UN RICCHISSIMO TERZ’ULTIMO NUMERO. Mentre prosegue la rivolta che sta sconvolgendo Central City, assisteremo alla vendetta legata alla morte di un personaggio molto amato, a uno scontro tra homunculus e a molto altro ancora…
Hiromu Arakawa (author: 荒川弘) is a Japanese manga artist, best known for Fullmetal Alchemist (鋼の錬金術師 Hagane no renkinjutsushi). Her real name is Hiromi Arakawa (荒川弘美).
Arakawa was born and raised on a dairy farm in Hokkaidō. She thought of being a manga artist since she was little. After graduating high school, she took oil painting classes while working on her family's farm. During that time, she also created dōjinshi manga with her friends and drew yonkoma for a magazine. After eight years she moved to Tōkyō and started out as assistant writer for Hiroyuki Etō. Her debut as manga artist is in 1999 with STRAY DOG. In 2001 she started working on her famous and award winning series Fullmetal Alchemist, that soon gets a successful anime adaptation. Other works include Silver Spoon (銀の匙 Silver Spoon, Gin no saji Silver Spoon).
So good! I was glued to the pages till the very end of this volume. I love how Arakawa interweaves all those disparate threads together here, forming a big, incredibly complex picture of a dozen independently moving elements. And the grand reckoning is almost here! I so wish to have the next volume already!
As usual in FA, Greed is good ;). Very good, in fact, and I appreciate how Arakawa kept the old Greed's expressions in his new face. I also loved Envy's goodbye, didn't think that cold-blooded sucker had it in him.
All in all, a great setup for the great (hopefully!) finale. Gimme the next volume now!
Cap. 93-98 Anche questo volume ricco di colpi di scena e di azione porta la narrazione degli eventi ad incastrarsi perfettamente: luogo di incontro e scontro, la base militare di Central City e i suoi sotterranei. Posso riassumere questo volume in tre momenti particolarmente apprezzati. 1- la sete di vendetta di Mustang: finalmente a un passo dal vendicare la morte dell’amico Hughes, viene fermato da Ed e Riza, proprio prima di uccidere Envy, riescono a farlo calmare e ragionare; Envy invece si scopre che è invidioso degli umani e decide di suicidarsi. 2- Armstrong VS Sloth: grazie all’aiuto di Izumi Curtis e marito, Armstrong da il colpo di grazia a Sloth. 3- Hohenheim VS Padre: i due si affrontano e si scopre che il Padre non solo non vuole essere come un umano ma vuole raggiungere la perfezione, nel loro scontro si scopre che si è evoluto e riesce a vivere senza un contenitore. Menzione speciale a King Bradley, ancora vivo e pronto a riprendere il comando del suo esercito.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This contains one of my favorite scenes from the show: the battle with Sloth and the best team ever. The fight between Mustang and Envy, and Alphonse vs Pride/Kimblee, Hohenheim vs Dwarf in the Flask. Constant action as we rev up for the final confrontation.
Fullmetal Alchemist takes place in the fictional country of Amestris which is heavily based on the Industrial Revolution. Amestris is a unitary state under the rule of a parliamentary republic, run by state alchemists that serve the king utilizing the mystifying arts of alchemy. Alchemy is the power to alter the physical world utilizing its natural elements, performing magic and miracles in the form of science. Alchemy follows the law of equivalent exchange, you must sacrifice something that is of equal value to what you create. You must sacrifice a life to create a life, you must extinguish one flame to ignite another, you have to sacrifice one home to build another, etc...
After being abandoned by their father as children and subjected to watching their mother die, Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse once attempted to utilize the power of alchemy to bring their mother back from the grave, ignoring the dangers of creating a life by offering something of equal value. Edward loses an arm and a leg while Alphonse loses his entire body; his soul placed in a hollow suit of armor that can't feel the touch of others. As neither of them sacrificed their lives in their entirety, the exchange failed and the boys created an abomination in place of their dead mother.
