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ALL A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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.
Won the Eagle Award's "Favourite Manga" in 2010/2011.
Won the Seiun Award for best science fiction comic in 2011.

Type
Manga

Related Series

Associated Names
Alchemist of Steel
Alquimista de Aço
Cang Giả Kim Thuật Sư
Full Metal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist
Giả Kim Thuật Sư
Hagaren
Metal Simyacı
Çelik Simyacı
Сталевий Алхімік
Стальной алхимик
पूर्ण धातु कीमियागर
แขนกล คนแปรธาตุ
鋼の錬金術師
钢之炼金术师
강철의 연금술사

Groups Scanlating
Franky House
ZOMGFTA
TMI-Scans
Evil Genius
More...

Latest Release(s)
c.Gaiden by MangaStream & Binktopia over 13 years ago
c.108 by MangaStream & Binktopia over 13 years ago
c.108c (end) by reddevilshn over 13 years ago
Search for all releases of this series

Status
in Country of Origin
27 Volumes (Complete)
14 Volumes (Keisouban, Complete)
18 Volumes (Kanzenban, Complete)

Completely Scanlated?
Yes

Anime Start/End Chapter
Starts at Vol 1, Chap 1 (FMA/Brotherhood)
Ends at Vol 7, Chap 29 (FMA) Diverges during Ep 34 / Vol 27, Chap 108 (Brotherhood)

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

Forum
33 topics, 394 posts
Click here to view the forum

User Rating
Average: 8.8 / 10.0 (4252 votes)
Bayesian Average: 8.78 / 10.0
10
 
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Last Updated
December 23rd 2023, 12:21am


Genre

Categories

Category Recommendations

Recommendations

Author(s)

Artist(s)

Year
2001

Original Publisher
Square Enix (2001, 2009, 2011)

Serialized In (magazine)
Shounen Gangan (Square Enix)
Gangan Online (Square Enix)

Licensed (in English)
Yes

English Publisher
Manga Up! Global (Digital)
Viz (27 Vols - Complete | 18 Fullmetal Edition - Complete)
Yen Press (27 Vols - Complete; Digital)

Activity Stats (vs. other series)
Weekly Pos #524 increased(+4)
Monthly Pos #733 increased(+117)
3 Month Pos #981 increased(+1)
6 Month Pos #1028 increased(+78)
Year Pos #1230 increased(+29)

List Stats
On 3508 reading lists
On 1561 wish lists
On 8011 completed lists
On 219 unfinished lists
On 863 custom lists

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User Comments  [ Order by usefulness ]
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Surprisingly a genuine read from the start to the end  
by Cheerthedead
November 17th, 2022, 10:32pm
Rating: 10.0  / 10.0
Unlike other manga, this one doesn't suffer from filter. Chapters that feel like a filter is actually crucial bridge to understand the characters and bringing out the depth of the story.

This manga is neither seinen or shounen. It's different from other manga that you enjoy the catharsis of actions. This is a mature manga. A manga that demands you to think like an mature person to find the beauty within. It's rare to see a manga so perfect from the first chapter to the end without suffering from hiccup where certain chapter is irrelevant to the manga as a whole or where the manga deviate from its central concept.
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Great journey that aged well  
by CCheshire
March 10th, 2021, 9:11am
Rating: N/A
It's been almost two decades since I first completed FMA series back when I started in JR High and it was an amazing exp to grow up with the Elric brothers from their mistakes and how they managed to resolve to get their bodies back. I feel that most of the main story beats still hold up and avoids some of the traps of long shonen like a meandering quest objective, no real ending, or too many similar cast members that go nowhere.

Also, how the manga-ka handled all the female characters who all had agency in her life and actions was great compared to some modern stories. Also, no creepy scenes b/t them and the male characters which is awesome. I liked how even minor characters were noted and had different designs vs just NPCs. Although FMA's cast is pretty large I managed to keep everyone's face and histories apart which is impressive and I can see how their lives changed for the better or worse due to the events.

I feel like it aged pretty well other than some of the physical gags/jokes which feel out of place now and the omake added some comedy to otherwise dark scenes. The series does have a rough start as we're not exactly sure how a child can enlist in the army and become a soldier but everyone does treat Ed and Al like kids which is much better than say small adults. It's interesting to see how the main characters grow from inexperienced kids to relatively confident teens and happier adults.

