What can I say about this series? All I can say is: I LOVE IT!!! I find myself spending a couple hours a night watching this. Although I wasn't too crazy about the Alchemist angle I quickly came to disregard it and at times had a talk with my children about the "reality" of Alchemy.
This series has a lot going for it that I like. The themes of loyalty, brotherhood, love, friendship, and sacrifice outweigh any perceived negatives there may have been. The show is original with two main characters who quickly win you over. I find that I laugh with them, and sometimes at them (especially after "shorty" remarks), and there are times when I've cried with them (I'm thinking of the scene that Sensei hugs them after beating the tar out of them after they tell her about their efforts to transmute their mother).
I can't wait to see how the series concludes.
Your reaction sounds a lot like mine! Glad I've been ruining your evenings. This is one of my favorite animes ever. The themes are so great. So is the story, the art, the voices, the music (what'd you think of the new opening/ending themes?)