Hm? ^__^;; I can't vote anymore. Because I accidentally made that boo-boo I checked it out to see if there was a boo-boo by null-voting (perfect English people~) -___-;;

But than Vael voted for MangaAnime <___< Wise-ass. TrueAlchemist voted for undecided I think. Than there was you!

hmmm... o well... i'm thinking of pinning this thread, what do you guys think?

Pinnit.

Manga. I like the anime, but the story in the manga catches me a lot better, plus there's much more substance to it, that you can't illustrate well in the anime.

Oh, and because Bradley is a bloody haas in the manga, too.

Sorry, what's pinning?

And "a bloody haas"?

There are more Undecide than other choices.

Kase, remember "Funimation licenses FMA" thread in the FMA anime discussion forum that never leaves the top first page? that thread is pinned. so if i pin this thread, it won't leave the first page unlike regular threads.

yeah, i was thinking of pinning this thread... i haven't made up my mind yet though...

Oooh, thanks for the clarification, Chibi_Viki!

^__^;; Well, I don't know about pinning it... There hasn't been much activity here these past few days. Maybe because everybody already wrote down their answers...

And maybe this thing should be re-done. -___- Blah.

Well firstly I think we should take another poll after both the manga series and anime series is finished.

I choose the anime myself.

I've read the manga up to 38 (I know 39 is out but I've been lazy) Character development is better than the anime but from what I'm hearing the manga is going to be a looong time before completion. I don't know something about the manga rubs me the wrong way.

They're both still good though.

Chapter 39 is not out yet...

my bad I meant I've read up to 37 but too lazy to read 38

they all have their Cons and Pros
i choose manga! because it's going to last longer ~ ^^
but some of the characters look cuter in anime, i reckon (Winry excluded, i like her better in manga)

yup... me too. winry is better in the manga than anime. she's their pillar of comfort and support and it's her job to keep them going. in the anime, she's just... well, running around too much lately that she doesn't feel like such a person to comfort the brothers anymore.

i'm not saying that she shouldn't do anything... i'm just saying that at least in the manga, her moments with the brothers were truly endearing, especially with Ed.

I definately like the manga more because the creation of the homoculus seem cooler... and the fact that it doesn't have many plotholes (unlike the Anime). Winry isn't as b_tchy in the manga (just my opinion)

(plus the RoyxRiza moments! waaaah ^^ they're so cute when they're arguing...)

Yup! I especially loved the part when Riza called Roy an idiot.

Roy's reply : Aah! I know! I know! I'm an idiot!

If Havoc or anyone else called him an idiot, they'd be barbecued that instant...

hehehe, yeah... then, there are those little moments of endearment... like when Roy couldn't tell Ed about Hughes and Riza asking him why he treated them as kids only now... and in chap 24, she tells winry why she's in the military...

and then... there's the barry thing...

They both have strengths and weaknesses. I'm not gonna enumerate them, mind you, but there are plenty of reasons to pay attention to both. Though it's pretty crazy how even though they start out virtually identical, they diverge so much after a certain point.

The one thing I really prefer about the manga, though, is that the names of the homunculi make a lot more sense in context. Not much is known about Pride or Sloth at this point in the manga, but I don't get why Sloth and Wrath have the names they do in the anime.

i don't either... Bradley would've been better as Wrath. It's the like their names are just... well... names. No special meaning nor attachement to their personas. this is in the anime after all.

hmm... sloth in the manga, I wonder why he's digging....

Gonna dig me a hole
[gon' dig me a hole!]
Gonna put a nerd in it
[gon' put a nerd in it!]

LOL!

Does Arakawa-sensei's opinion weigh more than any of us? Like a 10000 block vote?

Yebyosh translated her views (from Vol 8) and posted it on a geocities page *damnit*. Luckily somone else on animesuki put it up on imagehost. I'll hotlink them here.

http://s01.imagehost.org/view.php?server=s...nga_Anime_A.jpg
http://s01.imagehost.org/view.php?server=s...nga_Anime_B.jpg

Dynamic pages not allowed in img tags, so follow the links to see the images I think...

