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鋼の錬金術師 [Hagane no Renkinjutsushi] #1-5
Fullmetal Alchemist, Volumes #1-5
cover, Children Press Publication Group, China Chi, Pages 915 Chinese. China Children Press Publication Group, China Children s Publishing House; 1 (December 1, 2008). Fullmetal Alchemist (Volume 1-5) (5 volumes) as set books are Fullmetal Alchemist (...
Paperback
Published January 1, 1991
2 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Hiromu Arakawa
358 books2,882 followersHiromu 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).
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).
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 8, 2022
De tekeningen zijn echt super goed en ik hou er echt van wanneer Edward klein en boos word getekend, hij is dan echt te schattig. Het verhaal is ook echt super goed, ik word altijd echt nog steeds misselijk van Shou Tucker en zijn transmutaties, ook al heb ik het zo vaak gezien.
December 6, 2020
| Reader Fox Blog |
Alchemists are scientists. We don't believe in unprovable concepts like "god."
You know the books that you've read so many times and, subsequently, the shows based on those books you've spent so much of your life watching? The ones where you've done this to the point that writing a review about how much you love it seems nearly impossible? It's so much to the point that I'm convinced I don't have the right words to express how amazing this series truly is. So, while I'm beginning with an attempted review at a re-released version of volume 1 of Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa, I have to admit that I am already certain I won't be quite capable of doing it justice.
I've Finally Started A Collection
This particular edition, the Fullmetal hardcover version isn't quite the same as the first volume initially published. Some translations have been cleaned up to be more accurate and, instead of containing only four chapters it contains six. Therefore, this book combines half of the original volume 2 with this new one. A hardcover that has the wonderful addition of some colored pages and extra sketches, I was over the moon with excitement when I got my hands on my own copy, something I've been meaning to do for quite a long time now.
It's Surprising How Much They Fit In
The story of the Elric brothers and their quest to restore their bodies after a botched alchemic attempt to bring their deceased mother back to life begins as it always has. We first meet Edward and Alphonse following a lead on the philosopher's stone, what is purported as an alchemical amplifier. They are certain that it is the philosopher's stone that will eventually give them the power to return the bodies they lost whilst trying to save their mother.
This quest leads them to a town called Liore and its priest, a man fooling an entire town into following him as a prophet for the sun god known as Leto. Later, it will lead them to an alchemist who specializes in bio-alchemy. And if you've read the manga or seen the shows, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
The first brings a rather amusing, yet devastating to the people, debacle which exposes the lying priest. The second is an emotional rollercoaster involving an adorable young girl and her dog.
I Do Genuinely Love This Series
I adore everything about this book and the series it is a part of. From the hilarious, occasionally overdramatic, protective, and caring main character Edward, to the sweet and centered character of Alphonse. Their story is one that I connected with quite easily emotionally and continue to do each time I revisit it.
I'm not really a huge manga reader or a massive anime fan. In fact, to date, I've only ever read two manga series and this is the only anime I've ever actually watched all the way through. I fully believe that anyone who hasn't immersed themselves in this wonderful world and characters is missing out on one of the best stories that ever existed.
| Instagram | Twitter | Reader Fox Blog | Bloglovin’ | Facebook |
Alchemists are scientists. We don't believe in unprovable concepts like "god."
You know the books that you've read so many times and, subsequently, the shows based on those books you've spent so much of your life watching? The ones where you've done this to the point that writing a review about how much you love it seems nearly impossible? It's so much to the point that I'm convinced I don't have the right words to express how amazing this series truly is. So, while I'm beginning with an attempted review at a re-released version of volume 1 of Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa, I have to admit that I am already certain I won't be quite capable of doing it justice.
I've Finally Started A Collection
This particular edition, the Fullmetal hardcover version isn't quite the same as the first volume initially published. Some translations have been cleaned up to be more accurate and, instead of containing only four chapters it contains six. Therefore, this book combines half of the original volume 2 with this new one. A hardcover that has the wonderful addition of some colored pages and extra sketches, I was over the moon with excitement when I got my hands on my own copy, something I've been meaning to do for quite a long time now.
It's Surprising How Much They Fit In
The story of the Elric brothers and their quest to restore their bodies after a botched alchemic attempt to bring their deceased mother back to life begins as it always has. We first meet Edward and Alphonse following a lead on the philosopher's stone, what is purported as an alchemical amplifier. They are certain that it is the philosopher's stone that will eventually give them the power to return the bodies they lost whilst trying to save their mother.
This quest leads them to a town called Liore and its priest, a man fooling an entire town into following him as a prophet for the sun god known as Leto. Later, it will lead them to an alchemist who specializes in bio-alchemy. And if you've read the manga or seen the shows, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
The first brings a rather amusing, yet devastating to the people, debacle which exposes the lying priest. The second is an emotional rollercoaster involving an adorable young girl and her dog.
I Do Genuinely Love This Series
I adore everything about this book and the series it is a part of. From the hilarious, occasionally overdramatic, protective, and caring main character Edward, to the sweet and centered character of Alphonse. Their story is one that I connected with quite easily emotionally and continue to do each time I revisit it.
I'm not really a huge manga reader or a massive anime fan. In fact, to date, I've only ever read two manga series and this is the only anime I've ever actually watched all the way through. I fully believe that anyone who hasn't immersed themselves in this wonderful world and characters is missing out on one of the best stories that ever existed.
| Instagram | Twitter | Reader Fox Blog | Bloglovin’ | Facebook |
September 27, 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 of 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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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 of 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.
***
My Social Media
My Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/michael_sor...
My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
My Wattpad Account: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Michael-...
My Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/SorbelloHorror
My Facebook Account: https://www.facebook.com/michael.sorb...
November 7, 2025
The anime of this manga is my all time favorite. I love reading through this.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews