merece um 10''.
Vejam isso e tenham uma crise existencial sobre o que te faz humano ou um nojo de governos como o do anime.
Read at the sourcecalebsoliman
For most of my life, this show has been considered the best anime has to offer. Now it seems like not many people watch or care about this show, like a lot of other classic 2000's anime. While now every other show or movie that comes out takes the #1 spot, this show will always humbly take the cake as THE anime.
This show has had a bigger impact on me than any other piece of entertainment. I have never been so enamored by a cast of characters, plotline, soundtrack, and art style than this one. This is my favorite show of all time, and my favorite piece of media. I remember watching this for the first time in 2017 on my cheap laptop, the second anime I had seen. And from the start I loved it, my first introduction to dark fantasy, albeit not the darkest the genre has to offer, strikes a ba…
Read at the sourceJxbinha
Score: 10/10
Honestly, what can I say about Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood that hasn't already been said? This anime is simply incredible. It has one of the best-constructed stories I've ever seen: memorable characters, fantastic development, humor, action, tragedy, and a narrative that manages to tie everything together in an incredibly satisfying way.
The Elric brothers' journey begins with something deeply personal — two brothers trying to recover what they lost — but gradually grows into something much bigger without ever forgetting the heart of the story. And maybe that's what I love most about Fullmetal Alchemist: even when the story deals with wars, politics, conspiracies, and things almost impossible to comprehend, at the center of it all is still the relationship between Edward…
Read at the sourceCallMeBlaze
I first watched Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood back in 2019 and honestly i stumbled on it completely by mistake. I didnt read any reviews, didnt check the score, didnt know anything about the story and somehow managed to go into it basically completely blind with no spoilers.
And im really glad i did.
Ive rewatched this more than 10 times at this point and its still one of the very few anime i can come back to again and again without getting bored. I already know every major moment thats coming but somehow it still hits almost the same every time.
For me this is one of those rare anime where almost everything just works together. The story, characters, world, music, pacing, comedy, emotional moments and fights all feel like parts of the same thing instead of being there just because an…
Read at the sourceSpider-Mate_MSA
A Heart Made Of Gold
My best friend's nickname is Al, what a coincidence.
I think the reverence this anime has gotten over the years is rightfully earned. It had lots of fun characters, natural plot progression and a story that delves into a lot of heavy themes with respect and nuance.
Is it the greatest anime of all time? In my opinion, no, but I can see why it is considered as such. Very rarely can an anime story have such tight pacing and stories that intertwine and resolve themselves without major flaws popping through. It's a well rounded anime and that's great.
If I had to point out a real flaw with the anime, it's that I don't give the slightest care for the romance between Ed and Winry. Winry herself is just whatever to me, so her feeling anything for Ed gets lost on me. Yes, s…
Read at the sourcejustxilo
I put off watching Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood for almost a decade. After hearing countless people call it one of the greatest anime ever made, I wondered whether it was genuinely that good or simply benefiting from years of praise. After finally watching it, I can confidently say that it deserves its reputation.
The biggest strength of FMAB is its storytelling. It doesn't rely on constant action or shock value to keep you invested. Instead, it carefully builds its world, develops its characters, and connects seemingly small events into a satisfying conclusion. The themes of sacrifice, morality, loss, redemption, and the consequences of human choices are handled with maturity, making the story engaging from beginning to end.
Story – 10/10
The pacing is consistent, the world-buildin…
Read at the sourceShud_4
(Spoiler Free)
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a unique, and interesting story comprising of sixty-four episodes split into five parts, each part better than the last. Airing from 2009-2010, it boasts impressive animation for its time and and catchy music. it's TV-14 rating comes with darker themes and more heavy-hearted moments than you'd expect for an anime of this type.
Albeit the anime starts relatively slowly and not much pre-exposition is given, the story improves over the course of the first two parts and it holds enough action to keep watchers entertained while the plot gradually progresses. The plot itself tends to become a little clumsy at times, oversaturating the episodes with the idea of ''philophers' stones'', ''sins'', and a 'holy aspect', ontop of the already existing…
Read at the sourceN3xUs816
The gratest to ever do it. Thats how i would describe fmab. If you are thinking of reasons to watch fmab let me tell you the ups and downs i have with this show.
