only new, inexperienced FMA fans would think that the fucking live action is more redeemable than the 2003 anime. 03 is largely responsible for catapulting FMA into mainstream popularity-- if 03 was really irredeemably bad, that would not have been the case. Most FMA fan content (fanfictions, fan art, etc) up until around 2013 was 03 based because it really had that much staying power. It was flawed in many ways, but it was also compelling and original & had its own mood and aesthetic. Only relatively recently did the western fandom, for whatever reason, decide that 03 was sacrilegious, telling all new fans that it’s total garbage. It’s been weird to witness that development.