First episode date: October 4, 2003

Final episode date: October 2, 2004

Adapted from: Fullmetal Alchemist

Program creators: Bones, Aniplex, Mainichi Broadcasting System

Genres: Adventure fiction, Dark fantasy, Steampunk

Fullmetal Alchemist (Japanese: 鋼の錬金術師, Hepburn: Hagane no Renkinjutsushi) is a Japanese anime television series adapted from the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. Comprising 51 episodes, it was co-produced by the animation studio Bones, Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS), and Aniplex and directed by Seiji Mizushima. It was broadcast on MBS in Japan from October 4, 2003, to October 2, 2004.

As in the manga, the series follows the adventures of brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, who are searching for the Philosopher's Stone so they can regain the bodies they lost in a failed attempt to bring their dead mother back to life. During production, Arakawa requested an original ending that differed from the manga, leading to the series deviating into an original plot halfway through. The first series ended with a sequel film, Conqueror of Shamballa, released in 2005. A second anime series, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which adapted the manga chapters all the way throughout the story, was broadcast in 2009.

Plot:
   The first half of the anime's plot adapts the first seven volumes of the manga. However, the plots severely diverge from each other by the middle of the story, specifically around the time where Roy Mustang's friend Maes Hughes is murdered by the homunculus Envy in disguise. Dante, a former lover of Hohenheim and mentor to the Elric brothers' teacher, is the series' central antagonist. Centuries ago, Hohenheim and Dante perfected methods for making the Philosopher's Stone and achieved immortality by transferring their souls and intellects into other bodies as they age. Hohenheim was eventually overcome with the guilt of sacrificing lives to make the Stone and left Dante. Although Dante can still jump from body to body with the last stone she and Hohenheim created, she is not willing to risk the rebound of creating one herself. She thus uses the homunculi to encourage Edward and Alphonse, along with other equally desperate Alchemists to create another complete Philosopher's Stone for her.

Review:
   Okay, this anime was first fullmetal Alchemist series, I'd watch. And my god, from what I can remember it was more dark and sadder than brotherhood.

From beginning to end, though what I hate about it, is dog episode which ended more brutally than brotherhood did.

I usually say watch this first before brotherhood but I bet some of you already did watch brotherhood first. Eh, anime isn't going anywhere. You guys got time to watch it, if you guys want to.