So, I enjoyed this series a lot when it was fresh. It has:
Disabled characters, strong female presence (for an anime), great action, cool world building, all the hallmarks. Its been around for a while, but it also does that anime thing where the fantasy world is super germanic, but I guess that just goes with the steampunk (Attack On Titan is like this as well.)
On one hand the big genocide in the story is clearly wrong, but theres good guys involved in it that get a pass from the story, and also it treats its made up minority race like nobles, but on the other hand theres a serial killer who goes around killing the aforementioned genociders and the story treats him like he isn't doing anything that bad.
Also: Brotherhood, FMA 2003, or the Manga?
Bah gawd, I aint even thought about liking something since at least the 90's
I enjoyed FMA, but also enjoy threads like these because it's an easy way to start a political discussion of the story
I think FMA 2003 really told a more personal story, its very into its characters and its humanity.
I think great man stuff gets a pass for anime, its a limitation of the medium.
FMA is good, because the law of equivalent exchange is based.
FMA is bad, because anime.
I loved Brotherhood, haven't watched or read any other versions.
I really loved the story and twists and turns, related hard to the dad stuff (cried my eyes out at the last few episodes) but also watched it all before I knew shit about politics so I need to give it another watch now.
It could be a fun book-club-style watch along to talk about and analyze.
FMA Brotherhood/Manga is cool and good, although it's more anti-imperialist/anti-fascist than strictly leftist. Like, if I'm being honest with myself realising that the entire Ishval war arc was an allegorical take on the Iraq war made me seriously re-examine my previously held assumptions.
FMA 2003 is really disappointing, in the super weird direction it goes in after it splits from the manga that kinda directly undermine the story beats and themes the author was building towards.
The imagery is fashy as fuck, but the story itself tries not to be obviously so. It's easy to say "But the Fuhrer is the bad guy!" when Mustang himself looks like a young buff Hitler without the stache. And the story also has a hard on for the teutonic siblings (The blonde female General(?) and her brother the major), the major with the giant bulging muscles and gay coded forelocks and the sister being a pure unapologetic fascist- "Stregnth is the only thing to be respected!" Yeah, the creators love fascism so much they want to bang it.
The bulging muscle characters are pretty strictly used for comedic relief, the character that are actually the most powerful are probably Ed's teacher, a housewife with organ failure, or Hohenheim. But what you said about Mustang is very right, even though his goal is to overthrow someone who resembles Hitler possibly even more.
2003 was more character driven and less light-hearted, especially when speaking of issues like genocide and sanctity of life. 2003's ending was very bittersweet and well done, and I include Shamballa in it.
