Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Specials 鋼の錬金術師

| Episodes: 4 | Score: 8.0 (77664)

Updated every at | Status: Finished Airing

Type: Special

Producers:Aniplex | Square Enix

Synopsis

Amazing secrets and startling facts are exposed for the first time in the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA Collection, a new assortment of stories set in never-before-seen corners of the FMA universe. Join Ed and Al as they chase rumors of successful human transmutation into a web of shocking family drama and lies. Sneak a glance at hidden sides of Winry and Hawkeye's personalities. Survive the frigid north with a young Izumi Curtis as she fights to gain a deeper understanding of alchemy. Explore the legendary friendship shared by Mustang and Hughes and watch them grow from military school rivals into hardened brothers transformed by the horrors of the Ishvalan War. You thought you knew the whole story. You thought all the tales were told. The Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OVA Collection offers proof: You were wrong. (Source: FUNimation)

Voice Actors

Tsuda, Shouko

Kugimiya, Rie

Park, Romi

Miki, Shinichiro

News

Reviews

Peach_Main
07/07/2024, 12:05 PM
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood started airing in April 2009. During its sixty-four-episode run, a special episode is released every four months. These episodes are adaptations of bonus chapters from the manga. Studio Bones didn't adapt every single bonus chapter. They only picked four of them. It should be noted that the praises and criticisms I gave in my review of the main storyline do apply to these special episodes. There is really no need for me to repeat them here. It would be best to save these episodes after finishing the main storyline. However, if you want to be fancy, you can watch the main storyand each of these special episodes in the order of their Japanese release dates. For instance, you would watch the first special episode in between episodes 20 and 21. I will be giving each of these special episodes their own individual scores and their rounded average will be the final score at the end of this review. Special Episode 1: The Blind Alchemist Right off the bat, I really don't get the story of this episode. The Elric Bros. hear a rumor of somebody having done a successful human transmutation. Seeing this as a chance to find a way to restore their bodies, they decided to go meet this person. That person is an alchemist named Jude, who serves the Humbergang family. As the title of the episode suggests, Jude has lost his vision due to performing human transmutation. His "successful" transmutation was resurrecting the Humbergang family's daughter Rosalie. When Edward tried asking Jude how he managed to succeed, he and Mrs. Humbergang refused to share any information as it's meant to stay within the mansion as this is the wish of the late Mr. Humbergang. Meanwhile, Alphonse is being forced to play with Rosalie and then Rosalie decides to show him her secret. This is what I don't get: If no information was ever supposed to get leaked, how did the rumor of the successful human transmutation reach the Elric Bros.? The whole point of all the mansion's inhabitants' behavior is to keep the reality a secret from Jude. Plus, it is common knowledge among the world of Fullmetal Alchemist that human transmutation is forbidden, and it never works. Besides, shouldn't information of Jude's human transmutation be kept a secret from the rest of the world? Why were there rumors about Jude in the first place? Who gave Alphonse the information about Jude? Seriously, the episode begins with the Elric Bros. at a cafe, and Alphonse is telling Edward the rumor as the latter ate four parfaits. Geez Louise! That's a lot of sweets for one trip to a cafe! Given what happens at the end of the episode, I feel like the intense looks the gatekeepers and the gardener were completely unnecessary. They made it seem like something wild was going to happen later on, but it didn't. Even after learning the truth, nothing turned sour between the Elric Bros. and the mansion's inhabitants. Also, if information about the successful human transmutation got out for normal people to hear, how come the homunculi never got word of it? They are searching for people who performed human transmutation as one of their goals is that they need to gather five of them. Overall, this first special episode is okay. It's pleasant that the people at the mansion don't go out of their way to silence anybody who knows the truth. It's possible that it's only written this way to avoid clashing with the main storyline. I'll give Special Episode 1 a 7/10. Special Episode 2: Simple People This special episode is actually my favorite of them all just because it feels like a nice slice of life spinoff of Fullmetal Alchemist. The simple people in question are Winry Rockbell, the Elric Bros.' childhood friend and Edward's personal mechanic and love interest, and Riza Hawkeye, a lieutenant in the military. If you were to pay attention to how these two looked in their pasts, you will notice that Winry initially didn't have any earrings and Riza used to have short hair. Special Episode 2 expands on the meeting between Winry and Riza from the main storyline. While Colonel Roy Mustang was asking Edward to join the military, Winry and Riza got a chance to talk to each other. In the main storyline, it simply showed Riza explaining to Winry why she joined the military, this special episode reveals that their meeting inspired each other to change their appearances. Winry saw Riza's earrings and decided she wants to have earrings for herself. She even gets more piercings on one ear after receiving lots of earrings from Edward, who only got them for her for the sole purpose of calming her down since she hates it when he breaks his automail. Once Edward realizes this, he stops getting any more gifts for Winry. Riza decided to let her hair grow long because she saw Winry has long hair and decided it would be nice to have long hair for a change. In fact, the episode just ends on that note and the credits play with some triumphant music playing. Special Episode 1 had sad music playing when it rolled the credits. I'm mentioning this now because it's going to be important to bring up for the third and fourth special episodes. Honestly, this was a very wholesome episode, and I did not mind seeing Edward and Winry bicker with each other since it just works for this special episode as opposed