Fullmetal Alchemist

There always seems to be that one generic anime that comes out every season. In the Fantasy genre, it's always about an OP main protagonist who can literally defeat everything and has an unoriginal tsundere + dandere harem cast.

The world in which the story takes place is fascinating but not one you would necessarily want to visit. There are layers of culture and history that include wars and racial discrimination. However, it does not possess the unnatural hellishness that colors dystopian-style fantasy. Fullmetal Alchemist explores numerous interesting and thought-provoking ideas that all escalate into one final confrontation with the truth that can resonate with us more deeply than all the calculated tearjerkers in the world.


One of my favorite pieces. I've read it many times. A masterpiece as it is.

If you don't know where to start, you should definitely start with this. Just open up and enjoy.

this is just a quik breif review... mind my spelling im seem to be iliterate at the moment...

FMAA is about a story of 2 bros who lost their mother. So they did som alchemy whihc is a science which creates matter from pre existing mather, so if you were to make gold you had to take some thing that is of equal value and as the correct components (chemical sturture) in order to make it. So they used alchemy to bring her back, the bring back of the dead was a taboo of alchemy and they paid a price the younger brother loast his body and so he had to move his soul to a ody of armour in order to continue living. The older brother lost one of his hands and legs and got them replaced with metal body parts. Now they are on a quest to earn back their bodies and continue living.

BUT AFTER U FINISH THE MANGA READ THE MANGA FMA CONQORUR OF SHAMBALA AND AND ALL THE OVAS AND STUFF

what i rote above was important becuse there are stuff that are explained on the movies and ovas that arent in the normal manga=)

All aspects of this manga were amazing, the art the characthers and the story line were all amazing but the story line might be hard to comprehend at fierst cuz of all the commotion but ull get it soon enough

but as a waring you might cry and if you dont like gory stuff well there some of that but not to much the beginig was kinda gory but not to much s dont worry =)


HOPE U ENJOY and find this revie HELPFUL =)

Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most meaningful mangas a person could ever read. Its purpose isn't just to tell some kind of cliché, boring story. It changes your way of thinking and your view about the things in life.

The plot doesn't seem that interesting at first, but as you read more and more, you find that there is a lot more depth to it. And as a person, who doesn't get surprised that easily, who expects that "things will turn out this way" from reading only half of the manga, I must say, that the author really surprised me many times.

The author is someone I really admire. Really original and a true professional. When I was almost at the end of the series, I realised something: things, that had happened more than 40 chapters earlier, now seemed to make sense. Like the author knew how it would all end, even when she was only the middle of the story. And she really has a way with words.(I have a MS Word document with 8 pages full of quotes :D)

The art is something I really liked. And the way some of the characters change, not drastically, with the passing of time, is really admireable. The art is a really big part of the manga (obviously) and even if the story is great but the art is bad, it would make the whole experience less enjoyable.

The enjoyment. What really appeals is that there are a lot of funny moments in a serious and deep manga like this. Even in very very serious situations, there is still made room for jokes :D.

If you are not sure wether to read Fullmetal Alchemist, I highly recommend you do. You won't regret it and you may learn a lot of things, which can be very useful.

(just for the record, this is a slight alteration of my anime review)

ART: 8/10
The artwork is rather minimalistic when it comes to faces and clothing, but the sceneries are usually highly detailed and really make you feel the pulse of the people living there. The SD slapstick moments may feel overdone for such a dark story but nothing much of a problem. Also, the way all modern manga are made today I am even willing to consider the complete lack of erotic humor and nude to be a major plus too. Almost everyone is drawn handsomely and there is a token loli and mascot critter for the mainstream fans but even those are still not presented as a freaking brothel that distracts you from the actual story and character immersion. Banzai! Also, the series blends in various cultures and nationalities and yet it does not feel disjoined as it usually does in manga that throw in ideas at random. There is uniformity and a good excuse for everything looking the way they do.

STORY SECTION: 9/10

For Japanese standards, the pacing of the story is extremely fast and quite complicating and unpredictable to the most part. That aside, the actual story is ingenious and really full of deep stuff you would never expect in an average show. I know most manga are full of interesting ideas and concepts but very few actually manage to do something with them. Most just throw them in as extra shock value and poor excuses to show off as smart or mature… and do a sappy job with them.

The main story is about finding a magic trinket to gain back lost body parts and even resurrect the dead. But as the story goes on, it is no longer about that. It is about the meaning of life itself in a way and how each one pursues happiness or perfection in his own personal way. It’s not a unique premise; it’s like that in other series like One Piece for example. But over there the objective is unseen and impersonal to the point of not caring about it after awhile. Plus, it reached a gazillion chapters and no exposition of what the hell is going on with it was shown. No more!

Moving along, almost everything in this series is excused. Yes, it’s a series where people use magic to turn water to wine and dirt to spears; yet the inner workings of such a thing are excused to a basic level of understanding. They even offer some scientific explanations to excuse it even further. So, when Ed uses alchemy to soften the diamond-hard shield of an enemy he makes sure to explain how carbon works to make that possible and not the DBZ type of excuse “My Power Level is bigger than yours”. Furthermore, although alchemy looks in practice a lot like chakras and jutsus in Naruto, the superpowers are never overused to a point where a character is defined only by his special move. Plus, there is actual strategy in battles here, unlike there where 99% of the so called tactics is making clones of you and exchanging places with a log.

Finally, there are various side stories and they are all resolved in the end. No open endings or half-baked solutions, like in most series or even the A itself. All of which in far less than 600 chapters, most of which are dead time. So yeah, it is a masterful work that is glitched at some points by the way the plot may or may not move too fast or too slow and the emotional impact on you may or may not be as strong as it should have… or whatever.

Many disliked the ending as they found it too normal and simple. Well I am sorry for not seeing Al throwing galaxies to Father, who has created a 11-dimensional black hole or something. The themes were fine, the resolution was reasonable and the final battle was long and exciting. Not being epicly epical epic epicness in terms of explosions is not a minus.

