'Fullmetal Alchemist' Announces 2019 Blu-ray Box Set

Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist is still one of the most revered anime and manga franchises ever since it initially debuted 18 years ago, and it's even one of the few series to get two distinctly different anime adaptations.

Soon fans will be able to experience Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood once more with a complete 11 disc Blu-ray box set coming later this April. You can check out a cool key visual for the new release below.

Aniplex (via Crunchyroll) has announced that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is set to release on April 3. Running interested fans 41,040 yen (about $348 USD), the 11 disc set includes the entire series, a special booklet, and four of the special OVA episodes originally released as bonus materials in the separate home video releases of the anime. The box set also includes three soundtrack CDs as well as a new cover art illustration provided by character designer for the anime, Hiroki Kanno.

Fullmetal Alchemist is known among fans for its two drastically different anime adaptations. The first attempt was produced by Studio Bones in 2003, and ran for a successful 51 episodes. This version was marred by fans, however, for its pacing issues and deviations from Arakawa's original manga. Bones later produced a more faithful adaptation of the manga with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood in 2009. The series has inspired other video games and film adaptations, with the most recent being a live-action film currently streaming on Netflix.

But Brotherhood stands out from each of the releases as it has the most vocal support out of each iteration of the series. It's usually the one fans recommend first, though the original Bones adaptation has its fans who especially enjoyed the deviations that others were not so fond of. Regardless of which of the versions you actually enjoy, both sides of the debate can agree that they have a strong source material and story.

Fullmetal Alchemist was originally created by Hiromu Arakawa for Square Enix's Monthly Shonen Gangan magazine in 2001. The story follows two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who learn alchemy in order to bring back their deceased mother. After a terrible miscalculation, however, the two brothers pay a terrible price with Alphonse even losing his body and linking his soul to a suit of armor. As the two boys search for an alchemy that will restore their bodies to their original forms, they join the military and deal with a whole host of new political, ethical, and moral issues.

via Crunchyroll