Reviews

Fullmetal Alchemist Ultra Edition 01 by Hiromu Arakawa

kenzie_witt's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Dear readers, reading this manga just reignited my love for this series!!!! What the fuck!!!!! I will be rewatching the anime expeditiously!!!! 
No notes. Five stars. Gorgeous. Stunning. Breathtaking.

kolymaarasto's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

katiehicks's review against another edition

3.75

I think manga just isn’t really for me- something about the combination of very young protagonists with their goofy, immature humor, and horrific moments of war gives me whiplash. It sort of worked for me in subtler, kid-friendly manga-inspired stories like Avatar, but the body horror in this (in volume 2 especially) was really unexpected. It just leaves me wondering who the audience for this is.

All that being said, I can see why this is such a classic and a staple of the genre. The story is compelling, the characters memorable, and even after just 3 volumes I can tell the world is expansive. Its just not for me.

felifirefly's review against another edition

4.0

Really enjoyed this one. I wasn't too impressed by the first volume (this edition includes volumes 1-3), but the second and third were great and really fun to read. It's a perfect balance of action and fun elements, interesting characters and nice illustrations. Will definitely continue reading this series.

***This book was read as part of my 2018 O.W.L.s in the subject 'Potions' (read a book with or about alchemy)***

maeceybee's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

simon_'s review against another edition

3.0

This was my debut into Manga. Recommended by a friend who's really into Anime & Manga, so I thought why not. So my overall impression, is that I liked it, clearly defined by the 3 stars. And someday I'll probably read a few more volumes on the Fullmetal Alchemist. Loved the story, and the back and forth between the Elric Brothers.
And that Chimera story took me by complete surprise. That'll probably stick with me for a while. However Manga, like graphic novels, just don't have the immersive power that novels have on me. Not a bad thing, just different.
As I said I haven't read much Manga, but Fullmetal Alchemist is a pretty great starting point. So if you've got a few hours to spare and this is lying nearby, I recommend you check it out.

lucija0's review against another edition

4.5

This series really gets better and deeper with each volume. I was unsure at first because of the jokes and light tone, but that changed fast. The realtionships are so wonderfully built and not just one dimensional. The bad and the good are in grey not black and white. There is a lot of commentary of the real world that goes deeper than I expected. I like this a lot.

sweetblood17's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

clarascissorhands's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This tome contains the first 3 books in the series. It's a good intro to the world, the characters and the stakes. I'm not used to the manga pacing (we move on so fast from one storyline to the next, it's hard to get fully invested) - but already there have been several moments of shock, where I found myself gasping at whatever crazy reveal was made. I look forward to reading more of Fullmetal Alchemist :)

claraoconnor's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25