I recently finished reading volumes 1-13 of Fullmetal Alchemist manga, and I was pretty disappointed in it. Most people know I loved the anime and think it's the best anime to date, so I was expecting the manga to be just as good. I think this is a first, a anime that's better than the manga, the only other anime I think was better than the manga would be Basilisk. The manga was only five volumes long, while the anime was 24 episodes long so it broaden the story, but back to FMA.

I gave the anime a 10, while I'd give the manga a 7. I had many problems with it, the story, the characters and the overall feel of the manga. While reading the manga I just didn't care who lived or died, the characters I didn't care about. Also the manga didn't go as in depth as the anime. Here are a couple of examples. First the Shou Tucker arc of the story in the manga is limited to about 30 pages and doesn't go indepth to add feel to the characters, and I just didn't care while in the anime they did giving rich sceans for the characters and story. The second thing was Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. In the anime he was one of my favorite characters and had a big impact on Ed and Al, and was in the anime more. I don't want to give to much away for people who haven't watched the anime or read the manga. Back to Hughes, in the manga he was in the manga for maybe 1 volume and he had no impact. Then there are all the back stories of the characters like Colonel Mustang. In the anime they go into his back ground to the Isbal war and how he killed Winry's parents, which adds drama and emotion to both the characters, while the manga doesn't. I could go on but that would take to long. There are things I liked about the manga like Ed and Al's father plays a major different role from the anime, I liked that. Also Winry has I think a bigger role in the manga than she did in the anime, that was nice. I think that's the only things I liked better than the aniem.

Overall the manga was a let down, I just didn't care about the story and the characters as I did with the anime. Mabye if I read the manga first, but I don't think that's it. I watched Rurouni Kenshin, Beserk, Ai Yori Aoshi, Chrono Crusade, Love Hina, Kare Kano, and Suzuka anime first before I read the mangas. But in each of those cases I liked the manga much more. This really is a first for me, again Fullmetal Alchemist manga is good it's just not on the same level as the anime.