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Fullmetal Alchemist: Omnibus #1
Fullmetal Alchemist 3-in-1 Vol. 1
Breaking the laws of nature is a serious crime!
R to L (Japanese Style), for audience T.
Contains Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of Fullmetal Alchemist!
In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical ""auto-mail"" limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his and his brother's bodies...the legendary Philosopher's Stone.
Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world, somewhere between magic, art and science. When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in these powers to grant their dearest wish, one of them lost an arm and leg...and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living iron. Now they are agents of the government, slaves of the military-alchemical complex, using their unique powers to obey their orders...even to kill. But their powers aren't unique. The world crawls with evil alchemists. And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher's Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are...
R to L (Japanese Style), for audience T.
Contains Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of Fullmetal Alchemist!
In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical ""auto-mail"" limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his and his brother's bodies...the legendary Philosopher's Stone.
Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world, somewhere between magic, art and science. When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in these powers to grant their dearest wish, one of them lost an arm and leg...and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living iron. Now they are agents of the government, slaves of the military-alchemical complex, using their unique powers to obey their orders...even to kill. But their powers aren't unique. The world crawls with evil alchemists. And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher's Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are...
576 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
190 people are currently reading
4051 people want to read
About the author
Hiromu Arakawa
355 books2,868 followersHiromu Arakawa (author: 荒川弘) is a Japanese manga artist, best known for Fullmetal Alchemist (鋼の錬金術師 Hagane no renkinjutsushi).
Her real name is Hiromi Arakawa (荒川弘美).
Arakawa was born and raised on a dairy farm in Hokkaidō.
She thought of being a manga artist since she was little. After graduating high school, she took oil painting classes while working on her family's farm. During that time, she also created dōjinshi manga with her friends and drew yonkoma for a magazine. After eight years she moved to Tōkyō and started out as assistant writer for Hiroyuki Etō.
Her debut as manga artist is in 1999 with STRAY DOG. In 2001 she started working on her famous and award winning series Fullmetal Alchemist, that soon gets a successful anime adaptation.
Other works include Silver Spoon (銀の匙 Silver Spoon, Gin no saji Silver Spoon).
Her real name is Hiromi Arakawa (荒川弘美).
Arakawa was born and raised on a dairy farm in Hokkaidō.
She thought of being a manga artist since she was little. After graduating high school, she took oil painting classes while working on her family's farm. During that time, she also created dōjinshi manga with her friends and drew yonkoma for a magazine. After eight years she moved to Tōkyō and started out as assistant writer for Hiroyuki Etō.
Her debut as manga artist is in 1999 with STRAY DOG. In 2001 she started working on her famous and award winning series Fullmetal Alchemist, that soon gets a successful anime adaptation.
Other works include Silver Spoon (銀の匙 Silver Spoon, Gin no saji Silver Spoon).
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 544 reviews
November 23, 2017
Okay, first off: this edition ended on a cliffhanger and I don't have the next 3-in-1 volume on me, so!! I need to know what happens ASAP, I hope that next volume arrives quickly.
Adored this, though! Love the characters, love the art style, love the story - love everything about it, to be quite honest. Don't know why I waited this long to get into the FMA series, haha, but better late than never!
Adored this, though! Love the characters, love the art style, love the story - love everything about it, to be quite honest. Don't know why I waited this long to get into the FMA series, haha, but better late than never!
Want to read
October 2, 2019I’ve been in such an anime/manga mood here lately & this is one of the heavy hitting classics I’ve always wanted to read. Very excited to dive into this story!
August 5, 2017
How could I give this masterpiece anything other than 5 stars? This is the manga of a generation, the tale of the Elric brothers is one that must be told time and time again. This is the best search for the philosopher's stone of the modern era.
It's impressive the art style of Hiromu Arakawa. She can balance very well the comical and dramatic moments of the narrative and blend them very well, they never seem to clash at all. The characters are fantastic, very well rounded and developed even the ones that don't get a lot of screen time. Its also nice to see the main themes of loss, grief, hope and humanity being developed as the narrative evolves. Because that is what all the great stories have in common, the ability to answer what it means to be human.
