Years before we witnessed the live-action arrival of Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates on Netflix, the Elric brothers had their chance to hit the live-action world. In 2017, Fullmetal Alchemist received its first live-action feature-length film that documented the story of Edward and Alphonse. The movie would go on to receive two sequels that would follow the anime siblings through their harsh ordeal, but theaters weren’t the only place to see Fullmetal Alchemist in the “real world.” Thanks to the recent live-action adaptation, the franchise’s creator Hiromu Arakawa has returned to the headlines.
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Arriving next month, the next live-action Fullmetal Alchemist stage play is set to arrive in Japan, “Fullmetal Alchemist: Ambitions of Darkness and Light.” Before the production officially begins, creator Hiromu Arakawa shared her thoughts, “The third stage production of “Fullmetal Alchemist” has finally arrived! Thanks to everyone who supported us, the actors, and the staff, the third stage production has finally begun! The production unfolds within the limited space of a stage that is different from both live-action and anime, and I am always amazed by the fresh possibilities. “The stage is so vast! How free!” (And the author is always thinking of ways to use this production in the manga… I wonder if I can copy it.) This time too, the story is packed with content, and everything is a highlight, but personally, I’m looking forward to the scene where Envy appears. I’m excited to see
how it will be directed!”
Hiromu Arakawa Will Return
Fullmetal Alchemist’s manga ended in 2010, and while the original anime adaptation would receive a reboot in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, a sequel series has never been announced. Thanks to the conclusive ending of Arakawa’s work, not too many fans are demanding a sequel story to the tale that focused on Edward and Alphonse. Luckily, fans of this alchemy-based world have a major project to look forward to that will animate the spiritual successor to the popular anime that was made by Hiromu Arakawa.
Daemons of the Shadow Realm is a far different story from that of the Elrics, but its art style is unmistakably Arakawa’s. Much like the first two Fullmetal Alchemist anime adaptations, the series will be animated by Studio BONES, who recently brought the mega-hit, My Hero Academia, to an end. While Daemons will have its fair share of supernatural elements like its predecessor, don’t expect alchemy to be a major part of the anime series that arrives on Crunchyroll this April.
Live-action stage productions of popular anime franchises are nothing new in Japan, with the likes of Naruto, My Hero Academia, Beastars, and many others hitting the stage. While the vast majority of these plays never make their way to North America, there have been instances of the West having anime productions of its own. In recent years, Sailor Moon, Death Note, and Attack on Titan have hit the West, so fingers crossed that the Elrics might someday do the same.
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