Alright, I started a new manga. One of the most popular ones apparently so this is a more spoilery what I thought about the first half of the series rather than a full-on review. But I guess it doesn’t matter since the spoilers won’t make sense to someone who hasn’t read them.

Let’s get to it!

Edward and Alphonse Elric are two prodigeous alchemists for the state. Otherwise known as the Amestria’s dogs. They’re super powerful and disliked in equal measures because of their position but they don’t take pleasure in that power. They’re only teenagers after all and were forced into the role by consequences of their own making.

When their mother died, they used their talents and skills to break the natural laws of alchemy and try to bring their mother back to life. Instead they brought back an inhuman moster. Alphonse lost his body, his soul bound to a body of armor (hence the title) while Edward lost a leg and arm. Now they hunt across Amestria, looking for cures and knowledge that will bring their original bodies back but on the way, they get entangled into a conspiracy involving homoculi and human sacrifices and no one knows who can be trusted.

Pretty exciting right?

The first volume was a bit slow. Or not slow as it is very action packed but gave the wrong impression that it is going to be an episodic adventure series focusing on Edward and Alphonse stopping in random towns and helping out the denizens and get small clues leading to their goal.

Rather the second volume is the one that introduces the overarching menace of the homuculi (named after the seven deadly sins) and fleshes out the other state alchemists that Edward rages and allies himself with like Col. Mustang, the falme alchemist; His second hand, Hawkeye, the flirtatious Havoc, and the gentle giant, Armstrong. There’s also other enemies like Scar, an Ishvalan survivor who uses the alchemy of his enemies to kill all the other state alchemist in revenge for the war atrocities and genocide of his people.

I also can’t forget Winry and Granny Rockbell, their old neighbors and Edward’s personal mechanic who are unfortunately left in the dark as to most of the Elric brothers’ whereabouts and professions.

But that’s not fair to the first volume. Even though that is where things get exciting, the first volume does a great job in highlighting the prominant themes and characters of the Elric brothers who champion the underdogs and use their privilege to fight against self-appointed leaders who use religion, science and whatever else to justify their inhumane actions and grip on power, promoting ideas of survival of the fittest in the name of science or God.

It’s just that the other volumes get more and more intense, always a highlight as readers get a glimpse of the brother’s fragile states and even the humanity of other state dogs. Col. Mustang is often at odds with the secretly selfless, wholly impulsive Edward but does protect the younger alchemist in his own way, being one of the few acknowledging that Edward is still a kid and tries to protect him from the wider conspiracy that has him in the middle.

And what a conspiracy as Arakawa gets me invested in the tragic death of Hughes and frame up of Maria Ross at the same time I’m hyped at the potential angst of brotherly battles when Alphonse wonders if he even existed in the first place.

And I haven’t even gotten to Prince Ling who also seeks immortality and acts as another thorn in Edward and Alphonse’s side with his eccentricity. He’s just hilarious.

There really is plenty of humor like Edward’s indignation at even the word “short,” Barry the Chopper, Prince Ling in general as well as Armstrong. He reminds me of the Rock in comedy movies or B99’s Terry. The reoccuring gags add some nicelevity admist the talk of human experimentation, horrors of war and the casual loss of life in contrast to never-ending grief in the aftermath.

I also enjoy how Arakawa creates such an expansive world with complex geopolitics and beliefs about alchemy between Isvalan, Amestria and Xing among others. It really makes it its own thing and leads to plenty of opportunities for the characters to travel and meet new eccentric people to fight against and champion for.

The art is awesome in fluidly displaying emotion, unique character designs and setting, it’s a wonderful blend of action, adventure, menace and humor.

I can’t wait to read the rest though it might be awhile as my library has the whole series except vol 9 and 10 for some reason. So I might skip ahead to volume 11 and circle back. We’ll see.