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Violence:
There's a lot of fighting in this show, and it's very realistic about showing the blood and other damage the characters sustain from their battles. There aren't fountains of blood spurting out every which-way, but the characters do get bloodied up quite a bit from time to time. There are several instances of characters being burnt alive, or their limbs being severed, and there is one time when the characters wade through a literal sea of blood. However, the violence isn't gratuitous or there just for the shock value; the blood and violence is always shown to get across what a desperate fight the characters are in.
Language Details:
There is moderate swearing in this show, almost always to express anger (as opposed to just sticking in swears to "sound cool" or "make it feel darker"). As I can recall, the swears are mostly d-words and perhaps an occasional b-word. The amount of language is about equal to the first series, dub and sub.
Nudity:
The villain called Lust, as her name suggests, wears a very low-cut dress that shows quite a bit of cleavage. A female character is shown from the back without a shirt for plot reasons. Another female character is seen taking off her shirt and sitting in a bath, but nothing is shown. Similarly, a male is seen in the shower, but nothing is shown. There are several other instances where people are seen completely naked, but they are always shown from the back or are posed in such a way that we can't see anything. There are creatures towards the end that are humanoid and completely naked, but their bodies are androgynous and have no detail.
Sexual Content:
There are one or two mildly suggestive comments, and one part where a character finds his hand between a woman's breasts (the effect of this moment, however, has connotations of horror rather than sexuality because of plot reasons).
Theological Issues:
As can be guessed from the title, this anime is all about alchemy. For this story, alchemy is basically a cross between science and magic, where they use chemistry-like equations to make transmutation circles, with which they can change one form of an element into another. Several symbols such as pentagrams or a serpent on a cross appear as alchemical symbols, but in the story they have no connection to the real-world symbols. Basically, if you have no problem with fantasy magic in general, I see no reason why the alchemy in this story should give you pause. There is something called "human transmutation" that involves transmuting humans (in a few instances even attempting to bring someone back to life), but from the beginning this is denounced as something that should never be done.
In the first episode, Edward Elric says blatantly that he's "agnostic" or "not religious." He claims that if you're a scientist, you can't believe in something as unprovable as God, and for the most part the alchemists in the story seem to follow this belief. However, it's not a huge issue and isn't really pushed as a message (you don't get the feeling that the creators are trying to "prove" what a good idea it is to be an atheist). A couple villains speak mockingly, even blasphemously, of God, but the "good guys" comment on how arrogant they are, and they certainly get their comeuppance in the end. A character speaks of "becoming God", but what it boils down to is gaining incredible strength. There is also an assumption the whole story rests on that stems from Eastern thought about how "one is all and all is one", which is unfortunate but, again, not overly pushy. There is also the indication that the being we refer to as God appears to us to be fickle, unjust, and not loving, but this can be interpreted in several ways.
Seven of the villains are also named after the seven deadly sins, and exemplify those sins.
There is much talk of souls in the story, but by "soul" they mean the part inside of us that makes us who we are, in contrast with our physical bodies. Alphonse is nothing but a soul in a suit of armor, and souls become very important in the plot for their alchemical power. While the villains treat souls very flippantly, as little more than fuel for their own plans, the protagonists hold much respect for people's souls and humanity.
Overall, I don't agree with the creators' stance on these theological issues, but they give food for thought and further discussion among viewers, and don't really get in the way of enjoying a good story.
Sub vs. Dub:
Both versions are amazing, and include some absolutely astounding bits of voice acting, probably because most of the actors have had the entire first series to get comfortable with their characters, and now they can really shine. Which version you should watch comes down to which particular voices you happen to prefer for different characters.
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Violence: I gave it a 7. There is a lot of blood, especially near the end. There is a lot of fighting, some exploding limbs, and a couple impalements. There are also a couple of instances of body horror, though it isn't particularly horrifying. Limbs are lost. People are eaten, as well, though it only gets gory towards the end. The violence is what keeps it from being suitable for children. Also Spoiler: the mannequin soldiers creeped me out with their zombie-like ways, though that could just be a me thing.
