Fullmetal Alchemist (Cartoon Network)

common sense media says

Plot-heavy sci-fi anime can get quite violent.


parents & educators say
  • 46% say violence is an issue
  • 31% say language is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this dense, complicated anime series -- which airs as part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup and is based on the popular Japanese comic (it was voted the most popular cartoon of all time in Japan in 2005 and 2006) -- can be quite violent. There are some brutal deaths, executions, and a serial killer who carves up women. The violence is by far the strongest content; language is generally on the mild side ("damn," "hell," etc.), and there's not much sex, drinking, or consumerism to worry about. It's worth noting that the complex story line requires a fair amount of foreknowledge and commitment to keep up with -- this is more of a long-term investment than a show to drop in and out of casually.

Positive messages: Ed and Al are essentially good people trying to do the right thing. But they live in a very violent world.
Violence: A serial killer targets and "carves up" women; beatings, brutal deaths, executions.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Frequent use of words like "damn" and "hell."
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Some soldier characters smoke.

More on Fullmetal Alchemist

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

Families can talk about the appeal of long-running anime series with complicated mythologies. What draws people into these shows? Do you have to start at the beginning to really understand it, or can you catch up? What do these types of shows have in common? Families can also discuss one of the series' central themes -- the idea of "Equivalent Exchange." Is the idea -- that to obtain anything, something of equal or greater value must be lost -- realistic? How does it apply (if it does) in real life?

What's the story?

What's the story?

When their mother succumbs to a terminal illness, young brothers Edward (voiced by Vic Mignogna) and Alphonse (Aaron Dismuke) try to bring her back to life by learning the secrets of alchemy (in their world, alchemy means transmuting any matter from one form into another). But their attempt fails, leaving Edward with a prosthetic left arm and left leg, and Alphonse's soul transferred into a hulking suit of armor. FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST follows the brothers as they try to get their natural bodies back. To become the youngest "state alchemist" in history, at the age of 12, Edward proves that he can "transmute" matter without the assistance of ancient symbols, spells, or tools. Now as a state alchemist, he is afforded the ability to locate and retrieve the Philosopher's Stone, which can help him and Al return to their previous normal bodies.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Fullmetal Alchemist is an extremely complicated series that will probably sail over the heads of most kids. Parents of teens should consider the very mature subject matter -- for example, a serial killer who carves up young women, an assassin who believes himself to be the tattooed messenger of God, and a political leader whose first name is "King" but whose title is "Fuhrer." All this goes to explain why the show airs as part of the Cartoon Network's late-night Adult Swim lineup.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: TV-PG
Network: Cartoon Network
Cast: Aaron Dismuke, Travis Willingham, Vic Mignogna
Genre: Science Fiction
Where to watch: Cartoon Network

This review was written by Scout Davidson
 
 

Review It

 

Review Fullmetal Alchemist





Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
 

What parents & educators say

13
Based on 13 parent & educator reviews:
  • 46% say violence is an issue
  • 31% say language is an issue

Most useful reviews by all members

Miwa-Sempai
teen, 16 years old
 
Wonderful anime!
I think this is the only anime in which I actually like the main character! It's a wonderful series, one that really has me hooked. (I've been watching the Japanese version, which is probably a lot bloodier and more iffy, so my review will be a little off.) The show is on in the middle of the night, so there's really no reason little children would watch. The show's perfectly fine for 13+. The series touches on religion a lot in the Japanese version. A man kills other people frequently because he believes it's "God's will," and believes himself to be God's messenger. The main enemies are named after the Seven Deadly Sins (Envy, Lust, Gluttony, etc). The main characters, Edward and Alphonse, are aetheists (as with all the other alchemists), and they openly admit it and wear their aetheism as a badge of pride. Believers in God are ridiculed a lot. In this series, God really doesn't exist. (Again, reduce the religious themes by half and you'll probably have the English version.) Violence is the same as every other anime: punching, shooting, mild blood, etc. As with other animes, morality is questioned and twisted a lot, and there really isn't a line between good actions and evil actions. Plus, one character (rightfully named Gluttony), is a cannibel and one third of what comes out of his mouth is "Can I eat him/her/them?" After asking, he usually proceeds to eat him/her/them after recieving stares from his teammates. (It's always just implied though, the most it shows is somewhat bloody remains of who Gluttony ate. Its not as bad as it sounds.) There's also mild swearing. That pretty much covers all the profanity. Honestly, anyone who watches Bleach or Death Note should watch this. It's very good!

