Its not gospel, I didn’t say it is, its a more cohesive story that utilizes characters and foreshadowing while 2003 was hackneyed. I just think the source material should be respected as the better work because its what it was intended to be and doesn’t shift moods halfway through.

I saw 2003 first, was disappointed at parts of it and only felt it was good because of the parts it took from the anime. Dante was an awful villain, the homunculi being sorta actually human, etc, it was just so full of plot-holes and clearly missed the message the manga had.

Yes anime doesn’t have to follow the manga exactly but at least respect the creators actual intended messages and well written character development thats absent in 2003, acting like they’re equivalent really disrespects the creators years of work he put into the story compared to SE’s creative department making up a plot on the spot. 2003 holds a special place in my heart but from a critical standpoint its inferior to brotherhood and the manga. Its just about how its written and the plot-holes really that makes it that way. I enjoy it for what it is and love the extra screentime Chris Patton gets as Greed but FMAB definitely has a more cohesive story among many other points especially character development and handling.