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Fullmetal Alchemist: Omnibus #6
Fullmetal Alchemist 3-in-1 Vol. 6
Bargain omnibus editions of one of the bestselling manga series of all time!
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.
Contains Volumes 16, 17 and 18! The Elric brothers head north to Fort Briggs in search of May Chang, whose Xing alchemy may contain the answers they seek. But as Ed and Al soon discover, the only thing less forgiving than Briggs’s weather is the regiment of hardened soldiers assigned to defend it. Matters grow even more complicated when Ed and Al get thrown in lockdown and the sadistic Kimblee arrives from Central with Winry as his hostage. But even Kimblee’s cruelty pales in comparison to the evil of the new homunculi watching from the shadows...
Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for teen audiences.
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.
Contains Volumes 16, 17 and 18! The Elric brothers head north to Fort Briggs in search of May Chang, whose Xing alchemy may contain the answers they seek. But as Ed and Al soon discover, the only thing less forgiving than Briggs’s weather is the regiment of hardened soldiers assigned to defend it. Matters grow even more complicated when Ed and Al get thrown in lockdown and the sadistic Kimblee arrives from Central with Winry as his hostage. But even Kimblee’s cruelty pales in comparison to the evil of the new homunculi watching from the shadows...
Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for teen audiences.
576 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2013
17 people are currently reading
579 people want to read
About the author
Hiromu Arakawa
340 books2,842 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 - 30 of 81 reviews
July 23, 2024
So here we are in the 'Winterfell' of the Fullmetal universe, Fort Briggs run in a 'survival of the fittest' mode by the superb Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong and her Northern team. All the cards are on the table with more homunculi emerging, Scar on the loose and the brothers caught between a rock and a hard place. Jeopardy, jeopardy, just give me some jeopardy, with the entire world seemingly against are now shrunken white hat forces, the series has finally got a heart for me, peaked when Winry faced off against Scar! I didn't think I'd get to write this about this series, but here it is, these collected volumes (18 to 21), I rated 8 out of 12, Four Star reads!
2024 read
2024 read
April 29, 2020
At this point in the series, there’s no way for me to talk about the events of the later installments without some major spoilers… so instead I decided to just finish the series and write one review for the last four volumes :) the story begins with two brothers, who after a failed attempt at an alchemy experiment lose parts of themselves… one of them loses his arm and leg, the other his whole body… now they are on a journey to regain what they’ve lost… along the way they meet a lot of interesting characters and discover plots that are much bigger and more dangerous that they could’ve ever anticipated… the further you get into the series, the more complex and serious it gets… don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of adventures and humor, but in the later installments there are many more complicated and serious themes… specifically the last two are very fast paced and action packed… they actually take place mostly over the span of less than one day… I really liked how the whole series ended, it was a very satisfying finale :) I will definitely reread the series at some point in the future, when I will be able to concentrate more on each individual installment, but overall the whole series is a worthy 5 stars read :) I highly recommend it :)
XOXO
A
XOXO
A
February 13, 2023
More of the same, ... and still not sure where it's all going (OK, OK, I still don't see a logical path to a rational, let alone, happy ending, but ... but) ... but I'm very much along for the ride at this point, over the hump (not just half-way, but, if I understand correctly, I'm two-thirds of the way through), on the downhill slide, there's a light at the end of the tunnel ... and, yeah, if you've read this far, yup, a tunnel (or a handful of them) is (are) very much in play here.
At this point, barring everything simply rolling off the rails (which I have no reason to expect), I'm hard pressed to see how I wouldn't follow this through to the conclusion....
At this point, barring everything simply rolling off the rails (which I have no reason to expect), I'm hard pressed to see how I wouldn't follow this through to the conclusion....
December 13, 2019
Izrādās, ka parastais automail nav piemērots lieliem mīnusiem un sniegam. Kāds 'pārsteigums'! O.o
June 25, 2020
gosh this series is just so solid! it keeps me on my toes and the storyline is so interesting with so many twists and turns. the mystery and the characters are all so good. i love the combat scenes in it.
April 24, 2025
A certified psycho, a dominatrix, a murderous child, and of course a bunch of war criminals. Great soup.
April 3, 2017
those just keep getting better I love it
Read
June 30, 2025I love the fact that I am rereading this series. It has done me so good. My takeaways from this one is Olivia Armstrong. She is just the embodiment of a fun but strong character.
