Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Company type	Anime television series
Industry	Animation
Predecessor	Fullmetal Alchemist (2003 anime)
Founded	April 5, 2009; 17 years ago
Founder	Hiromu Arakawa (original manga creator)
Defunct	July 2010
Fate	Series ended
Successor	Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos (film)
Headquarters	Tokyo, Japan
Area served	Japan, North America, Asia, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Philippines
Key people	Yasuhiro Irie (director), Hiroshi Ōnogi (scriptwriter), Akira Senju (music composer)
Products	Anime television series, soundtracks, Blu-ray/DVD releases
Owner	Bones (animation studio)
Parent	Bones
Website	www.fullmetal-alchemist.com

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a Japanese anime TV series adapted from the original Fullmetal Alchemist manga created by Hiromu Arakawa. Produced by the animation studio Bones, the series is directed by Yasuhiro Irie, scripted by Hiroshi Ōnogi, with music composed by Akira Senju. This adaptation was developed to closely follow the entire manga narrative, in contrast to the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime, which diverged after surpassing the source material.

The production commenced in 2008, resulting in a 64-episode run broadcast on MBS and TBS from April 2009 through July 2010. In North America, Funimation initially secured licensing rights, airing the English version on Adult Swim between February 2010 and September 2011. Licensing later shifted to Aniplex of America in 2016.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood earned extensive critical praise, often cited as one of the finest anime series ever produced. Reviewers highlighted its faithful adherence to the manga, the inclusion of new characters and story arcs absent from the earlier adaptation, and lauded its final episodes for delivering intense action sequences alongside profound ethical themes.

Plot

Raised in the secluded village of Resembool within Amestris, brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric face early hardship after their father Hohenheim, a distinguished alchemist, leaves them. Following their mother Trisha's passing, they are nurtured by family friend Winry Rockbell and her grandmother Pinako. Under the tutelage of Izumi Curtis, they attempt forbidden human transmutation to bring their mother back to life. The catastrophic failure costs Alphonse his physical body and Edward several limbs; Edward sacrifices his right arm to anchor Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor. With automail prosthetics crafted by Winry and Pinako, they symbolically burn their childhood home and become State Alchemists under Colonel Roy Mustang. Known as the "Fullmetal Alchemist," Edward alongside Alphonse embarks on a quest for the Philosopher's Stone to restore their bodies, uncovering a government conspiracy involving homunculi, alchemists from Xing, the devastated region of Ishval, and secrets tied to their father’s past.

Voice cast

Character	Japanese voice actor	English voice actor
Edward Elric	Romi Park	Vic Mignogna
Alphonse Elric	Rie Kugimiya	Maxey Whitehead
Roy Mustang	Shin-ichiro Miki	Travis Willingham
Winry Rockbell	Megumi Takamoto	Caitlin Glass
Maes Hughes	Keiji Fujiwara	Sonny Strait
Riza Hawkeye	Fumiko Orikasa	Colleen Clinkenbeard
Scar	Kenta Miyake	J. Michael Tatum
Ling Yao	Mamoru Miyano	Todd Haberkorn
Lan Fan	Nana Mizuki	Trina Nishimura
May Chang	Mai Goto	Monica Rial
King Bradley/Wrath	Hidekatsu Shibata	Ed Blaylock
Lust	Kikuko Inoue	Laura Bailey
Envy	Minami Takayama	Wendy Powell
Greed	Yuichi Nakamura	Chris Patton (initial) Troy Baker (later)

Production

In August 2008, Hiromu Arakawa, the creator of the series, revealed plans for a second anime adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist in the 20th volume of the manga. This new version, known in Japan as and titled Brotherhood in English, distinguishes itself from the 2003 anime by closely adhering to the manga's entire storyline rather than diverging partway through.

The studio Bones handled production of Brotherhood, with Yasuhiro Irie serving as director and Hiroshi Ōnogi as scriptwriter, while Akira Senju composed the musical score. Romi Park and Rie Kugimiya returned to voice Edward and Alphonse Elric, respectively. Director Irie aimed to satisfy longtime fans, placing particular emphasis on the beloved character Roy Mustang. By May 2010, as the manga approached its conclusion, Bones was already animating the final episodes that faithfully adapted the manga’s ending.

Senju’s soundtrack for Brotherhood was released in several installments: the first album arrived on October 14, 2009; the second followed on March 24, 2010; and a third volume was issued on July 7, 2010. A compilation titled Fullmetal Alchemist Final Best, which included opening and closing theme songs, was released on July 28, 2010. Additionally, Taro Iwashiro composed the soundtrack for Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, which was released on June 29, 2011.

