Okay, book two completely won me over, mainly by the breadth of characterization that slipped in so quickly. The story of the alchemist who, out of desperation, transmutes his daughter and dog into a chimera, was as gut-wrenching as any good short-story. Alphonse and Edward, in the meantime, grow in depth and complexity, settling into the perfect balance between arrogant and tortured that hints at melodrama but is still believably human.

This was a pretty good volume!

As Al and Edward are searching for the Philosophers stone they meet the guy named Shou Tucker and his daughter but as things transpire and what he does to create chimeras is shocking and at that moment Ed realizes the inhumanity that some men have and its a lesson to him. In some other place a Alchemist hunter named Scar is hunting them and he has to deal with him with the aid of other state alchemists and we come to know about Ishbalans. They go to their hometown Resembool for repairs but meet another man named Dr Marcoh and the revelations there that happen.

Great volume as it continues the story and the boys attempt to get their body back and I love how the author is able to weave in future villains and story elements that will become big in the future. The villains in the background sure are something but its also good to see that Ed wont compromise his principles and convictions for gaining the stone. Its a great book about sacrifice and discovery and what we often do to get them but some persist. The artwork is simple and suits the book and I like it.

Loved it! I’m really liking how the story is developing!

I really struggled with rating this 3* or 4*. On one hand, this manga is the basis of one of my most favorite anime series ever, a series that I even added to my meager bluray collection (to clarify, I mean FMA:B, not the first incarnation - I'm one of the few who loathed that one). On the other hand, this was a slow volume that was conveyed most excellently on TV, and retreading it here was a bit...uneventful, to me.

All in all, it probably deserves 4*, but my rating is what it is.

4,5.

3.5
Vale. Estaba siendo un poco escéptica. Pero, ya en este tomo se pone se pone bastante interesante. Va a ser un manga que me va a encantar y mucho.

I'm impressed by the way the authors begins this story in general, how we're dropped into the middle of it and we learn without info-dumps. I'm also impressed by how the creator thinks outside of the box in terms of world-building and characterization. Some of the parts that I think are supposed to hit hard I thought were mundane, but I'm committed to this series for now.

More of the same and, even more so than after I read the first installment, I expect I'll keep going. (It's way too early to know if I'll get through the entire thing, but I could easily see it happening.)

At this point, I'm relatively enamored with the world building and rather deeply sucked into the protagonists (or at least I find myself caring about them). Having said that, unlike with, say, Lone Wolf and Cub, I can't say I see where this is headed.....

It feels a little strange that this is the first book I'm reviewing for 2023, but ... it is what it is. December 2022 was a good reading month, with nice diversity of content.... But since the new year, I've been "in the hole" with regard to work ... grind, grind, grind ... and not much sleep ... and all work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy, etc. ... so this was nice little break.

Someday, I'll do more research on how Manga series actually get started, gain traction, etc. I'm still very much more of a (Western) comic book/graphic novel reader than Manga, but ... the more I think about it ... that's a lazy, tired excuse given how much Manga I've consumed over the years. Who knows what the future holds? Maybe I'll become a more consistent (and enthusiastic) consumer. Stay tuned.

n   3.5 of 5 starsn

Whoa, things got darker real fast huh? I guess this will not be only fun and happy manga.

n  This review is also posted on my blog.n

So I never know how to review volumes of manga, as they’re such fast reads and are over so quickly. But I know that I’ve been wanting to re-read Fullmetal Alchemist for a long time, and that I loved it the first couple times I touched it when I was younger, and I know that it’s just as good as I remember it. I know that it’s the perfect mix of humor and darkness, and I know there’s a wonderful collection of varied characters I’m already pretty attached to. I know it jumps right into deep philosophical issues, and makes you think right from the beginning of the story. And I know the magic system is DAMNED FASCINATING.

I DID forget, though, that this volume was the one with the chimera of the girl and the dog. That chapter never DOESN’T suck to read lmao.

I just hope it won’t take as long for me to get to volume three, as it did for me to get to two. I’d like to actually finish this series someday, and remember where the hell the story is going to go, and remember what on earth happened in previous volumes when I get there!

Some very creepy things in this, but I'm quite intrigued! I enjoyed getting to know the main characters/some of the side characters a little better, too.