Also, I loved the special content added in the editions such as the short strips and the in memoriam. It's so funny, the author has a great sense of humor. I also enjoyed the thematic pages between some chapters.
Of course, I absolutely recommend this series. For everyone. If you are not familiar with manga, this is a great introduction to the style and themes commonly used by Japanese authors.
It's impressive the art style of Hiromu Arakawa. She can balance very well the comical and dramatic moments of the narrative and blend them very well, they never seem to clash at all. The characters are fantastic, very well rounded and developed even the ones that don't get a lot of screen time. Its also nice to see the main themes of loss, grief, hope and humanity being developed as the narrative evolves. Because that is what all the great stories have in common, the ability to answer what it means to be human.
Also, I loved the special content added in the editions such as the short strips and the in memoriam. It's so funny, the author has a great sense of humor. I also enjoyed the thematic pages between some chapters.
Of course, I absolutely recommend this series. For everyone. If you are not familiar with manga, this is a great introduction to the style and themes commonly used by Japanese authors.
May 23, 2018
Clearly one of those WHY HAVEN'T I READ THIS SOONER cases !!!
I love everything about this ! The characters, the drawings, the story, the humor, the heartbreak, the alchemy, the villains, E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G !
I love everything about this ! The characters, the drawings, the story, the humor, the heartbreak, the alchemy, the villains, E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G !
December 13, 2022
Ich hab die Elic Brüder so vermisst! Den Anime hab ich damals leider nie zu Ende geschaut, umso mehr freu ich mich jetzt auf die nächsten Bände🥺🥰
July 27, 2017
the elric brothers♡
August 10, 2016
4.5/5 Stars
After years of people telling me that FMA is their favorite anime/manga series of all time, I finally understand that sentiment on a spiritual level.
I was so surprised by the start of this series. Not only is the artwork amazing and not only does this fantasy series showcase plenty of awe-inspiring, badass moments, but it's absolutely hilarious. I'm talkin' laugh-out-loud, emit inhuman noises, grab your aching rib-cage kind of hilarious. The writing and the dialogue can switch on a dime from being cheeky, sarcastic, and whimsical to musing about the flow of the universe and how humans are connected to everything. The series manages to be so insightful and daring yet extremely funny with a healthy helping of action and scenes where the characters get to use their extraordinary powers to kick some serious ass.
Not only that, but the characters are fantastic. Just in this first bind-up alone, the audience gets to know so much about the Elric brothers and the nature of their relationship. There's wonderfully-timed backstory that really instills a sense of purpose in the readership and helps them to care about Edward and Al and all that they're pursuing. I love how not only do the Elric brothers draw strength from their superhuman bodies and their insane alchemic abilities, but they also draw strength from each other. Their brotherhood (ha) is beautifully developed right from the beginning, and I can already tell that not only is this story going to be insanely amazing, but the characters are going to be the death of me as well.
I love that. I live for that. Bring it on.
After years of people telling me that FMA is their favorite anime/manga series of all time, I finally understand that sentiment on a spiritual level.
I was so surprised by the start of this series. Not only is the artwork amazing and not only does this fantasy series showcase plenty of awe-inspiring, badass moments, but it's absolutely hilarious. I'm talkin' laugh-out-loud, emit inhuman noises, grab your aching rib-cage kind of hilarious. The writing and the dialogue can switch on a dime from being cheeky, sarcastic, and whimsical to musing about the flow of the universe and how humans are connected to everything. The series manages to be so insightful and daring yet extremely funny with a healthy helping of action and scenes where the characters get to use their extraordinary powers to kick some serious ass.
Not only that, but the characters are fantastic. Just in this first bind-up alone, the audience gets to know so much about the Elric brothers and the nature of their relationship. There's wonderfully-timed backstory that really instills a sense of purpose in the readership and helps them to care about Edward and Al and all that they're pursuing. I love how not only do the Elric brothers draw strength from their superhuman bodies and their insane alchemic abilities, but they also draw strength from each other. Their brotherhood (ha) is beautifully developed right from the beginning, and I can already tell that not only is this story going to be insanely amazing, but the characters are going to be the death of me as well.
