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Fullmetal Alchemist: Omnibus #1

Fullmetal Alchemist 3-in-1 Vol. 1

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Breaking the laws of nature is a serious crime!

R to L (Japanese Style), for audience T.

Contains Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of Fullmetal Alchemist!

In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical ""auto-mail"" limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his and his brother's bodies...the legendary Philosopher's Stone.

Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world, somewhere between magic, art and science. When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in these powers to grant their dearest wish, one of them lost an arm and leg...and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living iron. Now they are agents of the government, slaves of the military-alchemical complex, using their unique powers to obey their orders...even to kill. But their powers aren't unique. The world crawls with evil alchemists. And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher's Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are...

576 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

183 people are currently reading
4017 people want to read

About the author

Hiromu Arakawa

340 books2,842 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
6,495 (69%)
4 stars
2,166 (23%)
3 stars
568 (6%)
2 stars
87 (<1%)
1 star
76 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 532 reviews
Profile Image for freddie.
703 reviews93 followers
November 23, 2017
Okay, first off: this edition ended on a cliffhanger and I don't have the next 3-in-1 volume on me, so!! I need to know what happens ASAP, I hope that next volume arrives quickly.

Adored this, though! Love the characters, love the art style, love the story - love everything about it, to be quite honest. Don't know why I waited this long to get into the FMA series, haha, but better late than never!
Profile Image for Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~.
358 reviews1,052 followers
Want to read
October 2, 2019
I’ve been in such an anime/manga mood here lately & this is one of the heavy hitting classics I’ve always wanted to read. Very excited to dive into this story!
Profile Image for LeatheHatless.
254 reviews19 followers
August 5, 2017
How could I give this masterpiece anything other than 5 stars? This is the manga of a generation, the tale of the Elric brothers is one that must be told time and time again. This is the best search for the philosopher's stone of the modern era.

It's impressive the art style of Hiromu Arakawa. She can balance very well the comical and dramatic moments of the narrative and blend them very well, they never seem to clash at all. The characters are fantastic, very well rounded and developed even the ones that don't get a lot of screen time. Its also nice to see the main themes of loss, grief, hope and humanity being developed as the narrative evolves. Because that is what all the great stories have in common, the ability to answer what it means to be human.

Also, I loved the special content added in the editions such as the short strips and the in memoriam. It's so funny, the author has a great sense of humor. I also enjoyed the thematic pages between some chapters.

Of course, I absolutely recommend this series. For everyone. If you are not familiar with manga, this is a great introduction to the style and themes commonly used by Japanese authors.
Profile Image for Filipa.
621 reviews1 follower
May 23, 2018
Clearly one of those WHY HAVEN'T I READ THIS SOONER cases !!!
I love everything about this ! The characters, the drawings, the story, the humor, the heartbreak, the alchemy, the villains, E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G !
Profile Image for Loni ♈⚜.
229 reviews18 followers
December 13, 2022
Ich hab die Elic Brüder so vermisst! Den Anime hab ich damals leider nie zu Ende geschaut, umso mehr freu ich mich jetzt auf die nächsten Bände🥺🥰
Profile Image for Adri.
1,116 reviews760 followers
August 10, 2016
4.5/5 Stars

After years of people telling me that FMA is their favorite anime/manga series of all time, I finally understand that sentiment on a spiritual level.

I was so surprised by the start of this series. Not only is the artwork amazing and not only does this fantasy series showcase plenty of awe-inspiring, badass moments, but it's absolutely hilarious. I'm talkin' laugh-out-loud, emit inhuman noises, grab your aching rib-cage kind of hilarious. The writing and the dialogue can switch on a dime from being cheeky, sarcastic, and whimsical to musing about the flow of the universe and how humans are connected to everything. The series manages to be so insightful and daring yet extremely funny with a healthy helping of action and scenes where the characters get to use their extraordinary powers to kick some serious ass.

Not only that, but the characters are fantastic. Just in this first bind-up alone, the audience gets to know so much about the Elric brothers and the nature of their relationship. There's wonderfully-timed backstory that really instills a sense of purpose in the readership and helps them to care about Edward and Al and all that they're pursuing. I love how not only do the Elric brothers draw strength from their superhuman bodies and their insane alchemic abilities, but they also draw strength from each other. Their brotherhood (ha) is beautifully developed right from the beginning, and I can already tell that not only is this story going to be insanely amazing, but the characters are going to be the death of me as well.

