Absolutely hated the anime. It just look good to some because these animator or anime script writer tend to overuse mind bloggling excuse that is out of porportion (like the idea of the "real" world which btw Eureka Seven did the same thing and so are others) to end the story at the very last moment.

Especially at around mid series, you can see dramatic plot change and sudden rush to explain everything on the alchemy and stuffs but lame one at that.

I had a feeling FMA2 is going to be continued from last season but with a strange twist to get it back into manga story track.