animefreak00
kid, 11 years old
 
execlent show,if you can take violence.
this is one of my favorite anime titles.it can be very depressing and scary sometimes,but it has a great plot.the show can be heavy on violence,but it doesn't exeed(umm did i spell that right?) the Princess Mononoke level (which is the most i can handle for violence).only sex bothers me a bit.in episode ten i ,Edward must fight this thief named Psiren,and while he's fighting,he accidently touches one of her "things"(i feel EXTREMELY uncomfterble saying the acutal word for it).Otherwise,this is a wonderful show.

mathgirlie
teen, 14 years old
 
Absolutely amazing! Best anime EVER!
Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most complex anime series that I've seen/read in a long time. Not only will you get completely lost if you don't see/read it in order, beginning to end, but the plot twists are so heavy that sometimes you think your head is spinning trying to keep up--not that that's a bad thing! Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse are trying to find the Philosophers stone so they can get their original bodies back--after trying and failing to bring their mother back to life, Ed was left without a right arm or left leg (although his next door neighbor, Winry, fixed that by giving him 'Automail' limbs that, frankly, the idea of which fascinates me), and Alphonse became a soul trapped inside a ginormous suit of armor, which sometimes can be quiet comical when his appearance is compared to his personality. The series is somewhat violent, but nothing compared to other series's, like Bleach, for example. I highly recommend both the books and the show if you're into the bionic limbs/magic/slightly geeky science sort of thing!

TV-14lv
parent of 14 year old
 
Good anime
Fullmetal Alchemist is a really great anime. The storyline is very original and really good. The only problem is the violence. There is a lot of and violence in this series, so some kids might get scared or disturbed. If you are around 15, 16, or 17, it’s probably okay. If you get easily scared, this is probably not the anime for you. But if you’re not sensitive to blood or violence, then I would recommend this anime. The language is very mild. They might say stuff like da*mn or h*ll. I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars.

NarutoRocks13
kid, 12 years old
 
Not for Kids!
I loved this show, but i only watched 2 full episodes. The 2nd episode creeped me out w/ the cannibal guy.

fallingwithstyle
teen, 16 years old
 
Love it!
This anime is extremely complicated, and therefore incredibly fun to watch! There is some language in the Japanese version, as well as the manga, that I would never even think about using, but other than that, and the violence, it's excellent!

marhardin
teen, 17 years old
 
Yes. 13+

Mespia
teen, 14 years old
 
Amazing show, if a bit violent
Fullmetal Alchemist is an interesting show with a great plotline and plenty of twists and turns. It's exciting with lots of action. This action does get a bit on the violent side. Okay, a lot. People get murdered without a second thought, in a number of cruel, in detail ways. Blood frequently spurts out from people's bodies. If you don't like seeing people die (over and over again) then this probably isn't something you'd want to watch. Language is mild, and probably not a particular concern, unless the children watching are young. Other than that, this show is really great.

FullmetalAlche ...
teen, 15 years old
 
i Think it Should e for 13 years And Up;)
I Am Personally Right Now 13 Years old and i saw this show "fullmetal alchemist on Adult swim when i was 10 or so and i i thought i should change the channel because it started out very violent in the episode and Like it would be more of an adult show. but 3 years later i discovered to the show and i dont think its much of a big deal for 13 year old and above it had No Sexual Content in it And no drugs or nothing just occasionally u see soldiers smoking cigarettes but thats about it. I Reconmend The Show Also Because it sets out a positive message. And Teaches u Something More or less.

