I have recently taken it upon myself to start watching popular anime from the early 2000s that I never paid attention to when they originally aired on Toonami for whatever reason. Unlike the other two series I have chosen for this experiment, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the first one that I went into already knowing a good deal about the plot and overall story. Therefore, I had many preconceived notions about the series rather than going in with a blank slate.

I've mostly been very pleasantly surprised by what I've seen from the first three episodes. As a result, I like Fullmetal Alchemist, as a whole, a lot more than I did. In fact, much of what I thought was true about the series, upon which I based most of my negative outlooks, turned out to be completely false or unwarranted. However, the one thing about the series that has confirmed my negative biases is what most fans would never expect, and that is the nuances of Edward and Alphone Elric's relationship as brothers.

Beyond Their Tragic Origin Story, the Elric Brothers' Relationship Isn't Meeting My Expectations

Ed and Al's Conflict in the Present Day Is Just Superficial

This isn't to say that I think their brotherly bond is badly written. Nothing could be further from the truth. Their tragic backstory of why they look the way they do and what motivates their every action is still one of the saddest of its kind. In fact, watching it for the first time in episode #2 made me feel even more sympathetic for their plight than I did before. My critique mostly comes from the more nuanced aspects of their relationship or, to be more precise, how they interact with each other in the present day.

Personally, the most effective relationships are ones that are fraught with present-day conflict rather than just past traumas. While the majority of Al and Ed's bond is forged by that aforementioned backstory, the only friction between both brothers in the present is completely superficial. While humorous, Ed clearly has a complex about his height, and the fact that Al's soul is trapped in a massive body of armor exacerbates Ed's frustration when Al is commonly misconstrued as the "Fullmetal Alchemist".

The only reason why people make this error is not because of Al's actual identity or natural physical attributes. It's because of his aforementioned armor, which is only in the picture because it was the one thing Ed had readily available when he needed to find an object to latch Al's soul to. The only way for this aspect of Ed and Al's relationship to become anything more than just a comedic effect is if people mistook Al for the Fullmetal Alchemist because of something that's more tied to who Al is as a person.

Of course, this dynamic will likely change and evolve in time, as most effective relationships do in anime, but as of the first three episodes, there is no conflict of any real substance between the Elric brothers aside from their past. This isn't to discount the power of any flashback or past trauma in general, but there also needs to be something in the present day to drive the relationship forward rather than mostly relying on backstories.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Has Convinced Me That Ed Elric Is an Incredible Hero

I Was Originally Unaware of One Key Fact That Changes Everything

Other than this surprising critique, most of what I've seen from the first three episodes has made me appreciate Fullmetal Alchemist more than I ever did. In fact, I shared a misconception about Ed for decades that made me wrongly criticize his characterization, and that pivotal second episode helped set the record straight. Before watching Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, I knew that Ed was a prodigy despite his young age. For me, this was a point of contention because of my preference for underdogs, which is ironic since I love Goku to death, who is by no means an underdog.

But maybe that's why I was so put off by that idea back then. I likely had my fill of Goku after watching Dragon Ball for years, all of which was just exacerbated by me having just gotten into Naruto. To this day, I still find the challenges Naruto faced more compelling than a character who's already stronger than most people. But it turns out that, in Fullmetal Alchemist, the vast majority of Ed's skill base is because he comes across an unnamed godly figure in the middle of his Human Transmutation ritual.

Ed only gained pivotal knowledge because of what this supposed deity forcibly showed him, which I find fascinating. This actually turns out to be the precursor or possibly the direct inspiration for the protagonists in My Hero Academia and Black Clover, where a power is given to the hero as opposed to them acquiring it naturally. This is a trope that I greatly respect and never get tired of. I can therefore agree more with people who say that Ed Elric is one of the best shonen heroes.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Is More Than Just the Homunculi

Isaac the Freezer Made Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Much Bigger Than I Thought It Was

Another aspect of Fullmetal Alchemist I was always aware of and loved despite never watching the anime were, understandably, the Homunculi, and the Homunculi have finally debuted in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood episode #3. Aside from the missions the Elric brothers take as part of the military, I initially thought the main form of peril they faced was whenever their paths intermittently crossed with these fiendish monsters. This is likely still very much the case, but I was completely unaware of the supposed conspiracy concerning the state or, possibly more directly, the military that we first learn about in episode #1 through the ramblings of Isaac the Freezer.

While the Homunculi will undoubtedly be a defining reason as to why I'll love the series, I always appreciate anime that introduce numerous complexities that help complicate the plot for the better. Whether the conspiracy involves the Homunculi remains to be seen, though I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case because of how anime has a tendency to connect everything and anything together. Irrespective of what the actual conspiracy is, its addition just further adds to the main story's appeal.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this conspiracy will eventually have something to do with why Roy Mustang later starts hunting Ed and Al down. While I'm not sure of the particulars, what I recall from the few episodes I did watch randomly as a kid was that Roy and the Elric brothers were at odds. I was, however, also cognizant of the fact that there were some nuances involved, since Armstrong, who was clearly aligned with Roy, seemed to help the Elric brothers, much to Roy's chagrin.

While I could be mising, I am excited to see what causes the conflict between Roy and the Elric brothers, especially since their relationship is currently fine.

As a whole, I can now see why Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is considered to be the greatest anime of all time, since my own opinions of the series have already improved within the mere span of three episodes. Even though my critique of the Elric brothers' relationship may seem harsh, it is likely shaped, in part, by how much their chemistry is lauded in the anime community. I could very well just be reacting to this acclaim and going in with higher expectations. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if this opinion also changes with time the more I watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.