Fullmetal Alchemist is still a triumph of storytelling
More than 20 years ago, a seemingly modest manga series was titled Fullmetal alchemist began serialization in Enix’s (at the time) Shonen Gangan monthly. It has since become a classic in the anime and manga realm, between its well-written characters and plot, cohesive themes, and exciting fight scenes. To this day, company still releasing goods its! And for good reason too. Fullmetal alchemist Still one of the best anime and manga series in my opinion, and if you’re looking for a reason to reread or rewatch it, here it is.
Fullmetal alchemistfor those unfamiliar, takes place in the fictional German-inspired Amestris. In Amestris, people can learn to use alchemy to transform one material into another through the Law of Equivalent Exchange. If you are a particularly good alchemist, you can even work for the government and receive the title of National Alchemist. However, there are some hard rules of alchemy and one of the biggest taboos is human transmutation.
The main characters Edward and Alphonse Elric are two brothers who are very talented in the art of alchemy, and Edward in particular even achieved the title of National Alchemist. However, they have a secret: Edward lost his arms and legs, and Alphonse lost his entire body because when they were children, they tried to use alchemy to bring their mother back to life. Now, their goal is to get back what they lost—not their mother, but their bodies. To do that, they need the Philosopher’s Stone.
Please note, I personally haven’t rewatched the 2003 anime since it came out, so I can’t really remember what the original anime characters were like in it. So everything I say here is related to manga and Fraternity. Story of Fullmetal alchemist on a surface level it’s really interesting. The premise allows Edward to travel pretty much wherever he wants, and author Hiromu Arakawa excels at writing well-rounded characters. I especially like the way she writes about women and children. With the latter, it’s easy to write the kids as ridiculously hateful or unrealistically naive. As for women, I’m sure most people have seen discussions about how some authors don’t make good use of their female characters, resulting in no real development or strong personalities. . Arakawa doesn’t really have that problem.
Strong here doesn’t mean the MCU style where women’s fighting power is everything. For example, Winry takes on a supporting role in the series thanks to Edward’s job as a mechanic. While I don’t have any real attachment to this couple’s romance (and thus I have no real thoughts on Winry as a love interest), Winry herself is a character. interesting personality, dynamic with the Elric brothers, and her history. with Scar. Of course, the real “Wow, I love this queen” characters are Izumi, Hawkeye, and Olivier. They are not only smart or strong, but they also have vulnerable and emotional sides that make them feel like they are living in reality. everybody instead of a “feminist” symbol.
It’s really too bad that Lust’s story with her brother Scar is completely a product of the original 2003 anime. The conflict between her Homunculus personality and her human memories makes her that much more appealing. While all the other Homunculi have had fairly poignant or ironic deaths and revelations associated with their names, Lust feels underutilized by comparison. This isn’t about her death scene or who killed her, but more that I wish she would have gone on a little more. However, I understand that paying too much attention to Lust, who is only a supporting character, would be detrimental to the overall pacing.
Besides the characters and story, I liked the way Arakawa portrayed the themes and messages she wanted to convey through the story. While military characters like Armstrong, Mustang, and Hawkeye are likable, neither they nor the story shy away from the fact that these men are actually war criminals. Yet how they choose to shoulder that burden and how it shapes their ambitions to improve the world, especially in contrast to characters like Kimbly, makes them sympathetic and compelling.
Considering the current fandom climate when it comes to depicting “problematic” material, I’m pretty sure that if Fullmetal Alchemist aired today, certain fans would cancel military characters. left and right teams without any criticism towards Why Arakawa wrote them this way. Ironically, in an old interview about how she created the series, Arakawa discuss in a way, this kind of thinking. After mentioning that her ancestors replaced the Ainu despite some of her relatives having Ainu blood, as well as the cognitive dissonance of Scar killing the State Alchemists while using using alchemy, she says, “I think the really serious problem in this world is when people don’t try to learn about these everyday situations when they turn their backs on them or just look at them. from a single perspective.” That message still resonates today.
There’s a lot going on in the Fullmetal alchemist and I won’t say that this story is a short story. The storytelling is tight but still leaves enough room for lightness so the characters (and readers) can breathe. But the real victory of Fullmetal alchemist is at the end. Arakawa tells the story she wants to tell and it’s quite clear from the way the story ends. Sure, you could say it was an ending forever after. But remember that Elrics’ goal from the beginning has been to return to normalcy. And you can’t get more casual (albeit in a rather different way) than settling down with someone after a thrilling adventure. The kids deserve some R&R!
Fullmetal alchemist remains one of my favorite shounen anime and manga thanks to its strong writing, and I love how you can feel how much Arakawa took care of every aspect of the characters and world-building. More than ever, I feel this is a story that everyone should experience or re-experience, and not just because October 3rd is Fullmetal-Alchemist-And-Mean girl Day. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend you do so, no matter what Fraternity or the first anime adaptation. Just don’t forget the tissues!
You can watch Fullmetal alchemist on Crunchyroll (only Fraternity in spite of). The comic is available in English through either Yen Bao or Viz Media.
