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¿Hasta dónde llegar por cumplir una promesa o un sueño, aunque todo esté en tu contra?

Los peligros a los que se enfrentan los Elric no dejan de aumentar: su búsqueda de la piedra filosofal les ha puesto en grave peligro, no solo a ellos sino a sus seres más queridos, y ahora ya no solo deben luchar por sus vidas, sino por las de sus amigos… e incluso por las del resto del país.

225 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2011

16 people are currently reading
719 people want to read

About the author

Hiromu Arakawa

355 books2,868 followers
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).

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5 stars
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79 (4%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
Profile Image for Ola G.
518 reviews50 followers
August 24, 2021
8/10 stars

While there's a lot of exposition in this volume, as certain previous plot points are explained, there's also a lot of explosive (and I mean explosive) action. Those latter moments are among the best this manga has to offer, and have the additional bonus of working incredibly well also as character development scenes. The more thoughtful scenes with the main villain are also interesting, as they show him from different perspectives, giving him a more grounded presence beyond the usual finger-twirling, menacing shadowy look.

As I mentioned before, there are no surprises here, as certain plot twists were preceded in the earlier volumes by an overabundance of foreshadowing - still, the exposition is done nicely, in a rather subdued, understated manner that fits very well into the larger picture.
302 reviews1 follower
December 25, 2022
I find it bloody HILARIOUS that Mei isn't even in this volume despite being on the cover 🤣 They really should have swapped Lust and Mei's covers around it would have made much more sense
Profile Image for Whitney Jamimah.
848 reviews71 followers
March 13, 2023
Oh. My. Gosh! I love this series so much, I am fully invested in this story and now I'm mad because I have another buddy read commitment and I have to take a break from my Alchemist fam. Until next time, missing everyone in this series fondly, I will see you soon.
Profile Image for yelenska.
684 reviews173 followers
September 24, 2022
Supers bulles d'action. Et j'adore voir un peu plus Izumi et son mari. Ils forment une sacré paire :)
Profile Image for Neil R. Coulter.
1,300 reviews150 followers
March 5, 2020
A frantic, breathless amount of plot development in this one, with each small group on its own, having adventures that are significant but sometimes confusing. For instance, I'm not quite sure what happens with Mustang and Lust. It seems like he grabs her heart, and she's dying. But then she has her heart again and comes back to life. And then she dies because she chooses to? I looked at those pages a number of times and couldn't work out exactly what happened.

Nonetheless, it was great to have a volume with so much happening in the story, and where the action scenes didn't feel disconnected from the main plot. Also interesting to have Ed and Al's father return—all still very mysterious. What is it that he predicts will happen in Amestris? And what's really going on in Xing?

Winry hasn't had much to do in the last couple of books. I hope she gets a bigger role again.
Profile Image for Sherilyn.
156 reviews29 followers
August 24, 2021
4.5 but more on the 5 😂 this story doesn’t disappoint
Profile Image for Dakota★Magic in Every Book.
767 reviews121 followers
November 7, 2022
At this point I'm reading faster than I can post the books so my reviews won't refer to any specific content. I love the Xing characters though 😍
Profile Image for Rachel.
158 reviews10 followers
August 30, 2020
The Aristotelian metaphysics utilized to describe the relationship between the immortal rational soul and the human body make this volume one of the best in this series.

I think what makes this series so popular, creative and original is the blend between Western philosophy and Eastern mythology.
Profile Image for John Walker.
202 reviews9 followers
April 30, 2021
This is just more of the same great stuff.
Every volume has introduced a new intriguing character, built on the existing mystery or tied up other plot points in satisfying ways.
This volume has the added bonus of giving us a character we have heard about but havent seen since the VERY beginning. .
As well as one of the more satisfying and intense scenes. .
I cant keep praising this series enough.
I know "European setting" is very typical for western audiences. But this is my favorite setting out of most fiction that uses it. I like how its not restrictive, showing us the desert and the ancient ruins of Xerxes, talking about Xing, and the Ishvalan holy land.
Looking forward to the rest!
Profile Image for Machiavelli.
795 reviews18 followers
April 29, 2025
This is another strong entry, even if it didn’t hit quite as hard as some earlier volumes for me. The story keeps deepening, especially around the conspiracy and the darker truths behind the Philosopher’s Stone, and the Elric brothers’ journey feels more urgent than ever. There’s a good balance of emotion and action, and Arakawa’s art looks fantastic in this edition — crisp and cinematic. While the momentum sometimes dips a little, it’s still easy to see why this series is so beloved: it’s packed with heart, tension, and real stakes. Solid 4/5.
Profile Image for Mykhailo Gasyuk.
984 reviews15 followers
March 13, 2021
Ще трохи руху сюжету вперед та одне з ключових протистоянь. Зустріч Алхіміка зі своїм батьком та спогади про війну і воєнні злочини. Драми також вистачає, а от настільки детальне пояснення однієї спецоперації було зайвим, тому що про перебіг подій в принципі можна здогадатися і самостійно. Важкувато оцінювати окремі тома манги, де є одна суцільна і постійна арка, а відгалуження органічно в неї вплетені...
Profile Image for Shin Donghae.
2,256 reviews8 followers
October 30, 2021
Van Hoheinhem ternyata... barangkali semua sdh menduga. Karena begitu banyak kemiripannya hhe

