It's been a week and few days since Arakawa-sensei's released the final chapter of FMA. The day after viewing the 107th chapter I went back to chapter 1 and read it all over again from the beginning since the plot started to blur for me after months of waiting for the next chapter. Only then did I realize that this manga indeed, is the greatest anime-manga franchise of the 2000s. One Piece and Naruto certainly do not deserve this title since One Piece started in 1997 and Naruto in 1999. FMA started in 2001, and was still able to stand tall before those two fat giants.
After feeling completely satisfied after reading the final chapters (Which sadly, wasted a lot of paper with its everlasting action scenes), I wondered, "Why does this series leave me so content?". I've come up with many answers, but the gist of it is this.
The characters were all alive, and most importantly their position in the plot was secure and comprehensible. For series like Bleach and Naruto, some characters just pop out of nowhere and you are never sure whether this guy actually matters or is just another hobo. In FMA, you know the who, what, where, when, why and hows of the characters, and you could actually memorize most of them. This made the series more alive, and the plot progression seem as if they are based around those characters.
Another great thing about the series is that all the arcs are linked together, and the link is not forced. The brother's goal is still in place and going, and as each arch unfolds the brothers get closer and closer to their goal - returning to their original bodies. There are no plot holes and the puzzles all come together in the end. It's like the Harry Potter of Shounen manga, everything just makes sense.
Over all that, what left me most satisfied was the theory of "Equivalent Exchange". Arakawa-sensei created an omniscient law that not only alchemy, but the flow of nature abided by. The everyday motivational line of 'no pain, no gain' was brought to a more philosophic and sophisticated level and implied to the world of Full Metal Alchemist. Without this theory, FMA would've meant much less. The Elric Brothers had to discover the basis of Equivalent Exchange and truly understand through their journeys that this law was not only restricted to alchemy, but to the world and universe that surrounds them. Much like how the audience also learned that this rule can be just as easily exemplified in real life where you cannot gain anything without sacrificing something of equal or greater value.
"But once you overcome that sacrifice and make it your own, you will gain an irreplaceable fullmetal heart".
We look forward to your next masterpiece! Arakawa-sensei!
(-29)
