Fullmetal Dragon

Man cannot gain anything without first sacrificing something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange. When we were young, we believed this to be the truth of the world.

Such are the first words in the series Hagane no Rekijutsushi, translated as the Fullmetal Alchemist.

I am not really fan-boy material. It is a funny thing to say as my life is based on generating entertainment for fans, but perhaps it is just for this reason the passion for product that I see all around me is never really duplicated. It might be a price you pay for seeing how these things are done -it takes some of the magic away.

There are of course things that I really like and things that interest me greatly, but honestly I cannot think of a series of comics, movies, TV shows, concerts, books, sports events or anything else at all that I would not miss for the world.

Until now, that is.

I declare to be a fan of the Anime series called Hagane no Rekijutsushi, the Fullmetal Alchemist.

On paper, the characters and the plot of the series might seem thin and weak, though this could not be further from the truth. Explaining the series to someone who has not seen it is like teaching archery to a rock -I simply don't have the words to describe the series as I want to and it frustrates me. In a nutshell, the series is a story of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric who one day decide to attempt to resurrect their dead mother by using Alchemy, a magical lore that requires an equal sacrifice from the Alchemist for each miracle he performs. Though both are both prodigies of of this arcane science, their experiment ends in tragedy: younger brother Alphonse loses his entire body and his older brother Edward loses his leg. Only by sacrificing his right arm as well Edward is able to bind the soul of his brother into a near-by suit or armour, saving Alphonse's life.

As the brothers age, Edward joins the military order of State Alchemists, elite group in service of the ruthless military junta that governs the world of where the series is set. He is code-named “the Full Metal Alchemist” as his missing arm and leg had been replaced by cybernetic auto-mail limbs. However, the brothers never gave up their dream of regaining their bodies, and they set out on a quest to find legendary Philosopher’s Stone that is said to hold enough power to restore their bodies and bring their dead mother to life.

Never before have I seen series where you truly feel that the creators actually could bring their vision through, where they were not forced to compromise due the incompetence and lack of understanding by the business managers and know-it-all non-creatives. Whatever happened when Fullmetal Alchemist was made should be bottled and sold to every company that makes anything remotely creative.

Each time you watch a new episode you learn something new, you understand the characters and their world better, and you discover a new piece of the majestic tapestry that is the deep, multi-layered story. Nothing is done simply for the sake of showing a chase scene or a big fight (as is the annoying habit of Hollywood) but instead each scene has a purpose in the greater story arch. Nor does the series fall to prey to the arch-sin of Japanese series, namely being strange for the sake of being strange. Being mysterious and incomprihensible does not equal depth in my books.

The characters and their emotions and motives remain fresh from episode to episode. When you just thought you figured out who is the bad guy, the series has a knack of turning things on their head. It is also a blessing that the creators of the series have wisely not made the Elric brothers all-powerful. Talented though Edward is, he cannot beat his enemies with raw power –quite on the contrary, he is often faced with odds that he simply cannot defeat with brute force.

The world of the Fullmetal Alchemist is a bleak place torn by war and civil strife, with a Nazi-style military dictatorship holding sway over religiously divided population. State Alchemists form a thin layer of elite, with powers to investigate any incident in their vast empire. Since they are bitterly hated, the State Alchemist’s badge is as much curse as a blessing to Edward. This all creates a grand canvas upon which the story is Fullmetal Alchemist is drawn with bold strokes.

Anime insider declared it the finest Anime ever created. I disagree. I think it is the best TV series I’ve ever seen.

Of course I think that is quite likely that our esteemed readers might not experience the series in the same way as I did. Perhaps the series is simply a perfect match to my tastes: I find the humor funny, the action thrilling, the voice acting to be excellent, and the deep story to have a perfect blend of intrigue and humanity. The world is utterly captivating and filled to brim with detail, mixture of the first world war Europe and mystical fantasy. It is an endless source of joy to me. Animation is of highest quality, and attention to detail breathtaking. But best of all, it is so easy for me to care for the characters of the series without them being rubbed into your face –a long-running building of Edward's and Alphonse's characters is a hallmark of truly lasting appeal. The series is also shockingly dark –it is certainly not made for kids.

Waiting for the rest of our boxed sets to arrive seems like torture, and I don’t know how I can wait until the end of 2005 when the movie comes out.

EDIT: Damn typos!

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