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A review by leathehatless
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-In-1 Edition), Vol. 1 by Hiromu Arakawa
5.0
How could I give this masterpiece anything other than 5 stars? This is the manga of a generation, the tale of the Elric brothers is one that must be told time and time again. This is the best search for the philosopher's stone of the modern era.
It's impressive the art style of Hiromu Arakawa. She can balance very well the comical and dramatic moments of the narrative and blend them very well, they never seem to clash at all. The characters are fantastic, very well rounded and developed even the ones that don't get a lot of screen time. Its also nice to see the main themes of loss, grief, hope and humanity being developed as the narrative evolves. Because that is what all the great stories have in common, the ability to answer what it means to be human.
Also, I loved the special content added in the editions such as the short strips and the in memoriam. It's so funny, the author has a great sense of humor. I also enjoyed the thematic pages between some chapters.
Of course, I absolutely recommend this series. For everyone. If you are not familiar with manga, this is a great introduction to the style and themes commonly used by Japanese authors.
It's impressive the art style of Hiromu Arakawa. She can balance very well the comical and dramatic moments of the narrative and blend them very well, they never seem to clash at all. The characters are fantastic, very well rounded and developed even the ones that don't get a lot of screen time. Its also nice to see the main themes of loss, grief, hope and humanity being developed as the narrative evolves. Because that is what all the great stories have in common, the ability to answer what it means to be human.
Also, I loved the special content added in the editions such as the short strips and the in memoriam. It's so funny, the author has a great sense of humor. I also enjoyed the thematic pages between some chapters.
Of course, I absolutely recommend this series. For everyone. If you are not familiar with manga, this is a great introduction to the style and themes commonly used by Japanese authors.