Netflix's One Piece proves how well modern anime adaptations can work, and there's a dark shōnen classic that deserves its own live-action TV show: Fullmetal Alchemist. Although live-action anime adaptations have gotten bad raps in the past, shows like Netflix's One Piece are changing the narrative. Embracing a television format and modern technology is making recent live-action takes on anime higher quality than what came before. Although there's a long way to go when it comes to such projects, One Piece offers hope that they can be successful.

And naturally, the Fullmetal Alchemist, as its story makes it much better suited to becoming a live-action TV series.

Fullmetal Alchemist Would Make For An Amazing Prestige TV Show If Done Right

Brotherhood Tells A Near-Perfect Story That Would Work In Live-Action

Fullmetal Alchemist — more specifically, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which is more faithful to Hiromu Arakawa's manga than the 2003 adaptation — would make for a great prestige TV show. Of course, like any anime adaptation, it would need to be handled correctly. However, Arakawa's story lends itself well to a more mature live-action production. It follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric as they search for the philosopher's stone, which they believe will bring Al's body back, as he lost it during an attempt to resurrect their mother gone terribly wrong.

Due to its political intrigue, poignant themes, and deep central bonds, Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the few fantasy anime that could land just as well in a live-action format.

As Ed and Al search for a means of reattaching Al's soul to his body, they uncover dark truths behind their nation and its governing forces, leading them down a much rockier path than they anticipated. Due to its political intrigue, poignant themes, and deep central bonds, Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the few fantasy anime that could land just as well in a live-action format. It's the sort of story that will resonate with viewers regardless of whether they appreciate anime, and a faithful live-action take could bring Fullmetal Alchemist to new heights.

Fullmetal Alchemist‘s “Grounded” Story Makes It Perfect For A Live-Action Adaptation

It's A Very Human Story & Its Fantastical Elements Are Doable In Live-Action

Fullmetal Alchemist may take place in a world full of alchemy and monsters, but the shōnen anime's grounded story makes it a prime candidate for live-action treatment. It covers an array of themes that almost anyone can relate to, from the meaning of life and grief to the lines people shouldn't cross when given power. And even the series' fantastical elements aren't difficult to envision in a live-action format. While it's hard to picture some of My Hero Academia's Quirks or Attack on Titan's man-eating monsters in this medium, alchemy and its effects can be replicated with the right technology.

The live-action Fullmetal Alchemist movies confirm this well enough, even if they don't do the story itself justice. The anime demands a television adaptation, as its five-season narrative shouldn't be condensed or twisted into something new. A proper adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist needs time to flesh out the nuances of the story, and it must contain the quieter moments and deeper character explorations that make the series so compelling. Even with the time a TV format offers, it could be hard to recapture these things in an adaptation.

Getting Fullmetal Alchemist’s Story And Themes Right Would Not Be Easy

While the live-action Fullmetal Alchemist movies prove that the world can work in this medium, they also highlight how hard it is to get the anime's themes right. Fullmetal Alchemist is incredibly nuanced and complex, forcing its characters to reckon with the lies they've been told and mistakes they've made to bring about change. The anime's villains are three-dimensional and interesting, and the heroes make costly mistakes. Most characters feel somewhere in-between on that spectrum, and portraying this would require approaching the story with care.

Season 2 of Netflix's live-action One Piece is expected to premiere in 2025.

Needless to say, if a live-action Fullmetal Alchemist show were to follow Netflix's One Piece, choosing the right creatives for the project would be critical. A thorough knowledge and understanding of the source material would be necessary to get an adaptation right. If Netflix's One Piece is anything to judge by, input from Arakawa would also be beneficial. It'd be so exciting to see this world brought to life in the way that One Piece has been, so hopefully, studios recognize the potential in a live-action Fullmetal Alchemist TV show in the future.