Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 9 [Paperback]

Hiromu Arakawa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 19, 2006

In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical "auto-mail" limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his brother and himself...the legendary Philosopher's Stone.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born in Hokkaido (northern Japan), Hiromu Arakawa first attracted national attention in 1999 with her award-winning manga Stray Dog. Her series Fullmetal Alchemist debuted in 2001 in Square Enix's monthly manga anthology Shonen Gangan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; 1 edition (September 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 142150460X
• ISBN-13: 978-1421504605
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #209,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Hokkaido (northern Japan), Hiromu Arakawa first attracted national attention in 1999 with her award-winning manga STRAY DOG. Her series FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST debuted in 2001 in Square Enix's monthly manga anthology Shonen Gangan.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute Perfection, September 27, 2006

By 

Cary Chichester (Powder Springs, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 9 (Paperback)

The ninth installment in the Fullmetal Alchemist manga series is nothing short of a reminder that Hiromu Arakawa is a genius. The way she blends comedy, political strife, character development, and plotline with an array of beautful artwork is amazing. The Elric Brothers have returned to Central to visit Maes Hughes, unaware of the tragedy that befell him. Someone in the military is blamed for this and Roy Mustang's thirst for vengence is quenched in a way that the reader will never see coming.

Not to insult Arakawa's previous installments, but I believe this volume deserves some special praise for the artwork. The style here is wonderful, focusing intensely on the character's emotions. It's their emotions that will pull at your heart strings during the emotional segments of the storyline, and Arakawa does a great job of it. The characters also look well drawn and the comedy in here is well placed and serves as a pleasing mixture of comedy to the darknesss inside this volume. Her style is very unique and works wonderfully.

The storyline here, is absolutely unforgettable. What happens here must be viewed by any fan of this series. We see a side of characters that have never been shown before, making us wonder how relationships will flourish throughout the series. Not to mention a jaw-dropping plot twist (Bless you Arakawa) that makes the storyline pure gold. It's a book that's hard to put down, unless you don't like to get excited when you read.

In my personal opinion, this is probably the best or second best installment to date. Great artwork and a golden storyline make this a must have in any reader's collection. It concludes with hilarious extras and a preview of volume 10 that suspends you in anticipation for the next novel. From start to finish, this is an excellent A+++ novel. This is not an option, this is a must-own!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FRIEND OR FOE?, October 6, 2006

By 

Sesho "www.sesho.libsyn.com" (Pasadena, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 9 (Paperback)

Ed, Al, and Winry return to Central Command and land plop in the middle of the latest Homunculi plot to frame their friend 2nd Lt. Maria Ross as the shooter in the murder of Lt. Col. Hughes. Colonel Mustang still isn't convinced that she did it and is still searching for the information his colleague was killed for. Meanwhile, Barry the Chopper, the serial killer whose soul was transplanted into an armored suit similar to Al, busts out of his safehouse where he was being held by Mustang and his crew for his own safety and information. Having a psychotic murderer on the streets is a bad thing. Expect to be left hanging as Volume 9 has a cliffhanger ending.

While the anime of Fullmetal Alchemist has concluded (I still haven't watched the last two volumes), the manga continues to go strong. The manga is the only truly "pure" version of the series because, unlike the anime, it is solely under the control of the original creator, Hiromu Arakawa. She is one of the best manga writer/artists out right now, and she takes this ninth volume to a whole new level in terms of drama, action, and suspense. She really makes you feel the impact on Ed, Al, and Winry as they learn about Hughes' death. While Arakawa portrays the raw emotion, none of the characters become pitiful or disgustingly overemotional. Their feelings play out within the boundaries of their personalities and makes them stronger instead of weaker. Another thing Arakawa is doing right is still having mysteries in her manga, but never to the point that they begin to annoy you. We still haven't gotten much information on the Homunculi or Ed and Al's father at this point, but you feel as though questions such as these will be answered when the time is right. This is one of, if not THE, best manga being published.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars VIZ really needs better editors...., December 2, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 9 (Paperback)

I am not under 13, I'm just too lazy (oh dear, I'm becoming Sloth!) to get on account on Amazon. Scold me if you want.

VIZ Media has never been the best translator in my opinion, in Volume One there was a "gold pocket watch" and I'll always prefer "Brother" and "Nii-san" to "Big Brother." But those I'm pretty okay with. With the release of this Volume, I draw the line. On one of the first pages, Ed and Al's lines are switched. If ALPHONSE made the mask Ranfan (or "Lan Fan" in the VIZ translation) liked and EDWARD's wasn't to her liking, Ed should have thought (with Al's it was a speacking role) "What was wrong with mine?"

Lan Fan, Ran Fan, Lanfan, Ranfan, all different translations of one name. The L and R sounds are confused in Japanese to English translations because they are similar. This is also done in the case of Lt. Hawkeye, where Winry calls her "Ms. Liza." In earlier Volumes her name was translated as Riza.

Ling's name is also changed. In Volume Eight he introduces himself as "Ling Hao" but in Volume Nine his name becomes "Lin." At the same time, the dog-tag bracelet he wears in Nine reads "LING HAO." (Note the G.)

Also, when Ed accuses Ling (NEVER Lin) of having "a freakish adult face" WINRY thinks "We avoided it..." and AL thinks "He avoided it!!" Al is used to Ed's behavior, and would have thought what VIZ put as Winry's. Winry is not used to Ed's behavior.

Jean Havoc's first name is changed to "Jan," even though he was clearly known as Jean (pronounced "John/Jon") in previous Volumes.

In previous Volumes when using "Second Lieutanant" it reads "2ND Lieutanant." Throughout Volume Nine the "nd" part of 2ND was switched to suspended script and back to the original format.

When the trio and Gracia are discussing Hughes' death he is said to be a Commadore, while he was promoted to Brigadier General (or Major General in the VIZ translation) in Volume Four.

After Major Armstrong dents Ed's automail, Armstrong's speech-bubble spells the Elrics' hometown "Resembool." However, Al's spells it "Resemboul."

And last but not least, Al bursts into the room Ed is residing in, Ed clearly says: "Jeez, Ed." How think can you be not the notice a character addressing another character with the wrong name, AND the speaker is using their own name?!

So I hope you do not buy this book for its cost of $10. I AM a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist, and this art is superb as ever. Sadly VIZ is damaging this brilliant series with over-all stupid mistakes. You'd be better off reading illegal fan-translations.