Les critiques de livres

Dracosine9
Apr 16, 2021
Fullmetal Alchemist review
If you're into sci-fi and fantasy, with a lot of psychological elements, then this is the right manga for you.

The mixture of reality, fantasy, and science in this manga feels all-too natural. A lot of fantasy novels/manga I've read have flaws (like Harry Potter, where a thousand year-old legend is hidden in a bathroom that couldn't exist a thousand years ago). This, however, has none (as far as I could see). Arakawa-sensei had researched intensively for this, and covered up any holes that a reader might find.

The setting of Fullmetal Alchemist is a fictional world that wouldn't make you feel as though you've left Earth at all. There is a sense of connection between its world and the real world. Once you've started reading it, you will be plunged into a world that is different but a place that you could relate into. This is probably one of the main points of the manga that will hold your interest.

The characters of Fullmetal Alchemist are practically alive. Arakawa-sensei deliberately breathed life into them. As you read, you will find yourself empathizing with the characters. You can practically feel the emotion they have, feel the weight of their problems, and the dilemma of their troubles. Arakawa-sensei had succeeded in giving them their own thoughts and principles in life. Arakawa-sensei gave the sense of being human through them.

Delving into the ideologies, Arakawa-sensei focused on conscience, the sense of what is right and what is wrong, faith and belief in God, and the upholding of one's principles.

What's beautiful in this manga is that it's not all-out stiff-serious. There are a lot of humor, that are like breathing spaces in between dramatic events.

Concerning the art, the paneling is alright, though I find it a bit spacious. I like the fight scenes, since they're a lot understandable than other action mangas I've seen.

All in all, this is one of the finest mangas I have ever read. Describing it in one word, I'd say: AWESOME!
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Playcool2
Apr 16, 2021
Fullmetal Alchemist review
I have watched FMA: Brotherhood first then picked up this manga, and rewatched Brotherhood again to compare (you could say my latter half of 2016 was dedicated solely to FMA). It is the first manga that I've finished and I gotta say it was well worth the ride.

Story (9) Arakawa managed to combine various genres into 108 chapters with hardly any filler which is quite a feat. Fantasy/magic (alchemy) mixed with politics with some sprinkled action and adventure on the side (and a bit of romance too). The alchemy side of things seem well-researched also and I appreciate the effort put on that.

The story moves along at a smooth pace from the introduction of our main characters right into the climax and into the inevitable conclusion. I think my only negative comment here is the introduction of the Briggs arc with the reason that one character hid something important there. It just seemed quite far-fetched and execution was a bit clumsy- all to show a new place.

I also had a incredibly minor issue with Arakawa's execution of the various deus ex machinas in her story. Can't let our main characters get themselves too much in a bind, eh?

Art (8) This is only my second manga to read so I don't really have a good basis for comparison. However, on its own, the art is quite clean, crisp and consistent. Though not spectacular enough for me to be wowed, in general it is detailed and descriptive enough to add to the atmosphere.

Character (8) FMA has a wide array of characters so it'd be impossible not to find a favorite: we have a cynic, an optimist, a vengeful murderer, a visionary, an ambitious prince and a handful of loyal henchmen among other things. I like how some of the antagonists of the series, the homunculi, aren't exactly cookie-cutter villains and were given depth to their characters.

On the other hand, almost any story will have typical secondary characters who have hardly any growth and are merely used as plot devices; FMA is no exception to this. However, they are introduced and utilized in such a way that you will come and care for them no matter how small their roles may be.

Enjoyment (10)
When I first watched the anime having not read the manga, I thought the way the comedy/seriousness went fluidly from one to another was off-putting, but having read FMA I realized it was just adapting whatever was in the manga. My initial reaction was to side-eye Arakawa's propensity for this but I have since come to appreciate this wacky side of things.

My main gripe on FMA centers around Al. He is my favorite out of the Elric brothers and this is the problem: often times he is forgotten as people mention the trials and suffering Ed face. Both brothers went through a lot together even though Ed may have been exposed to a lot more ridicule as a State Alchemist. I may be biased but I've always thought Al has always been in a tougher place than Ed is; it's just that Ed is more vocal and cynical while Al tries to be constantly cheerful despite living in an armor body. Part of this is my thinking that there are two MAIN protagonists in the story, but Ed is and has always been the primary character with Al as the supporting one.

The above paragraph is my only 'real' hindrance to me thoroughly enjoying FMA and even then I'll give it a top score just because it was incredibly fun to read, it wasn't boring, it can be as deep as it wanted to be but at the same time it made me laugh out loud in some scenes.

Overall (9)
I think one of FMA's greatest strengths is that it is very easy to dive into but it has every little bit of everything that will please everyone. I've said almost everything I've felt about it in the above paragraphs.

