Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition

Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition, Volume 1
written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa
published by VIZ Media (2018)

Listen, it’s impossible to read, watch, and listen to everything. Even if its reputation is great, there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Sometimes that makes me feel like a lazy geek. Sometimes I just own it and admit my blind spots.

Fullmetal Alchemist has been one of my geeky blind spots for far too long, so I took this opportunity to rectify that situation. I’m a fan of Japanese animation and comics, but – again – I just don’t have the time to devote to one story that’s composed of thousands of pages or hundreds of episodes.

That barrier to entry – the prodigious length of the stories and the daunting back catalog required to “catch up” is what’s kept me away from properties like Fullmetal Alchemist, One Piece, Bleach, and Attack on Titan.

For at least one of those, I no longer have an excuse. VIZ Media has recently begun a reissue of Fullmetal Alchemist in gorgeous new hardcovers, and if the first volume is any indication, I’m on board for the long haul.

Volume 1 contains the first six chapters of the story (one and a half of the original graphic novels), and future volumes will be released on a quarterly basis. (Volume 2 is scheduled for an August 2018 release.) So it’ll take some time to get through all 27 original volumes and 10 years of the story, but what a ride it’ll be.

These “fullmetal editions” feature brand-new cover art, series creator Arakawa’s original character sketches, fresh lettering, and updated translations. But for those of us who are new to the world, it’s a fantastic jumping-on point.

Edward Elric is a state alchemist on a journey to heal his body and restore his soul. Both literally and figuratively. This is a world in which alchemy is real and alchemists reign supreme. But the difference between alchemy and magic is that alchemy must follow the rules of the universe. Nothing can come from nothing. Alchemists must always be mindful of the law of equal exchange. In order to make something appear “out of thin air,” they must actually be robbing that matter from somewhere else.

Elric is known as the fullmetal alchemist because his arm and leg have been replaced with metal prosthetics after he ventured too far into forbidden territory and tried to break the laws of alchemy. Still, he got the better end of the deal since his brother, Alphonse, lost his entire body and has become a soul encased in a hollow suit of armor.

These first six chapters establish the world, explain the laws of alchemy, shed some light on Elric’s background, and introduce the “big bad” as the two brothers roam from town to town in their search for a power that can help them restore their bodies.

As I said, I’m on board with this one. Three-month intervals in between new volumes might be hard to take, but luckily the story has been adapted to animation twice: Fullmetal Alchemist in 2003 and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood in 2009. There’s plenty of the Elric brothers to pass the time between books.

And if you’re a fan of the anime? Might I suggest you go listen to this episode of my podcast where I chat with Laura Bailey and Travis Willingham, who played Lust and Roy Mustang, respectively, in both adaptations. You’re welcome.