I say the main theme is that Hope/Friendship is still relevant esp in nowadays but the manga-ka never hits the readers so heavy-handed that it becomes trite than significant. Overall, I still say read FMA if you want a memorable and iconic experience to shonen genre.

... Last updated on March 10th, 2021, 9:24am
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Fullmetal Alchemist is an action-packed adventure with an amazing set of characters and an unforgettable story  
by chandylier
September 26th, 2020, 9:08am
Rating: 10.0  / 10.0
Short review: Fullmetal Alchemist is little step up your average shounen action-adventure series, creating a unique world with memorable characters, lore, and legend. Following two young heroes, the story grows and our characters get entangled with creations and monsters beyond their imaginations. Not forgetting to pack the comedy (and a little bit of romance), the series mixes everything into a beautiful tale that will always be great to go back to.

Full review:

Warning: review contains spoilers

I’ll have to say that out of all the manga I’ve read, Fullmetal Alchemist is so far the only one where I feel like every event is really connected to the others. From the beginning where everything is set up, instead of a linear direction where you feel like you’re following one hero up and down a path, FMA gives me that feeling of sitting on large bird that flies up slowly and reveals the entire landscape. I can hardly find faults with the plot - it’s not too fast paced, and it knows when it needs to end. There is never a moment you will be bored, and it’s exciting to uncover the bigger picture along with the protagonists.

From the beginning where we have Ed and Al and the introduction of our basic concepts - The Philosopher’s Stone, transmutation, equivalent exchange - everything is weaved together in a way where things are not revealed too quickly for us to stomach, or too slowly that we would get bored. I think that what the manga has over both the 2003 and 2009 series is that here Arakawa tells the story how she likes - and that greatly gives us the pace we need. We get to feel every loss and every discovery with equal parts terror and wonder, making each reveal more and more interesting.

One more of the best things about the series is the scope. We may begin our journey with a fourteen and twelve year old boy, but by the end we are witnessing the story of an entire nation. And all of this is revealed so artfully, letting us know bit by bit about the homonculi, the nationwide transmutation circle, and Father. This is told to us not only through Ed and Al, but eventually with the help of the Mustang Unit, the Briggs team, and even people from another country, Xing.

Speaking of the characters, Arakawa did a great job of writing fleshed out ensemble characters. For such a large group, as a reader, I still ended up appreciating more than enough of my share of the cast. Maybe because Arakawa is a female author writing a shounen series but I felt the significance of most of the main characters in such a way that other mainstream shounen titles are unable to pull off. There is depth and growth in the love interests, the parent figures, and the villains. The lack of flat side characters makes Fullmetal Alchemist so refreshing. This is probably a personal preference as well but Arakawa writes some of shounen’s best female characters. She has stated that she grew up in a tough family and surrounded by strong women, and the influence shines in the characters such as Winry, Riza, Lan Fan, Izumi, Olivier, and Mei Chang.

An issue I have with some manga is when the art style gets so similar I can’t tell characters apart. That is not an issue with FMA. Most of the characters are memorable and distinct, and the art showing us Amestris is beautiful as well. One thing that stands out in FMA is the humor - it has the usual shounen formula of injecting comedy to lighten the tone, and FMA has some of my favorite chibi versions of the characters. The balance between jokes and serious topics is not too wishy-washy, you feel the seriousness and humor in the right times.

Overall, I’d recommend FMA in a heartbeat to anyone. It touches on heavy topics while keeping the perfect tone, has adorable comedy and art, lovable and relatable characters, and an exciting story that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire way. Not to mention the ending doesn’t feel as dissatisfying as a lot of the endings of other big name anime. FMA is smart, but it never lacks in heart. It’s not that lengthy, but you will be investing quite some time on it. No worries, though, as the principle of equivalent exchange states, you’ll be getting something in return. I promise you, what you’re going to be seeing is worth it.

