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REVIEW: Fullmetal Alchemist GN 19




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vashfanatic



Joined: 16 Jun 2005
Posts: 3489
Location: Back stateside
PostPosted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:09 pm Reply with quote
Another ignore-the-grades review... I was certain I was going to see all As after the glowing praise.

Meanwhile, my hold on volume 18 at the library still hasn't come in, and 19 is already out? Gyah! If only I had enough money to be buying these rather than having to ration it for 20th Century Boys!
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penguintruth



Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 8461
Location: Penguinopolis
PostPosted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:14 pm Reply with quote
The Hohenheim story is some of the best material in the manga thus far, but aside from that, I felt like this arc dragged on a little too long, especially when it came to Kimbley and his chimera subordinates.
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Agent355



Joined: 12 Dec 2008
Posts: 5113
Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready...
PostPosted: Sun Aug 02, 2009 11:57 pm Reply with quote
Leave it to Carlo Santos to write such a well-balanced review. This is why I love Right-Turn Only! Very Happy

I beg to differ with the comment that FMA may fall under its own weight, if only because Arakawa seemingly has an incredible talent to balance all of the story's divergent plot threads on her shoulders (this ability seems more common in seinen mangaka than shonen mangaka, but if anyone is ambitious in their storytelling and determined not to talk down to their target age demographic, it's Arakawa).

At least, she's had that ability thus far. Whether she can keep it up, time will tell. Razz
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Ashen Phoenix



Joined: 21 Jun 2006
Posts: 2910
PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:29 am Reply with quote
Agent355 wrote:
Leave it to Carlo Santos to write such a well-balanced review. This is why I love Right-Turn Only! Very Happy

I beg to differ with the comment that FMA may fall under its own weight, if only because Arakawa seemingly has an incredible talent to balance all of the story's divergent plot threads on her shoulders (this ability seems more common in seinen mangaka than shonen mangaka, but if anyone is ambitious in their storytelling and determined not to talk down to their target age demographic, it's Arakawa).

At least, she's had that ability thus far. Whether she can keep it up, time will tell. Razz

Took the words right out of my mouth, comrade.

Couldn't have been more thrilled with this volume. I can say wholeheartedly how strongly I aspire to hold the same level of talent, skill and experience as Arakawa has culminated over her career. Anime catgrin
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vashfanatic



Joined: 16 Jun 2005
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:10 am Reply with quote
Agent355 wrote:
(this ability seems more common in seinen mangaka than shonen mangaka, but if anyone is ambitious in their storytelling and determined not to talk down to their target age demographic, it's Arakawa)


Hence why this is the only shounen series I follow seriously at this point. Very Happy
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v1cious



Joined: 31 Dec 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Houston, TX
PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:04 am Reply with quote
everything comes together later on. i've honestly never been much of a fan of the manga, but the chapters leading up to the end have been quite good.
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population_tire



Joined: 31 May 2007
Posts: 576
PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:01 am Reply with quote
Since when is having more than one plot a bad thing? Just because you're too stupid to keep track of them all doesn't make it bad. God, I hate these reviews.
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penguintruth



Joined: 08 Dec 2004
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:25 pm Reply with quote
population_tire wrote:
Since when is having more than one plot a bad thing? Just because you're too stupid to keep track of them all doesn't make it bad. God, I hate these reviews.


It was never said that having more than one plotline was bad, it was said that at times it feels like with so many piling up, it looks like it may collapse under its own weight. In other words, too many plotlines, too much going on, becomes very distracting and detracts from the main plotline.

Sorry to ruin your raging hate-on.
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vashfanatic



Joined: 16 Jun 2005
Posts: 3489
Location: Back stateside
PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 5:44 pm Reply with quote
penguintruth wrote:
It was never said that having more than one plotline was bad, it was said that at times it feels like with so many piling up, it looks like it may collapse under its own weight. In other words, too many plotlines, too much going on, becomes very distracting and detracts from the main plotline.


What do you mean, "distract from the main plotline"?? If by that you mean "Ed and Al getting their bodies back," I'm pretty sure this series established ages ago that wasn't the main plotline, but rather "something's fishy in Amestris." Which is what every plot line is about: different characters looking into different aspects of the big puzzle.

And in the wake of watching Baccano! and all, I have to ask: do you really need one main story line? Can't you have a lot of interconnecting ones that flow together to build a sort of meta-story? I'm not saying FMA does that by any means, but it's ridiculous to expect a story to just have one main plot with a few side stories here and there; that makes for a shallow, boring read.
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The Risky Penguin



Joined: 04 Oct 2007
Posts: 88
PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 12:56 am Reply with quote
Quote:
When it comes to sheer quantity of jaw-dropping "Oh snap" moments, it's hard to match the 19th volume of Fullmetal Alchemist,


and the great thing is that it doesn't stop there.
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Splitter



Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 1276
Location: Knockin' on Heaven's Door
PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 3:18 pm Reply with quote
The thing is, FMA has been in danger of collapsing under the weight of its characters and multiple storylines for volumes now, so I'm rather sure it won't.

God, what a volume...
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