Anime Face Off Original vs. Remake #2 Fullmetal Alchemist vs. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Hi everyone I'm Jack Red, this is probably the most discussed case of which version is better among anime in general. Two legendary animes based on one of the absolute best monthly manga series ever. Fullmetal Alchemist is hands down a series many people can relate to in so many ways. I been really wanting to do this one for a long time now. I will be comparing Fullmetal Alchemist vs. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood in possibly difficult comparison. This comparison alone divided the fan base in half.

Fullmetal Alchemist


Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood


Round 1: Characters

Both animes do cover a good amount of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga. The author actually allowed the team behind the original anime full control as long they gave us a new ending. In the end both animes aren't just very good animes for their time. They're also two of the absolute best stories ever told in any anime. From start to finish both shows will really pull you in. Plenty of twists & turns to keep you on the edge of your sit. I am going to be honest I am already pulling hairs to determine which had better characters. Some characters like Scar was done better in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Other characters like some of the Homunculi and soldiers were done better in the original anime. The main antagonists in both animes has a connection to their father over a few centuries. Personally I felt Father was a better villain. Regardless which version King Bradley does stand out in different ways. You could argue there are more characters in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I could argue some characters were surprisingly better use in the original anime. Honestly I came to like Brotherhood a little more for characters that weren't present in the original anime. For example the second Greed ended up being one of my favorite characters. Bradley really stands out near the end of Brotherhood more than his fight with Colonel Mustang in the original anime. I felt these were the characters that ultimately made the difference.

The winner of this round is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Round 2: Story

I already stated how damn good their stories actually is. Not only both of them can truly stand the test of time. They do come off as clever takes of the same story. I would even go as far to say they're both close to perfection in every possible area imaginable. Both had their own mind blowing twists that many haven't seen coming before. Most characters get use incredibly well for their time. Sure I could criticize Brotherhood for shorten to removing shared parts. From the manga that are also present in the original anime. I simply can't ignore a missing piece of the final episode. They ran out of time while animating that episode leaving out what was suppose to happen to Dante. Also the true ending of that show was a movie. Not many animes do that now a days. However I am only judging the shows themselves. I might consider doing a movie version of this comparison. To me the Homunculi truly stands out in Brotherhood more for many reasons. The way they go about Father's plans was more interesting. Not all the homunculus were on the same page in the original anime. Which by itself was interesting then we have Father devouring God baby. Moments that epic are very difficult to take. Another good reason why it wins is because they didn't play both universes in the original anime as much as they could.

The winner of this round is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Round 3: Violence

To me this is even closer than my comparison on Hellsing. Both do have parts not everyone wants to see. I am taking a lot of horrible deaths including some of the homunculus. Both do a great job with their light parts in between & following many of these moments. I do felt Brotherhood does push a little too far in some cases. A great example of this was Colonel Mustang attacking Envy. The violence in the original anime does seem more civilize in the long run. I'm not saying they're fighting like gentlemen come on folks. Both do have very entertaining chases & battles through out their shows. The real question is which version better justify their overall violence? Simply doing that made things really close. I have to give it to Brotherhood because it is being more faithful to everything from the manga. I am sorry folks who prefer the original anime. I do enjoy it very much but not as close as much I enjoy watching Brotherhood.

The winner of this round is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

3-0 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood wins this comparison for great reasons. To sum up a good enough of reasons. Most of what you love about the original anime, there's simply more of it in Brotherhood. I do highly recommend both these animes to everyone. Now a days they're close to the same prices depending on several things. Therefore it is difficult to recommend one by that alone. I will say Brotherhood truly did more justice to that manga.