Fullmetal Alchemist is still an incredibly popular and beloved franchise, with the manga spawning two anime adaptations and several other incarnations. As with most anime products, this success led to the release of films based on the characters of the series. The Fullmetal Alchemist However, the films are very different from most anime films and fans should not overlook them.

The two animated Fullmetal Alchemist Films expanded the story in their own wayalthough they also did this for different versions of the story. Therefore, fans will want to know how they are connected and how they developed the characters. With one of these projects being almost 20 years old, the two films are perhaps more important than ever.

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Published in 2005, Fullmetal Alchemist – The Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa was the first film in the series. The film was released almost a year after the conclusion of the first part. Fullmetal Alchemist TV series that deviated significantly from the manga source material. Therefore, the ending of the show was very different from what the manga eventually ended with, which led to the story of the film. The plot of Conqueror of Shamballa In the series, protagonist Edward Elric is sucked into a gate of alchemy that takes him to a version of 1923 that resembles the “real world.” Now stuck in a world that uses science instead of alchemy, he desperately tries to reunite with his brother. All the while, people in this new reality are seeking out Edward’s world for their own ends, believing it to be the fabled Shamballa of legend. This group, known as the Thule Society, seeks to use weapons from Shamballa to help their leader Adolf Hitler.

Conqueror of Shambala builds perfectly on the events of the Fullmetal Alchemist TV seriesnamely the central theme of the two brothers’ relationship with each other. Amidst the conspiracies and the connections to Nazism and real history, the two Elric brothers just want to be reunited. Everything they do is for that goal, and although they eventually achieve it, it requires all kinds of struggle and argument. In fact, at various moments in the film, the two try to sacrifice themselves more and more for each other, which fortunately culminates in them being together at the end. This leads to the true ending of the original animated film Fullmetal Alchemist Continuity, which in turn differs from what is seen in the Fullmetal Alchemist Manga or the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Anime-Anime.

One of the best parts of the film is the “real” equivalents to the familiar Fullmetal Alchemist characters. Alphonse has a counterpart named Alfons Heiderich, while King Bradley is represented by none other than legendary filmmaker Fritz Lang. This is more than just a series of fanservice cameos, as it shows how familiar yet strikingly different this world is. While Ed is comfortable in this new world to a certain extent, he also desperately wants to go home because it is so familiar to him. This emphasizes how important it was for Eric to be with his brother, and is what makes the new world worth living in at the end of the film.

There are several great fights in Conqueror of Shamballanamely those concerning the Thule Society. Once again, these parts of the film make it clear how strange the events of the Fullmetal Alchemist Anime likes to seem set in the “real world,” and using a historical form of villainy only reinforces this. It’s all the culmination of what fans have seen in the series’ episodes, which is why it’s absolutely essential that viewers watch the series beforehand. Conqueror of Shamballa is the end of the journey for this iteration of the Elric brothers, and it is arguably even more satisfying than the “canonical” ending in the manga and brotherhood. Still, it only works if viewers are familiar with all the developments in the show. Given that most of the anime’s staff immediately went back to work on it after the series finale, it is undeniable that the first Fullmetal Alchemist is the true final episode, which is very different from the usual handling in other anime franchise films.

The Holy Star of Milos has a somewhat amorphous continuity

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As already mentioned, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was published from 2009 to 2010 and was a more accurate adaptation of the manga. After the last episode of the series, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos was announced and finally came out almost a year later. The film’s plot sees Edward and Alphonse Elric attempt to hunt down a mysterious alchemist, and their search for their prey leads them to an esoteric area known as Table City. What they didn’t know at first was that this village was once known as the Hills of Milos, and the invading Creta and Amestris forced the locals to live in abject poverty in their own country. While the brothers and their new allies (namely a young lady named Julia who befriends Alphonse) sympathize with them because of their shared tragic origins, the Elrics set out to destroy the legendary Sanguine Star. While it has the potential to rid Table City of its invaders, it also poses a major threat, likely requiring human sacrifices. Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos was largely well received and the positive response helped the anime film gross over $7 million at the Japanese box office.

However, the film differed in that it was less firmly anchored in the “canon” than its predecessor. For example: Conqueror of Shamballa was the true ending of the original Fullmetal Alchemist Anime, which makes its placement clear. On the other hand The Holy Star of Milos was not stated to be in any of the continuitiesalthough it is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodit probably takes place in that timeline. It doesn’t necessarily contradict anything from that series or the manga, and if it is truly canon, it is widely believed to have taken place somewhere between episodes 15 and 24. This is because Mustang’s team from the series is still intact and Alphonse can transmute objects without circles, which is consistent with the status quo at this point in the show. It is essentially a glorified filler episode, and thus much less integral to the overall story than the first Fullmetal Alchemist Film.

This is perhaps the biggest problem with The Holy Star of MilosBoth Fullmetal Alchemist Despite their relatively positive reception, films have their problems and critics. Conqueror of Shamballa has been criticized for how rushed it seems in the last part. At the same time, it was largely seen as a satisfying conclusion to the story and seemed to be a cinematic launch for the franchise. On the other hand, The Holy Star of Milos was much less important on the wholewhich was underlined by the overall quality of the film and its comparatively cheap feel.

The criticism of The Sacred Star of Shambala had to do with the plot, characterization, and especially the animation. The plot felt haphazard, and the Elric brothers were basically minor characters once the action properly began. Worst of all was the film’s poor animation quality, which was particularly choppy and lifeless. Even worse were the arbitrarily changed character designs, particularly for Edward Elric. There were several action scenes, with the early battle on a train being one of the film’s highlights. Still, it’s definitely a film that will upset hardcore fans, and its lack of connection to anything means it’s particularly easy to skip. Fullmetal Alchemist Completists will probably want to watch it anyway, namely as a curiosity that feels like an extra episode, but it is not required and is generally worse than the first Fullmetal Alchemist Film and the two anime shows.

Fullmetal Alchemist

When brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric find their bodies badly damaged after a failed alchemical ritual, they begin searching for the only thing that can save them: the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.

author

Hiromu Arakawa

artist

Hiromu Arakawa

Release date

July 12, 2001

Chapter

116

Volumes

27

Adjustment

Fullmetal Alchemist

editor

Enix (2001-03), Square Enix (2003-10), Madman Entertainment, Viz Media, Yen Press

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