CHARACTER SECTION: 10/10

Most characters mature or change throughout the story, which is a major plus. From the most superficial detail such as changing clothes, down to the core, like personal impressions of something, goals in life and deep stuff like that. In a span of merely ten chapters you get so much progress that most series out there can’t even see with binoculars and neon light arrows flashing above the target. So the FMA cast has all the elements of a great cast. You like pretty boys and girls? Sure, lots of those. Do they have quirky behaviors? You bet! Do they mature, grow older, wiser, smarter? Uh-huh! Do they have variety in all that or are they all slight variations of one another? Nobody is the same! Did most of them appear out of thin air? Nah, they all have backdrops excusing their place in the story. And do they all get their issues resolved at the end? Yup! Self-realization is very powerful for most and that can lead to some very emotionally powerful moments. Not to mention how many of the cast is actually killed and never returns back to life with some shmuck way.

Another thing is how even small fries end up affecting the story. It usually is about the powerful few protagonists doing all the hard work as the rest of the world just eats pop-corn and watches them fight. Well no sir, not here. In this story even the meekest of characters actually does something. They may not all have an army behind their backs, super laser beams to level those who oppose or Geass eyes to convince others of how cool they are. Yet they actually do something! From digging trenches to stall the enemy, to secretly gathering information about his weakness, to even taking up arms when they can’t take this shit any longer. Heck, the villains themselves need to resolve to deception all the time exactly because they know they can’t just openly terrorize them no matter how powerful they are. Now THIS is what I call an interesting all-round cast. Marvelous! Nothing alike that parade of cardboards that is Bleach or Naruto.

VALUE SECTION: 10/10, ENJOYMENT SECTION: 9/10
I admit that it had boring parts. It is still almost entirely captivating and a fine example of how great action/adventures should be made… in less than 600 chapters. It is almost a crime not to place this in the top adventures of all times. Reread value is very high, as there are so many events and character motives that there is no way to remember them all in one go. Plus, it will show how awesomely planned out every event was made to be since the beginning. It is nothing alike the average shounen out there, brimming with fillers, dragging, ass-pulling and random power-up panaceas. If Dragonball created the golden formula of a successful shounen series, then FMA transmutated it into a marvelous crown, full of jewels and decorations, fit only for itself and those rare few who can only hope to mimic half of its glory.

FMA has all kinds of mini stories which slowly all links up and can really be cool. Alchemists are really powerful and there are so many different types of alchemy I found this series interesting for the science behind the alchemy
It started off really well and I found it interesting right away. They have great characters with a slightly sad backstory.
It was a really great story but I would have like more of an after story.
I find it weird that there are two anime series and that one of the movies star Adolf Hitler

(Excuse my terrible English)

Ah, Fullmetal Alchemist: one of the most highly regarded anime and manga in the world. Many years ago, I had always come across watching an episode or two of the first anime on TV: it had never peaked my interest too much since many of the episodes had been reduced to filler. It was then that 2009 hit: BONES had announced that they would be making a remake of the show, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, making it closer to the manga. My first thoughts were, "Manga? Hm.. I wonder if I could find it online." After much persuasion from my friend, I gave the manga a read.
By the time I had hit Chapter 91, I was hooked and I wanted to read more. The sad reality was that I then had to wait for monthly scanlated chapters: whoo. x| With that being said, the final chapter recently became available this week, and now that I've read the manga completely, I feel a need to write a review about this wonderful series.

Story: The story is one of the most original tales I've heard in a very long time. Despite the fact that alchemy is a commonly-used factor to stories, I found Fullmetal's grasp of the concept to be the most intriguing in comparison to what I've read. The storyline easily receives a 10 from me.

Art: The art reflects the story well: its comedic when needed, and serious as all hell when the serious tone sets in. The art strays away from the usual big-eyed anime people, yet its anime style still remains apparent. There were parts in the action scenes where there was a little too much going on, so it was hard to tell what exactly was happening. For that, I give the art a 9.

Character: You simply CAN'T hate ANY characters in this series (maaaaybe except for Homunculus. But I even liked him! xD) The two main characters, Ed and Al Elric are very strong characters. The brotherhood they reflect is equally as powerful, and you just can't go wrong with Ed and short jokes sometimes. I can honestly say that Hoenheim and Ling were two of my all time favorite characters: Hoenheim was a bit of a tragic character; unfortunately always running away in order to protect the ones he loved. It was only by final few chapters that he realized that running wasn't always the answer. Ling originally traveled outside of Xing in search of the Philosopher's Stone. What he found when he got there was more than that: a friend whose heart had changed. His purpose gradually began to fluctuate, and is character development was wonderful to see.
Alongside this, all I can say is: Armstrong. ... You can't hate the guy. It’s impossible. xD Character gets a 10 from me!

Enjoyment: I was always looking forward to a new chapter: always anticipating a new plot twist, and the result of an epic battle. For Enjoyment, it receives a 9 from me.

Overall: Such a fantastic manga. Some things were a bit fast-paced, but other than that it was hugely enjoyable. The last chapter almost brought a tear to my eye, and no manga other than the powerful Fruits Basket has done that to me. I salute you, Hiromu Arakawa!

If you enjoy strong bonds of friendship, great action sequences, and delving into a little bit of black magic known as alchemy, I highly recommend this series.

