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So... the manga is finally over, giving this a definite conclusion, and an ending that was good and not a punch to the nuts like some manga I could mention. So in honor, I decided to make a new thread for this astonishingly good manga that exceeds the shonen genre as a shining example of good writing and just all around fun.

Yes, arakawa is a master of shounen and stories. I think it should never end with FMA.

It had to end, if he'd kept creating new installments it would have ended up like DBZ, getting pulled far past it's "sell-by date". 108 chapters (where each chapter is the size of two chapters from a regular manga) isn't bad at all, and i'm glad he ended it when he did. This also made it so the new anime would never have to use filler, like most Shonen, or create it's own plot like the first FMA anime, but would be a nice, compact production without loose ends.

Originally posted by King Kandy
It had to end, if he'd kept creating new installments it would have ended up like DBZ, getting pulled far past it's "sell-by date". 108 chapters (where each chapter is the size of two chapters from a regular manga) isn't bad at all, and i'm glad he ended it when he did. This also made it so the new anime would never have to use filler, like most Shonen, or create it's own plot like the first FMA anime, but would be a nice, compact production without loose ends. Um dude? the authors a chick.

Oh, didn't know that. Well, you learn something every day.

I actually liked them first anime up to the point where I realized it had nothing to do with the manga.....then I just had a moment of confusion. But a practically fillerless anime would be awesome news to hear.

I'm not a expert on FMA, but maybe its success was due to it not being driven by PIS and and fanservice; then again I don't really know.

I am just nao starting to read the manga.

Is good so far.

Originally posted by NemeBro
I am just nao starting to read the manga.

Is good so far.
This is one of the only manga I have read that was equally good from start to finish. So enjoy the read.

Quite good manga, my brother introduced me to the anime which diverged after the first few chapters and I realized that the manga was an entirely different beast. I think they are making a new anime now actually following the manga storyline.

Very good manga indeed.

Originally posted by King Kandy
This is one of the only manga I have read that was equally good from start to finish. So enjoy the read. I am looking for other manga to read now that I am not in school and has moar time, what other ones are good from start to finish?

Originally posted by NemeBro
I am looking for other manga to read now that I am not in school and has moar time, what other ones are good from start to finish?
I can't really think of any. I think Ranma 1/2 had a pretty consistent run, but it's not for everyone and a lot of people have already read it.

Originally posted by Bentley
Quite good manga, my brother introduced me to the anime which diverged after the first few chapters and I realized that the manga was an entirely different beast. I think they are making a new anime now actually following the manga storyline.

Very good manga indeed.
The new anime has actually been out for I think two years. It's nearly reached the end itself and is pretty much identical.

yeah I just finished this manga too. wayyyyyyy better than the first anime and I especially liked how it ended. it sure showed how much time has past since Ed beat Father.

NemeBro: not sure if you're into the whole survival/horror kind of thing or if you've even read it, but I was reading Highschool of The Dead and it's pretty good.

I'm almost finished with the manga

I skipped around to the final fight with Father since I had no idea what was going on for the most part. The fight itself was pretty good but maybe I should have read through the rest of the series. Oh well!

Go back and reread it NAO.

Originally posted by King Kandy
I can't really think of any. I think Ranma 1/2 had a pretty consistent run, but it's not for everyone and a lot of people have already read it.


The new anime has actually been out for I think two years. It's nearly reached the end itself and is pretty much identical.

Ranma 1/2...

good times...

Although, I did feel like Ed being able to give up his alchemy was a real cop-out of an ending for bringing Al back. If they'd known that was allowed, they would have done it from the beginning so it kind of makes all the research they did feel pointless. I think they should have either used the other solutions presented in the end chapter (like using Hohenheim) or just left it open ended.

Originally posted by NemeBro
I am looking for other manga to read now that I am not in school and has moar time, what other ones are good from start to finish?

Monster.

Originally posted by King Kandy
Although, I did feel like Ed being able to give up his alchemy was a real cop-out of an ending for bringing Al back. If they'd known that was allowed, they would have done it from the beginning so it kind of makes all the research they did feel pointless. I think they should have either used the other solutions presented in the end chapter (like using Hohenheim) or just left it open ended. Thanks for spoiling the ending *******.

The thing already came out. What do you want me to do, use spoiler tags? Don't be such an AC.

Yes, use some mother****ing spoiler tags.

If it did not already come out, there would be nothing to spoil. Unless that jerk DP were to find some like he does for Naruto.

Originally posted by NemeBro
Yes, use some mother****ing spoiler tags.

If it did not already come out, there would be nothing to spoil. Unless that jerk DP were to find some like he does for Naruto.

