Ep 82: Fullmetal Alchemist Tutorial/Experiment
An Experiment: This week, we’re asking mom and our audience to not only read some Manga, but also to watch some anime, and a movie. All of these things are the exact same thing. Namely, Fullmetal Alchemist, which is not only a long running Manga series that ran for over 9 years, but also two Anime, and a Japanese movie. So, what happens when print media becomes a TV series and a Movie? Let’s see what Mom thinks.
Experiment
- Thesis: That Mom will enjoy the original Manga and possibly one the various adaptations
- Test: Read several chapters of the Manga, along with watching subsequent Anime and Movies created from the original Manga
- Control: Manga
- Variables: 2003 Anime, 2009 Anime, 2017 Live Action Film
One Piece (Tangent)
Considered one of the greatest Manga in current production, written and drawn by Mangaka Eiichiro Oda, One Piece has been among the top Manga for the 23 years. Beginning in 1997, the story begins with the death of a Legendary Pirate Gol D. Roger, Pirate King, and his famous last words, “If you want my Treasure, you’ll have to Search for it. I left it hidden, all in One Piece.” This sparks the age of Piracy and the search for the legendary One Piece treasure, with the finder to become the next Pirate King.
The world of One Piece is unique in the sense that most of the world is covered in water, with a sprinkling of islands all over the place. Each island is home to its own unique climate, races, animals, and even unique plant life. The world’s technology and setting is reminiscent of the 17th century, with some steam punk elements. Within the world, there does exist a unique power system known as Devil Fruits, which offer magical powers of various animals, elemental natures, or various other super human powers to the users, but at the cost of being weak to Sea Water, making them unable to move or use their powers.
The Story of One Piece follows, Luffy D. Monkey, a pirate who ate a Devil Fruit and turned in to pure rubber, and his journey to find the legendary One Piece treasure. Along the way, he amasses a strange crew of fellow pirates:
Zorro - a Samurai who wields three swords at once
Nami - Ship’s Navigator and thief
Usopp - professional lair and expert of gadgets, he also serves as the Sniper
Sanji - Ship Cook and master of a purely kicking fighting style
Chopper – Ship Doctor, he is a reindeer that ate a devil Fruit that makes him human
Nico Robin - Ship archeologist and able to reproduce her body parts on solid object thanks to a Devil Fruit
Franky - Shipwright and cyborg
Brook - Ship Musician, he ate a Devil Fruit that makes him return from death once, but now looks like a skeleton
Jinbe - Ship Helmsman, he is a ‘Whale Shark Fishman’ and a former warlord of the sea before joining recently.
The art of One Piece is unique in its style and detail, with it often looking nothing like Manga or Anime. The series is one the longest running shonen series, staying at the top of Shonen Jump’s rankings as #1 for almost all of its run. The series has spawn a media franchise, including an equally long Anime, and is recognized by Guinness World Records as the ‘most copies published of the same comic by a single author’. The series is also criticized for its length at the same time, with some major Arcs of the story lasting for years and the story seemingly not going anywhere for long stretches of time. The art can also be a barrier as it isn’t typical of other Manga styles, with many people citing it as the reason for not enjoying it.
What is Fullmetal Alchemist?
Hiromu Arakawa is the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist. She was born in 1973 and grew up on a dairy farm in Hokkaido. From young age, she loved Manga and would collect it whenever she had money from her allowance. She initially went to agriculture high school, a theme she would later revisit for her next Manga “Silver Spoon”. After graduating, she spent another seven years working on her parent’s dairy farm before moving to Tokyo to follow her dreams of becoming a Mangaka.
She initially started as an Assistant before eventually getting her big break with ‘Stray Dog’. This won her the 21st Century “Shonen Gangan” award in 2000, and the company, Gangan, would eventually become the publisher for most of her work.
Her next big title, Hagane no Renkinjutsushi, aka Fullmetal Alchemist, began publishing in 2001. The series was a monthly title, which consisted of roughly 35-40 pages per month in Square Enix’s Monthly Shonen Gangan anthology. The series would run for the better part of 9 years and become one of the most defining Manga and Anime for a world wide audience, particularly in the west. This would eventually win her the prestigious Annual Shogakugan Manga Award in 2003. The series also spawned two anime series, with two follow movies for each series, as well as a live action movie in 2017.
Hiromu’s additional works include:
Hero Tales – Imperial China theme wars/conflicts
Silver Spoon – Agriculture High School, Slice of Life
The Heroic Legend of Arslan – Based off a similar book series
World/Story
Fullmetal Alchemists tells the story of Edward(Ed) and Alphonse(Al) Elric, a pair of brothers gifted in the science/magic of Alchemy, as they travel around the fictional country of Amestris in search of a way to recover their bodies and become whole.
