Title: Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition Vol. 4
Author: Hiromu Arakawa
Publisher: Viz Media
Language: English
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 192
Genre: Shounen, Battle
Publication Date: February 12, 2019
The Story
The fourth volume of Fullmetal Alchemist Fullmetal Edition sees a successful delivery of a baby boy all thanks in part to Winry. You would think that she would get her apprenticeship for helping bring Dom’s grandson into the world; however, he still won’t take on any apprentices. Despite this, he gives Winry a tip of where to find an automail mechanic she could train under in Rush Valley. This is where they part ways as Ed and Al go meet up with their teacher Izumi. Izumi wants to know what happened between Ed and Al since the last time she saw them.
The rest of the volume ends up being a flashback that details Ed and Al’s past. It shows how they started learning alchemist after their father Hohenheim left home. It also shows how they tried to transmute a human after their mother passed away from an illness and failed, thus resulting in Ed losing his arm and leg and Al losing his entire body.
Before we get to that point, though, We’re shown how Izumi helped save Risembool from flooding and it piqued Ed and Al’s interest to train under her. Izumi reluctantly accepts them as apprentices and forces them to undergo harsh and strict training. It was this training that leads them into trying the human transmutation. After the incident, the volume wraps up after the military investigates the incident and Colonel Mustang introduces them to the State Alchemist exam which they end up passing, thus earning Ed the nickname of The Fullmetal Alchemist.
The story here may have halted in progression in favor of a flashback but it really opened the doors on Ed and Al’s characters. For that reason, this was mainly a character development volume but it was done in such a way where it felt more than just development. You got a good sense that Ed and Al’s past were part of the story and their past helped tie up some of the loose ends that we’ve been given thus far. Everything flowed together and while this was an obvious detour, it felt like it fit within the natural pacing of the series!
Characters
The major focus here was on both Edward and Alphonse. Everything from how they ended up as they are today, the pain they felt when their father left, the greater pain from when their mother died, the will to see her again, the strength that they have acquired, and the harsh lessons learned along the way… off of it was brought to the forefront here in such a way that you couldn’t help but feel connected to these characters. It’s storytelling like this that shines as a prime example of why Hiromu Arakawa is a master at character development. She makes every character feel important and spares no detail. She goes the extra mile for her main characters and Ed/Al are prime examples of that.
Of course, Izumi isn’t to be passed over as we were not only introduced to her but we also get to see a bit into her character as well. Not only did she serve as Ed and Al’s teacher but, she too, is like them in the fact that she tried forbidden alchemy. When she asked Ed if he saw “that,” Ed knew exactly what she was talking about and why it was possible for her to ask such a question. Later on, she wishes that she could see her son once again, mentioning that she took Ed and Al under her wing because her son would have been about the same age as the two of them. This paints a pretty clear picture as to what happened with Izumi’s past without going into huge detail. In fact, it’s pretty genius to take Ed and Al’s past and apply it Izumi’s vicariously through their development. Two birds with one stone. That’s not an easy thing to do but the end result is amazing. It allows you to explain a character’s past with just a few simple words rather than going into detail. It also makes you share the same pain between two characters and builds that relationship with the reader.
Also, I loved the development between Ed and Winry in this volume. When she confessed to Ed about opening up his pocket watch and then saying that she was only crying because Ed and Al are incapable of doing so for themselves, you knew right then and there that Winry loves Ed unconditionally. Sure, it’s never flat out stated by the characters but there is that intangible feeling you get when reading the text where you just know love exists. I think Ed picked up on it a little bit but was too afraid to even admit it. It was a tender moment and I’m sure it’s not going to be the last one we see between the two of them!
Final Thoughts
There’s only so much praise that I can give to a series like Fullmetal Alchemist without sounding like a broken record. Chapter after chapter, volume after volume, the series continues to build upon its excellence. From an intriguing story to well-crafted characters that make you genuinely care about them, this series continues to prove why it is one of the best of our time.
That’s all that really needs to be said. It’s just a series you need to read otherwise you would be committing a sin far worse than human transmutation!
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This item was provided for review by Viz Media