Hey nao, Psycho Gundam is typically the one who finds spoilers.

Thought it was you.

So does the manga end pretty much like the anime did?

You know, I could never fap to FMA hentai, I just love the characters to much. So I respect them from being sujected to crude fantasies. Plus I don't like Blonde chicks in that way. Especially Riza and Winry.

You are very different from me my friend.

Kandy, I thought the whole point of the "cop out" was that he'd grown up enough not to need the alchemy anymore. It is supposed to be Character Growth. (Naturally, as with most Character Growth with-a-capital-C it comes off as forced and cheesy.)

FMA is one of the best mangas out there imo.

It did go one for years though, which is why it ended though, but that's alright. It was a great read imo.

So I finished the FMA manga.

WAs really good, as I was told.

Wrath in particular is horrendously badass.

Although I just gotta ask, next to Wrath, Greed is my favorite Homunculus... Why is he kind of stupid? Most of the difficulty he has when he fights is due to him not just having his shield covering his whole body, yet he almost always just makes claws and tries to only block small sections of his body.

Maybe I really should reread the manga; I just might.

Originally posted by NemeBro
Although I just gotta ask, next to Wrath, Greed is my favorite Homunculus... Why is he kind of stupid? Most of the difficulty he has when he fights is due to him not just having his shield covering his whole body, yet he almost always just makes claws and tries to only block small sections of his body.

Fanservice is always an answer.....I don't know. From what I've seen, I'd say Pride was my favorite homunculus.

Originally posted by NemeBro
So I finished the FMA manga.

WAs really good, as I was told.

Wrath in particular is horrendously badass.

Although I just gotta ask, next to Wrath, Greed is my favorite Homunculus... Why is he kind of stupid? Most of the difficulty he has when he fights is due to him not just having his shield covering his whole body, yet he almost always just makes claws and tries to only block small sections of his body.
Wrath is one of the most badass characters ever in manga. Especially since he kicks so much ass when compared to the other homunculus he has basically no powers.

Yeah, I often wondered why he didn't just armor up before going into fights. Maybe it uses up his philosopher's stones energy to do so, so it shortens his lifespan?

Originally posted by King Kandy
Wrath is one of the most badass characters ever in manga. Especially since he kicks so much ass when compared to the other homunculus he has basically no powers.

Yeah, I often wondered why he didn't just armor up before going into fights. Maybe it uses up his philosopher's stones energy to do so, so it shortens his lifespan? Well he has precog but he still manages to be as badass he is when he is a 60 year old man, and ages like one.

Well it was kinda hand-waved near the end, when Lingreed finally does armor up it was only after Greed gave Ling's body his full power... Which is still kind of laem.

Personally I would have rather Greed stayed around and Ling was the one who left.

Indeed, Greed was awesome.

I finally took out some time to re-read the chapters that I have skipped over and I have some very minor questions about how everything was wrapped up. Maybe some of these were answered already but I want to ask them anyway.

1. Did Father actually absord God? or should I say did he absorb all of it?

2. Will Pride still have his powers or what? Plus how did Ed survive partially turning himself into a Pstone?

3. When Truth allowed Ed to apparently take everything, why didn't he get his leg back? I know he didn't really care but I'm still a tad stumped.

1. Well, he definitely thought that he did. IDK what exactly happened there.

2. We don't know if pride will have powers when he grows up, however his philospher stone is mostly drained so I imagine not, unless it is recharged somehow. Ed, I don't think was exchanging himself for a stone but rather for Al's original body (The human transmutation circle is used for things besides just philosopher stones).

3. Because that wasn't what the circle was designed to transmute? IDK.

The leg was in payment from his mother actually, Al's whole body and his leg. Later on he gives his arm to recover Al's soul.

I think Greed didn't armor up because he was slow? I always though there was a reason but now that you mention in I just don't recall what it was.

Manga Homunculus are much weaker than Anime Homunculus methinks, a decent state Alchemist can succesfully kill them by sheer power and the only decent think homunculus have are endurance.

Except Wrath who is uber. Also, Kimblee rocks.

Originally posted by Bentley
I think Greed didn't armor up because he was slow? I always though there was a reason but now that you mention in I just don't recall what it was.

Manga Homunculus are much weaker than Anime Homunculus methinks, a decent state Alchemist can succesfully kill them by sheer power and the only decent think homunculus have are endurance. 1. Only not, he was shown to be able to at least keep up with King Bradley. There really is no good reason.

