In a way, some of the elements of the happy ending on show here feel a little forced, with Roy Mustang regaining his sight and Havoc (we assume) able to walk again thanks to a single, remaining Philosopher's Stone in the possession of Doctor Marcoh. The reasoning behind this is that the stone was created from the lives of Ishbalans, and it is Mustang's drive to solve that region's problems that gives him the greatest need of his eyesight - I guess it makes sense, but I'm never a fan of everything being resolved neatly just for the sake of it.
That aside, of course we're given some time to see the Elric brothers return home to a tearful reunion with Winry, before jumping forward two years to see both brothers deciding to go on new journeys to learn new things, before even tying up the romantic connection between Ed and Winry in a genuinely rather cute little scene. Awwww. Throw in the future of Selim and a grown-up May in the closing credits into the mix and you have pretty much everything covered off, with just enough room for future adventures and spin-offs if desired (and let's face it, you'd be surprised if there wasn't).
So, as we come to the end, what more can I say about this series? Yes, it started pretty poorly in terms of its pacing as it tried to rush through the events that had been covered by the original anime, but once it managed to reach its new material, lifted straight from the manga, things improved markedly, and the show simply got better and better and better from there. Come the half-way mark onwards, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has been sensational almost without fail, to create one of the absolute must-watch anime of the 21st century. While it seems harsh to dismiss BONES' original effort with this franchise, it really pales into comparison with what we have here. This is Fullmetal Alchemist, and it's everything that a superb and immensely popular anime should be. Good work guys, go have a beer on me before you start worrying about that Brotherhood movie!
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Anon