Profile: Fullmetal Alchemist

[Revan]

Fullmetal Alchemist

Plot
Legend tells of a mystical artifact that when used will increase it's possessor's power a thousand fold. Anyone possessing this artifact could in theory produce an elixir of extraordinary power that would heal all injuries, and give them everlasting life. It is rumored to be red; a brilliant, sparkling crimson rivaling the most precious jewel in any museum. The stone's power is equal to the greatest of Nature’s fury and beauty alike.

Even in the hands of the most ordinary person the stone's potential is amazing. But in the hands of an Alchemist, its power becomes godlike. Only an Alchemist knows the deeper secrets of the stone. By tapping in to the stone’s most elemental levels the Alchemist is able to transmute human life, the most forbidden of all Alchemical practices.

Many have sought out the stone's power; all have failed. But a new adventurer has taken up the quest. A young State Alchemist seeks to right a most horrific wrong. His quest will determine the ultimate fate of an entire nation...and for himself. To seize the stone would allow him to restore life to those he loves, but it will also make it possible for the State Military to obliterate countless more. It is this burden that the young Alchemist bears. The power to create is but a breath away from the power to destroy. His name is Edward Elric. And he seeks the Philosopher's Stone.


Characters

Edward Elric: The lovable main character. Ed is a genius alchemist, able to transmute items without the help of an Array.
He became National Alchemist at the age of 12. The current scenes of the anime show him at 15. The series shows his background to the age of 6 years.
Ed is vertically challenged, gets called "chibi" a lot, and takes such great offense to being called "shorty," that he causes a lot of bodily harm.
He is known as the "Fullmetal Alchemist" because his entire right arm and his left leg below the knee are made of Automail. Automail are metal prostheses that can be attached in place of body parts.

Alphonse Elric: younger brother of Edward Elric, by one year, yet much, much taller. He can't help that since his soul was bound into a suit of armor. Polite and gentle in nature, yet his looks usually cause others to assume he is a fierce person. People often mistake Al as being the famous Fullmetal Alchemist. He travels with his brother, regardless of where Ed's searches take them. They are the only family they have left to each other... Al is also an expert in the use of alchemy, but he needs to use an Array to perform any transmutations, until he learns about the Truth.Arrays are the circles that alchemists must draw in order to practice their craft.

Winry Rockbell: a young girl about the same age, and from the same village as the two Elric brothers. She helped her grandmother attach Ed's Automail to his body when he was 11. She cares about Ed and Al deeply. Thier first use of alchemy was to make Winry a doll. She had been scared by what they did, not understanding the process. She is really, really into machinery, perhaps a little unhealthily.

Izumi Curtis: the fearsome alchemist who taught Ed and Al (read: kicks their asses on a regular basis in the name of "training") after their mother died. She is also able to perform incredible alchemy without an array, but not without cost to her health. She disapproves of Edward doing alchemy without an array.

Roy Mustang: Colonel (taisa) and National Alchemist in the government's army, Roy is also known as the "Flame Alchemist." His alchemical expertise is fire. He was one of the most feared battle alchemists during the war. Roy is the one who "discovered" Ed, and has gained prestige for doing so. This may seem he is doing whatever he can in order to advance in rank, but the soldiers who follow him are very loyal, and claim there is more to him than that. He seems like a very slimy and manipulating character. Roy wants to become the head of the army, but what is his true reason? It can't just be to make all the women in the army wear mini-skirts.

"Riza" Elizabeth Hawkeye: sharpshooter and right-hand-woman to Roy Mustang, Riza has a no-nonsense attitude which serves her well in the army. She's also got a soft spot for the Elrics. Awww. Her dog-training methods are questionable. Her rank is chuui, first lieutenant.

Alex Louis Armstrong: big muscley guy, very shiny head. You can usually see sparkles around his chrome dome, and bare body when he's shirtless, which is as often as he can make it that way. Uses alchemy to beef up his punches/throw flying punches, etc. Armstrong is very sentimental, and values his family heritage. His rank is shousa, major.

John Havok: he's known for his dead-pan delivery, has no aversion to eating dog meat, is single, and has a strong loyalty to Mustang. He is overjoyed by the miniskirt plan. He is a heavy smoker. His rank is shoui, second lieutenant.