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!!!
Profile Image for Sinta Nisfuanna.
1,019 reviews63 followers
November 11, 2018
Kekerenan Kolonel Mustang makin meningkat dengan aksinya 'membakar' Lust. Ditambah lagi, kecepatannya menyusun rencana 'membunuh' Letnan Dua Maria Ross. Kejutan di seri ini adalah Edward bertemu dengan Ayahnya.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
1,442 reviews84 followers
August 31, 2020
I love this series so much. It just keeps getting better and better. This volume was particularly emotional for me with regards to my darling Roy but I love all the characters. I'm so anxious to see where the story goes next.
Profile Image for Oliver Matheson.
122 reviews1 follower
May 16, 2024
Now we’re cooking with gas. While reading the early volumes of this series I was dying to know where the story would lead but now that we’re dealing with themes of corruption, conspiracy, and fighting against unseen powerful forces I’m very much in my element reading this.
Profile Image for Kenra.
334 reviews1 follower
July 8, 2024
There is so much to love in this volume specifically
-Roy Mustang playing the role of manwhore and using the military line to flirt with his “girlfriends”. How dare.
-Roy Mustang vs Lust is such a chef’s kiss moment
-Havoc 😭😭😭
-JUSTICE FOR MARIA ROSS HAS BEEN SERVED 🙌🏻
-The Rockbells 😭😭😭
-and finally Hohenheim enters stage left and things are about to get interestingggg
Profile Image for Autumn.
319 reviews11 followers
April 1, 2023
Continuing on with the series and I find myself truly surprised by some things. My fault for not having finished the anime, but I wanted to read it first. I will say I have found myself enjoying the character of .

I highly recommend. I can’t say it enough. Read this manga!!
Profile Image for Alba.
138 reviews7 followers
May 6, 2023
Todo en este manga está bien
Profile Image for Jess.
352 reviews
May 2, 2020
these last two books have been so good
Profile Image for Francesca.
185 reviews15 followers
Read
October 5, 2024
They were flirting in code. What a power couple!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Michael Sorbello.
Author 1 book316 followers
October 18, 2020
This is a review of the entire series.

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.

***

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Profile Image for Ada.
2,146 reviews36 followers
July 30, 2021
***Thoughts after reading***
3.5⭐ rounded down

Maybe it's because I didn't recognize half the names but I had trouble following who did what where.

Still exciting stuff happened!

***Read for the Manga Olympics Reading Challenge***
Runs from Friday July 23 to Sunday August 8

The person responsible for this challenge is Christy Lou on YouTube . They announced this challenge in their Manga Olympics Reading Challenge! | Announcement video. They have made a lovely bingo board which you can find on their Twitter

CHALLENGES
Complete 5 Challenges for a Bronze Medal
Complete 8 Challenges for a Silver Medal
Complete all 17 Challenges for a Gold Medal


I’ll try to read a different manga for every prompt but I don’t know how successful I’ll be. I’ve read this manga for the prompt:
6. Taekwondo: Read an Action Manga

1. Triathlon: Read a whole Series
Love in Limbo by Haji, vol.1 and Love in Limbo by Haji, vol.2
2. Swimming: Read a Sports manga
High School Debut (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1 by Kawahara, Kazune
3. Track & Field: Read a Short series (4 vols or less!)
Escape Journey, Vol. 1 by Ogeretsu, Tanaka, Escape Journey, Vol. 2 by Ogeretsu, Tanaka, and Escape Journey, Vol. 3 by Ogeretsu, Tanaka
4. Sailing: A manga that gives you summer vibes
Love Hina, Vol. 01 by Akamatsu, Ken
5. Gymnastics: Read a manga with a female main character
BL Metamorphosis, Vol. 1 by Tsurutani, Kaori
7. Tokyo 2020: Read a manga set in Tokyo
Manga to come
8. Skateboarding: Read a new release
BL Metamorphosis, Vol. 3 by Tsurutani, Kaori. Published in December 2020 and I’m counting a half year as a ‘new release’.
9. Fencing: Read a fantasy manga
Revolutionary Girl Utena Complete Deluxe Box Set, second volume by Saitō Chiho
10. Table Tennis: Read a manga recommended by a Manga content creator
Spy x Family, Vol. 1. I needed an easy recommendation and it just so happened the moment I was looking for one the YouTuber Swiss Bohemian recommended this series in their I like 'em, those japanese comics! (manga collection video tour 4K) video. So I’ll just re-read this volume for this challenge.
11. Shooting: Read something outside your comfort zone
Chobits 20th Anniversary Edition, vol. 1 by CLAMP
12. Rugby: Read a Shonen/Seinen
Love Hina, Vol. 02 by Akamatsu, Ken
13. Cycling: Read a Shojo/Josei
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 1 by Shiina, Karuho
14. Volleyball: Read a manga you've been excited for
Don't Call Me Dirty by Kanbe, Gorou
15. Archery: Read an underrated Manga
BL Metamorphosis, Vol. 2 by Tsurutani, Kaori
16. Weightlifting: Read the manga that's been on your TBR the longest
Princess Ai: Ultimate Edition by Kujiradō, Misaho
17. Softball: A manga that features an ensemble cast
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, Vol 2 by Fujita

Profile Image for Sunread26.
1,356 reviews
March 23, 2025
Chronique complète :
https://sunread26.wordpress.com/2025/...

Extrait :
Je continue d’avancer lentement sur la série, il faudrait presque que j’aille un peu plus vite même. Après tout, je l’ai déjà lue, mais ça date tellement que je continue de mélanger certains événements (dans le sens ordre chronologique). Je crois aussi que mes souvenirs du film live viennent un peu perturber mes souvenirs du manga, car il va aussi beaucoup plus vite et certaines choses étaient différentes.

Avec ce tome, les homonculus font enfin une véritable entrée, Roy et les autres apprennent enfin leur existence et visiblement, c’est assez mauvais signe. Naturellement, avoir affaire à un être qui semble immortel c’est compliqué, alors plusieurs ! Même si ce sont des méchants, je les apprécie toujours autant, sauf deux d’entre eux (le général notamment et un autre qui n’a pas été montré je crois). Après ses passages effrayants où l’ennemi semble invincible, il y aura un petit moment d’espoir, avec la défaite de l’un d’entre eux, qui les ramène un peu vers une vie limité. Difficile de dire combien de fois il faut les tuer, ou combien de dégâts il faut occasionner pour enfin les achever. Que ce soit à cause du format manga, où l’auteure ne va pas répéter une scène plusieurs fois pour nous donner le nombre. Ou bien à cause de l’âge des homonculus, pour rappel, certains ont déjà plusieurs siècles et je doute que l’époque actuelle soit la première où ils perdent une vie. Ce nombre doit dépendre de l’énergie contenue dans la pierre utilisée pour les animer. Quant à son énergie, elle doit dépendre du nombre des sacrifices et peut-être même qu’elle diminue naturellement avec le temps… En tout cas, même s’ils ne sont pas immortels, ils sont difficiles à battre et peuvent largement éliminer leurs adversaires avant que l’inverse soit possible. Mais c’est aussi une faiblesse, puisqu’ils ne font pas vraiment attention aux dégâts qu’ils subissent, jusqu’à qu’ils deviennent important (à part Envy peut-être, mais il a toujours été un peu particulier).

Les deux frères vont se séparer pour un petit moment et vivre ainsi une aventure chacun de leur côté. Une manière du côté d’Ed de remettre en ordre son esprit et de mieux saisir les actions de Roy. Tandis qu’Alphonse aidera justement son groupe face aux homonculus. Le général reste assez mystérieux, il fait partie des ennemis, pourtant il ne souhaite pas arrêter Roy pour l’instant. Je me demande aussi pourquoi ils parlent de personnes à sacrifier en particulier, est-ce que sélectionner des alchimistes améliore la qualité d’une pierre ? Leur chef ressemble fortement au père des frères, mais je ne me souviens plus de ce qu’il advient de lui… Edward a raison de le détester, il vit littéralement dans son monde et c’est de sa faute si ses enfants ont faire n’importe quoi une fois seuls. Plusieurs révélations ont lieu dans ce tome, Winry affiche enfin ses inquiétudes auprès de ses amis… mais ce n’est pas tout. Je ne m’en souvenais pas, mais elle déclare aussi un peu qu’elle aime Edward ! Etonnant qu’Alphonse n’ait pas relevé cette information pour l’utiliser ensuite (ou alors, il préfère en faire abstraction). Dure dure d’être un tas de ferraille, Alphonse se met à beaucoup réfléchir et peut-être pas dans le bon sens. Il évoque le fait que lui-même n’est pas immortel, puisqu’il suffit que la marque s’efface ou se dégrade pour qu’il disparaisse… sans oublier les autres possibilités qu’il évoque et qui sont vraiment flippantes. Au moins, il n’a plus l’idée en tête qu’il n’est qu’un être créé de A à Z par quelqu’un d’autre, c’est au moins ça.

[...]
Profile Image for Luana.
1,673 reviews59 followers
January 29, 2022
Mamma mia, che volume! Se la storia continua a rimanere così intensa, non so se arrivo alla fine.
Partiamo subito col dire che Roy Mustang è il mio idolo. E proprio per questo, lo vedo male: ormai ha iniziato anche lui a mettere insieme i pezzi della vicenda e a ficcare il naso in posti molto pericolosi. Anzi, a ben pensarci, vedo male lui e la sua banda di fedelissimi. Infatti, il colonnello è ormai entrato nel mirino di Bradley: si è avvicinato al covo degli homunculus, ha teso loro una bella trappola, ed è pure riuscito a distruggere Lust. Certo, lo scontro non è stato privo di conseguenze, visto che Havoc potrebbe non camminare più. Ma ormai, chi di dovere ha capito che lui è diventato una persona scomoda. Roy Mustang è un personaggio davvero particolare: sembra un po' un fanfarone, poco amante della disciplina e del lavoro, ma in realtà è un uomo per cui lealtà e amicizia sono valori assoluti, un uomo che, vista la sua posizione, dovrebbe tenersi lontano dalla prima linea, ma che non esita a rischiare tutto per proteggere i suoi subordinati. Come detto da Wrath, il suo buon cuore potrebbe rivelarsi un punto debole. Speriamo che pure Riza riesca ad arrivare viva alla fine, perché senza di le cose potrebbero mettersi male. E' la "babysitter" ufficiale del colonnello....e vederla così affranta, pronta a morire, quando Lust le fa credere che Roy è morto, è stato davvero un colpo duro. Questa sì che è una vera ship!

E poi ci sono i fratelli Elric. Mentre Al rimane a Central City per affrontare Lust e compagnia, Ed viene riportato con una scusa a Resembool dal maggiore Armstrong: insieme finiranno per visitare le rovine di Xerxes e incontrare la rediviva Maria Ross (con tanto di flashback che ci fa vedere come Roy si è occupato, a modo suo, del salvataggio della donna), oltre ad alcuni esuli di Ishval (un paio salvati dai genitori di Winry). Ormai tutte le parti coinvolte hanno realizzato che sta succedendo qualcosa di strano, ma forse nessuno ha ancora capito veramente che King Bradley è coinvolto. Il ritorno a casa per Ed sarà poi segnato da un altro incontro, quello con il padre che non vede da anni: diciamo che la reunion tra lui e Hohenheim non è delle migliori, visto che il ragazzo non gli ha mai perdonato la sua assenza, mentre l'uomo non si fa problemi a fargli notare l'idiozia del suo tentativo di trasmutazione umana - esperimento che potrebbe avere dei risvolti ancora più inquietanti di quanto immaginato.
Le sorprese non mancano nemmeno nelle ultime pagine, quando ricompare una nostra vecchia conoscenza, il dottor Marcoh - l'uomo che ha creato la pietra filosofale, che non ha sacrificato le vite di condannati a morte e dei cittadini di Ishval per raggiungere il suo scopo, ora desideroso di non avere più niente a che fare con l'esercito di Ametris -, prelevato senza troppi complimenti da Envy e Gluttony, che precedono così Breda. Ergo, il casino è appena iniziato. Come dice Hohenheim, "Molto presto accadrà qualcosa di terribile in questo paese". Bene ma non benissimo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews

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