December 22, 2020
4.5 Stars
While reading these three volumes, I couldn't help but think about how much has changed since the series started. The only constant is that Ed and Al still want to get their bodies back. But even that doesn't seem like the priority now. And the way they were planning to get their bodies back has changed. Not to mention that we've now seen Al's body!
In these volumes, there's a major change in setting. They're heading north! Not just Ed and Al either, but many of the characters. And their paths are converging as they become part of one team.
The most difficult part of that equation, so far, has been Scar. His actions have been less than stellar and, in the beginning, I wouldn't have thought he could be redeemed. And though I'm still not his biggest fan, volume 15 kinda changed everything. I mentioned this in my last review as well I think, but the actions of the Amestris military were... unspeakably horrendous.
Speaking of... Kimblee is back. He's one of the Alchemists that definitely deserves to be destroyed by Scar's hand. Pun intended. I don't know what role he has exactly, but his death had better be glorious.
Anyway, the plot of these three volumes follows Ed and Al and the trouble they get into in the north. More of the evil plan is revealed. And there's a clear build-up toward the end, and it's very well done. The way that tension is rising, both sides are getting bolder, and the facades are falling away... it builds a lot of anticipation. Because when either side stops trying to play nice when they've been doing it for so long, it's an indicator of shit hitting the fan.
The last thing I can think of to say (these reviews are getting harder) is that there are some storylines we've only gotten hints of so far, and I hope we'll see more of them. Ed and Al's father, for one, but also the prince who "died" and become Greed.
While reading these three volumes, I couldn't help but think about how much has changed since the series started. The only constant is that Ed and Al still want to get their bodies back. But even that doesn't seem like the priority now. And the way they were planning to get their bodies back has changed. Not to mention that we've now seen Al's body!
In these volumes, there's a major change in setting. They're heading north! Not just Ed and Al either, but many of the characters. And their paths are converging as they become part of one team.
The most difficult part of that equation, so far, has been Scar. His actions have been less than stellar and, in the beginning, I wouldn't have thought he could be redeemed. And though I'm still not his biggest fan, volume 15 kinda changed everything. I mentioned this in my last review as well I think, but the actions of the Amestris military were... unspeakably horrendous.
Speaking of... Kimblee is back. He's one of the Alchemists that definitely deserves to be destroyed by Scar's hand. Pun intended. I don't know what role he has exactly, but his death had better be glorious.
Anyway, the plot of these three volumes follows Ed and Al and the trouble they get into in the north. More of the evil plan is revealed. And there's a clear build-up toward the end, and it's very well done. The way that tension is rising, both sides are getting bolder, and the facades are falling away... it builds a lot of anticipation. Because when either side stops trying to play nice when they've been doing it for so long, it's an indicator of shit hitting the fan.
The last thing I can think of to say (these reviews are getting harder) is that there are some storylines we've only gotten hints of so far, and I hope we'll see more of them. Ed and Al's father, for one, but also the prince who "died" and become Greed.
January 5, 2020
Series Info/Source: This is the sixth Omnibus volume in the series and covers volumes 16-18. I bought this book.
Story (5/5): At this point there’s just a lot going on here. Ed and Al journey to the north searching for May Chang in hopes that she can teach them the purification arts. Shortly after they get there a homunculus breaches Fort Briggs from underground. While the crew at Fort Briggs is dealing with that issue, Kimblee shows up with Winry in tow. Now the only way to save Winry might be for Ed and Al to work for Kimblee. Meanwhile Riza Hawkeye is working as an aide to the President, she discovers some truly disturbing things about the president’s son. It’s a very well done story and I am thoroughly enjoying it.
Characters (5/5): We spend lots of time with Ed and Al which I loved. A lot of the characters at Fort Briggs are well done and Kimblee is delightfully evil. Very well done.
Setting (5/5): I continue to enjoy the alternate history/steampunkish fantasy setting to this world. Spending time in the far north was cool too.
Writing Style/Illustration (5/5): This continues to be a series that is very well written, with a great story and snappy dialogue...it’s just perfectly done. The illustration is easy to follow and highly detailed, I love it!
Summary (5/5): Overall I continue to really love this series. Everything about it is really well done; great story, characters, illustration, and setting. Highly recommended!
Story (5/5): At this point there’s just a lot going on here. Ed and Al journey to the north searching for May Chang in hopes that she can teach them the purification arts. Shortly after they get there a homunculus breaches Fort Briggs from underground. While the crew at Fort Briggs is dealing with that issue, Kimblee shows up with Winry in tow. Now the only way to save Winry might be for Ed and Al to work for Kimblee. Meanwhile Riza Hawkeye is working as an aide to the President, she discovers some truly disturbing things about the president’s son. It’s a very well done story and I am thoroughly enjoying it.
