Fullmetal Alchemist - Vol. 2

KILLER ON THE ROAD AND RAIL
Volume 2 of Fullmetal Alchemist takes us back in time to the beginnings of Ed and Alphonse's quest to become State Alchemists. First, they must board a train to meet Roy Mustang, their sponsor for the state test, only to find that terrorists have seized it! If they can live through that, there's an even harder task before them. They must pass the Alchemy Exam to even enter the program and find a way to restore their bodies back to normal. Mustang rooms them with a brillant if somewhat strange alchemist named Shou Tucker, who rumor tells was able to create a talking chimera. He also has a young daughter named Nina. While all this is going on, a serial killer is stalking the streets, killing innocent women at his leisure. His next victim might be someone Ed and Al know!

Volume 2 had moments of darkness and light. Its humor and playfulness, especially with the interaction between Ed, Al, and Nina was very wistful. But there is a tragedy beneath it all, and when you inject...

I See Now What Everyone's Talking About
It took me a long time to find my way to Fullmetal Alchemist but eventually, after getting so many recommendations and reading all of the many, many reviews, I decided to take the chance on what I had thought appeared to be a childish series. Now, two volumes in, I have no regrets. FMA has proved to me with these four episodes that it has everything that makes an anime great, including a good story, lovable characters, fluid animation, with an emotional soundtrack backing all of this. This series certainly is shaping up to be everything that the critics say, and I can't wait to hurry on to the next volume in line.

First, however, the review for Fullmetal Alchemist: 2: Scarred Man of the East.

In volume one, the story begins with the Elric Brothers journeying to find the Philosopher's Stone, but soon after it takes a trip into the brother's dark past. This volume continues along in that thread, showing the history of how Edward and Alphonse became associated with...

Among the best
I am not a spring chicken, so I get introduced to anime through my daughter. Some of it is fluffy love stories or improbable characters or situations that appear from nowhere to solve the day. Full Metal is none of these. The characters are believable even when they are a talking metal suit of armor. Ed and Al are young boys. Their mother dies. They desparately want her back. They do something forbidden. They pay. And they learn what the costs are. The world is a confusing place. They navigate, sometimes on their own and sometimes with people who they meet along the way. Not everyone is who they seem at the start. Finally they confront the costs of their and other peoples violations of the rules. Through the story there is humor and growth. The story is told from their point of view. They do not give in to the tragedies that surround them and keep fighting for the truth and for each other. I highly recommend this series for young teens and old fogies (that's me). Much better than most...

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