Fullmetal Alchemist, Tome 19

鋼の錬金術師 [Hagane no Renkinjutsushi] #19

by Hiromu Arakawa, Maiko Okazaki (Translator), Fabien Vautrin (Translator)

Olivia Armstrong infiltre les gradés corrompus de Central, tandis que Mustang apprend la véritable nature d'une personne qu'il n'aurait jamais soupçonné.
De son côté, Father se remémore du passé et de sa première rencontre avec Van Hohenheim, à l'époque simple esclave de Xerxès.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Shonen, Adventure

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

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).

Reviews

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
"-He’s a kid after all sir.
-Uh, huh. He’s naive to think he can survive in this world whithout killing anyone.
-But there was a time, sir…when I felt the same way.
- Me too."

Por todos los alquimistas nacionales, no me hagan sufrir. Ya tengo bastante encima conmigo misma como para sufrir con ustedes.

Me acaban de dar una de las incógnitas que mas ansiaba y me he quedado boquiabierta. Tenía una teoría (bastante pobre, la verdad) y la autora la ha hecho trizas y me he quedado en el sitio. Eso sí lo que me ha mostrado no me ha disgustado para nada. Por este motivo le subo la quinta estrella.

"Knowledge is the greatest treasure. It will help you succeed in life withouth ever weighing you down….and is the means by which you will gain your freedom. I will give you knowledge…”

Creo que me quedan menos de diez tomos para terminar este manga y una parte de mi está bastante contenta mientras que la otra quiere aferrarse a ella y nunca terminarla. Supongo que es por eso que me tomo tanto tiempo entre tomos.

Sinceramente, yo solo veo a Al y Ed y pienso que son demasiado niños para estar sufriendo. Solo quiero que vivan como niños de su edad.

-“But when he’s lived as long as I have seen as many battles..he’ll understand how much harder it is to spare a life than to kill. The elric brothers have chosen the more difficult path.
-Ha ha ha. I guess they like to go against the grain.
-Yeah, and in a way...I envy them.”

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS volume was a major part of the backstory that I had been waiting a LONG time to read. Volume 19 and I finally got to know more about the father of the Elric brothers, Van Hohenheim. He is such an interesting character and throughout the story his backstory has been teased at but this is the first time that a lot has been revealed at once and OH MY GOD it was so good! There was a lot of other good stuff in this volume. I feared for Edward's life more than I have in a while which was horrible. I kind of hate it when the brothers are separated but also I like what each of them are up to. Can't wait to keep reading!

[Chelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words! This series is getting better and better.

[yel ᰔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 of 5 stars

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good volume!

As Winry and the others are told by Al of their plans and what will happen in Briggs they sort of reform and start to decipher the notes and using May they try to find the meaning of them. Also we finally get the backstory of Von Hohenheim and his connection to the main Homunculus and its fascinating origin and in later ch's we see how he met Trisha which was a cute story and also his rivalry to pride.

Somewhere else Ed engages Kimblee but at great cost and then things transpire, Kimblee has his own plans to destroy Briggs as he has teamed up with Drachma and a big war is coming next!

It was a great volume as we find out the true nature of their dad and who he really is and the war story is a big one as we move towards the endgame!! The art was pretty good for the most part!

[wampor · Rating 5 out of 5]

if no one got me i know fma manga got me

[Jedi JC Daquis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite battles being relatively scarce in Full Metal Alchemist vol. 19, there's so many things that have been revealed. Such expositions (which are never boring!) do not feel as filler stories, but do help in augmenting our interests about the plot, and gives the other characters the much needed depth, especially Hohenheim who is now built up to become a central character ing thile succeeding stores.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three things:

1.) Kimblee sounds like Killgrave and it's making me unhappy.

2.) Stephanie, I was so close, and yet so far.

3.)
I figured out Hawkeye's code before I even turned the page and I am so proud of myself.

[yelenska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolument adoré ce tome 19 !!! Une grande partie de celui-ci tourne autour de l'histoire de Van Hohenheim, et cela explique des choses sur un point qui me tourmentait un peu depuis quelques tomes. ;)

[Thikrayat Al-aradi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best volume so far!!

[নাজমুল হাসান · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally the mystery around the Homunculus and seven sins are explained. Also the secret regarding the Elric brother's father Van Hoenheim is out of the bag. Alliance is formed and broken, more display of trust and betrayal. War is declared against the Homunculus. Also Briggs comes under attack from Drachma army. Also the solution to prevent the sinister plan by the Homunculus is discovered from Scar's brother's research. The story has finally entered its final stage as Sloth finished digging the tunnel under Amestris. Once the transmutation circle is finished, there will be no going back.

