Fullmetal Alchemist is a class apart in Shonen anime because of its blend of steampunk influences with adventure and fantasy themes. Written by Hiromu Arakawa, the story follows the journey of Alphonse and Edward Elric to find the Philosopher’s Stone after their bodies get deformed because of a mishap during an alchemic ritual.
Through her works such as Raiden-18, Hero Tales, and Silver Spoon, she received accolades and further recognition as a manga writer. However, it was through Hagane no Renkinjutsushi that she rose to fame as a mangaka.
Besides that, she had to step out of her comfort zone to tone down the plot of this manga and make it more palatable to readers and viewers alike.
Neutralizing the darker elements in Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist, written by Hiromu Arakawa, follows the journey of Alphonse and Edward Elric in finding the Philosopher’s Stone. After a failed attempt to revive their mother through alchemy, the brothers set on a quest to undo their deformed bodies. Besides that, it is one of the best dark fantasy anime.
However, there is more to the story than meets the eye. The author’s conception of the manga was a much-needed move from her comfort space. The dark elements in the storyline had to be toned down and neutralized to make it palatable for the readers.
In an interview with Comic Natalie, she revealed the process behind the concept creation of this manga. She quoted :
One person had parts of his body taken from him, and another had his whole body taken. I had to enter the story from this deeply emotional place. As it was a departure from my favourite type of [positive energy filled] shonen manga, I continued drawing with the intention to not make it dull for the readers.
She also added comical elements in the storyline to give readers relief from the dark drama. Besides, the human bonds coupled with elements of realism and the supernatural make the manga different from most Shonen works.
Hiromu Arakawa blends occult and realism with dark elements
There are several stereotypes and misconceptions regarding Shonen manga as a genre, especially with female Shonen mangaka. However, Arakawa-san’s inspiration from a lesser-known manga encouraged her to create a masterpiece of her own.
Besides that, the author fuses occult and realism with dark elements throughout the manga. Death, war, and corruption are some of the taboo topics that are often highlighted in Shonen manga. However, Arakawa-san gives it her personal touch by incorporating the theme of alchemy.
The author depicts alchemy from popular culture and literature, such as the Sephirothic Tree of Life as well as instances from mythology that involved transmuting matter and objects into energy. Apart from that, the core theme of the manga is an equivalent exchange, which is what alchemy is all about. Using elements in the manga stems from the author’s thoughts on life. She quotes:
I was inundated with thoughts about life, so the philosophical question, what does it mean to be living?, became the central pillar that filled the pages of the story.
Apart from occult and alchemy, the manga highlights realism through its depiction of the Civil War and real-life war crimes along with blending it with the steampunk genre. Besides that, the manga offers a wide range of perspectives on the themes of brotherhood, politics, society, death, and much more.
Fullmetal Alchemist is available for streaming on Crunchyroll as of 19th August 2024.
