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All of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga editions compared, including the Fullmetal Editions, singles, 3-in-1 editions, and the complete manga box set!
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Full Metal Alchemist by Harumu Arakawa first released in the early 2000s
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and has become a beloved series that over the years has received two anime adaptations
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The original 2003 series and a retailing title Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood that released in 2009
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and various manga releases, including paperback volumes, 3 and 1s, a complete box set, and most recently, the Full Metal Editions
0:22
There's a lot of different ways to fully collect Full Metal Alchemist, but which is the best
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In this video, we'll take a look at all four editions, and I'll show you you guys what's different about each. First, I want to talk about how the different editions
0:34
collect the series. Full Metal Alchemist is complete with 27 volumes. The full metal editions
0:40
collect 1.5 volumes each, so they collect the series in 18 volumes, while the 3 and 1 editions
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collect the series in 9 volumes. The MAGA box set collects all 27 volumes, but it also comes with
0:51
some extras I'll show you guys later. Size-wise, the individual volumes are approximately 5 by 0.7 by
0:58
7.5 inches, the same size as standard shonen jump releases. The 3M1s are the same height and width on the
1:05
shelf, but they are thicker because they collect three volumes each. And finally, the full metal
1:09
additions are 5.75 by 0.8 by 8.25 inches in size, so they're slightly bigger than the individual
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volumes all around. They are almost the same width, so they don't take up much more space on the shelf
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The biggest differences are height, which allows the panels to stand out more. They're about the same
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sizes the sole eater perfect editions all around. Price-wise, the full metal editions retail for
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$19.99 each. The individual paperback volumes retail for $9.99 a piece, while the 3-1 editions
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are $14.99 each, and the complete manga box that is $219.99 at retail. You can find them all
1:47
at lower everyday prices on right stuff, though, and oftentimes on sale at other retailers
1:51
But as far as retail goes, the cheapest way to collect the series is the 3-1 editions, which
1:56
save you around in comparison to the second cheapest option the complete manga box set One of the biggest differences is their design All editions of Full Metal Alchemist are paperback except for the full metal additions which are hardcover The singles feature the same artwork as the Japanese covers but the logo as well as the details and design on the spines is quite different
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You have the full metal logo front and center at top here with a gray gritted background
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The artwork is underneath it and the volume number is in the corner
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The individual volume spines are all dark gray and they feature character artwork as well as the full metal logo
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Here's a quick look at what all of them look like together on the shelf, as well as the cover of all of the singles
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The box set, which collects all of the singles, feature artwork of Ed on the front and Alphonse on its side
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The inside of the box set features a lot of incredible details, as well as more characters and symbols from the series
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The 3 in 1 editions, on the other hand, feature new artwork with the first one
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showcasing Ed and Alphonse. The 3-1 editions artwork reaches all edges of the cover so it's blown up in size
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and it wraps around the whole volume onto the spine as well as the back of the volumes, which I really enjoy
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The spine features the full metal logo and they note the volume numbers that are collected in each two
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Overall, they have a nice design and I actually prefer the design of these over the singles
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Then we have the design of the full metal editions. I enjoy the overall look of the full metal additions, especially in comparison to other versions
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versions of Full Metal Alchemist's manga. Each cover highlights an individual character from the series
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and like the 3-1 editions, the artwork wraps around onto the back of the volumes. They all feature
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the same bold metallic lettering, but their colors are unique, which I really like. The lettering
3:46
on the spine is also foiled, so they really stand out on the shelf. On the back of the volumes
3:51
there's also a glossy opaque transmutation circle, which is a nice touch. This detail gives the
3:57
addition more texture, in addition to the race lettering. Overall, the full-meting
4:01
additional editions have an incredible design and I prefer their more modern look
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They feel great in hand but they look great on the shelf or on display too What about print and page quality The additions differ a lot in this category The three editions have the worst print quality of all the additions They are printed on newspaper so there quite a bit of bleed while reading
4:22
and the pages are so thin they sometimes stick together. The print quality also isn't as nice as it is in others
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but they are still the most budget-friendly option. The singles are the second best
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They are printed on that standard eggshell off-white paper, but the pages are thicker than the 3-1s
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and the printing is overall better in the singles. The best print-in-page quality, though
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goes to the full-metal editions. These volumes are printed on a thicker, higher-quality paper
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and the pages are white with a glossy finish. I prefer the feel of the pages
4:52
and overall print quality of the full-metal editions in comparison to the paperbacks in 3-1 editions
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The panels have the best contrast, more details and mid-tones are visible in the full-metal editions
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and they have the most crisp printing overall. As far as readability goes, the singles are the smallest edition, so they're the easiest to read in that regard
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but the others are lightweight and are easy to transport or read as well. The full metal editions are the only addition with a sewn binding
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I will say that the only potential negative thing I've noticed about the full metal additions is that their spines and binding have some issues
5:26
When being that some of the pages and a couple of my volumes break away from the spine over a time after reading
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usually only the first few pages of the volumes. Another issue is that the eye of the full metal editions is very small, making the volumes not all that flexible while reading
5:41
Because of this, they're a tad bit more difficult to read than I'd like. Despite these issues, though, all of the panels and text are still legible and never disappear into the centerfold, which is a huge plus
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Let's take a look at their translation and lettering next. The updated translation in the Full Metal Alchemist's Full Metal Editions is a big positive for me
6:00
because they fix some grammatical and wording errors in these volumes. From what I've seen, the themes they've updated in terms of translation are relatively minor things than enhance readability or fixed grammatical or wording errors
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They did make some changes to names like General Hockero is now Halkrow in this edition In my opinion the updated translation is better than what we saw in the original volumes so I recommend them in that regard especially for first readers of full
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Alchemist. On top of that, the quality and look of the new lettering is amazing, and I prefer
6:31
it over the lettering we see in the individual volumes in three-on-one editions. In addition to
6:35
the translation, the lettering and sound effects are the same in the three-and-ones and singles
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The full metal editions are the only edition with an updated translation as well as lettering
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and as you can see, the sound effects were redrawn also. The sound effects look a lot better in the full metal editions when looking at them side by side with the other editions
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What about extras, though? As far as extras go, there are two editions that come with new material and are extras
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the full metal additions and the complete manga box set. The full metal additions come with new color inserts and behind-the-scenes character sketches
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is the complete manga box that on the other hand comes with a novel that ties that bind
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in a full-color double-sided poster. Now that we've taken a look at everything, what's the best
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way to collect full metal alchemist? As always, it definitely depends on what you are looking for
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If you are looking for the addition with the best overall quality, including print and page
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quality, the best overall translation and lettering, and you prefer hardcover formats, the full metal
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additions are the best. If you're looking for the cheapest way to collect full metal alchemists
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you'll want to check out the 3-1 editions. Prefer the look at the singles
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the complete manga box set allows you to collect them at a cheaper price and it comes with extras
7:46
so I highly recommend this route over collecting the series individually. What do I think, though
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Personally, I think the Full Metal Alchemist Full Mental Editions look the best
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on and off the shelf. I love their metallic details on the spines, and they have a really nice, striking, modern design
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The print quality is top-notch and the translation, sound effects, and lettering is better in these editions too
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Whatever addition you choose, you're going to get to experience an incredible story
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but I hope this video helps you guys find out what edition or additions of full metal alchemists you want to pick up
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What about you guys? What's your favorite way to collect full metal alchemists? Let me know in the comments below
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That's it for the video, guys. Thanks as always for watching, and I'll see you all in the next video
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