Mars (Maes) Hughes: another army guy, in the Investigations division. His wife was pregnant, and delivers right in front of Edward, in the middle of a snowstorm. Hughes LOVES his wife, Gracia, and child, Elicia. Tiny throwing knives are his weapon of choice. He's a friendly, easy-going guy, a total family-man. His rank is chuusa, lieutenant colonel.

Vador Farman: a plain clothes agent who was supposed to be protecting General Hakuro on the train in episode 5. Made a big deal out of Ed being short. His rank is juni, warrant officer.

[b]Basque Gran:[/B] His rank is junshou, brigadier general. He is supposed to be one of the greatest combat fighters in the army. He is the one who took the alchemist Tucker under his wing, sealing off others's access to research on human alchemy. In the manga, he is mentioned, but never actually appears thus far, since he is dead in the present time... He has the ability to turn his body into weapons and firearms, though how this sticks to the principle of equivalent trade is beyond me.

Hymans Breda: His rank is shoui, second lieutenant. Extremely afraid of dogs.

Cain Fury: His rank is souchou, seargant major. Has a soft-spoken personality. The "techie" of the group.

Frank Archer: assumes Hughes's post after his promotion. Very calm and collected. Appears to be working very hard to eliminate the homunculous.

Kimbley: also known as the Crimson Alchemist, he was formerly a part of the army's battle alchemist corps. He had a bit too much fun exterminating Ishvar lives during the war and was sent to prison. He escapes and joins forces with Greed. His speciality in alchemy is making things self-combust (blows stuff up by igniting the stuff's own reactive elements).

King Bradley: He's not really a king. That's just his name, although holds the highest rank in the army. A master of swords, when he goes into action, he carries with him 5 swords: one in his hand, and the other four carried behind him. Seemingly free-spirited, he can slaughter people with no hesitation.

Lust: one of the seven deadly sins? Actually one of the homonculi, artificial humans, created by alchemy, but not truly human. A very sexy, manipulative lady with strange powers (her fingernails shoot out to great lengths to impale) and an unknown plan. She does have her eye on Edward... Lust looks like someone Scar knew in his youth, his brother's wife.

Gluttony: another one of the seven deadly sins! He likes to eat...people! Metal! Anything! He eats stuff by dissolving it with his super mouth juices. Just follows Lust without using logical thought.

Envy: yet another one of the seven deadly sins following Lust's orders. He is able to transform his appearance and masquerade as other people. Envy has an intense hatred for the Elrics, especially for their father. He is older than Lust, Sloth and Wrath. Likes to be referred to as a "monster."

Greed: yet another of the deadly sins, and is able to recover from any damage as the rest. He can give his skin a super-hardness that seems to resist everything. Claims to be able to use alchemy, unlike most of the other homonculi, who loathe him. Greed was held prisoner under an army lab for 130 years, trapped there by Envy.

Sloth: 5th of the homonculi/sins to show up, and called the youngest at the time, she has a freaky power to turn herself into purple goo, and can suffocate people with it. She has power over water, being able to become one with it, thereby traveling within it at great speeds, as well as manipulating it to her will. Looks and sounds like Tricia Elric.

Wrath: the newest of the homonculi to be born, and the final. Through Envy's manipulations, he has attained an incredible hatred for Edward, and humans in general. He is able to use alchemy, thanks to Edward's "donations." His alchemy use usually involves transforming parts of his own body into objects (clothing himself, merging with items, etc).

Scar: An Ishvarian hated by Lust, Greed and Envy, he is also able to use alchemy without an Array. His left arm looks grafted on. He often looks at it and mumbles about why his brother did "this" to him. He believes his mission in life is to stop all wasteful and horrendous use of alchemy in the world, even if it means to destroy by killing. It's a mission from God!! Scar has a special grudge against National Alchemists, and has already killed a few, such as Gran.


Review
Fullmetal Alchemist has become the biggest multimedia phenomenon to hit Japan since .hack went big nearly two years ago, and rightfully so. There’s a plethora of big-name companies that got in on the action. What was originally the brain child of creator Hiromu Arakawa and Square-Enix (best known for the Final Fantasy video games) has gone on to involve such prominent companies as Bandai (video games and merchandise), Sony (soundtrack), Shounen Gangan (manga serialization), and, of course, Studio BONES coming through with the animation. Each name acts as a stone pillar, supporting Fullmetal Alchemist in every way imaginable. From novels to bath towels, Fullmetal Alchemist is everywhere.

