Anime Fullmetal Alchemist

[EzjChibi]

Oh yea, i LOVE FMA ^-^ The story is so serious, and so sad... but who could resist busting up at little Edward ranting and fits of rage from being made fun of about his shortness xD

[Sangome]

[FONT="Microsoft Sans Serif"][SIZE="1"]Just giving a friendly announcement to everyone that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is set to air on Adult Swim in a couple of weeks!

[URL="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-02-04/adult-swim-to-debut-fullmetal-alchemist/brotherhood"][U]http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-02-04/adult-swim-to-debut-fullmetal-alchemist/brotherhood[/U][/URL]

Now I know a lot of people have been watching it subbed online, whether through Funi's simulcast or otherwise, but for someone like me who absolutely loved the dub of the original series, this will be more than worth the wait.

So for those of you that waited, happy Valentines Day indeed. And for the others, well, don't spoil![/SIZE][/FONT]

[RedJ]

....
8O
8DDDDDDD

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

....although I don't have cable/satellite, so I guess I'll be waiting for the DVD releases and keep watching it online >_>

[Magus]

[quote name='Sangome'][FONT="Microsoft Sans Serif"][SIZE="1"]Now I know a lot of people have been watching it subbed online, whether through Funi's simulcast or otherwise, but for someone like me who absolutely loved the dub of the original series, this will be more than worth the wait.

So for those of you that waited, happy Valentines Day indeed. And for the others, well, don't spoil![/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]

[size=1][color=darkred]I'm pretty certain everyone saw this coming. Anyway, I'm also one of those that enjoys the english dub of the original series. I'm also glad I decided to hold out on watching Brotherhood too. This actually gives me a reason to watch Adult Swim again. Hopefully they don't do those crappy timeslots though.[/size][/color]

[Nony]

Hopefully I'll remember to watch this. lol I don't watch TV too much nowadays... plus, right now the cable isn't working on my TV so let's hope it's fixed by then. :/

But yes, very exciting! I've only actually watched four episodes of Brotherhood, probably 'cause I'm so attached to the dub that I wanted to wait.

[Shinmaru]

Boy, I can't wait to see the episode where [spoiler]Ed and Al battle their yaoi/incest fangirls[/spoiler]! What a hilarious episode that was!

[Magus]

[size=1][color=darkred]Alrighty. I'm glad I held out on watching the subbed version of Brotherhood since I'm a fan of the dub. I think it's good that they air the repeats at 4 a.m. because I certainly ended up going to sleep before it even came on. With that said I thought that was a nice way to kick off a first episode. There was a lot of action to keep me entertained, and a lot of characters introduced so early, which I find pretty shocking given the fact that in the original anime it took a bit for the main players to get involved... (Seriously, I was not expecting to see Kimblee this early)

Voice acting was fairly decent although I do feel like some of their delivery was on the weak side. Armstrong, Mustang and possibly Al (who sounded like they had some lisp action going on) just didn't hit well with me. And I really hope that changes later on, especially for Mustang since his V/A was the main reason why he was my favorite character. I also thought Ed sounded a little on the weak side as well, but he didn't stand out like the 3 I mentioned.

Art, I definately give to the original anime. I like the look of the character models in the 2003 version over this one. Perhaps it'll take some time getting used to, but don't get me wrong, I still like how it looks. The models sort of look a little bit like Soul Eaters models. Animation was great. Nice flashy backgrounds with bright colors.

Overall I thought it was a good episode. I probably won't watch the next episode since I don't feel like bothering with how the brothers ended up like the way they are again. I thought it was boring then and I think it'll be boring now.

Title change or should this post go into the actual thread?[/size][/color]

[Nony]

Hmm... well, I guess for now this is most appropriate to post here.

I'm still all giddy and fantardy over the dub, so I don't think I could make good, unbiased criticisms about it. I saw the first episode of FMA: Brotherhood way back when Funi started posting them online. But, frankly, the Japanese voices just were not the same. I fell in love with the first FMA via the dub, and clearly based on my reaction to last night's episode it's the dub that really does it for me. When I first saw this episode I thought it was kinda boring, but the familiar voices really enhanced my viewing pleasure. Also, may I just say how amazingly similar Al's new voice sounds to Aaron Dismuke's performance. There's a bit of a difference, but it does the job pretty well I'd say.

