So, after my excitement over the first volume, my husband surprised me with the second. I read it in an afternoon and I'm still impressed. In fact, I enjoyed this volume better than the first.
The first was great when it came to action and humor. There was depth in the story, but not as much as the second. Reading the second is like wading in those swimming pools people get installed in their backyard... you know, the ones with the diving board? Anyway, it's like wading from the shallow end toward the diving board. There's a point where the ground dramatically slopes away and you realize you've just hit deep water. That's what volume two feels like.
The story of the Elric brothers continues (obviously) but this time in the course of looking for the Philosopher's Stone (or anything that might help them get their old bodies back) they end up meeting the Sewing-life Alchemist and his daughter. And what began as a fun romp takes a darker turn due to the new characters introduced. Events that seemed isolated begin to tie together until you realize the story is much bigger than you expected when you first started reading.
Overall, I enjoyed the depth. It's not overdone or maudlin. Characters behave just as you would expect them to behave and when they don't, it never seems out of character. The plot gets pretty thick in this one: I can see why people say InuYasha moves at a snail's pace if FMA is closer to the norm for decent plots. And yet, even though I felt a little breathless at the end due to the pace, it was never too much. It also helps that the humor doesn't go away. In fact, Hiromu Arakawa creates just the right balance of comedy to drama (and occasionally tragedy) to the point where I've decided that the first two volumes should be permanent features in any decent fantasy library, whether or not the author is into manga.
Oh, and just a quick note on the artwork... Hiromu Arakawa does a fantastic job of conveying emotions. I know very little else about art, so that's all I'll say for now.
Looking forward to volume three. :)
***
So, my step-mother heard that I'm into anime and manga (kind of hard not to since I've been gushing about the shows I've seen/comics I've read to just about everyone) and she mentioned a series some kids mentioned to her: Dragon Knights.
She knows I'm a Firefly, Terry Prachett kind of girl, so she thinks this will be right up my alley. In the reviews I've read on Amazon, it seems to be just as fun as she describes it, with just enough drama to keep the plot going.
But I'm not sure I'll be able to afford two long-running series. *sigh* We'll see. Necessities first, then fun.
And in the meantime, I've started writing again. Fifteen minutes a day at least. Actually, it's turned out more like one or two hours once or twice a week, but still, I'm shocked I'm getting any writing done at all considering all the other things I'm doing. I have FMA to thank. Most of the time when I read something, I end up not liking something about it and think, "I can do better than this." Often this gets me writing simply so I can prove to myself that I really can do better. Every fantastic book I've read has actually kept me from writing, since I feel I can never write as good as the book I've just read.
However, FMA has had an effect I've never felt before. I haven't found any fault with it, and yet I haven't stopped writing. I read it and couldn't wait to jump back into my own world... not because I think I can do better. I just want to write again. Odd.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Full Metal Alchemist vol. 1
Dang... it's been a while.
So, just because he's nice, my significant other bought me the first volume of Fullmetal Alchemist. The manga. I'm learning (after seeing the first episode of FMA on TV) that when given a choice between manga and anime, I should try to go for the manga. Luckily, I was able to immerse myself in this incredible world with hardly any interruptions this weekend.
For those who don't know, FMA is about two guys, both alchemists. One is named Edward, the other Alphonse and both tried resurrecting their mother using the art/science of alchemy. The theory, they said, was perfect. Unfortunately, they didn't understand as much as they thought: Edward lost a leg, while Alphonse lost everything. Edward sacrificed his arm and only managed to get his brother's soul in return, which he sealed inside a suit of armor. And their mother... well, let's leave that to the imagination for now.
You can't get something for nothing. It's the law of alchemy in the world of FMA, the principle underlying the whole structure. But there's a legend that an object exists -- the Philosopher's Stone -- that bends the law, allowing a person to get far more than they put in. And in the hands of an alchemist that means the ability to become godlike. Ed and Al want the stone, but not for ultimate power. They only want their original bodies back... and they aren't even sure the Stone is powerful enough to grant them their wish.
But when you have a source of godlike power, it's pretty much a guarantee that someone else, with motives far less pure than the protagonists, is going to want it as well. And that's where the fun really comes in.
Overall, I found the first volume of the manga fantastic. The characters were shown clearly and with a sense of fun that's missing from a lot of other books I've read. In spite of the humor, there's a philosophical backbone to this story that has me completely hooked. It shows itself best in the first half of the volume where Ed and Al rid a desert town of a crooked prophet/priest. The action, though strong, balanced well with the philosophy instead of overwhelming it like in the anime. The dialogue was far more subtle and intelligent in the manga, with information given in just the right doses instead of getting shoved in my face (anime).
At $10 a book I'm not sure I can afford this new addiction. However, considering the beauty of what I've read so far, I wouldn't be surprised if I considered it a vital addition to any library in a few more months. We'll see.
So, just because he's nice, my significant other bought me the first volume of Fullmetal Alchemist. The manga. I'm learning (after seeing the first episode of FMA on TV) that when given a choice between manga and anime, I should try to go for the manga. Luckily, I was able to immerse myself in this incredible world with hardly any interruptions this weekend.
For those who don't know, FMA is about two guys, both alchemists. One is named Edward, the other Alphonse and both tried resurrecting their mother using the art/science of alchemy. The theory, they said, was perfect. Unfortunately, they didn't understand as much as they thought: Edward lost a leg, while Alphonse lost everything. Edward sacrificed his arm and only managed to get his brother's soul in return, which he sealed inside a suit of armor. And their mother... well, let's leave that to the imagination for now.
You can't get something for nothing. It's the law of alchemy in the world of FMA, the principle underlying the whole structure. But there's a legend that an object exists -- the Philosopher's Stone -- that bends the law, allowing a person to get far more than they put in. And in the hands of an alchemist that means the ability to become godlike. Ed and Al want the stone, but not for ultimate power. They only want their original bodies back... and they aren't even sure the Stone is powerful enough to grant them their wish.
But when you have a source of godlike power, it's pretty much a guarantee that someone else, with motives far less pure than the protagonists, is going to want it as well. And that's where the fun really comes in.
Overall, I found the first volume of the manga fantastic. The characters were shown clearly and with a sense of fun that's missing from a lot of other books I've read. In spite of the humor, there's a philosophical backbone to this story that has me completely hooked. It shows itself best in the first half of the volume where Ed and Al rid a desert town of a crooked prophet/priest. The action, though strong, balanced well with the philosophy instead of overwhelming it like in the anime. The dialogue was far more subtle and intelligent in the manga, with information given in just the right doses instead of getting shoved in my face (anime).
At $10 a book I'm not sure I can afford this new addiction. However, considering the beauty of what I've read so far, I wouldn't be surprised if I considered it a vital addition to any library in a few more months. We'll see.
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