Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Five
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 15
Running Time: 293 Mins
Audio: English & Japanese DD 2.0
Release Date: 24/6/2013
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

"You'll suffer a thousand deaths before I'm done!"

After the coup de tat, all hell is breaking loose and Fuhrer Bradley is declared a missing person. When Mrs Bradley gets the news that he was on his way from the city, and his train had been bombed and blew up, she faints and the world wonders what went wrong, and more importantly, who are the ones who think they can run things smoothly without him.

It is Colonel Mustang who is seen as the real hero of the moment which is something new for him, but he also catches up with someone he truly detests, the Homunculus known as Envy. He knows some valuable information on the killer of Mais Hughes, and he plans to interrogate him but gets more than he bargained for from Envy. In this, the last of the series, all we are left with is a two disc set, but it is one that will stick in the minds of the viewer, but for different reasons.

Colonel Mustang is out for blood where Envy is concerned, and has a true grudge against him for the past wrongs he has done. The first two episodes concern Envy and the fight between him and Colonel Mustang. There is a great hatred there, and while Envy acts the comical showman through it all, he shows how cruel and heartless he can be when pushed as he continually burns Envy alive. This alone has to be considered
one of the most shocking and realistic scenes in the collection. The viewer will see the hatred he feels for Envy, and he has little opportunity to counter his blows, one after the other, having to cower around him, waiting to die. Elsewhere, central command are battling yet another Homunculus and his army, Sloth and losing badly. What make it worse are the mannequins who have come with him who want to help him take over. It stands to reason that they are there though, he is Sloth after all and he does need the help!

The emphasis on the first disc is on maintaining control; for there is one side of the rebels and the others who are with King Bradley. After he was reported dead, during the train incident he was in, this event has made it slightly easier for the rebel factions to win. For a long-running series like this to end is a sad occasion for the fans, but it is excellent to see how it comes to such a conclusion full of action, humor and brilliant special effects. One of the best things about this release is its Blu-ray transformation as it has made the overall viewing experience that much better. The reason for this is the colours are sharpened, and the general picture looks as impressive as you would imagine. The details are there, and are something you would not normally see in a standard DVD release, so this makes the experience all that more impressive.

Bonus Material:  Episode 64 Commentary, Outtakes, Text less Opening and Text less Closing Animation.

Verdict: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is brutal, well written, well animated and has comic timing - it stands shoulders above the rest!