Im afraid that im a FMA fan alright a 10 for everything becos im just mad haha

Story: well if i were to tell u the story line u wudnt see the end of this review so ill just make it short and simple for those that have not read this before.Basically its about alchemy where u will have to draw a transmutation circle to perform renkinjutsu(alchemy) . The 2 main characters , Edward Elric know as Ed and Alphonse Elric known as Al ..these 2 are pretty popular and famous and are known as the elric kyoudai (elric brothers) . I think that they are geniuses as they are very good at alchemy at a young age..they were able to read and understand the laws of alchemy which would probably be quite difficult for a child . This story in short is about alchemy,these 2 brothers and in many action shounen manga/anime there will definetely be villains . The main villains in these stories are the seven sins Lust,Gluttony,Envy,Wrath,Sloth,Greed and Pride you will come to find that they are Homunculus which is a human being created by a man known as "Father". Father has some big evil plan up his sleeves which could end in the death of a whole country known as Amestris in the world of fullmetal alchemist. The only way to find out what his plan is u have to read it for yourself. I recomend u to give this comedy,shounen,action,adventure manga a chance and u definetely wont regret it hehe. it reli makes u laugh :D

Art: As for the art i think that its pretty good and detailed . The authors creativity is brilliant and that goes along with the weird expressions Ed and Al makes in the manga(seriously hilarious)

Character : You will really come to love the characters in this manga..you will love their personalities and characteristics my favourite would have to be Edward and Roy Mustang and i know u prolly will love them too..

Enjoyment : i have to say i really enjoyed reading this manga and i cant wait for the next chapter to be released becos rite now its still on going so i have to wait :3

soo over all i have to say its an awesome manga full of laughter and if ur a sensitive person maybe even tears..but you will come to really love this manga..hope that my review was helpful! enjoy reading the manga ! have a nice day :D

Fullmetal Alchemist was the first anime/manga that I ever saw, and after reading tons of other stories it's still my favorite. Maybe I'm being a little biased because it was the one that really got me into anime, but I'm not lying when I tell you it is a phenomenal piece of work.

For one, the artwork is amazing. It's some of the nicest I've seen and certainly keeps your eyes wanting to continue to look, which I think is a vital part about manga 'cause lets face it; who wants to look at something that isn't appealing to their eyes?

Another is the story. It isn't just battle scene after battle scene; there are battles but they have depth to them and are done for a purpose, not just for the sake of having an intense battle. It has depth to it with the whole scenario of two brothers who are trying to make their life better after having so much gone wrong and you get to go on the journey with them an watch them grow. If you like comedy, it has it; If you like action, it has it; If you like romance, it sort of has it XD; it has all the elements of a memorable story.

The characters are another reason to keep reading. There is a character for everyone to love in this series.

This manga is great, I love the characters, the art, the story. I also love how the characters have so much emotion, it just makes me feel like I'm really there watching! Also I love how it makes you have to read more to know what's going to happen. Great manga, I'll be watching for new chapters! =3

In the huge bountiful production of Shonen series out there many continue to go on forever and are filled with cliche's and troupes galore. Fullmetal Alchemist is a series that shines above the rest. There is no pointless power-up, fight the bad guy and continually lose and come back only to repeat the cycle over and over again.

It is very story driven. And character driven. Every character takes a part in the grand scheme of things. Every conversation has value and shows importance to the advancement of plot and development. It is a powerful tale of sacrifice, love, friendship, family, and reaching your potential.

I cannot recommend this series enough. Whether you are new to manga/anime or an acquaintance that has not yet delved into the world of FMA, it is a must .

I remember when I had only four chapters left of this manga, I almost cried at the thought that it is the one I enjoyed the most, which means I may never come across something this awsome ever again. I absolutely don't regret reading it and I wish I could go back in time so that I can read it for the first time.

Art:
I always drew manga charcters just for fun, without even watching or reading the series they belong to, but the fullmetal alchemist manga made me think seriously about taking it to the next level. Arakawa Sensei's drawing style is outstanding, apart from a few I just found absurd. I reproduced a lot of scenes from the manga, it helped me practice a lot.

Story:
Apart from the mother's tragedy which happens in most mangas and is becoming a bit cliché, the story is great.I think the reason why Fullmetal Alchemist is very popular is that it is included in many genres of manga, no matter how old you are or what genre you like there is a high possibility that you enjoy it. Also the conspiracy is very well done. The romance part is like the faint coulour on a painting's background; it is not essential to the story, but without it the manga would be a bit boring, it is not useless at all like in some other things I've red. It's the kind of thing from which you can learn something, not just be entertained. Also, those jokes at th end of every volume are too precious to pass by.

Overall I recommend this manga to everyone who hasn't read it (I think it's better than the anime) especially to beginners.

What to say about a masterpiece? All good things must come to an end and that is what happened with FMA's legendary run. When I finished the last chapter today, I seriously shed a tear of joy for all the character development and so many things I was rooting for since I've been following this manga (since last 3 years). The two anime spin-offs pretty much assure full enjoyment and deep storyline that keeps the reader/viewer on the edge of their seats with anticipation and speculation.

The best thing about FMA is not only its story but the alive characters. The story is definitely fantasy but their relationship with each other is as real as you and me. Of course, it's not serious all the time and the lulz and growth of characters with time is what makes this a classic. For example, Ed started off with a small height complex and always complained about being a chibi. The worst ever was being rejected by Winry in a childhood game of who would marry Winry, for being smaller in height than her. Well, what do you know he grew out of that and I loved how things turned out.

It's easy to make good guys good but what about the bad guys? The depth of character of all homunculi, the continuous second-guessing, sub-plots, an array of well-conceptualized characters are just a few things for keeping the reader addicted to the story. When it seemed all would fail, the fabulous end shown by sheer determination of a group of protagonist was simply EPIC!

I for one would miss this story and would love to read more from Arakawa-sensei. Overall score of 10.

"Why can't I do anything but cry? "-Winry

FMA deserves to be on a pedastool, one for Overrated manga. The little level of quality it contained, and glaring plot inconsistencies moved me to write a review because of the many faults and mistakes. FMA is one of the worst Shōnen to be created, the toxic fanbase rating anything close to it low, just to keep its prize manga up there.

