Very few series can captivate an audience to the degree that this franchise does. Complete
with Dramatic character arcs, rich and complex subject matter, unforgettable emotion-inducing
scenes, and a story so well written that it warranted 2 separate successful adaptations.
This. Is the fullmetal alchemist iceberg.
Subs v Dubs.
While this is a hot topic with any anime series that offer both, this is especially a point
of contention between fans. With most anime, fans usually lean toward subtitles. However
the English voice acting in FMA was tremendous and has really divided the community. Many
of the subtitle purists purists can even admit that the dubbed version is higher quality
than many other dubbed anime.
Multiple Adaptations.
When the manga was originally being created, the creation of the anime was able to outpace
the creation of the source material. The show was given its blessing to continue forward
with their own rendition of the show that would deviate outside of manga. This became
known as the 2003 version of the anime. Years later, another version called Brotherhood
was created that more closely followed the anime. Both series follow and adapt the events
of the manga until hughe’s death. From here, they both veer into different directions.
There are a number of drastic changes, most notably the endings. But luckily, many of
the great voice actors from 2003 were able to work again on the brotherhood adaptation.
There are fans of both renditions but most people seem to find the ending of Brotherhood
to be more satisfying and conclusive.
Meticulously Researched.
The series creator, Hiromu Arakawa, performed extensive research when preparing to write
this show. It’s been said that she interviewed real world war 2 veterans, purchased prop
guns as artistic reference, and other elaborate measures in preparation for the creation of
FMA. This can also be seen through many of the characters' names as well. Mustang, Hughes,
Bradley, Hawkeye, and Hayate are all characters that have been named directly off of military
vehicles.
The Live Action Adaptation. In 2017, we saw this live action take on the
series. It followed the same basic plot as the first four volumes of the series. We’ve
rarely seen these live-action adaptations do well and this was unfortunately no exception.
The film came out to very mixed reviews, scoring fairly low in the critic reviews.
Female Stereotype Breaker.
In the anime style of shonen, it’s uncommon to see female manga artists. So Arakawa wrote
FMA under the masculine version of her name to appear as if she was a male. She not only
broke the mold by becoming a female shonen creator but she also incorporated a lot of
powerful and bold female characters that were also rarely seen inside shonen anime. Arakawa
took great precautions to protect her identity as a woman so her work would not be unfairly
judged. So much so that there has only been one confirmed photo of her found online.
Stray Dog. Arakawa’s first serious work was a one-chapter
manga with this title. It would serve as some of the major inspiration and influence of
FMA. The manga featured a world of alchemy with a slightly different spin. In this world,
there exist military dogs which are creatures that exist as a fusion of a human being with
a dog. They originally served as soldiers but after their fusion they began to function
more closely to loyal pets. And this situation was spun in a more wicked manner in FMA with
Tucker, Nina, and their dog alexander. This manga had much of the same style of FMA with
elements of despair and tear jerking situations while ending it in a heartwarming and satisfying
manner.
Equivalent exchange isn’t Real.
While alchemy is most certainly based on a real study, the first law of equivalent exchange
is not. Each of the characters in the show have their own opinions on the concept of
physical equivalent exchange. It’s even denounced by a major character late in the
series. The reality is that an energy source is required to catalyze the transmutation
and this energy is then lost without it being returned. The concept of equivalent exchange
was actually inspired by the creator’s parents. Arakawa grew up with her family on a farm
where everyone had to pull their own weight in order to get by. There was a much greater
ideal that we should live in perfect accord. With each of us exchanging our time and effort
for equivalent value, and to help the entire family. This was adapted into the law of equivalent
exchange.
Conqueror of Shamballa.
This was the 2005 film that served as the direct sequel to FMA 2003. While the film
received mostly positive praise, many fans believe it didn’t possess the sharp writing
and tact that the series seemed to have. Others have touted that the film seemed to sloppily
find a way to hobble together a happy ending. While others consider it a tremendous addition
and finale to the first series.
Mobuo Mobuta. The author had a go-to background character
that she would draw in to fill as extras in the panel. However, she would continuously
draw this middle aged man with a thin mustache in a white suit. He never has any lines or
plays any major roles in the story. It wasn’t long before fans noticed the recurring character
and theories were formed to his purpose or identity. But Arakawa clarified in the Perfect
Profile Data Book that he was indeed just a background character who she had named Mobuo
Mobuta. This is a derivation of the word mobu, which is japanese for minor character.
Brotherhood Additions. This was the second film released shortly
after the final episode of brotherhood in 2011. It served as a side story of brotherhood
and featured several new characters. It was said to be placed somewhere between episode
19 and 24 of the series. There also are 4 half-duration episode O V eh’s that accompany
brotherhood. Manga Additions.
