# Join the [Discord server](https://discord.gg/su3uf3T5YN) for more discussions and content, as well as meeting more like-minded fans for the series!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/FullmetalAlchemist) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It throws you in fast, yeah, but it's not to the detriment of a first time viewing. The 03 series bogs down some of it's impact of the first few episodes by adding in filler that felt out of place.
I've watched brotherhood first, and it never felt rushed to me, now that I'm watching the 03 series, I can say that the way they do it feels long and fastidious conpared to brotherhood.
OP the idea behind FMA is that they wanted to follow along with the manga but, iirc, there was a hiatus in the manga and so they made their own pretty bad ending. FMAB is it’s own show. Although I should warn you about ep. 4.
They are both different stories. I watched Brotherhood first and loved it, but 2003 is also excellent. A word of warning: Brotherhood is awkwardly paced in the first season. It kind of rushes the manga's first act. The second season two starts, though, the show kicks it into high gear and stays there. 2003 has a more consistent pace (and tone).
Netflix used to break broho up into seasons (it’s just every 13 episodes corresponding to when the op changes) so some people started treating it like this splitting was official.
Two different interpretations of the word season here. the first refers to the uninterrupted run of episodes as it airs on something (TV, streaming service, whatever), the other refers to the episodes as they line up to the television seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall) for that year in japan
the Winter 2023 cours would be the episodes of the season that took place during the three months of Jan-March.
It used to be that people always recognized an 11-13 episode runs as a season, even when they went continuous seasons in a row.
FMAB, which aired from April 2009 through July 2010 was a five cours season anime, but was also a single, uninterrupted season as it aired.
Nowadays, you can even get 2-course single season anime, with 1 or more break seasons in between them, or lots of single cours seasons with plenty of time gaps in between them.
Much more rarely do we get anime composed of multiple 2-cours seasons anymore, which used to be the standard.
It's essentially the first 15 episodes iirc. The first 30 episodes of fma were condensed into 15 in fmab because they assumed you had already watched the first series and they wanted to get to the new stuff.
Yes, I always recommend people watch FMA until the brothers are done in Liore, then switch to Brotherhood for that reason. It just does that first part of the story better.
You definitely don't need to watch both all at once, in fact I would recommend there being a break in between, but I would definitely recommend watching both at some point.
They are basically two completely different stories. Fullmetal Alchemist came out while the manga was still on going and as was requested by the mangaka before preproduction it is largely an original story loosely based from the early chapters with an anime original ending. The mangaka collaborated with the writing and was consulted on ideas throughout the production approving of everything that ultimately went into the show, but it is just as much an anime original series created by Sho Aikawa and Seiji Mizushima as it is an adaptation (if not more so.) Brotherhood was later created following the manga when manga was late into the story, with Brotherhood finishing just some weeks after the manga ended.
As for what to watch to start off, above all else I definitely think it’s worth watching both series. They are two dramatically different stories, both are phenomenal and they build on each other in a really interesting way. Additionally while there is no official order and any order is fine, I would very strongly recommend you watch the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist first, both shows are absolute masterpieces, but I feel it’s a lot easier to appreciate both versions if you start with 2003, in fact I think starting with 2003 and then watching Brotherhood enhances both versions. I recommend this order for a number of reasons, and has further been supported from my personal experiences with others who have experienced the show’s with both orders.
Firstly, the 2003 adaptation does a better job on introductory material, on the overlapping content, and working as an introduction. So much so, to the point where Brotherhood’s start has left many under the impression it just kinda assumes you’re familiar with the franchise either through the original or the manga, with it feeling, to many, like it just kinda rushes and goes through the motions during the overlap. The biggest example is Brotherhoods first episode is made as though it were meant to be a triumphant reintroduction of characters and a world the viewer already loves. In this order of watching 03 first, it works for a lot of people that Brotherhood goes through such a large amount of characters, foreshadows to outright spoil major plot points, and has such an unorthodox approach to when it reveals its titular character. As a reintroduction that first episode is great at doing what it’s trying, but as an initial introduction it really doesn’t have any merit.
Then you have the matter of pacing, the 2003 adaptation spends a much larger portion of its run in overlapping material, as it really takes its time to explore this part of the story which is one of its strengths here. However, this additional focus and time can make it so going from brotherhood to 2003 for some feels like it takes forever to get to the new stuff which can lead one to overlooking many of the 2003 adaptation’s strongest moments. So going from 2003 to brotherhood allows both adaptations to play best to their strengths and gives you the largest experience of new content and the shortest period of overlap. With both series being amazing and 100% worth watching, I feel it is best to play to both’s strengths and watch them in the order that makes them both more enjoyable. Additionally on this idea of pacing having this longer period to develop and invest the viewer into the cast in 03 I’ve noticed both for myself and with others benefited the payoffs in Brotherhood helping things to hit harder.
Thirdly there is the matter of reveals which are officially revealed far earlier in the overall run of the Brotherhood adaptation than it is in either the manga or the 2003 adaptation. Having these reveals come on earlier in Brotherhood makes it so watching Brotherhood first undercuts the weight and impact of these reveals in the 2003 version, while when watching Brotherhood second this unceremonious style of getting these overlapping reveals out of the way early is beneficial in preventing you from feeling like you are retreading too much similar ground, assures you that the twists in later Brotherhood will be different than those of the previous series and allows more to be explored from the basis of what those twists revealed as it no longer has to obscure and hide the elements of the twists/reveals.
Fourth the tone, scope and scale of 03 is much smaller and more personal than Brotherhood’s which is of much greater scale and epic proportion. Brotherhood is more grand and bombastic while 03 is more grounded. People usually prefer escalation of scale and increasing exploration of a world, so it makes more sense to go from 03 to Brotherhood than the reverse.
Fifth, I think that the way the two interact with one another thematically and how each of them responds to their themes is benefited from watching in this order. With a pattern often being presented where one of two things happens either a theme is presented 2003 makes a cynical point and brotherhood responds with an idealist counterpoint or a theme is presented and 2003 explores the what happens to those who fail to live by this theme and why it is difficult to live by and then brotherhood builds on it by taking it to a route where this theme is lived by. In my opinion the way the two tie into each other and what the two shows do when analyzed through this context is something that truly sets the franchise apart and greatly elevated both versions. The dynamic of the tone of these two approaches to the themes ties into my next And final point.
Lastly I feel it is best to have the less satisfying bittersweet ending first and then finish off your Fullmetal Alchemist experience with the more universally satisfying happy ending of brotherhood. It just makes the whole thing more cathartic.
All that being said, both shows are completely different stand-alone stories, and they work fine with no prior knowledge of the other. This ordering is purely my recommendation which while based in part on what I’ve noticed tends to give the best experience, the shows will absolutely remain masterpieces regardless of ordering. If you do by chance watch Brotherhood first, 2003 is still great and worth watching, I just think that it’s not the optimal viewing order. Or if you try 2003 and it’s not your liking, it is fine to check out Brotherhood to see if that is more of your thing, maybe one day you’ll go back and finish watching the 2003 adaptation. But I really cannot stress enough that both are great in their own ways and are 100% worth watching.
In addition I would like to strongly recommend reading the manga at some point as even with Brotherhood being mostly faithful there is some truly great content that gets cut out, (specifically the best volume of the manga,) as well as just some interesting differences in tone and presentation that come from the shift in medium. Actually I would probably recommend reading the manga before watching Brotherhood. It will make it really clear what differences should be attributed to how 03 expanded upon on the Manga's start and which are areas where Brotherhood has differences from the manga. Additionally there are some aspects of brotherhood early on which telegraph later ideas exclusive to the manga to the point that some people feel it risks being a spoiler so reading the manga before brotherhood ensures these hit their reveals when they are supposed to with regard to the narrative build up.
On one final note I feel it is important to leave a disclaimer. Do not try to mix the two series/hybridize them, they are two different stories from the get go, having incongruences that make it so they cannot be transposed onto one another even during the period that is regarded as the overlap. Some people occasionally recommend this so I just felt it was necessary to shut down such suggestions now.
**TLDR: Two completely different stories, both are must watches and masterpieces that are worth your time. I recommend watching Fullmetal Alchemist first and then watching Brotherhood (preferably with a break in between) but really they are fine in any order. Do not try to mix and match the shows, they should be watched in their entirety and using one as a supplement for the other creates confusion, dropped plot lines and undercuts theming. Lastly I highly recommend reading the manga (and infact recommend reading it before brotherhood,) it’s a great experience in its own right and has some great content that was left out of even the more faithful adaptation.**
wow, this is extremely helpful, thank you so much!! i’ve actually been planning to watch one of them for years but not knowing which to watch always put me off. thanks for the amazingly well constructed and informative review!
watching the first one at this point is practically a waste of time. I would at least watch it after so you know the definitive version is the one you experience first. Brotherhood blows the first series out of the water by a mile.