Or you can try Yeb's geocities page (once bandwidth is restored)
http://www.geocities.com/yebyosh/plokimju.html

Looks like Arakawa-sensei will most likely be going to Europe after the movie is released.

Hello again. XD Yeah, watched the anime up to episode 45 already, so I can answer the question.

Undecided.

Yeah, I'd have to agree with a lot of people here. The anime and manga both started out so similarly, but they ended up branching in completely different directions. What scared me about the anime is how well they managed to keep the mood of the original manga while turning the story inside out. But another thing about the anime is that it's playing the story out with the same characters as the manga, but some have larger or smaller roles. That way you see all the character more.

Story-wise, I like the manga more. Less plot holes, and not as much to keep track of. I also like the manga more in the respect of the explanation of what really happened to the brothers at the gate. This explanation was really philosophical and... scary. (Trying to avoid spoilers.)

The anime changed that whole part, but that explanation was more emotional. What I did like about the anime was the explanation of the homunculi. They created a really heavy scenario with one of the brothers' enemies being not only someone who looks just like their mother, but something THEY brought about themselves.

One obvious thing I like about the anime over the manga is the voice-acting. All the voices are so rediculously fitting, especially Ed's. (I refuse to watch the dub. -.-) On the topic of Winry, I actually like both versions. While she could be more supportive in the anime, I like her having a larger role. I only regret that in the anime, we don't see her chasing Ed around with a chain-saw every time he busts his arm. XD

But when it comes down to it, both are amazing. You can enjoy one without the other, but I highly recommend both, just to get both views. Both have the same mood and similar morals, and both have an uncanny ability to be funny in completely serious situations. Maybe my oppinion will change once the anime ends, but until then, I'm with the undecideds.

...Gomen nasai about the long post. And yay! The poll's fixed. =P

Undecided.

Two days ago I would 100% say - manga!, but now I don't know.

Actually I've seen only 6 eps. of anime, so I can't decide properly which is better. Of course I liked manga more, because the whole story was given to me by manga and it was the best story i've ever read.
But because I haven't truly seen anime - haven't seen how manga and anime started to differ, I can't decide.

well, if i had seen only 6 eps of the anime, and read the manga at the same time, i would also say: undecided

but then, since i've seen up to ep 45 and chap 38 (WHEEEEEEE!!) i finally came to a conclusion that the manga is WAY better.

why? the story and plot, that's why. by the time you reach episode 30+, you'll start to doubt the anime as well. then by ep 40+, you'll gradually feel annoyed. well, this is ofcourse, provided that you also read the manga.

i don't know, it just feels like the anime has become "commercialized". the manga's plot and story has kept its integrity. it is solid and well defined so far. (and the best for me is the homonculous... i was really shocked when i read chap 38!). the anime is now starting to fill with plotholes.

only a few eps to go!

i like animes, but i also like mangas in a different sort of way...

let me say: "no animes without mangas"^^

The anime actually has a better artwork compared to the manga and has a plus point in that it's not so slapstick like the manga is. But then the manga is much more logical in many ways.

yea, it's mainly cause of the commercializing of these series in TV in order to reach a wider range of viewers...

well, no, not really... some anime start on their own w/ a manga sequel later like Vandread... some are from video games like Star Ocean EX... and some anime are totally independent w/o manga.

and tons of manga never make it to anime... u.u

i like the slapstick in the fma manga... and the story so far is just so riveting, i'm at the edge of my seat just reading them! have you guys read chapter 38 yet?! good grief, Lust is scary!

the revelation of wrath in the manga was also jaw-dropping... even if i already knew who he was, i was still surprised!

compared to what's happening to the anime now... the return of: the tringham brothers, nina, archer is still not dead... and soon to come, maybe even that idiot yoki. have you guys read the ep 47 spoiler thread? yeesh, i've started to lose interest in the anime even more. i'm just waiting for RxR moments if there ever will be.

Neon Genesis Evangelion started as Anime too and was released as manga after..^^^^

and some games have manga sequels like Genso Suikoden 3.

then... there are the doujinshis, but that's a whole other thing ^^

Personally, I prefer the manga. I love Ed's reaction whenever he runs into Armstrong! I was sad when Al started punching/hitting people in the anime when he was unsure of himself. XD He seems like such a idi in the anime. Besides, the manga is original! V^_^V

What's that?

