In chapters 1 and 2 the manga lays the groundwork for all the themes, concepts, and worldbuilding of the story, with the brothers telling us what alchemy is and how it works, as well as introducing the concept of equivalent exchange and how the Philosopher’s Stone negates that.
#METAL ALCHEMIST MANGA 3 SERIES#
Through nearly every aspect of the manga (the story, the worldbuilding, the lore, the characters and their actions and arcs), the series explores and defines the intricate, complex, layered ways in which structural systems of oppression take from the many to give to the few.Įverything the series is trying to say is laid out in a smaller scale in the first five chapters, one of many virtues that speak to the manga as a masterpiece of craft and planning. When you do, you can read Fullmetal Alchemist to be an allegory for capitalism-specifically, capitalism as a form of fascism. It’s important that this happens before Ed and Al discover the truth within Marcoh’s research, that Philosopher’s Stones are made by sacrificing human lives, because when they do, you are now primed to question what their findings mean in the context of the larger story.
He presents his coded research to the brothers and urges them to reach “the truth that lies within the truth.” This line refers to both decoding the research and moving forward from its truth, but it’s also Arakawa prompting you, the reader, to seek the truth behind the truth as well, to analyze the story, to seek the meaning behind it.
Marcoh, a former State Alchemist who researched Philosopher’s Stones.
In pursuit of this goal, Ed becomes a State Alchemist of Amestris: alchemists who get government certification, access to records, and a consistent salary at the cost of being a “dog of the military.” In other words, they can be called upon to turn their work, or themselves, into weapons for the gain of their country.ĭuring their journey, they encounter Dr. In order to get their bodies back, the brothers search for the Philosopher’s Stone, an object that grants the power to transmute without equivalent exchange, the ironclad alchemic law stating that in order to gain something, something of equal value must be lost. The series follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, who attempted to bring their mother back to life using Alchemy-the science of understanding, deconstructing and reconstructing matter-the failed transmutation leaving Ed without his arm and leg and Al without a body, his soul bonded to an empty suit of armor. But it’s not just a well-crafted, captivating tale of two brothers’ journey to regain their bodies it’s also an intricately crafted criticism of capitalism, one in which nearly every facet of the story works to support this allegory so skillfully and elegantly that it elevates the series to the level of masterpiece. The series has captured many, from seasoned anime and manga fans to novices who have had it recommended to them as a “gateway” series into anime and manga. Earlier this year, Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist celebrated its 20th anniversary, and after recently re-reading the manga, I can confidently say it’s still one of the best pieces of art and storytelling ever created-just as impactful, and relevant, as when it was first released.
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