In this ‘steam punk’ world, closely matching technology of the early 19th century, alchemy is the most practiced science throughout the world, which allows users who have studied to do transmutation magic. Given a collection of items or materials, an Alchemist can draw transmutation circles across along a surface and channel energy in to it in order to create something new from the materials. The magical system primarily operates by first identify the material, breaking it up in to its most natural components, then rebuilding it based off the transmutation circle. The magic system is a hard magic system, consisting of rules and laws that must otherwise be followed. The most fundamental being the Law of Equivalent Exchange, which directs that in order to create something, you must first lose something of equal value; and is also referenced at the beginning of every episode in the Anime. Because of the hard magic System, Alchemists are limited in what alchemy itself can do, these include:
You can’t make something without the proper components. IE, you can’t make a metal sword out of wood.
You’re limited to making something of equal size as the amount of components you have. IE, you can’t build a house with only a single plank of wood.
The more complex the alchemy, the more complex the transmutation circle.
Within the country of Amestris exists the military, an omni-powerful organization that runs the country and is tasked to maintain order throughout the country and its borders, but may have secret motives and directives. While they act like a standard military army and political organization, the most defining feature is the State Alchemists, Alchemists that are hired and operate for the military on their behalf. The benefit works for both parties, as State Alchemists receive large stipends of funding from the government, but can be called in to service by the military to act as human weapons against opposing forces. State Alchemists are also known as Dogs of the Military, a derogatory term as the military likes to throw State Alchemists at their problems, and that Alchemists must heavily rely on the military for funding to continue their research. Each Alchemist is given a code name, which usually had something to do with their alchemy style, such examples include: Flame, Iron Blood, Crimson, and ofcourse, Full Metal.
While not explicit rules of the magical system, Alchemists within the world are limited in doing two major things with Alchemy. The first not making gold, as this would throw off the entire economy of the country. This is also a call back to the origin of alchemy, which at the intent of making precious metals, like gold itself. The second is that human transmutation is outlawed, and considered highly taboo, along the lines of grave robbing or worse.
To continue with the Steam Punk nature of the world, people who have lost their limbs can have them replaced with robotic limbs known as ‘Automail’. Most Automail replaces lost limbs like arms and legs, and rarely is it used to replace sections of the body even. No electricity is necessary as it uses nerves in the body that already exist and blood to power limbs. While uncommon, it is well known and entire communities and companies exist as a matter of building various limbs and parts.
Characters
The story primarily follows Ed and Al as they travel through the world trying to use their knowledge of Alchemy to regain their bodies and become whole. This is due to Ed and Al attempting to bring back their dead mother using Alchemy using Human Transmutation, but failing to do so. As a result of this initial failure, Ed lost his left leg and Al disappeared entirely, the toll or price for attempting Human Transmutation. As a result of Human Transmutation, Ed gained advanced Alchemic knowledge, which he uses to bind Al’s soul to a nearby suit of armor, thus bringing him back to the world, but at the expense of Ed’s right arm. After a prolonged recovery for Ed to gain an Automail Arm and Leg to replace those lost, the two set forth to find the Philosopher’s Stone, a fabled Alchemy tool that ignores the Laws of Equivalent Exchange, in hopes of resorting their bodies.
The main title character of the series, always seen with his signature blonde hair, golden eyes, red coat. Edward is known as the Fullmetal Alchemist, the youngest State Alchemist, and best known for his signature ability of not needing a transmutation circle to produce Alchemy, a rare gift never seen before in most Alchemists. Gifted, brave, and fierce, Edward is also a skill physical combatant, using his unique alchemy skills to augment his fighting style by creating weapons out of nowhere, even manipulating plates on his Automail Right Arm. While a strong individual, Edward is also quite hot headed and temperamental, prone to fits of rage if something sets him off, often his height, which is often considered small for his age. Despite his hot temper, Edward is very caring, especially toward his younger brother Alphonse, to which he has promised to find a way to recover Al’s body no matter what.
Alphonse Elric (Al)
The younger of the Elric Brothers, he is also a main character, and is portrayed through the series as being a giant, hollow suit of armor. This is due to his soul being bonded to a suit of armor. This carries some advantages, such as not needing to eat or sleep, also not getting hot or cold, and seemingly immortality, assuming the blood seal remains undamaged. However, these same pros are also cons for Alphonse, a very loving and caring soul that would rather shelter kittens than every punch a person, as he struggles to continue living without having a proper body. Much like his brother, he is also gifted in Alchemy, though not at the same caliber of his brother, but is physically stronger and an even more skilled combatant than his brother. He travels with his brother, and is often confused for his brother from time to time, as they both are in search of the Philosopher’s stone.