I love that. I live for that. Bring it on.
September 4, 2019
I loved this first volume :) while I was reading it, I ordered the rest of the series... :) that's how fast I fell in love with it... it's funny, full of action and adventures and surprisingly a lot of serious subjects as well... I can't wait to know what's gonna happen next and how the whole story will end :) this is a great introduction into the whole world, its rules and the main characters, as well as some very important secondary ones... the whole series tells a story of two brothers, who try to repair the damages and manage all the consequences of a failed alchemy experiment... we get some basic informations about them, but we will have to wait for more details until future installments :) I love the drawing style, as well as the writing style... it's a perfect mix of humor and adventures, as well as some very serious subjects... looking forward to continue on with the whole series :) I highly recommend it :)
XOXO
A
XOXO
A
July 3, 2018
I really loved this. The characters are great, and I love the concept of alchemy in this volume bind up. There was never a dull moment, and it was just thoroughly enjoyable the entire time.
I think this series is a great one for beginners to manga. Can’t wait to start the next volume, since this one ended on a huge cliffhanger!
I think this series is a great one for beginners to manga. Can’t wait to start the next volume, since this one ended on a huge cliffhanger!
June 2, 2020
It was a great experience to revisit this world!
I love the bond between Edward and Alphonse.
This series also makes me very interested in alchemy as a subject in general.
I hope to finish these volumes as soon as possible.
5 of 5 stars
I love the bond between Edward and Alphonse.
This series also makes me very interested in alchemy as a subject in general.
I hope to finish these volumes as soon as possible.
5 of 5 stars
December 23, 2025
Relecture, huit ans après la dernière : 🐮❤️
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Reread, eight years later: 🐮❤️
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Reread, eight years later: 🐮❤️
January 30, 2016
3-in-1 Edition, Vol. 1
With the introduction at the end of book 1 of Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist, my interest picked up greatly. I loved the "Extra" page where a laughing Roy says "in Vol. 2 we will be switching protagonists and the series will be retitled "Flame Alchemist". An angry face figure in the bottom corner says "that's not true".
In book 1 I disliked Edward from the very beginning. His constant anger and aggression was a complete turn off. I kept reading, because trusted Good Reads friends raved about this series.
As books 2 and 3 developed, plot and character-wise, I began to enjoy the story. Edward's constant anger and frustration was more understandable once he and Al's backstory was told, and with repetition of their ages, it sunk in how young these kids are.
I did laugh at Edward's knee jerk reaction whenever his height was mentioned. The introduction of two female characters (Pinako Rockbell and Winry) and the dog with a metal leg helped balance out the testosterone factor.
Gluttony (ew!) and Lust were awesome additions. There is a third female character that appears with them, but I can't find where she's identified. Probably my oversight.
Laughed at the end of book extras, Al's Big Hairstyle Strategy, and Pinako Rockbell in a bikini.
With the introduction at the end of book 1 of Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist, my interest picked up greatly. I loved the "Extra" page where a laughing Roy says "in Vol. 2 we will be switching protagonists and the series will be retitled "Flame Alchemist". An angry face figure in the bottom corner says "that's not true".
In book 1 I disliked Edward from the very beginning. His constant anger and aggression was a complete turn off. I kept reading, because trusted Good Reads friends raved about this series.
As books 2 and 3 developed, plot and character-wise, I began to enjoy the story. Edward's constant anger and frustration was more understandable once he and Al's backstory was told, and with repetition of their ages, it sunk in how young these kids are.
I did laugh at Edward's knee jerk reaction whenever his height was mentioned. The introduction of two female characters (Pinako Rockbell and Winry) and the dog with a metal leg helped balance out the testosterone factor.
Gluttony (ew!) and Lust were awesome additions. There is a third female character that appears with them, but I can't find where she's identified. Probably my oversight.