Fortunately, the anime lives up to the unnatural amount of hype that surrounds it.

When watching the show for the first time you’ll find that this isn’t your average series about magic and monsters. This series involves the scientific marvel known as alchemy. Unlike magic, which can make something out of nothing, alchemy follows the law of even trade, making something out of something. Of course, watching a guy turn water into salt wouldn’t make for a very entertaining series, so FA takes things to a much more imaginative level. By using certain circular symbols called “transmutation circles” (some also call these “arrays“), a house can be made out of rubble, or a sword from a chunk of metal. However, as with everything, there are some rules that should never be broken.

This is where our aspiring protagonists come into play. The young brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric have lost their mother to a rare illness and are unable to contact their father who's been away. To fill this void in their lives, the boys turn to a study of alchemy. It isn’t long after their informal training that they attempt the most forbidden of alchemic crafts: Human Transmutation. They fail.

The price is high, as Ed loses both his entire right arm and his lower left leg, and Al loses everything. Using quick thinking, Ed grafts Al’s spirit to a full suit of armor using alchemy before passing out from the pain and blood loss. Likewise Al makes use of his new body to take Ed to their adoptive family, the Rockbells. It is here that Ed is fitted with a type of prosthetic called “automail,” a Rockbell specialty that allows for a full range of motion and added strength.

While recovering, the pair is offered a chance to be students at a special academy that will give them a shot at becoming State Alchemists (“government-issued” alchemists). Ed and Al see this as an opportunity not only to better their understanding of alchemy, but also to further research human transmutation, hopefully to regain their former bodies. To do this they find they’ll need an item that will amplify their abilities, the Philosopher’s Stone. It’s with this that their biggest adventure begins.

Much of the earlier story is told as the real story of FA progresses. The current story actually takes place about 5 years after the events that set the brothers on their path. Learning about events that have taken place in the past helps promote interest in what is a long, complex story full of well rounded characters. Everyone has a past to explore. The past is just as important as the present, and viewers will want to understand both series of events well. It goes beyond the Elric brothers’ search for answers as all chains of events become intertwined at one point or another.

The constant reviving of previous story arcs does much to keep the series fresh. By reintroducing characters that aren’t expected to return, the entertainment level rises greatly. Throwing in one plot twist after another only increases the anticipation of each episode.

Fullmetal Alchemist has full of some of the most interesting and well-rounded characters you’ll see in an anime. Thanks to the connections between past and present in the story, we learn much about the characters in a short length of time. We also get ample opportunity to watch the characters develop. In some cases it's as simple as a State Alchemist rising in military rank, but other times it's more personal, like a birthday. The characters mature, and as they reflect on their past lives, we often see changes in morals or ambitions.

Be warned, though: Don’t trust anybody in the show. One of the greatest things about this series is the ability to mislead the viewers into a false sense of security. Motives and intents change rapidly; the nicest character can quickly become the vilest. And of course, it goes both ways.

We also witness some of anime's best character designs. You’ll never confuse characters in Fullmetal Alchemist, as each character has a distinct appearance. Some very calculated care was taken to make sure that no two characters looked even remotely alike. It's especially important because most characters are part of the military and, thus, will be seen mainly in their uniforms. The one exception is Ed, who almost always wears variations on his familiar black suit and red coat.

The animation is squeaky clean. The colors are bright and vivid; even dull hues appear to glow. The animation is always flooded with colors--but never to the point that it becomes too busy or painful to watch. In some sequences they even use real photos of historical events like World War II. In other cases they use computer generated rooms and perfectly animate the characters within them, leaving a pleasant, uniform look to the animation.

Equally as impressive is the music. So far we’ve had opening and ending themes by such popular artists as ****o Graffitti, L’Arc en Ciel, YeLLOW Generation, and Crystal Kay to name a few. As of this writing there are still two more top names being added to the soundtrack, bringing the total to eight for this series' fifty-episode run. Thanks not only to the variety of artists, but also the different styles that each one brings to the table, the music is never boring and worth taking the couple of minutes to listen to every time. Anyone who's familiar with the quality of music that Square-Enix includes in their games should know what to expect from Fullmetal Alchemist. Much of the background music is fully orchestrated, often relying on the use of woodwinds and percussions that are pleasing to the ear and in no way distract from any talking taking place.

9/10