The next on my list is to watch the 2003 version, though having spent a long time in the Amestris world I might need a few more months to cleanse my palate first.
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radrachel3
Apr 16, 2021
Fullmetal Alchemist review
I usually don't review manga, but I'm making an exception for this one since it is so popular.

When I started reading this manga, I was tired of seeing the same shounen anime tropes, especially the strong female character who also serves as fanservice and unrealistically strong male protagonists. While I can enjoy shounen anime and manga despite these tropes, I really craved something different. Full Metal Alchemist satisfied that craving.

This manga is set in a steampunk world where some people rely on the power of alchemists, people who can destroy objects and reconstruct them into something else. Some of the alchemists are military officials known as state alchemists while others are just everyday people. As described by the manga's synopsis, alchemy is at the heart of the manga's story. However, there is more to the manga than this.

While alchemy was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the manga, other amazing aspects included the use of automail, the characters, and the themes woven within the story. Automail is a type of metal used as prosthetics body parts. It looks cool and is so functional I wish it were real. My favorite characters that use automail are Edward Elric and Paninya.

Speaking of the characters, they are the most refreshing and relatable characters I've ever seen in the shounen genre. The lead shounen protagonist Edward is a realist when it comes to personal faith, but also optimistic, caring, and considerate toward others. A particularly touching scene with Edward occurs when he is yelling at someone (can't spoil who) and he talks about how hard it is for a single mother, speaking from his own mother's experience. Another scene I liked was when he used alchemy to fix the damage he caused with his battles. This was the first male manga character I've seen do this and it was nice to see.

Other characters I liked were Edward's brother Al (he was badass in the armor & has good char. development) and Scar (who has the best char. arc besides the Elric bros.). All the other characters I liked were female. Almost all the female characters in this manga had major roles and practically zero fanservice. No big boobs or boob gags to be found. The closest thing to fanservice is when one character is sitting in a bathtub, but nothing explicit is shown. This is rare in the shounen genre, but as a female reader I welcomed it.

Anyway, the female characters I liked were Izumi Curtis (a tough as nails housewife, alchemist, sensei, and mother figure), Winry (automail mechanic who built Ed's arm and leg and fixes the arm), Paninya (she has automail legs that are also weapons), and Mei (a little girl who is brave, strong, and funny).

Another aspect of the characters I liked was how racially diverse they were. Ed and similar characters were modeled after Europeans, Scar and his fellow Ishvarians reminded me of Muslims, and Mei and similar characters are reminiscent of East Asians.

All together, alchemy and the characters driving the plot are a part of interesting social commentary on things like goverment corruption, personal faith, discrimination, warfare, and more. Depending on how much of it you notice, it may make you think a bit while you read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this series and it has become my favorite shounen manga series ever. After reading and watching shounen manga and anime by men, it was truly refreshing to read a popular shounen manga series by a woman. I don't know if there will ever be another manga series or female manga creator that can follow suit, but other creators could take a page or two from this series.


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Mystic_Dreamer13
Apr 16, 2021
Fullmetal Alchemist review
My review is about Fullmetal Alchemist. Personally, I think it is one of the best mangas with its well developed plot, beautiful art, and unique characters.


Story (10): I think that Fullmetal Alchemist has one of the best plot lines out of all the mangas I have read. The author thought out the story really carefully and developed it very well. It may seem like there are a lot of irrelevant parts in the story but they all connect together to form the bigger picture. Some of the smaller points even become a substantial role in the story.

Art (8): Hiromu Arakawa put just enough detail into her drawings so that you are not overwhelmed by the complicity but also it gives enough details to understand what the image is portraying. The expressions on the characters are well expressed and easily visible. I think she did a nice job creating the characters appearance when you think about how many different characters there are in Fullmetal Alchemist.

Character (10): Even though there are quite a lot of characters in the story, each character has a unique personality. Also the character's development is well expressed into the story by telling the readers about their past and experiences. It gives a realistic feeling to the readers because you can understand what the characters are going through.

Enjoyment (9): I really enjoy Fullmetal Alchemist and I hope that it will just keep getting better and better. I would recommend it to people who like fantasy mangas but even if you don't I think everyone will enjoy it.

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Story: 10
Art: 8
Character: 10
Enjoyment: 9
Overall score: 9/10
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MondoX1
Apr 16, 2021
Fullmetal Alchemist review
Nothing but superlatives across the board. I would give this series a 100 if the site let me.

It's probably one of the most interesting and deep manga I have read so far. It's fascinating, the interplay of good and evil and the decisions people have to make as they walk between those extremes.

I think most of the characters are super likable (especially Ed Elric and Roy Mustang!) and even when they're not, they're at least interesting. The sins (Gluttony, Greed, Envy, Lust, etc) are so damn interesting. Art is fantastic. All the characters look DIFFERENT and all the fighting scenes are well down.