Aside from the obvious unique format differences, the manga had several notable additions. One
of these are the in-memoriams that were drawn to show respect for lost characters throughout
the series. These were given to every character except Tucker, who understandably was said
to be sent to hell. These were added in a bonus content section. Along with snippets
called the cow shed diaries where she’s portrayed as a cow, sharing reader questions
and the creative process behind the manga. Another addition in the omake section are
the 4 koma panels. These were humorous drawings that often parallel or re-enact particular
scenes in a funny manner. These were a light-hearted addition that was added to help balance out
the heavy, dark, and sad events occurring within the series.
Scar’s Real Name. Arakawa has confirmed that scar does have
a real name, we’ve just yet to hear what it is. It was once planned to be revealed
before the end of the manga but this never came to be. When Wrath asked Scar what his
real name was, he replied that he has no name and he abandoned it long before. And in chapter
108 of the manga, it’s revealed that scar officially has no name, stating that after
dying two separate times, his identity no longer exists. Though in a non-canon 4-koma
theater, we see Scar jokingly sharing his name with another nameless character
in the series.
Envy was Genderless. In the manga, Envy was an androgynous nonbinary,
not existing as either a woman or a man. And in the early 2000’s when the story was being
developed, this wasn’t a commonly seen situation. It’s theorized that when the show was being
translated, they assumed Envy was a male based on common manga tropes. Because of this, most
of the anime sources referred to Envy with masculine pronouns.
Family Ties. The Elric brothers are a direct descendent
of Van Hohenheim - a close kin to father and each of the seven Homonculi. This close connection
has left them all related in a strange sense. In fact, Arakawa has jokingly stated that
the elric brothers are technically uncles to the seven Homonculi as they are actually
related by blood.
Mustang & Riza Fanon. There are no direct confirmations of these
two characters having anything more than professional admiration and respect for one another. However
there are subtle moments through the series that may suggest or hint at a deeper relationship.
Many fans have speculated about this possible relationship, with several artists creating
fan-made depictions of the two. The predominant theory for why these two never pursued any
formal, publicly acknowledged relationship was due to military restrictions. If these
two were to get married, they would no longer be allowed to work as subordinates, which
is obviously very important to both of them. Theories on Olivier.
Many fans have speculated about Oliver Mira Armstrong, the Ice Queen and the Northern
Wall of Briggs. Some have theorized that she’s a lesbian. The only evidence I could find
toward this is that she was never married and she burned mustang’s flowers. Others
have confidently declared that she is a trans woman. In any case, she’s a strong and likable
character that is desirable to have on your team.
The Four Colors of Transmutation. Edward’s character design was specifically
given 4 distinct colors: Gold, red, Black, and white. These colors are directly associated
with the four phases of transmutation during the creation of the philosopher’s stone.
In this process, we see that gold is purified with a red fire. This will create black ashes.
These black ashes, when mixed in a flask with other substances, cause a flash of colors
and it will eventually resolve back into a white color.
Edward’s Fate In each of the versions of FMA, we see that
Edward loses his powers of alchemy. Though he loses his powers in different manners.
Despite being inconsistent on the how, the results are the same, implying that edward’s
ultimate fate was unanimously agreed upon. The Truth is a Reflection.
Throughout the series, we see what could be equivalent to God or the universe. It becomes
known as truth. We come to find out that each character sees their own variant of Truth.
This makes each character’s version of truth to be slightly different. When alchemists
attempt human alchemy, truth will push you through the gate. From here, your reason for
attempting alchemy will be determined and mirrored in punishment for your futile attempts
to break attain something for which you have not exchanged adequately enough. This is why
each of the alchemists that have met with Truth will have their corresponding parts
taken. When Edward loses his body parts, Truth is shown to be in possession of them. And
Alphonse sees truth with his entire body. Truth serves as the character’s internal
God, essentially a negative of the alchemist. This is why ironically Truth mirrors what
you’re attempting this alchemical act. Mustang had a grand vision to serve his country, thus
his eyesight was taken. Uzumi Curtis attempted to bring back her child, to which Truth took
her ability to conceive children by taking essential organs. Edward lost his ability
to stand by himself and his brother. And Al’s body cannot feel the warmth of his own mother.
The Divine Comedy. FMA has more than a few similarities and allusions
to Dante's inferno. This was a 14th century epic poem that detailed dante’s journey
through hell and the nine circles of hell where he encounters the seven deadly sins.
