Video games
Video games based on the Fullmetal Alchemist world have also been released. The storylines of the games often diverge from those of the anime and manga and also feature new characters. Square Enix has released three RPG titles—Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel, Curse of the Crimson Elixir, and The Girl Who Surpasses God—and one fighting game, Dream Carnival, for the PlayStation 2; Bandai has released two RPG titles, Fullmetal Alchemist: Stray Rondo and Fullmetal Alchemist: Omoide no Sonata, for the Game Boy Advance and one, Dual Sympathy, for the Nintendo DS; and Destineer released a game based on the trading card game in North America for the Nintendo DS.[65][66] Of the seven games made in Japan, Broken Angel, Dream Carnival, Curse of the Crimson Elixir, and Dual Sympathy have seen international release; the others have not been released internationally.
Funimation licensed the franchise to create a new series of Fullmetal Alchemist related video games to be published by Destineer Publishing Corporation in the United States.[67] Destineer released its first Fullmetal Alchemist game for the Nintendo DS, a translation of Bandai's Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy, on December 15, 2006, and has commented that this will be the first of many titles that they plan to release.[68] On February 19, 2007, Destineer announced the second game in its Fullmetal Alchemist series, the Fullmetal Alchemist Trading Card Game. This title was released October 15, 2007.[59]
[edit] Other merchandise
Action figures, busts, and statues from the Fullmetal Alchemist anime and manga have been created by leading toy companies. The primary of these companies are Medicom and Southern Island. Medicom has created high end deluxe vinyl figures of the characters from the anime. These figures are exclusively distributed in the United States and UK by Southern Island.[69] Southern Island has also released their own action figures in 2007 of the main characters. These figures and a 12" statue were scheduled to release in 2007. Southern Island has since gone bankrupt, putting the figures on permanent hiatus.[70]
[edit] Reception
As of March 2008, the Fullmetal Alchemist manga has sold over 30 million volumes in Japan.[3] The series is also one of Viz Media's best sellers, appearing in several polls.[71] The manga also appeared several times in the "USA Today Booklist".[72][73] The English release of the manga's first volume was the top-selling graphic novel during the year 2005.[4] Along with Yakitate!! Japan, the series won the 49th Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen in 2004.[74]
Fullmetal Alchemist has generally been well received by critics. Though the initial volumes were felt to be formulaic, critics noted that the series grows in complexity as it progresses. Arakawa was praised for being able to keep all of her character designs unique and distinguishable, despite them many wearing the same basic uniforms.[75] The characterization of the protagonist Edward balances between being a "typical clever kid" and "a stubborn kid", successfully allowing him to float between the series more comical moments and its underlying drama without seeming false.[76] Reviewers celebrated the development of the characters in the manga, with their beliefs actively changing during the story forcing them to grow in maturity.[77]
Fullmetal Alchemist has every right to be among the most successful properties to hit the States in recent memory. The narrative power of Edward Elric's story rivals that of any literature currently in print. The journey he takes is action-packed, but is also filled with moments of humor, success, failure, warmth, and despair. All these things come together to make a story filled to its considerable depth with realistic moments and characters. The precision in storytelling here is ridiculously good. Arakawa knows exactly where she is going from the very first page, and what an excellent first page it is.
—Melissa Harper, Anime News Network[75]
The anime premiered in Japan with a 6.8 percent television viewership rating.[2] In 2005, TV Asahi, a television network in Japan, conducted a "Top 100" online web poll and nation-wide survey; the Fullmetal Alchemist anime adaptation placed first in the online poll and twentieth in the survey.[6][78] In 2006, TV Asahi conducted another online poll for the top one hundred anime, and Fullmetal Alchemist placed first again.[7] Fullmetal Alchemist was also a winner in the American Anime Awards in several categories. These include "Long Series", "Best Cast", "Best DVD Package Design", "Best Anime Theme Song" ("Rewrite", by Asian Kung-Fu Generation), and "Best Actor" (Vic Mignogna, Edward Elric's English voice actor). It was also nominated in the category of "Best Anime Feature" for Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa.[8] The series also won most of the Twenty-sixth Annual Animage Readers' Polls. The series was the winner in the "Favorite Anime Series", "Favorite Episode" (episode seven), "Favorite Male Character" (Edward Elric), "Favorite Female Character" (Riza Hawkeye), "Favorite Theme Song" ("Melissa", by Porno Graffitti), and "Favorite Seiyū" (Romi Paku, Edward's Japanese voice actor).[5] In the "Tokyo Anime Fair", the series also won in the categories "Animation Of The Year" (Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shambala), "Best original story" (Hiromu Arakawa, author of Fullmetal Alchemist) and "Best music" (Michiru Oshima).[30]
I don't know any shows that are any better than Fullmetal Alchemist. I didn't even know anything about the show when I was cast, but unbeknownst to me, I've stumbled into a great show and a great character, so I couldn't be happier.
—Vic Mignogna, Anime News Network.[79]
Reviewers compared the popularity of the series with the ones of popular games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.[80] The designs of the characters have been praised remarking they are almost unique. Flashbacks has been criticized to be annoying as they are repeated several times.[81][82] Others reviewers compared the series with an Odyssey and part tragic coming of age story. The plot and the music have been celebrated to be almost rich.[81] The anime has also been praised for having a good balance between action, comedy and deep moments and remarked the emotional core of the development of the two main characters.[83] However, the anime has also had negative reviews in which the large number of sentimental scenes in the series have been criticized, considering them an abuse to make the people who watch it cry. The ending also had a negative review noting that the beliefs of Edward did not change at all as he tried once again to bring somebody back to life.[84]
The soundtracks of the series have also been reviewed. Reviewers praised the fact there are different styles of musics as well as a large number of artists that makes every song enjoyable. The music of the backgrounds has been noted to never distract anybody who listen to it from the story and that are always pleaseant to hear.[80] The first opening theme and ending theme have been considered the best tracks of the series remarking that they make a good combination of anime and song.[85]
[edit] References
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[edit] External links
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Fullmetal AlchemistOfficial Aniplex Fullmetal Alchemist website (Japanese)
Official FUNimation Fullmetal Alchemist anime website
Official Adult Swim Fullmetal Alchemist anime website
Official Anime Central Fullmetal Alchemist anime website
Fullmetal Alchemist (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
[show]v • d • eFullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa
Franchise Chapters • Episodes • Movie • OVAs • TCG
Video games (Broken Angel • Curse of the Crimson Elixir • Kami o Tsugu Shōjo • Dream Carnival • Dual Sympathy)
Characters Edward Elric • Alphonse Elric • Winry Rockbell • Roy Mustang • Maes Hughes • Scar • Izumi Curtis • Hohenheim • Dante • Father • Ling Yao • Video game characters
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fullmetal_Alchemist"
Categories: Manga series | Anime series | Japanese novels | Anime films | 2001 works | 2003 television series debuts | 2004 television series endings | Adventure anime and manga | Anime of 2003 | Aniplex | Fullmetal Alchemist | Funimation Entertainment | Manga of the 2000s | Science fantasy anime and manga | Shōnen | Viz Media manga | Winner of Shogakukan Manga Award (Shōnen)
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