CREATOR

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Hiromu Arakawa

PlOTLINE

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Also known as [Hagane no Renkinjutsushi].

As the Law of Equivalent Trade of Alchemy goes : In order to create something, one has to give something of equal value in return. Two young brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, lose their mother to an illness, and turn to alchemy to revive her. The process goes terribly wrong. Ed loses an arm and leg, and Al his physical body with his soul fixed to a hunk of armour. Now orphaned and left without whole bodies, the brothers set out to look for the mystical Philosopher's Stone, which they believe wields powers that would help them recover all they've lost.

COMMENTS

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It took me about 3-4 episodes before I got hooked, mostly because I'm more of a gothic/action/supernatural fangirl. FMA is a refreshing change. The alchemy action aside, the concept is very engaging and I love the theme of science breaching the laws of nature and the disastrous consequences that follow. The characters are three-dimensional, and you'd grow to love and feel for them, even the antagonists. That's how well the characterisations are fleshed out. Anyone who doesn't get into the story straightaway could maybe give it a try, right up till episode 5 or more. ^_~ Just a mild warning for the angst in the anime though. There's a lot of emotional pain.

MAIN CHARACTERS

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Can't give too much away. If you're giving the anime/manga a go, look out for the very intriguing Homunculi creatures.

EDWARD ELRIC. Also known as ahem, the Fullmetal Alchemist. The elder of the two, Ed is outwardly gruff and brash, but has a really sensitive nature, often ploughing headlong into anything he does, motivated both by guilt over Al's lost body, and also his love for Al. Incidentally, he's also rather tiny for his age, and goes into hysterics every time he gets laughed at about his size. ^^;;

ALPHONSE ELRIC. Younger by a year, Al is also usually the more sensible, diplomatic one. Inwardly however, he suffers a lot of insecurity over his existence and he longs for a family. Although he's mostly kind and mature, Al is quite capable of childish antics and it's a real treat seeing a hunk of armour behaving like a brat, I tell you! ^o^

ROY MUSTANG. Also known as the Fire Alchemist. A colonel with the military, who's also responsible for instigating Ed into joining the military. ^_^' He appears cool, aloof and stern, but really he can be campy when he wants to. ^^;; He's an excellent strategist and seems to have his own ideas regarding the military. He also has a very vulnerable side which he hides too well.

SCAR. A member of the persecuted Ishbal race, Scar is on his own personal agenda to exterminate military-affiliated alchemists, recover the Philosopher's Stone and save his people.

WINRY ROCKBELL. The childhood friend of Ed and Al, she is also a spunky automail engineer and a complete metal addict. She is also very much an elder-sister figure to the brothers, and tries to care for them as much as she can.

MANGA DETAILS

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Number of volumes : 8
Status : Ongoing

Very nice, uncomplicated, clean art. Easy on the eyes, and the action/story is easy to follow. Just note that there are significant differences between the manga and the anime. The mood in the manga is distinctly less angsty and more focused on the quest theme, probably because the manga is still ongoing! ^_^' Also, without giving away any spoilers, the chronology is different in the manga, as well as the identity of a few characters. I don't think the impact is too great though. Fans have enjoyed both anime and manga without incident. ^^ And I'm no exception.

I thought the character design might take a bit of getting used to. The characters have very uhm, rounded features. I'm not saying they look fat or something. ^^;; Just that they look a tad roundish. It goes the same for the anime, which closely follows the manga's artwork. BUT, you'd get used to it. And I SWEAR Ed gets more and more handsome as the series progresses!

ANIME DETAILS

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Director : Mizushima Seji
Character Design : Ito Yoshiyuki
Music : Oshima Michiru
Episodes : 51
Status : Complete

ANIMATION

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Good and consistent. Also, I get a real kick every time the alchemists perform their alchemy. You'd never think science can be so cool! *__* Also, I'm delighted that the anime isn't 'cleaned up', meaning it doesn't shy away from disturbing scenes, which range from anything freakish to killings. Of course, not everything is about the alchemy/action. There are doses of slapstick scenes, characters in SD mode, and other funny moments. The colouring is muted, suiting the melancholic mood that pervades the anime even in happy moments.

SCREENCAPS

VOICE-ACTING

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Paku Romi is a goddess in there. She is just so GOOD portraying Ed - that man-child, angsty, brash timbre of his voice. I think the female seiyuu are the most outstanding in the anime. ^_~ Kugimiya Rie gave Al a really cute, almost-girlish voice that makes him really adorable even as a lump of metal. ^o^

MUSIC

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The background music is understated and melancholic, very much like the atmosphere of the anime itself. I love the opening and ending tracks a lot. They range from rock to pop to ballad. In fact, all of them are compiled into the [Complete Best] album which is on sale now. Here are the tracks:

• OP1 - [Melissa] by Porno Graffiti
• ED1 - [The Inerasable Sin] by Kitade Nana
• OP2 - [Ready Steady Go] by L'Arc-en-Ciel
• ED2 - [Tobira no Mukou He] by Yellow Generation
• OP3 - [Undo] by Cool Joke
• ED3 - [Motherland] by Crystal Kay
• OP4 - [Rewrite] by Asian Kung-Fu Generation
• ED4 - [I Will] by Sowelu

RESOURCES

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FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST (excellent information/fan guide)