Fullmetal Alchemist might have ended the story of the Elrics quite some time in the past but it remains one of the most beloved anime franchises of all time. The alchemy story will routinely make the top of the list for favorite anime series by fans, though the series has made headlines recently for a very different reason. Controversy has arisen regarding the potential treatment of series creator Hiromu Arakawa in an original production meeting for the anime, as two sides are disputing the series of events.
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The original rumor stated that Fullmetal Alchemist’s creator Hiromu Arakawa was told to “keep quiet” during the initial productions of the anime adaptation. Revealed by anime creator Manpuku Jinja “I’ve heard that for the anime adaptation of ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ (the original version), the script meetings actually included the original author. However, during one of these meetings, a scriptwriter reportedly told the author, ‘Amateurs should keep quiet.’ That’s horrifying. At that time, it was common for anime adaptations to change the original story, and the quality of the ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ anime was quite good (though a later adaptation was made that stayed faithful to the original manga).”
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Rebuttal
In response to this statement, Fullmetal Alchemist scriptwriter Sho Aikawa denied the allegations by stating that Arakawa hasn’t attended said meetings, “Although I have had prior discussions with the original author, I don’t think they’ve ever attended a script meeting. However, considering that those involved in scriptwriting and production include this information in their profiles, I can’t imagine they would broadcast such uncertain claims that could amount to defamation to the whole world. So please let me know when exactly this happened.”
Jinja had stated in response to Aikawa that they had heard the rumor from someone close to production, though Manpuku would go on to delete the initial statement. As it stands, Arakawa herself has yet to comment on the event. Arakawa has since gone on to create a new manga following the finale of Fullmetal Alchemist, Daemons of The Shadow Realm. The current manga series has yet to be confirmed for an anime adaptation.
Want the latest updates on the world of the Elric Brothers? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for all the latest on Fullmetal Alchemist and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of alchemy.
