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Hagane no Renkinjutsushi  
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Description
In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical "auto-mail" limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his brother and himself... the legendary Philosopher's Stone.

Won the 49th Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shounen category.
Won the 15th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Award New Artist Prize.

Type
Manga

Related Series
Hagane no Renkinjutsushi (Novel) (Side Story)
Hagane no Renkinjutsushi - Book in Figure (Side Story)
Hagane no Renkinjutsushi: The Prototype (Side Story)

Associated Names
Стальной алхимик
แขนกล คนแปรธาตุ
鋼の錬金術師
钢之炼金术师
강철의 연금술사
Alquimista de Aço
FMA
Full Metal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist Gaiden
Giả Kim Thuật Sư
Hagaren

Groups Scanlating
AOM
Basement Scan
Binktopia
Black e Noir
More...

Latest Release(s)
c.Gaiden by MangaStream & Binktopia (969d ago)
c.108 by MangaStream & Binktopia (1073d ago)
c.108c (end) by reddevilshn (1073d ago)
Search for all releases of this series

Status in Country of Origin
27 Volumes (Complete) (Tankoubon)
18 Volumes (Complete) (Kanzenban)

Completely Scanlated?
Yes

Anime Start/End Chapter
Starts at Vol 1, Chap 1 (FMA, FMA Brotherhood)
Ends at Vol 7 [FMA (story diverges)]; Vol 27, Chap 108 (FMA Brotherhood)

User Reviews
Fullmetal Alchemist by Cypher-Khan
Full Metal Alchemist by shounen_lover

Forum
29 topics, 372 posts
Click here to view the forum

User Rating
Average: 9.2 / 10.0 (2714 votes)
Bayesian Average: 9.17 / 10.0
10
 57% (1546 votes)
9+
 23% (620 votes)
8+
 12% (323 votes)
7+
 4% (117 votes)
6+
 1% (28 votes)
5+
 0% (9 votes)
4+
 0% (5 votes)
3+
 0% (4 votes)
2+
 0% (5 votes)
1+
 2% (57 votes)

Last Updated
April 28th 2013, 4:30pm PST

Sponsored Links
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Genre
Action  Adventure  Comedy  Drama  Historical  Sci-fi  Shounen  Supernatural 
Search for series of same genre(s)

Categories

Category Recommendations (beta!)
Berserk (weight: 174.81)
Pumpkin Scissors (weight: 166.07)
07-Ghost (weight: 165.28)
Shingeki no Kyojin (weight: 163.01)
Ilegenes - Kokuyou no Kiseki (weight: 157.36)

Recommendations

Author(s)
ARAKAWA Hiromu

Artist(s)
ARAKAWA Hiromu

Year
2001

Original Publisher
Square Enix

Serialized In (magazine)
Shounen Gangan (Square Enix)

Licensed (in English)
Yes

English Publisher
Viz (27 Volumes & 4 Omnibuses - Complete/Ongoing)

Activity Stats (vs. other series)
Weekly Pos #75 increased(+15)
Monthly Pos #24 increased(+1)
3 Month Pos #24 increased(+13)
6 Month Pos #34 increased(+7)

List Stats
On 3057 reading lists
On 911 wish lists
On 4769 completed lists
On 170 unfinished lists
On 426 custom lists

Note: You must be logged in to update information on this page.

Forum Posts
Which is better manga or (new) anime? 37 days, 8 hours, 30 minutes ago
Ethics of human transmutation 350 days, 7 hours, 23 minutes ago
Mangas 439 days, 10 hours, 46 minutes ago
Favorite Female in Fullmetal Alchemist 610 days, 3 hours, 47 minutes ago
if u could be any fma character? 675 days, 14 hours, 53 minutes ago

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User Comments [ Order by usefulness ]
 

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avatar
 SQUARE ENIX   
Rating: 10.0 / 10.0
by namu76
November 21st, 2012, 5:08am
I think this is square enix's best manga ever. What else could I say? This is so good that I'm at lost as where to begin describing its greatness...WOW. The story is dark, and yet there is light in it. Simply amazing.
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 Absolutely fantastic   
Rating: 10.0 / 10.0
by Furan
November 20th, 2012, 6:49pm
Everyone has already said it, yet I can't refrain myself from repeating it. This is one of the best mangas out there.

Fullmetal Alchemist was the first manga I ever read; I was around 13 at the time, found the scans in english and I didn't really understand everything about the plot, since english is not my native language. I eventually reached the final chapter that was released at the time, and as I was new to the whole manga stuff I never knew that it was being released periodically. I saw part of the first anime adaptation but I didn't like it, and when I knew about the periodic releases I had somehow lost interest, partly because of the first anime, partly because everyone was making a huge fuss about it.

