Reading Recommendation: Manga Edition

We recently finished reading Hiromu Arakawa's popular manga series, Fullmetal Alchemist, and enjoyed it so much that we are dedicating this post to talking about it. It has a great setting, interesting and realistic characters, intriguing plot lines, tough decisions, moral dilemmas... basically, everything that makes a great story. As aspiring writers, we feel that we have a lot to learn from Arakawa.

Many people are already familiar with this series, but there are also many who have yet to enter the world of Japanese manga. Fullmetal Alchemist is a great place to start. For those new to manga, it does take a minute to get the hang of reading right to left, but it starts to feel natural sooner than you might expect. Also, these are very quick reads, so don't be daunted by the 27 volumes.

Synopsis:
The story is centered around two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, both of whom possess alchemic abilities. The brothers have a secret in their past: they committed one of alchemy's taboos - human transmutation - and they paid the price. Ed lost two limbs, which have been replaced by metal prosthetics (automail). Al lost his entire body; his soul is bonded to a suit of armor, anchoring him in the real world. Edward has signed on to work for the government as a state alchemist, with the hopes that through his position he will gain access to information that will help him and his brother get their original bodies back. Throughout the story, the two brothers atone for their crime and search for a way to achieve their goal. At the same time, they must deal with the unrest going on around them as trouble brews in the government and strange new enemies appear.

Ed and Al are wonderful protagonists, and their supporting cast is equally well-thought-out. Our favorite thing about the story is that the characters and their relationships are always developing, to the point where you have a vested interest in everyone, including minor characters and villains.

Shortly after finishing the manga, we started watching Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - one of two anime series based on the manga. (It's supposed to be the more faithful adaptation, and we're extremely satisfied with it. Eventually, we might watch the other one too, just to see what it's like.) Katie has already seen FMA Brotherhood, but certainly doesn't mind re-watching it! If you decide to watch it too, we recommend finding it with subtitles first, as opposed to watching it dubbed over in English. Hearing the original language is an amazing way to experience a part of Japanese culture, plus it's fun to watch for words that sound like their English counterparts, while also picking up on some Japanese words. That being said, we've heard that the English-dubbed version is very well done, so if you have an aversion to subtitles, you can definitely take the dubbed route.

Let us know what you think of our recommendation, and give us your own recommendations in exchange!