Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
WhileFullmetal Alchemisthas now become an international phenomenon and also used to be MyAnimeList’s highest-ranking title for well over a decade, its success was anything but a mere coincidence. However, Hiromu Arakawa, the creator behind this infinitely popular dark fantasy series, initially doubted the amount of success it would actually get.
Arakawa believedFullmetal Alchemistwould fade out at a mere two volumes! And this certainly was the biggest misunderstanding of her life, as she saw that the manga could not even get a second colored volume.
Hiromu Arakawa Assumed The Later Volumes OfFullmetal AlchemistManga Would Not Sell Well
In a resurfacedinterview, Hiromu Arakawa said that she originally feltFullmetal Alchemistwould never take off beyond the first few volumes. She indicates that after the first issue came out in color, she was surprised that subsequent chapters were not in color and thus assumed the series was not popular enough.
The first issue was published in color, but after that I didn’t get any color. So I thought, “Oh, it’s not popular,” and I felt relieved (laughs).
Arakawa was further concerned with the notorious cancellation pattern of Monthly Shonen Gangan, the magazineFullmetal Alchemistwas serialized. They used to cancel any series that didn’t sell well after two volume releases. In preparation for the worst, Arakawa jokingly told her editor,
If it doesn’t work out, I’ll just go “next, next, next.” That’s why when I heard the number of copies of the first volume, I thought, “This will definitely not sell.” I talked to my editor and said, “If it doesn’t sell, let’s go around the north together and sell it” (laughs).
Surprisingly, Arakawa has revealed that she was pretty sure about the poor prospects of this manga, assuming it would not be successful at all. But she felt flabbergasted upon receiving the news of the strong sales figures of the first volume.
“It’s just not how I do things”: Hiromu Arakawa’s Approach to Fullmetal Alchemist Anime Was the Opposite of How Eiichiro Oda Handled One Piece
The modest expectations of Arakawa highlight the unpredictable nature of success in the manga industry, making her eventual victory all the more surprising and noteworthy.
Arakawa Was Able To Draw Everything That Needed To Be Drawn
Hiromu Arakawa has spoken several times of her astonishment and gratitude regardingFullmetal Alchemist‘s success, saying she still can’t believe how well things have turned out. She never thought that the series would last for so long, but it ended up having 27 volumes.
I still doubt that there’s a way that life could be this good. I thought it would end at about volume 20, but it ended up at volume 27.
Even after cutting down some of the story elements, Arakawa thought that she was able to tell the story the way she wanted without leaving anything very important unrevealed.
In the past, there were times when I thought, “I want to draw this, I want to draw that,” and there were scenes that I had to cut reluctantly due to the flow of the story, but looking back, I think the fact that I cut them out meant that they weren’t necessary after all.
Hiromu Arakawa Manga Library – What Else Has She Created Other Than Fullmetal Alchemist?
According to her, these scenes weren’t meant to be important to the story and should have been culled much earlier. By doing this, she was able to further explain the plot and brought up the most important themes and characters in the series.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodis available to watch onCrunchyroll.
Diganta Mondal
Anime Content Writer
Articles Published :742
Diganta Mondal is an avid Content Writer at Fandomwire, specializing in anime and pop culture-related stuff. With over 600 published articles, he boasts his knowledge on this beloved media and strives to connect with fellow anime enthusiasts all across the globe.Despite having a non-journalism educational background, his love for shows like Vinland Saga, Violet Evergarden, and other Naoki Urasawa works constantly inspires him to share informative news, theories, and recommendations on almost all anime genres, aiming to create a shared platform for nerdy discussions.