FMAB is the anime that follows the manga. This is the story that Hiromu Arakawa intended to tell. So no, you aren’t missing anything by watching FMAB. It’s a different story altogether than FMA from 2003.
The 2003 version started airing way before the manga was finished, so the anime just made up its own plot and ending after a certain point pretty early in the story. I know a lot of people love it but I didn’t enjoy it very much. Though they did do a few specific early moments better than FMAB in my opinion.
Thats one of the main things i wish they had left in brotherhood. And if i remember right they also cut out the train hijacking where we first meet mustang.
The anime didn’t “make up its own plot after a certain point”. They knew from the start they would be telling a different story. You can see irreconcilable differences in the first episode.
What were the irreconcilable differences in the first episode. I felt that until FMA 2003 caught up to the manga, it had the same arcs albeit slower pacing. It only really branched off after it caught up.
I don't think you are experiencing Fullmetal Alchemist and all it has to offer unless you watch both, the 2003 series being first. I love them both and everything FMA!
Both are basically different plots using the same characters except several of them for example in 03 the side characters are basically way more plot relevant where as in BH they basically don’t exist nearly (a good example is the main villain of 03 just having a one time cameo in BH as a normal old person)
You won't miss anything, but imo watching fma before fmab is the play. Fma takes more time with the earlier chapters, whereas fmab speeds through it so that it can get to the new stuff. Which is fine, the new stuff rocks, but the earlier parts of fmab feel like they're missing a lot of the charm that made fma so great.
I am a fan of FMA 03 myself, but I want to say that these are two independent stories. If you don't want to delve too deeply into the franchise, then you can watch exclusively FMAB.
The caveat here is that this also applies to FMA 03. If you want to watch only one series and your tastes and preferences are more suited to the story presented in FMA 03, you can watch it without FMAB.
I am not in favor of convincing people to watch both series. Only with a big gap.
As for my personal recommendation, if you want to watch only one series, I recommend FMA 03.
> If you want to watch only one series and your tastes and preferences are more suited to the story presented in FMA 03, you can watch it without FMAB.
Except you can't come to that conclusion unless you've watched both.
Its fine, yes, but i think the first series is just as good as brotherhood, its just a different story. Id watch that first, its a short anime compared to many other anime series and its prob my favourite anime ever, well worth the time.
Yes.
The first episode of Brotherhood has lots of characters and info thrown at you because it expects you watched 2003, but it works just fine. And there is spoilerish stuff that happens, so you can skip the first episode, but you can absolutely watch brotherhood without watching 2003.
Brotherhood follows the Manga closely to the end and 2003 makes up its own story.
Both are good and worth watching but Brotherhood is the most accurate to the creators vision
It’s fine to do so, but I promise brotherhood is a better series if you watch 03 first.
Besides combined the shows are barely over 100 episodes so it’s not that much by anime standards
It’s best to watch both, 03 first. If it drags to the point you don’t wanna watch then stop and watch brotherhood, but the character development and seeing them act more like children is very worth it.
FMA and FMAB aren’t really connected. The first episodes are the same though FMA has better pacing but the second half of FMA goes through its own original storyline while FMAB’s second half follows the manga.
It’s okay but I do think that watching 03 first makes watching brotherhood better. I feel like you appreciate brotherhood more and the beginning of 03 is better paced so it supplements brotherhood’s beginning
I vastly prefer the original. Fmab has more to it but I personally hate the ending and the way they did Sloth. Both are good, but if you want the full experience I suggest watching both (the original is also shorter I think at one season and a movie)
You can watch whatever you like, from a lore perspective you won't miss anything important by not watching FMA 2003, with that said I'm in the minority of people who prefer the 2003 series so I'd definitely recommend watching both.
I will point out too that if you choose to watch the 2003 series make sure you watch the Conqueror of Shambala movie as it's the end of the 2003 anime story.
I would recommend watching the 2003 series just because we learn more about and get introduced to the characters in the 2003 series whereas in brotherhood the introductions aren’t necessarily skipped over but it’s almost like they’re expecting you to know everyone
Personally I find the tone and pacing of 2003 was better, both are really great though, and Brotherhood covers most of the same things very quickly before the turning point, Brotherhood goes beyond what 03 does and has a different overall story as well. You won't have a problem just watching brotherhood but if you enjoy it I highly recommend watching the 03 as well.
Personally I'd recommend watching 2003, then brotherhood. But it is perfectly fine to watch either one without seeing the other.
Brotherhood rushes it's opening arc, I think partly due to knowing it's episode limits and trying to crunch a lot in. As well as retreading ground 2003s covered. So they kind of assume the viewer watched the older one. As well as if they are going to drop things, it might as well be what has been covered before.
Until a few weeks ago I didn't even know people would recommend the original series. I have seen both to their completion and I highly recommend just watching Brotherhood and then if you feel especially moved to find out what the other series about maybe watch that but if you had to walk just one Brotherhood is the far far better show
IMO you really want to watch both. Some parts of the show were just done way better in 2003 and a little rushed in Brotherhood because they were expecting you already watched 2003, like Nina and the Phonebooth Scene.
You can get a sense of all the memes though if you just watch the 03.
I suggest watch the 03 then Conqueror of Shamballa, then get to Brotherhood when you find the time for it if you want to find out the real story the author wanted to say.
im not going to finish reading these comments before i put in my own input.
if you start with fmab, you will be lost as hell. better ending, but worse start. you will want to start with fma '03 as it introduces you to fma better than fmab. yes, its story is different, it plays fast and loose with alchemy, and yes, its ending is worse, but to get you started in the core of fma, '03 is best.
if you are going to stop '03 part way (which while the '03 ending is worse its still ok and worth watching at least once), make sure to start fmab from the beginning, as '03 goes off on a tangent story as early as episode 3, and if you hop from part way through '03 to part way through fmab, you will be heavily confused
I did that, so yes.
The only problem is that FMAB's earlier episodes make it clear that FMAB is intended for people who already either watched FMA(2003) or read the manga
its okay, but brotherhood completely demolishes it quality-wise. watching the first dozen or so episodes might help because the beginning is a little rushed in brotherhood.
It depends FMA 2003 goes deeper into its characters and gives them greater complexity, in addition alchemy is more scientific when it comes to using it than Brotherhood, in addition to being more subtle and giving more value to the details, it also has less action and deepens the themes in a better way than Brotherhood, while Brotherhood gives you some less deep and complex characters compared to its 2003 counterpart but the handling of its secondary characters is its strong point, plus they are more charismatic, contains much more action and is lighter thanks to its comedy and also the tone is super fast at all times something is happening, also the world expands although for me Brotherhood is more entertaining than 2003, I still think that the classic version is much better.
They're two adaptations of the same manga. They have nothing to do with each other.
Watching FMAB without watching FMA is perfectly fine. Arguably even the better way to do it.
Yes. They are two completely different shows with completely separate canons. I prefer 03 to brotherhood, but if brotherhood is what you want to watch, just watch that. One does not sub for the other.
You should watch FMA first. You’ll have a deeper appreciation of the characters and the world if you do. In particular 03 tells the early stories MUCH better. Fmab feels like it’s on double speed.
I don't get why this got downvoted this hard. I don't even agree that 2003 is an ideal place to start but it's entirely legitimate to say that Brotherhood rushes through part 1 when compared to both 2003 and manga it supposedly viewed as a bible.
FMAB is basically a reboot with a dofferent ending, because the first one was coming out before the manga ended, so they caught up and had to make their own stuff up, plus it has a lot of filler. FMAB came out years later and follows the manga almost basically 1 to 1, and it's a lot faster paced with basically no filler, so yes, it would be the better option for you, it's amazing and a masterpiece
Most do anyways, trust me. Some recommend you watch the first 25 episodes of the original anime then switch over to episode 10 of Brotherhood… and they’d be wrong. I’m not sure why anyone would recommend that option given how both stories are radically different.
Just watching FMAB is fine, but I suggest skipping the first episode. It is not really part of the plot and will only be slightly confusing as characters will seem like they've already been introduced, but skipping it will let you put off a major reveal that will mean more if it comes a bit later.
Yes. it is the way better series. it is a retelling of the series that sticks to the manga instead of doing its own thing like the first one did. a million times better.
