Now, there can't be many anime fans who haven't at least HEARD the name Full Metal Alchemist. Backed by a ruthless advertising campaign, there are very few who aren't aware of Ed and Al's plight to find the philosophers stone....

Full Metal Alchemist

Publisher: Viz Media

Author: Hiromu Arakawa

Now, there cant be many anime fans who havent at least HEARD the name Full Metal Alchemist. Backed by a ruthless advertising campaign, there are very few who arent aware of Ed and Als plight to find the philosophers stone.

However, how many can say they have read the manga from which thier infamous anime was derived? Many may dismiss it as bieng a word for word translation but they couldn't be more wrong. A personal complaint I have with manga to anime translations is that a lot of the time, important plot points, backstory and even whole characters are left out. It cannot be helped in many cases, time restraints, fitting everything into one nice concise season and other issues (such as manga reaching the 30th/40th volume mark!!) blight production and force them to make certain changes and omit points of interest. In the case of Full Metal Alchemist, this is especially apparent.

The story (for those not in the know) follows the pursuits of one Edward Elric and one Alphonse Elric as they hunt for the legendary philosophers stone. Being alchemists, when thier mother died, leaving them alone in the world, the brothers decided they weren't going to stand for it and tried to resurrect her. The ritual went horribly awry, leaving Ed with a missing arm and leg and Alphonse with his soul torn away from his body. Without thinking, Ed managed to bind Al's soul into a nearby suit of armour (?!) and he lives on through this. Now, not happy with their current situation, the brothers decide to pursue the stone in order to undo what happened to them in that failed experiment. Armed with a mechanical arm and leg, a rather nifty coat and the ability to perform alchemy without going to the trouble of drawing out the complex arrays, Ed and his brother set out.

However the road to the philosophers stone is a long and dangerous one, with dangerous foes also seeking it and a corrupt military doing its best to keep its own dark secrets quiet by ANY MEANS necessary. lurking in the shadows are the homunculi, artificial human biengs with terrible powers who seek the stone for thier own purposes.

However the manga incarnation of thier journey is, while very similar to, very different to the animated version. The villainous homunculi especially suffered some quite random changes, some swapping which deadly sin they represent to having complete makeovers. The Full Metal universe is also vastly expanded beyond the few cities and villages mentioned in the anime with the introduction of Xing, a nation which has its own incarnations of alchemy (most involving shuriken?!) and brings some much missed ninja action into FMA. The introduction of a third faction which is also hunting the stone makes for some interesting alliances/doublecrosses as each party closes in on their prey. At time of writing, I am currently at volume 14, with the introduction of the mastermind behind the homunculi's plan and the reintroduction of an old character in a new guise.

I thoroughly enjoy the manga. Rated directly alongside Magister Magi Negima, it is my favourite manga. The characters are instantly likable and you really feel for the plights they face, whether heroic or villainous. The dark sense of humour that Arakawa injects into situations that'd otherwise be rather bleak helps raise it just enough to make you loosen the noose. I'm doing my best not to rant like a ravenous fanboy, but I really can't help it, the manga is THAT good, its definitely worth a look, although if you're a fan of the anime, you'll need to read a few volumes worth before you start really appreciating the difference. However, when you do, you'll hopefully be hooked like me.

Reviewed by: Viewtiful D