I love that. I live for that. Bring it on.
Profile Image for Anna lost in stories *A*.
1,021 reviews187 followers
September 4, 2019
I loved this first volume :) while I was reading it, I ordered the rest of the series... :) that's how fast I fell in love with it... it's funny, full of action and adventures and surprisingly a lot of serious subjects as well... I can't wait to know what's gonna happen next and how the whole story will end :) this is a great introduction into the whole world, its rules and the main characters, as well as some very important secondary ones... the whole series tells a story of two brothers, who try to repair the damages and manage all the consequences of a failed alchemy experiment... we get some basic informations about them, but we will have to wait for more details until future installments :) I love the drawing style, as well as the writing style... it's a perfect mix of humor and adventures, as well as some very serious subjects... looking forward to continue on with the whole series :) I highly recommend it :)

XOXO

A
Profile Image for *Layali*.
587 reviews89 followers
July 3, 2018
I really loved this. The characters are great, and I love the concept of alchemy in this volume bind up. There was never a dull moment, and it was just thoroughly enjoyable the entire time.

I think this series is a great one for beginners to manga. Can’t wait to start the next volume, since this one ended on a huge cliffhanger!
Profile Image for Tilly.
226 reviews6 followers
June 2, 2020
It was a great experience to revisit this world!
I love the bond between Edward and Alphonse.
This series also makes me very interested in alchemy as a subject in general.
I hope to finish these volumes as soon as possible.
5 of 5 stars
Profile Image for Ladiibbug.
1,580 reviews85 followers
January 30, 2016
3-in-1 Edition, Vol. 1

With the introduction at the end of book 1 of Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist, my interest picked up greatly. I loved the "Extra" page where a laughing Roy says "in Vol. 2 we will be switching protagonists and the series will be retitled "Flame Alchemist". An angry face figure in the bottom corner says "that's not true".

In book 1 I disliked Edward from the very beginning. His constant anger and aggression was a complete turn off. I kept reading, because trusted Good Reads friends raved about this series.

As books 2 and 3 developed, plot and character-wise, I began to enjoy the story. Edward's constant anger and frustration was more understandable once he and Al's backstory was told, and with repetition of their ages, it sunk in how young these kids are.

I did laugh at Edward's knee jerk reaction whenever his height was mentioned. The introduction of two female characters (Pinako Rockbell and Winry) and the dog with a metal leg helped balance out the testosterone factor.

Gluttony (ew!) and Lust were awesome additions. There is a third female character that appears with them, but I can't find where she's identified. Probably my oversight.

Laughed at the end of book extras, Al's Big Hairstyle Strategy, and Pinako Rockbell in a bikini.

356 reviews
August 17, 2015
4/5 stars.
This was goooooooood.
I've heard really good things about the anime and I saw this at my library and snatched it up!
I really liked this, the characters are really loveable, I can't wait to continue the series
Profile Image for W.R. Gingell.
Author 43 books1,073 followers
July 22, 2023
unabashedly love this, from characters to plot to fabulously old-fashioned american slang
Profile Image for Sara XuHerondale.
459 reviews59 followers
April 5, 2025
Even though I'm not allowed to give this anything less than 5 stars (I have too many friends who swear by this story and they would probably off me if I didn't like this), I gotta say the rating is definitely genuine. After a volume and a half i started to REALLY get interested in the characters, I'm super excited to continue. I liked this a lot, reading omnibus in physical form is so much easier than reading on my freaking laptop.
Profile Image for kimera.
173 reviews65 followers
September 29, 2020
Po 15 latach wróciłam i z szerokim bananem na paszczy stwierdzam, że czas nie zdetronizował FMA w moim skromnym rankingu mang. Bookdepo, bądź błogosławione za tak łatwy dostęp do wersji niemieckojęzycznej (o cenie jednak nie chcę rozmawiać, to bolesny temat...).
Profile Image for Dystopian.
424 reviews214 followers
March 6, 2023
A must read for all the manga and anime lovers out there.
Superb Story Line,
Superb Art,
Superb writing pattern. ❤️❤️❤️

(Highly Recommended)
Profile Image for Billy Watson.
39 reviews3 followers
Read
January 26, 2019
I’m not going to rate this right now because I haven’t read enough manga to properly rate.

But, I’m not sure I’ve had this much fun reading a story in a while. I can’t wait to pick up the rest of the series. The first three volumes seem like a great kickoff to the series.

Having never read a manga before, I’m glad I picked this up first. It was just really great.
Profile Image for Mavis Ros.
550 reviews15 followers
February 9, 2019
Hmmm. It would have been more epic if I had also watched the anime version of this.

