Fullmetal Alchemist (鋼の錬金術師, Hagane no Renkinjutsushi), or commonly abbreviated "FMA" or "Hagaren" by fans, is a manga series created by Hiromu Arakawa and serialized in Monthly Shonen Gangan. It has also been adapted into an anime series and a movie, as well as several spin-off novels and videogames.
| Fullmetal Alchemist | |
| File:Hagaren logo.gif Fullmetal Alchemist Logo | |
| Genre | Adventure, Drama, Comedy |
|---|---|
| Created by | Hiromu Arakawa |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Hiromu Arakawa |
| Published by |  Gangan Comics  VIZ Media Chuang Yi (Chinese and English)  Tong Li Jade Dynasty Kurokawa JPFantastica Siam Inter Comic  Daiwon CI |
| Anime | |
| Directed by | Seiji Mizushima |
| Studio | BONES |
| Anime | |
| Conqueror of Shamballa | |
| Directed by | Seiji Mizushima |
| Studio | BONES |
The manga is still running in Japan, and 13 volumes have been released so far. The anime consists of 51 episodes and a full-length movie. The Japanese name "Hagane no Renkinjutsushi" is translated literally into Alchemist of Steel.
Story
"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth."
- ― Alphonse Elric
Fullmetal Alchemist is set in the early 20th century, in an alternate-historical Earth with technology dating from the era around 1900 in Europe. In this alternate world, the science of alchemy is heavily used, but takes on a fantasy element. Real-world alchemists tried to transmute gold from lesser metals. In the series, alchemy becomes the science of transmuting matter into different matter through the use of transmutation circles -- a scientific, yet equally magical practice, with seemingly infinite uses. Talented alchemists can become the military's State Alchemists. Against this backdrop, the series portrays the quest of the young Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, and his younger brother Alphonse, for the legendary Philosopher's Stone. Their adventures lead them to discover the truth about their past and the very world they live in. Edward and Alphonse Elric were children living in the rural village of Rizembool in the country of Amestris. Their father, an alchemist, had left home when Edward was very young and Alphonse was a baby. Years later, their mother, Trisha Elric, died of an illness. In February 1910 the boys decided to attempt to revive their deceased mother. They study alchemy with a teacher and then use their father's notes to recreate a human transmutation circle. However, this attempt fails, costing Edward his left leg and Alphonse his entire body. In a desperate effort to save his brother, Edward sacrifices his right arm to "affix" his brother's soul to a suit of armor. After that, Edward's left leg and right arm are fitted with two sets of Automail, a type of advanced prosthetic limb. A State Alchemist by the name of Roy Mustang arrives during the failed transmutation in response to letters the boys had sent out seeking information about their father. After seeing their skill at alchemy, Mustang suggests that the way to achieve their goals is to become a State Alchemist and work for him. Spurred on by the man's proposal, Edward sets out to become a State Alchemist, enabling him to use the resources available to State Alchemists to discover a way to restore what he and Alphonse have lost. The brothers eventually learn of the Philosopher's Stone and set off in search of it as a means to restore their bodies.
Major characters
Edward Elric - The protagonist of the series, Edward is the youngest State Alchemist in history, having achieved the accomplishment at the age of 12. He is given the title the "Fullmetal Alchemist" by the state military. In the context of the series, the title can be seen as referring to his stubborn personality ("hagane" means both "fullmetal" and "stubborn" in Japanese; Roy Mustang called it an ironic title when the Führer gave Ed his title as a State Alchemist). Overly sensitive about his height (or lack thereof), he is prone to throwing fits any time someone insinuates he is short. In the English Manga it says he's about 165cm (But he is known to wear large boots and adds an antenna-like strand of hair to his height). He also possesses the ability to perform transmutations without a transmutation circle by clapping his hands. In the manga, Ed was born in 1898, and was 11 years old in February 1910, his birthday (which he shares with Mäes Hughes's daughter Elicia)
Alphonse Elric - Edward's younger brother and the second protagonist of the series. He is often mistakenly thought to be the Fullmetal Alchemist because his soul is trapped in a large suit of armor by a single seal written in blood. Alphonse is the calmer of the two, and can be seen as a foil to Edward's temperamental character. Alphonse is also a brilliant alchemist in his own right, apparently able to repair things better than average. In the manga, he was born in 1899. He was 10 years old in February 1910.