to them doing it in places outside of Winry's house during the main storyline. It's nice to get explanations for why Winry has a lot of piercings on one ear and why Riza has long hair. Special Episode 2 gets a perfect 10/10. Special Episode 3: The Tale of the Teacher This episode is centered on the Elric Bros.' alchemy teacher, Izumi Curtis, whose maiden name is revealed to be Harnet. Just like how Izumi herself challenged the Bros. to survive one month on an island after they asked her to be their Master, Izumi was tasked by the famous alchemist Silver Steiner to spend one month at Briggs. The island the Elric Bros. had to survive in is absolutely nothing compared to Briggs. Briggs is a snowy mountain on the north side of Amestris. Plus, the spot where Izumi is camping at is near Fort Briggs, and the soldiers there are not taking any chances with anybody they find. While this was an interesting episode to watch, everything that happened here was already said by characters in the main storyline. Izumi told the Elric Bros. that she survived one month at Briggs, and the people at Briggs spoke of a rumor about their men being attacked and robbed by a mysterious woman. Since the audience is told this information, it's very easy to see everything that happens in Special Episode 3 coming. That doesn't mean it's uninteresting. We get to see Izumi defend herself from wolves and bears, and the uncalled-for surprise she gets after completing the one month of survival. After the episode ends, the credits roll, and it reuses the triumphant music. Special Episode 3 does get somewhat a post credits scene showing a romanticization of how Izumi met her husband, Sig Curtis. After that, it shows credits again, this time with elegant sounding music with a love letter aesthetic. This was a great episode, even if half of it was easy to expect. I'll give it 9/10. Special Episode 4: Yet Another Man's Battlefield The fourth and final special episode shows Roy Mustang's past as a student at the military academy as well as his first meeting with Maes Hughes. The two even befriend an Ishvalan student named Heathcliff Erbe after defending him from racist bullies. That friendship was short lived since years later, the Ishval Civil War happens. In order for the Amestrians to win the war, all the State Alchemists including Roy were enlisted to help exterminate the Ishvalans. Roy was having literally no trouble wiping out the Ishvalans who were operating machine guns. When he went to investigate the enemies that he wiped out, he encounters Heathcliff. Heathcliff felt betrayed by the person who promised to end the discrimination. He tried to kill Roy, but Roy's pocket watch blocked the bullet. Shortly after, Maes arrives and kills Heathcliff. Roy falls into depression realizing he is literally killing people he was supposed to be protecting. As he spends a whole night gathering his thoughts and reflecting on what he's been through, Maes tells him how he does his best to swallow up his sins so he can smile in front of his future wife Gracia. When the two returned home, Roy acknowledges that Maes is stronger than him after seeing his happy reunion with Gracia. I really don't mind seeing new information about Roy and Maes, but it's really painful to watch their friendship with Heathcliff end. This is because in the main storyline, there is an Ishvalan soldier in the military name Miles. In fact, he is a Major at Briggs. You know, the snowy mountain area where the soldiers there operate on survival of the fittest. Miles joined the military in hopes of ending the wrongful discrimination of his people, which is the same reason Heathcliff entered the academy. Do you see where this is going?! For Roy and Maes to take part of the slaughter of Ishvalans without even showing an iota of guilt before seeing Heathcliff already shows they reject him. It had to take seeing him one last time for Roy to realize what on earth he is doing. Even Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong-Arm Alchemist who is very into muscles, quickly knew how wrong the war has become the moment he found a dead Ishvalan child. Also in the main storyline, Edward had an encounter with an enemy who was nothing but a suit of armor just like Alphonse. Even after dismantling the armor and winning the battle, Edward refused to deal a finishing blow on the enemy because since Alphonse is in the same state, to reject the enemy's existence means to reject his brother. The point I'm trying to make is that this final special episode is just downright insulting towards the main storyline's promotion of ending discrimination towards the Ishvalans. Plus, where was Riza when Roy was lamenting during the break time? She is his closest subordinate, and she did participate in the Ishval Civil War. Shouldn't she be by his side to share the pain and guilt? On top of all that, this episode aired over a month after the main storyline was finished. The main storyline ended on a happy ending with one of the things that happened after the final battle was the restoration of Ishval. It's honestly really stupid they decided to adapt this bonus chapter on the Ishval Civil War after the relations between Amestrians and Ishvalans begin to improve by the end of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Even though I watched these special episodes after finishing the main storyline, I really am not amused by the fact that this is what was chosen to be the last special episode. The cherry on top of this trainwreck of a special episode is that they used the triumphant music in the credits. What the heck?! It is so wrong to play that music after having to revisit this horrific genocide. It seriously should've used the sad music Special Episode 1 used. I'm sorry, but this has to be the lowest point in all of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood for me. I'm giving Special Episode 4 a 5/10. Revisiting the Ishval Civil War was just not the right call to be the last special episode. Now it's time to do the math. 7 + 10 + 9 + 5 = 31 31 / 4 = 7.75 7.75 rounds up to 8, so that's my final score for the special episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The first is simply okay, the second is excellently wholesome, the third is fun to watch, and the last one is just insulting. It's nice to see this anime have some extra content on the world and its characters.
blaavane
06/25/2021, 02:35 PM