The series featured a variety of opening and ending themes corresponding to specific episode blocks: episodes 1–14 showcased "Again" by Yui and by Sid; episodes 15–26 featured "Hologram" by Nico Touches the Walls and "Let It Out" by Miho Fukuhara; episodes 27–38 included "Golden Time Lover" by Sukima Switch and by Lil'B; episodes 39–50 presented "Period" by Chemistry alongside by Scandal; episodes 51–62 used by Sid and "Ray of Light" by Shoko Nakagawa. Notably, episodes 63 and 64 did not have opening themes but instead used "Rain" and "Hologram" as their ending songs respectively.

Release

The official English title Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was announced in March 2009. Its English-language debut occurred on Animax Asia with Japanese audio accompanied by English subtitles beginning April 10, 2009. Funimation declared on April 3, 2009, that it would stream English-subtitled episodes just four days following their original Japanese broadcast. Similarly, Madman Entertainment provided streaming access shortly after episodes aired in Japan. The series initially premiered in Japan on April 5, 2009, airing within MBS and TBS's Sunday evening anime slot at 5:00 pm JST.

In May 2009, Funimation temporarily halted releasing new episodes due to an unrelated early leak incident involving a different show but subsequently resumed streaming through its website and YouTube channel.

Aniplex commenced Blu-ray and DVD releases in August 2009; the first volume contained two episodes plus an original video animation (OVA). Additional OVAs were bundled with volumes five and nine alongside four episodes each. By November 2010, sixteen volumes had been issued. Funimation announced its English dub cast in September 2009, featuring many returning voice actors from the original 2003 adaptation. The English dubbed version premiered on Adult Swim on February 14, 2010, concluding its run on September 25, 2011. Funimation distributed the series across five Blu-ray and DVD volumes starting May 2010, each comprising thirteen episodes; the final set was released in August 2011. In the United Kingdom, Manga Entertainment released the series through five DVD and Blu-ray volumes between 2010 and 2011 before compiling them into a two-part box set.

Funimation's license expired in March 2016; following this expiration, Aniplex of America secured distribution rights and made the series available for streaming on Crunchyroll. In January 2018, Netflix added Brotherhood to its catalog for viewers in both the United States and Canada. Later that year in November, Aniplex of America issued two Blu-ray box sets. Funimation reacquired streaming rights in November 2019.

Other distribution partners include Madman Entertainment for Australia, Super Channel in Canada, and TV5’s AniMEGA programming block in the Philippines.

Reception

On the review aggregation platform Rotten Tomatoes, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood boasts a flawless 100% approval rating derived from 14 critiques, with an average score of 8 out of 10. The critical consensus commends its intricate world-building, dynamic action sequences, and thoughtfully crafted emotional themes, presenting it as an exemplary representation of the shounen category. It is widely celebrated as one of the greatest anime series ever produced and maintained the highest rankings on MyAnimeList, Anime News Network, and IMDb until it was surpassed by Frieren on both MyAnimeList and Anime News Network.

D. F. Smith from IGN emphasized the brief gap between the original 2003 adaptation and Brotherhood, describing it as unmatched within the anime medium. He observed that the accelerated narrative pace during the initial 14 episodes presumes audience familiarity with the characters, enabling a swift progression through essential plot points but at the expense of some character development moments present in the first series.

Early feedback from Anime News Network staff criticized the opening episodes for revisiting plotlines from the initial anime, which they felt diminished suspense. Conversely, Chris Beveridge of Mania Entertainment applauded the introduction of fresh combat scenes and deeper emotional layers, labeling these episodes as "solid," while Smith appreciated the concise nature of the action sequences.

Megan Gudeman from CBR characterized the interpersonal dynamics within the anime as "dynamic and memorable." Chris Zimmerman of Comic Book Bin highlighted how the series carves out its unique identity through new characters and plot twists, complemented by enhanced animation that emphasizes facial expressions and fight choreography.

The finale received widespread acclaim; Mark Thomas of The Fandom Post described it as an "almost flawless conclusion to an exceptional series." Charles Solomon of the Los Angeles Times placed Brotherhood second in his Top 10 anime list for 2010.

Spin-off film

After Brotherhood concluded, a spin-off movie titled Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos was announced, with a teaser debuting in November 2010. Directed by Kazuya Murata and written by Yūichi Shinpo, this film premiered in Japan in July 2011. Its storyline follows the Elric brothers as they chase a fugitive in a foreign land. Funimation acquired licensing rights and screened it in select theaters across the United States in January 2012, followed by DVD and Blu-ray releases on April 24, 2012.

External links

Official Anime Central Fullmetal Alchemist anime website