Characters (5/5): We spend lots of time with Ed and Al which I loved. A lot of the characters at Fort Briggs are well done and Kimblee is delightfully evil. Very well done.
Setting (5/5): I continue to enjoy the alternate history/steampunkish fantasy setting to this world. Spending time in the far north was cool too.
Writing Style/Illustration (5/5): This continues to be a series that is very well written, with a great story and snappy dialogue...it’s just perfectly done. The illustration is easy to follow and highly detailed, I love it!
Summary (5/5): Overall I continue to really love this series. Everything about it is really well done; great story, characters, illustration, and setting. Highly recommended!
August 21, 2025
I feel like this was the most interesting volume from FMA that I've read in a while! I always love winter settings, so this has been a lot of fun to read (especially with how it affects metal and the automail). I love General Armstrong and the crew Edward and Alphonse are with and how she will aid/affect the rest of the plot. There was a lot more discussions in this compendium concerning Amestris (how it was created, what it's moving towards) and its relationship to the people of Ishval. It's a direct discussion on colonial power and military expansion. It makes me feel for all the characters as there is obvious internal struggles and concerns while dealing with a wider issue. Surrounding all of that, the last few pages with the Elric brothers' father?? I just feel like the next volumes are going to hit.
March 22, 2021
"Its our duty as human beings to be angry at injustice."
It's hard to do a review for a book when you're on volume 16-18. I've really enjoyed this manga and can't believe I am getting closer to the end. I will be frantically reading to conclude this series very soon. The detailed depictions are amazing and the writing is wonderful. And of course, it left off with a cliff hanger. Arakawa is pretty good at doing that.
In the volume we meet plenty of new characters but revisit some old ones. The book takes place in the North. As we get closer to the end of the series more pieces are starting to fall into place and it's becoming harder and harder to review because one does wish to avoid spoiling anything for others.
Overall, I will continue to recommend this manga to everyone. I can't wait to watch the show becuase so many people have recommended it to me.
It's hard to do a review for a book when you're on volume 16-18. I've really enjoyed this manga and can't believe I am getting closer to the end. I will be frantically reading to conclude this series very soon. The detailed depictions are amazing and the writing is wonderful. And of course, it left off with a cliff hanger. Arakawa is pretty good at doing that.
In the volume we meet plenty of new characters but revisit some old ones. The book takes place in the North. As we get closer to the end of the series more pieces are starting to fall into place and it's becoming harder and harder to review because one does wish to avoid spoiling anything for others.
Overall, I will continue to recommend this manga to everyone. I can't wait to watch the show becuase so many people have recommended it to me.
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.
***
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My Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/michael_sor...
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May 20, 2020
This volume mostly takes place in the North. I like Armstrong's older sister and I really like the political intrigue in this manga (even though I normally dislike politics: the focus here is much more "who can I trust" than "what are your worldviews"). I still think Scar is a boring character and I'm not sure if that's an unpopular opinion? The mangaka sure seems to love him.
June 30, 2020
Been a while since I last read a book in this series. So glad I'm getting back to it. It's action-packed, with great humour. With a message of surviving through adversity to make both yourself and the world a better place.
March 12, 2018
You all know how I feel about this. I don't need to give you details! 😘
July 27, 2019
Volume 18 is phenomenal. That’s all I can say.
May 29, 2020
Defs my fave of all time
June 27, 2024
Samo zbog jednog Roy x Riza momenta
June 27, 2024
Sorry everyone but I'm back in my Fullmetal Alchemist obsession now and I'm not sorry about it. God this series is so well written. Just everything about it is perfect and I've still yet to come across a series that writes fictional women so damn well. I do find it a bit hard to follow the specifics of the plot at times but that's more on me and my inability to focus on reading and paying attention to the illustrations at the same time. I do catch up eventually and it's so worth it, every single bit of it.
November 11, 2023
SO GOOD OMG
February 22, 2015
Oh, I really like Major General Armstrong. And the messages sent via Miles and Winry.
