23 Weird Things Cut From Fullmetal Alchemist That Were In The Manga
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23 Weird Things Cut From Fullmetal Alchemist That Were In The Manga
Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the best anime ever created but there are quite a few stark differences between the show and the original manga. Fullmetal Alchemist was an awesome manga that ran from 2001-2010. This manga, which was written by Hiromu Arakawa, was so popular that it has received two anime series, multiple video games, some card games, action figures, light novels, and a Netflix adaptation – not bad at all. But what is Fullmetal Alchemist about? In a world where alchemy is a viable and complex science, two young brothers, Ed and Al, lose their mother to illness. They attempt alchemy’s ultimate taboo and try to bring her back at the cost of one brother’s entire body and another’s arm (Ed also loses his leg bringing Al’s soul back). The manga follows their journey searching for the Philosopher’s Stone, an alchemical compound that is so powerful that it can bypass the normal laws of alchemy and get their bodies back. The lore and history of Amestris, their home country, is expansive and detailed and there is a large cast of deep and complex characters there to support the boys on their quest. If you are a fan of well-thought-out fantasy stories that tackle complex issues such as living with a disability, war, corruption, and how harsh living with your mistakes can be, this one is for you. As mentioned earlier, Fullmetal Alchemist was popular enough to garner two different animated adaptations. There is a lot of debate among fans regarding whether the first or second adaptation is better as there are major differences between the two. This article is going to focus on the first anime, Fullmetal Alchemist, which ran from 2003 to 2004. Spoilers ahead! THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY The Entire Ending
Via: Netflix When the Fullmetal Alchemist anime was airing, the manga was still in the middle of being written and released every month. This made for some issues since the weekly anime caught up real fast. The writers and producers sat with Hiromu Arakawa and asked her to supervise the first part and then let them do their own thing once the catch up occurred, which Arakawa agreed to. This meant that the Fullmetal Alchemist anime made its own non-canon plot and original ending; even Hiromu Arakawa had no idea where things were headed. Homunculi Backstory
via: zerochan.net The Homunculi are named after the seven deadly sins and, along with being antagonists of the series, have different origins based on which source you read. In the manga, the Homunculi are the ‘human’ parts of the main antagonist Father given form and Philosopher’s Stones. In the anime, however, Homunculi are the result of failed human transmutations. This means that each Homunculus was once a deceased body that someone tried to bring back to life with alchemy. Talk about a traumatic meeting. Who Is The Main Antagonist
Fullmetal Alchemist Wiki - Fandom As I mentioned above, Father is the main antagonist of the manga. Father is a centuries old being who took the form of Van Hohenheim and wants to surpass God. Instead, the main antagonist of the anime is Dante, Izumi Curtis’ teacher and Van Hohenheim’s ex-lover. Dante and Hohenheim met over 400 years before the anime starts and made the first philosopher’s stone. Using the Stone, they transferred their souls to different younger bodies to stay alive. Is this true immortality? The jury is out on this one. Who Met Dad First
via randomc.net Hohenheim is a mysterious and deceptively ancient being in every iteration. He is a 400-year-old alchemist who uses alchemy to survive but eventually falls in love with Trisha Elric. When Ed and Al are young, Hohenheim leaves to research something, only returning a decade later. In the manga, Ed goes back to Risembool to pay his respects to his mother and meets Hohenheim at her grave. In the anime, Winry sees him first and Hohenheim mistakes her for her mother. An odd change, indeed. The Only Place In The World
via reddit.com Fullmetal Alchemist’s manga has an expansive world that extends beyond the borders of Amestris. There, Amestris is a landlocked nation surrounded by other countries, and sometimes border skirmishes occur. In the manga, we meet characters from these other nations, hear about the politics between nations and their histories. In the anime, we only briefly hear about Drachma, the snowy nation to the north of Amestris. Dante gets Pride to start a war with them to cover their tracks, but it would have been nice to hear more. The Manga Has A Lighter Tone
Via animephim.com While Fullmetal Alchemist does deal with some heavy subjects, but there is a shift in tone to inject some humour and relief between serious moments. The manga’s art style naturally lends itself to a lighter tone, but Arakawa masterfully works this in her favour to make the dark things stand out more. The Fullmetal Alchemist anime has a much more consistent dark tone throughout the story that, while there are humorous moments, leans into the darkness. Who Is Sloth
Via: Fanpop The Homunculi are all named after the seven deadly sins of man; Lust, Gluttony, Pride, Wrath, Greed, Envy, and Sloth. In the manga, Sloth is a hulking giant of a man who possesses immense strength but has zero motivation to use it. In the anime, Sloth takes the likeness of Trisha Elric and is a result of the Elric’s failed human transmutation. It is an interesting narrative change to make the brothers deal with their mistake this way; talk about an imposing consequence. What It Means To Be Human
Via emilykiwi.deviantart.com The Homunculi have some weird opinions regarding humans. In the manga, Homunculi consider themselves to be below humans in some ways. To them, humans are superior, and they want to become human somehow. This inferiority complex leads to some interesting discussions about what it means to be human. However, the anime Homunculi who were once human now view themselves as superior perfect beings, capable of more than humans ever possibly could be. There are some seriously mixed feelings going on here. Rose s Backstory