Now in FMA, the story is one of its double-edged swords. It was evident that the author had planned certain parts, and It is clear she had an end goal in mind. She planned major plot points and great plot twists, and it is evident in the story. My mind was often blown by the setup that happened and the subtle pieces of foreshadowing involved. However, the story itself is a bit fuzzy, to sum up.

Two brothers commit a taboo, human transmutation in an attempt to resurrect their dead mother, and when It backfires, the younger brother loses his body, while the older loses one of his arms and one of his legs. Because of this, they both suffer and go on a quest to receive their bodies back, and the only thing that can do it is a philosopher's stone. And this is where the story gets shafted and slowly loses its potency. From about episode three, the story starts to shift both predictably and generically, as they meet an illogical amount of barriers and have the most incredible luck.

The story seemed only to consist of filler, and major plot points, the author having very little ideas what to do with the spaces In between the plot points. Thus, reading the chapters is a nightmare, as the pacing constantly shifts from too fast to too slow. Thus, the plot, which has some amazing mysteries, actually starts to devolve, as the filler seems to really hurt the storytelling and sometimes messes up the villain's plans and personalities. 

In all, the story feels weird. FMA brings in some amazing and unique concepts that blow you mind at the creativity. However, the author seems to omit most of the reasonings, as the filler seems to take up the spaces to create it all. If the plot holes were explained, I would probably rate the story a 9/10, but due to the number of unanswered plot holes, I would give it a 4/10.

Now the art which Is another downside of the series. Now I am not a huge art critic and will read most things despite the art. Boruto manga art is terrible, but I still manage to read it. Art is only a problem for me when the story and the characters are bad enough for me to focus on the art, and when even that is bad, I can't stop noticing the mistakes.

First, let's talk about the manga paneling. Now I have never in my life thought about manga paneling. When people complain about it, It seems like they are just looking for mistakes and have run out of legitimate reasonings for their arguments. Then I read FMA. The main problem with the paneling is the author's inability to draw her characters. Not only is there a sum of 5 different characters' designs and haircuts, but she doesn't seem to be able to draw them in many different positions. So when she is drawing and overcompensates in a panel, she keeps it stuffing the rest of the information on the page instead of re-drawing it. Not only does this hurt the fights, but the pacing and the character designs. The sad scenes seem to take place in seconds, and the fights way too long. Each character is drawn in very similar positions, and with people already looking way too similar, the author changes the panel sizes and focuses on differentiating the people somewhat. She focuses on trivial parts of character design to identify it like them, meaning that you have a hard time telling who it is. The character designs seemed all very similar, aside from Alphonse, who sadly isn't drawn most of the time correctly.

Finally, I want to mention the fights, which were a few things the anime improved. FMA is a battle shonen, and what that entails is fights, a lot of them. However, the fights are poorly mixed. In a fight, four methods are commonly used to create action. Speed lines, blurred appendages, hit marks, and the poses both combatants are in. Despite starting in 1989(12 years before this), the Dragonball manga utilizes these techniques perfectly, while FMA spectacularly fails. 

The action in FMA composed of mismatched poses, speed lines in the wrong places, and blurred appendages that make the characters look inhuman. With irrelevant fights happening over chapters and relevant ones in less than four pages, the action is defiantly not the best. The author seemed to think that she was a comedian when the comedy was downright annoying. This happens through most of the show, but what is worse is when in the fights, it happens, and suddenly all the tension leaves, even against major foes. Finally, the power system was abysmal. I won't even ask anything about alchemy as it is a bunch of plot holes condensed into a power system. But she couldn't even write it in the fights. When the alchemy was used, the majority showed the lightning, then zoomed out to a building exploding. Only to zoom back into a dying foe somehow hit by the alchemy.The only ones they showed was some stone, and Roy's fire, which didn't even look remotely like fire.

FMA lacks in many things, but you can look past those and still give it a good rating. However, the characters are one thing you can't overlook, as they are probably the saddest excuse of a supporting cast ever. Now I didn't dislike them per-say, but they definitely weren't good. The author created static and bland characters, but my problem started when she tried to make you feel for them. 

Now Ed, and Al, as a concept, are genius. The fact that Edward condemned not just himself but his younger brother to a terrible fate is emotional. When it shows in small scenes how it hurts for him, the auto-mail that makes him strong is a constant reminder of what he did to his brother. He hurts all the time and puts on this facade of happiness and being okay. Alphonse put in a suit in which he can not feel or taste, trapped in by his older brother. In this body, he feels inhuman unable to confirm his existence or individuality. While Ed hurts, he can't, and that pains him as he sees his brother push himself more than necessary every time to try to save him. With all the nights to reflect, he starts to overthink things and blames himself when something happens.

Their brotherly bond also feels real as they act like brothers, know each other as brothers, and experienced trauma together. They are SO close together, both only looking out foe each other, determined to save the other rather than themselves. They are a fantastic duo and great characters. My only problem with them lies in the comedy, which really hurts the depth of their characters. But if you can look past it, you will see two amazingly written characters.

Now let's go with the rest of the cast, which is quite frankly a disaster—first the cast itself, which were quite all over the place. The main cast seemed to switch every 5 chapters as they would focus on a different group, and until it seemed to involve almost every named character. This hurt the show as it would attempt to use them all, which slowed down some parts quite heavily.

First Mustang, who is Overrated. He has more of a cool aura in the manga, and he is a LOT better here than in the anime. He has a nice connection with his subordinates. However, they are used for his character. Mais Hughes was a plot device to give Mustang character, Hawkeye and his troops were there to provide him with character, and 2-dimensional characters outside of that. He was a decent character, but his whole arc about revenge in the manga with envy was poorly handled, not given enough time, and felt shoehorned. Same with the sacrifice of a specific part of his body. It wasn't given enough time, mentioning it and giving it little time to sync in. As much as I dislike the anime, those two scenes were better handled. 

