I did another drawing. The sketches took 1 and half hour. The coloring took almost all day.. I'm still trying to figure out Photoshop. The main concern is the skin tone is too pale for Tatsuki. I am also not sure about her boobs, I think she's bigger than Soi Fon but not as big as other Bleach's bazzongga.. At least I have basic idea how opacity and color works. I have another idea, but maybe in a few days. I have to do skripsi, hopefully I'll reach ch 4 in next week.. http://vividobscura.devian
Still not good enough.. Next will be line art, probably semi-realist..
There are a bunch of this image, but only the lineart is from Tite Kubo..
Anyway FMA : Brotherhood just ended last week. It is the best anime ever.. yes I use "EVER" there.. This is not hyperbole, it is really that good.. The original was already great but it has some flaws like Ed's mother and Izumi's kid became Homonculus, the plot plod there. Scar wasn't that well developed and the Nazis thing was weird. When they made a re-tell, I was skeptical. The original wasn't perfect but the new one could ruin the story, especially when they introduce characters from Xing. However FMA : Brotherhood became many things that the original couldn't be. As if the original was only preview on how great Brotherhood is.
The story is brilliant. The most well-written story in anime. It has very heavy subtext and mature theme like death, immortality and knowledge. The tone is still anime or manga and it has some light humor, it doesn't become bleak like Death Note and better appeal to wider audiences. The art is still anime-ish and honestly, the manga is so simple, some doesn't even have shade. This simplicity can actually be good, the characters don't have over-the-top costumes or weird hairdo, but their personality more than makes up for it.
Truly a masterpiece
And there's the characters. They are superb, not many anime or even movie or novel has this level of characters quality. If I have to make top ten best chars, I can easily make it with FMA : Brotherhood chars alone. Each protagonists have their own strengths and weaknesses which are portrayed evenly and by doing so let many characters to shine, even the antagonists. Roy Mustang is designed very simple and plain uniform, but he is one the best character, even as good as L. King Bradley, although he is Homonculus has no regret of his life, very contrast with Envy who committed suicide. I can go all day here. Bleach and Naruto have no chance.
This guy is awesome, smart, strong willpower, he could easily became the main character.
The pace just flows effortlessly. The build-up leading to Central Rebellion arc is well-written. I tbuild up the hype, the characters and sometimes have some fights and revelations to keep things moving. Many other anime become stale in build-up, but Brotherhood keep the momentum going and keep the story moving nicely. Then there is the climax. It is 16 consecutive brilliant episodes.. Let that sinks in.. 16!!!! That's one season! I kept thinking there is no way the next one would be better, but it did and it surpass any expectation and kept improving again and again.
The Central Rebellions arc is perhaps the best arc in anime, even better (slightly) than Arabasta from One Piece, simply because the build-up is shorter and the fall of villains have more impact. The fight is fluid but also fast, there is really no minute spared in Brotherhood. The movement is solid and the use of magic-like alchemy is thought and balance carefully. King Bradley fight although long but it doesn't plod, I actually want more of it. It doesn't lose focus amidst all the chaos, One Piece (Ace's Execution) could learn from this.
The villains are memorable. Only good antagonists can bring the best of the heroes.
The dubbed and OST are superb. The seiyuu puts a lot of commitment and their cry and shout are convincing. The soundtrack are probably also the best in anime. Some anime like Bleach also has some good OST, but Brotherhood OST are more consistent. Even if it's not my favorite, it still very good, perfect example of audio and video synergy. Songs like Again from Yui or Ray of Light from Shoko Nagakawa not only reflects the anime but are sung so emotionally.
Full Metal Alchemist : Brotherhood is truly an accomplishment by anime genre. It achieve what any show sought. Great story, like-able characters, fast pace, incredible audio and brilliant ending to ties all end. Other than the simple art of the manga, it is flawless. In fact, I can't find any notable weakness in the anime because the pro simply over shadow the flaw, if there is actually one. The pinnacle of anime. Rate 10/10
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