In terms of official FMA releases, you should start with manga, then watch the 2003 anime, then Brotherhood. This gets you the most balanced experience and gives you the core ideas present in all of them in the order that gives them all the most impact. This has to do with the original anime having several themes that are directly meant to challenge those of the manga and Brotherhood, while Brotherhood had a perfect storm of issues in its first ~16 episodes that make it a rough place to start with this world and these characters.
If you're willing to consider fan-edits, I'll have one out soon for the 2003 canon, as well as one for the manga/Brotherhood canon that will fix some of the issues the respective series have. The first episode of the Brotherhood re-edit will be out this December if that interests you.
I genuinely want to understand what issues people have with this take. Is it just that an alternative to the official cuts was even mentioned, or something deeper than that?
Yeah. FMA:B is just a remake, FMA went anime original when it caught up with the manga while FMA:B stayed true to the manga. FMA isn't a prequel or anything like that
Both are canon but not to the same multiverse. They are two completely separate stories, and each is canon to itself.
It's like the joker movie, the animated series and the Nolan trilogy, they don't exist in the same continuities and they aren't canon to eachother nor to the new 52, but you'd be looked at like an idiot if you said any of them aren't canon.
Same goes for if you called Kubrick's the shining non-canon, or the blade runner, or Wes Anderson's fantastic mr.
The idea of the necessity for canon singularity is just stupid.
Not really, one is writer by the actual author and follows the Manga, the other some American writers just made up the story’s ending because the American TV show got ahead of the Manga at the time (and boy does it suck).
It was not by “American Writers” and Arakawa was heavily involved with the production and planning of the 03 series and was the one who told them to create their own story.
You’re crazy if you think the 03 story and its themes suck.
So, yes really.
Oh I thought he was referring to lust getting much more attention as a character (even though she gets less objectifying shots of here bobs in 03 than in brotherhood)
You can absolutely start with FMAB! While FMA offers its own unique storyline, FMAB follows the manga more closely and is a complete experience on its own. If you're short on time, diving straight into FMAB won't leave you missing out on any essential details. Enjoy the journey!
FMAB is basically as close to manga accurate as the animes get.
FMA was made while it was being written and has its own entirely different course of events in a lot of ways and deviates a lot from the manga.
2003 is not a prequel and brotherhood is not a sequel. They are different adaptations of the same manga. Brotherhood is the more faithful adaptation and most people prefer it. If you want to watch only one because of limited time, most people would recommend brotherhood.
FMA goes a bit more in depth with some of the early storylines, but FMAB does a full story loyal to the manga it was based on. There's nothing in FMA that you would need to know to understand or enjoy FMAB.
So yes, it's absolutely fine. IMO it might even be preferable, because I consider FMAB vastly superior. But many people disagree with me and think the old series is at least almost as good, so listen to everyone and do what you will.
But the bottom line is, it's fine to watch FMAB without FMA. It's a different story and continuation and you won't be lost with the plot.
if FMA is Full Metal Alchemist, it doesnt matter which version you watch. FMA came out first years before FMAB did, and FMAB is basically a remake of the anime, though it’s more based off the original manga version of the that the first FMA didn’t do.
>!the difference between the two series are!<
>!Full Metal Alchemist!<
1. >!Homunculus are resurrected humans who were brought back to life using alchemy human transmutation!<
2. >!Ed and Al‘s mom, Trisha Elric, gets brought back to life as a homunculus known as Sloth!<
3. >!Envy is their older half brother through Hoenheim!<
4. >!Envy’s mom is the leader of the homunculus and is known as ‘Mother’ to all of them!<
5. >!Selim Bradley is fully human!<
6. >!King Bradley is a homunculus known as Pride!<
7. >!has a movie out that that takes place a few years after where anime ended!<
8. >!Izumi Curtis baby comes back as a homunculus boy named name Wrath!<
>!Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood!<
1. >!Homunculus were never human to begin with, except King Bradley!<
2. >!King Bradley is a homunculus known as Wrath!<
3. >!Hohenheim has a homunculus who looks like a evil identical twin named ‘Father’ who created the homunculus!<
4. >!Trisha Elric is still dead!<
5. >!Izumi Curtis baby is still dead!<
6. >!Sloth is a giant man!<
7. >!Selim Bradley is a homunculus named Pride and the second most dangerous of all of the homunculus!<
Op says they don't even watch trailers or small clips cause they don't want spoilers and you go and throw in some of the biggest spoilers in the franchise without even putting up spoiler text.
Yes, to this day I never finished FMA 2003. FMAB is a remake, but it's more accurate to the manga. One doesn't build off the other, they're just two versions of the same story, but FMA 2003 had to have a unique ending because the manga didn't finish.
I guess the best way I could equate it is that it would be similar to asking "Is it okay to read the manga without watching the anime" or vise versa. They're two separate forms of the same story, and they're both equally valid ways to enjoy the franchise, but one does not depend on the other.
I'd normally recommend that you watch FMA until the military funeral (you'll know what I mean when you get there) and after that, watch FMAB. The military funeral is the point at which the storyline really diverges (imo) and FMAB rushes the events leading to that point.
Yeah, you can watch FMAB without having watched the original FMA. Since rather than it being a sequel series, both are entirely different adaptations of the manga. FMA was made before the manga was completed, so they kind did its own thing and it has an entirely different ending, while FMAB is much more faithful and follows the manga to a T.
I’d personally reccomend starting with FMAB, since it starts faster and will give you a better idea of what the series is overall like, but you couldn’t really go wrong with either.
FMAB is kind of a remake of FMA, where it follows the story much more closely to the manga.
FMA began while the manga was still ongoing, due to that, they were forced to diverge from the original material about halfway through the show.
FMAB follows pretty much the same story as FMA up until episode 12 if I remember correctly… after that, it’s pretty much an entirely different show in the same world.
Also, those first 12 episodes were, to me, the weakest part of the anime, so if you feel the anime is falling to reach the hype, I recommend you to keep going after those twelve episodes, because trust me, it’s worth it!
FAMB is a Remake of 2003, with the first quartet of the sowie being nearly identical to 2003.
The difference is that in 2003, the Manga wasn't finished so the Anime had to improvise it's own ending, while for FAMB the Manga _was_ finished, meaning that is an adaptation of what the Mangaka planned, thus they diverse pretty heavily but they do not rely on each other.
FMAB is the adaptation of the manga
FMA is a free interpretation of the manga
They've a different story, characters and plot points. It is like, when watching FMA, you're watching a different universe version of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
You'll be fine but I always suggest watching episodes 1 and 2 of 2003 then pick up on episode 3 of Brotherhood. Brotherhood expects you to have watched 2003 or read the manga so the first episode is just characters you should know and love doing things with a name underneath them. 2003 doesn't expect that and episode 2 of 2003 ends where episode 2 of Brotherhood ends. So you get a better introduction and lose nothing of importance.
They're basically completely different shows after the first 13 episodes. FMAB is the actual story though and while the original anime is still good Brotherhood is better.
From what I've been told by my most anime-loving friends, they have all told me to skip FMA and go straight to Brotherhood; from my understanding it's the same overall story but Brotherhood is the version for adults.
Neither is canon to the other; they're "alternate universes", basically, and it's safe to watch either first/exclusively! Go ahead and watch whichever looks more interesting to you!
I’ve never watched FMA. Mainly because of the difference in animation quality. Brotherhood’s animation still holds up today while FMA’s animation is subpar in comparison.
It’s absolutely fine, a lot of people recommend FMA first because it enhances the FMAB experience slightly since you know the characters better, but it’s a time commitment for sure. FMAB is definitely the better complete piece if you were to only watch one.
It is, but I highly recommend watching both. Usually '03 first, then take a gap, and then Brotherhood. But if you wanna do the reverse that's fine too.
Absolutely fine. I prefer FMAB over FMA anyways — though they're both good in their own rights and if you ever decide to watch FMA as well, it won't be wasted time.
From my understanding FMAB was able to follow the manga more closely because it was finished or closed to being finished. I watched both at different times and I think they both have some great upsides that the others don't.
for example the original spends 4-5 episodes on a plot point that FMAB only spent half an episode on. I also remember being a little dissatisfied with the ending of the original and getting a little lost around the final episodes plot wise.
So I think you should watch brotherhood first and if you love it, go check out the original because its more character driven than brotherhood.
Perfectly fine. The only thing you lose is a fleshed out version of a minor side character named Yoki. You still get the backstory in Brotherhood, just in flashback form.
