Starting FMA: Original or Brotherhood?
 

I've been hearing a lot of good stuff over the past year about the Full Metal Alchemist, and I'm wanting to try it out. However, one thing I don't know much about is where to start from; should I watch the original series first, and then Brotherhood, or just watch Brotherhood? I'm aware it's a remake, and that things have been changed - I don't know what or how much was changed, however, and which is generally considered better.

By the way - I'm aware that the endings of each are different, but not much else. Please keep any recommendations spoiler-free. Any tips are appreciated, and thanks in advance. :D

I would just watch Brotherhood if I were you. The original has a strong beginning and such... but things really fall apart in the end, as it aired before the manga was completed and thus went off in weird and crappy directions... Brotherhood follows the manga and is much stronger than the original when the plot diverges after 20-something episodes. The big difference in regards to the earlier portions of the story is that the original takes more time to develop things, if I remember correctly... leaving elements of the story shrouded in mystery whereas the remake, like the manga, reveals those elements of the plot early on... but, yeah, Brotherhood is overall a much better work I think, though I have yet to finish it, lol... been taking my time. Bear in mind that the first episode is just filler for some reason... you might even skip it.

Will do. Thanks for the help. :D

I'd suggest watching the original first. It's a great work despite being inferior to brotherhood later on. Still, watching it first and then switching to FMA:B will make you appreciate both of them. Just bear in mind that if you go for the original adaptation first, you can skip some ~8 episodes of FMA:B as they are pretty much the same as the original, but with worse pacing imo.

Like Kafriel, I'd suggest that you start with the first anime, if only because it handles the earlier parts of the story (especially the drama and emotional attachment and impact) better than Brotherhood does, though at the end of the day it doesn't really matter which one you start with first. While I don't really consider one better than the other (both adaptations have their strengths and faults) but you should know the two are, in essence, very different shows. Brotherhood is is more optimistic than the first anime (but that doesn't stop from being any darker) and has pacing problems that don't get sorted until around the 20's episodes. The first anime like I mentioned, is better at the drama, but at times will fall into being waaay too melodramatic at times, and ends up dragging out some stories lines (or bringing out ones that don't really make since). The take on characters (and which ones) is also different, as the first anime has them being much harsher (and throw at them many heartbreaking moment), while Brotherhood's are more outgoing (and do more awesome stuff at the end).

Personally, I'd say the manga is really the best version of the 3 in handling all of it themes, but there is no problem starting with anyone of them.

I've started Brotherhood first, simply because I thought it would be more readily available due to being newer (the 10kb/s downloads have since proven me wrong, but I've started on it, so I may as well finish. :P)

I was planning on only watching Brotherhood if I started with that, but it seems I may need to watch the original as well; I get pulled in easily by melodrama.

Thanks again for the advice. :D

There's going to be a lot of different opinions in this thread. Mine would be skipping the first series, because it's not really needed. I can just be watched after Brotherhood if you fancy anything more from the characters and setting.

You don't need to watch the original, just remember that.

Like Arabesque, i'd agree that the manga is the best out of the three. It can be watched before or after Brotherhood, just as long as you do experience it.

The Brotherhood series is superior to the original, not a fact, but a high majority agree, so its basically fact.

You're better off watching the newer series as a whole rather than spoiling yourself by watching its counterpart first.

I thought Brotherhood was a tad better, but you can't go wrong with either one.

My suggestion would be to watch the first twenty-five episodes of the 2003 anime, then watch Brotherhood from episode 11 onwards.

I'd disagree with that, especially with the changes of composer and voice actors coming into play. Not to mention the pacing, with the original series having a lot of filler, and Brotherhood just getting to the point with the manga material.

The first two are pretty easy to get over; the pacing... well let's face it: Brotherhood deliberately sped through those episodes because the original put so much time into it. A lot of stuff from the early manga was left out of Brotherhood.

original had better music :)

Let's not go there.:p

Brotherhood is good but if talk about drama impact then for me original series did better... a lot of homonculus got some kind of backstory there but it also is because the series are changed. For example if you will like Lust in Brotherhood, then original series are a must because they explore her character a lot.
Original series also have better introduction, as everyone mentioned above Brotherhood just rushed through it and it really threw me off at first. I couldn't get attached to the series because of how rushed it was there. There are several other characters who get more screentime and action.
However, I won' lie... Brotherhood had offered a lot of epic moments for those charcaters that were missed out in first season and Brotherhood has also several new and cool characters.
Over all both series are good but original series are less comedic and more tragedic. Same scenes in both seasons were handled differently.
The best example would be the scene with Riza and Roy under the rain somewhere in the beginig of the series, when you'll get to that part in both seasons, you will understand.

So yeh, I recommend you to go for both. If not for alternative story then at least for a good, detailed and not rushed begining that will make you care more.

Since you started the series, I guess you had seen episode 2 already but if no then miss this spoiler tag for now.



I really missed the Brothers song in Brotherhood =/

Oh I did to, but I think, overall, Brotherhood had a better soundtrack.

Interesting question.

I would go with Brotherhood, and then watch the original series after as a sort of "Director's Cut" of the first half of the series. Brotherhood offers a complete start-to-finish take of the entire story arc that's more or less manga-faithful, and I think you're best off watching that unspoiled by anything else. Once that's done, you can watch TOS as it does provide a lot more detail on some of the early stuff, and see for yourself what you think of the direction they took things once they branched off.

What you say there does surprise me. I've not watched Brotherhood, and not seen the original for probably a good 4 years or so, but I can't believe they'd miss out/gloss over something so important

I don't want to give too much away, but that whole section was kinda crucial to how Alphonse and Edward became the way they were


If they did indeed miss this out, I may end up watching some of the original series again before watching FMA:B.

Yep, the whole issue took in Brotherhood 1 minute, I just checked.



So just for that reason, season 1 has to be watched.

& the second half is fan fiction, right? :p