This is one of those shows that I've been hearing about for YEARS and has a reputation as one of the best of all time. Its been on my list for a while, but have been putting it off for this and that.
To summarize, this show is not worth the hype, however it is a well-written narrative with a wide and extremely well-developed cast of characters.
Edward and Alphonse are fantastic main characters. They're completely flawed and practically worthless without their friends, but that just strengthens the overall message. This show is about the bonds we form between each other to overcome challenges that may seem impossible. Their goals and ambitions make perfect sense in the context of their journey, and they're a perfect fit for the show.
Like I said, the supporting cast is wide and varied, but most importantly they're all well-developed and rounded. Every character, even minor supporting characters, get their time in the sun. Standouts being Winry, Scar, Mustang, Olivier and Bradley. This doesn't even touch how many characters there are, and yet they ALL feel unique, distinct, and integral to the world they live in. Every single one of them is memorable, every single one of them is interesting, and I think this is the biggest accomplishment of the show. Even if you can't vibe with the plot, the characters are far and above, exceptional.
That being said, the plot itself I did have a few issues with. The first third of the show I found to be engaging, intriguing and compelling. I loved the mystery and the drama, learning about the rules of the world, the geography and the world building. Everything felt pretty tightly written and geared up to deliver a fantastic story. However, I did find the second third of the show to be a bit narratively middling, ironically. In terms of logical consistency, drive of the characters, decisions and happenings, I found myself scratching my head a lot, thinking 'should they really be doing this?' or 'isn't there a better way for this to happen'? For a show with such strong characters, I found a weakness in these inconsistencies which overall brought down the experience.
Moving onto the final act, I found this only got worse. Decisions made by the characters and the overall plot felt wildly inconsistent to the point where I was off put by much of it. The culmination of Ed and Al's efforts through the span of 50+ episodes sadly came out with numerous head scratchers:
The final main gripe I have with the show is that it not only felt narratively inconsistent toward the end, but throughout the show it also felt tonally inconsistent. I felt like this wanted to be two things at once: some kind of comedic shonen while also a darker exploration into the opposing forces of life and death. It throws out episode 3, if I remember
Overall, I do think that the show's characters are so strong that I'd give it an 8/10. I would typically rate an 8 as something great, that I enjoyed thoroughly and would recommend. I wouldn't call it a must watch, but I'd say it's something fans of the genre should see if only for the excellent development of the huge cast it presents.
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