Difference Between FMA and Brotherhood

FMA vs Brotherhood

全金属Alchemist is a very popular comic or Manga, as it is called in Japan. It is written and drawn by Hiromu Arakawa. The comic was developed into an animated series by the same name, and 51 episodes of the anime were aired on TV. It was later made into a film. The series became so popular that it was independently turned into another series, this time being called FMA Brotherhood. There are loyal fans of both the anime series’ and it is hard to differentiate or call one better than the other. This article attempts to take a closer look at some of the aspects of the FMA and Brotherhood to find out the differences.

FMA (Full Metal Alchemist)

FMA is the name of the first anime series that was based upon a manga or the comic called Full Metal Alchemist. Before the serial, the series was published in a magazine as a comic strip for a period of 10 years from 2001 to 2010. It was Bones studio that produced the anime series called FMA and 51 episodes of the series were aired on TV in 2003 and 2004.

The series is set in a fictional world where alchemy is the most powerful science. There are two brothers Alphonse and Edward who are shown trying to get their bodies back through alchemy. They lost their bodies when they were attempting to make their dead mother come alive using the science of alchemy.

Fullmetal炼金术士兄弟会

FMA proved to be a roaring success in Japan, and this prompted a second independent version of the same manga to be produced and aired on TV. This time the series was rechristened Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood and the story remained the same. However, instead of the 51 episodes of the original series, there were 64 episodes of Brotherhood that were aired on TV between 2009 and 2010.

What is the difference between FMA and Brotherhood?

• FMA was the first of the two anime series aired on TV in 2003-2004, whereas Brotherhood was the independent second version of the same comic or manga aired on TV in 2009-2010.

• While there were 51 episodes in FMA, there were 64 episodes in Brotherhood.

• Yasuhiro Irie was the director of Brotherhood, whereas Seizi Misushima was the director of FMA.

• Brotherhood having been made much later looks better in quality than FMA.

• FMA is considered more appealing emotionally than Brotherhood which is technically more advanced.

• Brotherhood contains many comical scenes to bring relief in between while FMA was more poignant in nature and depiction.

• Edward is much more humorous in Brotherhood than he was in FMA.

• Some people believe that the music in FMA was much better than the score of Brotherhood.

• Ending of FMA was unexpected, whereas the ending of Brotherhood is much planned out.

• While the story of Brotherhood closely follows the original manga, the plot of FMA wandered here and there in between a lot.