From what I have seen, this is a show that goes rather untalked about because of the huge shadow Brotherhood has cast over it. And to my dismay, time and time again I see people who love Brotherhood, who either where unaware of its predessesor or just choose to ignore it. Which is a fact I'd love to change because 2003 is well worth watching, whether you loved or hated Brotherhood, as past a certain point the two are almost unrecognizable in both plot, themes and characters, and 2003 rivals Brotherhood in alot of ways. Whilst Brotherhood takes the story in the direction of an all out war with the entire military and beyond involved, 2003 tells a more personal tale about the brothers (seemingly on their own) against the world. We see them time and time again battle the military, or the humonculi and even Scar. And I think that in some aspects of this part of the anime, 2003 superseeds Brotherhood. For example the entire twist invovling The Fuhrer is basically cut from Brotherhood, where it is revealed in the first episode, wheras in 2003 it is something only hinted at for most of the series and only revealed towards the end. As well as this, the Homunculi, and in particular the character of Lust is much more interesting then her counterpart in Brotherhood, as instead of being a target for Roy to practice on, she has an entire arc spanning the shows run time where she becomes a really sympathetic villian and is one of the shows best characters. Another huge aspect to consider when comparing the too shows or just talking about 2003 is its production, which is very impressive for when it was released.
Even though the series is now 18 years old some of its sakuga rivals anime airing today, and its soundtrack is absolutley phenomenal, almost every track is brilliant and makes every scene memorable and exciting. Its been along time since I watched FMAB so I cannot say anything about the ost in referene to that, but I will say that I consider Fullmetal Alchemist 2003's to be world class. Other then that, something else definatley worth note about FMA is its voice acting. (I cannot speak to the subs quality as i watched the dub and i have zero regrets) FMA has an amazing dubbed cast that really carry the emotions and motivations that their respective characters hold dear. In particular I'd like to mention Ed and Al's VA's Vic Mignogna and Aaron Dismuke respectively, as their chemistry is brilliant and carries alot of the series.
Overall Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) is a fantastic show that everyone can and will enjoy if you give it a chance, and is 100% worth watching even if you have already watched Brotherhood
8.5/10
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