The plot thickens. That's one huge circle. *angst*
I'm sooooo curious about Ed & Al's father. Who is he? Why did he leave? Why did he start a family? Why...? (also, little Ed is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute. And sleepy!little!Ed on top of it? *__*)
I'm also scared for Lt. Hawkeye. *meep*
The plot thickens. That's one huge circle. *angst*
I'm sooooo curious about Ed & Al's father. Who is he? Why did he leave? Why did he start a family? Why...? (also, little Ed is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute. And sleepy!little!Ed on top of it? *__*)
I'm also scared for Lt. Hawkeye. *meep*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2015
Pride playing peek-a-boo, the Red Lotus & his philosophy of extreme Darwinism... Why are there creepy bad guys in the shadows threatening everyone I like?
I'm not sure this plan will work. There is still so much we don't know.
I'm not sure this plan will work. There is still so much we don't know.
May 5, 2018
Shit, so if they figure out a way to get Bradley out and bring true democracy than Hawkeye, Mustang, and others might we tried as criminals.
“Mustang: Even my queen has been taken from me.”—Page 47
Aw shit.
I’ve heard a little bit about Armstrong’s relative, so this should be interesting.
Oh no Bradley’s kid has found Al.
“Mrs. King Bradley: The first time we met, he was so rude I slapped him!”—Page 103
Holy…holy shit.
Okay, I like Alex better because he’s awesome but Olivier is hot.
“Olivier: You Alchemists say one always euqals one...but I don’t care. Laws like that should be broken.”
Bitch is crazy.
“Edward: When ethnicity is all you think about, there’s bound to be confrontation…but if we deal with one another as individuals, then it’s possible to treat each other as equals.”—Page 158
Best line of the series.
It’s Sloth?
“Olivier: Almost 20 years ago….there was an incident during midwinter…a mountain patrol squad was attacked. An unknown female stole food and equipment for a whole month. But then, all of a sudden the attacks stopped. She was believe to be one of Drachams’s spies.”—Pages 236-237
OH MY GOD IZUMI.
“Olivier: I don’t give a rat’s ass about [Mustang].”
RUUUUUUDE!
UMMMMM NOPE??? WHAT THE FUCK IS IN THE TUNNEL???
WINRY OH THIS IS BAD.
So the opening of volume eighteen shows that HOLY FUCK NOPE TUNNEL THING about to eat Hawkeye. To which I say FUCK OFF!!!
“Selim: So you’ve found me out? What a pain. My mother can be such a chatter box.”—Page 416
UMMM UMMMM UMMMMM?? Are you fucking Pride? EITHER WAY NOOOOOPE.
THAT SHADOW THING IS THE KID? WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.
Now I understand why the tunnel full of nope is after Hawkeye.
I feel like Mustang and his crew just need to go full rouge. Like staying on this inside seems really dangerous.
Hawkeye, this is a perfect excuse to ask Mustang to spend the night.
WINRY BOUNDING SCAR’S ARM!! I’M GONNA CRY.
Ah shit “Scar has Winry”. This’ll be an interesting plan.
“Mustang: Even my queen has been taken from me.”—Page 47
Aw shit.
I’ve heard a little bit about Armstrong’s relative, so this should be interesting.
Oh no Bradley’s kid has found Al.
“Mrs. King Bradley: The first time we met, he was so rude I slapped him!”—Page 103
Holy…holy shit.
Okay, I like Alex better because he’s awesome but Olivier is hot.
“Olivier: You Alchemists say one always euqals one...but I don’t care. Laws like that should be broken.”
Bitch is crazy.
“Edward: When ethnicity is all you think about, there’s bound to be confrontation…but if we deal with one another as individuals, then it’s possible to treat each other as equals.”—Page 158
Best line of the series.
It’s Sloth?
“Olivier: Almost 20 years ago….there was an incident during midwinter…a mountain patrol squad was attacked. An unknown female stole food and equipment for a whole month. But then, all of a sudden the attacks stopped. She was believe to be one of Drachams’s spies.”—Pages 236-237
OH MY GOD IZUMI.
“Olivier: I don’t give a rat’s ass about [Mustang].”
RUUUUUUDE!
UMMMMM NOPE??? WHAT THE FUCK IS IN THE TUNNEL???
WINRY OH THIS IS BAD.
So the opening of volume eighteen shows that HOLY FUCK NOPE TUNNEL THING about to eat Hawkeye. To which I say FUCK OFF!!!
“Selim: So you’ve found me out? What a pain. My mother can be such a chatter box.”—Page 416
UMMM UMMMM UMMMMM?? Are you fucking Pride? EITHER WAY NOOOOOPE.
THAT SHADOW THING IS THE KID? WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.
