Even if you've watched Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, you should still read the manga, since it has more adventures that were deleted in Brotherhood.

This was quite fun.
The story revolves aroun the Elric brothers, whom have performed the forbidden alchemical trnasmutation:
Human transmutation.
In an attempt to bring back their dead mother, Edward Elric loses his left leg, and his younger brother, Alphonse, loses his whole body. In a desperate attempt to bring back his brother, he sacrifices his right arm to bind his brother's soul to a suit of armor.
The boys learn about the Philosophers Stone, a mystical item that greatly amplifies alchemical powers, and begin to search for it in order to restore their original bodies.
In order to have more access to the world, Ed becomes a State Alchemist, a dog of the military.

This volume collects their adventures in Leore, the mining town (which was barely include in Brotherhood.) and the train hijacking (completely removed from Brotherhood.)

I've watched the whole anime, so I know what's gonna happen, but the manga's still pretty good.
The arts understandable, the drawings fluid, and the fight scenes easy to understand.
It's also quite funny and will probably make you laugh.

If you want to start getting into manga, I suggest that you start with this.
Yes, it's Shounen, manga written for young boys, but FMA has a beautiful story.
It may seem childish and comedicmostmof the time, but, judging from the anime which was completely based on the manga, the story gets darker and more serious. It's even been called one of the saddest anime of all time. In of the best, at that matter.

Definitely recommend for sci-fi/fantasy/comedy/manga/action fans.

Not terrible, not great. Some fun, quick adventures based on "equivalent exchange." Some establishing of the rules of the world and alchemy. Some characters, relationships, and backstory. I'll read another volume or two and see if it grows more intriguing.

First time to read a manga

full series review now up on my channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9cDc...

YAY a new favourite! My boyfriend and I recently bought the full boxset of this manga (27 volumes hell to the yeah!) because it was EXTREMELY cheap* on bookdepository and we have no self control. I have been wanting to read this for so long and now I'm getting into it and honestly I am so hype.

The story is so much fun and I already love both Edward and Alphonse. I find Edward incredibly relatable... not because of his sad backstory or anything like that but because of his angry reactions when people point out how short he is because that is what I do. I love the way alchemy works and the fights are really well done. I'm keen to learn more about it all (I am already so hooked on the story). The art style is really cool and has cute little moments that I find really charming.

Definitely recommend to people! I'm excited to continue reading this manga series and then watch the anime on Netflix. Goodbye social life!

*Just a heads up that the boxset is actually still on sale so if you're interested it is currently over 50% off which is CRAZY and if you're keen you can buy it here https://www.bookdepository.com/Fullme...

Por fin empecé este manga. No recordaba lo gracioso que es Ed y lo genial que es Mustang.

I first saw this series on Netflix. Let me just say I watched almost all of the episodes till Netflix assholes took out seasons two and three for NO REASON.

I love this series! Not my first anime I've fell in love with but I of course fell in love with the characters anyways, two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric.

“In other words, the basics of alchemy is the ‘equivalent exchange’! That means that to obtain something, something of equal value must be lost.”

Oops…I might be a little addicted and obsessed already... 2 hours went by like

First rewiev
Very good and entertaining opening... I liked Elric brothers and Edward is so cool with that intelligence and style. His shortness is cute though.)
The artwork is not that pretty but good enough to deliver the story. Going to read next volumes.)

Rewiev of all manga
4.85 stars

One of the best manga in the world! Even if I haven't read all the manga, I can surely say it.
God! Who transmuted all these onions into tears? But don't worry, Edward. It is tears of joy!
This one month of my life was a great journey into fantastic alchemy worlds! Hiromi Arakawa did wonderful job with this manga! She is now one of my favorite mangaka!
The powerful parts of this manga:
1. Incredibly solid and well-executed idea, story! So complex and beautiful!
2. Wonderfully drawn and memorable, lovable characters! Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Winry Rockbell, Roy Mustang, Riza Hawkeye, Ling, Lan Fan, May Chang, Scar, Olivier Armstrong, Alex Armstrong, Maes Hughes, Van Hohenheim, Izumi Curtis-my favorite characters! The side characters who gave the story great development! Even the homonculi and "father" were well-developed evil characters.
3. Gorgeous artwork!
4. The experiences I had with the manga, lessons I have learned. The theme of friendship, truth, knowledge, love, brotherhood, help, mercy, forgiveness... The bad and good sides of seven deadly sins...
5. The ending! You know the story is very good that the ending makes you cry even though it is a happy ending. I don't want to left this world! The story, doubtless, will live with me forever.
Now it is time for the favorite quotes:

Humankind cannot gain something without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. This is Alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange.

A lesson without pain is meaningless. For you cannot gain anything without sacrificing something else in return, but once you have overcome it and made it your own...you will gain an irreplaceable fullmetal heart.

“Stand up and walk. Keep moving forward. You've got two good legs. So get up and use them. You're strong enough to make your own path.”

“It’s ironic that as scientists that don’t believe in god, were the ones that are closest to god.”

“Greed may not be good, but it’s not so bad either. You humans think greed is just for money or power, but everyone wants something they can’t have.”

“Your hands weren't meant to take peoples lives. They were meant to save them.”

“A king is no king without his people, but a people without their king would be lost as well."

“I think being so passionate about something is a talent in itself.”

“Life will come to an end, a return to dust from which we came... The spirit becomes memories living in the minds of people.”

A great beginning, really looking forward to reading more!

