Episode 1: In a brief flashback, the Elric brothers Edward and Alphonse had attempted to perform an alchemical transmutation in the hopes of bringing their late mother back to life, but they had failed in doing so. As a consequence, Al disappears, Ed loses his left arm, and a grotesque figure appears in the transmutation circle. In the present, the brothers walk across a desert. They arrive at Lior, where they hear about a religious leader named Father Cornello who can create miracles. However, as they realize that he is performing alchemy and ignoring the law of equivalent exchange, they believe that he possesses the philosopher's stone, which they had been searching for to restore Al's body. Threatened, Cornello orders Cray to kill them. Rosé, a girl the brothers meet, is traumatized after witnessing Al's lack of a human body, runs to Cornello. The Elrics follow her, and Cornello releases a chimera on them when they meet. Cornello also transmuted a giant bird from a parrot and sends it to fight against Ed, who fends both of the chimera and the bird off by exposing his automail, his metal arm and leg. Cornello then realizes why Ed is nicknamed the "Fullmetal Alchemist", understanding that the brothers had committed the ultimate sin of human transmutation.
Episode 2: After revealing that they were trying to revive their mother, the Elrics warn Rosé that reviving her boyfriend Cain would result in a similar fate. Cornello attacks the boys to chase them away, and he later show a silhouette of Cain in order to comfort Rosé. He then orders the townspeople to attack and capture the Elrics. Ed transmutes some metal to look like Al, and allows himself to be captured. Cornello then takes the state alchemist pocket-watch from Ed, assuming that it is his secret to performing alchemy without a transmutation circle. Cornello catches Rosé trying to visit Cain and he reveals the silhouette to be a chimera made of birds. He leaves her to be eaten by the chimera, but Al arrives just in time to save her. As Cornello tells Edward his plan to use Lior as the base for world domination, Al broadcasts it across town. Ed then defeats Cornello with his superior alchemy, only to find out that the philosopher's stone is a fake. When Rosé confronts the Elrics about how their exposing Cornello did more harm than his deception, Ed tells her to walk on her own two feet. As the Elrics leave, Lust and Gluttony manage to salvage their plans with Lior by killing Cornello and replacing him with Envy masquerading as the "real" Cornello.
Episode 3: In a flashback that continues through to episode nine, the Elrics learn alchemy from a very young age, taking after their father, who apparently abandoned his family when Al was still too young to remember him. They show their alchemy to both their friend Winry Rockbell and their mother Trisha. Trisha encourages them in the pursuits of alchemic knowledge, but she dies from a sudden illness and the brothers vow to revive her with alchemy. They apprentice themselves to an unnamed alchemist, and after their training, they attempt to resurrect Trisha. The transmutation goes awry, in which Edward loses his left leg and Al loses his entire body. Ed then sacrifices his right arm to attach his brother's soul to a suit of armor. Alphonse carries Edward's broken bleeding body to Rockbell Automail. Roy Mustang arrives unexpectedly, having received a letter the boys sent to his office, inquiring about their father Hohenheim of Light. Having seen the attempted human transmutation, Mustang tries to recruit the boys to become state alchemists, but Winry's grandmother Pinako angrily orders him to leave. Ed pays Pinako for automail limbs and decides to become a state alchemist so that he can gain privileged access to the state library, and find a way to restore Al's body. The Elrics burn down their childhood home so that in efforts of not giving up and try to return and leave Resembool.
Episode 4: On their way to Central, the Elrics stop at a train station where they hear of an alchemist named Majhal, whose name had appeared several times in their father's correspondences relating to human transmutation, and decide to pay him a visit in the area. Upon entering Majhal's village, they encounter a girl named Clause, who tells them that a zombie has been murdering several of the villagers, her older sister being one of them. Clause petitions the brothers to avenge her sister's death, but Ed is skeptical of the whole situation. Upon meeting Majhal, he tells the brothers that the mysterious zombie is believed to be his former lover Karin, who died in an accident several years ago. After some more investigation, the brothers discover that Majhal has been attempting to revive Karin by using mannequins that look like her, and using alchemy to attach the souls of the village girls he has kidnapped to the mannequins, kidnapping Clause to use her soul. Ed discovers that Karin had not died, but initially lost her memories and has aged. Once her memories returned, she had sought out Majhal, but he was already too possessed by his passions of reviving Karin to recognize her. Majhal refuses to accept the wrinkled old woman who has been supporting him as his Karin, and he attempts to kill Ed. Ed knocks Majhal's weapon out of his hand, which flies into the air and accidentally impales Majhal, killing him. Clause reverts to dressing femininely and sees the brothers off as they continue on their journey.
Episode 5: The Elrics are told by Mustang to board the train that is currently leaving the station. Their train is hijacked by a group of terrorists led by a man named Bald. They take General Hakuro and his family captive and demand that their leader is released from prison. However, the Elrics fight back, and meet Major Maes Hughes, who helps them defeat Bald and rescue Hakuro. The train arrives safely at the station and the military moves in to arrest the terrorists. Bald manages to escape, but Mustang demonstrates his abilities as the "Flame Alchemist" and restrains Bald. Mustang then informs Ed that the grateful Hakuro has given him special permission to take the state alchemist examination, which surprises and annoys Ed because of the implication that Mustang manipulated him.
Rating: 8/10 (Average)
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