Looking forward to having something to look forward to every week now! :D

[Sangome]

[FONT="Microsoft Sans Serif"][SIZE="1"]I just went ahead and merged my old thread with the main FMA thread.

I agree with the both of you on some stuff -- I found the dub very well done from the get-go, though that's probably due to the fact that most everyone's already familiar with their roles, and are able to by and large avoid the awkwardness dubs usually get early on. Of course, it's not mind-blowingly amazing [I]yet[/I], since we've not even scratched the surface with the story. Gotta give it time still. I also agree with Maxey Whitehead's performance as Alphonse -- you can still tell it's female, but not overbearingly so. She sounds very similar to Aaron Dismuke's Alphonse, so I'm pretty impressed. Definitely looking forward to hearing more of her role.

As for the animation, yeah, I definitely gotta hand it to the original anime. While Arakawa has a distinct style that's replicated pretty faithfully right now, the original just had really lush, colorful animation that really stood out to me. Brotherhood almost looks...washed out, I guess, in comparison? That's the only thing I can think of to describe it. The animation isn't [I]bad[/I], not by a long shot, but I just find the first series more appealing in the visual department. I'll probably get used to Brotherhood's animation in due time, though.

But yeah, I'm so glad I held out for this. :catgirl: [spoiler]I'm still totally calling for Aaron Dismuke to be Ling. >>[/spoiler][/SIZE][/FONT]

[The Spectacular Professor]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Aaron Dismuke is totally going to be [URL="http://randomc.animeblogger.net:8000/image/Fullmetal%20Alchemist/Fullmetal%20Alchemist%20-%2038%20-%20Large%2017.jpg"][COLOR="Blue"][U]one of Armstrong's gonk sisters.[/U][/COLOR][/URL] Just watch.

But yeah, great dubbing. Vic's pipes just fit Ed way too well. I can't wait to see some of his crazy awesome feats of determination dubbed, such as [spoiler]pulling a support beam out of his thigh and sealing the wound using his own life force,[/spoiler] or [spoiler]punching open the Door of Truth just to tell Al's body that he'll be back.[/spoiler][/FONT]

[Magus]

[size=1][color=darkred]Episode 3 was a pretty good episode. I purposely skipped episode 2, but in this one Vic sounded really good. And Al's V/A sounded fairly close to the original. I'd say at this point the V/A's have gotten back into the groove of things, but that's only the folk that were in this episode. Rose definately sounded good, but then again, I forgot whose doing her voice (Colleen?), but she always sounded good as both Rose and Winry (I think). Now all that's left is for Mustang to get back into tiptop shape.

The short bit she was in, Lust still sounded as good as always. Laura Bailey is a very dangerous woman to have whispering in your ear :luv:. I think she might've become my new favorite female V/A. (It used to be Major Kusanagi)

I can definately tell this one seems to be more comedic over the first one. It has a Bleach feeling in a sense, where it has the comedic moments in serious situations (or rather, Bleach used to have those moments. They're long gone)

I need a little spoiler just to know ahead of time so I can skip it. For those who've seen it already, [spoiler]Tucker turns Nina/Neena into a chimera and Scar kills her in what episode[/spoiler]? I'm asking because I have a tendency to drop anything [spoiler]involving the killing of animals[/spoiler]. And I don't want to drop this so soon.[/size][/color]

[Sangome]

[FONT="Microsoft Sans Serif"][SIZE="1"]Rose is voiced by Colleen Clinkenbeard, who also does Riza, whereas Winry is voiced by Caitlin Glass. [I made the same mistake too, once upon a time, don't worry. XP]

And as for the spoiler in question, I'm going to guesstimate that it happens in either the next episode, or the one that follows. [Those who have seen it can correct me on that.] And while I completely understand your reasoning behind that, I wouldn't drop it because of that. [spoiler]Nina/Alexander's death[/spoiler] is a very vital event for Ed and Al, one that's really important for them to develop and grow as characters.

