Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Season 1 Analysis

Season Woke Score

2.4

out of 10

Season Overview

No specific overview for this season.

Season Review

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a narrative anchored in the bonds of family and the pursuit of truth through personal sacrifice. The story revolves around two brothers attempting to rectify a transgression against the natural order, emphasizing the objective law of Equivalent Exchange. The world is a meritocracy where alchemists earn their status through rigorous study and examination. While the plot involves a military government and an ethnic conflict, these elements serve to explore universal human themes of corruption, redemption, and the cycle of hatred rather than to push modern identity agendas. Characters are defined by their actions and the strength of their will rather than their immutable traits. The series maintains a deep reverence for the maternal bond and the sanctity of life, framing the protagonists' attempt to subvert death as their greatest failure.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics3/10

The story features a conflict involving the Ishvalan people, but it avoids framing the struggle through a lens of modern intersectionality. Instead, it focuses on individual accountability and the tragedy of war. Characters like Scar are driven by personal vengeance and eventual redemption, and the military hierarchy operates strictly on talent and alchemical skill.

Oikophobia2/10

The narrative critiques a fictional totalitarian military regime and systemic corruption, which falls under the prompt's exception for criticism of anti-Western ideologies. The protagonists are driven by a desire to protect their home and restore the integrity of their nation's institutions.

Feminism2/10

Female characters are highly competent and essential to the plot without being portrayed as flawless 'Girl Bosses.' Figures like Winry Rockbell and Riza Hawkeye possess distinct skills that complement their male counterparts. Motherhood is depicted as a sacred and irreplaceable force, and the loss of the mother figure is the central motivation for the heroes.

LGBTQ+1/10

The series adheres to traditional normative structures. Relationships and romantic interests are exclusively heterosexual, and the narrative centers on the importance of the nuclear family. There is no inclusion of gender theory or sexual identity politics.

Anti-Theism4/10

The show is critical of religious charlatans and blind cult-like devotion, particularly in the opening episodes. However, it balances this by portraying the faith of the Ishvalan people with respect and by establishing a higher cosmic arbiter known as 'Truth' who enforces objective moral laws.