Fullmetal Alchemist Review: The Most Perfect Manga Ever Made
by Hiromu Arakawa
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Quick Take
- 27 volumes with zero filler, zero wasted chapters — every single page earns its place
- A story about the cost of ambition, the weight of knowledge, and the love between brothers
- Widely considered the greatest manga ever written by both casual readers and critics — and it deserves it
Who Is This Manga For?
Fullmetal Alchemist is for you if:
- You want a complete, perfectly paced story that respects your intelligence
- You love complex worldbuilding that reveals itself gradually and consistently
- You're moved by stories about siblings and sacrifice
- You want a manga where every character — including the villains — has a coherent interior life
Content Warnings & Age Rating
Age Rating: T (Teen) Content Warnings: Violence (combat, war), themes of death and grief, brief body horror in early volumes, war crimes depicted seriously
The violence serves the story — Arakawa never lets readers forget that war has real human cost. The body horror is mostly concentrated in the early chapters. Overall, appropriate for teens who can handle some emotional weight.
Yu's Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Story Depth | ★★★★★ |
| Art Style | ★★★★☆ |
| Character Development | ★★★★★ |
| Accessibility for Non-Japanese Readers | ★★★★★ |
| Reread Value | ★★★★★ |
Story Overview
Edward and Alphonse Elric are prodigies. Growing up in a world where alchemy — the science of transforming matter — is real and practiced, they devour every book they can find. When their mother dies, they try to use alchemy to bring her back.
The rule of alchemy is equivalent exchange: to create something, you must sacrifice something of equal value. A human soul, it turns out, cannot be recreated. The attempt fails catastrophically. Edward loses his right arm and left leg. Alphonse loses his entire body — Ed anchors his soul to a suit of armor, the only thing he can do in the moment, using his remaining arm.
What follows is a story about two brothers trying to fix what they broke. Edward becomes a State Alchemist — a military alchemist — to gain access to research on the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary artifact said to bypass the laws of equivalent exchange. Al travels with him in his massive armored body, a ghost haunting his own life.
But the deeper they dig, the more they realize: the Philosopher's Stone's power comes from somewhere. And what it costs might be worse than what they're trying to fix.
Characters
Edward Elric — Brilliant, arrogant, loyal, and driven by guilt he won't admit to. His alchemy uses his own body as the transmutation circle, which means every fight costs him physically. His growth from a reckless teenager to a person who understands what strength really requires is extraordinary.
Alphonse Elric — In many ways the moral center of the story. Al, despite living in a hollow suit of armor, remains gentle and kind. His questions about what makes him human — whether he can feel pain, whether he deserves to exist — are among the most affecting in the series.
Roy Mustang — The Flame Alchemist. A military officer with political ambitions and a hidden moral code. His arc is one of the best supporting character arcs in manga — including a scene of grief that still makes me stop breathing.
Winry Rockbell — The Elric brothers' childhood friend and mechanical engineer who maintains Ed's automail prosthetics. She is one of the most complete female characters in shonen manga.
Riza Hawkeye — Mustang's second-in-command. Steady, lethal, quietly devastating when the story finally shows you what she's been carrying.
The Homunculi — The villains, each named for a deadly sin. Rather than being generic evil, each represents a specific distortion of human nature taken to its extreme.
Art Style
Arakawa's art is clear, expressive, and perfectly suited to the story. Character designs are distinctive without being overwrought. Action sequences are dynamic and easy to follow.
Where the art excels is in facial expression — particularly in emotional scenes. Arakawa can convey an entire internal world in a single panel without dialogue. The humor is also excellent — this manga is genuinely funny in ways that make the tragic moments hit harder by contrast.
Cultural Context
Alchemy as historical science — The pseudo-science of alchemy was practiced across the medieval world (not just Europe — Islamic and Chinese alchemy traditions are also referenced in the series). Arakawa uses it as a lens for thinking about what knowledge costs and what we do with it.
State Alchemists as military weapons — The relationship between scientific knowledge and military power is central to the story. Ed is called a "dog of the military" as an insult, and the story takes seriously the question of whether serving a corrupt institution — even to do good — is possible.