Winry, another 2-dimensional character who could've been good but was thrown away, as the plot took credence over her developing character. If you skipped the whole part with her and Scar, it would be impossible to tell that it happened. Speaking of Scar, what a letdown. While he seemed quite interesting and mysterious initially, he quickly became a member of the crew, forgetting his whole grudge with Amestris and the fact that he killed multiple major alchemists there.  

Izumi Curtis was the run of the mill mentor with nothing going for her. Alex Armstrong had something going on but is skipped as again the plot takes credence. His sister too. The rest of the cast comprised of hundreds of soldiers and lackeys that followed Ed blindly cause he rubbed off on the good, even though he was their mortal enemies first. He saves two chimeras who try to kill him, and then instead of the enemies who were trying to kill him seconds ago viciously, they decide to be his friend and his lackeys.

And finally, the villains, probably the worst ones in fiction. 

Sloth, a disappointment, just there for plot. Nice irony of his name, but as soon as he became relevant, he died. Lust died in the second scene we saw her. Pride, amazing plot twist, and a stroke of genius. Then was cast aside, going from overpowered to weaker than automail. Gluttony, nothing whatsoever. Envy, they tried to give him some development but failed miserably. Wrath, again, amazing plot twist and mind-blowing reveal. But he was an evil Captain America who was evil for the sake of it. The six of them were underdeveloped characters who both didn't represent their sin and had no reason whatsoever to be evil.

The main villain was also bad, evil for the sake of being evil, and lacking a concrete plan. Greed was the only good villain, and he was mostly on the good side.
In general, the characters were pretty bad, both the villains and the supporting cast completely underdeveloped. This was probably the weakest part of the show, and If you are looking for good characters, don't expect them. 

Now one thing people forget to mention when they talk about FMA is the comedy, which is awful. Heavily inspired by one piece, FMA tries to make it a battle Shōnen, and comedy, and magnanimously fails. With each interaction having something to do with Ed's height, it will stop at nothing to make up some terrible comedy. Unlike the anime, which cuts out most of the comedy during the fights, the manga keeps it in, creating previous tense villains and bad guys not as impressive, and the tension is lost. And that not it. 

One-piece has many running jokes and new ones that will make you laugh. In FMA, the author picks on Ed's height and his short temper, as if that would make us laugh. And it's not the terrible that makes you laugh, but the kind that makes you annoyed after hearing the same dull joke and punchline for the 30th time. 

The comedy definitely isn't its strong point; its story is. There are plenty of payoff moments in this manga with the story as small, subtle hints that were provided payoff and blow your mind. While I was annoyed most of the time, there were plenty of amazing moments.

Now the manga was a breath of fresh air compared to the anime and was probably better than the show, with people making more sense and the plot more explained. Of course, there were plenty of worse parts, like the "comedy" and art, but overall, it was better than the anime. I still dislike it. However, the manga raised my appreciation for the series.

Story 4/10
Art 3/10
Character 3/10
Enjoyment 4/10
Overall 3/10

I shed a tear as I read the last chapter of this manga. A manga that I've been following since I was in Primary School has just concluded with the most epic and satisfying finale. I'm sad to see one of my favourite series of all time finish, yet I'm happy to see such a great ending. I really want to procrastinate more, but I should press onwards with the review and leave that for discussion in the forums.

Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most innovative manga I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The concept of Alchemy itself was a superb idea, and in its nine-year run, there has never been a single wasted pages from Arakawa-sensei. The plot was developed with utmost detail into what is arguably one of the deepest and most engaging storylines to ever grace itself to us Manga fans. There is practically no fillers chapters at all, unlike most other shounen manga to reach this calibre of popularity. Also, the entire storyline has been perfectly planned out and stayed linear for the entire nine-year run, a staggering feat when you compare it to other Mangas in the same genre. If you read this manga from start to finish, you will be amazed at the coherency of the chapters and the inter-relations. You won't think that this was drawn over nine years, more like one long movie shown from start to finish. The ending is also incredibly rewarding for those who follow it up to the end. I won't leave any spoilers here, but know that you won't be disappointed, regardless of how high your expectation is.

FMA, in its nine-year run, had plenty of time to develop a large family of colourful characters. Arakawa-sensei is downright masterful when it comes to her characters. From beginning to end, every character was tweaked to perfection and not a single person is wasted. Also, the reader will not have any trouble getting into their shows because they're all so believable and realistic. From Ed and Al's passionate desire to be reunited with their mother to Roy's tragic past in the Ishballian conflict, and how everything was simply a Chesspiece for the Father's master plan, everyone fits right into place. The plot itself is completely character-driven, and is dependent on all of the characters to make it flourish.

The philosophical deepness of this manga is simply mindblowing for a Shounen manga. Behind each fight is a meaning waiting to be explored. Nothing in this manga happens for show. FMA explores the very purpose of existence, consistently refers to "the purpose of fighting" and goes deep into human emotions. From start to finish, as the character discover the answers to their questions, the reader will also be brought into their World and learn with them, just because that every character is so humane and understandable. The homunculi, named after the seven deadly sins, are also testament to the deepness on FMA. Despite their incredible powers and might over humans, all of them show true sadness that are completely delivered to the reader with Arakawa-sensei's masterful storytelling.

As for the Artwork, it isn't anything mind-blowing, but it's clean and efficient. Arakawa-sensei doesn't waste any panels in her chapters and gets straight to-the-point. One page of FMA will easily deliver more content than 3 pages of Bleach, and since FMA is a plot-driven manga, there's no room for complaints here and doesn't do anything to diminish the enjoyment. It should be noted that, despite the simplistic artwork, Arakawa-sensei never failed to express human emotion with the utmost accuracy and precision. You can really feel the characters on the page.

