Fullmetal Alchemist (2003 series) Parts 1 & 2 (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray 2020 Ver.) Unboxing

Fullmetal Alchemist (Hagane no Renkinjutsushi) is a 2003 television anime series based on Hiromu Arakawa’s manga of the same name. It was adapted into an anime by studio Bones with director Seiji Mizushima, writer Shō Aikawa and published by Aniplex. The series first broadcast in Japan on October 2003 as part of the Autumn 2003 anime season.

Background:

“In an era of war and corruption, State Alchemist Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse desperately search for the Philosopher’s Stone. The legendary artifact is their last hope to restore what they’ve lost – but how far will they go to get it?

From the ashes of their childhood, Edward and Alphonse quickly rise to fame within the ranks of the military, realizing along the way that the power to create is only ever a breath away from the power to destroy. And whether they’re up against monsters, madmen, or military officials, the bond these brothers share will be the greatest weapon they have in the fight for their lives.”

Plot Synopsis via Anime Limited, June 2020.

Fullmetal Alchemist is a series that really needs no introduction. It was one of the biggest anime and manga titles that got many people interested in this particular medium and it does the job really well. It’s a great manga and had an amazing adaptation. Now saying that, the series did in fact receive two different adaptations and I have only watched the second one known as Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Long story short, when the first adaptation aired in 2003, Fullmetal Alchemist ran into a problem that a lot of anime had when they adapt an existing manga or light novel – the source material was running out of content for adapting. Many anime tend to suffer from this issue, but the creator herself stepped in and provided an alternate ending that would wrap up the anime series. Ideally original routes are usually a bad thing, but surprisingly the overall reception for the 2003’s original conclusion was quite well-received from what I have heard over the years.

That being said, many folks tend to stick with the second adaptation; Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, because it adapts the manga from beginning to end. However, the original 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series does share its own benefits that the other lacks, and that is down to the adaptation of the earlier parts of the source material. The 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series takes a regular normal pace, while Brotherhood tries its best to fast-track all of that just to get to the content that wasn’t adapted yet.

So overall, both series are worth taking a look at. However, in terms of the licensing side of things, it’s where for many it can be a bit of an issue. Fullmetal Alchemist is an Aniplex title, so that means home video is going to be messy. Funimation once had the license for many years until July 2016 where they were unable to reprint their sets any further for the series, in fact they just managed to release a Blu-ray version in September 2015 so there was roughly 9 months for US fans to get their hands on a Region A affordable release. I also own the US release after it went on sale at one point from Amazon Canada. While the license reverted back to Aniplex of America and was made available for streaming, the series hasn’t been on home video ever since.

However, in the United Kingdom it’s a weirder note. Funimation did have UK rights for Fullmetal Alchemist though it was eventually sent into limbo after they kept switching distributors. Revelations Films released the series on DVD and since then, it never came back not even though Manga Entertainment. In December 2015, Anime Limited announced they have acquired the UK & Ireland rights for the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series, but they did not acquire either the OVAs or the film that continues the story known as Conqueror of Shamballa.

Anime Limited released the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series in two versions in November 2016; an ultimate edition that has an actual replica of the Gate of Sin which weighs enough to kill a postman, and a two-part collector’s edition set that were included inside the former. The ultimate edition sold out pretty fast which is good for the distributor considering it had a £300 SRP tag, while the collector’s editions sold out over time.

Aniplex being Aniplex, a standard edition was not allowed but Anime Limited was able to offer a different version in June 2020 that is closer to being a standard edition but still comes with the collector’s edition packaging altogether.

Collector’s Edition Contents:

With all of the context now out of the way, Anime Limited’s 2020 variation of the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series is similar to the packaging of the Mobile Suit Gundam and Plastic Memories sets.

Still split into two parts, the first part comes with a rigid box to house the Amaray cases, while the second part includes a booklet that can also be slotted in with the others. The booklet is 36 pages long and includes content that was featured in the ultimate edition release’s massive artbook.

The first part also has a slipcase that covers the information of the show as well as the logos like the BBFC.

Both parts received 1000 units in total for a £59.99 SRP each. Considering this is Aniplex we’re talking about, I have no clue if a standard edition would be possible even if this particular set does sell out.

Physical Contents:

• Part 1: Rigid Box with Amaray case and clean artwork
• Part 1: Slipcase for Product Desc. & BBFC details
• Part 2: 36-page Booklet

On-Disc Contents:

Distributor: Anime Limited
Released: 15th June 2020 (Part 1), 20th July 2020 (Part 2)

The 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series was released in two parts as mentioned earlier, so the first part includes episodes 1-27 across three Blu-ray discs while the second part includes episodes 28-51 across three Blu-ray discs; both are using the Funimation encode. The audio options available include the main Japanese language with English subtitles and the Funimation English dub.

I should clarify that this series is presented as an upscale and while Funimation & Anime Limited both mention “SD Remaster” it’s not one of Funi’s in-house works (considering that every other Funimation release that mentions SD Remaster is generally referring to their own in-house upscale work instead).

The discs feature white subtitles that are locked during playback while the regions are locked to B for Blu-ray players. Marathon mode is available for all six discs if you wish to watch each episode and skip the opening/closing sequences.

Blu-ray Specs:

Languages	English, Japanese
Audio	English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0
Video	1080p Standard Definition Upscale format 4:3 aspect ratio
Region	B
Subtitles	English
Locked Subtitles	Yes
Discs	Part 1: 3 BD-50s Part 2: 3 BD-50s

Blu-ray On-Disc Extra Features:

Disc 3:

• English Dub Audio Commentaries for Episodes 19 & 25

Disc 6:

• English Dub Audio Commentary for Episode 51
• The Transmutation of a Phenomenon: An Inside Look
• Japanese Commercial
• L’Arc-en-Ciel “Ready Steady Go” Music Video
• Ura Hagane: Comedic Previews
• Textless Opening Songs:
  • “Melissa”
  • “Ready Steady Go”
  • “Undo”
  • “Rewrite”
• Textless Closing Songs:
  • “Indelible Sin”
  • “To the Other Side of the Door”
  • “Motherland”
  • “I Will”
• U.S. Trailer
• Funimation Trailers

Unboxing Photos:

Final Notes:

Fullmetal Alchemist is available to own on Blu-ray from UK distributor Anime Limited. The 2003 series is currently available as a collector’s edition set with Part 1 and Part 2 available through retailers like Amazon UK.

(Disclaimer: Amazon links are also included when available. They are affiliated so if you decide to order them, I’ll earn a small percentage if they ship which will help me with any hauls or small bills. Due to current global situations, shipping restrictions may apply.)