FIRST IMPRESSIONS - Fullmetal Alchemist (Hagane no Renkinjutsushi) [Episodes 1-20]

First Things first:

KIMI NO TEDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, KIRI SAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Secondly, these impressions are of the 2003 original series, not the 2009 Remake/Retelling, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Fullmetal Alchemist had to be one of the anime that I was conflicted about the most before watching. On one hand, there was the side nagging me not to watch it because it's 51 Episodes long. On the other, I kept on hearing about how great it was to watch. I eventually said 'fuck it' and started watching the series. 

The story of FMA is strange in the sense that it doesn't follow its source material for over half the show. Fullmetal Alchemist was originally a manga created in the late 1990's but when the 2003 series started airing it hadn't finished yet, so the anime team decided on taking its own route. From what I've been hearing, all the original content is good stuff so I have no complaints. What I do have a complaint about however is the chronology of some things early on in the show - it's all over the place. The backstory behind Edward and Alphonse's quest is revealed after some events that take place between episodes 15-20 (the events I'm talking about are actually the first two episodes - see how things can be confusing?) and this just leads to viewer confusion when you try to think about it. Other than that it's a very nice and sweet story fueled by determination and - no pun intended - Brotherhood to carry it along.

Characters are great. Edward Elric is a strong main protagonist, who does have a short temper and a will that cannot be contained.....Seems familiar? Well FMA did come first so I'll let that one slide. Alphonse is very hit and miss so far. I can't really tell what his purpose is - is he just a motivator for Ed? Again no pun intended, but Al just seems like an empty shell so far. He doesn't really develop although he does have great chemistry with Ed and the comedy between them is amazing. My personal favourite character has to be Lt. Colonel Roy Mustang. Not only is he a hard eye, no shit-taking soldier but he is just so random sometimes, which is what makes me love him. He's a very quotable character too and I just love his English voice.

Animation is my only real issue with this series, and it mainly comes down to the colour. I think that FMA has to be one of the most drab and dull looking anime ever. Most scenes take place at either night time or inside some sort of complex in the desert regions, so a lot of browns and greys and duller colours are used. As a Result, the show looks awfully flat and it's what marrs FMA Seriously. Its hard to think that the people who did Cowboy Bebop did FMA.

Musically, FMA is great with some amazing atmospheric pieces and great BGM. The Two Openings I have heard so far are great, my personal favourite being the first Opening Melissa by Porno Graffiti (yes that is their name).

So far, FMA is a fantastic anime that is marred only by its poor animation. I'll have a full review of this show up in the future when I've completed it.

REVIEW - Claymore (2007)

Comparisons can often be one of the worst things to do in regards to anime, as people misconceive what a comparison actually is. I'm not entirely sure as to whether or not this shows that people are really narrow minded or that people have no idea what they're talking about. Case in point, today's anime, which I often hear as being Attack on Titan before Attack on Titan was even a thing.

Claymore by Studio Madhouse

Claymore is a fantasy-action survival series based off the manga of the same name (for the first 24 episodes anyways - the final two try to conclude the anime's own self-contained plot). It follows w woman named Clare, who is a warrior clad in White and Silver. Clare is part of what is unofficially known as the 'Claymores', a group of female warriors who are genetically enhanced to fight off creatures known as Yoma, who feed off of Human flesh. Yoma have the ability to disguise themselves as Humans, so humanity is under a huge threat at all times. One day, Clare arrives in a town and meets Raki, a young boy whose family has been ravaged by a Yoma. After saving Raki's life, Clare allows him to join her and sort of becomes a mother figure to Raki. Clare's motivation for fighting the Yoma is clouded at the start of the series, but through her flashbacks and memories we see her real reason for joining the Claymores and - as the series tagline goes - wanting to 'fight for revenge'. What I like about this set up is that I love revenge fueled plots (as evidenced by my liking of Attack on Titan) but where Claymore falls is that sometimes scenes are needlessly dragged out, which leaves you extremely tired after watching an episode. Also as mentioned before, the final two episodes of the anime deviate from the Manga's plot and therefore give us a rushed and incomplete ending to the series which leave you on such a cliffhanger, and I hate those 'Read the Manga' endings.

The characters in Claymore are some of the best and worst parts of this show, and I'll just say it now; Yes, Raki is by far one of the most annoying characters in any anime ever (especially in the English Dub, which isn't really Todd Hackerborn's fault but even still) and I honestly think his addition to the plot was only necessary to give our main heroine some development in the present (as Claymore takes place in two time periods - when Clare was a child and her as a Claymore). Clare herself is a bit of a mixed bag. I think that she's a good character but some of the decisions she makes are pretty damn stupid (particularly when it comes to Combat...although you could blame this on her being the lowest ranked Claymore). She's a bit rash and improvises - normally resulting in a positive result - but sometimes she can just be extremely stupid.

Animation is another mixed bag. The animation itself is fantastic, with amazing and intense action all going at a fluid and smooth frame rate. The problem for me is the inconsistent art style, which can sometimes just look extremely ugly and other times quite unique. What I can say though is that if you're a goreaholic (which I know a few of) Claymore is sure to entertain you regardless of whether or not it looks ugly.

The one excellent standout thing Claymore has is the soundtrack, headlined by what is definitely my favourite ending theme to any anime, Danzai no Hana (Flower of Conviction) by Riyu Kosaka. Oh My God....I have never heard anything quite like this song. Another great track is the opening, raison d'etre By Nightmare. The rest of the OST is great, fitting with the mood and setting quite well. When the action heats up, so does the music which is again, a perfect fit.

Fundamentally, Claymore is a solid shounen anime which follows tropes which ultimately lead to its downfall. While it's nice to see a cast that's mainly strong, the decision making of said cast is quite questionable. Another annoyance is the inconsistent animation, which is really a pain to look at sometimes but at others is gorgeous. The music is without a doubt the highlight and is definitely iPod worthy.

Story: 8

Characters: 5

Animation: 6

Music: 10

Personal Enjoyment: 6

FINAL SCORE FOR CLAYMORE: 7/10