Fulfilling most Fullmetal Alchemist fans' expectations (and hopes?), the company has indeed picked up the brand new series, entitled Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. But instead of having to wait several months until it finishes its Japanese run, and then wait for English-dubbing before it appears in North America, fans will be able to see the English-subtitled version of each episode mere days after it airs in Japan.

Starting Thursday April 9, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT? it's not specified in the company news release), the episodes will begin to stream on FUNimation's own video portal as well as on the sites of their key video-sharing partners.

Fullmetal Alchemist has had a huge and wildly loyal following ever since the first anime series ran in Japan in 2003 and 2004. Based on the manga by Hiromu Arakawa, the Japanese anime studio Bones created both that series and the followup feature movie, Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa.

Rumors abounded throughout 2008 that a second anime was being planned, but at first, Bones executives made no admissions, merely commenting that it sounded like a good idea. Then leaked documents began to circulate, purportedly from the studio and supposedly revealing some of the plans that were being made. But people from Bones insisted that those were not their documents. At last, what everyone appeared to know but no one was admitting was finally announced: a new series was coming, and would begin airing in April of 2009.

And then the next stage of speculation began: would FUNimation pick up this series, as it had done with the first one and the movie? It seemed almost a foregone conclusion; with the wave of success brought by the first FMA series, how could they not want to try to ride a possible second wave? But you can never be sure of these things until they are comfirmed.

Well, April is here. The series is beginning in Japan, and now we have FUNimation's confirmation as well.

It's a considerable understatement when Gen Fukunaga, president and CEO of FUNimation Entertainment, calls this "the most anticipated series of 2009." He goes on to say, "I hope our fans will appreciate the video and subtitle quality we have achieved as we are working toward the simulcast of more series this year."

People familiar with the Japanese voice actors from the first series may be surprised to learn that some of those actors are not reprising their original roles. While Romi Paku and Rie Kugimiya will return as Edward and Alphonse, Shinichiro Miki will now play Roy Mustang, Megumi Takamoto will portray Winry Rockbell, and Fumiko Orikasa will voice Riza Hawkeye.

There is no news yet about which (if any) voice actors may return for any English-dubbed version in the future.

Nor does the news release from FUNimation give an explicit answer to yet another question that's been the subject of intense speculation all these months: will this series pick up where the movie left off, or will it start again at the beginning, this time following the manga storyline more closely? But parts of the description of the series suggest that it is more likely the latter: "They [i.e. the Elric brothers] set forth in the hope that the magical artifact can restore their bodies after a failed attempt to revive their dead mother cost Edward's left leg and right arm, as well as Alphonse's entire body, leaving his soul affixed to a suit of armor."

FUNimation has acquired the digital, broadcast, DVD and merchandising rights from Animplex. The show will be broadcast in Japan on MBS and TBS at 5:00 p.m. on April 5th.

Source: FUNimation press release