Uhm, I thinks that's supposed to be an idiot

I've read the manga and watched the anime- everything thats available to now.

My answer: THe anime blows the manga away.

To me, everything in the Manga felt, well, rushed. Hughes was only around for an issue or two before he died, and I had no time to get attached to him. When he died in the anime, it was a shock.

The Nina storyline was also handled much better in the anime. Same way as Hughes- I didn't have any time to get attached to the charecter before she died.

Scar has been mostly absentee from the Manga, and his introduction felt kinda rushed as well- as did the introduction to Armstrong.

Greed's storyline just, well, sucked in the manga. THe only positive part I can pull from that is that the Bull and Hound human chimeras (whos names I cant remember) got a little bit more charecterization, while Martel was just kinda shoved aside. Greeds death was just kinda lame, and he didn't come across as nearly as a good a charecter as he did in the Anime.

Izumi too seemed absentee and not fleshed out very well. IN the Anime, her entire storyline with Wrath was very well done.

I will give the Manga this: BARRY THE CHOPPER RULES! Oh and Slicers death was handled better too.

Oh, and one last note: I think 'Pride' befits Manga 'Wrath' a lot better. I mean, who better for someone who is Prideful then to be the President/Fueher/Whatever? Wrath also seems very, well Wrathful. Sloth is the only one who doesn't quite fit her name, but it still works.

For his death, Hughes was out of character in the anime. For the most intelligent person in the group, he willingly and knowingly walked into a trap without backup or leaving any crucial information behind for anyone. In the manga, he was cornered, the homunculus went to kill him. He didn't go to get killed. The death of Hughes in the anime is plagued with holes on Hughes' character.

Greed is not supposed to be a good guy. Seems like people these days want everyone in the series to be some sort of good guy, even the most evil of people. "Look!!! I'm the guy who raped your wife and ate your kids but I'm so kind to the poor people and my idiotic troops. So I must be a good guy!" The anime Greed felt pumped up for just that effect.

The Pride/Wrath issue is laughable. Just because someone is the ruler of the country, he must be a proud ass. FYI, Ed is the proudest shit in the whole series currently for his inability to freely admit his own mistake to others ("Shut up! Al"), as well as the inability to judge people on their real purpose rather then constantly berating them for his prejudices against them (poor Roy). Just because the Fuhrer goes around with an emotionless face and with a high rank, people think he is proud?! Good grief...

Manga plzzzzz. D::

I'm with Guest on the Ed's Pride issue. Ed is the one who goes around trying to tell people what's right and wrong not thinking about how he committed a crime of Alchemy - which is why his little brother is stuck in a suit of armor and he has metal body parts. Of course, then again, Ed is still just a Kid who thinks he's the shit, so his vanity of self is understable because of his age. Ed's reaction to people calling him short is also a good, and commonly seen, example of his Pride.

And Greed... he was pretty funny in the manga. I actually prefer him in the manga because his awesome amount is +100000%.

The reason why Greed has a "story" in the anime is because animators like to do things like take random characters who have little/no significance in the original medium (Kimbley is an excellent example of this - he's in the manga for like two seconds whistling like a madman in Prison) and make them hardcore stuff in what they're adapting the original medium too. Another good example of this is in the TV version of Animal Farm, the farm dog Jessie was made the main character for no reason at all, and in the movie Troy, Briseis - who was in the Iliad for like a minute - was made a huge character just because... who knows? =/

Im not sure I buy that. It been a while since I watched that episode, but Im virtualy positive he had no clue he was walking into a trap. It might have been a dumb decision (which everyone makes occasionaly) but that hardly a plauge of plot holes. And notice by-the-way I did not talk about the death itself- I talked about my attachment to the charecter PRIOR to his death. Which you can't deny, the anime accomplished better.



So, umm, who exactly are you talking to with that quote? Me?

Because I didn't say anything remotly close to that. I said he was a good CHARECTER. Not a Good Guy. I dont want him running up the tree to save the kitten. For goodness sake, learn the diffrence between wanting a well-written, well-played beleievable, and maybe even sympathetic charecter, and a 'good guy'.



