Anime

The controversial original anime version of ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ differed from the manga for a good reason: that’s how its author wanted it

Hiromu Arakawa was the one who asked for the animated adaptation to be different from the manga story; she was never upset with the result.

Miguel Varela

Update: Feb 13th, 2026 23:14 CET

For years, the anime series ‘Fullmetal Alchemist,’ which premiered in 2003, has been surrounded by controversy. Many fans criticize this adaptation for differing significantly from the original manga story, and even claim that the author, Hiromu Arakawa, was furious when she saw what had been done to her characters. However, the reality is very different from what is being said.

As the mangaka herself explained in various interviews and official fan books, she gave the animation studio complete creative freedom and even specifically requested that the series have a different focus and ending from the manga. In fact, Arakawa went so far as to say that if the ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ anime had been an exact copy of her work, there would have been no point in adapting it to another medium.

The rumor that Arakawa was angry when she saw the ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ anime is taken out of context

Many people have heard or read online that Hiromu Arakawa was furious with the 2003 ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ anime. However, testimonies gathered by the community suggest that the author’s only known complaint was related to a specific scene involving the character Rose, whose treatment strayed from the more shonen tone of the original work.

Furthermore, there are statements indicating that Arakawa supervised various aspects of production and even had veto power, which weakens the idea that the studio acted behind his back. As if that weren’t enough, one of the anime’s producers emphasized that the anime premiered in a delicate political context, marked by post-9/11 tension and the Iraq War. The team wanted the series to reflect the real concerns of society at the time, which helps explain why the story ended up placing so much emphasis on war conflicts.