FMA 
My entry for this very awesome challenge, "Sell It To Me".
I truly love the concept of this challenge, and maybe it can get me interested in starting some new animes some day XD
Never have I imagined myself writing anything relatively close to a review about an anime, so that really made this a challenge for me!
To me, Fullmetal Alchemist is simply one of the best animes out there today. It is an action/adventure/comedy genre anime, and it has the perfect balance of all three elements, but isn't limited to just those. There are moments of mystery and suspense, and moments that will either warm your heart, or fill it with sorrow.
Fullmetal Alchemist, being set back in a more modern time (late 1800's - early 1900's) isn't an anime based on super and advanced technology, or any unrealistic concept like magic, monsters or the like. Rather, it is based on real practices from earlier times; alchemy. One of the many things that makes alchemy vary from the preferred magical spells and abilities is one law - the law of equivalent exchange - "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost." TO make it more exciting than simply changing water into hydrogen (just an example), with alchemy, broken radios can be rebuilt and metal pipes can be transformed into weapons, by using a symbol known as a "transmutation circle".
The two main protagonists, two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, however, disobey the laws of equivalent exchange in an attempt to resurrect their mother who recently passed away from an unknown illness. Having been abandoned by their father at a young age, their only chance of survival was to bring her back by committing the worst taboo possible: Human Transmutation.
They would have never guessed how much of a sacrifice was needed for this transmutation. Their disobedience resulted in Edward losing his left leg, and his brother losing his entire body. Quick-thinking and intelligent Edward manages to salvage his brother's soul by using his own right arm as a sacrifice, bounding his brother's soul to a large suit of armor by the use of alchemy. After Al has regained consciousness, he quickly takes his brother to the house of their close friends, the Rockbells. Edward then decides that he will do whatever he can to become something known as a "State Alchemist" (alchemists that work for their government") in order to increase his knowledge of alchemy, as well as to learn more about human transmutation to hopefully regain what they have lost. He then requests for the Rockbells to equip him with artificial metal limbs known as "automail" so he has normal functions in order to journey and make amends to his brother, feeling as though their sin is his own to bear. They eventually learn of an item known as "the philosopher's stone" which would allow them to bypass all the laws of equivalent exchange without any cost at all, and they see this object as the only way for them to obtain their original bodies. Thus their adventure to seek this item begins.
The events in which the brothers attempted to resurrect their mother occurred 5 years prior to the current setting of the series, though their past is revealed in the first few episodes. The Elrics aren't the only ones with a past that's deep, intricate and very interesting to learn about. The other major (and some of the minor) characters all have a past that plays a role in the series and who they are as a person today. All of the characters are very well-developed, distinguishable and realistic with varying personalities, families and abilities. They all touch your heart and affect you greatly in some way, and their incredibly real personalities make them easy to relate to in some way.
The storyline is very well-thought and full of many unexpected twists and surprises that always leave you guessing or pondering and itching to watch the next episode. There is always something that throws you off guard and really catch your interest, rather it would be a sudden death of a character you grew so fond of and would never expect to die, the betrayal of a character that you always thought was a good guy, or the return of a character that you felt was long forgotten about.
While there are many moments that leave your jaw dropped open from surprise, or your eyes gaped in horror, or your heart aching from a tragedy, there is a fair share of comedic moments to even out everything else. There's not so many that you can't find yourself able to take the anime serious, but there's not so few that you'll be depressed or emotional every time you watch it.
I would definitely recommend this anime to just about anyone, except maybe someone seeking a romance anime. The perfect balance of tragedy, comedy, action and mystery makes it enjoyable for a very wide audience. The characters and their ever-so-unique attitudes, outlooks and goals gives everyone someone they can easily favor and relate to.
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Er, sorry if my review sucked. I'm not good at these XD I just spent 2 hours typing this up though, so I hope it sounds OK! I wasn't even sure I was going to use FMA for this challenge, but after I made the card, I thought "what the heck?" xD
Dedicated to the creator of the challenge cause I really like the idea XD
