Full Metal Alchemist

Publisher
Geneon/MVM
Director
Seiji Mizushima
Production
BONES, Dentsu, MBS
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
52 episodes
Year
2003

Full Metal Alchemist Volume 6: Captured Souls

By otaku_kei
16th Apr 06

Where to start? Full Metal Alchemist has been a globally successful franchise spawning anime, manga, action figures, card games, video games and just about any other merchandise you can think to mention, overall a runaway success in just about every field that it has touched. This success would not have been possible without the quality evident in the anime series which is coming up to the halfway mark with its UK release. For those of you who have been following the show then this must surely be one of your most anticipated releases, and with good reason!

The Elric brothers are still at Lab #5 investigating the strange goings on at this State sponsored human testing ground. Ed continues his investigation into the sickening experiments, whilst Al's confrontation with Barry The Chopper continues on both the physical and psychological levels. When Scar arrives on the scene hunting for the Full Metal Alchemist he brings his own brand of vigilante justice to the scene of a another scene of violence and brutality caused by the State Alchemists! As more secrets are uncovered the brothers are faced with yet more fundamental questions about who they are and just why they have devoted themselves to the Philosopher's Stone.

This is an action packed volume, but we find that behind every fight and confrontation we find an emotionally charged core. The seeds of doubt planted within Al's mind, and Ed's very own humanity make every fight and action have a real resonance with the audience. This brings me right back to a point that I have made previously when talking about this show, for all the flashy action and adventure in FMA, the success of this show is based on the characters and relationships that the show is founded on. The central bond between the Elric brothers proves the primary interest for the audience, and the strains and the pressure that this relationship goes through across this volume was really what kept me glued to the screen.

With this volume being pretty much the halfway mark for this show we do get a lot of plot exposition as well. Secrets about the Philosopher's Stone, the State Alchemists and the Humonculi all start to come out. We also get more screen time for all of our favourite characters in these episodes. These plot revelations, and character growth give the show a whole new energy into the second half of this series. There is still much that needs to be covered in the coming volumes, but the promise and quality that have marked this show from the opening episode look set to continue across following volumes.

So once again Full Metal Alchemist has shown just why it is such a global sensation. Having been so wholly captivated by this show so far, I can only say that this latest volume has left me aching for more. Never a show to shy away from the darker side of unchecked ambition, Full Metal Alchemist still looks to have enough dynamism for further moral questions and personal self-discovery. So just more of the top quality storytelling that we have come to expect from this show, quality that has already marked it out as one of the best shows around!

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English Language 5.1; Japanese Language 2.0; English Language Subtitles; Textless Opening & Closing; Production Art Galleries

Release information: OUT NOW - 10th April 2006

Notes: Another great release from MVM that goes to show just why MVM have been voted best anime distributor in the UK in many polls both online and in the press. Once again the only real gripe is the lack of any substantial extras on this volume. But with a show spread out across so many volumes it is hard to find enough material to deliver on each volume. On the flipside there is also a limited release of FMA volume 6 in a DVD collectors tin, large enough to hold the first 6 volumes of the show side-by-side. So it isn't like MVM could be accused of not providing anime fandom with what they are asking for.

-- otaku_kei 16th Apr 06

Full Metal Alchemist Images