Now I understand why the tunnel full of nope is after Hawkeye.
I feel like Mustang and his crew just need to go full rouge. Like staying on this inside seems really dangerous.
Hawkeye, this is a perfect excuse to ask Mustang to spend the night.
WINRY BOUNDING SCAR’S ARM!! I’M GONNA CRY.
Ah shit “Scar has Winry”. This’ll be an interesting plan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2020
At this point, I'm trying to avoid spoilers in my reviews, but it's nearly impossible as we are nearing the endgame for the series. Plus, the anime series is about 10 years old already (watch it if you haven't already!)
Ed and Al are heading north to Fort Briggs, a military post that lies on the border of Amestris and Drachma. They are looking for May Chang, a 13-year-old girl who is from Xing (like Ling Yao) and who has knowledge of medical alchemy called alkahestry, which Ed believes may be the ideal way to regain their lost bodies. Matters get more complicated when they meet Olivier Mira Armstrong, the general in charge of Briggs, who doesn't exactly receive them kindly. May herself is traveling with Scar, who engages in a battle with the Crimson Alchemist (Solf Kimblee), a sociopath responsible for a great deal of destruction during the Ishvalan war. And we meet a new homunculus: Sloth.
The 2009 anime features Olivier Armstrong in several episodes ("The Ice Queen", "The Northern Wall of Briggs") and she is wonderful. A career military officer with a secret heart of gold, she is one of the best characters in the anime. The nature of forgiveness also comes up when Winry again confronts Scar (chapter 65, "The Ironclad Rule"). Scar's path to redemption is a long one, and again I have to praise the author for the depth of her characterizations of both Scar and Winry.
Ed and Al are heading north to Fort Briggs, a military post that lies on the border of Amestris and Drachma. They are looking for May Chang, a 13-year-old girl who is from Xing (like Ling Yao) and who has knowledge of medical alchemy called alkahestry, which Ed believes may be the ideal way to regain their lost bodies. Matters get more complicated when they meet Olivier Mira Armstrong, the general in charge of Briggs, who doesn't exactly receive them kindly. May herself is traveling with Scar, who engages in a battle with the Crimson Alchemist (Solf Kimblee), a sociopath responsible for a great deal of destruction during the Ishvalan war. And we meet a new homunculus: Sloth.
The 2009 anime features Olivier Armstrong in several episodes ("The Ice Queen", "The Northern Wall of Briggs") and she is wonderful. A career military officer with a secret heart of gold, she is one of the best characters in the anime. The nature of forgiveness also comes up when Winry again confronts Scar (chapter 65, "The Ironclad Rule"). Scar's path to redemption is a long one, and again I have to praise the author for the depth of her characterizations of both Scar and Winry.
August 28, 2018
*The story of Fullmetal Alchemist, following the Elric brothers, is the perfect story. It has everything: The balance between dramatic moments and moments of comic relief is amazing, the characters are well rounded and has great growth and, finally, it deals with difficult subjects in a nuanced and respectful manner.
Also, the art style is amazing – especially in those comic relief moments! It’s just priceless! That in memoriam part at the end of each volume is just hilarious! *
This volume may be my favourite so far! Because, Olivier Mira Armstrong is soooo awesome! I love everything about her character; she does what needs to be done without being sentimental about it and yet, she doesn’t expect anything from her soldiers that she doesn’t expect from herself. I’d be happy to read a prequel series about her before she came to Briggs.
Plot wise we are getting closer to the big showdown. Our heroes know who the major players are, all the homunculi have been introduced and our heroes try to move into a position where they can actually do something about this whole mess.
The next/last volumes are going to be packed with information and action!
Also, the art style is amazing – especially in those comic relief moments! It’s just priceless! That in memoriam part at the end of each volume is just hilarious! *
This volume may be my favourite so far! Because, Olivier Mira Armstrong is soooo awesome! I love everything about her character; she does what needs to be done without being sentimental about it and yet, she doesn’t expect anything from her soldiers that she doesn’t expect from herself. I’d be happy to read a prequel series about her before she came to Briggs.
Plot wise we are getting closer to the big showdown. Our heroes know who the major players are, all the homunculi have been introduced and our heroes try to move into a position where they can actually do something about this whole mess.
The next/last volumes are going to be packed with information and action!
June 21, 2021
New fav character alert! Major General Armstrong honestly might be one of my favorite characters of all time, especially when you remember that she's Louis Armstrong's sister.
