The Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood manga series, written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa, follows the adventures of two brothers named Edward and Alphonse Elric who are searching for the Philosopher’s Stone. The Philosopher’s Stone is a powerful element that can change things into their natural state and make them different; it could, for example, change iron into gold.

Plot

The first episode of Fullmetal Alchemist begins with Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. Attempting to bring his mother back from death. The Fullmetal Alchemist manga follows this story arc for much of its early volumes, but FMA: BH does away with it entirely. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood starts in a different place than Fullmetal Alchemist does and tells a different version of the same story. The Fullmetal Alchemist starts with the government bringing Ed back to Central City. He tried to use alchemy to revive his mother but failed. This story is told again at the beginning of the Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. But all references to this were left out in Brotherhood. So Ed along with his younger brother leaves their home. To find the Philosopher stone to bring their bodies back to normal.

Characters

The characters of Fullmetal Alchemist are Edward Elric, Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Maes Hughes, Alex Louis Armstrong, Winry Rockbell, Alphonse Elric (young), Izumi Curtis, and Dante. Characters in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood includes Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Maes Hughes, and Alex Louis Armstrong. Characters in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood also includes the likes of Shou Tucker and Lust.

Both anime series use most characters from Arakawa’s original manga and follow their stories with some exceptions; such as Greed and Envy only appearing in FMA before it got its own OVA. Characters in the 2003 anime Barry the Chopper appear again in the manga but not in the 2009 anime. Characters that are exclusive to one or both versions of Fullmetal Alchemist include Ling Yao, Lan Fan, Darius, Zampano, and Jerso. The characters exist only in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is Solf J. Kimblee, May Chang, King Bradley, Martel, and Father.

What is alchemy?

Alchemy is the practice of manipulating matter to transform one thing into another. It’s considered to be mostly pseudoscience by modern scientists. But both FMA and FMA: Brotherhood have their own take on what alchemy can do. When alchemists refer to changing something “into gold”. They’re actually referring to changing it into an allotrope of gold known as aurum regius or white gold because regular gold isn’t solid.

The stories of Fullmetal Alchemist and His truths take centre stage in this anime adaptation of the original.

Is Fullmetal Alchemist and Brotherhood the same?

Even though Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood are based on the same manga series, they are not the same. Fullmetal Alchemist has some variation from the original storyline while Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood tells a different version of Fullmetal Alchemist. Both should be treated as separate entities that share a familiar theme and setting. And it has additional scenes which give background information about how important characters joined or left groups.

Can I watch Fullmetal Alchemist without seeing Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood?

Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood tell two versions of the same story; watching one will give you enough information to understand what is going on in the other. However, if you would rather watch Fullmetal Alchemist first, then you should go right ahead!. But then you should go right ahead!.

Both were created by the same author, Hiromu Arakawa. But FMA: Brotherhood tells a mostly different story than Fullmetal Alchemist does despite using the same characters and settings.

Will there be a season 2 of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood?

No, there will not be a season 2 of FMA: Brotherhood. The original manga was put to an end in chapter 108. But Hiromu Arakawa has said that she would consider continuing the story if fans wanted it.

How many movies Fullmetal Alchemist are there?

The only Fullmetal Alchemist movies are the two OVAs that were released in 2005. However, two new animated theatrical films will be released in winter 2017.

What was the timeline of Fullmetal Alchemist?

There is no official timeline for either version of Full Metal Alchemist because there are too many unknown factors. The original series tells a story that begins ten years before Edward Elric meets his future friends. And then jumps to events after Ed has joined with them. But FMA: Brotherhood starts directly at the same moment as the first anime instead of doing what its predecessor did by introducing us to Ed’s past first. While you would think this means one version might contain more spoilers than the other.

How many episode Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood have?

FMA: Brotherhood has 64 episodes.