It’s not a prequel or anything.
Summary:
- The first adaptation of the manga, the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime, is not required to watch Brotherhood.
- It has a lot of anime-original content.
- There’s no legal way to watch it in the US.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is one of the most famous anime of all time. For years, it held the #1 position in the MyAnimeList ranking, and it’s still being recommended as a gateway anime to newbies.
If you go to watch it, though, you might be confused — as it wasn’t the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime. There’s also the 2003 series, so what’s up with it? Is it necessary to watch, and where is it even available legally? If you want answers to all these questions, look no further.
They Are Very Different
First of all, you don’t need to watch the 2003 anime in order to watch Brotherhood — both are separate adaptations of the same manga. Of the two, Brotherhood is considered the better one most of the time, and it’s not just because Brotherhood is newer.
The 2003 adaptation caught up with the manga and passed it, meaning it had to have an anime-original ending. In fact, almost half of the 2003 anime is anime-original, and the plot is radically different from that of manga — and that of Brotherhood, which is considered a near-perfect adaptation.
Still, there are some people who think the 2003 anime is better, and even those who like Brotherhood more think 2003 is not bad. The series is darker in tone, giving it a unique charm.
The only issue of Brotherhood is the pacing in the first few episodes, which is too fast — and that element the 2003 anime does better as well.
You Shouldn’t Start with 2003
Starting with the 2003 anime wouldn’t be a good idea, though, since it is quite different from the actual canon story, and the tone might give you wrong expectations. That’s because FMA is often advertised as one of the best takes on the battle shounen genre, and the first adaptation strays far away from it.
The franchise also has two movies, both of which are optional. The Conqueror of Shamballa is a sequel expanding on the ending of the 2003 anime, and it has nothing to do with Brotherhood. The Sacred Star of Milos is a semi-canon spin-off, taking place within the timeline of the manga/Brotherhood.
It’s Not Available Legally
If you want to watch the 2003 anime, though, you might find some problems. While it’s licensed in some European countries (by Netflix, among other services), there’s actually no legal way to watch it in the United States.
Funimation license expired years ago, and it’s not on Netflix in the US. Currently, the only way to watch it is to buy the DVDs or pirate it.