Fullmetal Alchemist is just one of those narratives that includes some of my favorite tropes - I absolutely love when all the characters just so happen to be where they need to be for the plot to work well, also, enemies to reluctant allies?? love it. I appreciate how Fullmetal Alchemist doesn't shy away from harsher topics while also still preserving a lot of fun and good humor, because even when things are at their worst or rough subject matter is being handled, it never feels like the bad is overwhelming the good. In all the negative, in all the bad, in all the depressing, there are still elements of optimism and hope that keep the characters going.
Fullmetal Alchemist is just one of those narratives that includes some of my favorite tropes - I absolutely love when all the characters just so happen to be where they need to be for the plot to work well, also, enemies to reluctant allies?? love it. I appreciate how Fullmetal Alchemist doesn't shy away from harsher topics while also still preserving a lot of fun and good humor, because even when things are at their worst or rough subject matter is being handled, it never feels like the bad is overwhelming the good. In all the negative, in all the bad, in all the depressing, there are still elements of optimism and hope that keep the characters going.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2022
A pair of brothers who were so desperate to feel their mother's warmth again that they dared do the unthinkable. One of them lost a leg to stand on and all but lost his only remaining family. The other was deprived of ever feeling the warmth of human contract.
In Fullmetal Alchemist, protagonist Edward Elric and his younger brother Alphonse Elric are skilled alchemists in a world where said science is so powerful, it's magical. This alchemy's potency is limited only by its own core tenet of Equivalent Exchange which states that something cannot be created from nothing; something of equal or greater value must always be sacrificed. When the Elric brothers attempt to ignore this tenet in favoring of bringing their mother back from the dead, Ed loses his leg and Al loses his life. Distraught, Ed pleads to the unknown to let him trade places with Al, expecting to die so that Al can live. Instead, finding that he can only save Al's soul, Ed quickly sacrifices his arm to bond Al's disembodied soul to a nearby shell of plate armor. Later, outfitted with advanced prosthetics known as automail and weighed down by remorse, Ed, along with Al, sets out to restore Al's soul to his original body via the infamous philosopher's stone and its mythical power to ignore the rules of Equivalent Exchange.
It brings joy in sorrow, victory in battle, light to darkness, life to the dead. That is the power of the blood-red jewel which men honor with the name "The Philosopher's Stone."
Ed wisely joins the military as the youngest State Alchemist to take advantage of the military vast resources to accelerate the brothers' research. Over the course of the years, the brothers' pursuit of the philosopher's stone bring them closer to danger as they uncover the insidious truths of the world around them. The farther they dig, the more corruption and horror they find. And the more the brothers learn, the harder it is to standby and let the atrocities continue to happen, even if it means losing the chance to restore their bodies to their original conditions.
I realized that if we don't take care of each other then no one else will. So I'll do anything in my power to get our bodies back, even if it means being the military's lap dog. And we'll just have to hope our powers are good enough to help us rise above our own limits. Because we're not Gods, we're humans, tiny insignificant humans.
Throughout the series, Hiromu Arakawa explores the heavy themes of existentialism, humanity, morality, political & religious corruption, and war. She masterfully balances humor and solemnity, giving the reader plenty of opportunities to laugh and cry along with her well-rounded characters who grow and learn from their past mistakes while still remaining imperfect, human. My favorite aspect of this series is that, while the big bad villain may be undeniably evil, no one else's moral compass is as perfectly aligned. This point is most thoroughly depicted through the heart-wrenching panels Arakawa dedicates to the Ishbalan War, where we see secondary characters such as Colonel Roy Mustang, Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, and Major Armstrong grapple with the internal conflict of blindingly obeying orders to kill Ishbalan civilians or endangering their comrades lives by refusing to slaughter innocent bystanders.
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1: 4 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 2: 5 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 3: 4 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 4: 4 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 5: 5 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 6: 5 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 7: 5 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 8: 5 Stars
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 9: 5 Stars
July 19, 2018
After coming out of the extended flashbacks of the previous edition, Fullmetal Alchemist moves forward with the adventure. Scar and co. and the brothers Elric head north seperately, the first looking for notes on Alchemy and the latter trying to track the first group down. Along the way, they run into Olivier Armstrong, commander of the Northern Amestian fortress.
This volume has everything to love about this series: great action, fun characters, stunning twists, and heart-wrenching emotional beats. I have no idea how the series can get better from here.
This volume has everything to love about this series: great action, fun characters, stunning twists, and heart-wrenching emotional beats. I have no idea how the series can get better from here.
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