Ep 1. To Challenge the Sun

It is the first episode of the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist, titled "To Challenge the Sun". The show is set in a fictional world that is based on the Industrial Revolution era, where the use of alchemy is prevalent. The series is centered around the two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who try to bring back their dead mother using the forbidden technique of human transmutation. But the attempt fails and Edward loses his left leg, while Alphonse's soul is bound to a suit of armor.

The episode starts with the brothers attempting to transmute a nearby item using alchemy. They are joined by their childhood friend, Winry Rockbell, who is a skilled mechanic and helps them with their errands. The boys are eagerly anticipating the arrival of their teacher, Master Izumi Curtis, who is the only one who knows about their attempt at transmutation.

Master Izumi arrives and greets the boys with a beating, protesting their lack of discipline and respect. She assigns the boys a task of surviving alone for a month in the wilderness, with only their limited supplies and their wits to help them. Master Izumi wants the boys to understand that the alchemical philosophy they learnt from her should not be used to solve every problem in life, but it is a mere supplement to what they already know.

The boys set off on their journey, with Winry offering to help them out with any needed repairs for their journey. Along the way, the boys encounter a group of thugs who attempt to steal their fuel. The brothers use their alchemical abilities to chase away the thugs, but the event leaves them shaken. The brothers discuss their past and their reasons for attempting the forbidden technique, and Edward believes that the only way to regain what they lost is to find the Philosopher's Stone, which is said to grant unlimited knowledge and power.

As they continue their journey, they come across an isolated village that is plagued by a disease that causes the villagers to cough up blood. The boys offer to help, but are met with hostility from the villagers, who believe that outsiders would only bring more pain. They decide to investigate the cause of the disease and end up discovering that the village is being used as a pawn in a wider conspiracy involving alchemy and a powerful military faction.

The episode wraps up with the boys successfully curing the disease and being offered their choice of reward by the village elder. Edward declines the offer, opting instead for the elder to keep their secret of being alchemists and to ask if he has any information about the Philosopher's Stone.

Overall, the first episode of Fullmetal Alchemist sets up the premise well, introducing the Elric brothers and their motivations, as well as establishing the wider world and the use of alchemy. The episode also highlights the themes of sacrifice, consequences, and the dangers of attempting to wield too much power. The cliffhanger ending teases the larger conspiracy that the series will explore, while also leaving the audience eager to see where the journey of these two brothers will take them.