Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)



Fullmetal Alchemist has been serialised in Square Enix's monthly anthology manga magazine Monthly Shonen Gangan since July 2001 and is still ongoing with a new chapter in every issue. As of May 2009, there have been 95 chapters serialised and 22 graphic novel compilations released. Viz Media began releasing the manga in North America in May 2005; since then, nineteen English-language volumes have been released (number twenty is due September 15 2009)

The manga series is very different from the first anime, and has spawned a second anime ("FMA Brotherhood") that follows the manga more closely. The reason for the differences between the anime and manga is that Arakawa decided to work separately from her staff, telling her staff to finish off the first anime series while Arakawa worked on the manga, not wanting to repeat the ending in the anime and as well to focus more on the manga. In general the manga gives more focus towards the minor characters, notably members of the State Military as well as Scar and Winry who were developed upon much better. When watching the end of the anime, Arakawa was intrigued as to how the staff speculated about the origins of the homunculus.

Due to the rate that Viz Media initially introduced the graphic novels (a new release approximately every two months), the English translation quickly caught up to the Japanese release, having already covered most of the series' bound volume releases to date. According to Nielsen BookScan, Fullmetal Alchemist’s first volume was the top selling manga in the year of 2005, and the following issues of the manga usually appear on the Bookscan's weekly "Overall Graphic Novel Top 10" list. Beginning with volume eight, Viz Media's releases of the manga will feature a new, updated version of the "Viz Action" logo at the top of the spine. News broke that volume eight contained an edit in two panels.

In Singapore, the manga is being released by Chuang Yi Publishing in both English and Simplified Chinese. Eighteen volumes have been released in English; fourteen volumes have been released in Simplified Chinese. In Poland, JPFantastica is releasing the manga; as of April 2008, ten volumes have been released. In France, the manga is being released by Kurokawa. As of February 2008, fifteen volumes have been released. Volume eight, released in September 2006, was available alone or in a collector's edition, which consisted of the book packed with the original humorous novel Flame Alchemist, focusing on Roy Mustang's schedule. Before that, this novel was only available with the first print run of volume six in Japan, making it highly collectible. In Brazil, Editora JBC is realising the manga, as of April 2008, thirty-two volumes have been released.