Fullmetal Alchemist: An Example of the Possibilities of Animation

I cannot say, as I did years ago, that animation is a maligned art form in America. The success of Pixar, Dreamworks and the rebirth of Disney have proven me wrong. Avatar: The Last Airbender spawned The Legend of Korra—both being beloved series which address contentious and mature topics.

Still, it remains true that an animated work must be—or pretend to be—a family affair to succeed in the American market. Avatar and Korra aired on Nickelodeon and almost never show deaths on-screen. Pixar’s themes may be mature, but rarely does it show blood. Overt sexuality is unheard of.

Foreign animation, Japanese in particular, can be a treat in that it lacks these domestic limitations. I recently took the chance to watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, a series which aired in 2009-2010. Though it is “old news,” per se, it remains an example of the power of animation as a medium.

This Week On Runicfire: March 11 - 17

This Monday's round of links talk about how thinking harmless things are harmful makes you sick, the upside of pessimism and one man's experience of growing up Catholic.

Wednesday's post will be partly about how culture affects sense of time, but mostly about how any one culture's understanding of being human is woefully incomplete.

And Friday I unleash my inner fanboy and tell you why you should watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Hint: it is the greatest television animé ever made. Yes, even greater than that one.

Stay tuned. I'll see you in the week!