Originally a manga series, Fullmetal Alchemist was written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa from August 2001 to 2010. It was later adapted into two anime television series by animation studio Bones. The first animated series Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) consists of 51 episodes, while the second series Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood(2009) runs for 64 episodes and is said to match the original manga more closely.
From the very first episode, viewers will be captivated as the brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric barely escape death in an attempt to bring their mother back to life. Viewers then follow their wild adventures in finding the Philosopher’s Stone, which supposedly amplifies an alchemist’s powers. Throughout their quest, the plot is enriched with action packed scenes, emotional rollercoasters, and phenomenal character development.
In this video clip, we witness Edward Elric explaining to Rose how “science is the answer to everything”. This immediately reminded me of the quote in Frankenstein that reads:
“None but those who have experienced them[discoveries] can conceive of the enticements of science. In other studies, you go as far as others have gone before you, and there is nothing more to know; but in a scientific pursuit there is continual food for discovery and wonder.” (50)
Out of context, both of these quotes are slightly arrogant and share a similar ideology. Both embrace and place science on a pedestal as a path towards development and progress. Ed even goes as far to say that alchemists are the “closest things to God.” Nevertheless, both Victor and Ed view science as a branch of study with endless possibilities.
However, there are stark differences between the two stories. For starters, alchemy is the modern science in Ed’s world, while alchemy is regarded as an outdated and even malicious science in Victor’s. This is a critical difference when considering Ed’s backstory. The fact that Ed was unable to revive his mother even with modern science, paints a rather bleak picture for their shared philosophy.
In fact, both characters suffer great losses in their attempt to meddle with creation. Edward loses an arm and a leg, as well as the physical body of his brother Al. Not to mention, the psychological damage he took upon seeing the revived “corpse” of what was supposed to be his mother. On the other hand, not only do Victor’s physical and mental health take a toll but he also loses many of his loved ones.
[Speaking of creations: Ed’s creation died right after being created, while Victor’s survived to the very end before removing himself from society.]
Furthermore, Edward and Al cling to alchemy as the way to bring back their bodies to their original form throughout the series. In fact, even after the horrible incident, they continued to believe alchemy would be the solution to obtaining their bodies back. This is not true for Victor. After seeing how wretched and evil his creation turned out, Victor threw all alchemy and science out the window. He realized how dangerous this knowledge was, and in the end shifted gears to try and right his wrongs.