Comprising 51 episodes, it was produced by the animation studio Bones for Mainichi Broadcasting System and Aniplex, and directed by Seiji Mizushima.
As in the manga, the series follows the adventures of brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, who are searching for the Philosopher's Stone so they can regain the bodies they lost in a failed attempt to bring their dead mother back to life.
This led to the series deviating into an entirely original storyline direction halfway through its run, though it received audience and critical acclaim.
A second anime series, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which more faithfully adapted the entire storyline of the original manga, was broadcast in 2009.
However, the plots severely diverge from each other by the middle of the story, specifically around the time where Roy Mustang's friend Maes Hughes is murdered by the homunculus Envy in disguise.
[4] Dante, a former lover of Hohenheim [further explanation needed] and mentor to the Elric brothers' teacher, is the series' central antagonist.
Centuries ago, Hohenheim and Dante perfected methods for making the Philosopher's Stone and achieved immortality by transferring their souls and intellects into other bodies as they age.
After being revived, Edward risks his life to bring back his brother and finds himself in Munich, while Alphonse recovers his original body.
Determined to reunite with Alphonse, Edward becomes involved in rocketry research, intending to use that technology to return to his home world.
[7] The story concludes in the film adaptation Conqueror of Shamballa, in which Edward's search attracts the attention of the Thule Society, which seeks to enter his homeworld—believing it to be Shamballa—to obtain new weapons to help them in World War II.
During the development of the Fullmetal Alchemist anime, Arakawa allowed Bones to work independently from her, and requested they produce an original ending different from that of the then ongoing manga.
When watching the anime's ending, Arakawa stated that she was amazed about how different the homunculi creatures were from her manga and enjoyed how the staff speculated about the origins of the villains.
It was directed by Seiji Mizushima, written by Shō Aikawa and co-produced by Bones, Mainichi Broadcasting System and Aniplex.
[9][10][11][12] During the making of the anime, Arakawa was present in meetings to advise the staff about the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, though she did not write for the television series.
[26][27] Anime Limited now holds the rights in the UK, and they have released the series in both an ultimate and regular collector's edition Blu-Ray.
[31] A film sequel to the 2003 series, Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa, was produced by Bones and premiered in Japanese theaters on July 23, 2005.
[32] The film follows Edward Elric's attempts to return to his homeworld, having lived for two years in our world—which exists in a universe parallel to his own—while Alphonse is equally determined to reunite with his brother.
[33] The music for Fullmetal Alchemist was composed and arranged by Michiru Ōshima[34] and recorded on Mosfilm studio by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra in Russia.
[36]TV Animation Fullmetal Alchemist Original Soundtrack 1 was released on March 24, 2004, in Japan; the CD has thirty-three tracks, including several background sounds and the first opening and ending theme songs.
[53] Lori Lancaster of Mania Entertainment called the plot wonderful, and said it is "[a] bit of a tragic coming of age story mixed in with the Odyssey".