Fullmetal Alchemist, or FMA Brotherhood are hailed as the best anime series in all existence. The concept of Equivalent Exchange is a big part of this anime’s appeal and philosophical moments.
I like this about FMA.
Still, you’re NOT allowed to argue against FMA being God’s gift because if you do, the fanboys come crawling out of their caves to bash your head into the ground.
Either way, I don’t feel Fullmetal Alchemist is the best anime series the way some describe it, despite me thinking it’s a decent series regardless of this post.
Let’s talk about anime shows I know are better than Fullmetal Alchemist.
Here’s a list.
1. Akame Ga Kill
Akame Ga Kill is the quiet masterpiece few are willing to say out loud. The anime space is a judgmental place, and people don’t like being criticized or piled on Twitter for their views.
Still, Akame Ga Kill is better than Fullmetal Alchemist.
For one, Akame Ga Kill doesn’t hold anything back in the realism department. It has fantasy-ish elements, but it brings you back down o earth a lot and paints a true to life picture of violence, murder, corruption, and injustice.
FMA does this too but not to the degree Akame Ga Kill does it.
Also, the action is more fluid and engaging, a result of Studio White Fox who is also known for Jormungand and Re:Zero.
Akame Ga Kill’s stand-out features are also why some don’t like it (characters getting killed off, etc).
2. Code Geass
Code Geass is another masterpiece I feel deserves the title, unlike Fullmetal Alchemist which Code Geass is better than.
Lelouch Lamperouge is a guy who plays chess with others and finds himself at death’s door once the Britannia empire threatens his life and homeland.
He, among the elevens, are slaves. Eleven is a term for the Japanese assigned to a certain designated area,
After Lelouch gets his hands on the power of Geass moments before potential death, the strategic elements of this anime comes to life. And the military aspects are nothing like any other anime can compare.
Including Fullmetal Alchemist.
You’ll hate, love, and hate characters right before loving them again. The writing is sharp.
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3. Fate Zero
Fate Zero isn’t an anime I hear enough shouting about in 2023 and beyond. But it doesn’t mean the anime isn’t respected and praised.
First of all, it’s the best Fate series going. No Fate series is better than Fate Zero, including unlimited blade works.
Second, the world of FATE is more interesting than Fullmetal Alchemist, and a lot more compelling once it starts to catch steam and speed up its train.
Action, visuals of course, characters, and progression – this anime can be conflicting at times but ultimately delivers in ways NO Fate series has done to this day.
Or any anime by Ufotable like Demon Slayer which doesn’t compare to either.
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4. Violet Evergarden
Violet Evergarden is a slice of life masterpiece. It’s like a new masterpiece follow-up to Clannad which came out around 2006.
It’s emotional, sad, romantic, and deep. It expresses the emotions of its characters so realistically it feels like you’re experiencing it as you watch it.
The realistic episodes and scenarios feel so strong it’s like each episode is in slow motion, or it lasts a lot longer than you expected it to.
Violet’s journey to finding out what “I love you” means is so simple and yet how it plays out is mastery.
5. Magi: Labyrinth Of Magic
Magi is an underrated magic franchise that has its own manga that needs to be adapted for a 3rd season of the anime.
First, there’s the ex-slave Morgiana. She’s from the race called “Fannalis” who are an enslaved people, mostly, or come from it.
Their race is based on Africans and even their homeland “the dark continent” is taken from the same offensive name given to a certain part of Africa.
You then have Alibaba, a blonde guy who has his own set of troubles despite his upbringing, associations, and other things that make the story light up.
Then there’s Aladdin, the special kid, who brings everyone together.
Good mix of emotions, comedy, action, and character development few Shounen can compete with (including Fullmetal Alchemist).
6. Monster
Monster is the kind of anime that starts off slow and might scare a lot of people away. But if you stick it out it starts to get better than just good.
It becomes a masterpiece in its own right. I almost gave it a 10/10.
Set in a more realistic world than Fullmetal Alchemist, this psychological series is bout Kenzo Tenma, a doctor and surgeon who saves the life of a kid. Only to realize that kid is a serial killer 10 years later.
Guilt washes over him, and he hunts down this kid called Johan Liebert in an attempt to stop him and deal with his own guilt. But his pursuit morphs into more than just that.
Monster, as the name implies, is about the monster in all of us (potentially). The series has a lot of layers, with madness being one of them.
7. D. Gray Man
D. Gray Man is an anime that is much better in its first big season (100+ episodes or so) compared to its newer season with drastically changed visuals.
On the basis of that, D. Gray Man isn’t much better than Fullmetal Alchemist as a whole. They’re quite similar in quality (not a bad thing).
Alen Walker grows up with a father figure who trains him and makes him who he is today, but he has an awkward relationship with the man.
In his childhood, he was forced to kill someone he loved, and after doing so, his eye and arm were cursed. And now he uses this same eye and weapon to kill off and exorcise spirits that have been cursed (after feeding on humans).
D. Gray Man deserves more credit and could benefit from a new remake all together.
8. Full Metal Panic
Full Metal Panic is an anime series that starts off slow, with its first season not being the best in the franchise. The 2nd season drastically improves, and the 3rd season maintains a lot of that quality with different visuals (different studio).
The light novel is one of the best-selling of all time to this day.
Sousuke Sagara is an Asian man who was a child soldier, and has an uncomfortable amount of knowledge and skill on the battlefield and when it comes to guns and military weapons.
His mission is to protect Kaname Chidori, a special girl who’s being targeted by terrorists. Sousuke works for MYTHRIL, an independent anti-terrorist group that operates all over the world.
He’s naive when it comes to romance, and has no street smarts when it comes to living like a normal person since his wife has been anything but normal.
This is what makes FMP comedic and hilarious when it’s not being too serious or intense.
9. Eureka Seven
And finally, the last anime better than Fullmetal Alchemist is Eureka Seven, This is a mystery anime that goes slightly unnoticed when talking about mecha anime and the best ones out there.
Renton Thurston is bored and wants more excitement in his life. Once he meets a girl called Eureka, who he falls for, he goes to live with her and the man who runs the big massive “Gecko” spaceship.
These random events are slowly explained and make sense in hindsight, and though the plot starts slow, it gets gradually better and by the end of the anime, you’re left with questions while still being satisfied with the outcome.
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