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...the writing staff looks at current subjects like familial relationships, the horrors of war, the power of faith, and the debate on science vs. religion.

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Fullmetal Alchemist

Equivalent Exchange

Review by: Matthew Anderson

51 Episode TV series

Company: FUNimation

Running Time: 105 minutes (4 episodes)

Region: 1,4

Rated: PG-13 (Adult situations, language, gore)

EXTERNAL EXAM

Alchemy is the science of transmuting things from one form to another. By the year 1910, the science had grown so popular, the state started to license alchemists to serve as members of the special forces. One such "State Alchemist" is Edward Elrich, who is accompanied by his younger brother Alphonse. When they were younger, they attempted to bring back their dead mother through the science of alchemy. Instead of bringing her back, Edward lost one of his arms and a legs. Alphonse suffered a much worse fate, his soul was transferred to a suit of armor. The only thing that might be able to change them back to "normal" is the Philosopher's Stone. If found, this mystical jewel not only has the power to save Al and Ed, but it could be used to conquer the world.

Having become a full fledged State Alchemist, Edward is sent on his first mission, to inspect the Youswell coal mines. There he and Al discover that the negative perception of the military is alive and well in the small town. Later on, they encounter a thief who not only steals from the rich, she manages to get both boys in some serious hot water.

None of that matters when Ed and Al learn that two other alchemists are using their names and reputations to help bring prosperity to a dying gold town by creating a Philosopher's Stone. Who are these two "Elrich Brothers", and what are their true motives?

DVD VISION TEST

VIDEO: The quality is excellent. There are no pixels or errors noted. The colors are solid, and the motion, fluid.

AUDIO: The English 5.1 is a good mix, with plenty of surround sound effects during the action segments. The music is blended quite well, and does not over power the dialogue.

The English and Japanese 2.0 is pretty evenly matched. It too has a decent surround sound mix. It will depend on your system which is better.

EDITS: The best of both worlds. Thanks to the use of multiple angels, you can watch the open and close with English titles, or the original Japanese versions. All the edits from the Adult Swim broadcast have been restored.

EXTRAS: There are three montage art galleries: once of line artwork, one for backgrounds, and one that consists of full color character models. There is also the clean open and close animations, Japanese television commercials and character profiles. On the non-disc side, we have an 18 page Alchemy booklet with information about the series and a mini poster on the back of the cover.

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY: On the surface, Fullmetal Alchemist appears to be just another "buddy hero" anime. If you pay attention, you will see that the writing staff also looks at current subjects like familial relationships, the horrors of war, the power of faith, and the debate on science vs. religion. This series has a little something for everyone, and plenty of action to boot.

ACTING: The cast is sublime, on both tracks. On the English dub, we have the amazing Vic Mignogna as Edward. Vic is really good at expressing the passion and the anger that his character holds inside. He also has a great sense of comedic timing, able to bring out tons of laughs in even during the most dire situations.

Aaron Dismuke is also a joy to listen too. The sorrow and sadness in his voice fits the character perfectly. He really knows how to tug at the ole heart strings, and he plays off Vic Mignogna very well.

I totally dig the work of Travis Willingham as Roy Mustang. His voice commands authority, yet he has a wry sense of humor. Sonny Straight is a stitch as Major Huges. The way he can switch from super silly to ultra serious is a joy to hear. Give a round of applause to ADR Directors Colleen Clinkenbeard and Mike McFarland on a fantastic job.

The Japanese cast is also wonderful. Romi Pak and Rie Kugimiya's readings are very intense and extremely powerful. You experience their joy when they do the right thing, and feel their pain when they suffer a great loss. There are many moments where Romi and Rie will leave you weeping.

FAN SERVICE: I'm sure there are plenty of references to the source material, but I could not point them out to you. The thief Psiren is pretty hot, but that's about it.

FINAL EXAM

"In the end, all you have is your reputation!"

Reputations are one of the more interesting sociological aspects of our civilization. A good reputation can open doors, provide comfort, and help make a difficult job run smoothly. A bad reputation can destroy your credibility, hinder your progress, and cause endless personal suffering. Some times a bad rep can be good, like in politics. A good rep can cause people to expect more out of you than you can deliver, which can set you up for a spectacular failure. While you may have superior knowledge or skills, its your reputation that can make or break you before you even show up.

That's what Ed and Al discover all through out this volume of "Fullmetal Alchemist".

The first episode "Be Thou for the People" concludes the "prologue" started in volume one. Ed and Al are sent by Roy Mustang to check on governmental "holdings" in the mining town of Youswell. The citizens live under the oppressive yoke of Lieutenant Yoki who uses Lyra, an attractive lady alchemist, to control the populace. Edward, a member of the military, gets a pretty cool reception, as the townsfolk all view the military as a bunch of power hungry, greedy lap dogs of the government. However, Ed is not as dumb as he looks, and he finds an inventive way to change his bad reputation into a good one.

The next episode "The Phantom Thief" moves us back to the "present" as Ed and Al run across Psiren, a beautiful young thief (and alchemist) who is running rings around the beleaguered police force. At first believed to be the thieves, Ed and Al have to use their now infamous reputation to get out of a tight spot. At first, it seems that the thief is nothing more than your typical bad girl, but as they investigate, they learn quite a bit about this lovely thief. However, it doesn't mean that she is as innocent as he appears.

The last two episodes "The Other Brothers Elrich" parts one and two, have Ed and Al on the wrong side of things, as they are accused of impersonating the "Elrich Brothers". Two young boys, Russell and Fletcher, are trading on Ed and Al's good names to help develop their own Philosopher's Stone, thus completing the work of their father. They don't realize that the real Elrich Brothers are not the only ones interested in their work. The mysterious Lust, who has been manipulating events since volume one, has plans of her own for Russell and Fletcher, and it doesn't involve a nice trip to the country.

Pay close attention to the plot threads established in this volume. For those of you who have seen FMA on Adult Swim, you know what I'm talking about. The danger and adventure that awaits Ed, Al, Roy Mustang, and Major Huges gets started right here.

The acting on the English dub is a big reason why FMA is so wonderful. Vic Mignogna and Aaron Dismuke are perfect for our two leads. You can really feel the sibling rivalry and utter devotion the two of them share. Lucy Christian is down right sexy as the lovely Psiren, and once again, Monica Rial provides an unexpected turn as the tough Lyra. Thanks to the work of this wonderful cast, along with ADR Directors Colleen Clinkenbeard and Mike McFarland, FMA is one of the best dubs ever.

Things keep rolling right along in "Fullmetal Alchemist: Equivalent Exchange". The more I watch this series, the more I love it. With this DVD, FMA has firmly proven its reputation as a fan favorite, because I an now one of those fans!

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