For over a decade, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has been the undefeated king of MyAnimeList (MAL). On the site’s Top-Rate Anime section, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood sat on its throne as the top-rated anime by users and was never usurped. Despite the barrage of new shows that have been massively successful like Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Demon Slayer, no other anime, not even One Piece, has managed to dethrone Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood from its right spot. However, now times have changed and a new contender made its presence known.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War just began its Part 3 and fans have already voted for it a lot on MAL. So much so, Part 3 of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War has surpassed the undefeated Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. A decades-long worth on its throne only to be knocked down a step by Bleach. In 2023, it went from first to second after Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and now the return of Bleach has impacted its reign again. Will Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood ever see the number 1 spot again?
The Legacy of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has long been regarded as one of the best anime ever made and is held dear to the anime community, as evident by its reign on MAL. Hiromu Arakawa combined intricate world-building with morally complicated characters seamlessly. It involved emotional storytelling no other anime has exhibited. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the more faithful adaptation, respectful of the source material in most parts within the 64-episode limit.
For ages, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was untouchable at the top of MAL. With an average score of around 9.10, it has stayed there for decades. The anime community even realized this phenomenon, questioning how legit it really is. Even the new massively talked about and successful anime, like Demon Slayer and Attack on Titan, couldn’t topple Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood from its position. The fans of the anime are too loyal to give up its position, but sadly a contender appeared in 2023 and knocked it down to 2nd place. Now, it stands at a rating of 9.09 by 2,161,200 users and on 3rd place.
Bleach’s Return and Second Chance with Thousand-Year Blood War
The original Bleach anime ended in 2012, with no continuation of the original manga by Tite Kubo. Instead, fans got a rushed ending by the mangaka with the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc. In 2022, Studio Pierrot is back with the anime adaptation of the arc, a direct sequel to the original anime series, and more glorious than ever. The anime adaptation is fixing the mistakes made by Kubo by collaborating directly with him on the content. This ensures a better ending and a return to the spirit of Bleach.
Part 3 only just started on October 5, 2024, and has taken over Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’s reign on MAL’s top-rated series. It must be the hint of nostalgia provided by the revival of Bleach and how many older and newer anime fans must be tuning in. It is toe-to-toe with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood with a rating of 9.09. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 definitely deserves the hype.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is available on Disney+ Hotstar and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is available on Crunchyroll.
