The world of alchemy through the Elric brothers' adventures

I have been indulging in the Japanese anime Fullmetal Alchemist series this Chinese New Year break. An unusual activity for me but most addictive now that I am getting into the story as each episode gets played.

Who would have thought that such a simple story line could be so interesting ...

The story goes like this ...

Two boys, barely in the teens, discovered alchemy, after their father mysteriously disappeared. Edward and Alphonse Elric accessed their father Hofhenheim's study, read the letters he wrote to his fellow alchemist friends and combed through his alchemy books. They began to draw the transmutation circle and transform things into other things that they desired. 

Their mother smiled each time her boys come up with something using alchemy because it reminded her of her husband,  their father, who used to create flowers for her. Those were good memories.

After a short while, their mother passed away while they were barely teens. In their depth of sorrow, the boys tried human transmutation to bring their mother back to life. They desperately missed her smile. 

People cannot gain anything without sacrificing something.

You must present something of equal value to gain something.

This is the principle of equivalent trade in alchemy.

We believe that was the truth of our world when we were young.

And so they tried bringing their mother back to life, but failed tragically. What ensued was a body-less, younger brother Alphonse (probably about 11 years old at that time) and a handicapped Edward. With only one good arm and one good leg, Edward - the more gifted in alchemy of the two - only managed to bind Alphonse's soul to a metal armor that was lying in their father's study. 

The next day, Alphonse - now with his strong metal body and frame, carried his badly injured older brother to their neighbor's home, where Winry - their childhood friend and her grandmother stayed. They performed surgery on Edward and provided him with a auto-mail (metal/robotic) limbs, so the latter could pursue alchemy to become a State Alchemist.

And so the great adventures began as they set out on a journey to learn how they can restore their bodies to the original state ... more so for Alphonse who was no longer able to feel the warmth of his own brother's embrace and was soon forgetting what it was like to even have a normal body. 

Oh ... and after 51 episodes, which by the way will take me a long time to get through (what with Chinese New Year public holidays ending today), I am pleased to know that there is a sequel to the first series called Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

I hope the sequels are as engaging as the first.

If you, like me, enjoy Japanese anime, then be sure to also checkout my other favorite Howl's Moving Castle.