Off The Shelf: Full Metal Alchemist

The manga and animated series The Full Metal Alchemist has reached a level of international readership that only a few Japanese titles have achieved over the past 50 years.

The short list includes Otomo's Astro-Boy, Okamura's Fist Of The North Star and Ken Miura's Berserk. Each are undeniably in this world class of artist category. Today, Hiromu Arakawa, is the only female manga-ka artist to reach this level to date. She introduced the world to Full Metal Alchemist in 1999 in self-published books (Dōjinshi) and locally produced manga magazines (Tankōbon) published in Hokkaido.

Her graphic novel series ran from 1999 to 2011, faithfully reproduced by Funamation Studios as two animated series, featured the Elric Brothers in a European steam-punk country ruled by magicians. There are dozens of fully realized characters playing major roles in the series - from the evil Homonculi, the indomitable King Bradley, the fanatical rebel Scar and many, many more strange individuals and secret organizations that the Elric Brothers encounter on their unflinching search for a means to undo the magic that made them The Full Metal Alchemist.

References:

• Wikipedia, Hiromu Arakawa
• Wikipedia, Dōjinshi

Screen Shots: Berserk

Miura's amazing manga and Japanese television epic hits the big screen in Japan.

Berserk is an amazing manga and animated series from Japan. The art and story lines shine. But, it is also not for the kiddies. The 17+ series is a ultra-violent, brutally narrated saga. And now it's coming to theaters worldwide as a 3-part movie series beginning in early 2012 in Japan - meaning an official English dub is due in American in a year or more after this date.

Berserk contains violent content and well-developed characters. The entire series of popular books and animated shows have revolved around Griffith's the Band of the Hawk (Taka no Dan in romaji/hiragishi) since the late 1980's when the dense volumes of the manga began wide circulation.

At that time, during the series start, Berserk creator Kentaro "Ken" Miura worked with Okamura/Buronson, the creator of Fist Of The North Star, before developing his own unmistakably dark characters.


Miura's amazing manga has gone through two editions of TPB in Japan and one in the US.

In the Berserk television show that ran in Japan in the early 1990's there was literally something for everyone in Ken Miura's characters. That is provided you have a strong enough stomach for gore. Even for tried and true anime fans Berserk is a challenge.

To add to the not-safe-for-the-kiddies warning: there are implied rape scenes with female lead, Caska, alongside multiple decapitations of demons, foot soldiers, loyal comrades and samurai in feudal European gear. The books and show were completed with an easy grace by the development of "young animal" and hero: Gutts/Gatz.


Miura's amazing manga has gone through two editions of TPB in Japan and one in the US.

The original animated series (OAS) has recently been made available on DVD here in the US in both subtitled and dubbed formats. The first movie itself will be released in January of 2012 in Japan yet as of March 2013 no official US release has been announced.


References:

• Wikipedia, Berserk (manga)
• Berserk Wiki, Ken Miura
• Skull Knight.net, Berserk-opedia