So, did I offend all your dictator freinds with that statement? So what makes you think the person in power would be wrathful instead, hmmm?

Think of it this way. If your main fault was Pride and you were in the human army, would your Pride allow you to be anything less then in full control of everything? THATS why he makes sense for being Pride.

And where did I say Ed wasn't Pridefull? Man, your grasping at straws trying to tear my argument apart... Sorry buddy, you failed this time,.

I'm with the person a few posts above me who likes Greed in the manga. LOL, I like the part when they think Al's bro is dead and they're all trying to cheer him up.

Oh, right, of course! Thanks, Ninie!



Hmm, they didn't have that scene in the anime, did they? One of the best Greed & co. scenes. That and the part where they wouldn't leave Greed, instead helped fighting Bradley in the sewers.

Also. I agree that the storyline in the manga is pretty rushed so that we don't get attached to the characters. However, I feel the way the anime makes the Nina episode set in the past is no good. If Scar had been around since then with the goal of killing State Alchemists, then why wasn't he done in 3 years and... stuff? I don't know, but for some reason I don't like that Ed had to be so young when he faced all that.

A few more things I kind of like about the manga:
- Al isn't seriously a goody two shoes. In the manga, Al is not always oni-san this oni-san that and can sometimes be evil.
- The deaths aren't made so serious. In the anime Hughes's death is so dramatic, but in the manga he's there with wings attached on his back being happy at the end of the chapter.
- Barry the Chopper is actually fun and not annoying!

Finally, Ed in the anime is one of those people who like to act tough but have the heart of a gold. In the manga he's more evil, and frankly, I think that's how a teenage boy is supposed to be like.

Lol that part OWNED.

"My brother... isn't here anymore."
"... o_O"
*group huddle*
"Uhhh, did I say something wrong?"
"He's still 14, he's still probably very fragile about it."
"Uhhh, geez, HANG IN THERE KID *_*"
"... why are they all talking as if brother is dead? ;_;"

Then later,
"Your master is really strong. =D"
"... th-thanks? ;_;"

I agree with the Guest that Ed is more like a realistic teenage boy in the manga... Like when he makes the spear and fakes out Bradley for his Alchemist test.

Teenagers have this thing about "making impressions..." like there's this girl in Spanish class, who just HAS to raise her hand everytime and speak the LOUDEST of everyone in class. She's obnoxious, vain of her intelligence, and tries to get people to ignore the fact she's a Freshman by acting like she's the shit. D;

Greed's death is more 'him' in the manga. He goes down still laughing like a mainiac, unlike the anime which he becomes goody-two-shoes, which was OCC.

Alphonse isn't just plain DUMB in the manga, at least he can get himself out of tight corners...



BY ignoring her completely, she'll stop... it works

Hmmm, I think both the anime and manga have a realistic view of how a boy Ed's age would act. Strange and contradictive, but yeah that's what I think.

Heh, I'm still waiting for the part where Ed cries his heart out. (in the manga, I mean)

Hey, I just read more of the manga and it gives me more reason to like it even more. Though I don't like that certain people who in the anime don't die do die here, in the manga Envy is much vulnerable. LOL. There are times in the anime when he appears so arrogant I just wanna slap him... and it's so satisfying to see him whimpering there.

i prefer the manga but get confused sometimes becos watching the animae at the same time too.
btw are there additional main characters in the animae but not present in the manga. like the child from the gate???

People in the anime but not in the manga
- Dante, Lyra, anime Wrath, the people from Xenotime (i.e. thr Tringham brothers), episode 4 (Klaus and the puppet making alchemist), episode 10 (Psiren and gang) and anime Sloth (Trisha Elric was in the manga though)

The human form of Barry the Chopper is also different. Anime human Barry = skinny ass twerp. Manga human Barry = ugly looking strong stocky brute (although it is the decomposing state we saw )

the Tringham brothers are not in the manga... but Arakawa-sensei did make a novel about them.

Actually she 'presented' the novel and drew some sketches for it but the story was not written by her.