Scarrrrrrrrr!

4.5 stars

As Edward and Al continue their quest to get their original bodies back, they encounter danger, and see how far a desperate alchemist will go to keep his license.

This volume broadens the examination of the dark side of alchemy and the theory of equivalent exchange. What is the life of young girl worth, when her father has run out of options in his research? When he does the unthinkable, Edward realizes how close to the edge of darkness he came during his efforts to perform forbidden alchemy. Does it matter that he only wanted to see his mother again? When you look at what he lost, his brother's body, as well as his arm and leg, for what he got, a lump of flesh that couldn't even be called human, the price seems steep indeed. The whole system is rigged to so that the truly power hungry are willing to sacrifice the unthinkable to bend the rules. Alchemy can do so much good, but in the hands of the wrong person, it can corrupt absolutely.

Envy, Lust, and Gluttony make another appearance, and we learn how evil than can be. They commit acts of violence without a thought, and because they are so powerful, they never even consider that there will be any consequences. They are so cold, and they don't hesitate to cause chaos and create havoc for the Elric brothers.

Scar makes his first appearance, and one of the main themes of the manga, that war is hell and makes good people do terrible things, is brought to the forefront. The survivor of a genocide, Scar is on a mission to kill as many alchemists as possible. Thinking himself a divine instrument of justice, he considers alchemists sinful because they change the natural into the unnatural. Considering that state alchemists and the Central government almost wiped out his people, it's hard not to feel some sympathy for the guy, whether he's a nutjob or not. Or to sympathize with the state alchemists who were forced to slaughter men, women, and children because they were told to do so by their government.

I love how the series alternates between slapstick humor and serious, thought provoking issues of morality, ethics, and the value of a human life.

4.5 stars.

“To put it bluntly, all State Alchemist are nothing but the military’s human weapons. We do what they want, we obey orders, and we don’t complain if our hands get dirty in the process. My point being that when it comes to messing with human lives [redacted] actions aren’t so different from our own […] But the path that he’s chosen will no doubt lead to hardships greater than he faced today. He has to move forward… even if it means forcing himself to understand.”

If I were to describe this volume in one word it would probably be despair and depression because of all the things happening here.

As much as some of them are, probably, isolated stories that got solved fast, well, we are already seeing some of the far-reaching ramifications and influence it's gonna have. The fact that trauma is actually explored is really nice.

Even though there is rather a lot of pain in this volume we can also see some hope at the end of the tunnel and a lot of plot-furthering events that seem rather exciting and momentous.
How I'm loving the little details that the manga has! I'm having so much fun with all of them.

“Alchemy is the reconstruction of matter in new forms based on the knowledge of natural laws. This world flows by obeying these laws. Death, too, is a part of that flow. Accept the flow of the world.”

One of the things I love the most about Fullmetal Alchemist is the way it deep dives into the comparisons/relation between alchemy and religion and what it all means. The complexities and meaning of power and the duology and danger of incessant knowledge wrongly pursued and wanted.

It deals with such complex and multifaceted themes that I must absolutely take my time to go through it all and fully comprehend it because it deserves to be carefully handled.

The way it all reflects and appears in Ed and Al's lives and how deeply they can connect and relate to all of it it's super interesting to explore as well. Especially in the way everything is connected, to a degree, and relates and makes the story become much more fleshed and human.

“You’re right. People may call us dogs or devils, but Al and I will get our original bodies back. But we’re not devils or gods. WE’RE HUMANS.”

The expansion of both the plot and the cast was great and I already love most of the new characters... though I do not understand a few and would like to get a much clearer read on them.

I'm still getting used to the manga format - which rather confuses me during fights - but I do have to say that is a different experience that goes well with the story. The art and the way Arakawa draws it makes it dynamic and conveys so much emotion and intensity, which is always satisfying to see.

This world seems rather huge and the little glimpses of it we've gotten so far are very enticing. With the added bonus of the story moving forward, well, I would say a little too fast. Honestly, with things as they are, what are we gonna be discovering from now on?

“What destroys, can also create! And what creates, can also destroy! Destruction and creation are two sides of the same coin! We must tear down in order to build! That is the great law of the cosmos!”

________________

Really, this is just too good.

RTC.
________________

I swear, I'm way too obsessed with this manga. I haven't been able to think about anything else for days, even though I really tried to start another book that I really wanted to read, and I don't think it's going away any time soon.

So, as the responsible person I am, I decided to just feed that obsession until it's sated and I can go on with my life. Yeah, that's right, I'm surrendering to it.

The good thing is there are 27 volumes and this is just the second one... I have about a month of content or more, and that is a nice thought.

Me gusta muchísimo los extras xD más la parte del correo.

In questo secondo volume compaiono già alcuni dei personaggi migliori della serie come Hughes, scaltro e fedele amico di Mustang, e il maggiore Armstrong, un adorabile esteta muscoloso. Ma a pensarci bene...quale personaggio non è bellissimo in questa serie? Compare anche Scar, l'enigmatico antagonista assassino di alchimisti di stato, e infine si aggiunge alla lista un altro homunculus.
Questo volume ha anche uno degli episodi più tristi della serie, uno di quelli che ti farebbero pensare che se si parte così, forse il cuore non reggerà tutto il resto, ma vale la pena continuare! Anche perché adesso Ed e Al sono presi male quindi nel prossimo volume andremo a conoscere la mitica meccanica di auto-mail di Ed.

The events in this Vol picked up where the previous volume ended. The plot is finally coming together.

The chapters in this Vol are one of the saddest I've ever read. Just when I thought the characters would get relief, things got worse for them.

There were some new characters here that I liked, and I really like Mustang, Armstrong, and the other alchemist. I can’t wait to see more of
them.

The Elric brothers are as cool as ever; there were more revelations about them; I can’t wait to read more.

There were many revelations in this, and I now know who the main villains are, though I don’t know their endgame yet. I hope our protagonists discover that soon.

i love this

Добро продължение на историята, като отново имаше доволно хумор и маризене, но представени по един необиден за читателя начин!

As expected the story turns into a darker tone. But still keeps its lighthearted elements alive. The 2 most important characters introduced in this volume in my opinion are General Armstrong who is both funny and strong and the Alchemy hating Alchemist Scar, who is on a mission to kill all the National Alchemists for some unknown reason. After a battle with Scar, Edward and Alphonso goes on a journey to renew their search for Philosopher's stone and get back their original body. More mysteries surrounding the Philosopher's stone begins to tangle together in a complex plot build up. So, the adventure continues for the Elric brothers.

4.5

Even as the world of Fullmetal Alchemist is shown to be increasingly dark down to its roots -- religious conflicts, civil war, genocide, martial law, human experimentation, religious extremist serial killers -- Arakawa brings more humor to the character interaction. It's a battle manga with a quest for the Philosopher's Stone at its center, but I'm hoping the characters will become more human as the story progresses. It's on the right track at the moment.

This was wildly entertaining and a particular moment had me *shook* with me immediately thinking "yeah... probably a 5 star read."