The show is a slow start, but i dont mean it in a way you may think. Because after watching the first episode you’ll think im crazy for saying something like “slow start” but im not referring to that kind of slow start. The show is composed by 2 parts the start witch is the slow part and the end where it starts to pick up but you wont see the change untill its already finished.
My own experience was very normal so most would agree with me that the show’s rabbit hole just keeps getting deeper the more you watch it. And thats one of the things that are hard to explain because yes you can understand that the show gets deeper the m…
Read at the sourceyoong01
It's hard to believe that 17 years have already passed. The teenager who first watched Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is now approaching 30. Time really does fly.
Clips from FMAB sometime appear on my social media feed, instantly reminding me that a masterpiece like this exists. It's the only anime I've rewatched three times. I intentionally leave several years between each viewing, waiting for the memories to fade just enough so I can experience its brilliance all over again.
To me, that's the mark of a true masterpiece.
In fact, this is the only anime I genuinely wish I could erase from my memory just to watch it for the first time again. Its storytelling is masterfully paced, its characters are deeply written, and its soundtrack, both the opening and ending themes is simply unforge…
Read at the source555february
It's genuinely one of the best versions of an anime for someone like me who doesn't enjoy filler episodes. Since the story stays focused on its main plot, it's almost impossible to leave it unfinished once you start watching. The messages it tries to convey are woven so naturally into the story that you never find yourself wondering, "What was the author trying to say here?" Everything feels clear and sincere.
I also absolutely loved the character designs. The characters are written in such a realistic way that even when you want to criticize them, you often find yourself stuck in a moral gray area. To me, that means the mangaka succeeded in creating truly human characters. This was probably one of the aspects I enjoyed most. You travel alongside these characters, learn from their experie…
Read at the sourcesimonanimeman
After I finished FMA 2003 and its related movie I decided take a break before I jumped into Brotherhood so I could go in with a clear mind.
I’ve heard comments (albeit more rare) that the 2003 series was better than Brotherhood. Honestly after watching this I couldn’t disagree more. There are some things I like more in the 2003 series like the handling of some of the hommonculi, the start of the series being handled better, and I enjoyed the dark tone. But besides that, Brotherhood truly is superior in almost every way imo.
To start off with the story, one of the best executed stories I’ve seen in ALL of anime. This is easily where this anime shines the most. Every episode essentially ends on a cliffhanger making you want to watch the next episode, with each episode adding new details an…
Read at the sourcechumchummaru
My impressions are heavily influenced by the fact that I read the manga first; if it weren't for that, my perspective would certainly be different.
Is anyone here on my side?? Anyone?? At least one person who's read the manga—please tell me I'm wrong and that the second anime adaptation isn't a disappointment either. It’s been a while since I read a manga that really grabbed me and entertained me, but I can’t say the same about either of the anime adaptations.
I finally watched the most popular and highest-rated anime of recent times, and that is FMA:B. Everyone loves it, everyone gets offended if you say even a single bad word about it, and everyone could rave about it for hours, but is it really as good as they say? Or is it all just overhyped? Personally, it’s up to each individual, but…
Read at the sourcePaperFuture
It's not ridiculous to say that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the best anime of all time. A masterpiece of storytelling and worldbuilding, FMAB is almost flawless in its architecture.
Story [10/10]:
The FMAB story is without a doubt one of the most polished in animanga history. While it starts out slow, it really does a good job at introducing characters and the world around them. The pacing is intentionally slow at the start so the story can build up to its massive ending. What originally starts out as a story of two brothers trying to get their bodies back turns into something much larger. The brothers are swept into a nationwide conflict dating back hundreds of years. Before watching FMAB I had watched Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) and enjoyed it. The one thing that I didn't like w…
Read at the sourcejjskeew
It takes a while for FMAB to really get into the juice of the story. About half the episodes is heavy story buildings and getting to know the Elric brothers and slowly understanding the world of Alchemy. I took a long break cause there were other animes that seemed more interesting right off the bat at the time. THEN, you hit a little more than halfway and suddenly all hell breaks loose. You're left on a crazy cliffhanger and on your toes every episode. I ended up binging the last 12 episodes cause I couldn't handle the suspense.
All the characters and villains are masterfully written, too. While at surface level the antagonist seem evil just for power, you learn about the deeper motivations of each homunculus. So many times, you're left feeling bad for the enemies, despite them just bea…
Read at the source
