Fullmetal Alchemist: Manga Review

When I was thirteen years old I was completely as well as utterly obsessed alongside everything Japanese. Except sushi. Other than that every hint of Japanese civilisation sent me into fangirling hysterics. That's why my friends decided to give me a manga for my 14th birthday. The manga they chose: Fullmetal Alchemist. Little did whatsoever of us know that this manga would last the i consistent element inwards my life for many years to come. With 27 volumes at €10 a piece, I had quite an expensive journeying ahead of me. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 journeying that ended concluding May alongside loads of tears streaming downward my almost 21-year-old face. I'd spent a 3rd of my life reading well-nigh Edward as well as Alphonse Elric. It's the exclusively manga I've read from start to finish. Fullmetal Alchemist laid upward the bar pretty damn high on all levels. I tried different mangas, but they never lived upward to the fullmetal standard. I doubtfulness I'll ever detect a manga that will. I've spent vii years of my life reading Fullmetal Alchemist, as well as forthwith I'll pass a few to a greater extent than hours of my fourth dimension explaining why you lot should give the manga dearest of my life a endangerment too.

For those of you lot who don't know Fullmetal Alchemist as well as haven't seen the anime (which was plainly a large bargain inwards every dry reason except mine), here's the story: later their mom dies Edward as well as Alphonse Elric essay to resurrect her through an alchemical ritual. Their sweat fails, Ed loses an arm as well as a leg, Al becomes nix to a greater extent than than a individual inwards a adjust of armor, Now they move their dry reason Amestris inwards search of a philosopher's stone, which could give them their original bodies back.
Sounds simple, doesn't it? That's what I thought at kickoff too. Trust me when I state it's not. All this takes house inwards a basis then similar to our own, yet then different. There's automail, highly developed prosthetics that part only similar existent limbs would. There's alchemy, inwards this story a mix of European medieval alchemy, modern scientific discipline as well as magic. There's the role of the military, recruiting alchemists equally human weapons as well as fighting endless battles both inwards as well as exterior of Amestris' borders. There are cars, radios as well as modern firearms, but no computers, which makes Amestris expect similar a formerly impoverished dry reason that's only constitute its feet. In that chaotic surround villains alongside names similar Lust, Gluttony as well as Envy (no you lot know where I got the thought to utilisation a biblical sin equally a name) operate on their evil conception which I won't spoil for you. The whole set-up is epic, but that's non the exclusively epic thing well-nigh Fullmetal Alchemist. The story itself is epic on a Harry Potter level. There are all these storylines intertwining, touching as well as non making sense until you lot teach to a greater extent than information as well as encounter the bigger picture. Warning: if you lot receive got 7 years to read it, all these picayune things as well as connections volition last lost on you lot as well as at times the story may non seem to go anywhere. If you lot read it inwards i calendar week all the pieces of the puzzle come upward together perfectly, everything volition last crystal clear as well as your heed volition last blown. And it's non only the agency everything is connected that makes the story then damn good, oh no. The story also touched on topics such equally racism, civil war, religion as well as morality. It makes the story thought-provoking, but non besides heavy to last enjoyable.
That concluding thing I mentioned, the story all the same beingness enjoyable, is to a greater extent than oft than non because of the characters. There's a to a greater extent than oft than non clear employment betwixt adept as well as bad, accentuated yesteryear a few characters that are inwards the grayish expanse betwixt darkness as well as light. No thing which side a graphic symbol you lot relate to is on, they'll receive got realistic motives. That's why you're relating to them inwards the kickoff place: their actions are products of feelings as well as instincts that every human experiences inwards life, such equally fright of decease or the dearest for friends as well as family. This speaks to the most basic version of ourselves, our rattling heart or individual if you lot similar that give-and-take better. It makes you lot experience everything Ed as well as Al go through equally if you're in that location alongside them. It's intense as well as awesome.
The characters are also undoubtedly Japanese, despite their Amestrian passport. Japanese civilisation shines through inwards their words as well as actions, for event when Ed, unremarkably hot-headed as well as reckless, says things like: "Let's operate difficult to teach stronger!". That struck me, a western girl, equally weird. No i hither would ever state that, fictional or not. It's a picayune deviation inwards civilisation that I tin appreciate as well as it doesn't irritate spell reading Fullmetal Alchemist.

Now on to my favorite part of every review: the art. It's non for nix that I compare every manga I encounter to Fullmetal Alchemist. This fine art is on a whole different level. Every employment serves a purpose. Even inwards the struggle scenes the images rest rattling readable, alongside i expect you lot know just what's going on (unlike the activeness scenes from a certainly Deadpool comic). What impressed me the most were the agency the characters visibly aged throughout the manga. Arakawa uses the most subtle details I've ever seen to demo Ed as well as Al growing up. She has an amazing talent for giving each graphic symbol unique facial features, fifty-fifty the ones alongside a to a greater extent than generic manga-look. Different ethnicities truly receive got different looks, non only different peel tones. Put these characters inwards the realistic as well as detailed backdrops Amestris provides as well as you've got something you'll desire to hang on your wall.

Apart from the actual manga, the fine art at the start as well as destination of each chapter volition blow you lot away equally well. My favorites receive got ever been the graphic symbol studies inwards negative space. They're then uncomplicated yet then gorgeous. I've spent many hours inwards high schoolhouse trying to depict these characters, but nix ever came approximately Arakawa's amazing art. She's a master.

Now I've sat hither for a spell writing this review as well as I experience similar I'm forgetting well-nigh something. No worries, that happens literally every unmarried fourth dimension I teach to the artsy part of my reviews. It takes only a quick leaf-through of i mass to call back I was going to obsess over the extras. I intend this is how my dearest for extra pages came into existence, because Fullmetal Alchemist has the best. The funniest within jokes tin last constitute on the concluding pages of each volume, sometimes there's a comic well-nigh Arakawa's life equally a mangaka or picayune insights into Japanese culture. During some slower periods inwards the story (they're there, similar inwards every story) I couldn't hold off to encounter the funny picayune quips on the story at the end. And sometimes, because the volumes are printed Japanese vogue as well as should last read from correct to left as well as I opened it the western way... I spoiled part of the Fullmetal Alchemist awesomeness for myself. I'm non sharing whatsoever images of those today, because I don't desire to spoil the ending of whatsoever of the 27 volumes. And speaking of endings: don't worry you'll destination upward disappointed at the destination of mass 27. The ending is glorious, everything I hoped for equally a picayune 14-year-old came true. It made me hollo happy tears. Twice.

Now if all this doesn't convince you lot to start reading Fullmetal Alchemist, there's exclusively i to a greater extent than thing I tin say: only alternative upward the kickoff volume. Just practice it. You won't regret it, I promise.

x Envy

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