Fullmetal Alchemist’s anime adaptation first premiered in 2003, meaning its been twenty years since countless new anime viewers were introduced to the world of Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, and a world that is populated with alchemy manipulators. While a new anime adaptation hasn’t been confirmed by any stretch of the imagination, the series remains a fan-favorite to this day and to help in celebrating the twentieth anniversary, a new collection is set to arrive in North America later this year, with new material to boot.
Last year, Fullmetal Alchemist released two new feature-length films that were live-action and brought the theatrical series to an end. Covering the vast majority of the events that took place in the lives of the alchemist brothers, creator Hiromu Arakawa hasn’t hinted at a return to the world of alchemy that has made such a mark on the anime medium, though the mangaka has continued via a new story titled Tsugai of the Underworld. While not yet confirmed for an anime adaptation, the new manga has a serious pedigree behind it which might make it so that it will only be a matter of time before seeing the story on the screen.
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Fullmetal Alchemist Celebration
Viz Media took the opportunity to announce that the “Fullmetal Alchemist 20th Anniversary Book” will hit retailers in North America this fall, with the compilation containing the short manga from the series’ run and a new prose story that takes us back to the Elric brothers’ quest to right their wrongs in the alchemy department:
The previous two live-action films, The Avenging Scar and The Final Transmutation are currently available to stream on Netflix, with creator Hiromu Arakawa previously sharing her thoughts on the final film of the trilogy:
“It was like riding a roller coaster! There were so many moving scenes connected to each other, and the whole film was full of highlights. The opening of the film started from an unexpected place. As I kept watching, thinking it was interesting, the two hours flew by and I really enjoyed it. About halfway through the film, Yamada-kun surprised me so much that I forgot his name, Ryosuke Yamada. Everything about him, from his body to his gestures, was just like Ed himself. The climax scene was just perfect. The young Hohenheim’s expression as if he had given up on everything and the young father’s muscularity were different from Ed’s. Yamada-kun’s ability to play three roles by himself was truly amazing. It was so faithful to the original manga. I am very grateful for that. Thank him so much for his hard work!”