Maybe that will get me to continue further.
Profile Image for Meli.
112 reviews27 followers
August 7, 2019
I love this so much!
This manga is awesome, I love the characters, the story, everything!
Can’t wait to read the second volume!
Profile Image for La licorne bibliophile.
571 reviews16 followers
May 10, 2024
Les frères Elric sont des alchimistes ayant tenté une expérience ratée : Alphonse a perdu son corps entier, son âme fixée dans une armure, et Edward possède désormais un bras et une jambe artificiels. Ils cherchent désormais la pierre philosophale pour retrouver leurs corps.

Après que l'on m'ait tant vanté les qualités de ce manga, je me suis décidé à l'essayer. Verdict ? Très bon avec un 4.5/5 ! Il faut reconnaître que le manga grouille de personnages plutôt classes et attachants tels qu'Edward lui-même mais encore le colonel Mustang ou surtout la sublime lieutenant Hawkeye <3. Je suis beaucoup plus sceptique cependant sur le cas du colonel Armstrong. Je ne sais pas si c'est moi qui voit le mal où il n'y en a pas, mais j'ai vraiment eu l'impression d'y voir une caricature gay ultra forcée.

Concernant l'intrigue, cette édition 3 en 1 à le mérite de permettre au lecteur de ne pas s'arrêter au premier arc qui n'est finalement qu'une mise en place. Si j'ai trouvé quelques chapitres moins inspirés (particulièrement le chapitre 4 en réalité), je trouve que l'histoire prend véritablement son envol après ce même chapitre 4 avec des passages très intéressants (le chapitre 6 avec Nina...) dont certains qui reviennent sur le passé des deux frères. Ce tome s'arrête d'ailleurs plus ou moins sur un cliffhanger, ce qui est une motivation non négligeable pour continuer ma découverte.

Mon reproche portera principalement sur les combats que j'ai parfois trouvé un peu brouillons. Une amie a eu beau m'expliquer le "principe" de l'alchimie consistant à toujours échanger la même masse, j'ai franchement eu du mal à suivre certaines actions et j'ai plutôt eu l'impression de voir de la magie qu'autre chose avec des échanges qui me laissent parfois quelque peu sceptique. Le fait que notre héros puisse effectuer ses transmutations sans cercle le rend peut-être un peu trop tout-puissant pour justifier ses actions.

Pour conclure, Fullmetal Alchemist a été une excellente découverte alors que je partais méfiant (je suis curieux de savoir pourquoi j'avais abandonné au bout de la première page autrefois sur un scan).
Profile Image for Andrew.
460 reviews
March 7, 2018
Okay, so gee golly, I read the first couple of volumes that I had picked up at my local library, and decided that I really liked this series. So what’d I do then? Yep, I went and bought this 3-in-1 volume (at quite a bargain I might add) and then went ahead and bought the next couple of 3-in-1 volumes because I don’t want to imagine a world without this fantastic series. Not ready for that.
Profile Image for montserrat.
236 reviews
February 2, 2017
What can I say except GAH. This manga is so well-done! Not only is the plot great and the characters perfect (please Ed, let me marry you), but the graphics are flawless too and I'll jump right into volumes 4, 5 and 6 because I need to know what happens next!!! so yeah brb
Profile Image for Liz.
599 reviews630 followers
Want to read
March 19, 2018
I've read this one in my early teens and remember...very little from it, so I might as well re-read it!
Profile Image for Wilma (Enby Reads).
141 reviews273 followers
August 1, 2019
3.6 - Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed this!
Maybe its because i’m new to manga but a lot of the dialogue seemed very artificial and not really sure if i enjoy the “kawaii” part of it haha
Profile Image for Lusionnelle.
185 reviews12 followers
March 3, 2021
Hé hé hé oui.

Bon, le fait d'avoir vu la première adaptation récemment m'embrouille un peu et je ne peux pas m'empêcher de comparer.
C'est pour ça que, normalement, je lis toujours l'oeuvre originale d'abord, pour garder un regard neutre.

Du coup, je vais noter ici les premiers constats de cette lecture influencée.

La structure narrative, bien que le fond et bien des scènes soient stricto-sensu les mêmes, est un poil différente.

