5/5 NOT WITHOUT MY BROTHER
  by Sesho (Pasadena, TX USA)
Edward and Alphonse Elric were child prodigies in the field of alchemy from the time they were Pre-K age. When their mother died, they tried to bring her back from the dead but instead Edward lost an arm and a leg and Alphonse's body was taken and his soul bonded to a suit of armor that was in their home. Now they search the world for the "Philosopher's Stone", an item of great alchemical power which they believe they can use to make their bodies whole. Of course, they fall into adventures along the way, coming up against priests that work mysterious miracles and murderous spirits.

Fullmetal Alchemist generated a lot of hype before it was even released in America, and I have to say it lives up to it. This is an instant classic. Its greatest power is its underlying poignancy, because the brother's problems were born out of their love for their mother. Who hasn't suffered the loss of a loved one in their life? Except these two boys thought they had the power to change fate. Realizing their tragic mistake, they now rely on each other, and their uppermost thought is to restore each other, a testament of their love if there is one. There are also great moments of humor and the symphonic score accentuates all the changing moods. Masterpiece!

There are tons of artwork galleries on this disk, lots of promotional videos, the usual opening/closings, character profiles. It is also available in manga form.

A good companion anime to Fullmetal Alchemist is Scrapped Princess. It hits all the same themes of Fullmetal and is even animated by the same studio, Bones.

5/5 One of the best new Anime titles available. A must have!
  by Joey F. Kolber (Culver City, Ca United States)
When I first heard about Fullmetal Alchemist I thought that it was going to be another series aimed at being cute and happy and all that goody goody stuff. To my surprise, and a positive on at that, this series is anything but. While it seems to be another fantasy series aimed at creating an alternate world with an entirely different way of living (a.k.a, Naruto or most any other anime available), it almost immediately shows that this series is entirely based on it's characters, and for the most part, the grief they face. From the Elrich brothers and their loses to Scar and his terrible past, it seems nearly every character suffers from some kind of sad event. It should be foretold that many of the things in the series are much to mature for children and that this is a series that isn't afraid to get a little gruesome. Even older viewers may cringe at certain things, and like any good series, there are many extremely emotional moments. However, it would be a crime of any anime fan to pass this up. Though it is quite a tragic series, it's tragedies, along with it's action, humor, and yes fun (believe it or not, the series is actually quite fun) are the reasons you'll want to pick it up. As far as technicalities go, it is very well animated. The action is done excellently (and I am a big critic of action sequences in anime) and the rest is just as good, including L'Arc~en~Ciel's addicting song for the second part of the series. Anyways, don't pass this one up. It is too good to do so.

5/5 Transmuting for fun and for profit:Full Metal Alchemist.
  by S. Savino (Williams,AZ USA)
Hagane no Renkinjutsushi,(Full Metal Alchemist)has become one of the most talked about shows of this year and with good reason.Full Metal Alchemist just rocks,it's truely THE show to keep an eye on this year and is already on it's 26th episode on Cartoon Networks' Adult Swim.So what is so great about a show about some forgotten science, let's take a look.

I'm sure just about everybody knows the basic story,Edward and Alphonse Elric lose their mother,they begin to study alchemy in an attempt to bring her back to life.When this goes horribly wrong,(by the way,human trasmutation is sticktly forbbiden)Ed loses an arm and leg, and his brother Al loses much more. In order to return things to the way they were, their only hope is to search for the legendary Philosphers stone,an alchemic modifier said to grant it's posseser the abillity to ignore the laws of equivelent exchange!So they set out on a journey to recover what they have lost.What am I willing to sacarifice? It's this question Ed and Al struggle to answer throughout FMA.But will they ever find the answer,or is the price too high to pay!

After watching all 51 episodes myself I can say this without any doubts, it's a stunning accomplishment in modern tv animation,and without a doubt one- of- if -not- the greatest anime series of all time. With very solid characters in a very human drama, the moment you step into Ed and Al's world you're hooked. Watching them as they grow-up,and to realize that not everyone uses alchemy for "good" or for "right",you begin to feel their frustration,their frustation of believing in the power of alchemy,a power that can cause so much pain and yet can help people just as much.It's truely a 'heart-breaking,thought-provoking',and beautiful series.Destined for a place in modern anime history.

As fo the english dub there is little to worry about in the way of a "Fun-imated" disater.The dub of the show is very well done the tin box is cool,but the coolest thing has to be FMA OST cd.It's awesome. This is one series not to be missed,for more full- metal fun be sure to catch FMA on Cartoon Networks' Adult Swim every Saturday night!!!So buy it right now,even if you don't read this review.This is one series to buy and to really enjoy time and again, and is one of those rare series that I was totally addicted to from the start.You will never look at anime the same again.

5/5 Already a huge FMA fan
  by C. Gentry
I've seen all 51 (not 54 like the previous review says) episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist, and it's my favorite anime series by far. It has to be for me to already have all 51 episodes burned to a CD for free, yet still eagerly awaiting this DVD. This is both one of the most happy and hyper series that I have seen, and also the most depressing. Anyone worried about the ending being too open after reading the previous review shouldn't. It is an excellent ending and the things left open should be concluded in the Fullmetal Alchemist movie coming out next summer in Japan.

The 1st soundtrack CD that comes packaged with this DVD has some great tracks (I'm listening to some of them as I write this actually), and you'll be humming the opening and ending themes for weeks. The metal box for the next 5 discs is pretty darn spiffy as well.

Everyone should check this anime out. You won't regret it one bit!

5/5 False Perceptions Nearly Killed This For Me
  by Antonio D. Paolucci (Beaver Falls, PA)
For a long time I thought Fullmetal Alchemist was a childish show, simply by the look it had. But after some time of getting constant recommendations to see this show, I finally caved and bought the first volume. I learned, within the first two minutes, that this is no childish show. A severed leg kind of says as much, I think.

So, it had my attention...

I went on from there to watch a startlingly good and well-researched story. It centers around the journeys of the Elric Brothers who are suffering because of a mistake they made five years ago when they tried resurrecting their mother. This mistake locked the spirit of the younger brother, Alphonse, into a suit of armor, and the older brother, Edward, lost both an arm and a leg. Undaunted, they now go about trying to fix the mistakes of their past and are in search of the darkest secrets that alchemy has to offer. In this volume, we get a glimpse into the Elric brothers search for items needed to fix their problem, but a majority of this volume is a glimpse into the past of these two kids, showing what happened to them and why they are so determined to right the wrongs they have done to themselves and their mother.

To be honest, I did enjoy this enough to give it a five star rating but I don't think it's the greatest anime series ever, at least not after watching the first volume. The story was good but hasn't yet revealed many of the key players, the animation was okay, and the music was alright, but it has yet to completely impress me to the point where I could proclaim this to be the biggest and the best on the block right now. Still, I would recommend this anime series to anyone who has enjoyed or is enjoying other Studio Bones productions such as Wolf's Rain and Eureka Seven.