Winry Rockbell - Winry is a mechanical expert and automail enthusiast who has been a friend of the Elric brothers for many years and cares for them deeply. She, along with her grandmother, Pinako, built Edward's automail, which she also helps maintain or rebuild when it becomes damaged. She has a significant passion for high-tech mechanics and high-quality tools.
Colonel Roy Mustang - Roy Mustang is the Flame Alchemist. Using transmutation circles on his gloves, he adjusts the oxygen density in different areas of the air, and can can create sparks with a snap of his fingers to ignite the oxygen dense air. He is Edward's direct superior officer in the military, but has his own goals and intentions in mind.
Lt. Colonel Mäes Hughes - Member of the Investigations Division, and good friends with Colonel Mustang and the Elric brothers. Hughes loves his wife, Gracia, and is overly enthusiastic regarding his daughter Elicia. Hughes' weapons of choice are push knives.
Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye - A hard-working member of the state military, and a loyal, capable aide to her superior officer, Mustang. She is especially proficient in the use of firearms.
Scar - One of the surviving Ishbalans. He is called "Scar" due to the X-shaped scar on his forehead. Scar has an elaborate alchemical array on his right arm that was given to him by his brother. His arm is actually a curse which makes him an exile. He believes himself to be an instrument of God and tries to kill state alchemists.
King Bradley - Known as the Führer, he is the military dictator of Amestris, holding the official political title of president (King is his first name). He seems to be quite easy-going, perhaps a little eccentric, and is very skilled with his swords. He is secretly a Homunculus - he is Wrath in the manga, but Pride in the anime.
Lust - Sultry and cool-headed, she is the first of the Homunculi encountered in the series. She has the power to extend her fingers into lances to use as a weapon.
Gluttony - Having the mentality of a child and lacking a will of his own, he is always eager to eat anything, or anyone—living or dead.
Envy - Sarcastic and cold-hearted, Envy has the ability to change appearance. After changing his appearance so many times, Envy no longer remembers his original appearance.
Terminology
- Alchemy - Alchemy within the Fullmetal Alchemist anime refers to a three-step process. The first step is understanding the structure of matter, followed by decomposition, and finally reconstruction and manipulation. The word alchemy originally comes from the Arabic al-kīmiyaˀ or al-khīmiyaˀ (الكيمياء). The energy for the alchemic reaction to occur comes from people dying in our world.But real alchemy can be used if we find out how to rearrange the subatomic particles in atoms and then and only then can we truly change lead to gold.
- Automail - A kind of prosthetics, made from metal and linked directly to the nerves of the body. Well-made automail can allow a range of movement and strength as good as or better than the original limb it replaces.
- Equivalent Exchange - (Also known as "The Law of Conservation" among some fansubbers) The rule that alchemists in the series consider to be the foundation of Alchemy or even the fundamental law of the world: To gain, something of equal value must be lost. One of the themes of the series is examining the implications of Equivalent Exchange as a philosophy. It also investigates into whether Equivalent Exchange is a natural law, or rather, a false ideology.
- State Alchemist - An Alchemist serving in a special branch of the state military. State Alchemists are selected by a series of examinations, and are regarded as some of the most powerful and talented alchemists. The position of State Alchemist also holds considerable authority and influence, with a rank equivalent to Major.
- Transmutation Circle - Transmutation circles are the devices alchemists use to power their transmutations. A circle may be drawn on the spot, embroidered into an article of clothing, or even tattooed onto the alchemist itself. Some elements of the design of the circle can be related to its effect.
