Reccomendations: Fullmetal Alchemist (Part 1)

     (Note: I've been working on this intermittently for about 3 weeks now, and I think I bit off sliiiightly more than I could chew with this because I wanted to make it really really good. Now, of course, I want to do another one of these monsters, about my favorite Webtoon, because there has been some exciting news about it recently. However, I think I'm done for a while with this kind of thing- especially considering the start of school... I will do that one later, definitely.

     Another thing. Blogger wouldn't let me post this whole thing at once, so I did it in 2 parts, very close together in time. If you somehow caught this exactly at 9:00 AM, then the next one will post at 9:01.)

     I watch anime. Well, one anime, because I'm unsure whether the Studio Ghibli films count, and if so, how many they count for. My entire family has watched those. They are film masterpieces, and have the general vibe of classic Disney films with slightly differently drawn eyes. Anyway, the title of the anime I watch is in the title of this blog post, and now I'll tell you why I watch it.

     It was quite highly recommended to me by my two best friends, fraternal twins I've known since I can't even remember. We have a lot of shared interests, and by recommending things to each other, we've gained even more. We know each other quite well, so we have a pretty good sense of what each person likes. As a result, we end up loving nearly everything one of us introduces to the others.

     But I was still quite skeptical when they said I had to watch this anime. The title seemed weird, although I later learned that all anime titles sound weird, so don't judge them by that. I was also just skeptical of anime in general, as I'm sure at least some of you readers might be. But they were quite insistent that I read it, then watch it (it was originally a manga), so I made a deal with them, which I do sometimes. I would read/watch this, they would read another thing I wanted then to read.
     And I loved it from the first volume they lent me. I no longer felt that the deal was necessary for me to keep reading- I would probably even pay them to keep reading if I needed to.
     Honestly, after months of reading it, watching it, thinking about it, and talking about it, the single flaw I can find in anything in it is the main character having a main-character level of pain tolerance. You know the trope. It's not really intrusive to the story, so I actually didn't really realize it until recently, when my friends pointed it out to me. But that's absolutely it, and that's seriously astonishing, compared to other stories I've consumed in some way. It makes me laugh until I cry, then cry until I can't anymore, then show a whole other range of emotions, all within a single episode or volume. It has so many amazing characters, even the minor ones, that you can't even truly have a favorite character. I have declared that mine is Winry, but in my heart I still have not chosen. "Oh, but also Izumi Curtis is great, and so is Olivier Armstrong, and Riza Hawkeye, and Sheska..." Side note, it certainly does not lack in amazing female characters as well- all of those just mentioned are women and all of them are just great. It has an in-depth, well-built, engaging world and history. It has an interesting villain, which everyone knows makes a good story. The art and art style is great. Especially toward the grand finale, you can probably just take a random panel and frame it on your wall.

     I could sing its praises for paragraphs more, but you would still not know what the mangoes it's about. So, I'll start with the world, and even before that, the magic system, which is the best I've ever encountered so far.
     In the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, alchemy actually exists. I'll quote from the Fullmetal Alchemist Wiki article on the subject:

     "Alchemy is the ancient metaphysical science/mystical art of manipulating and altering matter by using natural energy. This act is known as transmutation and its sequence is usually described as:
     1. Comprehension - Understanding the inherent structure and properties of the atomic or molecular makeup of a particular material to be transmuted, including the flow and balance of potential and kinetic energy within.
     2. Deconstruction - Using energy to break down the physical structure of the identified material into a more malleable state so as to be easily reshaped into a new form.
     3. Reconstruction - Continuing the flow of energy so as to reform the material into a new shape.
     The proper application of this craft requires not only a full understanding of chemistry and ancient alchemical theory, but also a sort of natural talent towards recognizing and manipulating the physical objects with energy, which require uncommon levels of intelligence and aptitude. Those remarkable individuals capable of studying and practicing alchemy are known as "Alchemists".
     There are many paths by which alchemists can transmute the various substances of the world, with some alchemists being said to transmute by way of the Four Classical Elements (Water, Earth, Fire, and Air) and some by way of the Three Essential Principles (salt, sulfur, and mercury), but the basic tenet at the very foundation of all alchemy is that of Equivalent Exchange."