Fullmetal Alchemist Day Date in the current year: October 3, 2024

Hiromu Arakawa decided to create a manga about alchemists after reading about the philosopher’s stone. Her research involved reading books about alchemy, as well as watching documentaries and talking to war veterans, refugees and former yakuza to better integrate social issues into the story.

While creating the setting of the story, Arakawa was primarily inspired by the Industrial Revolution in Europe. In the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, alchemy is one of the most advanced sciences. Most of the events take place in the fictional country named Amestris, which is highly militarized and has an authoritarian regime masked as a democracy.

The protagonists of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga series and its adaptations are two brothers named Edward and Alphonse Elric. Their father left them when they were kids, and their mother died from an illness. They attempted to bring her back from the dead using a forbidden alchemic ritual, but the ritual backfired, resulting in Alphonse losing his body and Edward losing his left leg. To retrieve his brother’s soul and bind it to a suit of armor, Edward sacrificed his right arm. The titular Fullmetal Alchemist is Edward, whose limbs were replaced with sophisticated prosthetics.

The first installment of the manga was published in the August 2001 issue of Monthly Shōnen Gangan. The 108th and final installment was published in 2010. In addition to being published in the magazine, the chapters were compiled into 27 tankōbon volumes and published by Square Enix.

In 2003, the animation studio Bones adapted the manga into a 51-episode anime television series, followed by an animated sequel film entitled Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa. The first series was criticized by some fans for veering too much from the plot of the manga.

In 2009, Bones released another anime series, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which was more faithful to the manga. It ran for 64 episodes and was followed by a feature-length anime film entitled Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos. A live-action adaptation of the manga was released in 2017.

Fullmetal Alchemist Day is celebrated on October 3 because this date is important for the plot of the manga and anime. On October 3, 1910 (or 1911 in some versions of the story), the Elrics burned their house and embarked on their quest to find the philosopher’s stone and restore Alphonse’s body. Edward even has the date engraved inside his pocket watch.

To celebrate Fullmetal Alchemist Day, fans throw manga- and anime-themed parties, rewatch their favorite anime episodes or reread their favorite manga installments, draw fan art, write fan fiction, and post about Fullmetal Alchemist on social media to introduce other people to the story.