I cant lie when i say that these are very good. I liked each of the 4 episodes, i think they are good enough to be on the actual show, however it may have been seen as filler so i dont really know what to make of it. I really liked the 3rd one, where we get a little more background on Izumi's character. How she trained and how she met her husband. Beautifully done. I also liked the twist on the first episode, you really feel bad for the alchemist and the parents. The second episode is cute because i like everything that happens in the house andthe old lady is cool but it can be skipped. Fourth episode was cool i guess.
WazThatTL
01/05/2021, 05:40 PM
Wow this was better than I expected I thought it was going to be some ok side stories for the main series but I was so wrong. Even though this was a side story I saw no drop in animation or sound value unlike alot of other movies and ovas for certain anime series. All the episodes were amazing each of them had some sort of theme and meaning to it which I liked. I got to know some more about certain charactesr such as Mustang and Curtis. Overall very enjoyable specials that certainly added some toppings to the cake. It's definitely a recommended watch once youhave finished the series FMAB series.
Tokela
02/10/2018, 03:54 AM
Four espisodes are four different stories, that the reason why it is tought to rate all of them by one mark. The second story was quite boring to me, so was the third. However 1st and, especcialy, fouth were kind of a masterpiece. After watching all of them I was so confused that I was unable to give it any rate. The specials are great mean to meet our favurite characters one more time, also to learn new things about their history. Few scences where already shown in the core series, for me it is an advantage, as it allows to place a situation inthe time frame, and it proves that this is not completely new story out of the blue. Art is the same, characters are the same, and sound is fine, so my enjoyment was pretty high. However it is not what I had expected from the story and it was not really interesting/intriguing for me. Not dropped after third only because there would be no sense in dropping last episode. I don't regret watching it and totally recommend you to watch these specials, but bear in your mind it is not a whole new story, just short pictures form the past.
NeonKazma
10/05/2012, 07:42 PM
This is a review of all 4 OVAS of FMA: Brotherhood 1. The Blind Alchemist (Score: 9 out of 10) The Blind Alchemist is about Ed and Al hearing a rumor that a state alchemist named Judas successfully made a human transmutation to save her daughter from dying and what they see is rather disturbing. The Blind Alchemist showcases more on the consequences of human transmutation and how can affect on people's lives. It's been done in other FMA episodes, but this OVA is still emotionally heartbreaking and a nice start to the OVA Collection. 2. Simple People (Score: 8 out of 10) This OVA is about Winry whodecides to pierce her ears with earrings, because of the day that she meet Hawkeye and where Edward decided to be a state alchemist to help his younger brother. This OVA is more simple, but with a very subtle message of why our reasons can be so simple rather than being too complicated and it does offer some funny hilarious moments with Ed and Winry. Not the best OVA, but still a fun one at least. 3. Chronicle Of Teacher (Score: 10 out of 10) Chronicle Of Teacher centers on Izumi, when she was 18 years old, as she finds a man named Silver Steiner to train alchemy with him. However, he says to Izumi to survive one month in the Briggs Mountain with a knife only and if she survives, she will become her apprentice. What follows is an epic journey on how she learns the meaning of "All is one and one is all" throughout the entire month and how she became the hardcore badass housewife that we all know and love. You will cheer and laugh your ass off in this OVA, cause everything that Izumi does is just crazy and she fights a fucking bear with her own two hands! Also, how Izumi and Sig first met and fall in love is priceless. This OVA is the best of the bunch and worthy of re-watching it a lot. 4. Yet Another Man's Battlefield (Score: 10 out of 10) The last OVA centers around a younger Roy and Hughes as they became the top soldiers in the military academy and getting enlisted in the Ishavlan war. This is a much darker OVA, as we see Roy becoming from a recruited soldier into a person that sees the torment of war in his own eyes. It also sees Roy actually having a friend of Ishavlan before the war. Overall, one of the darkest OVAS in the FMA franchise and a worthy look to all fans. So that's all the OVAS of FMA: Brotherhood OVA Collection and it also has 16 incredibly funny episodes of "FMA Four Panel Comic Theater" and just damn funny for all FMA fans. If your interested in seeing this OVAS, they are worth buying it to your FMA collection.
Alpharon
02/19/2012, 07:24 AM
Esta review también está en español. Fullmetal Alchemist is a mega success, specially the Brotherhood anime. Proof of that is the fact that it's ranked number 2 in this page, since who knows how many months. And, as with any successful product, OVA, specials and movies are created. Unfortunately, in most cases, these products tend to be mediocre at best, therefore, prudent consumers often face these creations with skepticism, or directly not expecting much. So, i watched Brotherhood's special with the intention of having fun, but not expecting anything great or mind blowing. I mean, four fifteen minutes long self conclusive episodes? What could you getof that?. A lot. This is one of the few cases in wich the product took me by surprise. Let's see why... Like I said, there are four episodes, each with a different story. The first episode, "The Blind Alchemist", shows us the Elric brothers arriving to a mansion, attracted by a strange rumor about Jude, the blind alchemist. Like the brothers, he also broke the taboo and tried to revive someone... but unlike Ed and Al, he was more successful... The second episode, "Simple People", is about how Ed want to give a present to Winry, so she doesn't get too mad (and by mad, I mean wrench assault) for his usual automail wrecking. So, the brothers try to buy her forgiveness with some earrings. The third episode, "Tales of the Master", is about the training of an 18 years old Izumi in Briggs. Maybe less experienced than in her adulthood, but healthier, and badass as usual, we'll see how exactly she became a legend/nightmare for the soldiers of that place. The fourth and final episode, "Yet