Matter Anti-Matter

Reason 1.3 Because after one 20 minute episode, I cared more about the Elric Brothers and Winry Rockbell than any character on SGU during its entire half season.

Reason 2.89 Because Fullmetal Alchemist has AWESOME, complex, and often hilarious villains. Scar, King Bradley, Kimblee, and the Homonculi are fascinating.  SGU?  Not so much.

Reason 3.1415 Because after watching a comparable amount of both Fullmetal Alchemist and SGU, I can name at least 15 different characters from Fullmetal Alchemist, describe to you what they look like, what their personalities are like, what complex relations they might have with other characters, what drives them, etc.  I’m still struggling to identify more than the main cast of SGU, and I still don’t feel like Rush has any realistic motivation for being as selfish and curmudgeony as he is. There’s suspense built via the careful release of plot points, political intrigue, or character backstories, and then there’s just an utter lack of explanation leading to me not caring.

Reason 4.23333333333 Because Fullmetal Alchemist is animated AND in a language I don’t understand, and yet somehow the themes of loyalty, family, commitment, betrayal, human ambition, greed, and innocence speak to me with more reality than the live action of SGU.

If you haven’t been watching Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, you need to catch up, right now.  Then you can decide for yourself.  As for me, until SGU’s writing steps up its game (more episodes like “Time” please), I’ll keep on drawing ridiculous comparisons between it and Fullmetal whilst shaking my head ruefully.