Reviews
** spoiler alert ** This volume was beyond amazing. Omg. I love the way the question what being a human is being subtly introduced into the story, abt materialism (the physical is what makes a human) or is there something more like Ed believes. Kimblees introduction was nice since he’s also the only one to call the war what it really was, an annihilation. Bradley was added to the story and most importantly, Hughes and his death. It was so sad omg my heart still hurts but I think what it did for Roy was beyond amazing. I keep thinking abt that line ‘alchemists are horrible people 1st lieutenant. Right now, a part of me is desperately trying to develop a theory on human transmutation. Now I feel I understand what those boys felt when they tried to transmute their mother…. It’s raining’ I love that quote so much. Over all this was a wonderful volume but it also broke me.
Volume 13 of Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa opens with Ed, Lin and Envy accidentally being eaten by Gluttony. They end up on the other side of an imperfect portal. Gluttony it turns out is larger on the inside than the outside but he can't be used for traveling through time or space. Al and Gluttony, both at a loss with the disappearance of Lin, Ed and Envy, form an uneasy alliance. It will be the first of many between old enemies as the series progresses. Together they head back to Central to visit Father. Fans of the original anime will have their expectations toyed with as Father's identity is revealed. It's not as straightforward as that series made it. There's a similar but tangental back story here. Meanwhile, King Bradley pushes back over a cup of tea with mustang's second in command. It's going to be a cat and mouse game and it's clear that Bradley sees Mustang as the mouse.
Competing circles. Woosh bang. http://pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2015...
Pride in a bubble. Envy reborn. Zombie dolls. Lots and lots of woosh bang. http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/...
http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/...
Link+ Way too much time spent on FINAL BATTLES! Power of radio. Envy is jealous. The Armstrongs squabble. http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/...
Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 20 by Hiromu Arakawa builds on the alliances begun in the previous one. Ed with help from the chimeras focuses on his recovery. Meanwhile Al, Mei and Scar come up with plans to fight back based on what they now know. The lone wolf, though, is Greed in Lin's body. There's an internal fight between two very strong personalities in one body. Normally I dislike the shared body plot but Greed and Lin are both interesting enough to make the plot work. Most interestingly, Lin is able to warn Ed about the "Day of Reckoning". Al's group heads to Leor. He hooks up with Rose as well as another familiar face. Here's another point in the story where the manga (and thus Brotherhood) is a significant departure from the tangent taken by the first anime series. Rose in that version ended up a very broken character. Here, though, she's a strong, confident and happy leader. She has risen to the occasion and has helped keep Leor together after all the riots and military run mayhem.
Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 19 by Hiromu Arakawa forces new alliances and puts the characters in new dangers. As the endgame is nigh, these dangers will only increase. Ed goes against Kimblee's men and nearly loses his life in the process. He also though earns their respect in the process. The opposition isn't as cut and dry as humans vs. non humans and more and more of these unconventional alliances will be made as everyone scrambles to stop Father and his family of homunculi. My favorite piece of the book though was the figuring out of the brother's notes. Scar has been carrying his brother's notes from the very beginning of the series. Through all these unusual alliances, Scar manages to put together a team able to understand the importance of his brother's research.
In Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 18 by Hiromu Arakawa the homunculi finally show their cards. Part of this is their own foolish pride but mostly it's due to the ticking of the clock. They are on a deadline and it is rapidly approaching. Riza Hawkeye begins working for the Bradleys and she quickly realizes Selim's secret. Meanwhile in Fort Bragg, they figure out what the tunnels are for. Communications are then sent in the language of flowers. All of this scrambling about gives characters a chance to develop, something that hasn't happened in the last couple of volumes. The relationship between Hawkeye and Mustang, as well as Mustang's background. It's the first real glimpse of what makes him tick.
Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 17 by Hiromu Arakawa is a chance to explore Fort Briggs better. It's the domain of General Olivier Armstrong and she's not to be trifled with. Despite her exemplary leadership, even Fort Briggs isn't free from the homunculi. Ed, Kimblee and an officer from Central all have their sites on Briggs. Conflicting goals try Armstrong's patience. While the scenery is one of cold wastelands and howling winds, the story arc is heating up. Things are becoming dangerous and time is clearly running out. It is time to act even if the intel isn't complete.
Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 16 by Hiromu Arakawa takes the series in a new direction. Friends and colleagues are scattered. Roy Mustang's squad is broken up and deployed to the four corners of the country, with Hawkeye being made Bradley's assistant. Mirroring their deployments, Ed, Al and the others split up. Ed and Al head north while others head east and west in hopes of keeping the scent off the brothers. There's hope in frozen north of Fort Briggs in the form of a cut-throat leader and her well trained troops. There's danger beyond Briggs and the Homunculi have something planned below the surface. This far along in the series there's no point in starting here. You're either following it from the beginning or you're not. It doesn't stand alone but it does expand the world building.
Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 15 by Hiromu Arakawa draws on lengthy interviews with world war two vets to tell an issue long flashback about the Ishbalan war. The story is told through a conversation between Hawkeye and Ed as she cleans her weapon. She tells of how she came to be in the military, how she and the rest of Mustang's squad were brought together and the brutality expected of the State Alchemists against the Ishbalans. If I were teaching a history of modern warfare class, I would include Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 15 along with more traditional texts. It captures the emotional toll so well.
I have in my notes for Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 14 by Hiromu Arakawa, "I want to give this a six." That would a six out of five stars. It's an intense volume full of humor, suspense and surprise. In re-reading the earlier issues while I wait for the library to acquire volume 26, I can see that Arakawa dropped hints regarding the identity of Father. At the time of my first read, I was still thinking in terms of the pre-Brotherhood anime where all fingers could be pointed squarely at Hohenheim. Here, though, Hohenheim's involvement is very different and not as hands on. Meanwhile, the relationship of Hawkeye and Mustang is outlined. Hawkeye's fierce loyalty to Mustang is established and explained. She has secrets of her own that by volume 25, haven't been fully explored or outlined. If you normally skip the back of the book extras, I suggest break with that habit and read the ones included in Volume 14. The best one has Hohenheim giving life lessons to his sons from an unlikely location. It's silly and touching and does help cement the relationship of Ed and Al.
Volume 12 of Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa begins to reveal some of what makes the homunculi tick. We've seen in previous issues that they can change appearance and that Gluttony has an insatiable appetite as his name implies. Now, though, the true depths of their abilities comes to light. Along with showing their abilities, Arakawa shows how driven they are. Something is coming to a head and it's making them bolder than they have been. Bradley no longer tries to hide his secret, implying that it's the least well kept secret in the government, a troubling revelation to Ed and friends who are trying to fix things! As secrets are revealed, Winry learns the painful truth behind her parents' deaths. She gets the chance to take her revenge. It's a painful and tense, well done scene. While the equivalent scene in Brotherhood is just as dramatic, I prefer the pacing of Arakawa's artwork. By this point in the series there is so much going on, I don't want to babble to much and reveal spoilers either to those reading the series or watching Brotherhood. Suffice it to say, it's been the best manga series I've ever read and I will be emotionally wiped out when I reach the end.
Volume 11 of Fullmetal Alchemistby Hiromu Arakawa nearly coincides with the end of Brotherhood Part 2. Now that the Elric brothers and their friends in the military are beginning to know the truth behind the current mess in Central, they want to take action. To that, though, they need to better understand the enemy. Ed learns the truth behind human transmutation and while it's a painful lesson, it does bring some comfort. Death is final even if you try to pay the ultimate price. Havoc pays a price too in a fire fight. Seeing him injured shocked me more than Hughs's death. Like Hughs, he was played for comedy and ends up being a hero above an beyond expectations. Of most interest, though, is the tidbit that might explain Ed's short stature. Like everything else, a comedic detail is woven right back into the story arc.
Volume 10 of Fullmetal Alchemist resolves the Barry the Chopper story and answers the question of what happened to Maria Ross. More importantly, though, the book expands the world and the history beyond that of Amestris. This history and world building helps to put the story so far into perspective. It also helps to explain, or rather, refine, the rules of Alchemy as we know them. So far it's been all about equivalent exchange and knowing the Truth. Now, though, there's a second type, called Rendanshu (or Alchehistory in Brotherhood). At the heart of all of these revelations is Cselkcess, a ruined city mentioned early on in the series. Ed gets a chance to see the ruins for himself and his knowledge of advanced alchemy brings to light some clues behind the city's destruction.
Volume 9 of Fullmetal Alchemist of Fullmental Alchemist by Hiromu starts an interesting arc that explains how soul transference works. Some of that was hinted at in Volume 8 but it's here that it comes to disturbing fruition. Barry the Chopper is the key to this unsettling revelation. When he goes missing, his keepers send his body to find him. A body needs a soul to function and as Ed and the ex-death-row prisoners haves demonstrated, a soul can even animate a suit of armor. But a soul can't stay forever where it doesn't belong. Back in Central, the cover up begins. Too many questions have been asked about Hughes's death. Questions lead to investigations which could lead to plans being revealed too early. In a show of efficiency, 2nd Lt. Maria Ross is investigated, arrested and convicted for his murder. I suppose the Barry plot should be the most disturbing part of this volume but it Maria Ross's story that got to me. Her arrest shows how vulnerable all members of the military are, especially the non-alchemists who only have their weapons to use as defense. But even the "dogs of the military" can be put down if they disobey.
** spoiler alert ** Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 7 by Hiromu Arakawa turns up the heat with revelations with how corrupt the military government is and how deep the homunculi have penetrated into things. There is more time spent with Ed and Al's sensei and there's trouble afoot in Dublith. Usually in these sorts of stories, this level of big reveal comes before a final act where the good guys rally to vanquish the evil and remove the corruption. Arakawa though choses to make the reveal at the end of the first act giving more time for the heros to come to terms with the situation and to plan for a way to root out all the corruption. After all the excitement there's a humorous after story, a date involving 2nd Lt. Jean Havoc (a man always looking for love) and Catherine Elle Armstrong. This date showed up in the anime as well and is just as hilarious in print as it is fully animated. While this date seems like a throw away story, it is referred to later in the series. Arakawa doesn't toss things out there willy-nilly.
Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 5 by Hiromu Arakawa continues to build Winry's character and expand upon her story and history with the Elric brothers. Ed and Al unaware of what's happened to Hughs are on their way to the south to consult with their alchemy teacher. Winry tags along to see Rush Valley, the nation's capitol for automail. I suppose I'm being too flippant with describing Winry. She shows up so much sooner in the first anime that it's hard to come to terms that she's still a relatively new character by the time she makes the trip to Rush Valley. In Rush Valley, Winry comes into her own as a character. Here the story in the original anime and the manga are very close but the manga's pacing is faster. Also the geography of Rush Valley is better described in the manga than in either anime. The book takes time to draw the city landscape to really give one a sense of the place. Volume 5, then, is a pause in the present day action. It's a moment to pause after a death and a moment to reflect on how Ed and Al came to be the people they are. It's also a chance to introduce the supporting people in their lives.
Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 4 by Hiromu Arakawa is the last of the manga volumes that parallels the first anime series. However, the pacing here is more abrupt than what fans of the anime might be expecting. I'm speaking primarily of Maes Hughes. So much of his character in the manga is built in the after story extras that people reading just the actual chapters will be shocked at how quickly his story arc plays out. For the most part my favorite version of Fullmetal Alchemist is the original manga, followed by the Brotherhood version of the anime, with the first version of the anime bringing up the rear. The big exception to that rule is in how Maes Hughes is developed as a character. His death in the anime is more shocking and more heroic after seeing him grow as a character through so many episodes. Here he gets four chapters and some after stories. While he's not exactly central to the plot, his death does galvanize the other characters to take action. His death continues to have repercussions through later volumes in the series. It is that reason that I am grateful for having seen the anime before reading the manga.
I had been reading manga regularly back about five or six years ago but I lost the momentum. Part of my problem was I really didn't want to have to buy volume after volume for something I was reading so quickly and the old branch of the library didn't have enough shelf space to show off their collection. The library has since moved to a much larger location and I've found that mangas make the perfect quick reads for when I need a break from my library science homework. I currently have six (at last count) manga series I'm following. The one though that has most of my attention is Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa. At the time of writing this article I'm waiting for volume 20 to arrive to the holds shelf but by the time this review gets posted, I could very well be done with the series. As I mentioned in the reviews of volumes 1 and 2, the pacing is intense. If you're like me and are coming to the manga by way of the first anime series, be prepared for those multi-episode arcs to be over in about a single volume or less. Much of the character building that was done in the first series was drawn from Arakawa's back of book extras. By volume 3, the divergence between the manga and the first anime series really becomes apparent. Ed and Al go back home to get the automail fixed up by Winry. This is the series' introduction to Winry. It's also the longest flashback so far to how Ed and Al came to be in their current situation. The journey home though under Major Armstrong's careful watch gives them their first new lead on the Philosopher's Stone when he recognizes a former State Alchemist now working as a country doctor. The events though at the Central Library are in my mind the pivot point where the manga and the first anime series spin off to their separate directions. It's a fun read. Very satisfying with a good mixture of mystery, adventure, magic and horror.
Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa is one of the most popular shonen manga series. It's also a damn fine anime series, so good that it was redone to better follow the manga. The first time around the anime ran quicker than the manga (a fairly common occurrence) and so the two plots diverge. Last December Ian and I watched the first anime series. Now as we're reading the manga we are also watching the newer Brotherhood series which is like a director's cut version. Volume 1 begins with Edward and Alphonse Elric arriving in a desert town that worships the Son God Leto. They're under the control of a charlatan named Cornello who claims to be able to able to resurrect the dead. Ed and Al know first hand that can't be done. They bear the scares of their attempt to bring back their mother. And while it's important to know what happened to Ed and Al and the choices they made, how that part of the story is told differs from the manga and the first version of the anime. The first anime uses every single piece of the story, probably to buy more time as the manga was released. The earliest episodes suffer most for the decision to expand everything. The Leto, for example, gets drawn out to painful extremes. The manga, though, keeps things brief and doesn't pull any punches. Most of Ed and Al's history is left for later episodes. Only enough is told for the reader to catch on that the Leto miracles are smoke and mirrors. Instead of focusing on the gore of what happened with their failed transmutation, the story sets up the basic themes and plot threads: 1. transmutation of human life bad 2. homunculi pulling the strings for some unspoken reason 3. equivalent exchange and 4. Ed and Al's search for the philosopher's stone. While there are a few times in later volumes that I prefer anime's pacing, for the most part I think the manga's close to the cuff approach is better.
Good ending. The pacing and humor recovered for the final volume. http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/...
4.5 of 5 stars