Fullmetal Alchemist’s messy changes are exactly what make it better than Brotherhood

polygon.com:

Oct. 3, 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the Japanese television premiere of the Fullmetal Alchemist anime — that is, the first one.

See, shortly after the original, there was a second Fullmetal Alchemist. This 2009 series, subtitled Brotherhoodin its English-language release to avoid confusion with the earlier one, hewed much closer to the original manga. All three versions share the same premise and initial set of characters: In a world where those with enough scientific knowledge can physically transmute matter into new forms, young brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric attempt to use such powers to resurrect their dead mother. The transmutation goes badly and both boys are mutilated when it backfires; Ed loses an arm and leg, while Al’s soul is grafted to a suit of armor. Each series follows the pair on their quest to create or obtain the legendary Philosopher’s Stone so that they can restore their bodies.

The first anime (which I’ll refer to just as FMA) took that story in a drastically different direction from where the manga and Brotherhood ended up, which alienated many fans. However, FMA’s hated story changesare a major reason I find it the superior adaptation. In my opinion, pulling off something different from but as equally thought out as the source (sometimes more thought out) is more interesting than the way Brotherhood mainly just animates the manga.

It all started with an unusual decision from animation studio Bones when it started making FMA. At the time, Hiromu Arakawa’s manga was not even two-dozen chapters into its run. The staff, led by director Seiji Mizushima and writer Shō Aikawa, thus faced the dilemma of quickly running out of story to adapt. This was hardly a novel issue; it’s the reason