Ooo you're gonna watch, how exciting! :D
Fullmetal Alchemist (2003 series) branches off from the manga's story when its about 25 episodes in. The manga was ongoing, so the animation studio had its own take on certain plot points and ending. This one is concluded in the movie The Conqueror of Shamballa.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009 series) stays true to the manga's story. It assumes that most fans watched the first one, so it will try to cut fillers in the beginning. It'll still show the important things, just to be on the safe side if the viewer is new to the series. At about episode 15, it will cover the new material from the manga. The animation and quality is vastly superior to the 2003 version, but to each their own on which plot/ending they prefer. There is a spin-off movie called The Sacred Star of Milos (it is not the conclusion to the series).
It's alright to watch both in either order or whatever! I recommend watching the 2003 first and then the 2009 one, just to compare 'how someone thought FMA would end' to 'how the manga actually ended' or some such.
If you're only going to watch one of them, I recommend Brotherhood. One of my favorite anime of all time. :)
Fullmetal Alchemist (2003 series) branches off from the manga's story when its about 25 episodes in. The manga was ongoing, so the animation studio had its own take on certain plot points and ending. This one is concluded in the movie The Conqueror of Shamballa.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009 series) stays true to the manga's story. It assumes that most fans watched the first one, so it will try to cut fillers in the beginning. It'll still show the important things, just to be on the safe side if the viewer is new to the series. At about episode 15, it will cover the new material from the manga. The animation and quality is vastly superior to the 2003 version, but to each their own on which plot/ending they prefer. There is a spin-off movie called The Sacred Star of Milos (it is not the conclusion to the series).
It's alright to watch both in either order or whatever! I recommend watching the 2003 first and then the 2009 one, just to compare 'how someone thought FMA would end' to 'how the manga actually ended' or some such.
If you're only going to watch one of them, I recommend Brotherhood. One of my favorite anime of all time. :)