The enjoyment of this Manga is off the charts. Throughout its run, there are few manga that can come close to competing with FMA in terms of my expectation and urgency to read the next chapter. Arakawa-sensei is quite simply one of the best raconteuses in the industry. From the pace of the narration, the structure of the panels, and the distribution of roles amongst the characters - everything becomes relavent when you simply read the manga in front of your eyes and let the story flow into your brain. The process is so natural yet so intense. For a person who just picked it up, he/she will have trouble putting it down until the final chapter is read. It is simply a seamless, perfect experience that most other manga artists can only dream to draw.

Despite the simple artwork, the engaging plot, deep characters and perfect enjoyment easily overshadows this to earn FMA a very solid 10/10. You've wasted enough time reading this review. If you haven't started reading FMA yet, you should start right away. Regardless of your gender and age, Fullmetal Alchemist is a manga that no one should leave this World without reading first.

Taken from my Blog: http://imperialx.wordpress.com/2010/06/11/fullmetal-alchemist-review/

First you got to know that Fullmetal Alchemist Gaiden is an epilogue to the acclaimed Fullmetal Alchemist manga so if you haven't read the original manga you really should before checking this one if you want to understand and also because Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the greatest manga out there. With that said of course after the end of the Fullmetal manga people wanted more and this one shot serve as a closure and gives us info about what happens to our hero after the original manga.

For those who have read Fullmetal Alchemist and I hope you have, you will not be in unknown ground with Fullmetal Alchemist Gaiden's Art. It's the same old good visual that you're used to and that you liked in the original manga. Detailed background and nice character design is what you can expect from this manga. It might be a little short on content, but it sure does not cut off on the visual part and while we only see 3-4 locations they are all well drawn and live up to the expectation.

While the art part is well-developed, I can't say much about the tale that's being told here. First for those who wanted a last action packed adventure from the brothers you will not find it in this manga. As for those who were looking for more information about what happened to our favorite characters after the end of the manga then you might or might not be disappointed.

The reason for that is that there is indeed a little story here about what Ed, Al and Winry are doing with their life in these times of peace, but it's nothing substantial. It's not really anything that you could not have lived without or that make the story really advance, it's just a little tale with some funny and touching moments.

Nothing new is revealed and the story center around our main two character so in the end I see this tale as just an excuse for us to get more of the Fullmetal Alchemist we loved and there's nothing bad about that.

The main complaint with this one shot apart from it being to short, would be that we don't see some of our favorite character what they ended up as. Al and Ed are still the same and still very entertaining, but it would not have hurt to show a little of what happened with Mustang, Scar or any other fan favorite.

I'm a Winry fan so I'm glad she was included in the chapter, she does not have much to say, but it's OK. Other than her and her grandmother, the chapter mostly centers around Ed and Al and while I understand why the author did that (they are the main cast after all), I still would have liked to see some of the other character we've learned to know and love over the years.

In conclusion I would say that the one shot is quite short so not a lot is said, but for those who just wanted to get more of our hero than you will probably be satisfied by it. For those who wanted more answers or adventures than you won't. I personally found it satisfying and even if some of my favorite character did not appear, I enjoyed reading this chapter.

For more about Fullmetal Alchemist Gaiden: http://www.squidoo.com/fullmetal-alchemist-gaiden-manga-review

Full Metal Alchemist is the Harry Potter of the manga world. And when I say that I don’t mean that their plots are remotely the same (although both have a main villain who splits himself seven ways… that’s actually cool) or that they're such big names in their respective mediums and genre (while it's true FMA has nowhere near the same amount of fame internationally as Dragonball or Naruto, it's almost always one of the first anime recommended to new-comers and frequently put on top anime lists); just in the way that absolutely everything about FMA has set itself apart from other shounen manga - heck manga in general - as something special that can't be replicated; near-perfection. The plot is well-rounded, exciting, original, and clever, the world is fun and comprehensible, and its laws obeyed consistently, the characters are all likable, whether friend or foe, and each has a role to play, there are equal amounts of drama, humor, and action, and well… just everything. The ending; absolutely perfect, and it ties up all loose ends. It’s one of those stories that you wish you could erase your memories of just so you could experience the whole thing again for the first time.

The best aspect about FMA is that it is never boring; it has you gripped right from the first. Just reading the basic plot is enough to get a person piqued. Brothers Alphonse and Edward Elric try to bring their mother back from the dead using alchemy, which, as a science, is based on the law that mass can neither be created nor destroyed; equivalent trade. Failing to do so, older brother Edward loses his leg in the process, and Alphonse his entire body. Edward then sacrifices his arm in order to transmute Alphonse’s soul onto a suit of armor. Now the brothers, in an effort to fix their mistake, set off on their journey in trying to recover their original bodies.

Like any good story, this main plot develops into something bigger and heavier as the series progresses, and to carry you along are the main characters of the Elric brothers, and the strong bond they share with each other. They are great protagonists, and they are so filled with emotion (even Alphonse, whose armored face can’t convey much in the way of emotion), and you really do feel for them and want them to accomplish their goals. The characters they encounter, the people that support them, hinder them, or go outright against them – all of them are more complex than simple black-and-white good-v-evil characters. I don’t think there’s a single character in here you could hate (except perhaps the villain, and not because he’s a lame villain but because he’s flipping insane - not even intentionally evil – which is a good thing. Him, and the gold-toothed doctor.)

What’s also nice about FullMetal is that it can’t be easily divided into arcs – the story runs on a one-way track with no sidestops, and it was all very well thought out, with no inconsistencies or any use of deus ex machina. There are several villains, but it’s not a case of defeating a baddy a week and then meeting up with the next. There are no chapters that feel like filler, no stalling for time – every panel is worth something, each page dedicated to forwarding the story or developing a character in some way.

Now I don’t think I can talk about the manga without mentioning the anime – both versions. There are two adaptations, the first loosely based on the manga in the beginning and then deviating entirely a third of the way in, and the reboot that is pretty much exactly the same as the manga, with only a few differences in details. There’s been an endless debate on which is better, although the general consensus is that Brotherhood (the reboot) is hands-on more epic.