via pinterest.com Rose is a character that we meet very early on in each series. She is a follower of the fraudulent Father Cornello and wishes he would bring her boyfriend back from the dead. In the manga, Rose is not really discussed beyond the first volume, but she does reunite briefly with Al. In the anime, Rose has a much larger role to play. She becomes the Holy Mother of Risembool, is captured by the Amestrian Military and was chosen to become Dante’s next host. Who Is Wrath
via villains.wiki.com Wrath is a significant adversary to the brothers’ progress and survival in most iterations of Fullmetal Alchemist. In the manga, he is Fuhrer Bradley, the leader of Amestris and Ed’s highest boss. Wrath constantly put obstacles in the brothers’ and friends’ way to stop them from figuring out Father’s plans. In the anime, Wrath is the Curtis’ child who can do alchemy after eating red stones and taking Ed’s limbs. Wrath in the anime wants maternal love but rejects Izumi in favor of Sloth until ultimately siding with Ed and Izumi. Don t Ruin The Bloodseal
Via inverse.com When Ed brought Al back from the gate of Truth, he had to bind Al’s soul to something. In what is possibly the most metal move ever, Ed used his own blood to draw the binding seal, keeping Al’s soul on our side. Because the seal is made of blood, it has to be taken special care of so it doesn’t get damaged. This means that water cannot get on it and no-one except Ed can touch it. The problem is in an early episode, Ed kicks Al into a river during a sparring session – but nothing happens? Purple Or White
Incredible cosplay Al has an unforgettable look; I mean, he is a guy wearing a suit of armor and a loincloth. He is not really someone you would forget about in a hurry. His loincloth is typically a white color and that does not really change – except in the anime Fullmetal Alchemist. For some reason, Al’s loincloth was made a lilac color instead of pure white as seen elsewhere. Not sure why this was changed, but it is an oddly specific change for something so meaningless. A Permanent Pipsqueak
via: randomcuriosity.com Ed has a big issue with his height. His smaller than average stature is a running joke throughout the series and never fails to lighten up a heavy atmosphere. In the manga, while Ed does start out being a puny kid, he does gradually grow over the years until he is finally taller than Winry as an 18-year-old teen. In the anime, however, Ed does not get the chance to grow much physically, so we do not see this subtle change. Rose Knows All
via fanpop.com Rose is an avid follower of Letoism when we meet her for the first time. She genuinely believes that in doing good deeds and following the word of Father Cornello that he will be able to bring her partner back to life. However, when Ed and Al confront Cornello about him having the Philosopher’s Stone, the anime and manga handle things differently. In the manga, Ed and Al smuggle Rose into the room so she can hear Cornello’s master plan. However, the anime has her standing by his side and him avoiding saying anything too damning so she still believes in him. We re Not Gods We re Humans
via theyoungfolks.com One of the most infamous scenes in Fullmetal Alchemist history involved a certain girl and her dog. It is an event that, in the manga, affects the brothers deeply and is referenced throughout the rest of the series. In the manga, Ed has a moving speech about the helplessness of being human while doused in rain on the steps of the girl’s home. However, in the anime, this speech happens a few hours later on some random steps in the sun. It’s an odd change that I personally feel was unnecessary. Barry The Chopper
via fma.wiki.com Central City’s first serial criminal, Barry the Chopper was a butcher that attacked and ended his wife. Addicted to the feeling of causing harm, Barry began a spree of attacks. In the manga, Barry is tried and officially ended offscreen before becoming a soul bound to a suit of armor like Al. All of this happens offscreen before the manga starts and we meet him as a soul-bound-armor-suit. In the anime, Ed confronts Barry while Barry is human and a civilian and helps to bring Barry to justice. Spooking The Fullmetal Alchemist
Via shinyui.files.wordpress.com Edward Elric is not usually one to feel fear. He is brave, strong, and capable on the battlefield, meaning that we have confidence in his skills in each fight. However, even the great Fullmetal Alchemist can feel fear. His first big life-threatening battles both happen soon after he gains his state certification. In the manga, Ed is targeted by Scar, the ender of State Alchemists. Ed does his best and is afraid, but is ultimately ready to let Scar end his life to save Al. In the anime, Ed faces Barry the Chopper and feels true, raw fear for his and Winry’s lives. Mustang Is The Worst
via youtube.com Okay, I freaking love Roy Mustang. He is clever, caring, calculating, and brutal in battle. He can rub people the wrong way, but he is focused on protecting his loved ones and becoming Fuhrer. Because of his career path, Mustang does sometimes do things that anger Ed or a superior officer. While this is kept to a minimum in the manga, the anime really turns up Mustang’s cockiness. Mustang actively puts the brothers in danger to help his own career (and theirs as a by-product). Pretty cold for the Flame Alchemist. Time To Dwell
via hsmedianerdreviews.blogspot.com With the tight deadlines that loomed over the serialization of the manga, there is not much time to dwell on events in the narrative. Because of that, Hiromu Arakawa planned out the story precisely and had some good pacing in place to keep the story going. Interestingly, the anime spent a lot of time dwelling on certain events early on in the series rather than pushing on. This slowed down the pacing and got the characters and audience to sit in the consequences of events. Al Takes The Exam
Via: Fullmetal Alchemist Wiki The state alchemist exam is a key obstacle for the brothers to conquer. Entering the military allowed the brothers to travel and have money to research the Philosopher’s Stone while also putting them in contact with key characters. In the manga, Ed is the only one that takes the rather short state alchemy exam. However, in the anime, Al also studies hard alongside Ed to take the exam. In fact, Alphonse passes the written portion of the exam but is persuaded by Ed and Mustang to not go any further or else risk their secret being discovered.