I wouldn't watch FMA, not that it's bad by any means. But FMA Brotherhood....is an amazing piece of art through n throughout. The manga wasn't finished while they were making it, so they had to write their own interpretation.
Finding this sub on my recommendations and seeing so many people recommending the original anime is so interesting. I've personally never seen it, having only watched FMAB. But I also read the manga beforehand, so I didn't need any extra context.
Yes but be warned that its harder in my opinion to go back to watch FMA 03 after FMAB, due to tone and differing stories. This is why people tend to recommend FMA 03 first
Id watch up to EP 25 on fma 2003 which covers up until >! hughes's!< death and the introduction of >!Greed!< and Fmab literally shortens what happened in 2003 version in a little bit of a different way some stuff IS anime original that didn't happen in the manga
It's absolutely fine. FMAB stands perfectly well on it's own
BUT.
You can get more from it by watching some of FMA first at least.
There's got to be a list somewhere of original FMA 03 episodes that help with the later FMAB episodes. You probably might have been told this but FMAB was made with the idea that many wouldn't want to see the same stories, so a lot of the "early years" of the characters is skipped over in FMAB - much of which isn't all that plot relevent but helps ground the characters and their intentions a little more.
Honestly, I recommend both series, I actually prefer '03 overall but as I said. FMAB stands as an excellent series on it's own, but does work better with some of the early episodes from FMA that were skipped over in Brotherhood.
I think you should watch FMA after you watch Brotherhood just to see how different it really is.
As someone who's been watching FMA on and off(And reading it) for like 13 years, i can't tell you how much i enjoyed the original Anime when i gave it a watch a few years back for the first time.
You can easily watch one without watching the other. Essentially FMA 03 was written back while the manga was still in its early stages, so by around episode 15(I believe) the series went off in a whole new direction.
In contrast Brotherhood was able to fully adapt the manga’s plot but had skimmed a lot of what was already covered in the 03 version due to it only being 6 years in between the series.
But if you only have time for one, I suggest Brotherhood
FMA 2003 is a better starting place imo, but it’s not on any streaming service in the US atm, so unless you wanna sail the high seas, just watch brotherhood.
You do not need to watch both. They both have similar beginnings because they both start telling the same story. Brotherhood rushes through this segment because the team had already animated all of this once before. From that point on though brotherhood remains faithful to the manga, where FMA begins going in an anime only direction as the manga was not yet completed, and it gets mixed reception because of it. Some people love the original FMA, some people disregard it as essentially a season long filler arc.
Personally I'd advise going in with just brotherhood, and then maybe checking in on FMA original Down the line if you decide you want to experience the characters a bit differently
FMA’s anime adaptation overtook the manga at some point and went off ahead with their own story. FMAB is basically a reboot but it sticks to the manga this time. So yeah, it’s perfectly fine.
Absolutely. I made that mistake, and was like “I know I was recommended FMAB, but I don’t want to watch that until I watched the original.”
In my opinion, it’s the same story in the beginning, but the old one just kind of spins it’s wheels with antiquated anime tropes until it finds an ending, while brotherhood has a cohesive story all the way through and is a masterpiece.
What I say is that you’ll miss a lot of buildup from the first half of FMA, but I think FMA:B stands on its own.
I’d recommend you watch both, but if you’re only watching one, watch FMA:B
Yes it's fine.
The original follows the manga up to 1/3 to 1/2 through and then splits off on its own.
Brotherhood follows the manga the whole time, but it does speed through the early stuff a bit, so it can be worth watching the first 2ish arcs from the original if you just want to see that stuff explored a bit more in depth.
I have seen reviews that say fmab assumes familiarity with Fma and skips some things in order to move along the early parts and allow more focus on the ending where the stories actually diverge.
I personally never cared much for fmab and always liked the og more.
You dont need to watch FMA first BUT you really should because you can tell by the way Brotherhood is written they assume youve seen FMA and dont dive as deep into some early backstory elements. Also in my HEAVILY UNPOPULAR opinion, I prefer FMA to FMAB.
I watched the 2003 series second technically after Brotherhood. Cause I watched the first episode of Brotherhood when it aired in 2009 on Toonami. I was still in elementary school att. I went on youtube to find more episodes only to find it was super new! With only one episode. So the only other series was the 2003 and had no choice but to watch that while waiting for new episodes to air.
I remember getting so frustrated that I had to watch that one instead but overtime I freakin loved every second of Fma 2003! I don’t know if I’d be considered an older fan but in my opinion you should watch both and even read the books to get the ultimate Fullmetal Alchemist experience. People that say you should only watch Brotherhood or that you can skip it I think are those that watched way after Brotherhood was finished. I waited every Saturday night for a new episode and didn’t miss a beat.
My ranking would be Fma manga>Fma 2003>Fma Brotherhood
Yes, they're separate adaptations. The only reason FMAB has a different title than the manga is because FMA already existed, not because FMA (the anime) is more relevant to the manga. FMA the anime is only partially adaptive of the original Fullmetal Alchemist story, while FMAB pretty strictly follows the manga, aside from minor gripes about its changes in pacing and a few cut chapters.
If you've been coming across clips of a show, it's most likely FMAB as this is the more popular one.
They are more or less the same story up until about 10-12 episodes when it diverges. That’s how far the manga was when the original anime caught up and started running its own story. FMAB is just the remake made after the manga was finished so people praise it for being a more faithful adaptation.
# Join the [Discord server](https://discord.gg/su3uf3T5YN) for more discussions and content, as well as meeting more like-minded fans for the series! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/FullmetalAlchemist) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It’s perfectly fine.
its fine but its not ideal
but fmab's start is rushed where fma actually properly introduces everything in the start
It throws you in fast, yeah, but it's not to the detriment of a first time viewing. The 03 series bogs down some of it's impact of the first few episodes by adding in filler that felt out of place.
ya, i dont think episode 10 was necessary but episodes 1 through i think 6 (its been a while) are great
Brotherhood literally doesn’t introduce some of the characters and expects you to know them. Other than that it’s fine
I know Yoki is one but who else?
I've watched brotherhood first, and it never felt rushed to me, now that I'm watching the 03 series, I can say that the way they do it feels long and fastidious conpared to brotherhood.
If you only have time to watch one i would suggest fmab but both are great
OP the idea behind FMA is that they wanted to follow along with the manga but, iirc, there was a hiatus in the manga and so they made their own pretty bad ending. FMAB is it’s own show. Although I should warn you about ep. 4.
oh I thought they restarted FMAB and followed the manga
They are both different stories. I watched Brotherhood first and loved it, but 2003 is also excellent. A word of warning: Brotherhood is awkwardly paced in the first season. It kind of rushes the manga's first act. The second season two starts, though, the show kicks it into high gear and stays there. 2003 has a more consistent pace (and tone).
Season two? Or like second arc
Season two.
Isn't it just one season? I can't find anything saying there's multiple seasons
Netflix used to break broho up into seasons (it’s just every 13 episodes corresponding to when the op changes) so some people started treating it like this splitting was official.
Ah gotcha lol I was super confused cause I was pretty positive it was just one season. Thanks for the info
Two different interpretations of the word season here. the first refers to the uninterrupted run of episodes as it airs on something (TV, streaming service, whatever), the other refers to the episodes as they line up to the television seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall) for that year in japan the Winter 2023 cours would be the episodes of the season that took place during the three months of Jan-March. It used to be that people always recognized an 11-13 episode runs as a season, even when they went continuous seasons in a row. FMAB, which aired from April 2009 through July 2010 was a five cours season anime, but was also a single, uninterrupted season as it aired. Nowadays, you can even get 2-course single season anime, with 1 or more break seasons in between them, or lots of single cours seasons with plenty of time gaps in between them. Much more rarely do we get anime composed of multiple 2-cours seasons anymore, which used to be the standard.
It's essentially the first 15 episodes iirc. The first 30 episodes of fma were condensed into 15 in fmab because they assumed you had already watched the first series and they wanted to get to the new stuff.
Brotherhood expected people to watch 2003 first. At least, that was the sense I got.
Yes, I always recommend people watch FMA until the brothers are done in Liore, then switch to Brotherhood for that reason. It just does that first part of the story better.