The homunculi from FMA are also named after the sins and die in similar manners to how
they perished in the poem. Much like Truth mirroring ourselves, the sins fates are often
direct reflections of their characters. Gluttony and his endless appetite is eaten. Lust is
killed by the notorious stud, lady killer, Mustang. Greed essentially gives up everything
he has for relations with friends. Wrath is basically killed by divine intervention, displaying
that God’s wrath is more devastating than his own. Sloth is shown to completely wear
out his philosopher’s stone from exerting so much energy, literally killing himself
and his laziness. Envy takes his own life after realizing that humans understood him
even better than he did himself. And Pride became what he was once misanthropic towards,
what he would consider a lesser being.
Al Salvaged His Armor In a bonus chapter called Another Journey’s
End, we learn that alphonse didn’t want the armor suit to end up abandoned in an attic
somewhere. Al wanted the armor to continue with its life by helping others. We see the
process of melting the metals down to make new automail pieces for others. This happened
to every piece of armor except the helmet, which was used as a nest for bird-lings.
Brotherhood Foreshadowing There is a snippet clip in the middle of the
brotherhood episodes that often depicted 2 characters with a voiceover that states the
name of the show. However, in episodes where characters met their end, that voiceover was
not present. This served as subtle foreshadowing for the fate of the characters being displayed.
Edward and Winry VA Proposal. At MegaCon 2008, there was a voice actor panel
for FMA. The two voice actors sat next to each other as a fan asked them to propose
in their iconic characters’ voices. The two obliged and delivered a tremendous impromptu
performance
Fullmetal Fantasy This was a super fan film made by Vic Mignoga,
the English voice actor for Edward Elric. It started at Kawaii Con in 2009, where a
fan asked to take a picture of him with the iconic red coat on. The idea came to him about
making a short film in cosplay. Especially since he actually had a college degree in
film. After sharing the idea with other voice actors, many of them agreed to partake in
this project. The film was only shown at conventions but legal issues caused it to be exclusive
to specific dvd’s. It was thought to be lost media for some time but it has recently
surfaced once again.
Ed & Winry’s Children
At the end of brotherhood, we see the two standing in a photograph holding who we are
presumed to be their children. In the credits, They're listed as unnamed children, so that
aspect is left up to speculation. One common theory is that the girl's name would be Nina
.But According to wiki, their names are Van and Trisha Elric.
Why Havoc Smokes Arakawa has stated that while plotting out
the characters, she planned for a specific scene well ahead of time. This scene is when
mustang would have his gloves destroyed, and a lighter would be essential to destroy Lust.
So Havoc gained the nasty habit of smoking to facilitate this need when the situation
arose. This character became so notorious for smoking that it was said that other characters
could recognize him regardless of disguise just due to his distinct ash tray odor.
Winry’s Original Name. This is a rumor that the lead supporting character,
winry rockbell, did not always have the same name. Winry’s original name was reportedly
intended to be Wendy. During the process of translating the game, Winry was the unintended
result of the work. When Arakawa noticed the error, she actually liked the change and it
made its way to the final product of FMA. Though this has never been officially confirmed.
Why Edward is So Short. There are several theories that go into this.
The first is mostly in reference to his blatant hatred for milk. So much so that it became
a running gag throughout the series. However, the more notable theory is that Alphonse is
actually siphoning energy or nutrients from Edward’s body. This is implied at times
throughout the series. One such time is when Ed falls down a mine shaft in episode 41.
He is impaled by a pipe that causes him to temporarily pass out. This causes Al to temporarily
lose consciousness as well. The theory goes on to suggest that this direct bond and link
between the two is known by winry and al and that is why they continuously push for edward
to drink milk, to help supplement the loss from alphonse. This doesn’t stop edward
from growing in height over the series. That is shown as he eventually becomes taller than
winry. This may just be the process of aging in general but some theorize that it has a
more significant meaning.
FMA Was Not About The Elric Brothers FMA definitely follows the life and trials
of the Elric brothers. But Many fans believe that the FMA was not really the story of the
Elric brothers. They say instead that it was the story of Van Hohemheim and the dwarf in
the flask, told through the perspective of the elric brothers. The story begins with
their involvement as the two are the oldest characters within the series. We are essentially
experiencing their story through the lens of the Elric Brothers. Some even think the
same about other characters like Mustang and Hawkeye. FMA tells a number of different stories
at once while still maintaining the integrity that holds it all together. It all boils down
to a larger story where all the smaller pieces fit together to form one larger, cohesive
story.
Fullmetal Alchemist was a powerful and impactful series that shows us that it’s all about
the journeys we take throughout life. Our paths and our choices. Although these decisions
can be difficult to make and cause us to suffer, if we endure through the suffering, we walk
away as better and stronger people. I hope you’ve enjoyed the video.