Laughed at the end of book extras, Al's Big Hairstyle Strategy, and Pinako Rockbell in a bikini.
August 17, 2015
4/5 stars.
This was goooooooood.
I've heard really good things about the anime and I saw this at my library and snatched it up!
I really liked this, the characters are really loveable, I can't wait to continue the series
This was goooooooood.
I've heard really good things about the anime and I saw this at my library and snatched it up!
I really liked this, the characters are really loveable, I can't wait to continue the series
July 22, 2023
unabashedly love this, from characters to plot to fabulously old-fashioned american slang
April 5, 2025
Even though I'm not allowed to give this anything less than 5 stars (I have too many friends who swear by this story and they would probably off me if I didn't like this), I gotta say the rating is definitely genuine. After a volume and a half i started to REALLY get interested in the characters, I'm super excited to continue. I liked this a lot, reading omnibus in physical form is so much easier than reading on my freaking laptop.
September 29, 2020
Po 15 latach wróciłam i z szerokim bananem na paszczy stwierdzam, że czas nie zdetronizował FMA w moim skromnym rankingu mang. Bookdepo, bądź błogosławione za tak łatwy dostęp do wersji niemieckojęzycznej (o cenie jednak nie chcę rozmawiać, to bolesny temat...).
March 6, 2023
A must read for all the manga and anime lovers out there.
Superb Story Line,
Superb Art,
Superb writing pattern. ❤️❤️❤️
(Highly Recommended)
Superb Story Line,
Superb Art,
Superb writing pattern. ❤️❤️❤️
(Highly Recommended)
November 3, 2021
My first manga.. and now I'm obsessed.
Read
January 26, 2019I’m not going to rate this right now because I haven’t read enough manga to properly rate.
But, I’m not sure I’ve had this much fun reading a story in a while. I can’t wait to pick up the rest of the series. The first three volumes seem like a great kickoff to the series.
Having never read a manga before, I’m glad I picked this up first. It was just really great.
But, I’m not sure I’ve had this much fun reading a story in a while. I can’t wait to pick up the rest of the series. The first three volumes seem like a great kickoff to the series.
Having never read a manga before, I’m glad I picked this up first. It was just really great.
June 13, 2021
the rip drawings after each book makes it so much better
February 9, 2019
Hmmm. It would have been more epic if I had also watched the anime version of this.
Maybe that will get me to continue further.
Maybe that will get me to continue further.
August 7, 2019
I love this so much!
This manga is awesome, I love the characters, the story, everything!
Can’t wait to read the second volume!
This manga is awesome, I love the characters, the story, everything!
Can’t wait to read the second volume!
April 18, 2024
Chapter for chapter review here: https://youtu.be/l_Fo3cfA4dI
May 10, 2024
Les frères Elric sont des alchimistes ayant tenté une expérience ratée : Alphonse a perdu son corps entier, son âme fixée dans une armure, et Edward possède désormais un bras et une jambe artificiels. Ils cherchent désormais la pierre philosophale pour retrouver leurs corps.
Après que l'on m'ait tant vanté les qualités de ce manga, je me suis décidé à l'essayer. Verdict ? Très bon avec un 4.5/5 ! Il faut reconnaître que le manga grouille de personnages plutôt classes et attachants tels qu'Edward lui-même mais encore le colonel Mustang ou surtout la sublime lieutenant Hawkeye <3. Je suis beaucoup plus sceptique cependant sur le cas du colonel Armstrong. Je ne sais pas si c'est moi qui voit le mal où il n'y en a pas, mais j'ai vraiment eu l'impression d'y voir une caricature gay ultra forcée.
Concernant l'intrigue, cette édition 3 en 1 à le mérite de permettre au lecteur de ne pas s'arrêter au premier arc qui n'est finalement qu'une mise en place. Si j'ai trouvé quelques chapitres moins inspirés (particulièrement le chapitre 4 en réalité), je trouve que l'histoire prend véritablement son envol après ce même chapitre 4 avec des passages très intéressants (le chapitre 6 avec Nina...) dont certains qui reviennent sur le passé des deux frères. Ce tome s'arrête d'ailleurs plus ou moins sur un cliffhanger, ce qui est une motivation non négligeable pour continuer ma découverte.