- Philosopher's Stone - A legendary stone said to allow the holder to completely bypass the law of Equivalent Exchange. However, the Elric brothers find that stone in fact requires some sacrifice, as seen in the final season.
- Incomplete Philosopher's Stone (Akai Ishi) - An unfinished or impure Philosopher's Stone, commonly referred to as a Red Stone. Though far less powerful than a complete stone, a Red Stone can act as a powerful amplifier for an alchemist's abilities. The Red Stone will inevitably and unpredictably backfire on its owner. A related material is Red Water, which while toxic to humans can be refined into a Red Stone.
- Blood Seal - A special type of transmutation circle that acts as a seal to bind a person's soul to an object, such as a suit of armor. The soul is then tied to the blood. It must, as the name suggests, be written in blood. Some translations refer to it as a "Blood Array."
- Gate of Alchemy - Also known as the "Gate of Truth", it is said to be the source for all alchemic power. An alchemist who sees into the gate can then perform alchemy without the use of a written or tattooed circle because of the knowledge passed during the experience. Behind the gate is an alternative world, our world, now in the chaos of a world war. People's deaths from beyond the gate fuel alchemy. The Gate resembles Rodin's sculpture The Gates of Hell. There is also the Kabbalahistic tree of life on the gate.
Manga
Release
Fullmetal Alchemist was serialized in Square Enix's monthly anthology manga magazine Monthly Shonen Gangan in July 2001, and the series is still ongoing with a new chapter in every issue. As of April 2006, there have been 58 chapters serialized and 13 graphic novel compilations released. Viz Media began releasing the manga in North America in 2005. As of April 2006, six volumes have been released. The seventh volume is scheduled for released on May 2, 2006. Fullmetal Alchemist is released in Singapore by Chuang Yi Publishing in both English and Simplified Chinese.
Chapter guide
Note: known English titles used; translated Japanese titles in parentheses, if they're not the same.
|
01. The Two Alchemists |
26. To the Master |
51. Doors of Darkness |
Anime
Episode guide
Production broadcast history
The animation studio BONES adapted the manga into a 51-episode anime series, which ran on Japanese television from October 4 2003 to October 2 2004. A one-hour OVA, Fullmetal Alchemist: Reflections Special OVA, was released in 2005. Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa was made by the same studio, and theatrically released in Japan on July 23 2005.
The series has also been broadcast across several regions
- United States, Cartoon Network (Adult Swim) on November 6 2004 to March 18th 2006 (First run)
- Hong Kong, TVB Jade on February 26 2005
- StarHub's SCV, Channel 56, on March 9 2005 in Singapore
- Latin America, Animax on July 31 2005
- UK, Rapture TV on November 17 2005
- Italy, MTV on April 11 2006
- Canada, YTV's Bionix block on March 3 2006.
- Australia, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, January 2006
- Philippines, GMA Network, around 2nd-3rd quarter 2005
As there was a limited amount of manga material available to adapt at the time of production, the storyline of the anime diverges from that of the manga around the middle of the series. The anime's later story and conclusion by BONES is different from the manga which is still ongoing.
