I spent years devouring comic books (once I rediscovered them) and sneering at manga and anime. I don't like that Japanese stuff, I said. The stories are silly. I can't read the books backwards. I hate the style of drawing.

And then I started a teen Manga/Anime discussion group at my library, and was dragged, kicking and screaming, into both genres. I try to read or watch at least one thing a month so I have something to discuss at the meeting. And most of the manga I read, I don't like much.

Then I picked up Fullmetal Alchemist. And got totally hooked on the adventures of Edward Elric and his younger brother Alphonse. And then I got the first disc of the anime series from Netflix. And I was even more totally hooked.

I was hindered in this by Mr. Otter's total refusal to be anywhere near me while I was watching or reading this series: watching, because he has an aversion to anime; and reading, because these stories are what we, chez Otter, call 'hooters': books you yell and scream at and say OH NO and burst into tears when something happens (well, at least I do) and Mr. Otter got really tired of it all.

But oh my golly, they are good. The manga series is up to 17 volumes, with another being released in English every three or four months. The anime series was two seasons, with this movie (and I will get to the review, trust the Otter) coming after.

But the best part? after about the 8th volume in the book...THEY'RE DIFFERENT.

Evidently this is common with anime/manga series, but it's the first time I've come across it. So having seen the whole series, I still have no idea what's going to happen in the books, and I am still completely hooked by this world and the characters.

So having said all that, you get one more spoiler warning before the actual review: the movie takes place about two years after the end of the TV series, and if you haven't finished the series, YOU DON'T WANT TO READ WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT because the ending totally surprised me. So one more time, if you don't mind reading about all the cool stuff in the movie, go to the final review page...and I'll talk about it all.