Comments on: Fullmetal Freelancer

By: Michiko

Michiko — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 06:37:42 +0000

I always found the manga more enjoyable than the anime. While the anime is very good, the manga has always managed to up the ante on both plot and character, and Arakawa doesn’t let anyone go to waste. I have to agree with a lot of the points you’ve made.

Do rewriters actually need a lot of knowledge of the source material they happen to be editting? It sounds like a really meticulous but interesting job. At the risk of being, um… criticized I guess, I’ve noticed a lot of online fan translations of manga tend to lack this particular role in their processes – there’s a lot of literal translation of the source material, but not much copy editing for grammatical and idiomatic sense.

By: NarwhalTortellini

NarwhalTortellini — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:30:32 +0000

Hahahaha, well it’s reassuring to hear those kinds of things things bothered someone else (who even still liked the manga) as well, and that it fairly quickly becomes less reliant on them.

Aah, I somewhat recently had one of those kinds of moments in another manga. You think “Why did you do that!? Now this can’t work anymore!” You think the mangaka, despite the talent you perceived them to have, has finally screwed themselves over and then…Then a certain chapter comes around and you remember the reason you think they’re talented is because they’re much better at dealing with these things than your little head every will be, heheh. …I…I suppose I could stop at the library on the way home. *kicks self slightly*

By: Jake Forbes

Jake Forbes — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:00:21 +0000

Nawhal,
The manga did indeed start with a few too many short jokes, bicep flexes from Armstrong and chauvinist comments from Roy. I might be projecting, but I think that Arakawa realized after a few volumes that her manga had outgrown the pandering character quirks and they start to become rarer to the point where they really only appear in the omake gag stuff in the back.

Around volume 14 is where I think the series has its biggest turning point. At first I thought Arakawa had written herself into a corner by laying all the cards on the table with so many plot threads left unresolved, but then the series just keeps getting better and better. You’ll know what I mean if (when!) you read it. Try your local library if they stock manga, and if they don’t have it, put in a request if you can spare the time.

By: NarwhalTortellini

NarwhalTortellini — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:52:48 +0000

Thanks for describing well *why* you thought the manga was better! This series has always seemed like the kind of thing I would really enjoy, so I tried the anime and it seemed well done, but no matter how long I watched it just never seemed to grab me at all, and I eventually gave up. I tried the first volume of the manga later, but at the time to me it seemed like it was just the same thing with maybe a little more ‘humor’/jabs about how short Ed is. ^_^; (Though I may just not have remembered the anime well enough by that point.)

But I could never put my finger on why it was not working for me. But reading this I remember now how the world did indeed feel rather immature despite the heavy themes. Maybe that was a large part of why I remained unimpressed. …Only now of course that makes me want to get past that part in the manga to see if I’ll like the rest…

…Aaah, I thought I was through trying to make myself like this series. …Maybe “thank you” isn’t actually what I should be saying here. ^_^;

By: Short takes - You Are Anime

Short takes - You Are Anime — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:31:36 +0000

[...] a new volume of Fullmetal Alchemist in the works, and Jake Forbes, who edits the translation, explains what there is to like about the series, how the manga has more to offer… No comments [...]

By: MangaBlog » Blog Archive » Short takes

MangaBlog » Blog Archive » Short takes — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:17:19 +0000

[...] a new volume of Fullmetal Alchemist in the works, and Jake Forbes, who edits the translation, explains what there is to like about the series, how the manga has more to offer than the anime, and what to [...]

By: Hagaren miscellany :: Joy Kim

Hagaren miscellany :: Joy Kim — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:23:27 +0000

[...] umadoshi: Jake Forbes on the joys of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga. An excerpt: Any anime fan who’s followed the scene for the last five years is probably quite [...]

By: there it is, plain as daylight. » A couple of links masquerading as an entry

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:49:38 +0000

[...] I got pretty giddy over this post by manga adapter/editor Jake Forbes regarding his work on the Viz editions of Fullmetal Alchemist. [...]

By: Jake Forbes

Jake Forbes — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:56:50 +0000

Maggie,

The manga doesn’t really do side stories in the sense that the anime does — there are quite a few flashbacks, as well as a whole new faction of characters from the Chinese-themed Xing Empire, but all of these stories tie directly into the main narrative. Once Arakawa-sensei gets going, it’s pretty much a zero filler series, which is rare in anime and manga.

Melinda,
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the work we all do. The manga doesn’t get much fanfare anymore, but it’s still a top 10 seller when a new volume debuts — quite impressive for a series whose anime is old news.

By: Melinda Beasi

Melinda Beasi — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:10:03 +0000

First of all, thank you for your wonderful work on the English editions of this series. Out of all the series I read that are licensed by Viz, this one stands out for me as being very carefully and lovingly adapted. Secondly, thank you for everything you’ve said here regarding the Fullmetal Alchemist manga. I lament often (and loudly) about how I think Hiromu Arakawa’s genius is under-appreciated and overshadowed by the anime, at least over here, and it’s incredibly gratifying to read like sentiments from someone so intimately involved with the series in the US. With each new volume, I am overwhelmed further by the richness and complexity of this series and its characters, and by Arakawa’s powerful storytelling. I can’t wait to read the upcoming volumes!