Another thing I'm impressed with is how TIGHT the writing is. Not a single wasted page and a story that was very clearly developed with a ton of thought and planning. As I read through the manga, I kept going back to previous chapters and seeing old scenes in a new light going, "Ah! So THAT's what that was!" Some of it blew my mind, I'm serious. The ending was just so perfect, it was EPIC. Just the way that everything came together, ahhhh. Story is so good and complex that I've re-read it a bunch of times and came out appreciating something new each time.

It's a perfect story. Lots of complex themes. And also despite how dark this story really is (I mean, there's stuff like genocide...), there are many funny moments. They mostly come from Mustang and his crew or Mustang fighting with Ed or Ed's complex about his height haha.

As far as completed manga go, this one is my favorite so far. It's hard to reach this level of perfection in manga, but this one does it. I give it my highest recommendation. (Also the anime FMA: Brotherhood follows the manga very closely and is basically AMAZING. Watch it!!)
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Panzer9212
Apr 16, 2021
Fullmetal Alchemist review
First of all, i'm sorry for my bad english, i'm learning, so... Try to understand :p
Fullmetal is my favorite manga, I just love it. The dimension of this series is absurdly complex. At first glance, it seems to be only a handful of chapters and adventures with some drama to the mix. However in a few episodes so that the viewer understands that FMA is much more than that. The subjects covered are quite controversial and interesting, as the creation of a perfect society, represented by Amestris, the greed and ambition of human that lead them to commit the most heinous atrocities, clearly evident in the plot that involved the people of Xerxes and Ichival.

One of the great strengths of the manga is precisely this approach to various subjects that acquire a real dimension, far from the simple idea of the struggle of Good against Evil. The viewer is often confronted with issues that could be transposed to the present, such as religion, the conception of God, moral values​​, honor. That's what makes, in my view, Fullmetal so unique and special.

In my opinion, Fullmetal is the best shounen ever released. At one point, the impression that the manga gave me was to send me to the period of World War II, the very allusions to the Führer, the conception of a perfect nation, the elimination of another people to benefit another. However, do not judge the manga becomes terribly upset by addressing such important issues, quite the contrary! And it is also here that the series gains tremendous. Precisely because it is able to combine comedy with seriousness. There are absolutely hilarious scenes, and even the fights and battles are filled with funny situations, able to bring anyone to tears.

The episodes are so well established that there are rare times when the viewer gets bored (actually, for me were nonexistent). Much because the story is extremely interesting, suffering several twists and unexpected developments.

But I believe that the tremendous asset of FMA is precisely the group of characters. One would expect that, in the various chapters that make up the series, arose boring characters, less interesting characters that will hopefully leave the scene as soon as possible. Well, it happens that all (or almost) the characters of FMA have an important role in history. All they do something that will be important for the future, they all have something special. And they all produce some effect on the viewer, whether heroes or villains, friends or enemies, major and minor. They are characters that go far beyond the field of normal, what is presumed and expected for a shounen work. Characters are unique, making it difficult to choose a favorite. As the bosses, the case becomes more complicated. Generally it is expected to develop a terrible hatred for the villains of a story, but so far FMA can surpass all expectations. Are so well constructed that ended up nurturing some "sympathy", so to speak, with them. The most obvious case is that of Envy, one of the seven homunculi that arise in history. To explain his story would have to write a lot more, so I'll just say it's living proof that antagonists surprised us greatly.

I could say much more about Fullmetal Alchemist. I have a feeling that there is still so much to say, so much to explore. But this text will have very long. Always be a manga that influenced me, who showed me a lot. And believe me when I say FMA is one of the best series ever. Because it's true.
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Omegabyyte10
Apr 16, 2021
Fullmetal Alchemist review
And i finally finished it. What an amazing manga it was, i feel happy and kind of sad at the same time for finishing Fullmetal...

I liked all the characters but i don't have a particular favorite, may be Mustang for being the manly man and mini skirts ! lol The plot build up nicely, at the begining kind of wandered around with 2 mini stories that Ed and Al saved a little town from the rule of an evil priest and couldn't save a poor little girl who was turned in to a chimera by his messed up alchemist father... (That was dark, Fullmetal can be dark for a shounen at some parts like the chimera little girl and ishbalan genoside. ) and went on from there to big picture (the father of all homunculus's schemes and big evil plan) in a linear way. It was a nice ride.

Fullmetal had some classic shounen elements like never give up and importance of relying on good friends who love you and you love them back. Frinedship is magic ! in short lol you can find these in every shounen... And i was even rolling my eyes to them, even when i was a little kid... lol

I really like the consept of Alchemy, the equvelant exchange and how you create all kinds of things by it (except living beings) the transmutation circle desings were all very cool, i really liked them. The character desings were simple but very disctingtive. Fullmetal Alchemist is a true manga classic up there with The king of all things shounen Dragon Ball for me. Really well done.

Farewell fullmetal...
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Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist
Auteur Arakawa, Hiromu
Artiste --