# Fullmetal Alchemist Fullmetal Alchemist is the Japanese manga and anime franchise by Hiromu Arakawa that grew into one of anime's largest online fandoms. Fan art of the Elric brothers, the Equivalent Exchange line, and Edward Elric profile pictures have been a constant on Tumblr, Reddit, and Twitter since the mid-2000s. ## Overview Fullmetal Alchemist, often shortened to FMA, is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa and later adapted into two anime series by Studio BONES[1]. The story follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, alchemists who lose their bodies attempting to resurrect their dead mother and go looking for a Philosopher's Stone to restore them[2]. Alchemy in the series is governed by the law of Equivalent Exchange, meaning nothing can be gained without sacrificing something of equal value[4]. Edward becomes the youngest State Alchemist ever at age twelve after performing a transmutation without a drawn circle, and his brother Al has his soul bonded to a hollow suit of armor[4]. The FUNimation English dub, produced in Texas, is widely credited with launching voice actor Vic Mignogna's popularity as Edward[3]. ## How It Spread Brotherhood pulled a fresh wave of Western fans in through simulcast streaming and later Netflix availability, and got its own spin-off film Fullmetal Alchemist: Sacred Star of Milos in 2011[5]. The franchise's official Facebook page passed 78,000 likes by the mid-2010s, and character art of the Elric brothers stayed a fixture on Tumblr, DeviantArt, and r/FullMetalAlchemist for years[3]. Wide fan remixing was throttled by strict copyright enforcement from Aniplex, a Sony Music Entertainment subsidiary, so much of the meme output stayed inside fandom spaces rather than crossing into mainstream image-macro circulation[3]. Edward Elric profile pictures still became recognizable shorthand on Twitter and Discord. On April 19th, Elon Musk swapped his own Twitter avatar to a picture of Edward Elric, and user @JH_Nguyen99 tweeted, "I don't know what prompted Elon Musk to switch to an Edward Elric profile pic but I fully approve," pulling 114 likes in three days[3]. ## How to Use The most common meme use is the Edward Elric profile picture, typically a cropped screenshot or fan illustration used on Twitter and Discord to signal anime taste or FMA fandom[3]. The Equivalent Exchange line about not gaining without sacrifice is often paired with reaction images of the Elric brothers to caption trades, workouts, or study grind posts[4]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Fullmetal Alchemist? Fullmetal Alchemist is a Japanese manga by Hiromu Arakawa and two Studio BONES anime adaptations that built one of the largest anime fandoms online[1]. ### Where did Fullmetal Alchemist come from? The manga started in Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan in August 2001, and the first Studio BONES anime aired from October 2003 to October 2004[1]. ### What does Fullmetal Alchemist mean? "Fullmetal Alchemist" is Edward Elric's State Alchemist codename, a reference to his metal automail limbs after a failed attempt to resurrect his mother[4]. ### How do you use Fullmetal Alchemist? Fans typically use Edward Elric screenshots as profile pictures or pair Elric brothers reaction images with the Equivalent Exchange line in captions[3]. ### Is Fullmetal Alchemist still popular? The series is a classic fandom staple, kept alive by Brotherhood streaming on Netflix and recurring Edward Elric PFP moments on Twitter[3]. ## References 1. [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2091]() 2. [https://fma.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page]() 3. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/fullmetal-alchemist]() 4. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Fullmetal%20Alchemist]() 5. [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10216]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/fullmetal-alchemist Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library