More than seven years passed and now I read it again. And I couldn't believe how much I've missed. The story is solid, original and incredibly well-thought. But what really amazes me about this manga are the characters. I've never read ANYTHING that made love so much every little character in the story. Even the ones I hated, the ones I thought were dumb, I ended up loving each and everyone of them. There's not a single character that made me go "meh". All of them are memorable. Each of them are believable. And that's what makes this manga so special for me. A manga (or any kind of story, actually) can have a very simple plot, but it will become a masterpiece if the characters are incredible. Not only Edward is amazing. Alphonse is an incredible deuteragonist. Roy Mustang, Maes Hughes, Scar, every Homunculi, Kimblee (oh God, Kimblee), all of them (I could name more, like Hohenheim, but oh well, if I named every cool character in this manga I would never finish) are brilliant characters. And don't get me started with the women in this manga. I've never seen most awesome women. Even though Edward is clearly the protagonist, the other characters are so good that it's possible for them to be the protagonists of their own story. Not any author can achieve that. Hiromu Arakawa did it flawlessly.

And the story is, like I said, really solid and original. I have nothing to complain about it. It has amazing plot twists, nothing comes out of nowhere and it has a perfect ending with no loose ends, and so you'll be guaranteed to be satisfied. But I insist, the primary highlight of this manga are its characters.

So, good story + outstanding chacters = One of the best mangas (if not THE best) I have ever read. And definitely one of the best stories ever created.

... Last updated on December 11th, 2012, 8:51am
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 totally the best.   
Rating: 10.0 / 10.0
by SnowVallen
November 13th, 2012, 10:37pm
please read my title over and over again. im not like those girls, who said every good manga for them: "OMG IT'S TOTALLY THE BEST~" but im really typing it and mean it, i have read sooo many other great manga with better plot twist, with more interesting characters, but... i've never ever found those kinds of manga is better than this one. why im saying this? this manga has everything. i really respect how the author can mix her characters into one, make a perfect balance to the story and lemme say this first: the plot is actually quite usual and mainstream: two brothers had their own problems but ends up trying to save the world. in their fights to beat the enemies there are friends, a love interest, other minor characters etc.. it sounds like a mainstream shonen manga right? but. Arakawa sensei totally made it to be more meaningful because she inserts every stories with morals that actually quite hard to be implemented in reader's mind, she taught us in this manga what's life all about, it could be bad, but also beautiful.. everything has a reason in this world. and all those minor characters never really forgotten by her and made an advance appereance that's quite important for the continuation of the stories. the antagonist too is made well and has a great balance with the protagonists. also the authors has a great humor sense so we wont get bored to read this, i even sometimes read this manga from beginning to end again to spend sometimes. it's really recommended for those who likes a light stories, but also has a deep meaning, recommended for those who likes comedy, action, and a story about what's a brothership is smile.
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 is it just me or...   
Rating: N/A
by keeeenny
August 13th, 2012, 10:43am
Ten of Ten. Absolutely. This manga is like, one of those great mangas that you should DO read before you die! Im not exaggerate it, just... bwah! One of my favourite.

You can't compare this manga to any popular manga, i mean, this is not categorized as popular manga, meaning that you can just read it anytime (if you get what i mean). i dont know, i just want to find some words to praise this manga.. okay, so.. Bwah!!

Both manga and anime are good. Funny... Sad... Thrilling... Thank you for creating such a great manga, Hiromu Arakawa sensei! smile

Okay, so... is it just me, that want to know if there exist such alternative ending for this manga.. Is Hiromu Arakawa sensei ever thought of some alternative ending? i dont know...
Spoiler (mouse over to view)
I just think that this kind of ending is set as happy ending.. i wonder if theres such a tragic one... or is it just me that I HATE IT WHEN EDWARD COULDN'T USE HIS ALCHEMY POWER ANYMORE!??? Okay so... hic. hic. *Cried*


Anyway. Just Read. Like, READ.
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 Best manga I've ever read   
Rating: N/A
by Manaacass
August 10th, 2012, 10:37pm
Just the subject explain what i felt! I was laughing so hard but then i was crying! argh... my english is not good but just understand this, if you are gonna read it, JUST DO IT! you are not gonna waste your time.
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 Nothing like it   
Rating: 10.0 / 10.0
by Got2runnow
August 8th, 2012, 3:10pm
I'm not going to bother writing multiple paragraphs repeating the same things others already have. Instead, I'll give you three important factors when writing fictional story revolving around a series.

-- SUBSTANCE: The plot, the world, the characters--everything has to carry some sort of depth. You can't have a world with just names, but with races, social classes, government, etc. Everything needs to be connected while independent. Everything needs to feel weighty while being light.

