Fullmetal Alchemist has a long history among anime fans, what with the first anime airing in 2003 and becoming monstrously popular. I remember hearing people talk about it in the middle school locker room, mentioning how cool the characters were and how great the action was. I never really watched much it myself though, and after hearing that it was being remade to be more faithful to the manga, I decided I would pick it up and watch the whole thing. Now that Funi has at last released an affordable box set, I’ve finally been able to do that. Does Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood live up to its reputation?

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: Complete Collection 2 [Blu-ray]
Studio: Bones
Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
Release Date: July 17th, 2012
MSRP: $69.98

Main Feature: If you’ve been living under a rock for the past ten years or just got into anime yesterday or something (though I’m reviewing Part 2 here, so honestly, what the hell are you reading this for?), then here’s the gist of Fullmetal Alchemist: people in this world can use a fictionalized form of alchemy, which allows them to transmute one material into another by breaking it down to its base components and then reconstructing it. Brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric tried to use transmutation to bring back their deceased mother, ignoring the fact that human transmutation is the greatest taboo of alchemy – as a result, Edward lost his arm and leg, and Alphonse lost his entire body, leaving his soul being bonded to an empty suit of armor. They journey to find the Philosopher’s Stone, which is said to be able to ignore the laws of Equivalent Exchange and allow any type of transmutation, and restore their bodies to normal. But by the time of Part 2, we’re dealing with massive military conspiracies and country-wide massacres to power giant alchemic rituals to gain immortality. Kind of a big deal for our young heroes.

This release covers episodes 34 through 64: the entire second half of the show. I’ve been told that this is when the show gets good, and that much was definitely true. While the first half had to spend time establishing the universe and building up the plot, everything all starts to come together in this collection, coalescing into a great clusterfuck of fights and explosions. The Promised Day has arrived, and roughly the last quarter of the show all takes place over its course, where everyone meets up and finally confronts the Big Bad and his minions in Central City. Action sequences are abound, and the show manages to keep about a half dozen plot threads all going at the same time while making them all feel relevant. I think this about most anime, but this release really should be marathoned in as few sittings as possible – the show has its maximum impact when it feels like everything is indeed happening at once, just like in the actual show.

Technical Quality: Bones did a great job animating this series – it definitely deserves to be seen in HD. It has a good look to it, and appropriately dramatic moments are animated with extra care. With all the important fights going down in the second half, the show is at its best, consistently providing clear and fluid animation. The occasional CG can be a bit spotty, but as a whole it’s cel-shaded and meshes well with the regular look of the show.

FUNimation did their very best to grab the original dub cast from the 2003 anime, and they ended up only having to change a few actors. Most notably, Alphonse, who was indeed voiced by 12 year old Aaron Dismuke back in the day, is now voiced by adult woman Maxey Whitehead. As per usual with their dubs, the quality is excellent, arguably better than the Japanese voice track – standout performances include Vic Mignogna as Edward, Ed Blaylock as Bradley, and J Michael Tatum as Scar.

Bonus Features: The bonuses for this are pretty typical for a Funi release, which means they’re better than most other anime and they’re mostly confined to the last disc of the collection. There are textless OPs and EDs, although they all have hard subs due to licensing reasons, so that might turn off some people. There is also a short blooper reel, which has several great gags in it. A few episodes among the collection have audio commentary by directors and voice actors, which is something I wish was in more anime – I really enjoy the commentary on Funi’s releases and I always make a point of watching it.

Overall Value: If you’re buying Part 2, then you’ve probably already bought Part 1 – in fact, by now you’ve probably bought this one as well. For anyone still on the fence, this release is definitely worth your time and money. Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most famous anime ever, and for good reason – anyone interested in a solid action show should pick this one up.