Warning this article contains spoilers for Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) is available for streaming on Netflix and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood on Netflix, Hulu, Funimation and Crunchyroll.
For anime fans new and old, Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist has been an anime staple and pillar of the shonen genre for the last 20 years. Its strong characters, exciting action, emotional depth and the sprawling mystery of its plot continue to capture hearts to this day. But this praise is usually associated with the series' second anime adaption, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which was released in 2009 by studio BONES. Because of this, fans have debated for years as to when and if people should watch the 2003 anime.
The biggest reason why fans might suggest skipping the anime is because of its drastic deviation from the manga's plot halfway through the series. With the first anime adaption being released just two years into its publication, the ending of the 2003 anime differs greatly from the manga. By comparison, Brotherhood was released just as the manga was completed, with 61 episodes faithful to the story, little to no filler and an entire last season dedicated to the series' huge finale, perfectly tying up the plot. With all that, skipping directly to Brotherhood makes sense. But within 2003 FMA's 51 episode run, there are a number of gems that make the series worth the watch.
One of the most interesting things about 2003 series is how it handles the emotional arcs of the story. The first 25 episodes cover roughly the same ground as the first 11 of Brotherhood, starting with the boys' home in Resembool, Shou Tucker, Scar's first appearance and the death of Maes Hughes. It's that 14 episode difference however, that might just be the saving grace of the 2003 adaption.
With less canon content to pull from, the series is able to expand on the impact of the Ishvalan war (called Ishbalan in 2003 series) for both Amestrians and the Ishvalan people, as well as the backgrounds and relationships of the smaller cast of characters. Episodes 9 through 13 are most non-canonical filler, but they still shed light on the state of Amestris citizens at various social levels and give the Elric brothers a break from the dark moments of earlier episodes. There are few truly useless filler episodes in the series, each serves a purpose beyond taking up time.
For example, if you've ever wanted to see who would win a fight between Edward and Roy Mustang, episode 13 delivers. The infamous "Flame vs. Fullmetal" episode features a slapstick fight between Edward's short-tempered personality and Mustang's cockiness. It's also the episode Mustang's "tiny mini skirt" line comes from. As another example, Episode 37, " The Flame Alchemist, The Bachelor Lieutenant & The Mystery of Warehouse 13", has some of the best comedy of both series. A silly interlude of Mustang and his team's daily lives when they aren't trying to overthrow the government. It's episodes like these that bring some levity to, at times, a very heavy series.
In the manga and both anime series, Fullmetal Alchemist revolves around the weight of life and death. Some the most memorable and striking moments of the show are deaths of beloved characters, and it is how both series treat their lives and deaths that makes the difference between them.
For FMA 2003, the Shou Tucker arc is covered in 2 episodes instead of just the one in Brotherhood. The Elric boys spends months at Tucker's house studying for State Alchemist exam, and entertain his 4 year old daughter Nina in their down time. By placing the Elrics' examination in the middle of the arc and ending the first of two episodes on a hopeful note, it makes Tucker's later atrocities that much more devastating.
The slow build of Tucker's sinister work and the conflicting account of his wife's absence, show Ed and the viewer the true depths of the corruption around all him, not just within the military. The arc exposes how far man is willing to go to for the sake of its ego in manipulating the world around them. In both series, Shou Tucker goes as far as to compare his mutilation of his daughter to the brothers' attempt to resurrect their mother, his act of selfish pride to their childhood mistake. But in Brotherhood, Tucker's motive is desperation pushing him to madness, making him a cautionary tale, rather than outright villain.
Nina's death is arguably much darker in the 2003 series because of this. Beyond the Elrics, no one is notably disgusted by the gruesomeness of Tucker's work — the people in charge are only concerned with covering up the incident and saving their own reputations. In neither series do military personnel figure out what to do with Nina, even though Maes and other officers condemn Tucker's actions. Nina's deconstruction is even more stark, Edward's distress at finding her splattered remains in a dark alleyway more potent than her mercy killing beside her father's body as in Brotherhood.
Both Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are anime series that give life to an already spectacular story. For the Fullmetal series as whole, its greatest asset is the payoff of the plot, something that Brotherhood absolutely delivers on. But it is the depth of the emotional narrative in the 2003 adaption that still makes it relevant, and both series together that make the story even more compelling.