DVD releases
The DVDs of the anime have been licensed by various companies for different languages and regions (refer to infobox on right). Some known firms releasing the DVDs are:
- Aniplex R2(JP), R3(TW)
- Asia Animation R3(HK)
- TIGA R3(TH) - 17 volumes with 3 episodes each
- FUNimation R1(NA), R4(MX, SA)
- Madman Entertainment R4(AU)
- MVM R2(UK)
- Odex R3(SG)
The 51 episodes in the series are divided into 13 DVD volumes. In the original Japanese DVDs, Volume 1 consisted of the first two episodes, Volume 13 contained the last five, and all of the volumes in between had four episodes each. So far, Funimation's English DVDs all have four episodes each, and only the first eight volumes have been released in the USA:
- Volume 01: The Curse (Ep. 1-4)
- Volume 02: Scarred Man of the East (Ep. 5-8)
- Volume 03: Equivalent Exchange (Ep. 9-12)
- Volume 04: The Fall of Ishbal (Ep. 13-16)
- Volume 05: The Cost of Living (Ep. 17-20)
- Volume 06: Captured Souls (Ep. 21-24)
- Volume 07: Reunion on Yock Island (Ep. 25-28)
- Volume 08: Altar of Stone (Ep. 29-32)
- Volume 09: Pain and Lust (Ep. 33-36)
- Volume 10: Journey To Ishbal (Ep. 37-40)
- Volume 11: Becoming The Stone (Ep. 41-44)
The ninth volume, Pain and Lust, is scheduled for release in the USA on May 2, 2006, while the tenth volume, Journey To Ishbal is to come out June 26, 2006. Volumes 11 and 12 are due to be released in August and September respectively, with the final volume due out on October 3rd. However, MVM has only released the first six volumes in the UK.
Opening and end themes
- Openings
- "Melissa" by Porno Graffitti (Episodes 2-13, also used as ending for episode 1)
- "Ready Steady Go" by L'Arc~en~Ciel (Episodes 14-25)
- "Undo" by Cool Joke (Episodes 26-41)
- "Rewrite" by Asian Kung-Fu Generation (Episodes 42-51)
- "Ready Steady Go" and "Rewrite" are the only openings playing on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim because of a deal with L'Arc~en~Ciel and Asian Kung-Fu Generation to promote their songs. The DVD releases from FUNimation will include all openings in their original places and format.
- Endings
- "Kesenai Tsumi" (Indelible Sin) by Nana Kitade (Episodes 2-13)
The alternate title used by some fansubbers is "Unerasable Sin", which is also the title given to it on the American release of the first soundtrack but not on the American DVD releases. - "Tobira no Mukou e" ("To the Other Side of the Door") by YeLLOW Generation (Episodes 14-24)
The alternate title used by some fansubbers is "Beyond the Door" - "Motherland" by Crystal Kay (Episodes 26-41)
- "I Will" by Sowelu (Episodes 42-50)
All the ending theme songs and animation on Adult Swim are edited down for time. The DVD releases from FUNimation include the unedited full endings.
The ending of episode 25 consists of a piece of incidental music from the series followed by "Tobira no Mukou e" ("To the Other Side of the Door"). The end credits for the episode are presented while Ed and Al are on the train to Rush Valley.
The ending of episode 51 plays a piano piece called "Wakare no Kyoku", also known as Frederic Chopin's Etude in E major op. 10 no. 3. The end credits play to this music while Sheska writes a letter to Winry.
Original soundtracks
- TV Animation Fullmetal Alchemist Original Soundtrack 1 (Released 24 March, 2004)
- Fullmetal Alchemist Complete Best (CD+DVD) (Released 14 October, 2004)
- TV Animation Fullmetal Alchemist Original Soundtrack 2 (Released 15 December, 2004)
- TV Animation Fullmetal Alchemist Original Soundtrack 3 (Released 18 May, 2005)
Other releases in music
- Romi Paku (Edward Elric's Seiyū)
- 明日への場所 / Asu e no Basho ("The Place Toward Tomorrow")
- RETURNABLE MEMORIES
- Toru Ohkawa (Roy Mustang's Seiyū)
- 月の裏側 / Tsuki no Uragawa ("Far Side of the Moon")
- Rie Kugimiya (Alphonse Elric's Seiyū)
- あの夢の向こうへ / Ano Yume no Mukou e ("To Beyond That Dream")
- ボクハココニイル / Boku wa Koko ni Iru ("I Am Here")
- Megumi Toyoguchi (Winry Rockbell's Seiyū)
- BOY FRIENDS!
- 時計 / Gindokei ("Silver Watch")
- Keiji Fujiwara (Maes Hughes' Seiyū)
- そして今日も世界は / Soshite Kyou mo Sekai wa (Literally, "And Today World")
- ANGEL HEART
- Multiple
- 鋼のこころ / Hagane no Kokoro ("Heart of Steel" or "Fullmetal Heart"), by Romi Paku, Rie Kugimiya, Megumi Toyoguchi
- 雨の日はノー･サンキュー / Ame no Hi wa No Thank You ("A Rainy Day is a No Thank You"), by Toru Ohkawa, Michiko Neya (Riza Hawkeye's Seiyū)
- 少年よ、信じるなかまよ / Shounen yo, Shinjiru Nakama yo ("Oh Boy, Oh Trustworthy Companions"), by Toru Ohkawa, Mitsuki Saiga (Maria Ross' Seiyū), Keiji Fujiwara, Tomoyuki Shimura (Heymans Breda's Seiyū), Yasunori Matsumoto (Jean Havoc's Seiyū), Tetsu Shiratori (Kain Fuery's Seiyū), Takehiro Murozono (Vato Falman's Seiyū), Hidekatsu Shibata (Fuhrer King Bradley's Seiyū)
- TRANCE to Homunculus, by Mayumi Yamaguchi (Envy), Yuuko Sato (Lust), Junichi Suwabe (Greed). Yoshino Takamori (Sloth), Hidekatsu Shibata (Pride), Yasuhiro Takato (Gluttony), and Nana Mizuki (Wrath)
- 恋愛参考書～Love reference book～ / Renai Sankoushou ~ Love Reference Book ~, by Megumi Toyoguchi, Naomi Wakabayashi (Sheska's Seiyū)
- パパと遊ぼう / Papa to Asobou ("Play with Papa"), by Keiji Fujiwara and Mayumi Yoshida (Elysia Hughes' Seiyū)
- LAST MEETINGS, by Romi Paku, Rie Kugimiya, Megumi Toyoguchi, Toru Ohkawa, and Keiji Fujiwara
- Good!, by Romi Paku, Rie Kugimiya, Megumi Toyo, Toru Ohkawa, Keiji Fujiwara
Other merchandise
Video games
Video games based on the Fullmetal Alchemist world, have also been released. Sony-Square Enix have released a few titles in the Japanese RPG (3 titles), and Fighting (1 title) genre for the PlayStation 2. Bandai has released other titles in the Japanese RPG vein for the Game Boy Advance (2 titles) and the Nintendo DS (1 title).
The storylines of the games often diverges from both that of the anime and of the manga.
A fan-based video game for the PC called Fullmetal Alchemist: Bluebird's Illusion was also created, and was only sold in Hong Kong. It is said that there were only around 100 copies of the game made, and that they were auctioned off on Yahoo!Auctions Hong Kong.
The Square-Enix games of Full Metal Alchemist has been released to Japan and the U.S. Territories, and there are three titles released on the Playstation 2, all three have been released to Japan, and only 2 have been released to the U.S.
- Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel
- Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir
- Fullmetal Alchemist 3: The Girl Who Succeeded God
Due to the fact that the first two games were critical and commercial failures, whatever plans for the third game to be released to the U.S or any of the games to be released to Europe have been canned.
Novels
Several novels have also been written as sidestories or spinoffs to the original manga. In September 2005, Viz Media released an English translation of the first of these novels, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Land of Sand. The second novel, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Abducted Alchemist, has also currently been released by Viz. The third novel, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Valley of White Petals is set to be released on May 16, 2006. All three novels are written by Makoto Inoue and translated into English by Alexander O. Smith.
Trading card game
A Fullmetal Alchemist Trading Card Game was published in 2005. There are currently three releases, namely Premier Edition, Blood & Water Expansion and Artificial Human.
A Hero's Passing, Alchemist's Gate and Seven Deadly Sins are the upcoming releases as stated in the Official Website
See also
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External links