Another Man's Battlefield", is the Mustang chapter (because, come on, could you imagine a special creation of FMA without him? That would be a commercial suicide!). Not the adult, full prepared Flame alchemist, but the 18 years old student in the military academy. We'll see his studies, his problems, and his rivalry with an equally young Maes Hughes. The interesting thing about these stories is that are so very well written, that they could be a part of the manga (or the Brotherhood anime). Episodes 2 and 3 have lots of comedic and touching moments, while 1 and 4 are more dramatic and serious. I want to highlight the first episode (my personal favorite, by the way), which touches the reason that motivates the Elrics to do what they do (you know... try to recover their bodies without dying). The animation is superb, as in the main series. The character design is excellent, changing from "normal" to "SD" in a totally normal, funny way (specially noted with Ed, Al, Winry and Izumi). The alchemy is colorful (with bolts of electricity flying in all directions, buildings structures that changes, or are directly destroyed), and the landscapes are equally beautiful and colorful (especially Risembool, with the fields, prairies and all that... Ishval, on the other hand, is quite brown, which according to the current cultural parameters, means that it's very realistic xD). The voices are the same form the Brotherhood anime, so good job there. As for the new characters the more destacable is Jude seiyuu: Show Hayami (Aizen in Bleach, Devilman in Devilman, Zarbon in Dragon Ball Z, Tokiomi Tohsaka in Fate/Zero, Archer in the first FMA series, and a long etc). The music is also the typical in FMA, although there is no opening nor ending. For any of the episodes. That's weird... but hey, not that serious (although, it would have been awesome if Yui, Asian Kung-fu Generation or L'Arc~en~Ciel were involved in this project...). So... what do we have here? A surprise and a very nice one. The episodes are truly in the league of the original creation. I cannot imagine a greater compliment. In four chapters we have comedy, action, drama, alchemy and lots of emotion (and sadly, nothing of Armstrong...). As I said before, this really looks like a part of the series, especially Izumi's training (which is mentioned in the manga) and Mustang's education. This is not recommended, this is mandatory for any fan of Brotherhood (and seeing the ranking of this page, there are a lot of them n_n). Watch this and enjoy, since high quality specials/OVAS are not that abundant... -------- Fullmetal Alchemist es un mega éxito, eso es innegable. Prueba de ello es que en esta misma pag esta rankeada número 2 desde quien sabe cuánto tiempo. Y como con todo producto exitoso, se crean OVAS, especiales y películas. Desafortunadamente, en la mayoría de los casos, estos productos suelen ser inferiores a la obra original, por lo que, los consumidores prudentes suelen verlas con cierto escepticismo, o no esperando gran cosa. Yo encare los especiales de Brotherhood de esa forma: esperaba divertirme un rato, pero no imaginaba que fuera nada del otro mundo. O sea, 4 capítulos auto conclusivos de solo 15 minutos? Que se puede esperar de tan poco?. Mucho. Este es uno de los pocos casos en el que el producto me tomo por sorpresa. Veamos por que... Como dije, hay cuatro capítulos, cada uno con una historia diferente. El primer capítulo, “El alquimista ciego”, nos muestra a los hermanos Elric arribando a una mansión, atraídos por un extraño rumor acerca de Jude, el alquimista ciego. Al igual que los hermanos, el también intento revivir a alguien... pero a diferencia de Ed y Al, el tubo más éxito. El segundo capítulo, “Gente común”, trata de cómo temiendo por las represalias de Winry por haber roto su brazo tan rápido, Ed y Al deciden comprarle a su mejor amiga unos aros, con la esperanza de apaciguar su ira (que usualmente involucra agresiones con llaves inglesas). El tercer capítulo, “Cuentos de la maestra” es sobre el entrenamiento de Izumi (de solo 18 años) en Briggs, y como fue exactamente que se convirtió en una leyenda/pesadilla para los soldados del lugar. El cuarto y último capítulo, Yet Another Man's Battlefield, es sobre los días de Mustang (personaje que no podía quedarse afuera de estos especiales, o varias cabezas hubieran rodado :P) en la academia militar, sus estudios, y su rivalidad con Maes Hughes. Lo interesante de estas historias es que no solo están muy bien escritas, si no que tranquilamente podrían ser parte del manga. Los capítulos 2 y 3 tienen sus momentos cómicos y conmovedores, mientras que el 1 y el 4 son bastante serios, sin llegar a ser dramáticos al nivel del primer anime. Particularmente quería destacar el primer capítulo, que toca de lleno la motivación de los Elric para hacer lo que hacen. El apartado técnico es impecable. La animación es soberbia, al igual que en la serie. El diseño de personajes es excelente, rotando de forma esporádica entre “normales” y chibi de forma totalmente natural. La alquimia es vistosa (con rayos de electricidad volando para todos lados, edificios que ven sus estructuras modificadas o directamente destruidos) y los paisajes son hermosos y muy coloridos (especialmente Risembool, con sus campos, praderas y todo eso... Ishval es bien marrón, lo que según los parámetros culturales actuales, significa que es realista xD). Las voces son las mismas de la serie, y cumplen de la forma que ya sabemos todos. En cuanto a los nuevos personajes, destaco a Jude, cuyo seiyuu es Show Hayami (Aizen en Bleach, Devilman en Devilman, Zabon en Dragon Ball Z, Tokiomi Tohsaka en Fate/Zero, Archer en la primer serie de FMA, más un largo etcétera). La música es también la usual de FMA, aunque no hay ni opening ni ending. Para ninguno de los capítulos. Eso es raro... pero bueno, tampoco es un problema. Así que, para redondear, que es lo que tenemos acá? Una sorpresa, y una muy agradable. Realmente estos especiales están a la altura del anime. No se me ocurre un mayor halago. A lo largo de cuatro episodios tenemos comedia, acción, drama, alquimia y mucha emoción (y, tristemente, nada de Armstrong...). Como ya dije antes, realmente parecen una parte más de la serie, especialmente el entrenamiento de Izumi (que es comentado en el manga) y la educación de Mustang. Esto no es recomendable, es obligatorio para cualquier fan de Brotherhood (y viendo el ranking de esta pag, son muchos). Véanlo y disfruten, dado que los buenos especiales/OVAS no son tan abundantes...

