Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 1

Incredible. Just incredible. Once you start reading/watching this series, you'll never want to stop.

I used to hate anime and manga as a whole. That was until I decided to watch the Fullmetal Alchemist anime on a whim. Saw all 51 episodes and the movie in two days- yes, it was that addictive. Fresh out of anime and disgusted with the end of the series/movie, I bought the manga. And believe it or not, the manga is even better than the anime. At first, it dosn't seem that much different from it, but once you get into the series, oh how much more does it offer! The charactrization is deeper, and so is the plot. Every month I'm still left on a great big hanger wondering what's going to happen next. Not only is the story line, characters, and action great, this manga is chock-full of heart and morals. Some of the stuff in here is pretty deep, don't be decieved by it. And for a mythology/symbolism nut like me, it offers a lot of entertainment. For those of you who haven't seen the anime, the plot goes like this: Edward and Alphonse Elric, two brothers from a rural town in the country of Amestris, tried to resurrect thier dead mother with the help of alchemy. However, things take a thing for the worse- the transmutaion goes horribly wrong, and Ed looses an arm and leg. Alphonse looses his entire body. Ed then transmutes Al's soul to an empty suit of armor, and Ed's limbs are replaced with Automail ( steel posthetics). The two brothers then set out on a quest for the Philosopher's Stone(this is nothing like Harry Potter, don't worry)which is the only thing that can return thier bodies to a normal state. In order to do this, Ed ends up working as a State Alchemist. And that's only the begining. Hiromu Arakawa keeps us constantly on our toes with so many plot twists, it's impossible to get bored of this manga. So if you liked the anime, is a fan of manga, likes fantasy books, or is just looking for a fun read, go buy this series. Word to younger readers- this manga does contain a lot of violence, but very little else besides that. I wouldn't let most pre-teens read it, but then again, it all depends on the maturitly level. Otherwise, this is an extremly great series.

Fullmetal Alchemist is a series that sure isn't lacking in anything. The characters are well-rounded and interesting, the world is fascinating, and the action and humor in the plotline will keep you begging for more. The family bond between Edward, Alphonse, and their mother that caused the two brothers to go to such great lengths for each other and her is heartwarming. There is plenty of darkness in this manga, from cold enemies who care nothing for human lives to the questions the series brings up about humanity--but in the end, even if killers are still on the loose and the heroes are still bleeding, I always end up with a smile on my face. The way problems are solved is always clever and you can bet on a few good laughs along the way, be it laughing with the heroes or at the enemy (or both!). The world seems real to me and it is easy to lose myself in it. The art is fantastic and what really stuck out in my opinion are the characters' expressions. I find myself feeling along with them a lot of the time. So, while like everything, this series may not be for everyone, it is certainly an amazing series that is worth your time.

First of all, to set things straight, the manga came first. The anime is based on the manga, and the plotlines are completely different (seeing as how the manga is still being released in Japan while the anime already ended). That being said, we can move on to discuss this manga, which I find to be superior to the anime. The art is amazing, everything is drawn well and the thick, bold lines make it easy to distinguish characters and backgrounds, unlike some manga where the art is just too crowded and confusing. The character design is excellent, and they all look great, especially Lust, Gluttony and the rest of the sins (to be intorduced in later volumes). The plot is interesting and engaging. While the first volume is simply 4 side-stories and serves as an introduction to the main characters, the plot remains constant throughout the next volumes, never straying off to subplots. One of the best aspects about this manga is the perfect combination between comedy, action and drama. It's a hillarious manga (ranging from Ed's height-based jokes to Roy's slacking-off and womanizing jokes), yet it manages to have solid, thrilling action and touching drama. However, the combination between these elements excells in that it's never entirely action, or entirely comedy, or entirely drama, and it works perfectly. FMA's best quality, though, in my opinion, is that it's unique. It is a Shonen manga, but it's different from other Shonen. It's realistic, it doesn't focus on battles, and it lacks many elements of typical Shonen (such as flashy, long battles, or heroes that are willing to sacrifice themselves for anyone). This uniqueness makes FMA appealing and interesting. And considering this is Arakawa's first big manga (she had done a short stroy before FMA), it is a huge success. Highly recommended, the best manga I've ever read.

Fullmetal Alchemist is the compelling story of two young boys who try to bring their mother back from the dead using the science of alchemy. This is a great taboo, and one brother looses an arm and a leg, the other his whole body, his soul is bound to a suit of armor. Despite this they still do not get their mother back. The manga is the comic book that was the original idea the spawned the anime that many people may have seen on Cartoon Network. The anime was made in Japan after the manga was started, in the US the anime was picked up first. Please be aware, if you're a fan of the show, the plot line as the manga moves on is vastly differant from that of the anime. Both plots are interesting and compelling, but as the manga was still going on, the anime had to come to a differant resolution.

This is my favorite manga series by far, and I'm really glad to see it released over here, since the anime was grabbed first and I kept wondering when someone would pick up the manga. (Note: the anime IS based on the manga, not the other way around - it's just that the anime was picked up for a North American release before the manga was) The translation seems fairly good, with a couple of minor rough spots that didn't really bug me that much. I really like the characters in this series, not only because character development is done well but also because each person in the story has a distinct and unique appearance and personality. No one seems blah or uninteresting, and no one can be mistaken for any other character. (I've seen this in too many other manga series) I also like the blend of angst and comedy - the central tragedy in the series is very sad and there are a number of heart-wrenching scenes, but somehow the series manages to be amusing and light-hearted in other places without seeming awkward in transition. Action scenes are also awesome. It's a good mix, anyway. Fullmetal Alchemist keeps you entertained and wanting more. The characters are likable and the plot is engaging. Isn't that as much as you can ask for in a good manga series?