full metal alchemist

An excellent anime bases loosely off of the manga series. It takes place in a world where alchemy is real and a science with certain laws and rules. The first and most important one is that nothing can be gained without sacrificing something of equal value in exchange. This is the Law of Equivalent Exchange. Two young brothers, Edward and Alphonse (Ed and Al for short) Elric who are gifted alchemists ignore the Law and try to bring their mother back to life. Because there is nothing that can equal the value of a human soul, Ed and Al succeed only in bringing back a mutilated body of their mom. Al loses his entire body in the process while Ed loses a leg. Ed then sacrifices his right arm to attach Al's soul to a suit of armor. Now the brothers want to regain their original bodies back but the only way to do so is to use the mysterious Philosopher's Stome which can bypass the laws of alchemy. Ed, now sporting automail limbs in place of the one he lost, becomes a State Alchemist of the militarian government to access data on the Stone. The series follows the boys' adventures as they try to find this Stone and face corrupt military leaders, chimera, homunculi, and other alchemists. Though most of the time it's serious and a real tear-jerker at some scence, it has it's share of comedy and laughter. It has a well written plot, original characters, and great artwork.