...or, more accurately, "the philosopher's stoned". OW! Sorry, sorry.... well, all right, I'm not sorry (seriously, I live for puns), but it's a good way to introduce my wrap-up of Fullmetal Alchemist.

All joking and inappropriate movie references aside, I loved FMA once I got into it. It was quite accomodating in that regard as well, by having some of the best cold-opening work I've seen in a long time. Introducing Al and Ed, and the world of Amestris, it works perfectly. (The movie has a similar recap which, like the opening scenes of the series, winds up being more important to the plot later on.) It just gets better fromt hen on-- once you get a feel for who these two are, taking them back to the beginning works in its favor, because their idealistic screw-ups seem more plausible and sympathetic. Put another way: If we're presented first-thing with the Elrics trying to resurrect Trisha, our perceptions of them would be changed so dramatically that it would be impossible to understand why they're searching for the Philosopher's Stone. How we see them first-- fighting for 'the right way'-- colors our perceptions of them more than we'd originally think.

That said, it's not just The Ed and Al Show-- I was amazed at how important the supporting cast was! Ordinarily, even for an extended series like this, you only have a handful of characters introduced and discarded as the plot progresses. Ed and Al didn't just attract attention, they have a veritable legion of friends, allies, and enemies who are all developed with more or less the same care. I think the series does a fantastic job of keeping everyone "in mind", and never letting you discount anyone or any possibility. Between Bradley/Pride, Greed and Marta, and Sciezka (especially Sciezka-- I particularly love that they remembered the 'aliens' joke in the movie), nobody is safe and nobody is simply who they appear to be. And even folks who died during the series get shout-outs in the film-- I laughed hysterically seeing Lyra, Scar, and Lust's analogues.

On a side note: Holy crap do I need to try to get Laura Bailey's autograph at some point. I think she's about my top voice actress right now, specifically for being able to convincingly pull off both Tohru and Lust and still sound completely natural each time. This also setting aside the fantastic job of delivery that she does, which (as mundane as this makes it sound) is now something I'm coming to expect from Funimation's dub work.

Overall, taking into account the story's digression into real-world politics with regards to "the other side of the Gate", the story doesn't lose too much sight of its core theme. Even though it's used sarcastically on more than one occasion, the motto "Alchemist, Be Thou For The People" is at the heart of the tale, and something that the pacing and the plots and subplots carry with endearing ease. The series never falls too deeply into depression or brooding, as Trigun did, nor does it fail to convey the gravity of the story, as Outlaw Star did. FMA's moved to near the top of my personal rankings-- still behind Love Hina, Azumanga Daioh, and Nadesico, but quite up there.