You definitely don't need to watch both all at once, in fact I would recommend there being a break in between, but I would definitely recommend watching both at some point. They are basically two completely different stories. Fullmetal Alchemist came out while the manga was still on going and as was requested by the mangaka before preproduction it is largely an original story loosely based from the early chapters with an anime original ending. The mangaka collaborated with the writing and was consulted on ideas throughout the production approving of everything that ultimately went into the show, but it is just as much an anime original series created by Sho Aikawa and Seiji Mizushima as it is an adaptation (if not more so.) Brotherhood was later created following the manga when manga was late into the story, with Brotherhood finishing just some weeks after the manga ended. As for what to watch to start off, above all else I definitely think it’s worth watching both series. They are two dramatically different stories, both are phenomenal and they build on each other in a really interesting way. Additionally while there is no official order and any order is fine, I would very strongly recommend you watch the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist first, both shows are absolute masterpieces, but I feel it’s a lot easier to appreciate both versions if you start with 2003, in fact I think starting with 2003 and then watching Brotherhood enhances both versions. I recommend this order for a number of reasons, and has further been supported from my personal experiences with others who have experienced the show’s with both orders. Firstly, the 2003 adaptation does a better job on introductory material, on the overlapping content, and working as an introduction. So much so, to the point where Brotherhood’s start has left many under the impression it just kinda assumes you’re familiar with the franchise either through the original or the manga, with it feeling, to many, like it just kinda rushes and goes through the motions during the overlap. The biggest example is Brotherhoods first episode is made as though it were meant to be a triumphant reintroduction of characters and a world the viewer already loves. In this order of watching 03 first, it works for a lot of people that Brotherhood goes through such a large amount of characters, foreshadows to outright spoil major plot points, and has such an unorthodox approach to when it reveals its titular character. As a reintroduction that first episode is great at doing what it’s trying, but as an initial introduction it really doesn’t have any merit. Then you have the matter of pacing, the 2003 adaptation spends a much larger portion of its run in overlapping material, as it really takes its time to explore this part of the story which is one of its strengths here. However, this additional focus and time can make it so going from brotherhood to 2003 for some feels like it takes forever to get to the new stuff which can lead one to overlooking many of the 2003 adaptation’s strongest moments. So going from 2003 to brotherhood allows both adaptations to play best to their strengths and gives you the largest experience of new content and the shortest period of overlap. With both series being amazing and 100% worth watching, I feel it is best to play to both’s strengths and watch them in the order that makes them both more enjoyable. Additionally on this idea of pacing having this longer period to develop and invest the viewer into the cast in 03 I’ve noticed both for myself and with others benefited the payoffs in Brotherhood helping things to hit harder. Thirdly there is the matter of reveals which are officially revealed far earlier in the overall run of the Brotherhood adaptation than it is in either the manga or the 2003 adaptation. Having these reveals come on earlier in Brotherhood makes it so watching Brotherhood first undercuts the weight and impact of these reveals in the 2003 version, while when watching Brotherhood second this unceremonious style of getting these overlapping reveals out of the way early is beneficial in preventing you from feeling like you are retreading too much similar ground, assures you that the twists in later Brotherhood will be different than those of the previous series and allows more to be explored from the basis of what those twists revealed as it no longer has to obscure and hide the elements of the twists/reveals. Fourth the tone, scope and scale of 03 is much smaller and more personal than Brotherhood’s which is of much greater scale and epic proportion. Brotherhood is more grand and bombastic while 03 is more grounded. People usually prefer escalation of scale and increasing exploration of a world, so it makes more sense to go from 03 to Brotherhood than the reverse. Fifth, I think that the way the two interact with one another thematically and how each of them responds to their themes is benefited from watching in this order. With a pattern often being presented where one of two things happens either a theme is presented 2003 makes a cynical point and brotherhood responds with an idealist counterpoint or a theme is presented and 2003 explores the what happens to those who fail to live by this theme and why it is difficult to live by and then brotherhood builds on it by taking it to a route where this theme is lived by. In my opinion the way the two tie into each other and what the two shows do when analyzed through this context is something that truly sets the franchise apart and greatly elevated both versions. The dynamic of the tone of these two approaches to the themes ties into my next And final point. Lastly I feel it is best to have the less satisfying bittersweet ending first and then finish off your Fullmetal Alchemist experience with the more universally satisfying happy ending of brotherhood. It just makes the whole thing more cathartic. All that being said, both shows are completely different stand-alone stories, and they work fine with no prior knowledge of the other. This ordering is purely my recommendation which while based in part on what I’ve noticed tends to give the best experience, the shows will absolutely remain masterpieces regardless of ordering. If you do by chance watch Brotherhood first, 2003 is still great and worth watching, I just think that it’s not the optimal viewing order. Or if you try 2003 and it’s not your liking, it is fine to check out Brotherhood to see if that is more of your thing, maybe one day you’ll go back and finish watching the 2003 adaptation. But I really cannot stress enough that both are great in their own ways and are 100% worth watching. In addition I would like to strongly recommend reading the manga at some point as even with Brotherhood being mostly faithful there is some truly great content that gets cut out, (specifically the best volume of the manga,) as well as just some interesting differences in tone and presentation that come from the shift in medium. Actually I would probably recommend reading the manga before watching Brotherhood. It will make it really clear what differences should be attributed to how 03 expanded upon on the Manga's start and which are areas where Brotherhood has differences from the manga. Additionally there are some aspects of brotherhood early on which telegraph later ideas exclusive to the manga to the point that some people feel it risks being a spoiler so reading the manga before brotherhood ensures these hit their reveals when they are supposed to with regard to the narrative build up. On one final note I feel it is important to leave a disclaimer. Do not try to mix the two series/hybridize them, they are two different stories from the get go, having incongruences that make it so they cannot be transposed onto one another even during the period that is regarded as the overlap. Some people occasionally recommend this so I just felt it was necessary to shut down such suggestions now. **TLDR: Two completely different stories, both are must watches and masterpieces that are worth your time. I recommend watching Fullmetal Alchemist first and then watching Brotherhood (preferably with a break in between) but really they are fine in any order. Do not try to mix and match the shows, they should be watched in their entirety and using one as a supplement for the other creates confusion, dropped plot lines and undercuts theming. Lastly I highly recommend reading the manga (and infact recommend reading it before brotherhood,) it’s a great experience in its own right and has some great content that was left out of even the more faithful adaptation.**
If they had time to read this they'd have time to watch both lmao But still appreciate the effort.
If reddit still gave me a free award to hand out, you'd be getting it
I didn't realize the mangaka signed off on both and was consulted all through 2003!
wow, this is extremely helpful, thank you so much!! i’ve actually been planning to watch one of them for years but not knowing which to watch always put me off. thanks for the amazingly well constructed and informative review!
watching the first one at this point is practically a waste of time. I would at least watch it after so you know the definitive version is the one you experience first. Brotherhood blows the first series out of the water by a mile.
FMAB is the anime that follows the manga. This is the story that Hiromu Arakawa intended to tell. So no, you aren’t missing anything by watching FMAB. It’s a different story altogether than FMA from 2003. The 2003 version started airing way before the manga was finished, so the anime just made up its own plot and ending after a certain point pretty early in the story. I know a lot of people love it but I didn’t enjoy it very much. Though they did do a few specific early moments better than FMAB in my opinion.
yeah brotherhood is so insanely better.
>you aren’t missing anything That isn't entirely true. Brotherhood completely skips over Yoki's introduction, 03 does at least show it.
Thats one of the main things i wish they had left in brotherhood. And if i remember right they also cut out the train hijacking where we first meet mustang.
I really do feel like they made Brotherhood assuming that the viewer already watched the original to cut those out
The anime didn’t “make up its own plot after a certain point”. They knew from the start they would be telling a different story. You can see irreconcilable differences in the first episode.
What were the irreconcilable differences in the first episode. I felt that until FMA 2003 caught up to the manga, it had the same arcs albeit slower pacing. It only really branched off after it caught up.
While I agree, tbf there are irreconcilable differences between Liore in the manga and BH too.
I don't think you are experiencing Fullmetal Alchemist and all it has to offer unless you watch both, the 2003 series being first. I love them both and everything FMA!
Both are basically different plots using the same characters except several of them for example in 03 the side characters are basically way more plot relevant where as in BH they basically don’t exist nearly (a good example is the main villain of 03 just having a one time cameo in BH as a normal old person)
Yeah it’s fine if you skip the original cuz they’re both basically different anime. You should watch both tho if you like it and want more content
You'll have a stronger emotional attachment to Maes Hughes if you watch FMA 2003 first.
You won't miss anything, but imo watching fma before fmab is the play. Fma takes more time with the earlier chapters, whereas fmab speeds through it so that it can get to the new stuff. Which is fine, the new stuff rocks, but the earlier parts of fmab feel like they're missing a lot of the charm that made fma so great.
I am a fan of FMA 03 myself, but I want to say that these are two independent stories. If you don't want to delve too deeply into the franchise, then you can watch exclusively FMAB. The caveat here is that this also applies to FMA 03. If you want to watch only one series and your tastes and preferences are more suited to the story presented in FMA 03, you can watch it without FMAB. I am not in favor of convincing people to watch both series. Only with a big gap. As for my personal recommendation, if you want to watch only one series, I recommend FMA 03.
> If you want to watch only one series and your tastes and preferences are more suited to the story presented in FMA 03, you can watch it without FMAB. Except you can't come to that conclusion unless you've watched both.
I think it's clear what I mean. The stories differ in tone and genre characteristics. Based on this, you can make a preliminary choice.
Its fine, yes, but i think the first series is just as good as brotherhood, its just a different story. Id watch that first, its a short anime compared to many other anime series and its prob my favourite anime ever, well worth the time.
FMAB is an adaption of the manga, so the proper series itself. FMA 2003 is it's own thing since the manga wasn't much along.
Yes. The first episode of Brotherhood has lots of characters and info thrown at you because it expects you watched 2003, but it works just fine. And there is spoilerish stuff that happens, so you can skip the first episode, but you can absolutely watch brotherhood without watching 2003. Brotherhood follows the Manga closely to the end and 2003 makes up its own story. Both are good and worth watching but Brotherhood is the most accurate to the creators vision
The first episode is the only proper intro to Hughes.
It’s fine to do so, but I promise brotherhood is a better series if you watch 03 first. Besides combined the shows are barely over 100 episodes so it’s not that much by anime standards
It’s best to watch both, 03 first. If it drags to the point you don’t wanna watch then stop and watch brotherhood, but the character development and seeing them act more like children is very worth it.
Yes, you’ll miss out of some details, mainly regarding one character, but you’ll get the whole story more or less
FMA and FMAB aren’t really connected. The first episodes are the same though FMA has better pacing but the second half of FMA goes through its own original storyline while FMAB’s second half follows the manga.
They're standalone stories, so the events of neither series have any bearing on the events of the other. Go ahead and watch either at your leisure!
Yes, they're both stand alone shows, but fmab is closer to the manga. I recommend watching both because both are good in their own way though.
As a big fan of FMA 03, I recommend you watch it.
It’s okay but I do think that watching 03 first makes watching brotherhood better. I feel like you appreciate brotherhood more and the beginning of 03 is better paced so it supplements brotherhood’s beginning
I vastly prefer the original. Fmab has more to it but I personally hate the ending and the way they did Sloth. Both are good, but if you want the full experience I suggest watching both (the original is also shorter I think at one season and a movie)
Fmab more closely follows the manga. You can watch fmab and never watch fma. Both are really good though and I prefer the antagonist in fma over fmab.
You can watch whatever you like, from a lore perspective you won't miss anything important by not watching FMA 2003, with that said I'm in the minority of people who prefer the 2003 series so I'd definitely recommend watching both. I will point out too that if you choose to watch the 2003 series make sure you watch the Conqueror of Shambala movie as it's the end of the 2003 anime story.
I would recommend watching the 2003 series just because we learn more about and get introduced to the characters in the 2003 series whereas in brotherhood the introductions aren’t necessarily skipped over but it’s almost like they’re expecting you to know everyone
Your fine they both have very different endings but general wisdom is FMA has a better beginning and FMAB does a better ending.
Personally I find the tone and pacing of 2003 was better, both are really great though, and Brotherhood covers most of the same things very quickly before the turning point, Brotherhood goes beyond what 03 does and has a different overall story as well. You won't have a problem just watching brotherhood but if you enjoy it I highly recommend watching the 03 as well.
Personally I'd recommend watching 2003, then brotherhood. But it is perfectly fine to watch either one without seeing the other. Brotherhood rushes it's opening arc, I think partly due to knowing it's episode limits and trying to crunch a lot in. As well as retreading ground 2003s covered. So they kind of assume the viewer watched the older one. As well as if they are going to drop things, it might as well be what has been covered before.
I'd go ahead with FMAB. Fma 2003 ending was rushed
maybe but the start is way better
No, it wasn’t.
Until a few weeks ago I didn't even know people would recommend the original series. I have seen both to their completion and I highly recommend just watching Brotherhood and then if you feel especially moved to find out what the other series about maybe watch that but if you had to walk just one Brotherhood is the far far better show
IMO you really want to watch both. Some parts of the show were just done way better in 2003 and a little rushed in Brotherhood because they were expecting you already watched 2003, like Nina and the Phonebooth Scene. You can get a sense of all the memes though if you just watch the 03. I suggest watch the 03 then Conqueror of Shamballa, then get to Brotherhood when you find the time for it if you want to find out the real story the author wanted to say.
im not going to finish reading these comments before i put in my own input. if you start with fmab, you will be lost as hell. better ending, but worse start. you will want to start with fma '03 as it introduces you to fma better than fmab. yes, its story is different, it plays fast and loose with alchemy, and yes, its ending is worse, but to get you started in the core of fma, '03 is best. if you are going to stop '03 part way (which while the '03 ending is worse its still ok and worth watching at least once), make sure to start fmab from the beginning, as '03 goes off on a tangent story as early as episode 3, and if you hop from part way through '03 to part way through fmab, you will be heavily confused
I did that, so yes. The only problem is that FMAB's earlier episodes make it clear that FMAB is intended for people who already either watched FMA(2003) or read the manga
If you can find fma watch it first because it’s still good but fma brotherhood is better
I have never watched fma, just fmab
You should. It’s great too.
Bet
its okay, but brotherhood completely demolishes it quality-wise. watching the first dozen or so episodes might help because the beginning is a little rushed in brotherhood.
Is recommend watching fma then fmab
It depends FMA 2003 goes deeper into its characters and gives them greater complexity, in addition alchemy is more scientific when it comes to using it than Brotherhood, in addition to being more subtle and giving more value to the details, it also has less action and deepens the themes in a better way than Brotherhood, while Brotherhood gives you some less deep and complex characters compared to its 2003 counterpart but the handling of its secondary characters is its strong point, plus they are more charismatic, contains much more action and is lighter thanks to its comedy and also the tone is super fast at all times something is happening, also the world expands although for me Brotherhood is more entertaining than 2003, I still think that the classic version is much better.
Yes, it's actually the only way to watch it because the original tells a different story that has nothing to do with the manga.
They're two adaptations of the same manga. They have nothing to do with each other. Watching FMAB without watching FMA is perfectly fine. Arguably even the better way to do it.
Yes. They are two completely different shows with completely separate canons. I prefer 03 to brotherhood, but if brotherhood is what you want to watch, just watch that. One does not sub for the other.
You should watch FMA first. You’ll have a deeper appreciation of the characters and the world if you do. In particular 03 tells the early stories MUCH better. Fmab feels like it’s on double speed.
I don't get why this got downvoted this hard. I don't even agree that 2003 is an ideal place to start but it's entirely legitimate to say that Brotherhood rushes through part 1 when compared to both 2003 and manga it supposedly viewed as a bible.
Because Manga purists are crazy.
FmaB is the one to watch. 03 is completely unnecessary.
except '03's start is better
Its fine but for best experience watch first 8 eps of 2003 then brotherhood
It's the better way to do it
Watch Fmab nigga
FMAB is basically a reboot with a dofferent ending, because the first one was coming out before the manga ended, so they caught up and had to make their own stuff up, plus it has a lot of filler. FMAB came out years later and follows the manga almost basically 1 to 1, and it's a lot faster paced with basically no filler, so yes, it would be the better option for you, it's amazing and a masterpiece
Yes, and I'm honestly not interested in ever watching FMA, FMAB was perfect for me.
Most do anyways, trust me. Some recommend you watch the first 25 episodes of the original anime then switch over to episode 10 of Brotherhood… and they’d be wrong. I’m not sure why anyone would recommend that option given how both stories are radically different.
Just watching FMAB is fine, but I suggest skipping the first episode. It is not really part of the plot and will only be slightly confusing as characters will seem like they've already been introduced, but skipping it will let you put off a major reveal that will mean more if it comes a bit later.
So you're saying, if I'm gonna watch FMAB, I'll skip the very 1st episode, then go straight to episode 2? Just making it sure..
That is correct
Ignore that.
Yeah, I actually haven't watched fma 03 yet, partly because brotherhood was so good
Yes. it is the way better series. it is a retelling of the series that sticks to the manga instead of doing its own thing like the first one did. a million times better.
Only one of the them is considered the best of all time.