[Esma T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oldukça şaşırtıcı bir sona ev sahipliği yapan bir sayıydı, genel olarak hareketli ve güzeldi. Çarpıcı sonu ile akılda yer ediyor, sonu çok şaşırtıcı değil aslında ama beklenmedik şekilde gerçekleşince hey ne oluyor? demekten kendimi alamadım.

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredibly insightful volume! And jaw-dropping!!

I'm not even sure what to spotlight with this volume because honestly I felt ALL the things reading this one!

I guess first, I never expected a certain character to be literally on the brink of death! :o :o :o Truly, glad he was okay and that the people involved are NOT betrayers like some other certain characters that totally irked me with their actions. I mean can't our good guys (including Scar) get a break please?!

Second, getting Van's backstory was mind-blowing!!! I feel SO bad for ever doubting his character and truly believing he was villain. *sobs* My heart really ached for him and his eagerness to learn, but also in a (good) naive kind of way though UGHHHH that it was totally used against him in the long scheme of things.

However, with that said, GO KICK SOME BUTT VAN!!! Go kick some creepy eye/hands butt!

I was going to add that I'm ready to see it, but me saying that makes me realize that there is A LOT that comes with that, specifically a lot of humans. I'm not ready for another war, though it was so beautiful to see Rose again! That was a very touching moment and think because of that profound moment, it made me want to cheer for Van all the more!

Another fantastic volume and hoping that all our heroes and heroines will be okay and stay alive through all this!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for my March 2021 challenge of only reading books by women writers for Women's History month! You can read more about my experience here!

Anyway, all I have to say about this volume is: AAAAHHHHHH.

[Bookbringer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've lost interest in this series and haye the completionist part of me that's forcing me to continue.

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 3 out of 5]

More action from Ed in this volume. We get the backstory for Vom Hohenhein which was interesting. I can’t wait to finally watch the anime for this series when I’m finally finished!

[michelle ☽ ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Escena rescatable de este tomo: roy y riza comunicándose en códigos QUE VIVAN LOS NOVIOOOOOOS💘💘💘💘💘

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

EN RESUMEN
La Mayor General Armstrong viaja a Central para enfrentarse a las consecuencias por la desaparición de Raven.

ACLARACIÓN
Todos estos puntos están de alguna forma influenciados por conocimientos y opiniones que ya tenía sobre la historia gracias a la adaptación del anime, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

ASPECTOS POSITIVOS
- Por fin (POR FIN!) tenemos respuestas a una de las preguntas más importantes que se plantearon en la historia. Es un flashback importante; casi igual de importante que el de la Guerra de Ishval. Te da una nueva perspectiva a todo y a todos: al plan de Padre y los homúnculos, a Hohenheim, al papel que todos ocupan en ese plan. Y creo que todos esos capítulos terminaron de reafirmarme algo que ya venía sospechando desde hace tiempo: Hohenheim es mi personaje preferido de este manga. La inmortalidad es un tema que me fascina y la manera en la que la abordan diferentes autores me llama muchísimo. Con Hohenheim, Arakawa me compró al instante. Hay mucho para sacar de su personaje. Mucha soledad, mucha tristeza, pero también mucha fortaleza. Conocer su pasado era necesario para ahondar más en sus objetivos y en el por qué de todo.
- Este tomo se sintió como si la autora estuviese sentando todas las bases en preparación para el final. Esa escena con Roy y Riza al principio, el flashback de Hohenheim y el homúnculo, Kimblee, el descubrimiento de un nuevo círculo de transmutación, la declaración de guerra de Hohenheim.
- Me gusta que Arakawa intente hacer entrar en conflicto los valores de Ed y Al. Son niños y, a pesar de lo que vivieron, todavía les falta mucho por conocer y por sufrir. Pero incluso en la peor de las situaciones, ellos continúan deseando hacer todo por el camino que ellos consideren correcto. No aceptaron la piedra filosofal por lo que implicaba y se niegan a involucrar más gente en sus problemas. Arakawa no quiere cambiarlos, sino que busca hacerlos crecer desde otros ámbitos (y lo digo porque existe esta noción de que un desarrollo negativo es mucho mejor que un desarrollo positivo cuando no es necesariamente algo cierto. No tenés que hacer de tus protagonistas unos sanguinarios que de pronto no les importa nada para que sean considerados personajes complejos y profundos).

ASPECTOS NEGATIVOS
- La aparición de tantos quimeras me suena un poco medio sacado de los pelos. Como que cayeron de la nada y ahora están ayudando a Ed y Al porque sí.
- Hay muchas tramas ocurriendo al mismo tiempo. Hay hasta un pequeño salto temporal hacia al final del volumen. Es como un poco demasiado.

CONCLUSIÓN
Si bien el volumen 19 de Fullmetal Alchemist se sintió un poco desordenado por momentos, se siente a la historia encaminarse hacia su final. Las temáticas y sus mensajes que maneja siguen estando ahí.

