# Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)

> Two alchemist brothers, left shattered by a forbidden attempt to revive their mother, hunt the philosopher's stone to restore their bodies.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/34810

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 51
- Episode runtime: 24 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, action, adventure, fantasy
- Network: TBS
- Cast: Romi Park, Rie Kugimiya, Megumi Toyoguchi, Toru Okawa, Ryotaro Okiayu, Naomi Wakabayashi, Nana Mizuki, Miyoko Aso
- TMDB rating: 8.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421357/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: tragic, adventurous, dark, earnest, tense

## What critics say

Viewers broadly acclaim the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime for its tight adventure plotting, emotional weight and memorable characters, though its audience rating is strong rather than universal.

## Synopsis

Fullmetal Alchemist (2003-2004) is a Japanese animated shounen adventure series created for TBS and produced by Square Enix, BONES and Aniplex. Teenage alchemist brothers Edward Elric, voiced by Romi Park, and Alphonse Elric, voiced by Rie Kugimiya, are left grievously injured after a forbidden alchemical act, and they travel a steampunk-tinged country in search of the philosopher's stone that might restore them. Their engine is a relentless quest, complicated by a state-run military that weaponizes alchemy and by hunters, rivals and sinister homunculi who turn every lead into a fight. Winry Rockbell, voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi, and Colonel Roy Mustang, voiced by Toru Okawa, anchor the wider cast. The series runs for one season of 51 episodes, a continuing serialized story with episodic detours that build a larger political picture. Its tone blends brotherly warmth with tragedy, dark military intrigue and grim, bloody confrontations. Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Hunter x Hunter and Trigun will find the same mix of adventure, sacrifice and moral weight.

## Shows like Fullmetal Alchemist

- [Hunter × Hunter (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/41667)
- [Fairy Tail (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/41939)
- [Fate/stay night (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/34805)
- [SHAMAN KING (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/87540)
- [Hunter x Hunter (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/41970)
- [Buso Renkin (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/29082)
- [D.Gray-man Hallow (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/59105)
- [To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/74752)
- [The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/138716)
- [Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54758)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt