Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist ranks among one of the greatest titles in the anime community. Only a handful of anime have left a lasting impression on the viewers and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is still heralded as one of the best out there.
From splendid visuals to enthralling storytelling, the anime has dominated the peak of the famous anime ranking list for over a decade, highlighting its immense popularity among fans. Hiromu Arakawa introduces viewers to the story of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, after a disastrous attempt to resurrect their mother. The mangaka is highly respected for her compelling narrative and engaging plot; surprisingly, Arakawa’s favorite panel from the series never made it to the big screen.
Hiromu Arakawa’s Favorite Manga Panel Was Left Out of the Fullmetal Alchemist Anime
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood enthralls fans with its engaging plot, never leaving a moment of boredom. With only 64 episodes, the anime doesn’t overwhelm a potential newcomer with too much pressure like One Piece or Naruto. However, it continues to exceed the fans’ expectations as Hiromu Arakawa leaves fans mesmerized by her narrative with each episode.
After a tragic incident, the story follows two brothers’ attempts to return their bodies to their previous state with the help of the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. Furthermore, Fullmetal Alchemist‘s unique power system makes it stand out from the rest of the shonen series. As the name suggests, Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist is based on alchemy and its laws, which makes the series even more captivating for fans.
Surprisingly, Arakawa’s favorite manga panel never made it into the anime, leaving many fans missing out. The legendary disclosed her favorite manga panel, which she had much fun designing to be ‘Dog of the Military.’ She said:
It would be the side story “Dog of the Military.” It was really easy to draw. From a recent episode, I would have to say volume 7, the end of chapter 27. The interaction of “Who the hell are you!?” “I’m a housewife!!!!!” That’s a scene that I wanted to do for a long time.
Dog of the Military is the extra story, Arakawa included in the last part of volume 4. The story depicts the experiences of a stray puppy at East H.Q. The mangaka also mentions the famous “I’m a housewife” scene and regards it as one of the most special panels of their career, as it represents a powerful statement.
Apart from all that, Arakawa also talks about their fixation with dogs, by saying:
I like dogs. I guess that’s why there are quite a few in the story: Den, Alexander, and Black Hayate.
Nonetheless, the Nina-Alexander chimera scene still haunts many anime fans to this day. Behind FA: Brotherhood‘s immense success lies the criticism Arakawa faced for the classic series’ epilogue, which led the mangaka to reconsider her choices.
Hajime Isayama‘s Attack on Titan also faced significant criticism for the series’ bittersweet ending, leading Hiromu Arakawa to deeply empathize with Isayama, while appreciating the challenges and narrative intentions behind the epilogue.
Hiromu Arakawa’s Support for Attack on Titan‘s Highly Criticized Epilogue
Attack on Titan is regarded as one of the greatest anime in the community. Hajime Isayama managed to enthrall fans for over a decade thanks to his compelling story of Titans and war. Not to forget, Eren’s role shifting from being a hero to becoming the final villain of the series was one of the biggest plot twists in anime history.
Despite all of Isayama’s notable feats, AoT fandom often criticizes the mangaka for ending Eren’s journey on a tragic note. Interestingly, Arakawa supported Isayama’s narrative and acknowledged concluding a war narrative comes with its own set of challenges.
As both series conclude on a bittersweet note, it resulted in a lot of criticism from the fandom, respectively. Isayama wanted to highlight the harsh reality of unfulfilled ambitions through AoT‘s epilogue, which many fans found hard to swallow. Regardless, Attack on Titan is undoubtedly one of the most popular anime series with multiple episodes earning 9+ ratings on IMDb.
Attack On Titan and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood both are available to stream on Crunchyroll