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Specials 鋼の錬金術師

| Episodes: 4 | Score: 8.0 (77664)

Updated every at | Status: Finished Airing

Type: Special

Producers:Aniplex | Square Enix

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Tsuda, Shouko

Kugimiya, Rie

Park, Romi

Miki, Shinichiro

News

Reviews

Peach_Main
07/07/2024, 12:05 PM
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood started airing in April 2009. During its sixty-four-episode run, a special episode is released every four months. These episodes are adaptations of bonus chapters from the manga. Studio Bones didn't adapt every single bonus chapter. They only picked four of them. It should be noted that the praises and criticisms I gave in my review of the main storyline do apply to these special episodes. There is really no need for me to repeat them here. It would be best to save these episodes after finishing the main storyline. However, if you want to be fancy, you can watch the main storyand each of these special episodes in the order of their Japanese release dates. For instance, you would watch the first special episode in between episodes 20 and 21. I will be giving each of these special episodes their own individual scores and their rounded average will be the final score at the end of this review. Special Episode 1: The Blind Alchemist Right off the bat, I really don't get the story of this episode. The Elric Bros. hear a rumor of somebody having done a successful human transmutation. Seeing this as a chance to find a way to restore their bodies, they decided to go meet this person. That person is an alchemist named Jude, who serves the Humbergang family. As the title of the episode suggests, Jude has lost his vision due to performing human transmutation. His "successful" transmutation was resurrecting the Humbergang family's daughter Rosalie. When Edward tried asking Jude how he managed to succeed, he and Mrs. Humbergang refused to share any information as it's meant to stay within the mansion as this is the wish of the late Mr. Humbergang. Meanwhile, Alphonse is being forced to play with Rosalie and then Rosalie decides to show him her secret. This is what I don't get: If no information was ever supposed to get leaked, how did the rumor of the successful human transmutation reach the Elric Bros.? The whole point of all the mansion's inhabitants' behavior is to keep the reality a secret from Jude. Plus, it is common knowledge among the world of Fullmetal Alchemist that human transmutation is forbidden, and it never works. Besides, shouldn't information of Jude's human transmutation be kept a secret from the rest of the world? Why were there rumors about Jude in the first place? Who gave Alphonse the information about Jude? Seriously, the episode begins with the Elric Bros. at a cafe, and Alphonse is telling Edward the rumor as the latter ate four parfaits. Geez Louise! That's a lot of sweets for one trip to a cafe! Given what happens at the end of the episode, I feel like the intense looks the gatekeepers and the gardener were completely unnecessary. They made it seem like something wild was going to happen later on, but it didn't. Even after learning the truth, nothing turned sour between the Elric Bros. and the mansion's inhabitants. Also, if information about the successful human transmutation got out for normal people to hear, how come the homunculi never got word of it? They are searching for people who performed human transmutation as one of their goals is that they need to gather five of them. Overall, this first special episode is okay. It's pleasant that the people at the mansion don't go out of their way to silence anybody who knows the truth. It's possible that it's only written this way to avoid clashing with the main storyline. I'll give Special Episode 1 a 7/10. Special Episode 2: Simple People This special episode is actually my favorite of them all just because it feels like a nice slice of life spinoff of Fullmetal Alchemist. The simple people in question are Winry Rockbell, the Elric Bros.' childhood friend and Edward's personal mechanic and love interest, and Riza Hawkeye, a lieutenant in the military. If you were to pay attention to how these two looked in their pasts, you will notice that Winry initially didn't have any earrings and Riza used to have short hair. Special Episode 2 expands on the meeting between Winry and Riza from the main storyline. While Colonel Roy Mustang was asking Edward to join the military, Winry and Riza got a chance to talk to each other. In the main storyline, it simply showed Riza explaining to Winry why she joined the military, this special episode reveals that their meeting inspired each other to change their appearances. Winry saw Riza's earrings and decided she wants to have earrings for herself. She even gets more piercings on one ear after receiving lots of earrings from Edward, who only got them for her for the sole purpose of calming her down since she hates it when he breaks his automail. Once Edward realizes this, he stops getting any more gifts for Winry. Riza decided to let her hair grow long because she saw Winry has long hair and decided it would be nice to have long hair for a change. In fact, the episode just ends on that note and the credits play with some triumphant music playing. Special Episode 1 had sad music playing when it rolled the credits. I'm mentioning this now because it's going to be important to bring up for the third and fourth special episodes. Honestly, this was a very wholesome episode, and I did not mind seeing Edward and Winry bicker with each other since it just works for this special episode as opposed to them doing it in places outside of Winry's house during the main storyline. It's nice to get explanations for why Winry has a lot of piercings on one ear and why Riza has long hair. Special Episode 2 gets a perfect 10/10. Special Episode 3: The Tale of the Teacher This episode is centered on the Elric Bros.' alchemy teacher, Izumi Curtis, whose maiden name is revealed to be Harnet. Just like how Izumi herself challenged the Bros. to survive one month on an island after they asked her to be their Master, Izumi was tasked by the famous alchemist Silver Steiner to spend one month at Briggs. The island the Elric Bros. had to survive in is absolutely nothing compared to Briggs. Briggs is a snowy mountain on the north side of Amestris. Plus, the