-- CONSISTENCY: Whether it's in the plot, world or characters, everything needs to flow along with the story. You can't have a character arc for a supporting character and then place them in the background in the next story arc. There has to be constant development and interaction among other characters. The balance through out a series is important.

-- END GAME: From the first book (in this case CHAPTER ONE) the end of the series must be in sight. Writing a series without an ending objective is asking for an inconsistant, light read that will last forever. Without an End Game their may never be a real ending.

In all honesty, FMA doesn't even feel like your typical shounen manga. It lacks MOST of the cliches (an I wouldn't even call Winry being cliche because she's not your typical shounen girl) and overall it's a 10/10 in every category I've listed above. It's so well done in every aspect of genre--comedy, action/adventure, romance, psychological, philosophical, etc, etc. It's so rounded, that calling it a manga for kids---teenagers feels wrong. The themes and motifs are very adult and the characters and their sufferings are relatable on all levels.

FMA is a whole different level. Nothing compares.
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 One of the few manga that sets the bar   
Rating: N/A
by awavingflag
June 17th, 2012, 7:04pm
I wish there was a separate folder that I could put this in to differentiate it from the other manga in the "Complete List." This is the one of the few - VERY FEW - manga that set the standard for what a manga should be: an entertaining, unique story, engaging characters demonstrating a range of human emotions, offers some thought-provoking ideas, a COHESIVE world. (Now, I'll name some of my top favorites to illustrate that I'm not predisposed to a particular genre - and to unashamedly promote:
Nodame Cantabile (a quiet, slice-of-lifey josei, about MUSIC, yes!),
Gintama (contains the most outrageous humor, lovingly parodies shounen tropes),
Lovely Complex, (one of the best shoujo with non-stereotypical couples, cast, and a surprisingly well-done romantic angle)
Monster (a brilliant, psychological seinen that is as 'literary' as manga can get),
Annamarasumanara (webcomic, a magical tale that pushes the artistic boundaries of the medium).

Some manga try to become great and fail, some manga rely on the shounen-mold that I'm quickly coming to despise for its lack of ingenuity, some manga try to carry an exciting story and fall from its own weight. Fullmetal Alchemist succeeds by following basic story-telling 101: BY TELLING A DAMN GOOD STORY. This may seem like a 'well, DUH' point but it's actually difficult. Maybe it's because I have high expectations, but I think there are quite few manga that carry through with a story without losing steam or are just plain juvenile or lacking in pacing or getting bogged down with stereotypical characters. The few great manga are the ones that DO NOT use the medium of 'manga' as a crutch or an excuse for low-quality story-telling, but works with the medium to its fullest potential.

In FMA, important plot points are unveiled throughout in just the right moments as to have a FUNCTION. Clearly there is thought and care in planning the story on the author's part. The villains are fleshed out enough so they don't have a 'villain-of-the-day' feel, which is something I loathe, abhor, DETEST in shounen manga. FMA touches many themes: the meaning of humanity, the distribution of power, the ethics of mass genocide, the importance and power of familial bonds. I don't judge manga on whether they tackle big themes because it's a choice on the mangaka, and if I DID judge them that way, I would probably eliminate some from my favorites list. But if a manga chooses to mention some, I expect them to elaborate upon them in such a way that they factor into the plot in some important way, and in a non-didactic manner.

