1001 Animations: The First Day

It’s safe to say that no matter which version of Fullmetal Alchemist you accept as canon, that witnessing how the Elric Brothers ended up in their current states will always be heartbreaking. It truly is a sad time for everyone when a loved one is taken from us before their time; be it getting hit by a vehicle, struck down by a force of nature or even death by sickness. What would you be willing to give for them to come back? The price may be much higher than you think! In the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, the art of alchemy runs on the real world physics of Equivalent Exchange: to create, you must give up something as materials; say you want to make a sword: you need the metal and the heat, not to mention the proper alchemy circle and such. It doesn't matter if you do have all the exact components that the human body is technically made of boys, the only thing that can recreate a soul… is another soul, and there's no guarantee than what you'll get in return will be what you really wanted.

The original anime adaptation of their origin story severely altered a few things, most notably the absence of the one called "Truth", "God", whichever you prefer, not to mention the Gate of Truth was drastically different in the 2003 series episode "Mother" than it was in the manga and retooled anime. Also, no spoilers meant, but a far different creature got ahold of Ed's limbs in the 2003 anime than here; I'll let you figure that one out for yourself. Bringing the dead back to life, or human transmutation, is the greatest sin one can perform, and I assure you… the price is quite high. 

The technical aspects have greatly improved since 2003 with this new animation, although the style can take some time getting used to for those that watched the original anime first. Much like in the world of One Piece with the World Government, State Alchemists are seen as nothing more than government dogs, having committed various atrocities in the name of the Fuehrer and the state. But they do it for the safety of those they deem innocent; sometimes to protect, you must do harm if all other options fail. It was either become a lapdog for the government and gaining many of the necessities and possibilities to regain their bodies, or wallow in depression, failure and sin. And even for a child to have such skill needed for human transmutation, what those boys did was indescribable. The image of that THING will never leave my mind and next to the Gate of Truth and Alphonse, it may be the most iconic image of the entire franchise. And I thought The Brothers Grunt looked painful! 

And despite the bad reputation these soldiers get from common folk, many of them such as Riza Hawkeye and the incredibly HANDSOME Major Alex Louis Armstrong, even the legendary "hotheaded alchemist" Roy Mustang has a good heart to him. While this was the second episode of an anime much closer to the original manga a la Dragon Ball Z Kai, the events of said episode were actually among the 22^nd, 23^rd and 24^th chapters. That being said, the origins of the Elrics can be watched at almost any point, and you'll be able to understand most of what's going on. Fullmetal Alchemist is a definite must-see for any aspiring fan of anime or manga, and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is in my humble opinion the best possible version.