Hiromu Arakawa’s *Fullmetal Alchemist* is the quintessential gateway anime.

Set in the heavily militarized nation of Amestris, the series follows alchemist brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, whose desperate search for the Philosopher’s Stone ends up shaping the fate of the world. Arakawa’s manga was adapted into two separate television series — *Fullmetal Alchemist* (2003-2004), a character-driven slow-burn that diverges from the source material; and *Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood* (2009-2010), which faithfully recreates Arakawa’s lush thematic framework and worldbuilding.