Mon reproche portera principalement sur les combats que j'ai parfois trouvé un peu brouillons. Une amie a eu beau m'expliquer le "principe" de l'alchimie consistant à toujours échanger la même masse, j'ai franchement eu du mal à suivre certaines actions et j'ai plutôt eu l'impression de voir de la magie qu'autre chose avec des échanges qui me laissent parfois quelque peu sceptique. Le fait que notre héros puisse effectuer ses transmutations sans cercle le rend peut-être un peu trop tout-puissant pour justifier ses actions.
Pour conclure, Fullmetal Alchemist a été une excellente découverte alors que je partais méfiant (je suis curieux de savoir pourquoi j'avais abandonné au bout de la première page autrefois sur un scan).
Après que l'on m'ait tant vanté les qualités de ce manga, je me suis décidé à l'essayer. Verdict ? Très bon avec un 4.5/5 ! Il faut reconnaître que le manga grouille de personnages plutôt classes et attachants tels qu'Edward lui-même mais encore le colonel Mustang ou surtout la sublime lieutenant Hawkeye <3. Je suis beaucoup plus sceptique cependant sur le cas du colonel Armstrong. Je ne sais pas si c'est moi qui voit le mal où il n'y en a pas, mais j'ai vraiment eu l'impression d'y voir une caricature gay ultra forcée.
Concernant l'intrigue, cette édition 3 en 1 à le mérite de permettre au lecteur de ne pas s'arrêter au premier arc qui n'est finalement qu'une mise en place. Si j'ai trouvé quelques chapitres moins inspirés (particulièrement le chapitre 4 en réalité), je trouve que l'histoire prend véritablement son envol après ce même chapitre 4 avec des passages très intéressants (le chapitre 6 avec Nina...) dont certains qui reviennent sur le passé des deux frères. Ce tome s'arrête d'ailleurs plus ou moins sur un cliffhanger, ce qui est une motivation non négligeable pour continuer ma découverte.
Mon reproche portera principalement sur les combats que j'ai parfois trouvé un peu brouillons. Une amie a eu beau m'expliquer le "principe" de l'alchimie consistant à toujours échanger la même masse, j'ai franchement eu du mal à suivre certaines actions et j'ai plutôt eu l'impression de voir de la magie qu'autre chose avec des échanges qui me laissent parfois quelque peu sceptique. Le fait que notre héros puisse effectuer ses transmutations sans cercle le rend peut-être un peu trop tout-puissant pour justifier ses actions.
Pour conclure, Fullmetal Alchemist a été une excellente découverte alors que je partais méfiant (je suis curieux de savoir pourquoi j'avais abandonné au bout de la première page autrefois sur un scan).
March 7, 2018
Okay, so gee golly, I read the first couple of volumes that I had picked up at my local library, and decided that I really liked this series. So what’d I do then? Yep, I went and bought this 3-in-1 volume (at quite a bargain I might add) and then went ahead and bought the next couple of 3-in-1 volumes because I don’t want to imagine a world without this fantastic series. Not ready for that.
February 2, 2017
What can I say except GAH. This manga is so well-done! Not only is the plot great and the characters perfect (please Ed, let me marry you), but the graphics are flawless too and I'll jump right into volumes 4, 5 and 6 because I need to know what happens next!!! so yeah brb
Want to read
March 19, 2018I've read this one in my early teens and remember...very little from it, so I might as well re-read it!
August 1, 2019
3.6 - Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed this!
Maybe its because i’m new to manga but a lot of the dialogue seemed very artificial and not really sure if i enjoy the “kawaii” part of it haha
Maybe its because i’m new to manga but a lot of the dialogue seemed very artificial and not really sure if i enjoy the “kawaii” part of it haha
Displaying 1 - 30 of 544 reviews