Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

A longtime holder of the #1 spot in fan rankings, a rare complete, tightly-plotted story that adapts its manga to a definitive ending.

Synopsis

The Anime Lad

Edward and Alphonse Elric tried forbidden alchemy to bring back their mother. Edward lost an arm and a leg. Alphonse now occupies a large suit of armor. They become State Alchemists to research a way to restore their bodies, which places two grieving children inside the military bureaucracy. Equivalent exchange remains both scientific principle and family invoice.

Super Eyepatch Fox

Break alchemy's forbidden rule. Lose two bodies in the attempt. Bind one brother's soul to armor. Replace the other's limbs with metal. Join the state military for access to restricted research. Search for the Philosopher's Stone. Refuse to pay with another life.

Gigguku

The Elric brothers clap their hands and turn the ground into a weapon, which is already cool enough. Then you learn what their first experiment cost, and every flash of alchemy carries that weight. Ed is furious at the world. Al is a towering suit of armor who apologizes for taking up space. I would follow these two anywhere from the opening episode!

Father's Basement

The comedy can arrive too loudly beside genuine body horror. The brothers make that tonal collision survivable. Ed turns shame into aggression, while Al's impossible metal body contains the gentler voice. Their search for restoration gives the magic system a clear moral boundary. Alchemy can rearrange matter. It cannot make the original cost disappear.