Fullmetal Alchemist Manga vs First TV Series - ROUND SIX

As the flashback in volume 5 continues into and through most of volume 6, I'll review the last chapter of the previous volume in the comparisons for this one.
EVENTS: Chapter 21: The Brothers' Secret/Chapter 22: The Masked Man/Chapter 23: Knocking On Heaven's Door/Chapter 24: Fullmetal Alchemist Event(s): Edward and Alphonse flashback to when they were children, their mother's death, their training with Izumi, their attempt at human transmutation, and its tragic results. Then Ed becomes certified as a State Alchemist after passing an examination. Episode 3: Mother/Episode 28: All is One, One is All/Episode 6: The Alchemy Exam Event(s): Edward and Alphonse flashback to when they were children, their mother's death, and their attempt to bring her back to life with alchemy and its tragic results; Ed and Al remember their training on Yock Island; in a flashback, Ed takes an exam to become a State Alchemist and is rewarded with certification. Judgement: This is very difficult, because all these bits took part at different times in the manga and anime. I think the first anime probably approached the matter better overall, child Wrath aside. MANGA < ANIME Chapter 25: Master And Apprentice Event(s): Ed and Al are kicked out by Izumi for having committed human transmutation, but they return to ask her for advice; Roy's transfer to central is approved; Greed's underling Bido gets info about the brothers Episode 27: Teacher/Episode 30: Assault on the Southern Headquarters/Episode 32: Dante of the Deep Forest Event(s): Roy's transfer to central is approved; Greed's underling Bido gets info about the brothers; Ed and Al are kicked out by Izumi for having committed human transmutation, but they return to ask her for advice Judgement: A lot of the material here is much different in the first series due to the presence of Anime!Wrath, and I like how it flows around the attack on the Southern Headquarters scene. I'm not very fond of the character of Wrath in the anime, though. Ugh, it's so hard to judge this part.... uh, TIE! MANGA = ANIME We're starting to get closer to where the manga and first series really began splitting off, the Greed arc, and everything that followed. The huge differences in this portion stem mostly from the anime's Wrath, a young child created when Izumi failed to bring back her child with human transmutation. The anime features a lot of extra scenes with this, showing that Wrath lived inside the "gate" with those little gate children, snatched Ed's leg and arm, and is of interest to the military, especially Frank Archer, also an anime-only character. Frankly, I'm not fond of either of those characters, but there are some great scenes, like Izumi infiltrating the Southern Headquarters, kicking the military's ass. I love that. Anyway, getting back to character comparisons, I guess we should get to more military folks, as well as Wrath and Pride. CHARACTERS: Shou Tucker Judgement: Though up through the initial Tucker arc, the two are the same, I liked that the first series brought him back as the pathetic, sniveling chimera. It was a more fitting fate for him. Death is too good for Shou Tucker. MANGA < ANIME Zolft J. Kimbley Judgement: Though Kimbley is every bit the mad bomber he is in the anime as he is in the manga, the manga's Kimbley seems to be far more capable of composing himself for the sake of truly sinister actions. Not to mention, he has a more zen-like attitude towards his work, a personal philosophy. MANGA > ANIME Tim Marcoh Judgement: Marcoh vs Envy. 'Nuff said. MANGA > ANIME Wrath (Anime) vs Pride (Manga) NOTE: I'm comparing the child homunuculi, because it makes more sense to compare the two Fuhrer Bradleys and the two children instead of the two Wraths and two Prides. Judgement: Although it's sort of cool to see a homunuculi who can do alchemy, and I did feel bad for the little guy, I found anime Wrath a tad irritating, and they never really went anywhere with his sin of wrath. The child Pride in the manga seems more threatening and creepy. A very unsettling enemy.MANGA > ANIME

Pride (anime) vs Wrath (manga)

NOTE: I'm comparing the two Fuhrer Bradleys, because comparing them makes more sense than comparing the two Prides and two Wraths, since there are two Fuhrers and two children homunuculi, so they share more in common that way. Judgement: I have to say that I enjoy both Fuhrers, though the manga Fuhrer (Wrath) seems a little more hands on than his mostly hands-off, official first anime series version. They're essentially the same guy, personality-wise, but because the Fuhrer is Wrath in the manga, he seems less composed when he's serious than Pride did, making for some really amazing battle sequences. Hm, I probably enjoy manga Wrath more. MANGA > ANIME Wow, looks like I prefer quite a few characters in the manga, though I find that they just slightly edge out their first anime versions, it never seems to be a huge preference for one over the other. Next time, we get into the Greed stuff!

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