Full Metal Alchemist

From Animepedia

Full Metal Alchemist is a manga and anime series from Bones and distributed in the US by FUNimation. The series follows Edward and Alphonse Elric in their quest to regain their original bodies after losing them to a failed human transmutation (an attempt to revive their late mother). While searching for the legendary Philosopher's Stone, the two become entangled in a deep rooted government plot, which goes deeper than the military itself. The manga, written by Hiromu Arakawa, first began publication is 2001 and is still on-going. The anime started in October of 2003 with music by Mitsuma Masafumi and Oshima Michiru. The series has 51 episodes, with a movie released in July 2005.

Characters

Main Characters

• Edward Elric
• Alphonse Elric

Military

These characters are all part of the State Military, though some are protagonists while others antagonists.

• Maes Hughes
• Alex Louis Armstrong
• Riza Hawkeye
• Fuhrer Bradley
• Roy Mustang
• Zolf J. Kimbley
• Basque Gran
• Shou Tucker

The Homunculi

A Homunculus is a result from a failed human transmutation, the ultimate taboo in alchemy. Although the Homunculi appear to be human, they are different in the fact they that possess no souls. They have a Philosopher's Stone as the core of their body, which enable them to automatically regenerate any lost flesh. While this makes them nearly immortal, they have one setback: they die when their Stone is completely used up. Most of the Homunculi are commanded by Dante in the 2003 anime series; however, Greed lives and acts of his own accord, and Wrath is not even discovered until later in the series. Lust is shown to abandon Dante at the end before she is sealed by Wrath. The Homunculi follow Dante because she has told them that if they are able to obtain the Philosopher's Stone, she will make them into humans. The seven Homunculi of this series are named after the Seven Deadly Sins as classified by Pope Gregory the Great in 6th century.

• Lust
• Gluttony
• Envy
• Wrath
• Sloth
• Greed
• Pride

Alchemists

Here are other notable alchemists who were not mentioned in another category.

• Hohenheim of Light
• Dante
• Izumi Curtis
• Scar

Civilians

These people are not alchemists, homunculi, nor in the military, but they do play a notable role in the story.

• Rose
• Nina Tucker
• Winry Rockbell
• Sheska

Plot

The series begins as Edward and Alphonse Elric fail in their attempt to revive their dead mother, an act seen as a taboo of alchemy. This act and the Law of Equivalent Exchange are core themes in the series; with the law stating that in order to gain something, something else of equal value must be sacrificed. Consequently, their attempt at human transmutation cost Al lost his entire body, and Ed his left leg. Ed then further sacrificed his right arm in order to bind Al's soul to an empty suit of armor so that he could remain in this world. Ed is then affixed with automail, advanced metal prosthetic limbs, which happen to be custom-made by their childhood friend Winry Rockbell and her grandmother. From that point on, the two brothers vowed to seek out a means to return themselves to their original bodies, which led them to the quest to obtain the Philosopher's Stone. They decide to become State Alchemists, or "dogs of the military" as Ed prefers to put it. In the middle of the examination, Al agrees to not go through to the end because of a complication, so only Ed passes and joins the military (giving him access to all of the military libraries, which contained vast amounts of books about alchemy). Ed receives the second title "Fullmetal Alchemist," because of his automail. He is known to citizens all over as the alchemist of the people: one who combats unjust behavior displayed by corrupt military members, despite being in the military himself. Ed reports to Colonel Roy Mustang, who agrees to allow Ed to search for the Philosopher's Stone when he has no other tasks for the military, and even gives him some leads as to where he might find it. 3 years after joining the military, this leads them to city of Lior. The citizens of Lior are all loyal to a priest named Cornello, who performs "miracles" to maintain loyalty, though these miracles are simply alchemy amplified by the use of the Red Stone, an incomplete version of the Philosopher's Stone. Ed and Al see this right away, and go on to battle the priest and reveal him as a fake. They meet a girl named Rose who is set on having Cornello revive her dead boyfriend with his "miracles," and is angry with Ed and Al for exposing Cornello and ruining the city's hope. Ed says that they just need to move forward. They bid farewell to Rose (for now) and Ed leaves the city believing he saved it, though in actuality it later breaks out in riots and rebellion. The two brothers continue their search for the Philosopher's Stone, leading them down some dangerous paths, eventually putting them face to face with the deadly Homunculi, military corruption, Ed and Al's estranged father Hohenheim of Light (not an adversary), his former lover and expert alchemist Dante, as well as the State Alchemist murderer known as Scar.

Episodes

Season 1

Season 1 contains Episodes 1-28 which are listed, in order, below.

1. Those Who Challenge the Sun
2. Body of the Sanctioned
3. Mother
4. A Forger's Love
5. The Man with the Mechanical Arm
6. The Alchemy Exam
7. Night of the Chimera's Cry
8. The Philosopher's Stone
9. Be Thou for the People
10. The Phantom Thief
11. The Other Brothers Elric (part one)
12. The Other Brothers Elric (part two)
13. Fullmetal vs. Flame
14. Destruction's Right Hand
15. The Ishbal Massacre
16. That Which is Lost
17. House of the Waiting Family
18. Marcoh's Notes
19. The Truth Behind Truths
20. The Soul of the Guardian
21. The Red Glow
22. Created Human
23. Fullmetal Heart
24. Bonding Memories
25. Words of Farewell
26. Her Reason
27. Teacher
28. All Is One, One Is All

Season 2

Season 2 contains Episodes 29-51.

29. The Untainted Child
30. Assult on South Headquarters
31. Sin
32. Dante of the Deep Forest
33. Al, Captured
34. Theory of Avarice
35. Reunion of the Fallen
36. The Sinner Within
37. The Flame Alchemist, the Bachelor Lieutenant, and the Mystery of Warehouse 13
38. With the River's Flow
39. Secret of Ishbal
40. The Scar
41. Holy Mother
42. His Name Is Unknown
43. The Stray Dog
44. Hohenheim of Light
45. A Rotten Heart
46. Human Transmutation
47. Sealing the Homunculus
48. Goodbye
49. The Other Side of the Gate
50. Death
51. Laws and Promises

Music

Openings

Ep. 2-13 Melissa by Porno Graffiti
Ep. 14-25 Undo by COOL JOKE
Ep. 26-41 Ready Steady Go by L'Arc-en-Ciel
Ep. 42-51 Rewrite by ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION

Endings

Links

• Fullmetal Alchemist Wallpaper Gallery
• Anime Lyrics dot Com - Fullmetal Alchemist Lyrics