It is very difficult to find women who are treated with respect and equality, especially in the older anime; with Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist being an exception. Female characters barely ever got the opportunity to shine without being sexualized. From a feminist point of view, anime and manga were very behind in the treatment of women. Arakawa had always been someone who stood out from these themes.
Being a woman herself, she needed to stand against norms and stereotypes by first creating an action-oriented manga. During those times, and sometimes even now, shonen was regarded as a male-dominated genre, being both the mangaka and the audience. On the other hand, shojo was more for the female population.
For female characters to stand out, there is a certain level of understanding that comes from within. For the author, interestingly enough, that inspiration did not strike from other women at first.
Hiromu Arakawa was Inspired by Animals
Animal Farm is a novella by George Orwell following the story of a bunch of pigs. In reality, it is a satirical narration of the corrupt societal norms and the unjust systems people are forced to conform to. Animals have always been able to represent society in both their darkest and truest forms. At the same time, they also depict what is right in many ways.
“The more you love your animals, the more they give it back to you,” she stated. “Equivalent exchange is based on the energy you’ll deploy to realize the task that was assigned to you. In a way, that exchange gives rhythm to my life.”
In an interview with Animeland, Hiromu Arakawa explained how she actually grew up on a dairy farm. There she saw how differently things happened from the way society functions. Animals are like humans in many ways than one. You reap what you sow.
As a lesson, she learned that treatment equality should never just be limited to animals alone but also to humans. So women in her manga also needed to be seen that way, perhaps passing the Bechdel Test with flying colors.
The Importance of Equivalent Exchange in Fullmetal Alchemist
Writing in the 12th volume of Fullmetal Alchemist, Hiromu Arakawa went into detail about the importance of equivalent exchange. Standing as the first law of alchemy in her series as well as Newton’s third law of motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction; the importance of equality is big, to say the least.
“Our family motto is ‘Those who don’t work, don’t deserve to eat,'” she shared. “Everyone has to work hard to make ends meet, including women and kids. That’s the reason there are so many working women in Fullmetal.”
Arakawa’s family motto in itself spoke volumes about how she was raised. Building into a mindset of equality in greater understanding. She therefore gave her female characters a sense of belonging and strong presence.
Making female characters strong doesn’t mean one takes away from their personality. The Fullmetal Alchemist author understood that perfectly.