Fullmetal Alchemist

Imagine yourself as an eleven-year-old boy back in the 1900’s: no phones, computers, or anything similar. You’re probably thinking of yourself as an average eleven-year-old back then, right? Well, now picture yourself as someone who’s anything but normal. You have no dad, your mom is dead, you almost killed your brother, you’ve lost an arm and leg, and now you’re on a journey to find the one thing that might be able to help you. Oh, and did I mention you’re the youngest state alchemist ever? What about the fact that your brother’s soul is attached to a suit of armor? That’s the life of Edward Elric, a young boy who, along with his brother Alphonse, is searching for a certain item that might be able to get your limbs and brother’s body back; the Philosopher’s Stone. This stone has the ability to do almost anything with the help of alchemy. As they search, they run into many obstacles and encounter different enjoyable characters. In the first few books of Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa, there are several of parts that made me really enjoy this book, such as the characters and certain quotes, the events, and the humour.

The first thing I enjoyed were the wide range of characters. All the characters are different, and they all are believable too. Edward is always being made fun of for being short, and he gets really angry when that happens. The way he gets angry is hilarious, though! I laugh every time! But he’s not just full of humour; he also has his serious moments, just like any other human. One of my favorite quotes from him is “Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange.” I think that this quote represents part of how Ed acts and thinks. I also believe that the world works like this, and it’s not just in alchemy. This quote is frequently used by Ed, and every time he says it, it’s a different variation. The other character that I find hilarious (although, I find them all funny!) is Colonel Roy Mustang. He’s almost a complete opposite of Edward. He’s almost always serious, but he’s also a little full of himself, and he randomly goes from all serious to funny. He’s called the “Flame Alchemist” by people, because he uses flames when he does alchemy. My favorite quote by him is “Dogs? I like dogs. The best thing about them is, they’re loyal! They obey their master’s commands without question! They don’t complain when they’re treated severely and they don’t need to be paid a salary! Yes! Dogs are truly man’s best servants! Dogs are great! I love them! *Insert evil-ish laughing here* ,” and it’s on pages 180-181 in volume four. I think that quote gives you an idea of what he’s like. I want to write about all of the characters I like, but that would probably take about ten pages, since there are so many characters and I like them all! All the characters in this series are fun and enjoyable, even the evil ones!

The events in this series are very exciting. The book starts off with them in “The Land of Sand,” as they call it, which is really a small town in the middle of nowhere. In this event, Edward is fifteen, but then it goes back and tells the story of Ed’s and Al’s lives from when they were eleven. This really made me interested because it was a little hard to figure it out for a little bit, so I had to really focus on the book. But what really got me excited was the reason why they were where they were, and why they were doing what they were doing. Ed and Al had just lost their mom, at age eleven. (Keep in mind that this book is in an alternate universe in the 1900’s.) Once she found out that Ed and Al really liked it, she would always encourage them to do it (obviously while she was still living). When they’re mom died, they really wanted to bring her back. But there are certain rules about alchemy, and one of the most important ones is that you must never attempt a human transmutation (transmute: to change, transform or convert one thing to another, or from one state or form to another; to change, transform or convert to another, or from one state or form to another). But, being eleven-year-olds, did they follow that rule? Nope. So, after studying so hard, they finally think it’s time to do it. While they are transmuting, something goes wrong, and Ed’s arm and leg are taken, along with Al’s body. As Al’s body is being taken, Ed struggles really hard, and is able to transmute Al’s soul into a suit of armor on the wall, using his blood to make the transmutation circle. This event had so much buildup to it, and the art when it was actually happening, were amazing. You could really see the emotion on their faces, and it even makes you feel like your there. All of the other events that happen in the story are as detailed and emotional as this one.

The third thing I really like about this series is how much humour is put into it. I already talked about how I think Ed and Mustang are funny, but the other characters I find really funny are Al, Riza Hawkeye, Fuery, and many more. I admit, I don’t like Al all the time; he can actually be pretty annoying at some parts, but he also has some really funny moments. One time, while he and Ed were talking, Ed hears a weird noise that kind of sounds like a meow. It turns out that Al had found a kitten and decided to keep in inside him (he’s a suit of armour with no body, so he can do that). Ed got mad (the funny type of mad), and I couldn’t stop myself from giggling at that part. There’s also a little comic strip in the back of one of the volumes where Ed hears a meow, and when Al opens the middle part of his ‘body.’ there’s like twenty kittens in there! ( :D ) Riza Hawkeye is also a state alchemist, like Mustang and Ed. She’s always serious, and almost never smiles. I actually can’t remember a time where she smiles… but her silence is what makes it funny.

tAs you can tell from this, there are a lot of parts that made me really enjoy this book, such as the characters and certain quotes, the events, and the humour. My personal connection to this book is that the characters act very similar to how my friends and I act with each other. Ed and Al are very close, and they are able to tell anything to each other, just like how my close friends and I are. Another is that the story is half serious and half humourous, like my life with my friends. The third connection with this book has to do with some of the actions they do and the quotes they say. As I quoted earlier, Ed really believes in Equivalent Exchange. I too believe that life is like that. After I read the first couple of volumes, I seriously felt different about life. Fullmetal Alchemist is obviously fantasy fiction (but with a little bit of realistic fiction thrown in), but I still felt like it changed me, even if only a small amount. The close bond between Ed and Al, and how much Ed has sacrificed for Al really made me think about my very close friends and me. It made me think about that when you’re very close to someone, you will do a lot for them because of how much you care about them.

Honestly so glad to be reading this. Finally, right? Haha! I watched Brotherhood a while back and was totally in love (though, admittedly, I didn't like the first season much and had a hard time keeping at it, but once I took a break and then came back I was hella ready to plow through it). Crying though because I know things and I don't wanna go through that again D: *cry*

*3.75 ⭐️

excellent start of a new story