Which do you prefer FMA or FMA Brotherhood?

[Dae314]

Interesting that you say the beginning's done quickly. I haven't watched FMA myself so I can't compare, but from what I've seen of FMA:B (ep 20 atm) it's moving along at a normal pace. Granted though, I have a very old background of reading some of the manga (like the first couple books about... 8-10 years ago) so basically everything up to episode well... 20 since this is the first thing that happened that I didn't remember... wasn't anything new for me.

Thus far, the plot has been rather disappointing, but I see another 44 episodes of development coming up, so I can't comment on the plot very much yet. If I had to rate it right this instant, I'd give it a 5 or 5.5 out of 10 as a normal maybe slightly interesting at times anime. As far as graphics go, I shuddered when you said FMAB had better artwork >.<. The art that I've seen isn't quite as bad as Gunslinger Girl season 2, but it's still not very well done. The characters are fine, but sometimes the background is just... eew... I'll consider downloading FMA and watching it if FMAB impresses me enough to give it a 9, otherwise I don't want to waste my time.

Thanks for differentiating the series a bit more for me (since all I had to go off of was FMAB = better manga adaption and FMA = different ending).

[DrumRoll]

I prefer FMAB, the original wasn't very concise and tended to wander a bit. Brotherhood is better in almost ever aspect in MY opinion. Although I will admit that the ending of brotherhood was a tad lack-lustre, nothing terrible but it could have been so much better, it needed to be more fluid.

[xAaronx]

I enjoyed Brotherhood more than the first series.

And before you group me with those "Idiots" I've never read the manga of FMA.

The First series of FMA Was good but felt like it went on too long character development is good and all but I felt that they sometimes drifted too far away from the main story sometimes.The other thing I really disliked in the original is how the series ended I hated the fact that...

Ed sacrificed himself to get Al's body back and was sent to the otherside of the gate not even knowing if it worked it kinda pissed me off tbh.I Did watch the movie but seriously I disliked how he left Winry >.> I just cant like the ending even if you have to destroy the portal.

Safe to say I enjoyed brotherhood because the storyline ended better than the previous I just can't love the First Series with the way it ends ~.~

[RikuoAmero]

Gotta disagree with xAaronX.

Now, I haven't watched all of Brotherhood, about the first twenty or so episodes I'd say, but what I saw was a lot of waste in the usage of characters and events. For example, Maes Hughes. In Brotherhood, he's just a goofy guy the Elrics know. (When they first meet in Brotherhood, Hughe's daughter has already been born) Whereas, in the original anime, they're present at the birth of his daughter, thus creating a bond between them. This is used later on when they hear of Hughe's death and this creates a dramatic moment between Ed and Mustang.

A similar situation with Shou Tucker, the guy who tutored the Elrics before their Alchemy Exam. In Brotherhood, he's killed by Scar, but in the original, he's kept alive: later on, he tempts Al with teaching him how to use the Philosopher's Stone. This is a great moment, as Ed and Al adored Nina, and hate Tucker for what he did, but Al is tempted by the knowledge.

With regard to events, the Lab 5 episode in Brotherhood simply doesn't have anything happen in it, at least nothing of any significance. Whereas in the original anime, we have

1) Ed almost creates the Philosopher's Stone, under Tucker's direction, using live condemned prisoners as material, while Al watches

2) Al is tricked by Barry the Chopper into thinking he isn't real (comments by Tucker about implanting memories certainly don't help)

Subpoint to 2) There's a great juxtaposition. Ed says to the Slicer brothers that he has no choice but to call them human: if he says they're not human because they're now a suit of armour, then he must therefore say the same thing about Alphonse. If only Alphonse had heard this, he would have had nothing to worry about.