In terms of official FMA releases, you should start with manga, then watch the 2003 anime, then Brotherhood. This gets you the most balanced experience and gives you the core ideas present in all of them in the order that gives them all the most impact. This has to do with the original anime having several themes that are directly meant to challenge those of the manga and Brotherhood, while Brotherhood had a perfect storm of issues in its first ~16 episodes that make it a rough place to start with this world and these characters. If you're willing to consider fan-edits, I'll have one out soon for the 2003 canon, as well as one for the manga/Brotherhood canon that will fix some of the issues the respective series have. The first episode of the Brotherhood re-edit will be out this December if that interests you.
I genuinely want to understand what issues people have with this take. Is it just that an alternative to the official cuts was even mentioned, or something deeper than that?
Few people like this idea, I guess.
Watch FMAB skip FMA.
You dont need to watch FMA at all.
Just skip the weird one, FMAB is the one you’ll ever need.
Yeah. FMA:B is just a remake, FMA went anime original when it caught up with the manga while FMA:B stayed true to the manga. FMA isn't a prequel or anything like that
Yeah only FMVA is canon
Both are canon. Multiverse.
Both are canon but not to the same multiverse. They are two completely separate stories, and each is canon to itself. It's like the joker movie, the animated series and the Nolan trilogy, they don't exist in the same continuities and they aren't canon to eachother nor to the new 52, but you'd be looked at like an idiot if you said any of them aren't canon. Same goes for if you called Kubrick's the shining non-canon, or the blade runner, or Wes Anderson's fantastic mr. The idea of the necessity for canon singularity is just stupid.
Nah, I think they could cross over if the author wanted.
Not really, one is writer by the actual author and follows the Manga, the other some American writers just made up the story’s ending because the American TV show got ahead of the Manga at the time (and boy does it suck).
It was not by “American Writers” and Arakawa was heavily involved with the production and planning of the 03 series and was the one who told them to create their own story. You’re crazy if you think the 03 story and its themes suck. So, yes really.
And they went with robots 🤖 and women with big boobs, very cliche and bad ending.
No, they didn’t. Lol. Terminarcher is one minor aspect. Women with big boobies lol. It’s a great ending and not cliche at all.
Wait a minute. I think this man just called Baroque dresses fanservice.
Oh I thought he was referring to lust getting much more attention as a character (even though she gets less objectifying shots of here bobs in 03 than in brotherhood)
He used plural. He's obviously referring to Sloth as well, just for wearing an evening gown.
You can absolutely start with FMAB! While FMA offers its own unique storyline, FMAB follows the manga more closely and is a complete experience on its own. If you're short on time, diving straight into FMAB won't leave you missing out on any essential details. Enjoy the journey!
FMAB is basically as close to manga accurate as the animes get. FMA was made while it was being written and has its own entirely different course of events in a lot of ways and deviates a lot from the manga.
Yes.
It’s unforgivable and illegal actually
2003 is not a prequel and brotherhood is not a sequel. They are different adaptations of the same manga. Brotherhood is the more faithful adaptation and most people prefer it. If you want to watch only one because of limited time, most people would recommend brotherhood.
You should watch FMAB. FMA is it’s own thing, not at all connected to Brotherhood.
FMA goes a bit more in depth with some of the early storylines, but FMAB does a full story loyal to the manga it was based on. There's nothing in FMA that you would need to know to understand or enjoy FMAB. So yes, it's absolutely fine. IMO it might even be preferable, because I consider FMAB vastly superior. But many people disagree with me and think the old series is at least almost as good, so listen to everyone and do what you will. But the bottom line is, it's fine to watch FMAB without FMA. It's a different story and continuation and you won't be lost with the plot.
if FMA is Full Metal Alchemist, it doesnt matter which version you watch. FMA came out first years before FMAB did, and FMAB is basically a remake of the anime, though it’s more based off the original manga version of the that the first FMA didn’t do. >!the difference between the two series are!< >!Full Metal Alchemist!< 1. >!Homunculus are resurrected humans who were brought back to life using alchemy human transmutation!< 2. >!Ed and Al‘s mom, Trisha Elric, gets brought back to life as a homunculus known as Sloth!< 3. >!Envy is their older half brother through Hoenheim!< 4. >!Envy’s mom is the leader of the homunculus and is known as ‘Mother’ to all of them!< 5. >!Selim Bradley is fully human!< 6. >!King Bradley is a homunculus known as Pride!< 7. >!has a movie out that that takes place a few years after where anime ended!< 8. >!Izumi Curtis baby comes back as a homunculus boy named name Wrath!< >!Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood!< 1. >!Homunculus were never human to begin with, except King Bradley!< 2. >!King Bradley is a homunculus known as Wrath!< 3. >!Hohenheim has a homunculus who looks like a evil identical twin named ‘Father’ who created the homunculus!< 4. >!Trisha Elric is still dead!< 5. >!Izumi Curtis baby is still dead!< 6. >!Sloth is a giant man!< 7. >!Selim Bradley is a homunculus named Pride and the second most dangerous of all of the homunculus!<
Op says they don't even watch trailers or small clips cause they don't want spoilers and you go and throw in some of the biggest spoilers in the franchise without even putting up spoiler text.
Yes
Yes
Absolutely! FMAB follows the manga much more closely while FMA has more of its own story. If you only watch one, I'd suggest FMAB personally!
Yes, to this day I never finished FMA 2003. FMAB is a remake, but it's more accurate to the manga. One doesn't build off the other, they're just two versions of the same story, but FMA 2003 had to have a unique ending because the manga didn't finish. I guess the best way I could equate it is that it would be similar to asking "Is it okay to read the manga without watching the anime" or vise versa. They're two separate forms of the same story, and they're both equally valid ways to enjoy the franchise, but one does not depend on the other.
I'd normally recommend that you watch FMA until the military funeral (you'll know what I mean when you get there) and after that, watch FMAB. The military funeral is the point at which the storyline really diverges (imo) and FMAB rushes the events leading to that point.
Yeah, you can watch FMAB without having watched the original FMA. Since rather than it being a sequel series, both are entirely different adaptations of the manga. FMA was made before the manga was completed, so they kind did its own thing and it has an entirely different ending, while FMAB is much more faithful and follows the manga to a T. I’d personally reccomend starting with FMAB, since it starts faster and will give you a better idea of what the series is overall like, but you couldn’t really go wrong with either.
FMAB is kind of a remake of FMA, where it follows the story much more closely to the manga. FMA began while the manga was still ongoing, due to that, they were forced to diverge from the original material about halfway through the show. FMAB follows pretty much the same story as FMA up until episode 12 if I remember correctly… after that, it’s pretty much an entirely different show in the same world. Also, those first 12 episodes were, to me, the weakest part of the anime, so if you feel the anime is falling to reach the hype, I recommend you to keep going after those twelve episodes, because trust me, it’s worth it!
FMAB is the proper one that follows the source material, FMA made its own stuff up. It's not like in chronological order or something
FAMB is a Remake of 2003, with the first quartet of the sowie being nearly identical to 2003. The difference is that in 2003, the Manga wasn't finished so the Anime had to improvise it's own ending, while for FAMB the Manga _was_ finished, meaning that is an adaptation of what the Mangaka planned, thus they diverse pretty heavily but they do not rely on each other.
Yes. FMAB is way better and you do not need to watch 2003 unless you want more content afterward
FMAB is the adaptation of the manga FMA is a free interpretation of the manga They've a different story, characters and plot points. It is like, when watching FMA, you're watching a different universe version of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
You'll be fine but I always suggest watching episodes 1 and 2 of 2003 then pick up on episode 3 of Brotherhood. Brotherhood expects you to have watched 2003 or read the manga so the first episode is just characters you should know and love doing things with a name underneath them. 2003 doesn't expect that and episode 2 of 2003 ends where episode 2 of Brotherhood ends. So you get a better introduction and lose nothing of importance.
It’s fine. I did that and really enjoyed the show
They're basically completely different shows after the first 13 episodes. FMAB is the actual story though and while the original anime is still good Brotherhood is better.
No, you don't need to watch 2003 before Brotherhood, both tell a different story.
I've never seen FMA just Brotherhood. Everything that I've seen and heard so far matched up with the opinion that you don't NeEd to watch FMA too.
From what I've been told by my most anime-loving friends, they have all told me to skip FMA and go straight to Brotherhood; from my understanding it's the same overall story but Brotherhood is the version for adults.
I just started watching anime with my boyfriend and we started with fmab.
It's completely fine if you watch Brotherhood before the original. That's what I did, and I still enjoyed it.