Sex and Nudity: I gave it a 2. There are a few instances of non-sexual partial nudity. This is in the form of a couple bath and shower scenes, as well as a female character showing a man her bare back. The latter instance is exclusively for plot reasons. A palm sized infant is shown fully nude. There are a couple revealing outfits and a single joke about a female character's chest.
Theological Themes: Ed is an atheist, who doesn't believe alchemists can believe in God, though he is seen praying later in the series. Alchemy is the main focus as the series, as well. There are blasphemous villains, and the main villain seeks to become a god. Bringing humans back to life is also a factor, though it is later revealed that Spoiler: it can't actually be done
Problematic Themes: There is minor swearing. A character is always seen smoking.
Overall: I love this series. It definitely gave me a lot to think about, as it goes into all sorts of philosophical questions. All of the members of the series' large cast have a role to play and leave an impression. The plot is very well developed, though I started to feel like the ending was dragged out a bit longer than it should have been. (Though I am glad that there was lots of character development pulled from it.) This show is definitely worth a watch.
Our characters are interesting. Edward is our impulsive protagonist. He has a strong moral compass and is desperately trying to make up for his past mistakes. His brother, Alphonse is quieter and more overtly kindhearted. The vast majority of the characters are very distinct and more that meets the eye. Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye are particularly interesting. The cast is large, but no two characters are similar or boring. I loved the antagonists, though I will say the big bad was rather generic.
The art wasn't initially my taste, though it really grew on me over time. Speaking as an artist, I love Hiromu Arakawa's use of anatomy. It's very nice. The opening and endings are absolutely fantastic. I think Golden Time Lover is the only one I don't like.
I very much recommend it. Its bloody violence makes it suitable for older teenagers and up.
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Violence/Gore - Lots of blood. Lots and lots of blood. When people get hurt, they can get quite bloody. When people are seriously injured, blood often pours out.
As for gore, there isn't much when the characters get hurt normally, it's mostly just blood, but a few scenes stand out as more gory.
The first is when Ed and Al's past is shown. Ed lost his leg and his bleeding leg stump is visible.
The second are the homunculi Being a homunculi, yhey can regenerate, but if their limbs are cut off, they grow back in great detail, first with the bones, then the muscles weaving over top, and the finally the skin growing back.
Nudity/Sexual Content- No sexual content at all. Other than a few hints at romance, there's only a few mentions of finding a date between some of the military members, and a few mentions of Lust's big boobies (She also sports a fairly low-cut outfit)
There's no full-on nudity either. A few characters take showers, but are shown either from behind or have part of the scenery covering them.
One character is shown taking a bath later on, and the outline of her body is visible under the water. It's nothing more than a Barbie doll.
And in one scene even later, one character is taking her shirt off to change clothes, and the underpart of her breasts are shown.
Theo. Themes - Alchemy is used in this series (If the title didn't tip you off already.) It is explained as not being magic, but instead science.
The idea of God and Truth also play a fairly large role in this series. Ed claims he is an atheist, that there is no god, or if there is, then god would just reject him, but as the series goes on, he doesn't always act that way. The Ishvalans worship their god Ishvalla, and one of the antagonists uses Ishvalla to justify his evil deeds. The Homunculi are all named after the Seven Deadly Sins.
Other Themes - This anime can be quite dark at times, and a lot of the characters pasts have many horrors in them. There is a fair bit of swearing, mostly from Ed, but it never goes beyond d-mn, b-stard, or h-ll.
One character is shown with a cigarette in his mouth quite often.
There are a few instances of drinking alcohol, but only by adults. No drunkenness that I recall.
Sub vs Dub - I prefer the dub for the most part. Both sub and dub are great, but I like the dub because it seems more natural for the setting. It also means I can pay closer attention to the fights and the characters expressions.
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