Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 25

Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 25 by Hiromu Arakawa is the continuation of the fight started in Volume 24. If you read manga for the battles, you will love this issue. If you prefer humor and character development, this one is a disappointment in another wise strong series.

In and amongst the battle with the unstoppable and incredibly arrogant King Bradley (Wrath) and the Armstrongs being forced to fight together, there are two updates to the plot of note: Al is given a chance to return to his body and Mustang being forced to stand in for a missing sacrifice.

But mostly though the book is pages and pages of fights. Some long time characters pay the ultimate price. There's a lot of swooping sorts and massive transformations through alchemy. I show more found it all too much and improbable. show less

Still giving secondary characters the spotlight for the big battles, but this time they are the ones I don't much care about, like Roy Mustang, Scar, and May Chang. Edward Elric manages to show up for a few panels, but at this point he is less the title character and more one of three dozen characters fighting for screen time in this ensemble show.

My worry now: How will this possibly wrap up in just two volumes in any sort of satisfying way? Maybe finish the battle next time and then give us a whole volume of epilogue?

I enjoyed this volume more again than the other recent installments, because we're so close to the end that all the players are coming back together and it's easier to keep track of all the storylines. (This is a failing of mine, not the manga. But the result is still the same: I liked Vol. 25 better than Vol. 22-24.) I have very vague memories of the anime, but it's been long enough that the story feels new.

I find Greed's storyline absolutely fascinating. Of all the Homunculi, who would have expected that one to be the most likely to change. Perhaps it says something about humanity?

In any case, it's a crazy story that just keeps getting bigger and crazier. GIANT BATTLES! SOUND EFFECTS! CRAZY THINGS HAPPENING!

Spoilers:

Chapter 100: Holding the Gate


Like I said. Greed/Lin is becomming the most human. Of all the possible redemption arcs...

A little bit higher than the peak of Mt. Briggs.

Of all the quotes in the series, that one really struck home.

Chapter 101: The Fifth Human Sacrifice

Ed, Al, Izumi, one they need to add and... who? I'm missing one. Von Hohenheim?



Oh Wrath. You just refuse to die.

Chapter 102: Before the Portal

Transmuting on his show more behalf seems like cheating. If they could do that, why didn't they do it long ago?

Also Al turned his body down!! MADNESS!

Chapter 103: For Whom?



You know, I sort of expected the different sort of alchemy would work. And then VWOOP. Oh no! show less