Colonel Roy Mustang
The Flame Alchemist, a State Alchemist who used his position to climb the ranks of military, with ambitions of eventually becoming the Fuhrer, leader of the country. Cocky and reassured, his outward appearance hides his true motives and feelings, which is a commander with pure intentions of making the country a better place. Much like his name, his manipulate flames using Alchemy; this is accomplished by using his special spark sensitive gloves to snap his fingers, creating sparks and then manipulating the air quality to direct explosions and blasts of fire around.
Winry Rockbell
Best Friends to Ed and Al, she acts as Ed’s mechanic, as it was her who built Ed’s Automail Arm and Leg, even installing them on to his body with the assistance Winry’s grandmother. A gifted mechanic, she loves machines in all forms and shapes, gawking over them. She cares deeply for both Ed and Al, thinking of them as brothers and wishing for only the best for both. She is often the emotional support for both, and even Physical Support for Ed.
Scar
An initial Antagonist, Scar is a nick name given to a killer of State Alchemists. An tall and strong Ishvalan (similar to our Middle Eastern heritage/decent), he known for the X-shaped scare along the front of his face. He hunts State Alchemists due to them having invaded his country and basically starting open warfare when his country did nothing to Amestris. To combat State Alchemists, Scar’s right arm is adorned with Ishvalan sigils and runes, similar to Alchemy’s transmutation circles, which allow him to break down anything to its base components. Using it, Scar can break weapons, streets, buildings, and even begin breaking down a person on to their base components as a means of killing them.
Lust
One of three initially introduced Homunculus, seven in total, she is represented by a tall and beautiful woman with an Ouroboros tattoo on her chest. Much like her name, people lust after her and she uses this to her advantage, often hiding in plain sight amongst others in order to spy upon them. She is cool and level headed, but also sadistic, she enjoys watching humans scurry and suffer around her. Her unique skills allows her to extend the length of her fingers to razor like talons, upwards of several feet long, and cut through just about anything as a result. Like all Homunculus, she is essentially immortal, and if killed, will return to life, or rebuild parts of her body, nearly instantaneously
Gluttony
Another Homunculus introduced early in the series, he short and very rotund, not too dissimilar to a ball in many ways. He is often seen eating other creatures and people, as directed by Lust or other Homunculus. Much like his name, he is always hungry, and his unique ability, allows him to eat just about anything without feel the ill-effect, or getting full either. Often a comic relief character, he is also the character with the most child like sense of character, having only an interest in doing what other Homunculus tell him to do , please his master, and eating.
Envy
An androgynous Homunculus who is often seen with Lust and Gluttony. He is amongst the cruelest of all the Homunculus, playing and torturing humans for pleasure. He is the most likely to kill without hesitation and follow his master’s orders swiftly once given. He is unique in that he can shape-shift in to other forms, including different people so that he may act like a spy, or transform in to his true, monstrous form. Just like Lust and Gluttony, his is functionally immortal and will recover from injuries and death with near immediate speed.
Homework / Adaptations
Manga – The Manga initially ran from July 2001 till June 2010, finishing with 108 monthly chapters over the better part of nine years. All volumes have been release in the state by Viz Media. Volumes can be purchased online, but be wary of websites offer to read Online, as they may contain malicious ads and/or attacks on your system.
2003 Anime – Released after about only 20 chapters in to the Manga’s initial start, the series diverges after a certain point from the original material. This is due to the Manga still be in production, and only being a few chapters in which it was decided to make it an anime. As a result, while Arakawa was a part of the initial storyboarding process, she was not involved in the filming, writing, or animation, resulting in a different take on the material. Fully available via Netflix and other stream services.
2009 Anime 'Brotherhood' – With the Manga beginning to wind down, A second anime adaptation was announced, this time following more closely to the original Manga. As a result, the 2009 anime is considered the definitive version of Fullmetal Alchemist as a result. The anime was purposefully set up to end just a few weeks after the Manga, and staff were already animating the final episodes in time with the Manga. Fully available via Netflix and other stream services.
2017 Film – In 2017, a live action film was created the follows the first major story arcs of the series. This film omits quite a bit of world building and simplifies a fair amount of the world, characters , and principles from the original story. As a result, he’s generally considered the worse adaptation amongst all known adaptation. Available via only Netflix.
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