I started the manga and the original FMA series at the same time. Although the anime is supposed to be the same as the manga in the beginning, even as early as that I started getting into the manga more than the anime. Near the middle I just gave up the anime entirely in favor of the manga, because the manga was just that gripping. I only continued the anime after I’d finished reading, since I was curious to see how that version would end; the manga hadn’t been finished at the time of its making and the creators had to complete the story themselves.

In my opinion, the manga is easily the best medium through which to tell the story, better even than the reboot anime. Hiromu-sensei’s artwork is so alive and fun; when characters are distressed or scared, you can genuinely see that in their faces; they can be serious one minute and then switch to goofy and hilarious the next with ease. The original FMA anime takes itself a bit too seriously and goes overboard on the drama and dark aspects, and while that actually paid off really well with two important deaths that occur in the beginning that made them more devastating and gut-wrenching than they were in either the manga or the reboot, it had the unfortunate effect of making the character of Edward more gloomy and serious than he was supposed to be. The Edward in the manga is always full of confidence and determination, and although he too doesn’t like to treat human lives lightly, he doesn’t dwell on his regrets as much as his anime counterpart does. The manga, while being light-hearted and cheerful, combines that light-heartedness with drama and action seamlessly. It does a better job of presenting the story than either anime and it gives you more time to spend with the characters and get in touch with their individual personalities. Even if you’ve watched Brotherhood, you’d still be missing out on a lot by skipping the manga. Reading it, you’ll feel like you’re hearing the story for the first time. I’ve read through it three times already and am still not bored.

A word about the English omnibus releases, though - I've bought the first four so far, and I couldn't help but notice how many typos there are. Also, even though the rating is for teens and above and words like 'crap' are used, there are a few instances where swear words are replaced with stuff like '@#&$!' which is only fine when used in comedic purposes. There was also a serious case of mistranslation in volume 4 that I feel like someone in the editing department should've realized, as the translation they put in doesn't make sense in context. Other pet peeves include writing Ling's name as 'Lin' (c'mon, they are obviously saying Ling in the anime!) and writing Xerxes in a way that looks even more unpronounceable, but otherwise it's great to have a hard copy of my favorite manga. All the little sidestories and author biographies are included as well.

Story: 10/10
Art: 8/10
Character: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overall: 10/10

My favorite story of all time.

This is my first review (sorry for my bad english)

When I began to read the manga (and it was about 4 months ago), the story immediately captured me, I sat and read for two weeks until I read 101 chapters, now every month I waiting for a new chapter.

Events are incredible, chapter goes only once a month, and is plagued by fans themselves: "What will happen next?", The plot is simply stunning, and with each chapter becoming more interesting. This manga will end soon, but probably for the better,I do not want FMA to become 400 serial shounen.

Drawing is very simple, you should not strain your eyes to some strange details, everything is pretty understandable.

I think this is one of the best shounen ever. ^_______^

“Do you have the courage to face the truth?”

Too often, artists promote their own inexperienced and narrow-minded agendas in their stories, shamelessly condemning the actions and decisions of those living in circumstances they couldn’t possibly imagine accurately. Hiromu Arakawa, thankfully, is not one of those artists. Where her ignorance would have left holes in her story, she did research and conducted interviews. When opportunities came during the story in which she could pronounce judgment on one type of people or belief, she refrained from making naïve and arrogant assumptions. As her characters experience the sorrows and joys that come with facing the truth, that crouching monster who laughs in derision as it reflects one’s own soul and reveals the stark realities of life, she herself refuses to embellish the facts.

That is not to say that Fullmetal Alchemist is any kind of allegory. This series goes so far as to include characters named after each of the seven deadly sins, and most of these characters, in many ways, come to embody how peculiarly pathetic these sins actually are. But the series remains a fleshed-out story until the end, with no character or event reduced to simply playing out one “message” or another. Fullmetal Alchemist is really entertainment at its finest, though the subtle blade of the truth nevertheless cuts right through the barrier between fantasy and reality.

The series begins with a few somewhat episodic adventures of brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, two alchemists in search of the legendary Philosopher’s Stone, which is said to amplify the user’s transmutation. (Alchemy itself, a “science” of deconstructing matter and reconstructing it into something else, is a really imaginative and unusual type of “magic,” and there are several different styles in which it is used.) Edward and Alphonse have committed the ultimate taboo in trying to resurrect the dead using alchemy. This mistake literally cost Edward an arm and a leg, and it cost Alphonse his entire body. Edward's lost limbs have been replaced with “automail,” and Alphonse is now a soul bonded to a suit of armor. The two are on a journey to find a way to recover what they lost.

The story unfolds at a relaxed but gripping pace. After a couple of volumes, the series leaves behind its episodic feel and begins to accelerate into one grand story in which everything, including the early episodic sequences, begins to tie together. All of the characters are thoroughly developed and explored over a long period of time. At first glance, Edward seems a smart-aleck who loses his cool easily (especially when remarks are made about his height), and Alphonse seems to be the dull, plodding sidekick who must hold back the hero from getting into a fight with everyone they meet. This first impression of the latter is partly due to the inability to see Alphonse’s facial expression, and over time, as the two brothers are forced to act independently, we begin to see the quieter and more cool-headed Alphonse’s individuality. Edward, too, though somewhat hotheaded, is revealed to be more complex than he seems and undergoes subtle but well-done development throughout the series. One of the most defining moments for the two brothers is at the end of the second chapter, in which a young woman loses everything she clung to for so long. As she collapses, weeping, and demands to know what she should do, they both walk calmly by her with the admonition to get up and move forward. Edward and Alphonse, despite what it might seem at first, do not go around taking it upon themselves to solve everyone else’s problems.

The secondary characters are also slowly and completely developed, showing up and disappearing at natural times, enhancing the story without serving as mere devices to move it forward.