spot where Izumi is camping at is near Fort Briggs, and the soldiers there are not taking any chances with anybody they find. While this was an interesting episode to watch, everything that happened here was already said by characters in the main storyline. Izumi told the Elric Bros. that she survived one month at Briggs, and the people at Briggs spoke of a rumor about their men being attacked and robbed by a mysterious woman. Since the audience is told this information, it's very easy to see everything that happens in Special Episode 3 coming. That doesn't mean it's uninteresting. We get to see Izumi defend herself from wolves and bears, and the uncalled-for surprise she gets after completing the one month of survival. After the episode ends, the credits roll, and it reuses the triumphant music. Special Episode 3 does get somewhat a post credits scene showing a romanticization of how Izumi met her husband, Sig Curtis. After that, it shows credits again, this time with elegant sounding music with a love letter aesthetic. This was a great episode, even if half of it was easy to expect. I'll give it 9/10. Special Episode 4: Yet Another Man's Battlefield The fourth and final special episode shows Roy Mustang's past as a student at the military academy as well as his first meeting with Maes Hughes. The two even befriend an Ishvalan student named Heathcliff Erbe after defending him from racist bullies. That friendship was short lived since years later, the Ishval Civil War happens. In order for the Amestrians to win the war, all the State Alchemists including Roy were enlisted to help exterminate the Ishvalans. Roy was having literally no trouble wiping out the Ishvalans who were operating machine guns. When he went to investigate the enemies that he wiped out, he encounters Heathcliff. Heathcliff felt betrayed by the person who promised to end the discrimination. He tried to kill Roy, but Roy's pocket watch blocked the bullet. Shortly after, Maes arrives and kills Heathcliff. Roy falls into depression realizing he is literally killing people he was supposed to be protecting. As he spends a whole night gathering his thoughts and reflecting on what he's been through, Maes tells him how he does his best to swallow up his sins so he can smile in front of his future wife Gracia. When the two returned home, Roy acknowledges that Maes is stronger than him after seeing his happy reunion with Gracia. I really don't mind seeing new information about Roy and Maes, but it's really painful to watch their friendship with Heathcliff end. This is because in the main storyline, there is an Ishvalan soldier in the military name Miles. In fact, he is a Major at Briggs. You know, the snowy mountain area where the soldiers there operate on survival of the fittest. Miles joined the military in hopes of ending the wrongful discrimination of his people, which is the same reason Heathcliff entered the academy. Do you see where this is going?! For Roy and Maes to take part of the slaughter of Ishvalans without even showing an iota of guilt before seeing Heathcliff already shows they reject him. It had to take seeing him one last time for Roy to realize what on earth he is doing. Even Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong-Arm Alchemist who is very into muscles, quickly knew how wrong the war has become the moment he found a dead Ishvalan child. Also in the main storyline, Edward had an encounter with an enemy who was nothing but a suit of armor just like Alphonse. Even after dismantling the armor and winning the battle, Edward refused to deal a finishing blow on the enemy because since Alphonse is in the same state, to reject the enemy's existence means to reject his brother. The point I'm trying to make is that this final special episode is just downright insulting towards the main storyline's promotion of ending discrimination towards the Ishvalans. Plus, where was Riza when Roy was lamenting during the break time? She is his closest subordinate, and she did participate in the Ishval Civil War. Shouldn't she be by his side to share the pain and guilt? On top of all that, this episode aired over a month after the main storyline was finished. The main storyline ended on a happy ending with one of the things that happened after the final battle was the restoration of Ishval. It's honestly really stupid they decided to adapt this bonus chapter on the Ishval Civil War after the relations between Amestrians and Ishvalans begin to improve by the end of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Even though I watched these special episodes after finishing the main storyline, I really am not amused by the fact that this is what was chosen to be the last special episode. The cherry on top of this trainwreck of a special episode is that they used the triumphant music in the credits. What the heck?! It is so wrong to play that music after having to revisit this horrific genocide. It seriously should've used the sad music Special Episode 1 used. I'm sorry, but this has to be the lowest point in all of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood for me. I'm giving Special Episode 4 a 5/10. Revisiting the Ishval Civil War was just not the right call to be the last special episode. Now it's time to do the math. 7 + 10 + 9 + 5 = 31 31 / 4 = 7.75 7.75 rounds up to 8, so that's my final score for the special episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The first is simply okay, the second is excellently wholesome, the third is fun to watch, and the last one is just insulting. It's nice to see this anime have some extra content on the world and its characters.
blaavane
06/25/2021, 02:35 PM
I cant lie when i say that these are very good. I liked each of the 4 episodes, i think they are good enough to be on the actual show, however it may have been seen as filler so i dont really know what to make of it. I really liked the 3rd one, where we get a little more background on Izumi's character. How she trained and how she met her husband. Beautifully done. I also liked the twist on the first episode, you really feel bad for the alchemist and the parents. The second episode is cute because i like everything that happens in the house andthe old lady is cool but it can be skipped. Fourth episode was cool i guess.
WazThatTL
01/05/2021, 05:40 PM