If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure [spoiler]no more animals are killed in Brotherhood/the manga[/spoiler], but again, those that have been keeping track of both can correct me on that.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[The Spectacular Professor]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Wait, Laura Bailey is Lust?

[IMG]http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x57/Chidori_Grawl/Tales%20of%20Symphonia/marta-ingame6.jpg[/IMG]

Well now this just makes way too much sense.[/FONT]

[RedJ]

Yeah, the spoiler in question happens in the next episode. [spoiler]and oh, how I enjoyed seeing Tucker get his unlike in the original anime B) Brains being blown out by Scar is a much better punishment than just being turned into a chimera and being allowed to live. He didn't 'suffer', he just went about being the insane nut job he is.[/spoiler]

...
So...Marta = Lust?

....
*head implodes*

[Magus]

[size=1][color=darkred]Are y'all pulling my leg? I know I'm a little slow in the head but dangit....

Red, according to ANN, Tiffany Grant is Marta.[/size][/color]

[Sangome]

[FONT="Microsoft Sans Serif"][SIZE="1"]He was referring to the Marta Ace posted. =P

And nope, no leg pullin' here. Colleen's got quite an awesome vocal range.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[The Spectacular Professor]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Yeah, Marta as in Marta Lualdi from [I]Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World[/I]. The Marta you're thinking of I always refer to as Martel, since I was first exposed to the Viz manga translation and that's what they use.

Of course, [URL="http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t170/rukiia11/martel.jpg?t=1267424406"][COLOR="Blue"][U]the exact same problem arises using that name, too.[/U][/COLOR][/URL] And with the exact same video game series, I might add.

Back on topic, I have to agree, I think the VAs have all really hit their stride again now. Al's new VA is really starting to sound a lot like Aaron's old work, so it's hard to even notice a difference. The only thing I'm a bit worried about is that Brotherhood doesn't feature as many opportunities for Mustang to chew the scenery. Some of my favorite parts of the original anime were the ones where Travis Willingham living up to his last name.

Oh, and if you want to know exactly how versatile Colleen is, wrap your head around this one:

[IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e127/Wilcotie/Luffy.jpg[/IMG]

This is what else she's known for.[/FONT]

[Magus]

[size=1][color=green]I might be doing a bit of echoing here, sorry.

First and foremost, I don't like Scar. His character, cool, but his look and his voice actor, no. How old is Scar supposed to be anyway? He looks and sounds old or something. I definately prefer the older version.

Mustang, yes I laughed when he was confronting Scar, but I definately don't like how his role seems in this one. Maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit here since this is what, like the 4-5 episode? He seems to be more comedic, like he's only there to be the focal point of comedy and the one to look after Ed and Al. I want that cool and calm demeanor back.

Voice actors nailed it outside of Al's V/A. She's good, don't get me wrong, but I definately felt the emotion a lot more with Al's previous V/A (I never did know his name) whereas this one came off a little too soft. [spoiler]I'm talking about the scene where Scar was about to kill Ed[/spoiler].

Other than that this was a pretty decent episode. I like the pacing, but I have to admit that right now I still prefer the older version compared to this one.[/size][/color]

[Shinmaru]

Mustang has comedic moments, but he is most definitely not just a comic relief figure. Don't worry, he'll have plenty of awesome moments as the series progresses.

[Magus]

[font=franklin gothic medium][color=darkred]Yea, so I saw Mustang's serious side finally. Glad I saw it too. Makes him seem like the bad### he once was in the original anime.

Gotta say, though, [spoiler]Hughes death/funeral[/spoiler] didn't have much of an impact this time around, which is pretty shocking because this version seemed to have had the emotional side of things nailed perfectly. [spoiler]Hughes daughter in the original series made the funeral very sad, while it was still sad, she didn't have the same impact[/spoiler]. (I didn't cry last time nor this time. I'm a man dangit, but that was a heart wrenching moment) It also felt a bit rushed, but I think I'll blame myself on that one because I missed quite a few episodes before this one.[/font][/color]

[Sangome]

[FONT="Microsoft Sans Serif"][SIZE="1"]Nah, I thought the same thing, and I've been watching faithfully. I know a lot of other people thought it was rushed/not as emotional, too.

