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Originally Posted by anime_anarchy  Not really they're not trying to get their mother back. They're trying to get their bodies back... there's a big difference. |
It's a bit of both...in the beginning, they just try to bring their mother back. Doesn't work, Ed loses his arm and leg, Al his body....
So, in order to get their bodies back they're going to use the philosophers stone if they can find it, but at the same time use it to bring back their mother (because the stone gives extreme power, which they didn't have in the first attempt).
As the storyline progresses, they find out what the philosopher stone is actually made of, which causes conflict with them, and are about to give up on both ideas.....but then they get talked back in to finishing what they started, except Ed and Al determine that they're just going to get their appendages and body back, and don't focus on bringing back their mom.
I'd highly recommend reading the manga before watching the anime (if you're going to do both). The storyline while good in the anime, is even better in the manga, and I think more hard-hitting, especially when it comes to human transmutation. The anime and the manga take two different directions with human transmutation, and I think the manga one is far better.