Wow this was better than I expected I thought it was going to be some ok side stories for the main series but I was so wrong. Even though this was a side story I saw no drop in animation or sound value unlike alot of other movies and ovas for certain anime series. All the episodes were amazing each of them had some sort of theme and meaning to it which I liked. I got to know some more about certain charactesr such as Mustang and Curtis. Overall very enjoyable specials that certainly added some toppings to the cake. It's definitely a recommended watch once youhave finished the series FMAB series.
Tokela
02/10/2018, 03:54 AM
Four espisodes are four different stories, that the reason why it is tought to rate all of them by one mark. The second story was quite boring to me, so was the third. However 1st and, especcialy, fouth were kind of a masterpiece. After watching all of them I was so confused that I was unable to give it any rate. The specials are great mean to meet our favurite characters one more time, also to learn new things about their history. Few scences where already shown in the core series, for me it is an advantage, as it allows to place a situation inthe time frame, and it proves that this is not completely new story out of the blue. Art is the same, characters are the same, and sound is fine, so my enjoyment was pretty high. However it is not what I had expected from the story and it was not really interesting/intriguing for me. Not dropped after third only because there would be no sense in dropping last episode. I don't regret watching it and totally recommend you to watch these specials, but bear in your mind it is not a whole new story, just short pictures form the past.
NeonKazma
10/05/2012, 07:42 PM
This is a review of all 4 OVAS of FMA: Brotherhood 1. The Blind Alchemist (Score: 9 out of 10) The Blind Alchemist is about Ed and Al hearing a rumor that a state alchemist named Judas successfully made a human transmutation to save her daughter from dying and what they see is rather disturbing. The Blind Alchemist showcases more on the consequences of human transmutation and how can affect on people's lives. It's been done in other FMA episodes, but this OVA is still emotionally heartbreaking and a nice start to the OVA Collection. 2. Simple People (Score: 8 out of 10) This OVA is about Winry whodecides to pierce her ears with earrings, because of the day that she meet Hawkeye and where Edward decided to be a state alchemist to help his younger brother. This OVA is more simple, but with a very subtle message of why our reasons can be so simple rather than being too complicated and it does offer some funny hilarious moments with Ed and Winry. Not the best OVA, but still a fun one at least. 3. Chronicle Of Teacher (Score: 10 out of 10) Chronicle Of Teacher centers on Izumi, when she was 18 years old, as she finds a man named Silver Steiner to train alchemy with him. However, he says to Izumi to survive one month in the Briggs Mountain with a knife only and if she survives, she will become her apprentice. What follows is an epic journey on how she learns the meaning of "All is one and one is all" throughout the entire month and how she became the hardcore badass housewife that we all know and love. You will cheer and laugh your ass off in this OVA, cause everything that Izumi does is just crazy and she fights a fucking bear with her own two hands! Also, how Izumi and Sig first met and fall in love is priceless. This OVA is the best of the bunch and worthy of re-watching it a lot. 4. Yet Another Man's Battlefield (Score: 10 out of 10) The last OVA centers around a younger Roy and Hughes as they became the top soldiers in the military academy and getting enlisted in the Ishavlan war. This is a much darker OVA, as we see Roy becoming from a recruited soldier into a person that sees the torment of war in his own eyes. It also sees Roy actually having a friend of Ishavlan before the war. Overall, one of the darkest OVAS in the FMA franchise and a worthy look to all fans. So that's all the OVAS of FMA: Brotherhood OVA Collection and it also has 16 incredibly funny episodes of "FMA Four Panel Comic Theater" and just damn funny for all FMA fans. If your interested in seeing this OVAS, they are worth buying it to your FMA collection.
Alpharon
02/19/2012, 07:24 AM
Esta review también está en español. Fullmetal Alchemist is a mega success, specially the Brotherhood anime. Proof of that is the fact that it's ranked number 2 in this page, since who knows how many months. And, as with any successful product, OVA, specials and movies are created. Unfortunately, in most cases, these products tend to be mediocre at best, therefore, prudent consumers often face these creations with skepticism, or directly not expecting much. So, i watched Brotherhood's special with the intention of having fun, but not expecting anything great or mind blowing. I mean, four fifteen minutes long self conclusive episodes? What could you getof that?. A lot. This is one of the few cases in wich the product took me by surprise. Let's see why... Like I said, there are four episodes, each with a different story. The first episode, "The Blind Alchemist", shows us the Elric brothers arriving to a mansion, attracted by a strange rumor about Jude, the blind alchemist. Like the brothers, he also broke the taboo and tried to revive someone... but unlike Ed and Al, he was more successful... The second episode, "Simple People", is about how Ed want to give a present to Winry, so she doesn't get too mad (and by mad, I mean wrench assault) for his usual automail wrecking. So, the brothers try to buy her forgiveness with some earrings. The third episode, "Tales of the Master", is about the training of an 18 years old Izumi in Briggs. Maybe less experienced than in her adulthood, but healthier, and badass as usual, we'll see how exactly she became a legend/nightmare for the soldiers of that place. The fourth and final episode, "Yet Another Man's Battlefield", is the Mustang chapter (because, come on, could you imagine a special creation of FMA without him? That would be a commercial suicide!). Not the adult, full prepared Flame alchemist, but the 18 years old student in the military academy. We'll see his studies, his problems, and his rivalry with an equally young Maes Hughes. The interesting thing about these stories is that are so very well written, that they could be a part of the manga (or the Brotherhood anime). Episodes 2 and 3 have lots of