If you are looking for a fantastic anime to watch, we cannot recommend Fullmetal Alchemist enough. It is truly fantastic to watch and has epic story arcs and interesting characters.
There is a lot of humour throughout, which helps to balance out the more serious moments.
It is an action packed anime that is based on the Manga series that was released in 2001, through to 2010.
There are so many different types of themes that are incorporated into the series, and it heavily focuses on the narrative of religion vs science and interactions surrounding this.
The plot does have some more serious topics, such as war, but it is also lighthearted and fun to watch too. Overall it is an easy and engaging series to watch.
When it comes to the anime series, people who have not watched it before may not know where to begin. This is understandable when you take into consideration that there are two separate series within this world to watch.
While technically speaking you can watch either series first, most anime fans will recommend specific watch order.
In this article, we will be delving into Fullmetal Alchemist in more detail to give you a better understanding of the correct watch order.
The Two Anime Series — Full Metal Alchemist Vs Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
There are two separate series of Fullmetal Alchemist to watch – Full metal Alchemist, and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. While in theory you can watch either first, it is typically recommended to watch FMAB first.
This is because it is a better representation of the manga series in comparison to FMA.
Even so, FMA still follows a lot of the manga plot, but it does feature some filler scenes. There is not an overwhelming amount of these however.
What is interesting about the two series is that they all contain the same characters, and are set within the same time period. The only difference is what happens within this time period.
Fullmetal Alchemist was the first anime series to be released in 2003, and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was released later that decade, in 2009.
Fullmetal Alchemist consists of 51 episodes in total. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is slightly longer, featuring 64 episodes.
If you are interested in the characters and the setting, we would recommend watching both series, though, FMAB tends to be the preferred anime series of the two amongst fans.
Do You Need To Watch Both Series?
Technically speaking, it makes little difference which you choose to watch first, as the plots do not overlap in any way apart from the characters and the setting being the same.
In addition to this, you can even choose to just watch one of the series if you do not want to watch them both.
As they are not directly linked, you will not be missing any pivotal moments of the plot or story arc within the series you are watching if you choose not to watch the other.
What Is The Release Order?
It is worth noting that the release order is not always the best way to consume an anime series. This is because sometimes prequels or other linked seasons are released at a later date.
As a result, if you are someone that is watching the series at a later date, it can be useful to watch them in timeline order instead.
Even so, with the Fullmetal Alchemist series and content, it can be watched in release order if this is your preference. The release order is as follows:
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos Specials — 2011 (4 episodes)
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos — 2011
Other Types Of Media
As you can see from the release dates, there is a lot of Fullmetal Alchemist content that was released alongside the shows, and serves as an extension to them.
While you can watch the show without watching the extra content, we would recommend watching them.
The specials and the movie allow you to have a better understanding of the character and the world the anime is set in. They are also great to watch, and if you already enjoy the characters, it is more great content to consume.
Here is a full list of the other forms of media in order of release date. The majority of which are only short episodes and specials:
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos Specials — 2011 (4 episodes)
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos — 2011
The Best Order To Watch Fullmetal Alchemist
In our opinion, the best way in which to watch the Fullmetal Alchemist content is by following the timeline within the series.
This will help you to have a better understanding of the world building and plot at the time. It makes the storylines flow easier, and it means that you will be less likely to forget what has happened over time.
Even so, as we have already mentioned above, both series follow a different plot. As a result of this, technically speaking you can watch either first. However, we would recommend beginning with Fullmetal Alchemist first.
Here is our recommended watch order:
Fullmetal Alchemist — 2003 (series)
Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa — 2005 (movie)
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos — 2011
If you are going to watch Fullmetal Alchemist, it is recommended to watch the 2005 movie because it rounds off the series, and brings it to a close.
In addition to this, the Brotherhood Specials give you a better understanding of the plot within the second series.
While The Sacred Star of Milos is a side story it is still canon and great to watch. The other specials are not pivotal to the plots of the series, but they still make for an interesting watch if you are interested in this anime series.
They don’t follow the same plots, however.
Summary
We hope you found this article useful. As you can see, there is plenty of content to watch when it comes to the Fullmetal Alchemist Anime. It is certainly a great option to consider and it is fun and interesting to watch.
While we would recommend watching the series in the order of the timeline, you can choose to watch it in order of the release date if you prefer. While some of the specials are cannon, others are not.
Either way, they are still worth watching!
Facts About Fullmetal Alchemist
As discussed, the Fullmetal Alchemist anime franchise is based on a manga series that was created by Hiromu Arakawa. It featured in Shonen Gangan initially on a monthly basis.
It follows two brothers who are called Alphonse and Edward, and it focuses heavily on science, alchemy and religion. The alchemy they perform ends badly, which has significant consequences for both brothers.
As a result of this, they go on a journey to find the Philosopher’s stone to rectify and resolve what has happened.
