There were only two animatedFullmetal Alchemistfilms:The Conquerer of Shamballa, part of the original 2003 anime’s storyline, andThe Sacred Star of Milos,part of theBrotherhoodseries. However, the latter of the two has often been divisive among fans, with many considering it a disappointment, despite some exceptional visuals and a pretty stellar production team.
Sacred Starwas released in 2011 after the completion ofBrotherhood, and tells an original story set in the middle of the series, wherein Edward and Alphonse Elric go on an assignment to track down an escaped convict. Their journey takes them to Table City on the border between Amestris and Creta, where tensions are brewing between the government and the original inhabitants of the land, forced into the valley below their once-holy city of Milos.
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A New Adventure
AsBrotherhoodwas complete by the timeof this film’s production, this was an original story, though one written largely without the involvement of the original author, Hiromu Arakawa. This is one of the major complaints levied toward the film; it seems to echo the ideas of the series without offering many original ideas.
This is a hurdle that many anime films in established franchises face, but forBrotherhood, it’s especially challenging. Because Fullmetal Alchemist’s ending is so conclusive, a movie wouldhaveto be set during the events of the series, which itself is a tough task in a story as packed asFMA’s. Even after finding the right spot in the timeline, it’s not like Ed or Al can truly develop as leads.
But that shouldn’t mattertoomuch. After all, theCowboy Bebopmovie didn’t see the main characters undergo any major arc,but the story was still entertainingthanks to new characters with their own stories that viewers witnessed through our protagonists' eyes.The Sacred Star of Milosdidn’t need Ed or Al to have a major arc to be a good story, so how was the new story?
Well, it depends on where you look, because if one is judging this film based solely on the first half, it’s a pretty sensational film. The opening suffers from abrupt and unintentionally funny editing and a less-than-stellar introduction to our two new characters: Julia and Ashleigh. But once the Elric Brothers appear on-screen, everything starts to look very promising.
A Bold Style
Make no mistake,“look” is the operative word here, not that the establishing act of the film lacks a solid foundation overall. This film is positively gorgeous in a way that might throw off viewers accustomed toBrotherhood’s style and aesthetic. Everything looks noticeably different, from the effects to the character designs by chief animation director Kenichi Konishi.
A lot of the more negative-leaning user reviews for this film tend to carry some ire toward the art stylebecauseit is so different. It is certainly a big change but to call it bad might be a tad over-reactive. The shading, line art, and overall detail can vary depending on the scene, but it clearly serves a purpose. Frankly, it says a lot that the character designerwas also the animation director.
This film is operating on a completely different mindset compared to the TV anime and what some fans might consider a drop in art quality is a symptom of a larger emphasis on the overall animation. Everything is constantly moving in this film and much to the benefit of the pacing and action in the early half of the story.
When the Elrics get to Table City and witness a chaotic prison break, the sheer creativity in which the city plays a role in the action glues the eye to the screen. The rebels fly around in these wing suits, using grappling hooks to pull themselves along, while the Elrics run up precariously placed elevated pipes to chase after their targets.
Despite being produced at Studio Bones, the same studio behind every otherFullmetal Alchemistwork,it almost looks like a Ghibli filmat times. The smallest and subtlest character movements are imbued with a lot of realism that tricks the eye into thinking it’s rotoscoped. At one point in the climax, Julia uses powerful alchemy, and it causes her hair to stand on end in that way Ghibli films tend to animate their female protagonists' hair.
All of this is to say that if there’s one thing that should get credit where it deserves with this film, it is the animation and visuals. An argument could be made that this style doesn’t work for this series, but bad animation it is not. Yoshimichi Kameda’s work in the film alone is sublime, characterized by the use of heavy brush strokes that are a signature of his style. Most importantly, one can’t forget that this was co-directed by Shingo Natsume,the director ofSpace DandyandOne Punch Man.
An [Un]Original Story
The film looks incredible and for the first half of the film, it’s easy to assume that people were talking crazy for writing this film off. Unfortunately, all the groundwork laid in the beginning has to lead somewhere, and it just never quite comes together smoothly. As said before, the story just doesn’t have that many original ideas.
Death and Imperialism loom over oppressed people, but the story’s way of portraying such hardship rarely carries the same emotional punch that the main series has. When characters like Julia put to words the morals of this story and the imperative to fight against evil, it lacks weight and comes off as uninspired and derivative.
There are twists, double-crosses, and reveals that are meant to be shocking, but they all involve characters that either aren’t given enough time to be established, or who seemingly come out of nowhere. One character turns out to be an imposter, but the person they turn out to be has never meaningfully been introduced.Another masked villain never plays a meaningful rolebefore their identity is revealed, and by that point, the twists begin to become exhausting.
Part of this film’s problem is not being original enough, but a larger part of the problem is the wealth of fascinating ideas that aren’t focused on in a conducive way. Just watching the climax, you can tell the creators had all kinds of great concepts they wanted to bring to life. For example, during the climax, Julia uses the power of a philosopher’s stone to fight the villain
It’s ridiculously cool and made even cooler by her wearing Ed’s red coat that he gives her earlier, which feels like such a small but meaningful gesture to make her character more awesome. But as cool as the idea is, it feels wasted in this film. At a certain point,the elaborate plots and backstabs became funnyas the film approached its end.
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milosis, unfortunately, deserving of its divisive reputation, even with such a strong creative team and the undeniable fruits of their labor. There’s some solace in knowing that the artists involved have gone on to work on much better things, but it doesn’t make the film feel like any less of a wasted opportunity. Maybe it was fair that something like this followed a great series likeBrotherhood. Law of equivalent exchange and all that.