After burning their own home down and dealing with the abomination they created, Edward and his brother enlist themselves in the military to atone for their sins and learn more about the many secrets of alchemy; potentially learning how to recover their original bodies in the process. While serving in the military, the brothers begin to realize how the wonders of alchemy can be abused for nefarious purposes. Immortal life can be gained by sacrificing hundreds of innocents souls, wars can be staged and foreign nations can be annihilated under false charges, human experimentation aided by alchemy can lead to unnatural mutations, the world of alchemy is more dark and dangerous than either of them could've bargained for.
Fullmetal Alchemist grew on me the longer I read it. When I first started reading, it seemed like it was going to be generic shounen material, but it gets deeper and darker the further it goes on. The way it handles political and religious corruption, the dangers of advanced states abusing their technology and resources at the expense of foreign nations caught in the turmoil, and the sad futility of revenge are all very well done.
The characters all bear the weight of what alchemy is capable of. Edward and Alphonse carry the burden of abusing alchemy for selfish purposes. Their master Izumi loses her womb after attempting to resurrect her dead child. Scar takes many lives after his entire country is desecrated and gets trapped in a pointless cycle of revenge. Roy and Riza endure the regret of committing brutal war crimes for the sake of protecting their own nation. Alchemy creates and destroys in equal measure and no one is free from the consequences of tipping the balance.
The fight scenes are flashy and exciting without being too over-the-top because of the dangerous limitations that alchemy involves. The law of equivalent exchange keeps the power scaling in check and adds plenty of tension to the action. The female characters are especially well done, all of them are strong and unique in their own way. The lead heroine Winry being a skilled mechanic, Riza being an honorable warrior of the military, Olivier Armstrong as cold and vicious as the snowy fortress she guards, and that's just a few of them.
The villains are an interesting parody of the seven deadly sins. Each of them represent the darkness and regrets of each of the main characters and they can only be conquered by coming to terms with their own flaws and sins. The characters having to overcome their personal demons to take on the greater demons trying to overthrow the world from the shadows made the struggles of every single person in the story feel personal. Every character, no matter how minor had their moments to shine. Everyone had a vital role to play and the camaraderie between friend and foe alike never felt cheesy or forced.
Unlike most shounen series I've read, the final arc was my favorite. A lot of long-running shounen series have a habit of being dragged out, losing touch with what made them great or breaking their own rules in messy, plot-hole-filled final arcs that leave a lot to be desired. Fullmetal Alchemist has no lose ends, all characters have complete arcs where they learn and grow from their dark pasts, the romance and comedy are handled well without relying on cheap fanservice, the action scenes are great but they don't overshadow the plot and the final chapters tie everything together beautifully. It's not my favorite manga by any means as I usually tend to favor seinen, but it's definitely one of the greatest stories to ever come out of the shounen demographic in my opinion. The ending is a tearjerker but it left me in good spirits.
Si el tiempo le pasa factura, cómo corno era cuando era joven? Flash? Superman? Te rebanaba la tripa mientras firmaba 7 actas, daba 4 conferencias, jugaba al ajedrez con los abuelos del geriátrico y encima decía que era un día tranquilito? Koro-sensei is that you?
Cette classe, cette classe ! De la couverture aux combats tragiques qui peuplent ce nouveau tome, nous aurons encore eu une maestria narrative !
Est-ce qu’on parle déjà de cette couverture où l’autrice couple pour une fois deux personnages clés de ce moment : King Bradley et Selim. Faire de ce dernier un terrible antagoniste est une idée de génie. On a bien trop souvent l’image de l’innocence quand on pense aux enfants, je trouve cela libératoire d’en faire l’un des grands méchants, en plus en méchant incontrôlable et imprévisible, comme les enfants en crise, en fait.
Ce tome brille d’ailleurs par ses grands moments individuels au-delà de la construction commune d’une narration qui plonge ses racines de tous les côtés. On a ainsi, enfin, la résolution de la grande quête de Mustang et quel moment ravageur ! L’autrice montre la noirceur terrible dans laquelle peut nous engloutir un désir de vengeance. C’était aussi effrayant que poignant. Nous avons également un grand duo avec la fratrie Armstrong qui se bat en donnant tout. Cela sans oublie, Izumi, qui vient faire un petit tour à la capitale et nous éblouit aussi. Cela fait deux femmes fortes ensemble. Riza ne fut pas en reste d’ailleurs aux côtés de Roy. Que j’aime l’écriture des personnages féminins ici !
Puis, comme dans le tome précédent, l’autrice montre l’ampleur du complot et l’ampleur de la réponse par ceux souhaitant libérer le peuple. Il y en a de tous les côtés. C’est jouissif à lire car à peine a-t-on détourné la tête de ces zombies mangeurs de chair humaine, qu’il faut combattre les hauts gradés ou convaincre la population en piratant la radio. C’est passionnant et si finement pensé, car ce sont bien des mécanismes historiques réels qui sont reproduits ici dans cette lutte pour reprendre un pouvoir travesti.
L’autrice montre ainsi un pendant très politique dans ce coup d’état, mais elle n’oublie pas pour autant l’humain et les valeurs que l’on voit mises en avant de tous les côtés me ravissent. Ce n’est pas culcul d’ailleurs mais aussi profond et plein de nuances avec bien plus de gris que de noir et de blanc. L’autrice plonge dans les turpitudes de l’âme humaine et à l’image de la fin d’Envy ou des retrouvailles de la fiole avec Hohemheim, elle frappe juste.
La chevauchée finale se poursuit à un rythme soutenu et une haute qualité constante. C’est excellent de voir l’aboutissement de la vengeance de Roy, d’assister aux grands moments des Armstrong ou d’Izumi et surtout de voir tous les bons se liguer contre la corruption de la chaîne de commandement. On rêverait presque d’une telle révolution chez nous en ce moment, avec quelqu’un qui organiserait ça de main de maître comme Hiromu Arakawa !
"Questo sarebbe un bel problema. Non posso permettermi di perderti. Che situazione...sgridato da un ragazzino. Esortato da un uomo per cui ero un nemico. E poi, ho portato te, tenente, a compiere un gesto simile. Sono un completo idiota."
4,5
Roy e Riza. Partiamo dal punto più alto di questo volume, ovvero lo scontro finale con Envy - uno scontro che rischia di divorare l'anima del colonnello Mustang, troppo preso dai suoi propositi di vendetta contro la creatura che gli ha portato via un amico. Una china pericolosa che rischia di schiacciare lo spirito di giustizia di un uomo che sta combattendo per dare un futuro migliore ad Amestris. A rimetterlo sulla strada giusta saranno le parole di Ed, che gli impedirà di commettere una sciocchezza, e quelle di Riza, che non può permettergli di farsi consumare dall'odio. Per non parlare delle parole di Scar, un uomo che ha votato la sua vita alla vendetta. Persone che dovrebbero essere nemiche, ma che stanno rischiando la vita tutte insieme per un obiettivo comune. In collaborazione che rappresenta il vero fallimento di Envy, sconfitto dalla resilienza degli esseri umani. Comunque, ripeto, Roy e Riza. La ship di una vita, anche se tecnicamente non è nemmeno una ship - due persone che hanno lavorato fianco a fianco per anni, che condividono un sogno. A dispetto dei battibecchi e delle battutine, Riza prova stima e rispetto per Roy: preferirebbe ucciderlo piuttosto che vederlo imboccare la strada del male, piuttosto che vederlo trasformarsi nel nemico che sta cercando di sconfiggere. Ah, e comunque lui l'ha chiamata la sua "preziosa subordinata". Adoro tutto!
Punto altissimo numero due, l'arrivo di Izumi e compagnia al quartiere generale, arrivo che permette di mettere definitivamente al tappeto Sloth e di prendere il controllo della situazione..almeno fino al ritorno in scena di Bradley, pronto a riprendersi il suo castello. Sulla sua strada ora c'è Greed, insieme a una banda di disperati che non vuole cedere.
