Loved this volume - such great reveals!

3.5stars

Full Metal Alchemist is a fantastic series. It’s hugely popular and for good reason. The story is complex and fast-paced, and the characters are compelling and distinctive. There aren’t a lot of manga that are as ambitious as Full Metal Alchemist or as expertly told. This is part of the major appeal of the series.
At the start of the story, we are introduced to Ed and Alphonse Elric who are brothers as well as alchemists. After an alchemy-related accident, Ed lost his arm and his leg, while Alphonse lost his body entirely and now his soul lives in a suit of armor. The story centers around the story of these two brothers as they try to find a way to restore their bodies.
The story gets more complex as new characters are introduced and with them, there are new plot lines. Don’t be worried if you feel like the plot is drifting because even the most seemingly insignificant plot point is tied back to the major story arc. There is a lot of buildup and mystery as well. The big reveals from one volume to the next never feel out of place and are always exciting.
I really enjoyed the characters, specifically Ed and Al. It was great reading a story about family and more specifically brother. That’s not a story I think I see told very often. Ed is a bit full of himself, but I find him funny a lot of the time and while he talks a big game, he often has the skills to back it up. So I appreciate that at least. Al is like Ed’s conscience. He’s most noticeably kind and calm. He’s also very logical and likes thinking things through, unlike his brother who can sometimes act too quickly.
I really enjoyed reading this series and I think it deserves all the credit it gets. If you have waited this long and still haven’t read it, what are you waiting for? It’s time.

uy esa escena entre roy y riza

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This sucks. Why do dogs have to be so loyal?

Gosh, this was always one of the strangest parts of the series for me. I think, throughout every rewatch and every reread I've ever done of this series, I'm always surprised by how much I love Greed and his gang. They're not exactly on the right side, but they go against the major villains of the story. Not to mention, they're extremely intriguing and surprisingly likable characters. Just barely introduced before they leave, and I already have so many feelings about them.

Greed and The Gang

I think a lot of my love for these characters comes with my adoration of Dolcetto. I don't think I'd be nearly as attached to Greed's gang without him. That said, there's something to note with how much they care for each other. Even Greed, selfish bastard that he is, has some clear emotions for his people. And it's honestly so wonderful.

Against all odds, what with him ordering Al's kidnapping and pissing off both Izumi and Ed, Greed is shockingly likable. It's funny, because when you think about the series as a whole and which homunculus we care about most...the majority of Fullmetal Alchemist fans will cite Greed first. And sure, there are some of us who like Lust or Envy...or even Gluttony. But I think, universally, Greed is the one we actually find ourselves loving. And why?

Well, there's just something about his sincerity. Even in his selfishness, we can relate to him in a strange way. Add in the fact that he had so many people shamelessly loyal to him? Like, damn. Later on there will be an added factor, but for now even this small glimpse allows us to feel truly connected to this character.

Finality

So, we learn a few other things in this installment of Fullmetal Alchemist. Namely, there's a secret surrounding Fuhrer King Bradley that is revealed toward the end. Alphonse is looking for a way to get his memories of the "truth" back to help them further their quest along, and that's about it. It definitely made for a very involved section of the story, sans the usual goofery that makes you laugh while reading and watching this story.

It's a more serious moment with some deeply devastating events. And all I can say now is that I'm eager to read the next one.

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Nuevo arco, nuevos personajes, algunas sorpresas, y bastante acción y humor como siempre. Que bueno que Al parece que está saliendo del pozo depresivo y adquiriendo nuevas abilidades, ya se extraña un poco la dinámica de los hermanos Elric del principio de la historia.

Me encanta todo de este manga, el dibujo, la historia, el desarrollo de los personajes... es fácil de leer, intrigante y entretenido.

icb ling and may only show up a third of the way in!! my besties!!!

Whoof, rough volume.

Um, a list of what I liked:

The flash of Al's real eye when Martel is murdered inside him
The look on Ed's face when he tells Al they should go home
Ed cleaning Al's armor while wearing a long-sleeved black t-shirt, cargo pants, and slippers
Barry...not having the effect on Hawkeye he was hoping for
Hawkeye's "I captured something really...weird."
The growing role of Mustang's subordinates in the plot
Mei Chang, Ling Yao, Lan Fan, and Fu arriving on the scene
The introduction to alkahestry, which is just some foreign mumbo jumbo that will surely play no major role in the plot...
Garfiel
The fact that Arakawa has Ed draw Amestris as a circle and you think he's just simplifying the shape of the country for Ling's sake...nope
Between Bradly in this volume and the last one, plus the Xinghese, Arakawa really starts leaning on the "this country is effed up" side of things
Ed sacrificing his automail arm in the fight with Lan Fan, foreshadowing...stuff

First thing: for those of you reading this in email form, follow the link and check out the cover showing Ed practicing his unique form of unarmed combat. I'll wait.

Back? Done giggling/wondering what's wrong with me? Okay, now for the volume eight character review!

There are a lot of people I'd love to cover, and some of them I don't want to mention until later, to save some spoilers for those who haven't yet read any/all of the books (but do intend to do so), so after much deliberation, I've settled on Maes Hughes.

Lieutenant Colonel Hughes works for military intelligence. He lives, however, for his wife and daughter, to the point of annoying everyone around him with his effusive praise—and frequent photo sharing—of them. He's also Roy Mustang's closest friend and strong supporter, incredibly fond of the Elric brothers, generous, kind, deceptively intelligent, and a skilled knife-fighter.

Like so many others, he served his time in the war with Ishbal and, although not guilty of the wholesale slaughter committed by State Alchemists, he fired his share of bullets and was complicit in the murder of an incompetent superior officer. He was also good for keeping morale up and liaising between the regular soldiers and the alchemists—the former of whom were as terrified of the latter as the Ishballans were. Following a specific moment in the war, he was completely disillusioned by his country. Consequently, he and Mustang decided to work toward changing it so that more young men and women couldn't be forced into becoming murderers.

Maes is among the most popular characters in the entire run of the series, very likely because there is passion, dedication, loyalty, and a fierce desire to better life to everyone buried beneath a doofy exterior, and he can flip between the two with absolutely no warning.

I enjoyed the story, but there was a lot of fighting that I didn't follow as well in this volume. I don't dislike the fight panels, I just have a harder time deciphering some of them compared to when there's text.

I absolutely adore this series.

More fun, the plot thickens, new characters and things tying up together here and there. I was under the impression that this happens later in the series, but then it might be that the first time around I got really interested in the story at about this time and devoured the rest.