Full Metal Alchemist:
Vol. 1- The Curse
(MVM Region 2 PAL DVD)
(2005)
review by Blackgloves

Somewhere in Europe in the early part of the 20th Century, two young brothers employ the secret science of alchemy in an attempt to resurrect their dead mother. But, in their grief, Edward and Alphonse ignore the "law of equivalent exchange" which forbids alchemy to be used for such a purpose, and when the experiment goes wrong it has drastic consequences for both brothers: Ed loses his right arm and left leg, while Al's entire body is destroyed leaving his soul in limbo! Ed manages to use his alchemical powers to fuse Al's soul with a suit of body armour left nearby and, after Ed is fitted with a metal arm and leg, the odd pair set out on a mission to defy the laws of alchemy once again: they may not be able to bring their beloved mother back to life, but Ed is determined to regain his brother's body for him! The only way to do this is to find the mythical Philosopher's Stone -- a gem which is believed to amplify an alchemist's powers. But they are not alone in their quest...

"Full Metal Alchemist" is something of an anime phenomena all across the world. Hiromu Arakawa's Manga has been adapted into a series which has caught the imagination of fans everywhere and has spawned a heap of spin-off merchandise in Japan -- a sure sign of an important show! On first viewing it may be quite hard to see why this particular show has had such a huge impact: the animation is competent but hardly spectacular. But as it develops episode by episode, the show weaves its spell and the viewer is drawn into a familiar-looking world full of unlikely quasi-magical powers which — here — are treated like an everyday science! A very cleverly arranged structure enables the show to keep the viewer constantly interested as it flips between the present -- with the brothers Ed and Al on their current quest for the gem stone -- and the past, which centres on the duo's childhood and training and explains how they came to be on that quest in the first place. With adventures taking place both in the past and the present, our perspective on events can change from episode to episode as we learn more about what drives the various characters. Apparently, this unusual structure will reveal many plot twists in future episodes as well.

Although filled with bright and vivid colour, the general look of the show is quite standard; what makes it visually stimulating are the character designs which are extremely attractive and interesting. The brother Edward is a mercurial character and is given a slightly deformed look to represent that fact; however, whenever he becomes agitated or angry (as he does frequently) the animators represent his extreme mood changes with a super-deformed animated form, giving the show a slightly comic side to the visual style. Contrasted with this is a tendency to represent violence quite graphically: Ed and Al's injuries are shown to us in all their gory glory after their experiment to bring back their dead mother goes wrong, for instance.

Alphonse's animated form is very attractive: his body is a suit of chunky armour which bears a slight resemblance to The Thing from Marvel's "Fantastic Four" comic! Although the two brother's are separated in age by only a year, Al sounds much younger than Ed in both the Japanese and English dubs. Ed's unexpressive armour body makes him look aggressive and scary but the lonely, echoing voice that emanates from it reveals his sensitivity. Other character designs are also quite captivating -- even fairly minor characters -- and with this combination of great character designs and arresting story-lines, this series looks set to be as big a success in the UK as it has been in the US and the rest of the world!

There are four episodes included on this first volume; all are presented in the show's original full-screen aspect ratio and the viewer is given the option of flipping from the English to the Japanese title sequence via the angle button. There are also English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 audio tracks with optional English subtitles. The episodes are:

1) Those Who Challenge The Sun
Al and Ed encounter a desert town in their quest to find the Philosopher's Stone. The people are in the thrall of a mysterious priest who appears to be able to perform miracles. Ed is skeptical and sets out to expose the priest as a fake.

2) Body Of The Sanctioned
Ed and Al are imprisoned by the priest who seems to have the Philosopher's Stone incorporated into a ring on his finger, which enables him to use alchemy to simulate his miracles. But there is also a shadowy, cloaked female and her hunchback assistant lurking in the background! Who are they and what is their true agenda?

3) Mother
The duo remember their idyllic childhood where they grew up in the bucolic bliss of the peaceful countryside, looked-after by their mother while their father was away at war. The children fill their days by pouring over their father's books on alchemy and thereby teach themselves some amazing powers. When their mother dies from a rare illness, the two are unable to accept the fact and attempt to bring her back with alchemy. After the failure of this venture, the two recover and decide to emulate their father in becoming state alchemists!

4) A Forger's Love
Back to the present day, and the duo look for an alchemist mentioned in their father's letters. They encounter a small town which is being terrorised by a girl who has apparently come back from the dead. Could it be possible after all, to achieve what the brother's own experiment had shown to be impossible?

"Full Metal Alchemist" successfully mixes action, fantasy and emotional story-lines and looks set to becom a firm favourite as the volumes in the series progress.