comedic and touching moments, while 1 and 4 are more dramatic and serious. I want to highlight the first episode (my personal favorite, by the way), which touches the reason that motivates the Elrics to do what they do (you know... try to recover their bodies without dying). The animation is superb, as in the main series. The character design is excellent, changing from "normal" to "SD" in a totally normal, funny way (specially noted with Ed, Al, Winry and Izumi). The alchemy is colorful (with bolts of electricity flying in all directions, buildings structures that changes, or are directly destroyed), and the landscapes are equally beautiful and colorful (especially Risembool, with the fields, prairies and all that... Ishval, on the other hand, is quite brown, which according to the current cultural parameters, means that it's very realistic xD). The voices are the same form the Brotherhood anime, so good job there. As for the new characters the more destacable is Jude seiyuu: Show Hayami (Aizen in Bleach, Devilman in Devilman, Zarbon in Dragon Ball Z, Tokiomi Tohsaka in Fate/Zero, Archer in the first FMA series, and a long etc). The music is also the typical in FMA, although there is no opening nor ending. For any of the episodes. That's weird... but hey, not that serious (although, it would have been awesome if Yui, Asian Kung-fu Generation or L'Arc~en~Ciel were involved in this project...). So... what do we have here? A surprise and a very nice one. The episodes are truly in the league of the original creation. I cannot imagine a greater compliment. In four chapters we have comedy, action, drama, alchemy and lots of emotion (and sadly, nothing of Armstrong...). As I said before, this really looks like a part of the series, especially Izumi's training (which is mentioned in the manga) and Mustang's education. This is not recommended, this is mandatory for any fan of Brotherhood (and seeing the ranking of this page, there are a lot of them n_n). Watch this and enjoy, since high quality specials/OVAS are not that abundant... -------- Fullmetal Alchemist es un mega éxito, eso es innegable. Prueba de ello es que en esta misma pag esta rankeada número 2 desde quien sabe cuánto tiempo. Y como con todo producto exitoso, se crean OVAS, especiales y películas. Desafortunadamente, en la mayoría de los casos, estos productos suelen ser inferiores a la obra original, por lo que, los consumidores prudentes suelen verlas con cierto escepticismo, o no esperando gran cosa. Yo encare los especiales de Brotherhood de esa forma: esperaba divertirme un rato, pero no imaginaba que fuera nada del otro mundo. O sea, 4 capítulos auto conclusivos de solo 15 minutos? Que se puede esperar de tan poco?. Mucho. Este es uno de los pocos casos en el que el producto me tomo por sorpresa. Veamos por que... Como dije, hay cuatro capítulos, cada uno con una historia diferente. El primer capítulo, “El alquimista ciego”, nos muestra a los hermanos Elric arribando a una mansión, atraídos por un extraño rumor acerca de Jude, el alquimista ciego. Al igual que los hermanos, el también intento revivir a alguien... pero a diferencia de Ed y Al, el tubo más éxito. El segundo capítulo, “Gente común”, trata de cómo temiendo por las represalias de Winry por haber roto su brazo tan rápido, Ed y Al deciden comprarle a su mejor amiga unos aros, con la esperanza de apaciguar su ira (que usualmente involucra agresiones con llaves inglesas). El tercer capítulo, “Cuentos de la maestra” es sobre el entrenamiento de Izumi (de solo 18 años) en Briggs, y como fue exactamente que se convirtió en una leyenda/pesadilla para los soldados del lugar. El cuarto y último capítulo, Yet Another Man's Battlefield, es sobre los días de Mustang (personaje que no podía quedarse afuera de estos especiales, o varias cabezas hubieran rodado :P) en la academia militar, sus estudios, y su rivalidad con Maes Hughes. Lo interesante de estas historias es que no solo están muy bien escritas, si no que tranquilamente podrían ser parte del manga. Los capítulos 2 y 3 tienen sus momentos cómicos y conmovedores, mientras que el 1 y el 4 son bastante serios, sin llegar a ser dramáticos al nivel del primer anime. Particularmente quería destacar el primer capítulo, que toca de lleno la motivación de los Elric para hacer lo que hacen. El apartado técnico es impecable. La animación es soberbia, al igual que en la serie. El diseño de personajes es excelente, rotando de forma esporádica entre “normales” y chibi de forma totalmente natural. La alquimia es vistosa (con rayos de electricidad volando para todos lados, edificios que ven sus estructuras modificadas o directamente destruidos) y los paisajes son hermosos y muy coloridos (especialmente Risembool, con sus campos, praderas y todo eso... Ishval es bien marrón, lo que según los parámetros culturales actuales, significa que es realista xD). Las voces son las mismas de la serie, y cumplen de la forma que ya sabemos todos. En cuanto a los nuevos personajes, destaco a Jude, cuyo seiyuu es Show Hayami (Aizen en Bleach, Devilman en Devilman, Zabon en Dragon Ball Z, Tokiomi Tohsaka en Fate/Zero, Archer en la primer serie de FMA, más un largo etcétera). La música es también la usual de FMA, aunque no hay ni opening ni ending. Para ninguno de los capítulos. Eso es raro... pero bueno, tampoco es un problema. Así que, para redondear, que es lo que tenemos acá? Una sorpresa, y una muy agradable. Realmente estos especiales están a la altura del anime. No se me ocurre un mayor halago. A lo largo de cuatro episodios tenemos comedia, acción, drama, alquimia y mucha emoción (y, tristemente, nada de Armstrong...). Como ya dije antes, realmente parecen una parte más de la serie, especialmente el entrenamiento de Izumi (que es comentado en el manga) y la educación de Mustang. Esto no es recomendable, es obligatorio para cualquier fan de Brotherhood (y viendo el ranking de esta pag, son muchos). Véanlo y disfruten, dado que los buenos especiales/OVAS no son tan abundantes...

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Specials 鋼の錬金術師

Third DVD & Blu-ray Only Episode of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

DVD Extra Episode of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Specials 鋼の錬金術師

Third DVD & Blu-ray Only Episode of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

DVD Extra Episode of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood