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).
My suspicions about Führer President King Bradley bore fruit right away in this volume. Things are spiraling very quickly. I think I love the part that Inmate 66 is/going to be playing from now on. There are so many moving parts and the story actually feels quite mature.
This was such an emotional volume since it dealt with Ed and Al finding out about the death of [redacted]. But also we got to meet the crew from Xing and that means the plot is going to get really going now!
Even with "slower" volumes like this one, the quality just never weakens. The plot is so well woven, every page flows incredibly well and it's a real pleasure to read it. I didn't even think it was possible, but I think I'm enjoying the manga even more than the anime. Every detail, every piece of dialogue makes sense and actually brings something to the story. The writing is just amazing.
We delve deeper into a more complex, more psychological, more political part of the plot, especially with the later chapters of the volume. In other words, I can also say : shit is gonna go down. And I can't wait for it.
FMA truly is the one manga that will make me go through every kind of emotion. I was actually laughing out loud during some pages and tearing up 5 pages later, without it feeling forced at all. I'm so happy we got to meet one of my favorite characters, Mister Ling himself. I'm so excited to see more of him, and I suspect the manga might just give him even more depth. Of course, I'm as in love as ever with Edward Elric. No one will ever make me feel quite as much as he does.
Хоча пошук філософського каменю призводить до непоправних наслідків, брати-алхіміки Елріки не можуть зупинитися, інакше всі старання були б марними. Втрачати друзів завжди боляче. А нові знайомі додають в життя лише хаос.
Полковник Мустанг веде окреме розслідування, розуміючи, що на кону дещо набагато більше, за його життя. Приходить розуміння, що влада країни в зовсім не тих руках; керівництво держави гидке та непривабливе, та не цурається прибирати тих, хто знає забагато.
Цей том має фіолетове оформлення, цікаво які кольори будуть далі. З нетерпінням чекатиму продовження культової манги. Це одна з найулюбленіших моїх історій.
A solid volume, with the plot strands thickening and interweaving more closely by the panel. A lot of exposition here, so it's less snappy than the last two. Some shortcuts are taken, especially with the two mysterious strangers from Xing coming at exactly the same moment to Amestris, albeit to different places, and appearing to look for exactly the same thing. Also, some twists are quite predictable, too, making the whole setup and reveal a bit cumbersome and without real tension. Well, it's shonen after all, so I really should be used to it by now ;)
Still, it's good to see a bit more of the world beyond the main cities of Amestris, and take a peek at the past that had impacted so many of the characters in meaningful, irreversible ways.
Plus, Barry the Chopper is always a welcome comic relief! And of course, Greed gets his own additional star. He deserves it for sheer stubbornness and cheek.
All the same praises I've had for the past 5 books remains.
-Great panel design and compelling art. -Humor is done so well! -Great characters, including the ones that they introduce
This one is particularly good because it opens up the world a lot more with the introduction of other countries and characters from them. (Even diversifying alchemy. Always a great world building touch if other countries/ cultures use the magic system differently.)
The story is continuing to get deeper and expanding the mystery and conspiracy behind it all. This novel in particular also brings in past characters and plots we've left behind so its just a big mix of everything great about this series.
On its own its not an incredible volume, but probably the one of the strongest in the series so far when you look at it all together.
The plot thickens, with the arrival of the prince of Xing and his team, in pursuit of (unsurprisingly) the philosopher's stone. It's interesting to see the world expand through the introduction of characters from distant realms. Also good to see Ed and Al having to confront the effects of their own pursuit of the philosopher's stone on the people around them—in this case, especially in what happened to Lieutenant Colonel Hughes.
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.
La trama continua enrevesándose. Además, aparecen nuevos personajes procedentes de Xing y vemos más cosas de los enemigos. La historia de Ed y Al sigue siendo igual de adictiva que siempre, con sus momentos de tensión y de comedia. Y entre las ilustraciones tan bonitas de ver, se va leyendo en un suspiro. Viniendo de ver el anime, me ha gustado encontrar detalles que no se ven en la tele e incluso diferencias con respecto al mismo.