D'une certaine façon, celle de l'anime profite d'avantage à l'impact émotionnel et affectif entre les personnages et entre le lecteur et les personnages secondaires. Cela tient à peu de choses mais les arrangements faits dans l'agencement des apparitions, les scènes ajoutées, la révélation bien plus précoce de leurs backgrounds, leur donnent une place bien plus importante mais aussi plus pertinente et logique, vis-à-vis des liens que l'on devine dans le manga.
Dans ce dernier, ils restent trop superficiels... et c'est d'autant plus sensible que le manga va bien plus vite que l'anime dans le déroulement de l'intrigue principale.

Évidemment, c'est l'avantage du travail d'adaptation qui bénéficie d'une prise de recul, par rapport à la création. Surtout, j'imagine, compte tenu des exigences en termes de rythme de parution et de production.

Mais du coup, rétrospectivement, j'apprécie encore plus l'anime grâce à cette lecture. Les scènes développées plus longuement ou amenées bien plus tôt dans le récit sont peut-être qualifiables de 'fileurs'. Et c'est le cas mais le ressenti que j'en ai eu n'est clairement pas celui-ci.
Sans l'anime, je pense que j'aurais reproché au manga de ne pas accorder plus de temps pour développer ses personnages secondaires, alors qu'en même temps, la myriade de petits détails que l'autrice sème fait deviner un microcosme social et amical extrêmement développé. (Et c'est super frustrant.)
Mais c'est comme si on nous teasait des scènes qui ne viennent pas, qu'on aurait ratées. Ou qui viendront peut-être trop tard (je ne sais pas encore, au milieu du tome 4, je les attends toujours).
Les flashbacks mis en place après certains événements émotionnels n'ont jamais très bien fonctionné pour moi.

Je vais arrêter de me plaindre, pour dire que malgré ce constat, c'est une très bonne découverte.

En trois tomes, l'autrice a imposé son style.
Son univers est dense. Les dessins sont vraiment très chouettes (meilleurs que dans l'anime, même au niveau des combats, c'est dire). Ses personnages crédibles, approfondis. Malgré ce que je disais plus haut, même les personnages secondaires sont creusés. Elle le glisse en allusions, en accolades, en de petits gestes et paroles qui montrent qu'au-delà de l'instant présent du récit, celui-ci prend racine sur des bases solides. Sur un contexte social et politique fouillé.

Mais surtout, j'aime énormément Ed et Al. Ce sont deux héros de shonen hors normes. J'apprécie le fait que leur leitmotiv ne soit pas celui de la performance, du dépassement de soi, de devenir le plus fort. Que ce soit des enfants qui ont vécu un drame fort, qui y ont réagi par désespoir et se sont mis en danger extrême (comme des enfants) et qui doivent du coup tout faire pour parvenir à réparer leurs erreurs. Ça amène beaucoup de thématiques autour de la responsabilité, de l'éthique morale de l'utilisation de l'alchimie, du complexe de la création (au sens de créer la vie humaine, seul domaine interdit même aux alchimistes et réservé à Dieu - lequel existe dans cet univers), du sentiment de culpabilité et de devoir, d'injustice, etc.
J'aime aussi le fait qu'ils ne soient pas des élus ni complètement dénués de tout. Orphelins certes, mais pas sans soutien. Ils gardent leur amie d'enfance Winry et la mère de celle-ci comme famille de substitution. Leur mentor également fait office de figure parentale et d'autorité bienveillante. Sans compter ceux de l'armée avec qui ils sympathisent et qui vont apporter d'autres figures d'appui. Tout ce cadre social contribue à créer un background très crédible et prometteur.
C'est aussi appréciable que les adultes aient un rôle concret et qu'ils rappellent aussi à Ed et Al que leur manque de confiance envers eux est en partie responsable de ce qui leur arrive. Que même si ceux-ci ont rapidement gagné un grade élevé dans la société et au sein de l'armée, ils restent avant tout des adolescents qui réagissent comme tels.

Je regrette juste que tout s'enchaîne aussi vite. Et que du coup tout le contexte historique, politique et social dans lequel le récit et l'intrigue s'inscrivent ne soit toujours pas développés plus que ça. On reste encore trop sur l'action et la réaction des personnages. Or ce serait bien de mettre un peu de lumière sur le cadre et le fonctionnement de cet univers (outre celui de l'alchimie qui est un peu développé).

Mais bon, je ne suis qu'au 4e tome sur 27. Et comme je sais que l'anime a été volontairement conçu pour différer de l'intrigue et la fin du manga, je suis hyper curieuse de découvrir tout ce qui m'attend.

Bref.
Enfin, non.
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