Kyuugou's FMA doujinshis are the finest in the land; you won't be let down by this (or Kyuugou's other) titles. BRILLIANT Ed and Roy characterizations, and a stunning amount of depth conveyed in a relatively short period of time, not to mention an uncanny sense of reality, as if these characters are actually real and are living out their messed-up lives somewhere. Total suspension of disbelief, here! Possibly because Kyuugou's art is so tangible and realistic, but I'm sure that it's even more so because of her psychological portraiture, which ranks among the best I've ever seen. Her characters cease being fictional characters and become PEOPLE.

Heck, if Kyuugou made this series even longer than 2 volumes? Say, 20 volumes? I'D STILL BE READING IT.

... Last updated on August 24th, 2010, 11:48pm

Out of the bunch, Hana to Tekka, and Until our wisdom is exhausted, are two of the most heart- wrenching and philosophical of all the djs scanlated. Goodbye shooting star seems to be another wonderful work judging from the art, but the dj has sadly, only been scanlated in Chinese.

Roy Mustang's psyche is beautifully explored in Kyuugou's djs. We get a glimpse of his fears, his guilt, his conscience, his regret which gave rise to Roy's seemingly contradicting actions in the djs. It could be said that the source of his internal conflicts is Edward: he came barging in, uninvited, and took a hold of Roy's heart (Munich 1921 dj). The fear of loosing Edward has driven Roy to commit certain acts of "irrationality" (Munich 1921) , yet his rational, calculating self pushes Ed away as an act of self-preservation (Hana to Tekka). Rational men suffer in love, and Roy has become vulnerable because of love. We also got a glimpse into how Roy copes with the death of his best friend, Hughes in The Pathetic Fool and The Front Secession. Roy Mustang has undoubtedly took most of the spotlight in all the djs.

Edward, on the other hand, is Roy's complete opposite. Hot-headed, rash, quick to act on his emotions, he is the plane contrast of Roy. Even their appearances don't match! It's certainly interesting to see how the dynamics of the two play out.

Overall, the djs are more than enjoyable, even for someone who has not read FMA like me. The art is nuanced, very beautiful, it's hard to believe the stories were published in 2004. It would be great if someone can pick this project up and scanlate the remaining djs, especially Goodbye Shooting Star.

... Last updated on November 29th, 2015, 1:58am

Following review is based on the doujinshi in this collection I could find.

#1. The Lust Terrorist
Deep with a perfect touch of everything else. Amazing how much development took place in just a few pages.

#2. Stray Cat Smut
My hands-down favorite in the collection. The art is sketchier and less refined but it's almost even more beautiful that way. An extremely sweet story with just enough angst and a ridiculously adorable kitten.

#3. The Endless Strife
A bit more heart-wrenching than the others. No smut in this one, just anger. Also one of the shorter works.

#4. The Front Secession
This would have to be my second favorite of the bunch. It is truly the perfect blend of everything: angst, humor, sweetness, everything. Only lightly implied relationship(s).