Adult Swim to air FMA: Brotherhood

Funimation has confirmed that the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim will start broadcasting the 26-episode Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood series on Saturday night, February 13th. The series will debut at midnight (ET, PT) and at 11pm (CT, MT). Produced by Bones (the same studio responsible for the first 51-episode FMA series), the new series hews much closer to the narrative of the popular Full Metal Alchemist manga by Hiromu Arakawa, but the basic saga of the Elric brothers who attempt to resurrect their mother with alchemy and pay a significant price for their effort remains the same.

L.A. Weekly is reporting that Funimation’s vocal cast for Brotherhood is also the same with a few exceptions: Maxey Whitehead replaces Aaron Dismuke as Alphonse Elric and J. Michael Tatum takes over from Dameon Clarke as Scar.

The Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime began airing in Japan last April and Funimation started streaming subtitled episodes of the series here in North America almost simultaneously.

Funimation plans to release FMA: Brotherhood in two half-season 2-disc sets with Part One (episodes 1-13, 325 min. $49.98) due on May 25th. Two things about the release are very significant. First of all the fact that a high profile title like FMA: Brotherhood is debuting in the multi-disc format means that single-disc releases for TV anime series have virtually become obsolete, and secondly Funimation is releasing Part 1 on Blu-ray ($54.98) the same day as the conventional DVD version, which signals the increasing importance of the hi-def format.

The acquisition of FMA: Brotherhood by Adult Swim was expected , but there may be additional anime-related announcements from the popular late night network that has been the most potent North American TV outlet in terms of spurring anime and manga sales, but which had been reducing the amount of anime it aired over the past 12 months.