Сюжет рухається повільно, додавання нових персонажів видається спробою розтягнути історію на довше і додати трохи гумору. Але у цій частині були і сумні моменти, і трохи інтриги і зради. Величезних одкровень тут немає, основний сюжет топчеться на місці. Робота художника та продумані діалоги - це беззаперечні плюси.
Plot berkembang dg baik apalagi dg munculnya karakter Xing!
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!!!
Aunque ya conozco la historia del anime, creo que esta mucho mejor llevado el manga. Tiene detalles que el anime no y eso ayuda a comprender la historia mejor.
Tengo muchas ganas de seguir descubriendo esos detalles.
Pieces are being moved about as themes are being explored and new characters are being introduced, all in search for immortality. Plenty of things are being teased and everything moves mostly organic through a hidden plot, building up to greatness. Also, it still looks great!
Читаючи мангу, ніби потрапляєш в минуле, в часи коли переглядав аніме, і отримуєш, підсилені ностальгією, максимально позитивні емоції помножені на неперевершену якість українського видання Алхіміка. Вже чекаю на наступну частину.
In this volume, the world gets a little bit bigger as we meet two outsiders from the Xing, a country across the Great Desert. First, we have May Chang, a young girl who practices something like alchemy but with daggers to make her transmutation circles. Then, there's Prince Ling Yao, who faints frequently from hunger, and travels with two extremely capable body guards. Both have come to Amestris seeking the secret of Immortal Life. Ling Yao refuses to let Edward out of his sight because he wants to learn Alchemy and suspects Ed knows more than hey's saying about the Philosopher stones. Meanwhile, after receiving repairs in Rush Valley from Winry, the brothers and Winry decide to travel to Central City, where they learn of a friend's murder. We also get an inside glimpse into the world of the homunculi and of the person they call Father.
?In previous chapters, there had been very little mention of other countries outside Amestris, so I really enjoy seeing the world expand. Not only do we get people from Xing, but there's mention of the ruins of an ancient civilization, Xerxes, which may peak readers' interest. This introduction of characters from Xing is the beginning of a new story arch that weaves in with the constant of Ed and Al trying to get their bodies back, and it provides the series with more depth and complexity. While we are expanding the world, we are also delving deeper into the darkness of the Homunculi, their plans, and how they were created. The illustrations of the Homunculi and their practices are a bit gruesome and dark, which creates a nice foil to the comedy drawn in to Edward and his expressiveness.
Kelihatan wajah asli Fuhrer disini. Kupikir dia ini gaya nyerangnya sadis bener ternyata dia itu emang...🙄🤫
Jadi siapa sebenarnya dalang semua ini di militer ya? Si Fuhrer ini ternyata juga semacam pion juga. Apalagi kawanan Lust, Envy dan (huek huek) Gluttony (sebal aku liat si gendut yang hobi ngunyah orang ini)
Sudah kêlar baca volume 7. Nyicil tenang liat si Lust disini) 😁
*****
Saking banyaknya tokoh dari pemerintah, saya kadang jadi lupa, si tokoh ini sdh muncul di volume sebelumnya atau belum ya? 😅
Di volume ini muncul sosok baru dari Xing yang nyebelin setengah mati, duh lupa namanya 😅. Dia ini rupanya pangeran dari negeri seberang lengkap dengan 2 pengawal nya. Kemunculannya sudah bikin Elrich bersaudara gondok setengah mati, ngga tau nanti di scene berikutnya. Ohya, si Xing ini datang dari jauh demi mendapat info tentang Philosopher's Stone! Kok ya ndilalah ketemu Elrich bro ya? Sudah destiny dong 😁
Volume ini kembali membahas sedikit tentang Hughes dan tertuduh siapa yang membunuhnya. Duh, ngga ngira Kolonel Mustang bertindak demikian pada anak buahnya.