E poi c'è lo scontro tra Hohenheim e il Padre: qui non so cosa aspettarmi. Hohenheim, la pietra filosofale umana, ha dalla sua l'anima di tutta la persone di Xerxes usate come primo sacrificio umano. Ma dubito fortemente che il Padre si farà sconfiggere tanto facilmente. Tanto più che i "sacrifici umani" tanto ricercati per portare avanti l'esperimento, sono ormai tutti a Central City. Immagino che nel prossimo volume vedremo che ne è stato di Al e Pride (che nel mentre si è pappato pure Kimblee).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Bradley yang tadinya dikira sudah tewas di kecelakaan kereta, muncul sendirian di kala para tentara Central sudah mulai terpukul mundur. Yah, mana mungkin homunculus mati dengan sekedar kecelakaan kereta? Itu tidak mungkeeeennnn...
bisa dibilang lawan disini cukup imbang, Bradley tiba-tiba dilawan Greed yang tadinya anak buahnya sendiri. tapi karena sudah separo menjadi Ling yang emang dari sononya grayak, jadi yah lumayan lah, meski kurang imbang juga wkwkwkwk....
Ayahnya si Elrich bersaudara lawan ayah si para homunculi, yang bikin deg-an sebenarnya si Hawkeye yang bisa kena jebakan si homunculus yang bisa malih rupa. Duh, lupa namanyaaa... Pokoknya volume ini SUPER SERU DAN TEGANG!
Setengah membaca jadi mikir, kenapaa juga covernya si king bradley, lha wong dia udah dr kapan jilid gak muncul2.... lalu dia kembali dengan adegan yang super duper dramatis. Whakaka... keren dah villain satu itu.
Yg gak kalah keren, adegan pertarungan Mustang x Envy, dengan segala ubo rampenya. Endingnya bakal bikin kamu merinding #eh #apah? ;)
Tinggal dikit lagi nih, bakal sampe di pertarungan klimaksnya.
La batalla continua y parece que no ha hecho más que empezar. La mayor parte de este libro son escenas de acción en las que vemos a los personajes más unidos que nunca, algo que me ha gustado mucho ver. No sólo los hermanos Elric tienen un papel, sino que vemos que hay varios personajes más que sin importantes y aportan algo necesario a la historia. Hoenheim es un personaje con mucho que enseñar. En cuanto al cierre del tomo, queda al rojo vivo
La politica in questa serie è ben descritta, e ora... beh... proprio la politica entra in gioco. In molte serie è un punto critico. Qui è ben spiegata e tutte le dinamiche sono chiare. I pezzi (i personaggi "buoni") sono disposti in attacco nella scacchiera, ma gli avversari non si sono ancora arresi e nonostante qualche grosso pezzo sacrificato, possono ancora giocarsela. -2 (non vedo l'ora ma stavolta con entusiasmo)
Senang sekali bisa menyelam kembali ke dunia Elric bersaudara setelah sekian lama! Saya takut kurang menghargai pekerjaan Arakawa sensei dari sepuluh tahun yang lalu, tetapi sama sekali tidak: Saya masih sangat menyukainya. Dan versi yang diterbitkan ulang ini luar biasa!!!
Volume of very exciting and Intense battles. The story has been building up till this moment and I am excited to see how the story goes after this volume. This is a story with a complexed plot, but the drawings are just as fantastic. I now understand why this manga was so popular. I am learning Japanese and I hope to read the Japanese version once I have reached that level.
"don't go where I can't follow" just hits so hard - I'm so bummed the updated translation is different. however, I do think the replacement line does fit better contextually. but still bummed :(
I would the Armstrong/Curtis quad literally just came from Arakawa being like "I wonder what it would be like if the four of them all hung out" and then put them all in a scene together.
Truly breathtaking action sequences, that goes none stop and balances so many characters and laces at once, while keeping you proper engaged. The reveal with Bradley being alive coming right when it looks like our heroes has won is a stroke of genius, pulling is right back into the action and prolonging the tension before the big climax. Also, the built up to Bradley is great!
The battle is heating up and it is down to soldiers doing what they feel is right instead of following orders. Not an easy thing to do without having all of the information.
Un volume che scorre velocemente per la presenza di molti combattimenti che rendono il ritmo narrativo estremamente fluido. Senza contare che assistiamo a una delle uccisioni più epiche di questo fumetto!
Consigliato Ho chiaramente letto questo volume a troppa distanza con il precedente e quindi alcune cose non me le ricordo bene, ma sicuramente questo è un volume ricco di emozioni che ci sta preparando al gran finale
Did I skip writing this review just so I could read the next volume because it has my favorite scene? ABSOLUTELY!! And I’m gonna gush about it in that review too