Wound throughout the story is an inexhaustible sense of incredibly wacky humor. Just when things could become melodramatic, the characters morph into chibi characters and jarringly draw the reader’s attention to the humor in the event at hand. These moments rudely break the spell of the story and bring you crashing back down to earth. This element is partly what makes this series so real. You aren’t allowed to morbidly dwell on the seriousness of the events; instead, you are prompted to laugh at yourself. As some might contend that the world isn’t all sunshine, Fullmetal Alchemist will remind you that the world isn’t all shadows, either.

The world in which the story takes place is fascinating but not one you would necessarily want to visit. There are layers of culture and history that include wars and racial discrimination. However, it does not possess the unnatural hellishness that colors dystopian-style fantasy. Fullmetal Alchemist explores numerous interesting and thought-provoking ideas that all escalate into one final confrontation with the truth that can resonate with us more deeply than all the calculated tearjerkers in the world.

The panels flow as naturally as the story, and the artwork itself, especially in the facial expressions, is great, but not pretentious. It is complex when it needs to be, but hardly noticeable the rest of the time, which is an accomplishment in itself. The character designs are diverse and unique.

In short, Fullmetal Alchemist is both honest and optimistic, entertaining and thought provoking. I highly recommend it to anyone.

Recently I have found it impossible to find a good shonen series to watch or read. It's come to the point that if it even looks remotely shonen, I stray away from it with untamed fury. Why do I keep coming back though? Why do I still look for shonen manga to read? It's all because of series like Full Metal alchemist.

When it comes to critiquing, I'm somewhat merciless. I'm sure some of the people who have seen my reviews of their favorite series think I consider myself a know it all, but nothing could be further from the truth. Often I see "but they make a lot of money," as a response to my heavy critique, but not once have I considered it a valid excuse for a drop in quality or lack there of. This is something that I can guess Arakawa understood. She did not write just to get money, she wrote because she had a great idea. She wrote because she had a compelling fantasy world, and compelling story in which involving characters exist.As an aspiring novelist, this is something I can respect and one of the reasons that I'm proud to say I'm a fan of FMA.

Story:
Full Metal Alchemist story hits close to home, because I lost my mother when I was about four. It may sound like a lie but I had hopes of bringing her back from the dead, of course I couldn't because no such magic exist in the world and the hope that it did was just the hope of an ambitious kid. Edward and Alphonse had this ambition and as a result, they were met with a gruesome response. Understanding their wrongs the duo set out, and that as they say is that... somewhat. The journey that the duo took immersed them in colorful characters and a well designed world. This would not be the first time alchemy was used in a series, but I sure it will be a time well remembered.

Art:
While in an AIM group chat once, I heard a female speaker say that Full Metal Alchemist's art is simple, but I'll be honest I can't agree. For the record I can't draw to save my life, but I think there's something great about the drawings Arakawa provides. As I said earlier I'm an aspiring writer, so to me anything put into the story should have a certain charm to it that will make it memorable. That's what the art in full metal alchemist is. Even if its simple it does not stand in your way of falling in love with the series.

Characters:
As I said above, anything put into the story should have a certain charm to it that will make it memorable, and like it can be said about the art, the same can be said about the story. Riddle me this; "How do you get a reader to miss a villain, without giving them a sappy backstory?" "How do you make an otherwise minor character one that your readers will remember?" To tell you the answers, I don't really know, but Arakawa figured it out. Not one character in FMA struck me as one dimensional. While I thought "god this guy is an evil bastard." Not once did I find one appalling enough to insult Arakawa for creating. One of the things that I think drive a story is it's plot and it's characters, evident by the manga in question.

Enjoyment:

If it's not apparent already, I really did enjoy this series. I remember the moments I spent catching up with it and the "full metal alchemist withdrawal" that I went into when I did. I had only seen the first anime before I started, so I didn't know what to expect. Upon reading through I realized the difference right away, and realized more that the difference between the two made the first anime a very affectionate adaption.

Overall:

At this point, there is not much more to say. If you want a engaging fantasy series with affectionate art, and compelling story then this is one for you. The fights are great too but really, they shouldn't be your concern when going into Full Metal Alchemist, a manga that has much more. and even though Arakawa Hiromu will probably never see this, I congratulate her for making a great shonen series in a time that's majorly lacks them.

First review for a manga series because I have to do this! I can't believe no one has yet written one!!

Story: I am not going to go in the whole 'this happens and that happens' as you can read that in the summary up there *points* About the story itself, all I can say is that it has one of the best developed plots I have ever encountered. Everything comes closer and closer to the main goal and even when you think it has nothing to do with the story, you find out that it has a tremendous value to the whole tale. It definitely deserves to be in the top spots for this. A 10.

Art: The art is a tad bit simplistic, but I guess this is what makes the pages nice and neat and pleasant to read, while also making the characters look absolutely endearing! It's not cluttered up like a lot of manga these days but it conveys the mood just as effectively. I really think that this deserves and 8.

Character: One of the best characters out there, I personaly consider Ed, Al, Winry, Mustang, Riza....everyone! to be absolutely perfect. So far I have no problem understanding what each person went through; no confusing twists in characyer development that could bring the reader to drop it just because they would give up on following them. Each and every one of these characters will make a you cry for them why you see their hardships and laugh with them at cracked skulls (of wrenches XD) A 10 and no less.

Enjoyment: From all of the manga I've ever encountered, I think this one will stay pretty near the top for the next 5 years or so. If you want Action,Adventure,Sci-Fi, Alchemy and even Romance, then this is definitely something for you. You get a little thrill everytime you sit down to a new chapter. I hope it doesn't end too soon XD

Overall: If you want a manga woth your time and money, FMA is for you. In all, nothing could be said bad about it. It's incredible!

I hope this helps everyone! :] Please take a look at it if you get the chance!