A massive new Fullmetal Alchemist statue has been unveiled, but it might be one of the costliest exchanges in the series' history.
Good Smile Company is now taking preorders on its new Edward and Alphonse Elric statue. The massive statue is 16 inches tall and 17 inches wide, and depicts the brothers in battle as Ed transmutes his automail arm into a dagger and Al transforms the ground to give his older sibling a boost. True to the series' law of equivalent exchange, the highly detailed and sizable figure comes with an equally hefty price tag: $2,199.99 USD. The preorder window for the statue will close on May 11, though hardcore fans will want to scrounge together the funds quickly, however, as Good Smile warns only a limited number of the statues will be produced and the preorder window may close early if orders meet the production limit.
In order to illustrate just how large the new, non-scale statue is, Good Smile Company released an image that compares the figure to one of the company's Fullmetal Alchemist Nendoroid figures, which usually stand between 3-4 inches tall.
Fullmetal Alchemist was created by celebrated manga author and artist Hiromu Arakawa in 2001. The series was one of the most popular manga series of the early '00s, achieving a global circulation of over 80 million copies. The series tells the story of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who use their natural talent in alchemy -- the ability to transform one object into another -- to try to resurrect their beloved mother after she suddenly passes away. The attempt goes horribly awry and costs Ed an arm and a leg, while Al loses his entire body and is only able to survive by having his soul anchored to an old suit of armor. Devastated by their losses, the two brothers join their country's military force, where they work as State Alchemists as they try to find a legendary artifact that will let them undo their biggest mistake.
Arakawa's critically acclaimed manga received two anime adaptations: the first was produced in 2003, before the manga was completed, and consequently features a substantially different story line and ending. A second anime, entitled Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, premiered in 2009. The second series was a much more faithful rendition of Arakawa's original work and is now generally regarded as the superior adaptation. The series has also been adapted into a series of live-action movies, the first of which was released in 2017. The second and third entries in the trilogy are scheduled to be released in Japan later this year.
Both anime series are now available for streaming on Hulu and Crunchyroll, while the manga is available in English from VIZ Media and Yen Press.
Source: Good Smile Company