KinbJune
teen, 13 years old
 
Fullmetal Entertainment
This is obviously one of those cliche Shonen Jump shows. The basic story is about a hero and his little sister trying to survive, nothing too special. It is captivating, like many shows made by Shonen Jump. This can be scary at times, but it's not too scary. Also, this story moves VERY slowly. Shonen Jump usually takes a very long time to complete a show, which I admire because it shows that he has creativity. The only thing I don't like is the thing I think we all dread known as Fillers. They are very annoying and take up a whole season, but it's kind've like New Coke. They gave you something crappy, so you want the old thing even more.

xOAnim3Fr3akOx
teen, 14 years old
 
the best! ^_^
this is a very goood anime, and i read the manga. It can be quite blooody and gruesome...

paulhiggins
parent of 12 year old
 
FMA focuses heavily on revenge.
My 10 year-old son was introduced to it by a 12 year-old friend. I think that it is a bit strong for my son's age (he will be 11 in July). But I do not want to forbid it. I have watched two episodes with him and we talk about the "revenge" components of the story. I try to use it to express our family values related to conflict resolution and try to emphasize the difference between how fictional stories are told and how real life works.

phinbella1
teen, 14 years old
 
Good for ages 11 and up
its a thoughful story about 2 boys who hav lost their mother it shows what u can do when u put ur mind to it. P.S its funny when edward flips out! lol

floop
kid, 13 years old
 
Best evah!!!
This is probably my favorite anime of all time.But it's not like Naruto where you can randomly watch it and cut out for a month then come back and still know what's going on.You have to stick to it.Can't do that,then watch it online.Very in-depth and complicated,reason 1 why it wouldn't be ok for little kids.Language not a problem,mostly h*** and d***, maybe a s**t once or twice.No probs with sex at all.Violence is probably biggest concern,a lot of blood.But on a lighter note,none of it is exessive violence.Just enough fights that it keeps you interested, not so much that it's unneccecary and every other scene is violent.Also, some parents might be concerned about religious stuff.Ed's an atheist, and some of the main characters are named after the seven deadly sins.Overall,this is a GREAT anime, with likeable characters and a cool plot.

AnimeFreak200
kid, 13 years old
 
Epic!!!!!!!!
This anime is awesome,but it can get very gruesome and violent at some point. The plot is great and epic.There are some foul language,but not as much as a regular day in your middle school. Anyways, I would recommend this for people 12 and up.

screenname911
teen, 15 years old
 
older kids can handle but can be violent
this is a fantastic show and i would recommend it to anyone

ParranormalHour
teen, 18 years old
 
Sorry but everything you think is so bad really isn't
okay this show is bloody but it is fake. They don't even use what i say would qualify as swear words.(Note if it is the bible it isn't swear word FYI) So next smoking okay really he doesn't really smoke and they constantly tell him how bad it is so anything else i didn't think so.

AnimeAelita
teen, 17 years old
 
Awesome show!!!!! ^_^
FullMetal Alchemist is great! Yes, it is fairly violent, & yes there are a few bad words...But that point about that serial killer that carves up women..Well - they never show that - they never show the bodies or anything - so I really do not know why that is listed at all... I have watched the entire series three times, & the only thing that I think isn't that great is the violence...Since lots of parents don't want their kids to watch too many violent things. For me it's not an issue, I love action/sci-fi/fantasy/comedy stuff like this - so I definatly rate it 5stars! ^_^ There are a LOT of hilarious jokes [no bad or adult jokes] & it's super funny when Ed flips out when people call him "short" ^_^

Notbob
teen, 14 years old
 
THE BEST ANIME EVER! :D
This series would be better for older kids, but some episodes the only concern is language. It's pretty gory but the storyline is pretty good above all. It might be too complicated for younger audiences. I'd say kids could watch it at age 11, if their mature enough to handle it. It's a good, hard- core anime that everyone will love. It has a good mixture of comedy and action. It's not really a show for Shoujo fans.....

 
I was first told about the anime at 14. At the time i turned off by the tampering with souls. However I saw the first few eps and seen the movie not to long ao. I have this to say. There are some frightfulland violent moments. such as flash backs to the events that set the series in motion. the event caused Ed to lose an arm and a leg and also sent Al's soul into a suit of armor. however dispite the dim siduation the two still manage to act like typical brothers. some times its hard to remeber that Al isnt in the armor that it is just a medium. There is some swaring but it isnt random and for no reason. some of the other military smoke and there is a couple drinking refences. Ed knows hes done wrong and wants to return his brother to normal. Ed doesnt care if it will cost his own life.

An independent voice for families
Age-appropriate reviews
 

vote now

Will you see Fullmetal Alchemist?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors


About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age