Plot 10/10
Art 9/10
Characters 10/10
Overall 10/10
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Well-planned  
by Cryvern
July 5th, 2020, 5:23pm
Rating: 9.0  / 10.0
Love how all the different elements and character storylines from the beginning tied together midway and all the way to the end in a crescendo of awesomeness.
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Overrated but Not Bad  
by falconmaster3000
May 19th, 2020, 8:34pm
Rating: 6.0  / 10.0
The characters are lovely and the world itself is fascinating. It can be mind-numbing at times and often times is the generic "I loved this stuff when I was 15" power-of-friendship gags or conflict. It's a fun read, but nothing particularly special. If it wasn't for what one reviewer described as "anime junk", I honestly believe it could be a 10/10 manga that appeals to all ages. Neither bad, nor great, just good-ish.

While writing this review, I realize I'm kind of salty because I feel this manga could have been so much more, or at least so much shorter while accomplishing the same things. So take the rating score with a grain of salt

... Last updated on May 19th, 2020, 8:39pm
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Maybe this time...  
by frangelic
December 25th, 2019, 2:40pm
Rating: N/A
I've never been able to muddle through the bad, childish humor in this series that is never welcome in pretty much any scene it pops up in, and I'm amazed at how many "10/10" reviews there are that don't mention it at all. But, that being said, I'm ready to give it another try. Wish me luck.

... Last updated on December 25th, 2019, 2:41pm
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The Best Shounen till the end  
by Acradnxy
November 9th, 2019, 3:11am
Rating: N/A
I watched the anime first and honestly, I was soooo disappointed with the ending. Good animation and music though. Then I heard that the manga wasn't finished yet, so I started to read it and man, I love it!!! Really Really REALLLLLLLLYYYYY LOOOOOOOVE it!

As I know many shounen tend to go downhill after awesome and powerful beginning, but not for FMA. I love it till the end. It has good humor and character developments. The art is not my taste, but an OK one. For those who are saying too many humor, maybe you can see the art is not a seinen, there's a big humorous style of art in FMA. I enjoy the humor, that's why I can see Ed grew up into a fine young man.

I like the original ending better than the first anime, it has more powerful moment especially during in the end when everybody cheering for Ed.
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Disappointed  
by miyagi1
June 22nd, 2019, 11:53pm
Rating: 2.0  / 10.0
Disappointed. The underlying story is great but It's just volume after volume of generic action comedy that's really hard to get through. If they removed all the loony toon comedy and cut the length in half it could of been good.
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Perfect in every way  
by Kuroyuki7
August 28th, 2018, 1:07am
Rating: 10.0  / 10.0
I don't even know what to say, rating speaks for itself.
It was one of my first mangas and the first one I completed by buying the whole series in my language. I always recommend it to every person I know, as well manga-lovers, as manga-beginners, and even people who don't really read manga. You want a good adventure? FMA. You want good characters who grow as story goes? FMA. You want an amazing created word? FMA. You want something family? FMA. Something about friendship? FMA. Good, subtle, snowburn romance? FMA. Wholesome ending? FMA.
For me, this manga in perfect in every and each way. One of the best mangas to start manga reading.
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Still just shounen  
by ladymanson
December 3rd, 2017, 3:10pm
Rating: 6.5  / 10.0
I first heard about FMA via old anime serie from 2003 - 2004. I liked that one despite I must admite there were lot of fillers, but it had great dark atmosphere and tragedy content. Then the Brotherhood anime serie was released and most of my friends felt for it. I watched few episodes and found it too much comedial for me.

I got the whole manga serie as payment from from debtor. I would never bought it myself. So I gave it chance when I had it already. Till 7th volume it was fine, then lot of action fights started. I'm not shounen fan. I love seinen more. But my friends convinced me FMA has lot of philosophical aspects which make it better than most of shounen series. Unfortunately those aspects start slowly fade away after 16th volume. I found the last volumes very hard to read.

So yes FMA is great shounen. It's about friendship, fighting agains evil and convincing teammates not to do stupid thing and be good. There few sad moments too and few small philosophical ideas which make it different from Naruto or Bleach. But for seinen fans it's still no good. Characters are not enought adult, not physicaly but their minds is full of childishplay and adventure. I found the final fight very boring and disapointing too. Not cup of my tea this series but not completly bad too. Avarage one if I should say.
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