It was the characters that drew me into purchasing Fullmetal Alchemist - Volume 1. I'd never even seen the show, simply read around about the general storyline, and thought I'd give it a chance. I must admit, I've never really been an anime fan, but for FMA, I seemed to make an exception.
The first few episodes, I must admit, are not some of my favourites. But watching them is kind of essential if you are to understand the rest of the series - these episodes form the base that the anime is built on.
I suppose the age rating (in the UK anyway), being a 12, means I shouldn't really recommend it to anyone under 12! But really, this is a fantastic show, and well worth watching. I myself didn't find it hard to get into to, and the storyline becomes increasingly gripping, so once you're in, there's not much getting out!
The fascination I had with this DVD was the ability to be able to switch between Japanese audio with English subtitles, or an English dub - if you're a die-hard anime fan, you'll probably want to watch it with Japanese audio, for that 'real anime feel', but for those just starting out with an anime obsession, I recommend you watch the English dubs - sometimes you miss things when watching the Japanese version as you have to be quick reading the subtitles! Unless, of course, you're a fluent Japanese speaker, in which case, I suppose it doesn't really matter!
The whole concept and storyline in this show really took my interest - the use of alchemy playing a key part, and the many plot twists. The main characters make friends, lose friends, and go through a whirlwind trip together. The characters have an understanding of their lives, and I suppose, the whole concept of life - this is an anime where you can draw parallels between the characters lives and that of people in our world - losing close friends, parents, siblings, falling in love, seeking something you have lost.
The soundtrack fits surprising well, I personally own it on CD, and when listening through to some of the tracks, I fail to see where they would fit in the show, but watching it again makes me realise just how well the music and anime fit together.
For the weak-hearted, although not as such in Volume 1, Fullmetal Alchemist can become slightly gory at times, and does have quite a bit of violence throughout, there's also a bit of use of mild language, in both the Japanese and English versions.
The only thing I didn't enjoy about Volume 1 was that for the £20.00 I paid for it, I was only getting four episodes - I found this to be a little pricey, though I was satisfied with what I'd bought. Even the box art is pleasing to the eye, and all the volumes look nice together.
Overall, I'd say Fullmetal Alchemist is a stunning show, with fantastic, loveable characters, watchable by both males and females, it has a varied soundtrack, and a wonderful, gripping, storyline.