Episode 1, "The curtain opens on battle! Son Goku's back" *****SPOILERS***** Synopsis: A man named Son Goku, a young hero who was born "Kakkarot" on the planet Vegeta, home of the Saiyans, and was sent to Earth, visits his old friends on Kame Island. Along with him is his son, Son Gohan, named after the man who raised him. However, an armored man from space lands, looking for "Kakkarot", scaring even the demon Piccolo, and showing up before Goku and his friends. Comments: For those of you uninitiated to the world of Dragon Ball, this would probably come off as a pretty dizzying first episode, since they cram so much into it.

Episode 1, "The Fullmetal Alchemist"

*****SPOILERS***** Synopsis: A man named Isaac McDougal is terrorizing Central, the capital of Amestris, with his use of water alchemy, heating it up to burn his victims or freezing it to freeze them alive. The President, Fuhrer King Bradley, puts Colonel Roy Mustang in charge of capturing Isaac, who fought alongside him in Ishbal. Mustang calls on the help of the Elric brothers, Edward (the "Fullmetal Alchemist") and Alphonse. Isaac plans to kill the Fuhrer using his ice alchemy, which is boosted by a Philosopher's Stone, but it is the Fuhrer who ends up killing him, and the stone in him dissolves before the miltary has a chance to check.

Poor Martel... and Alphonse...

Fullmetal Alchemist Primer In order to prepare yourself for the new Fullmetal Alchemist series, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, I've taken a number of characters, key plot elements and such to provide you with a neat little guide to understand the basics of the FMA world, in case you aren't already, or it's been a while since you've experienced it. Here we go! TERMS: Alchemy The process of transforming one mass of one type of material into another equal mass of a similar material, also known as transmutation. In our world, alchemists were both the scientists and shaman of their time, but of course with science's evolution, alchemy was relegated to the footnotes of history. In the world of FMA, alchemy is different.

That's some creative use of alchemy.

Fullmetal Alchemist Manga vs First TV Series - ROUND FOUR In the original manga, Edward is "rescued" by the homonuculi from Laboratory 5 after sustaining injuries in the fight with the Slicer Brothers and given into military custody. In first animated television series, however, the homunuculi attempt to get Edward to use the red water and live prisoners to transmute a Philosopher's Stone. This is the beginning of some of the bigger differences between the anime and the source material. EVENTS: Chapter 13: Fullmetal Body Event(s): Ed is confronted by the homonuculi, who kill the Slicer brothers, and knock him out, then destroy the laboratory. Ed is brought into military custody by Ross and Brosch.

And some people say Alphonse does nothing in the first anime.

Fullmetal Alchemist Manga vs First TV Series - ROUND THREE The third volume of the FMA manga covers the Elric brothers' trip back to Risembool to get Edward's automail arm fixed (it was destroyed by Scar), the research at Central's library into the Philosopher's Stone, and most of the Laboratory 5 incident. The first animated series stayed pretty faithful to this portion overall. EVENTS: Chapter 9: A Home with a Family Waiting Event(s): Edward, Alphonse, and Major Armstrong visit Resembool, the Elric's hometown, to get his automail and Alphonse fixed. Episode 17: "House of the Waiting Family" Event(s): Edward, Alphonse, and Major Armstrong visit Resembool, the Elric's hometown, to get his automail and Alphonse fixed. Judgement: Rather poignant in both versions, but slightly more subtle in the anime one.

POMATO!