The Ishvalan War — A genocide depicted in the backstory, in which State Alchemists participated. Its consequences haunt several major characters throughout the series. Arakawa drew on real historical ethnic conflicts for this storyline, and it shows.
What I Love About It
I read Fullmetal Alchemist for the first time in high school, and I've read it again three times since. Each time I find something I missed.
What stays with me most is the relationship between the brothers. Ed never stops blaming himself for what happened to Al. Al never stops being grateful for what Ed did to save him. They fight about it sometimes. They never stop being brothers.
There's a moment late in the series — I won't describe it — where Ed makes a choice that is the logical conclusion of everything the story has been building to. It's the right choice, completely consistent with who he is, and it costs him enormously.
I closed the book and sat quietly for a while.
That's what great manga does. It earns its endings.
What English-Speaking Fans Say
Fullmetal Alchemist is consistently ranked at the top of "best manga ever" lists on Reddit, Goodreads, and manga community sites. It's often the first recommendation given to new manga readers specifically because the story is complete, tight, and emotionally satisfying.
The Brotherhood anime adaptation (which follows the manga faithfully, unlike the first anime) introduced many Western readers to the story. Many fans say the manga hits even harder than the anime — the pacing is slightly different in ways that suit the medium perfectly.
Common praise: perfect structure, zero filler, deeply human characters. Common criticism: almost none. It's rare to see serious complaints about this series.
Memorable Scene ⚠️ Spoiler Warning
Maes Hughes' funeral.
Hughes is comic relief for much of his time in the series — cheerful, obnoxiously devoted to his wife and daughter. When he is killed — and the reader sees his young daughter standing at his grave, asking the adults why they're burying her father — the contrast with all the warmth that came before is devastating.
Roy Mustang doesn't cry. He says it's raining.
It's not raining.
Similar Manga
If you liked Fullmetal Alchemist, try:
- Attack on Titan — Similar moral complexity, similar questions about institutional violence
- Vinland Saga — Also about the cost of violence and the search for a different way to live
- Berserk — Much darker, but similarly concerned with the price of ambition and the weight of past sins
- Demon Slayer — Shorter, lighter, but shares the siblings-and-sacrifice emotional core
Reading Order / Where to Start
Start from Volume 1. This is a story where every chapter matters and the payoffs are built carefully over 27 volumes. Don't skip ahead.
The first volume is excellent — you'll know by Chapter 2 whether this is a series you want to continue.
Official English Translation Status
Status: Complete English Volumes: 27 (all volumes available) Translator: VIZ Media Translation Quality: Excellent — one of the most praised manga translations in English
The complete series is available, including a premium hardcover "Fullmetal Edition" with updated translation and color pages if you want the definitive physical version.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The most tightly plotted manga ever written — 27 volumes with no wasted chapters
- Every character is three-dimensional, including villains
- Genuinely funny and genuinely devastating — the emotional range is extraordinary
- Complete, 27 volumes, excellent English translation available now
Cons
- Early art is slightly rougher (though still perfectly readable)
- The pacing is methodical — readers who want constant action may find early volumes slower
- Some minor characters in the large cast get less development than they deserve
Format Comparison
| Format | Volumes | Price per vol. (approx.) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paperback (individual) | 27 vols | ~$9–11 | Collecting |
| Kindle | 27 vols | ~$6–8 | Quick read |
| 3-in-1 Omnibus | ~9 vols | ~$14–16 | Best physical value |
| Fullmetal Edition (hardcover) | 18 vols | ~$20–25 | Definitive collector's edition |
Recommendation: The 3-in-1 omnibus editions are the best value for physical readers. The Fullmetal Edition is stunning if you love beautiful books.
Where to Buy
- 📱 Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 1 — Kindle Edition
- 📚 Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 1 — Paperback
- 📦 Fullmetal Alchemist 3-in-1 Omnibus Vol. 1
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Written by
Yu
Manga Enthusiast from Japan
I grew up in Japan and manga literally saved me during a tough time in elementary school. My English isn't perfect, but my love for manga is real — and I want to share it with you.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.