HAGANE NO RENKINJUTSUSHI: REFLECTIONS

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ANIME ActionHagane no Renkinjutsushi

REVIEWS

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  infinitely

  70/100
  Fullmetal Alchemist: Reflections is a sentimental recap of the 2003 series

  Fullmetal Alchemist: Reflections

  Series experience: I saw Brotherhood a few years ago, read the manga earlier this year, and finished the 2003 anime the day before this.

  Short review:
  Fullmetal Alchemist: Reflections is a decent recap of the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series, with heartfelt scenes and memorable OST music reminding you of the journey you took with the Elric brothers.

  Full review:

  Warning: review contains spoilers

  Given that this is just a recap, there’s not much of a plot. For a recap, it’s very run of the mill - voice-over narration is not new. Still, the voice actors did well in letting their emotions and motivations be known. Somehow, the voiceovers filled up a little bit of the unanswered questions the ending of the anime gave us.

  I think the scenes selected for the recap were pretty nice, but a lot the stronger parts of FMA (namely, the first half of the series) were not mentioned. A few parts of the story that really set the brothers on their journey were hardly discussed too - Nina was barely covered, and the 5th lab fiasco was brushed over. The whole thing wasn’t done in purely chronological order as well, so for someone who is watching this to really recap in preparation for the movie, it might be a bit confusing. Still, the way the things are cut somehow makes the entire thing more enjoyable than sitting through the whole series if there are bits you didn’t like. It included POVs from protagonists and antagonists alike, so that made things more interesting.

  Regarding the animation, it uses clips from the anime, so no complaints there. There is however a bit where we stare at a picture for like 2 minutes so that was a bit odd. Lastly, the music. I think that playing the openings and endings sporadically during the recap was a stroke of genius. It gives you the sense of fulfillment that you went through the journey together with Ed and Al, and it feels like a reminder of everything you experienced with the heroes, whether you loved the theme songs or not.

  Overall, I don’t think it is a mandatory watch as it it simply a recap, but it is a nice way of feeling sentimental when you’re missing the Elric brothers. As mentioned earlier, it's great to see this right before the movie. The movie serves as a direct sequel to the 2003 series, so this reminds us of all the things gained and lost in the duration of the series and sets us up for the emotions to come with the movie.

  Storytelling 7/10
  Animation 7/10

  Overall personal enjoyment 7.5/10

  

  Thank you for reading!

  Review for the original anime: Fullmetal Alchemist Review

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  ActionHagane no Renkinjutsushi: FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST