Source of the original photo

Why you should watch it?

This series is so famous that probably there are already a lot of reviews of it, so this time I want to be a little bit original, and instead of reviewing the anime in itself I want to talk about its main topics and how they affect me.

• Family bonds: I love the story of the Elric Brothers, and I think that it is understandable how they decide to try to use Alchemy to bring back their beloved mother from the dead... this, of course, is a very tough topic, especially thinking that it involves two very young kids. They try to go against a clear taboò and they pay the consequences of their gesture... but they are not the only ones, also their teacher tries to do the same with her child... this is the way the series tries to convey the idea that sometimes our emotions are way stronger than our intellect, cause while it is "understandable" for two kids (although very smart, since they are able to do something only very expert alchemist should be able to do) to make a mistake like this on the verge of their emotions, it is less understandable how Izumi makes the same mistake since she is an expert alchemist... The truth is that when our beloved ones are involved we are ready to do everything, both what is feasible and also what it isn't...
  It is very difficult to control our emotions, and this is why when something has happened to us (either good or bad) that is not a good moment to take a decision, but we need to cool down first and then start thinking logically.

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• Consequences of actions and equivalent exchange: this point is related to the previous one. No matter how much we think we are in the right, every action we perform has inevitable consequences... when you go against the law of physics (or alchemy in this case) you need to pay the consequences of it... and here I found very reasonable the main principle of alchemy, i.e. equivalent exchange, which states that if you want to obtain something you must provide something of equal value. The two brothers foolishly suppose that to resurrect a soul it is sufficient to provide the main ingredients that form the human body, but a human is not made only of flesh and bones, and this is why the "god" of alchemy takes more from them... he demands a soul for a soul only because they tried... and doesn't even give them back their mother cause that is prohibited and bringing the deads back is not allowed.
  In a world where the "rules" of alchemy are clear, there is only one way to avoid them, to use the famous philosopher stone... but the truth is far more different, and the price to pay is even higher (I won't say more to not make any spoilers)... this is to say that there is no way to go against the laws of nature and the law of equivalent exchange is absolute.

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• war and politics: this is probably my favorite part of the series. I have always thought that wars are a consequence of someone's greed, and not in the interest of the masses. And the series takes this principle to the maximum (this is the only thing I will say, cause I don't want to ruin this masterpiece for anyone who has not had yet the privilege to watch it).
  The reasons behind war are always personal and dictated by greediness, and I don't want to be naive or childish here saying that all wars are evitable and we should stop fighting, cause sometimes you also need to defend yourself... but most of the time a war is started by greedy individuals who have been blinded by power and that either consciously or not use the excuse of the greater good to make their own interest.
  We see a lot of wars around the world, where poor soldiers are forced to fight and kill other human beings, that someone has thought them being the enemy. These people (of course a part of them, cause there are also others that go to war because they enjoy it) fight with all their heart and die proudly thinking to protect their country or act in the name of a greater good, while they are instead giving away their life or mental sanity for the personal interests of some powerful politician or whoever is in command.
  Of course, like I said I don't want also to generalize everything, some wars are inevitable, and not all politicians or people with power, in general, are evil, that's not what I am saying, but taking again the principle of equivalent exchange into account, if you start a war you are giving away your people living for something else, and I think that there is nothing worthy of sacrificing someone's life... whoever starts a war doesn't do it to protect its people but to attack someone else in order to gain something material...

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Plot

Following an unsuccessful attempt to use alchemy to resurrect their mother, two brothers named Edward and Alphonse Elric set out on a journey to restore their bodies. Alchemy is a popular practice in the universe where the series is set, and it has its own laws and restrictions. The brothers travel through a world of political and military conflict, and the series does a great job of mixing action, comedy, and drama.

Conclusion

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood is my favorite anime series of all time. It is perfect in every aspect and I really recommend you to watch it, if you haven't done so yet.

Rating

My personal vote is:

10.0/10.0