Some final points:
1. Minor characters are brought back - NOT in a 'oh, remember this character that showed up ages ago? Well, as a bone to the readers who stuck by this manga since the beginning, I SPY!'. They either have a function by becoming a major player or they remain as part of the background, as recognizable landmarks, so to speak, that intensify the realism and cohesivity of the FMA world.
2. The main characters are MULTI-DIMENSIONAL. They have human, realistic, logical concerns, desires and fears, that drive the story forward.
3. There is a wonderful range of antagonists and villains who thwart the heroes. Some have multiple layers, some are flat (flat characters ARE necessary, too) - and most, if not all, are NOT completely black-and-white. And I don't mean in the typical shounen way, like after defeating the current villain the readers are privy to his sympathetic life story which is supposed to endear him/her to the readers in his/her last moments - NO.
4. The females are as kick-ass as the males. This is one of my biggest pet peeves of shounen manga. 'Strong' females in shounen typically tend to be strong in the physical-sense, but beyond that? No. FMA successfully displays the RANGE of females as equal to the range of males. Some females are strong, physically and emotionally, some are strong only physically, some are strong emotionally but not physically. One example: Winry NOT participating in physical fights is not 'insulting' to her character and is in no way a kind of underhanded 'women can support in the background' BS (I'm looking at you, Naruto). Winry is Ed's primary mechanic, which is her strength, therefore she IS a support character - not once do I think that it's because she's a female that she's a supprot character. She's also the Elric brothers' anchor, and, as demonstrated in the crucial scene
Spoiler (mouse over to view)
when she's about to shoot Scar but Ed stops her
it is symbolic for her to NOT sully her hands. Which brings me to...
5. Fighting isn't glorified in this shounen. This is not to say that the fight scenes aren't amazing - they are and it's awesome to see. (Who doesn't like a good fight scene? Especially the ones in FMA, in which battles are resolved in many different ways, by a combination of brute strength, ingenuity, luck, determination...) Fighting is in no way glorified, which is appropriate to the war theme that FMA has.
6. The range of relationships in FMA - familial, romantic, platonic - is just so well-done. God, most shounen with romantic elements are just...so juvenile, I shouldn't be so harsh considering the intended audience of shounen manga, but that's my point - FMA goes beyond its genre. Some of the romance is hinted at so lightly it can be taken as an extremely strong bond
Spoiler (mouse over to view)
Roy, Riza.
Some of the romance is light, but definitive
Spoiler (mouse over to view)
Ed, Winry.
The bond between the Elric brothers may be considered in-your-face-ish, but it's because IT'S WHAT DRIVES ED AND AL; it's damn important. The friendship and camaraderie that develops between major/minor characters are NOT done in the obnoxious, in-your-face-ish-shounen-YOU-ARE-MY-NAKAMA way and therefore seems realistic, to me at least.
7. Not only is the plot of FMA amazing, but it also has MEANING. There's meaning to the characters' actions/words, there's meaning to the plot - If I can write a veritable ESSAY on FMA, then I know that it has enough depth.
8. The ending - one of the most satisfying, complete, perfect endings I've seen in a manga. I had no questions or qualms against it.

It may seem that I'm mainly talking about characters, but that's because a story IS as good as its characters. You can give me an amazing plot but the characters are the ones who give it momentum, who give it life. FMA is quite possible the only manga that I simply cannot decide on a favorite character because, truly, there are too many characters that are so real and amazing and all those good adjectives. The world of FMA is one that is both familiar (Western and Eastern elements, possibly Europe and Asia?) and unfamiliar and it's exciting. By the end of the series I have felt that I have actually traveled to Amestris, and the journey with the characters has come to an end. I've come to recognize landmarks of a fictional world because I've visited them numerous times; they are not simply places that the characters have visited, but places attached to memorable events, with meaning.

In most shounen manga there is brotherhood, there is sacrifice, pain, love, redemption, fire-forged bonds. But while most shounen manga come across as flat and devoid of that elusive 'something' that really leaves a mark on me, FMA succeeds; the brotherhood is integral, the sacrifices are real and moving -
Spoiler (mouse over to view)
the death of Maes Hughes is still one of the fictional deaths that I refuse to accept
, the love is understated, the redemption is realistic, the fire-forged bonds are not outrageously dramatic.

Now, I'll stop talking about FMA because I could go on forever. To the reviewers who gave this manga a poor rating, I'm honestly curious as to what manga you gave a GOOD rating. Because either they must be extremely amazing or...

... Last updated on June 17th, 2012, 8:05pm
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 its ok   
Rating: N/A
by masisisd
June 1st, 2012, 10:03pm
mayb its just me, but everyone i knew made a hugee fuss over it, so i finially finished it after starting it like years ago. mayb i just out grew it? story was ok, the art...liveable....the charcters....could have been more dimensional?

but it might just be me...

you should read it anyway
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 A look back at a golden series.   
Rating: 10.0 / 10.0
by Jandalman
April 3rd, 2012, 5:07am
It has been two full years since FMA ended. Looking back at the series now my heart still warms up with happiness tinged with melancholic longing to relive the experience all over again.

This series is truly unique among mangadom. A story of two youths thrown into a world of intrigue, low-fantasy and adventure; who are forced to mature faster than normal less they and those they care about perish. Those who have read FMA witnessed a story of redemption, brotherhood, love, self-sacrifice; and an almighty bond forged between heroes and heroines of various races, creeds and walks of life in the face of almighty evil. Hiromu Arakawa created an incredible story that never faltered in its pacing, manipulating our emotions as effortlessly as an orchestra conductor.

Fullmetal Alchemist is a true epic saga bound in manga form.
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avatar
 perfect   
Rating: 9.9 / 10.0
by whitespade
March 25th, 2012, 6:36pm
this is what other manga wish to be. a tight script with nary a loose panel, every single characters are important for the advancement of the plot, logical progression of events and a smooth continuinity. i had never read a long running manga that never digress in the execution, i can believe that sensei write down every single detail of the manga before even been accepted for serialization. the characters are individuals with distinguishable faces and personality. the messages are easy to absorb and the arguments are provided for both sides, something that lack in other manga. the ending is perfect, making me long for more but i also understand it is the best to end a great manga in a great way.
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