[redsky23]

FMA Brotherhood is based on the manga unlike FMA, the FMA brotherhood is a all round better anime to watch in my opinion

[lemmingllama]

FMA Brotherhood is based on the manga unlike FMA, the FMA brotherhood is a all round better anime to watch in my opinion

This is partly lies. FMA is also based on the manga, just that the ending is an origional anime ending. Brotherhood remains true to the manga. Plus its an all round better anime, not a.

[Koby]

FMA Brotherhood is based on the manga unlike FMA, the FMA brotherhood is a all round better anime to watch in my opinion

Thank you for proving my point how people 'claim' Brotherhood is better simply because it's a little more faithful to the manga instead of judging it based on what matters. Unfortunately you also show your opinion has no merit. I can agree to disagree with those who have proper reasoning, but your reasoning is severely flawed.

[RikuoAmero]

Thank you for proving my point how people 'claim' Brotherhood is better simply because it's a little more faithful to the manga instead of judging it based on what matters. Unfortunately you also show your opinion has no merit. I can agree to disagree with those who have proper reasoning, but your reasoning is severely flawed.

Exactly! If the metric you use to determine quality is whether or not an anime sticks to its source material, then your reasoning is flawed. I've read the overall plot of Brotherhood and to be honest, the original anime is what I prefer. Metaphysical stories of Truth, Father and whatnot don't resonate with me; but a story of abandonment, love, hate, brotherhood, sacrifice? The original had that in spades. Now, I'm not going to call Dante a great villain or a great character, but when measured to Father, she is infinitely better, in terms of a story device. Father was just originally a pile of goop in a jar, who wants to become God...not very interesting for me to read/watch, but Dante is a human woman who was scorned by her lover, after becoming immortal and plans to marry/seduce the son of her old lover, as an act of revenge. Lot more scope for drama with Dante.

[MathiasBelmont]

Brotherhood has vastly superior plot and animation.

I watched both and preferred Brotherhood. I have never read the manga.

[mlkana]

FMAB new and improved

[Koby]

FMAB new and improved

Fixed:

FMAB, new, but worse.

[skelington]

I have to say I personally liked both of them. FMA was great with story and drama that it got me hooked. Brotherhood has a great plot and the drama was a little less than FMA but still good nonetheless. The only thing I disliked from Brotherhood was that the beginning did feel a little rushed, They cut out the whole coal mine part, so that would leave people new to the series wondering about some characters.

[Lief123]

quality FMAB's is much better and the story makes much more sense in the first there's way too many philosophers stones made from the red water

[ShadowDevyn]

I actually prefer FMA to FMAB anyday. I personally think the drawing is much worse in FMAB. Lust looked so horrible. Plus Winry was more involved in FMAB (yucky!) lol, i am not a Winry fan....

[pingcheck]

Okay;

a. this is a troll thread.

b. brotherhood followed the original storyline more closely, because the entire manga was published when they began development, whereas the original series only followed the original storyline into the 20's, where the dev's tacked on their own. Simple.

[dymbr]

Its all good, i don't care what form it comes in I'd watch it.

[janetta21]

FMA Brotherhood is better than FMA because FMA brotherhood gives more detail and it has a better ending than FMA and thats also the difference between them FMA brotherhood gives more detail and it explains more

[KaoclazmMJR]

Here's a complete list of the differences between FMAB and the FMA manga if anyone cares:

http://fma.wikia.com/wiki/Brotherhood

Just scroll down to the section called "Differences From the Manga"

[KaoclazmMJR]

Fixed:

FMAB, new, but worse.

Maybe for someone who hasn't read the manga, but I read the manga and I thought that FMAB had a better story (I guess my knowledge of the series helped to fill the holes).

Maybe you should say that its only worse for people who are new to the series.

[lemmingllama]

Here's a complete list of the differences between FMAB and the FMA manga if anyone cares:

http://fma.wikia.com/wiki/Brotherhood

Just scroll down to the section called "Differences From the Manga"

Though cool, the thread is about the animes, not the mangas. And FMA Brotherhood was fairly faithful to the manga