Fullmetal Alchemist

[sholio]

OH.
My.
God.

Still sick, need to crawl off to bed, but we just finished watching Fullmetal Achemist on DVD and WOW. It blew me away on pretty much every level -- visuals, story, writing, characters, humor. Even if you don't watch anime, even if you've never watched anime before, if you can find someplace to rent, borrow or buy this, it is WELL worth it.

The last anime that really hooked me like this was Trigun, back in 2000, which was the show that really, truly launched me into online fandom. With Trigun, though, what really sent me off into fan-land was the lingering sense of things left unexplained at the end, whereas this didn't do that. It just left me feeling complete. And really, really impressed.

I should probably write about it in more depth, but right now I need to go crash. Still, this seriously gets as many thumbs up as I have thumbs to offer. Very, very awesome show.

Comments

[anniehow.livejournal.com]

Oh, Full Metal Alchemist! Cool! Are you talking about the series or is there an OAV? (there must be an OAV. That series is too popular not to). And you love Trigun? What about Cowboy Bebop? Surely you must have seen it!

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Oh heck, I forgot Cowboy Bebop! Told you I was sick. ;) Yes, I've seen it, and it was absolutely amazing.

It was the FMA series that we watched. Apparently there is a movie too, but after seeing the series, I'm not sure if I really want to see it, since it's obviously out of continuity.

[naive-wanderer.livejournal.com]

The movie actually picks up at the end of the series, but some fans choose to ignore it. :P

[thady.livejournal.com]

Oh yes! I loved the show! It's one of my favourite animes. It has everything I like about good shows. Second the recommendation! :)

Hmm, have to rec another one though: Ever watched "Now and Then, Here and There"? This one clearly broke my heart. Couldn't sleep after I watched this. Even after almost three years I still have some of the images and dialogs very clearly in my mind.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

No, haven't seen that one. I'll have to see if the place where I rent anime from has it. :)

[thady.livejournal.com]

I should warn you though. There are very dark themes like child soldiers, torture, rape (though not graphic!)...

Here is a review:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/now-and-then-here-and-there

I think it is rated 16+. Nevertheless one of the best animes I ever watched.

[spark-force.livejournal.com]

*seconds your recommendation* Now and Then, Here and There is one of the best animes I've ever seen.

[klostes.livejournal.com]

I've seen all the Miyasakis, and Metropolis. That's my experience with anime, if that even counts. ;-) What is this, a movie or a series? I'm always game to try something new.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

It's a series, and a rather long one -- it's about 50 episodes, give or take. It doesn't seem that long because it's so tightly plotted, though; one of the things I love about it is how what seems like a throwaway filler storyline will become important 20 or 30 episodes down the line. Still, I'd recommend finding someplace like Netflix to rent it from, because it is a LOT of DVDs.

I know it's been shown in the past on Adult Swim on cable, although it's really best with this one to start from the beginning.

[amalthia]

FMA made me cry, laugh, I was fully invested in this story and the characters. This was one of the best anime series I saw since Escaflowne and Berserk. Trigun that show took me by surprise in the best possible way. :) I didn't know you watched anime too. :)

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Yeah, up until SGA, pretty much all of my online fandom experience was with anime fandom. Look up my page on ff.net (username is "sholio"); there's a ton of anime fanfic there, under the SGA stuff. If you read fic for Trigun, I wrote a LOT of it back in the day, including a novel-length one called "Sand & Light".

[amalthia]

i'm going to have to go and check it out. :) but...first I need to finish a few stories I started and well haven't finished.

[spark-force.livejournal.com]

FMA! I love that show so much. But as much as the anime is awesome? The manga is *better.* *prods the manga in your direction*

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

I've read the first few books of the manga, but not very deep into it. I do like the manga, although between the two of them I don't know if I have a preference (though I'm not that far into the manga yet). They're just so different that it's hard to compare.

[naive-wanderer.livejournal.com]

YES. (lol sorry, random lurker here :P ) I adore FMA - and I agree that, though the anime is awesome, the manga is much better.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

I've read some of the manga -- in fact, that was how I first encountered the series. It's so different that it's hard to compare -- the storylines are so radically different that I'm amazed the anime is so coherent, because it feels like the manga storyline has been chopped up and shuffled to make the anime. And yet it all makes sense.

[naive-wanderer.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, you're exactly right. :)

[anniehow.livejournal.com]

OK, so now you have to write a full list of all the Anime you dig, for future refrences (also because we seem to have similar tastes and I wouldn't mind a rec or two ;)

Hope you feel better! (I'm down with the mutant cold from Mars myself)

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's a good idea! Although it's funny how some of the stuff that I've been genuinely fannish about are not necessarily ones that I'd recommend to someone else. Like Dragonball Z for example. *laughs* Yes, I like it, and I can't even figure out how to justify to other people that I do like it. All my anime street cred goes out the window right there! But yes, I should make a list.

I went in to work this morning but now I'm home again. Brain feels like it's full of cotton fluff. I hate being sick...

[pavaneofstars.livejournal.com]

Interesting you should post about this series. I just stuck in my netflix que earlier this week. Now I'm really looking forward to it. :)

I second the rec on "Now and Then, Here and There" - it's really good. My all time favorite anime is "Haibane Renmei."

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Haibane Renmei... I've heard of it, but never seen it. I remember thinking that it looked a little slow-paced for what I normally like to watch, but the animation (from what little I've seen) looks really gorgeous.

[parisindy.livejournal.com]

love trigun, but i really don't enjoy the 'over the topness'
of most anime... does this have angsty characters?

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

One of the things I like about FMA is how laid-back it is. Yes, it does have angst, and it does have that "spazzy" thing that anime characters sometimes do, but for the most part it's just kind of quiet and moody. There's a lot of dramatic stuff happening in the rain, or battle scenes where there's no sound, just shots of people killing each other in choreographed silence.

FMA

[b7-kerravon.livejournal.com]

I love FMA, too. In fact, I think the movie wrapped up most of the loose ends quite nicely, although I objected to what happened to Roy between ep 51 and the movie. Stopping at ep 51 is just...incomplete.

I read this column and the recs for "Now and Then, Here and There", then spent all my free time watching it. I have to say, while the character development is nice in several of the ancillary people, the main character doesn't grow as much as I'd like. While it's definitely not FMA, it's still well worthwhile watching.

I like DBZ, too, but just for Vegeta...I like Bad Boys. Speaking of which, did you ever get a chance to see the Blakes 7 tapes?

Re: FMA

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

although I objected to what happened to Roy between ep 51 and the movie.

Uh-oh ... that sounds ominous....

After reading the "Now & Then, Here & There" review, I think I might hold off on that one for a little while. It doesn't really sound like the kind of thing I'm into watching just now -- I've been more enjoying a lighter touch in my entertainment. But I'll remember it for when I'm wanting more darkness.

I like DBZ, too, but just for Vegeta...I like Bad Boys. Speaking of which, did you ever get a chance to see the Blakes 7 tapes?

*grin* Well, you'll notice who my favorite DBZ character was, based on my fanfic...

We've been watching B7 slowly. My husband doesn't like it as much as I do (I'm really enjoying the character interactions), so when we're picking out the evening's entertainment, he usually wants something else. But we're quite a few tapes in, and I'm liking it.