[Ray Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo que este ha sido uno de los pocos volúmenes que de verdad me han gustado en toda la serie. Por fin conocemos el pasado de Van Hohenheim, el padre de los hermanos Elric, y básicamente dice que el primer homúnculo y la piedra filosofal fueron creados a su imagen.

Por lo que entendí, existe un homúnculo con su rostro, que ansía la inmortalidad, aunque a él se le fue otorgada sin haberla pedido, gracias a la ambición de esa criatura y al sacrificio de cientos de personas inocentes.

Por otra parte, creo que ha sido el único momento en que de verdad apoyé a Edward, ya que salva a sus enemigos y se cura a sí mismo tras haber sido atravesado por una barra de metal. Claro que, al estar unido a Alphonse, su hermano menor de inmediato colapsa.

Sea lo que sea que vaya a ocurrir después, lo cierto es que todos están dispuestos a luchar en una guerra que no va a tener ganadores si la alquimia está de por medio.

Este volumen incluye los capítulos 74 – 78.

REVIEWS ANTERIORES:
Volumen 1 | Volumen 2 | Volumen 3 | Volumen 4 | Volumen 5 | Volumen 6 | Volumen 7 | Volumen 8 | Volumen 9 | Volumen 10 | Volumen 11 | Volumen 12 | Volumen 13 | Volumen 14 | Volumen 15 | Volumen 16 | Volumen 17 | Volumen 18

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pacifism is a rough road to follow. It takes far more than just refusing to kill and expecting the universe to comply and roll over and everything to turn out all right. It takes immense will to not take the easy way out, kindness to see the hidden good in everybody, diligence and effort to bring it out into the light, intelligence to find the third option in the arch-villain's standard sadistic choice - and power, power enough to subdue the enemy without dealing real harm, power enough to keep your cool at all situations because you know you can handle it if it goes south, power that you can choose to hold back at your own free will. If you lack the power, you're not a pacifist: you're just a victim.

Edward's pacifism has always been a core trait of his, but it's not really come up in the story in any serious manner, outside of a couple mentions, reluctance to handle a firearm, and of course from having never taken a life so far. Now that it is tested, he is found wanting. He's not nearly strong or canny enough to win the fight while being burdened by his principles. He loses, he suffers, and he pays a heavy price. But he pays the price willingly, does not compromise his tenets even in the face of suffering and toil, and learns from it - takes another step towards maturity. And makes a couple new friends in doing so, which never hurts.

There's also a flashback sequence, which informs us of the very earliest backstory of the setting, how its arch-villain and greatest champion of good both came to be, all the while doing a bit more foreshadowing for the future, demonstrating just how nightmarish it can look when an entire country's worth of souls are sapped out and devoured. It shows and tells just what it needs to, without overstaying its welcome. I also like the little framing device on how it begins and ends with a different person.

Finally, this is the first time I noticed just how Riza got the secret code message through to Roy: the words, sure, but also the secret tap to let him know a code was coming in the first place. Very clever.

[David Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume puts the focus on Van Hohenheim, and draws bright lines from Faust. The promise of not only liberation, but also ascension to a higher plane of existence comes through knowledge, at the cost of damnation. It puts the error of the Elric brothers in a new light - like their father, they acted from motivations that can be characterized both selfishly and unselfishly. This invites the question of what it means to be selfish in a world that waffles on the distinction, but punishes according to an iron code.

But if that sounds dispiriting, this volume also features one of FMA's signature twists - the revelation that a deeper truth brings hope to a hopeless situation. Is this optimism, or just a further attempt at ruinous seduction?

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finalmente scopriamo la veritá su Van Hohenheim. Una verità sconvolgente.
Ma questo significa che potrebbe sapere come aiutare Ed e Al?
E cosa sta succedendo ad Al?? Mi sa che il tempo a loro disposizione sta terminando. Oddio fate qualcosa!
Ho adorato la scena tra Mustang e Riza! Non solo lui ha capito che qualcosa non andava, ma sono riusciti a comunicare in un modo tutto loro. Quanto mi piace il loro rapporto!! Ma ora che anche il Colonnello sa la verità, cosa possono fare? Non vedo l'ira di scoprirlo!

[Marianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mi sta piacendo un sacco questa parte! Soprattutto Hohenheim sta diventando uno dei miei personaggi preferiti, assieme ad Al (per quelli seri... quelli che mi stanno simpatici già li sappiamo). Mi ha molto incuriosita anche la storia del suo passato e si sono capite alcune cose, anche se non ancora tutto quanto, però forse si intuisce il perché del suo abbandono della famiglia.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess we needed the Von Hohenheim flashback, but did we need so much of him in the present day also? If this series morphs into a Hohenheim and Scar buddy story I'm going to have a major meltdown! When you have such a huge, amazing cast (34 in this book alone), why spend any time at all with these two giant losers and that annoying gnat Kimblee?

[freddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Final read of 2019: FMA.
First read of 2020: FMA.

The way it should be.

[Bookworm Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I like scar now

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 19 continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the next five chapters (74–78) of the on-going manga series.

Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong meets with Bradley and takes Lieutenant General Raven's seat in Central. Concurrently, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye gives Colonel Roy Mustang a coded message that reveals Pride's true identity.

Meanwhile, Father dreams about his first meeting with Van Hohenheim. It turns out that Hohenheim was infused with a Philosopher's Stone created by Father by destroying Xerxes, while Father created a copy of Hohenheim's body for himself.

When Major Solf J. Kimblee learns of the Elrics' actions, he faces Edward Elric, leaving him seriously injured in the process. He is then rescued by Kimblee's chimeras, Darius and Heinkel, who had been betrayed by their boss.

Alphonse Elric travels with Scar's group, but his soul starts rejecting his armor. Kimblee leads a battalion of Drachma forces against Briggs, while Hohenheim arrives in Lior and encounters Pride in a tunnel, declaring he will fight Father.

This tankōbon is written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. Matters starts to stir up again as complications on many fronts begin to intensify. Solf J. Kimblee leaves Edward Elric significantly damaged and left for dead as he continues to wage war on Briggs as the spiritual connection to his armor is starting to fade for Alphonse Elric. The back story to the reason Van Hohenheim and Father look alike is revealed and it is a rather interesting back story.

All in all, Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 19 is a wonderful continuation to a series that seems really intriguing and I can't wait to read more.

[Siiri Mirjami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things are really heating up. And the shadow goverment (Father) is making the country go to war against Drachma to paint the Briggs wall red. I love Kimbly but he is such an asshole. Plus, we get some Hohenheim backstory.
---------

Mustang: Sittenhän voimme mennä vaikka syömään.

Olivier Mira Armstrong: Tarjoatko? Siinä touhussa voit mennä konkurssiin.

Mustang:...perun tarjouksen. Lompakkoa alkoi pakottaa.

Olivier Mira Armstrong: Rahaton ja sisuton mies.


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Isä: Hohenheim, vereni ja sukuni! Sinä. ja minä olemme kaiken keskiössä!

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Van Hohenheim: "Hirviö"...niin vastaan yleensä, mutta sinulle kerron totuuden. Ulkomuotoni on Van Hohenheim nimisen miehen. Olemukseni on viisasten kivi.

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Kimbly: "Voitin!"...niin kai kuvittelet. "Sisu olla tappamatta." Hieno ajatus, muttei toimi taistelukentällä. Olisi kannattanut tappaa minut äsken. Pehmeytesi...ja kykenemättömyytesi varautua siihen, että minulla on toinen viisasten kivi...johtivat tappioosi.

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Pride: Vien sinut isän luokse.

Van Hohenheim: Älä hätäile. Tulen sinne kutsumattakin. Sano hänelle: "Orja 23 tulee kylään. Retkota siellä keskuksessa siihen asti." Siinä kaikki.

Isä: Vai niin. Täällä minä odotan. Van Hohenheim.


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Kimbly: Sota on alkanut. Annetaan kipinöiden lentää.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooooo! This volume was so good! The plot's reeeeally picked up now!! (Also it's so exciting to be reading new, to me, volumes! I've never read these latter 9 volumes in the series before.)

But yes - I absolutely LOVED (finally) getting the backstory for Honenheim and the Homunculi. And seeing Ed and Al's dad "declare war" on the President/Central City Government made me weirdly happy and quickly grow to like him 100x more than I have thus far in the story.

Also I'm super intrigued to see where Mustang and Hawkeye end up in the grand scheme of things. (That coded message between the two of them was so cool!)

Ed and Al had me soooo worried though! I'm glad, it seems, they're each going to be okay. <3

Annnnnnd I'm quite curious to see what Kimblee and the Homunculi do next, especially with them being so close to completing their goal. Pretty much everyone is sneaking around at this point, trying to outsmart and stop them (including General Armstrong).

[Joseph R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume starts with the backstory of Ed and Al's dad which details his relationship with the first homunculus and how he wound up where he did. The story then shifts back to modern day where Al falls apart literally and the crew has to carry him back to the fort in pieces. Meanwhile, Ed's near death experience gives him some new unexpected allies. Also meanwhile, Major General Armstrong meets with President Bradley (who is the head of the homunculus conspiracy). She plays a dodgy game of cat and mouse with the president, making readers wondering which side she is really on.

The story gets more complicated and interesting as it goes along. A lot of details are explained or expanded on in the best possible ways. I can't wait for more!

Highly recommended.