Myself, I find it an even 50/50. [spoiler]Hughes's actual [I]death[/I] was handled far better in this series, where we got to hear his last words, and actually see Envy transform into his "true" self, among other little enhancements. The original just had him dramatically falling to his death in super slow mo.[/spoiler]

Now, the [spoiler]funeral definitely goes to the first series. While I still shed a tear at his wife and daughter, it was far more emotional in the original. [And just to make sure, I loaded up the original funeral scene upon watching Brotherhood's. I started bawling.][/spoiler]

I think another thing that helped the original [spoiler]death/funeral as a whole was that it occurred much later in the series [episode 25, as opposed to 10], giving us a bit more time to get attached, as well as the fact that it occurred in the last five/ten minutes of the episode [as opposed to [I]right before the friggin commercial break[/I]]. That way, it set in as the credits rolled [which was also just a black screen with credits rolling, as opposed to jumping into the current ED], giving everyone the "what just happened?" mindset. Here, it was kinda thrust right back into the action, not giving a lot of time to let it set in.[/spoiler]

And finally, let's face it -- it's not nearly as emotional when you [I]know[/I], almost [I]anticipate[/I], that it's going to happen. Most of the people watching this have either seen the first anime, read the manga, or both, not to mention [spoiler]the pre-existing knowledge of his death is almost starting to rival that of Aerith/Aeris's of FFVII fame [if it hasn't already][/spoiler], so many people already know what's going to transpire, which definitely lessens the impact. Don't get me wrong, though, it's still an emotional scene in both series, showing that anyone really [I]can[/I] [spoiler]die[/spoiler], whether they're a one-episode character, or one that we've had ample amount of time to get to know.

Anyway, if memory serves me right, this is where the similarities between the series ends, and the manga's story begins, so I am definitely looking forward to what's in store. It'll be nice to finally get out of FMA: Rehash...[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Magus]

[font=franklin gothic medium][color=darkred]Man, I gotta find a way to be more consistent with this series. One moment I'm catching everything, and the next I'm missing stuff.

Exactly how accurate is Brotherhood to the manga? I just can't seem to catch the anime as much as I want to, and I think I just might read the manga. I could go to Funi's streaming site, but I want to hear it in english, unless they're streaming english eppy's? O_o.[/font][/color]

[The Spectacular Professor]

[quote name='Magus'][font=franklin gothic medium][color=darkred]Man, I gotta find a way to be more consistent with this series. One moment I'm catching everything, and the next I'm missing stuff.

Exactly how accurate is Brotherhood to the manga? I just can't seem to catch the anime as much as I want to, and I think I just might read the manga. I could go to Funi's streaming site, but I want to hear it in english, unless they're streaming english eppy's? O_o.[/font][/color][/QUOTE]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Other than the first episode and a recap ep somewhere down the line (which actually isn't that bad as far as recap eps go), it's the exact same story, so all you'd really be missing out on is the animation during some of the fight scenes. Usually it's not that big of a deal, but a recent one with Mustang was truly incredible.

As for catching up on the dub, I've personally been using a DVR, but if that's not an option for you, you could check Adult Swim's website or Hulu for the episodes you missed (though I'm not sure if you'd actually find them there). The dub isn't showing up on FUNi's site, though, which is kind of a bummer.[/FONT]

[Magus]

[font=franklin gothic medium][color=darkred]Wow, miss a week or 2 and to come back and see [spoiler]Bradley fighting with Greed[/spoiler] (WHAT?!) was quite something. It's a good thing I just recently finished up reading that part in the manga, otherwise I'd be a little lost there. I do wish I had seen the episode before that though. Oh well, I'll see it eventually. It's on demand :)[/font][/color]

[The Spectacular Professor]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Yaay the Xing cast have arrived!

Also the opening this week was Hologram, but they credited it as "Again", which was the previous opening theme.

EDIT: Oh, by the way, Ling is Death the Kid. That rocks.[/FONT]