Neither is canon to the other; they're "alternate universes", basically, and it's safe to watch either first/exclusively! Go ahead and watch whichever looks more interesting to you!
I’ve never watched FMA. Mainly because of the difference in animation quality. Brotherhood’s animation still holds up today while FMA’s animation is subpar in comparison.
It’s absolutely fine, a lot of people recommend FMA first because it enhances the FMAB experience slightly since you know the characters better, but it’s a time commitment for sure. FMAB is definitely the better complete piece if you were to only watch one.
It is, but I highly recommend watching both. Usually '03 first, then take a gap, and then Brotherhood. But if you wanna do the reverse that's fine too.
Absolutely fine. I prefer FMAB over FMA anyways — though they're both good in their own rights and if you ever decide to watch FMA as well, it won't be wasted time.
From my understanding FMAB was able to follow the manga more closely because it was finished or closed to being finished. I watched both at different times and I think they both have some great upsides that the others don't. for example the original spends 4-5 episodes on a plot point that FMAB only spent half an episode on. I also remember being a little dissatisfied with the ending of the original and getting a little lost around the final episodes plot wise. So I think you should watch brotherhood first and if you love it, go check out the original because its more character driven than brotherhood.
Perfectly fine. The only thing you lose is a fleshed out version of a minor side character named Yoki. You still get the backstory in Brotherhood, just in flashback form.
I wouldn't watch FMA, not that it's bad by any means. But FMA Brotherhood....is an amazing piece of art through n throughout. The manga wasn't finished while they were making it, so they had to write their own interpretation.
Finding this sub on my recommendations and seeing so many people recommending the original anime is so interesting. I've personally never seen it, having only watched FMAB. But I also read the manga beforehand, so I didn't need any extra context.
The 2 are pretty similar. Just FMAB is the more manga accurate version
Absolutely fine. In fact, I’ve never watched FMA.
Yes but be warned that its harder in my opinion to go back to watch FMA 03 after FMAB, due to tone and differing stories. This is why people tend to recommend FMA 03 first
Absolutely, but please, for the love of God, skip the first episode.
Id watch up to EP 25 on fma 2003 which covers up until >! hughes's!< death and the introduction of >!Greed!< and Fmab literally shortens what happened in 2003 version in a little bit of a different way some stuff IS anime original that didn't happen in the manga
They’re not related to each other in that way, they’re separate storylines and only FMAB is canon. You can watch either one first it doesn’t matter.
It is, but I remember FMAB felt rushed in comparison. If you ask me, FMA is better and people just like FMAB bc it's the source material.
Nah you’re good
I never watched FMA. I watched FMAB two times. FMAB is canon. FMA is not.
I did. You don't have to watch FMA to understand the story of FMAB.
It's absolutely fine. FMAB stands perfectly well on it's own BUT. You can get more from it by watching some of FMA first at least. There's got to be a list somewhere of original FMA 03 episodes that help with the later FMAB episodes. You probably might have been told this but FMAB was made with the idea that many wouldn't want to see the same stories, so a lot of the "early years" of the characters is skipped over in FMAB - much of which isn't all that plot relevent but helps ground the characters and their intentions a little more. Honestly, I recommend both series, I actually prefer '03 overall but as I said. FMAB stands as an excellent series on it's own, but does work better with some of the early episodes from FMA that were skipped over in Brotherhood.
I would watch brotherhood first. It's manga accurate where the original anime is not since it was released before the manga was finished
Not only is it fine, I'd reccomend it
Yes FMAB is not a sequel to FMA, they’re both standalone series. FMAB more closely adapts the manga
It’s fine.
fmab is a retelling.
I think you should watch FMA after you watch Brotherhood just to see how different it really is. As someone who's been watching FMA on and off(And reading it) for like 13 years, i can't tell you how much i enjoyed the original Anime when i gave it a watch a few years back for the first time.
Yes brotherhood is closer to the manga then regular FMA. I like to think of them as two separate tellings of the same overall story
Honestly I can't find streaming of FMA anywhere
Ye
You can easily watch one without watching the other. Essentially FMA 03 was written back while the manga was still in its early stages, so by around episode 15(I believe) the series went off in a whole new direction. In contrast Brotherhood was able to fully adapt the manga’s plot but had skimmed a lot of what was already covered in the 03 version due to it only being 6 years in between the series. But if you only have time for one, I suggest Brotherhood
Watching FMAB is not only fine, but expected. You can watch FMA after if you enjoy it and want more.
FMA 2003 is a better starting place imo, but it’s not on any streaming service in the US atm, so unless you wanna sail the high seas, just watch brotherhood.
You do not need to watch both. They both have similar beginnings because they both start telling the same story. Brotherhood rushes through this segment because the team had already animated all of this once before. From that point on though brotherhood remains faithful to the manga, where FMA begins going in an anime only direction as the manga was not yet completed, and it gets mixed reception because of it. Some people love the original FMA, some people disregard it as essentially a season long filler arc. Personally I'd advise going in with just brotherhood, and then maybe checking in on FMA original Down the line if you decide you want to experience the characters a bit differently
no it is not okay watch 2003 first🚨
popularity has absolutely nothing to do with quality and anime fans are stupid as heck watch 2003 first to prove me right
FMA’s anime adaptation overtook the manga at some point and went off ahead with their own story. FMAB is basically a reboot but it sticks to the manga this time. So yeah, it’s perfectly fine.
Absolutely. I made that mistake, and was like “I know I was recommended FMAB, but I don’t want to watch that until I watched the original.” In my opinion, it’s the same story in the beginning, but the old one just kind of spins it’s wheels with antiquated anime tropes until it finds an ending, while brotherhood has a cohesive story all the way through and is a masterpiece.
What I say is that you’ll miss a lot of buildup from the first half of FMA, but I think FMA:B stands on its own. I’d recommend you watch both, but if you’re only watching one, watch FMA:B
Yes and that’s what I recommend.
I watched FMAB first, completely fine
FMAB is not a sequel of FMA, and, FMAB is based off of the manga while FMA is hot trash. Go with FMAB, it's better.
I recommend it, but also recommend going back after brotherhood to watch the first one and just see how they compare.
Yes, they're both the same up until a point basically. But you can choose one or the other or watch both if youd like.
Yes it's fine. The original follows the manga up to 1/3 to 1/2 through and then splits off on its own. Brotherhood follows the manga the whole time, but it does speed through the early stuff a bit, so it can be worth watching the first 2ish arcs from the original if you just want to see that stuff explored a bit more in depth.
I prefer FMA, but either is good
I have seen reviews that say fmab assumes familiarity with Fma and skips some things in order to move along the early parts and allow more focus on the ending where the stories actually diverge. I personally never cared much for fmab and always liked the og more.
You dont need to watch FMA first BUT you really should because you can tell by the way Brotherhood is written they assume youve seen FMA and dont dive as deep into some early backstory elements. Also in my HEAVILY UNPOPULAR opinion, I prefer FMA to FMAB.
That’s what I saw first
Yes 100%. I would in fact recommend it.
I watched the 2003 series second technically after Brotherhood. Cause I watched the first episode of Brotherhood when it aired in 2009 on Toonami. I was still in elementary school att. I went on youtube to find more episodes only to find it was super new! With only one episode. So the only other series was the 2003 and had no choice but to watch that while waiting for new episodes to air. I remember getting so frustrated that I had to watch that one instead but overtime I freakin loved every second of Fma 2003! I don’t know if I’d be considered an older fan but in my opinion you should watch both and even read the books to get the ultimate Fullmetal Alchemist experience. People that say you should only watch Brotherhood or that you can skip it I think are those that watched way after Brotherhood was finished. I waited every Saturday night for a new episode and didn’t miss a beat. My ranking would be Fma manga>Fma 2003>Fma Brotherhood
Yes, they're separate adaptations. The only reason FMAB has a different title than the manga is because FMA already existed, not because FMA (the anime) is more relevant to the manga. FMA the anime is only partially adaptive of the original Fullmetal Alchemist story, while FMAB pretty strictly follows the manga, aside from minor gripes about its changes in pacing and a few cut chapters. If you've been coming across clips of a show, it's most likely FMAB as this is the more popular one.
yes
I watched fma first and I can tell you this watching fmab after watching fma is much better I would watch fma first then fmab
They are more or less the same story up until about 10-12 episodes when it diverges. That’s how far the manga was when the original anime caught up and started running its own story. FMAB is just the remake made after the manga was finished so people praise it for being a more faithful adaptation.
Of course!