Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 2

First off, let me say I generally am not a fan of anime or manga and had purchased this book as a Christmas gift for my younger brother. After flipping through it and getting caught up, I borrowed the first from said brother, then read this manga prior to gifting it. The Fullmetal Alchemist anime adaptations (there are two) are good, however they do not compare to the plot and depth of story in the manga. If you are manga fan (or even if you're not, like me) and are looking for a plot revolving around moral right and wrong, love of family, and the lengths we will go to in order to save them, then this is for you. I highly recommend this purchase, and sincerely hope you take the time to read this series some time. If nothing else, binge watch the anime(s) when looking for something different on Netflix :)

Note: If you aren't going to read it, the "Brotherhood" adaptation is truer to the manga, I prefer the original adaptation.

From the creative mind of a woman whose self-portrait is that of a bespectacled cow comes the continuing adventures of the Elric brothers in the second volume of Hiromu Arakawa's hit manga series. In their quest to restore their bodies, mechanical-limbed Ed and armor-clad Al look up Shou Tucker, the "Sewing-Life Alchemist," whose achievements in biological transmutation (the altering of living tissue) may the key ingredient to changing the Elrics back to normal--or a recipe for disaster. Then a new player enters the game, a mysterious killer who's got some legitimate beef with state alchemists. And Ed's next on his list (Note: Al merely assists Ed and is not enlisted in the military). If that's not enough, the artificial Homonculi are cooking up a devious plan to beat the Elrics in the race to obtain the fabled Philosopher's Stone.

Volume 2 is the first in the series to feature Ishvarlan extremist Scar, "Strong Arm Alchemist" Alex Louis Armstrong, the Homunculus Envy and other familiar faces from the "Fullmetal Alchemist" anime. It's also the first volume to shed light on the bloody history between the military and the nearly-extinct Ishvarlan people, a major clue to Scar's creation. If there's such a thing as food for thought, Ms. Arakawa still writes up a great meal. Also her illustrations, as always, are a feast for the eyes. And if you read this volume all the way through, you might even find out Ed's total height! So go buy a helping of this delicacy from one of today's hottest manga-ka's. Mine's on the house, or rather, my local library!

This comice is rated T for Teen: Violence, Adult Situations.

Great books

A clear and definite improvement over the first, I really enjoyed the second volume of Fullmetal Alchemist. It felt more focused, more substantial. The very first story in the volume (Chapter 5) about the mutations specialist was compelling on its own. There was nothing like that in the first volume and it set the tone as being darker and more serious than the first. It also introduces an interesting new antagonist in Scar.

The characters Lust, Gluttony, and Envy were given some more screen time and their behind the scenes scheming is intriguing. We also dive a bit deeper into Alphonse and Elric's motivations as their emotional attachment to each other and their mission is opened up. Looking forward to seeing where the story goes.

Great! My boyfriend loved it ☺️

Got it for my son and he loved it.

My son's favorite Christmas gift!! You should have seen the look on his face. He loves anything anime, and this is his favorite. He read the entire first 3 books within a couple days. Now I need to go buy some more for Easter. I am definitely glad I bought these.

Awesome! My 11yr old grandson luvs the series!!

4/5 Rating: Originally posted at https://mylifemybooksmyescape.wordpress.com/2015/05/05/manga-review-fullmetal-alchemist-vol-2-fullmetal-alchemist-2-by-hiromu-arakawa/

Volume 2 focuses on advancing the plot; The Elric Brother's past, the Philosopher's Stone, the military, and the introduction of Scar. This volume still had it moments of action, but overall felt plot driven and had a more cohesive feel to it - rather than each chapter feeling like a separate episode.

After our introduction to Colonel Roy Mustang, aka. The Flame Alchemists, at the end of Volume 1, the Elric brothers waste no time and request that he give them more information on where to learn more about bio-alchemy. This takes the brothers to the home of Shout Tucker, the Sewing-Life Alchemist. There, we learn about Tucker's creation of a talking Chimera, and also a dark secret of his that causes Ed to face a truth from his past.

While at the Tucker residents, a mysterious man, know only as Scar, shows up to do the work of God. After the Elric brother's and state alchemist's interaction with Scar, it leaves both Ed and Al injured. In order to 'repair' themselves, they must go off to Resembool to see their mechanic. Before they reach their destination though, they run into a man who has been long thought dead, which causes them to take a slight detour on their trip.

We meet an array of new characters this time around; my favorite being Major Alex Louis Armstrong. He has a very intense battle with Scar and pulls off this pretty badass "elegant alchemical technique". Also - it may be my inner bodybuilder - but his panel on bottom of page 116 is both epicly awesome and hilarious XD

The new mystery man we meet is Scar, who is like the hand-of-God. No, really - he pretty much has THE hand of God. He is on a mission - a personal vendetta? - to rid the world of state alchemists, and it is through his appearance into the story that we learn of the dark past of the state alchemists, and why it is that many people have a problem with them and the military.

Also coming back into the story this time are Lust and Gluttony. What they are doing, who they work for, or anything about them is still a complete mystery. Only thing we know is they all have this same tattoo on their body, and have taken an interest in the Philosopher's Stone, and Ed.

Early is the novel Ed and Al briefly mentioned their trainer again... I'll be really interested to see who and what this person is like. And I am looking forward to seeing their mechanic, and Resembool next time.

(Everybody else is loving the Extra sections, right? So freaking funny! You should compare the In Memoriam section in this volume to volume one... interesting to compare where two characters go...)

Not as much action as I would have liked (that just me), but a strong and emotional plot.

4/5 Rating

-DJ

so cool