Full Metal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

Title: Full Metal Alchemist 7

Author: Hiromu Arakawa

ISBN:9781451504582

Publisher: VIZ Media, LLC

Copyright Date: 2004

Genre: Manga

About the Author:

Born on May 8, 1973 in Tokachi, Hokkaidō, Japan, Arakawa was born and raised on a dairy farm with three elder sisters and a younger brother. Arakawa thought about being a manga artist "since [she] was little" and during her school years, she would often draw on textbooks. After graduating high school, she took oil painting classes once a month for seven years while working on her family's farm. During this time, she also created dōjinshi manga with her friends and drew yonkoma for a magazine.

For Fullmetal Alchemist manga, Arakawa had read alchemy-related books, which she found very complicated due to the fact that some books contradicted others. Arakawa was attracted more by the philosophical aspects than the practical aspects. For the Equivalent Exchange concept, she was inspired by the work of her parents who had a farm in Hokkaidō and always had to give all their effort in order to earn the money to eat.

Hiromu Arakawa. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4698899.Hiromu_Arakawa 

Curriculum Ties:

• Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
• Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.

Plot Summary:

In the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, the society is set in a middle ages time period, where alchemy is in use and very important to society’s working. The two main characters, are alchemists, but because of a ritual gone wrong, Edward has a mechanical arm and leg, while Alphonse is just suit of armor with a soul. In this part of the story, Alphonse is kidnapped by a powerful character named Greed, who is a homunculus, and seeks to learn the secret of eternal life from Alphonse. As this happens, Edward is at a government building, renewing his registration as a state alchemist. When he comes home, he finds his brother is missing, and searches for him, with his former teacher and the military assisting him. There is soon a fight with the kidnappers and the military, with many deaths, and an intense sequence to see if the heroes can defeat Greed and retrieve Alphonse.

Critical Evaluation:

Since the story of Fullmetal Alchemist spans twenty-seven volumes, it is not surprising that this particular chapter advances the general plot of the series only a bit. However, there is still plenty of character development and intrigue in this book. The focus of this story is on the minor characters, which are given time to be introduced. Even the kidnappers are given names, backstories, and made sympathetic when it is revealed that they have been experimented on by the state alchemists and changed. The brothers’ teacher and her husband are also given time to shine, with them defeating numerous kidnappers and finding where Alphonse had been taken. The relationship of the brothers is also important in this story, with Edward showing how guilty he is for putting Alphonse is a metal body, and Alphonse’s emotional helplessness despite being immortal. The tone is lighter, with numerous jokes and humorous moments being inserted into the story, making it very enjoyable.

Readers Annotation:
Alphonse gets kidnapped by Greed while Edward is away. This leaves only one course of action. Edward must go and save his brother, no matter how dangerous it will be. 

Book Talking Ideas:

• Talk about that Alphonse is kidnapped and how that must make Edward feel. Discuss what you would do for your family.
• Talk about some of the powers alchemist have. Look for some of the skills they display in this book. 

Reading Level/Interest Age: 13-17

Challenge Issues:

• Frequent Violence, including blood and decapitation

Defense Collection:

• This manga inspired the popular series now airing on the Cartoon Network and captures the show's brand of mystical, action-packed adventure. Set in a steam-powered locale that isn't necessarily in our world, the series follows two teenage brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric—one bearing two cybernetic replacement limbs while the other's soul animates a cumbersome suit of armor. The two are government agents wielding prodigious abilities in alchemy who carry out the hazardous assignments issued by their handlers. Their exploits range from thwarting the machinations of a fraudulent and ambitious priest who abuses the faith of his oblivious flock to cunningly extracting an impoverished mining community from the exorbitant clutches of a corrupt official and dealing with a train-hijack situation that owes a serious debt to the film Under Siege . In a market glutted with too many like-minded efforts, Arakawa's work grabs readers and shakes them with simple yet eloquent visuals and a bizarre concept. To give away more would ruin the story, but the snippets of the brothers' origin hint at much darker things to come, and such portents herald fun in upcoming installments. (May) --Staff (Reviewed May 2, 2005) (Publishers Weekly, vol 252, issue 18, p178)
• In this series' science-fantasy world, alchemy's rule of “equivalent exchange” states that for something to be created, something of equal value must be sacrificed. When the prodigiously talented young alchemists Edward and Alphonse Elric attempted a forbidden alchemical procedure to resurrect their mother, the results were disastrous. Not only did they fail, but Edward lost an arm and a leg and Alphonse's soul was trapped inside a suit of armor. Now Edward, with cybernetic replacement limbs, is a State Alchemist working for the military government, traveling with his brother in search of the Philosopher's Stone that may be able to help them become whole again. Along the way, they find themselves fighting corrupt leaders and righting wrongs. The anime TV show based on this manga, shown on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, has made quite a splash among fans. The more formative manga is, so far, less emotionally compelling than the anime, and closer to a typical shonen (boys') quest adventure story, with cartoony artwork and exaggerated action scenes to match. But both versions are entertaining, with moments of comedy among the fights and the drama, and the manga is recommended for teens and adults. --Steve Raiteri (Reviewed January 15, 2006) (Library Journal, vol 131, issue 1, p86)
• Awards:
• YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults: What if ... (2011)
• Freedom to Read Statement
• ALA Library Bill of Rights
• Springville Public Library Collection Development Policy

• The Library Director and designated staff actively evaluate and select materials. The Springville Public Library Board, acting under the authority given to it by Title 4, Chapter 6 of the Springville Municipal Code and Title 09 of the Utah State Code, has the ultimate responsibility for the determination of the policies for selection and acquisition of materials.
• Library materials are selected based on the following (not necessarily in order of priority):
• Local public demand and usage potential
• Popularity
• Subject coverage
• Relevance
• Accuracy and currency
• Presentation, readability and format
• Point of view (all sides)
• Cost
• Local connection
• Social values
• Collection balance
• To assess the item based on the above criteria, staff utilize:
• Nationally recognized and relevant pre-publication reviews
• Staff expertise
• Bestseller lists
• Patron recommendations and requests
• Reliable social media reviews 

Purpose in Collection:
This manga series is one of the most popular and well read of the genre. It is fairly light in tone, excepting for violence, which make it acceptable to most teen groups. It would be a vital part to a manga collection in the library.