2. Really? I say quite the opposite. Gluttony in this version virtually has a black hole for a mouth. Sloth instead of being soopah water chick is a giant hulk who can shove a tank, take bullets and even artillery shells, and move faster than the eye can follow. Envy... Kind of sucks in this, yeah. Greed is roughly similar. King Bradley is awesome incarnate, Lust is nothing all that special although she is pretty fast. Pride is more powerful than the anime Homunculi combined in my honest opinion. Also, since Father is technically a Homuncuus... Yeah.

Originally posted by Bentley
The leg was in payment from his mother actually, Al's whole body and his leg. Later on he gives his arm to recover Al's soul.

I think that's what I'm trying to get at with my last question. If Truth took Al's body and Ed's leg as the toll, then why didn't he get his leg back along with Al's body when he gave up his Gate? Speaking of which wonder if Truth is really omnipotent? He's nigh omnipresent in the least.

Originally posted by Bentley
Manga Homunculus are much weaker than Anime Homunculus methinks, a decent state Alchemist can succesfully kill them by sheer power and the only decent think homunculus have are endurance.


I'm going to leave the Greed think alone but as for the manga/anime homunculi comparrison, they're pretty much the same with the manga version having an edge with some. IMO anime Sloth was better than manga Sloth and King Bradley fit the title of Pride more. Seriously, for someone who's supposed to symbolize vanity,Pride had the most humble form in the manga.

All agreed that anime Wrath sucked?

I think he just payed a different toll for Al's body than for his mother's.

My opinion about homunculi in the Anime is that, while they were much less powerful and had less abilities compared with the counterparts, they seemed much more deadly and quite above your random alchemist -their opponents were weaker or their skills while limited were highly rated-. I can't see any Anime character holding a candle on Anime Gluttony physically, he was just a beast, in the Manga once Lin and his crew come around homunculi start to look subpar at battle.

Originally posted by Bentley
My opinion about homunculi in the Anime is that, while they were much less powerful and had less abilities compared with the counterparts, they seemed much more deadly and quite above your random alchemist -their opponents were weaker or their skills while limited were highly rated-. I can't see any Anime character holding a candle on Anime Gluttony physically, he was just a beast, in the Manga once Lin and his crew come around homunculi start to look subpar at battle. Sloth took the Armstrong siblings, and the Curtis' to kill. Two being master alchemists, Sig and Alex are both physical monsters (On top of Alex being a master alchemist), and Olvia was a strong swordswoman. Anime Gluttony did what that was all that great physically? Except for pwning Scar? Lin and his crew are very explicitly superhuman in combat, hell, I would argue alchemists in general are far more impressive in the manga.

Alchemists are certainly more powerful in the Manga, that may be the reason why homunculi in the Anime seemed more effective.

i wanna start the manga but i dnt wanna spoil the show it just started getting real good

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood follows the manga very closely, and thus is similar to the original anime at the beginning. However, the first anime diverged from the manga drastically during the second half. The entire backstory is different, some characters' personalities and names are different, and several characters (especially the ones from Xing) are omitted from the first series.

in Brotherhood, there is a greater emphasis on romance (roy x hawkeye, Ed x Winry, Lan Fan x Prince Ling), though it is still 80-90% implied

Just finished Brotherhood, makes the first anime look awful in comparison, brotherhood definitely made characters like hoenheim, mustang and even some of the homunculi more likable. And the first series didn't have anyone from Xing which was just stupid, because it doesn't get much cooler than ling and old man fu

Mmmmh... I should get around seen Brotherhood if its done already.

Originally posted by Bentley
Mmmmh... I should get around seen Brotherhood if its done already.
It is and you should.

Originally posted by General_Iroh
Just finished Brotherhood, makes the first anime look awful in comparison, brotherhood definitely made characters like hoenheim, mustang and even some of the homunculi more likable. And the first series didn't have anyone from Xing which was just stupid, because it doesn't get much cooler than ling and old man fu
The first anime wasn't bad at all. Granted Brotherhood's better, the first anime had more emotional dept with their characters, and a non-girly Alphonse VA which made it more likeable. I do agree that Hohenheim sucked in the first one though and excluding the Xing people(and Olivier) sucked as well. You also have to admit, Scar's arm being a Pstone is cooler than it just being an arm transplant.

yeah, I mean the first one did have good themes to it, I liked that Maes got more screentime, but then it didn't really delve that deep into Mustang like Brotherhood did, and I really didn't like how they ended it all, I mean for one it kind of made me mad that I'd finished the series and found out like a month later that you had to watch a movie to understand the ending lol, and then like envy being ed's long lost brother and turning into a dragon and what they did with gluttony it was all just meh, not to mention wrath was awful in it