The thing about the FMA series is that they're basically AU to each other. Comparing the two is like the proverbial "comparing apples to oranges" conversation. I just happen to like oranges better (the first series), even though most people prefer the apples (the second series, Brotherhood).
The manga came first, and in 2003 (before some really big parts of the plot were established), the anime studios made "FullMetal Alchemist" using the characters and setting, but remixing the established plot elements and going in a completely different direction with them. I've seen a lot of anime where the ending diverges from the manga, or they made different choices here and there for time or ratings or what have you, but I've never seen anything that's so much like... well, it's hard to describe. It's kind of like they took a really cool cape, cut it apart, changed it up, and resewed it into an awesome skirt. On a technical storytelling level alone, that blows me away. But most importantly, what they've got is coherent and badass.
The first few episodes of the 2003 anime contain a lot of the same things as the manga but if you look closely, the anime has done all kinds of things with changing where the characters are in the timeline, who was involved, and where they ended up. It's better considered as a separate universe. This is followed up with the movie "The Conqueror of Shambala", which I can't tell you anything about because it'll totally spoil the end of the first series.
FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was the second anime for FMA, and it's a direct retelling of the manga. Like I said, a lot of people like one this better. It's definitely an entertaining story, and I think some people feel it... ah. Well... for lack of anything better coming to mind, I think they think it "has more balls", and it certainly has no consistency issues (which are a huge risk with something remixy like the first series, but I think the first anime did a better job of being consistent than some things that are written straight out). I'd have to debate which series is more hard-hitting, because I think the 2003 series posed moral dilemmas that I found more hard-core, but the manga/2009 portrayal is more head-on. That's a matter of opinion.
In the end, the manga and Brotherhood also have this one thing that bothers the heck out of me: the espionage. I'm a codes and cryptography geek, and while I love steganography techniques like the mangaka prefers, some of the ones that form key points of the manga plot just make me want to beat my head against the wall yelling, "NO~oo! It doesn't work like that!" Most people are probably better able to overlook that element, but it drives me absolutely crazy. Not a problem in the 2003 series, where those moments never happened. So, for that and a variety of other reasons, I like the first one better.
The movie that was just released, "The Sacred Star of Milos", follows the manga/Brotherhood timeline. I've also heard something about FullMetal Alchemist: Kai which I think is related to Brotherhood, but I haven't actually looked for any solid information on it. The last release I know about are some side-story OVAs called "The Premium Collection", which can probably be watched whenever. They were made with the first anime, but they're not really tied to either plot.
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10/8/11 16:27 (UTC)The manga came first, and in 2003 (before some really big parts of the plot were established), the anime studios made "FullMetal Alchemist" using the characters and setting, but remixing the established plot elements and going in a completely different direction with them. I've seen a lot of anime where the ending diverges from the manga, or they made different choices here and there for time or ratings or what have you, but I've never seen anything that's so much like... well, it's hard to describe. It's kind of like they took a really cool cape, cut it apart, changed it up, and resewed it into an awesome skirt. On a technical storytelling level alone, that blows me away. But most importantly, what they've got is coherent and badass.
The first few episodes of the 2003 anime contain a lot of the same things as the manga but if you look closely, the anime has done all kinds of things with changing where the characters are in the timeline, who was involved, and where they ended up. It's better considered as a separate universe. This is followed up with the movie "The Conqueror of Shambala", which I can't tell you anything about because it'll totally spoil the end of the first series.
FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was the second anime for FMA, and it's a direct retelling of the manga. Like I said, a lot of people like one this better. It's definitely an entertaining story, and I think some people feel it... ah. Well... for lack of anything better coming to mind, I think they think it "has more balls", and it certainly has no consistency issues (which are a huge risk with something remixy like the first series, but I think the first anime did a better job of being consistent than some things that are written straight out). I'd have to debate which series is more hard-hitting, because I think the 2003 series posed moral dilemmas that I found more hard-core, but the manga/2009 portrayal is more head-on. That's a matter of opinion.
In the end, the manga and Brotherhood also have this one thing that bothers the heck out of me: the espionage. I'm a codes and cryptography geek, and while I love steganography techniques like the mangaka prefers, some of the ones that form key points of the manga plot just make me want to beat my head against the wall yelling, "NO~oo! It doesn't work like that!" Most people are probably better able to overlook that element, but it drives me absolutely crazy. Not a problem in the 2003 series, where those moments never happened. So, for that and a variety of other reasons, I like the first one better.
The movie that was just released, "The Sacred Star of Milos", follows the manga/Brotherhood timeline. I've also heard something about FullMetal Alchemist: Kai which I think is related to Brotherhood, but I haven't actually looked for any solid information on it. The last release I know about are some side-story OVAs called "The Premium Collection", which can probably be watched whenever. They were made with the first anime, but they're not really tied to either plot.