Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge of Scar (2022)

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge of Scar earns its keep by leaning hard into what the series does best: big, cleanly staged action wrapped in a vivid fantasy world that looks tactile and lived-in. Director Fumihiko Sori keeps the pace brisk and the spectacle front and center, giving Ryosuke Yamada’s Edward and Atomu Mizuishi’s Alphonse a worthy, ominous counterforce in Mackenyu’s Scar, whose presence turns every encounter into a crackling threat. The vibe is pulpy, intense, and unapologetically crowd-pleasing—more about momentum and striking imagery than meditative depth—making it an easy on-ramp for newcomers while still nodding to fans with a sense of faithfulness. It’s not for the squeamish, though: the violence gets graphic and grim, but if you’re on the fence and craving a slick, accessible fantasy-action ride, this one delivers.

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge of Scar is clearly trying to give fans a live-action, visually faithful showdown with higher stakes and a darker edge, and it does land a few punchy action beats along the way. The problem is it often feels more like it’s checking off plot points than earning them, burying character emotion under dense exposition, sprawling subplots, and CGI-heavy spectacle. At nearly every turn it wants to be bigger, grimmer, and more complicated than it needs to be, which can make the pacing drag and the story feel oddly hollow for a series known for its heart. If you’re here mainly for the anime’s emotional weight and clean storytelling, this may test your patience; if you just want stylized fights, familiar faces, and don’t mind a messy, overstuffed ride, you’ll get some value out of it.