This collage of cut card stock, origami paper, washi paper, bamboo tissue, lokta paper, and amate paper is based on a portion of a panel from chapter 72 of Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist manga.
It shows Roy Mustang standing in a phone booth and holding a handset. He is having a phone conversation with Riza Hawkeye and expressing his concern for her.
My references for the colors of the phone booth and handset include color illustrations on page 3 of volume 6 of the Fullmetal Edition of the manga and page 18 of The Complete Art of Fullmetal Alchemist.
I made this collage with love in honor of Roy’s Day. ♥️
This collage is based on a self-portrait of Hiromu Arakawa, in which she depicts herself as a bespectacled cow. The self-portrait appears in Volume 7 of her Fullmetal Alchemist manga, with the description “Unidentified Flying Bovine spotted flying over Shinjuku while shooting laser beams from its eyes and spinning at high speed!”
I made this collage from cut washi paper in celebration of Hiromu Arakawa’s birthday.
I am thinking of preordering this Hiromu Arakawa figure made by Loop’.
I currently have figures of five characters from Fullmetal Alchemist, my favorite manga, but I never previously imagined having a figure of my favorite mangaka.
The notion brings to mind Schroeder from Peanuts having a bust of Beethoven on his piano.
In the dream, I could see Roy and Riza, and I could read their thoughts, as if they were on a manga page. Riza and Roy were thinking of each other at the same time. Riza was thinking about her gratitude for Roy’s presence, and Roy was thinking about his gratitude for Riza’s trust.
Also in the dream, there were other people who had seen and read the same scene. I turned to these people and said, “Well, that was romantic!”
I recently viewed and enjoyed this video featuring live performances of music from the Fullmetal Alchemist anime adaptations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QmhavnAMKg
Happy International Fullmetal Alchemist Tumbleweed Appreciation Day to International Fullmetal Alchemist Tumblr!
[Image description: A collage made from cut papyrus, card stock, origami paper, lokta paper, and amate paper. The collage is based on a frame from Episode 37 of the Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) anime. It shows Roy Mustang wearing his uniform without the jacket, standing with his back to the viewer, and facing a dirt lot as a tumbleweed blows by. End image description.]
I think it's interesting how both Roy and Riza get scratched on the face, on the same exact spot, by the homunculi (first Roy when he's fighting Lust and then Riza much later when she finds out that Selim is a homunculus). But also their burn scars. Even though hers is on the back and his is on the front, are both on the left side (I mean, she's got some burns on the right too, but it's mostly the left side). I think that was probably on purpose.
Anon, many thanks to you for sharing your thoughts about the parallels between the scratches and burn scars that you described!
Yes, I think this is interesting too. And I think you are very observant! I hadn’t noticed these parallels. I am so grateful to you for pointing them out and for prompting me to consider the significance of their appearance in the story.
Yes, I think it was probably on purpose. And I think it is interesting to contemplate the causes and intentions behind these particular scratches and these particular burns.
These particular scratches, which the homunculi inflicted, were intended to threaten and to harm.
In contrast, these particular burns, which Roy inflicted, were intended to protect and to help.
Riza was burned at her own request, in order to render the secret written on her back illegible, to prevent the creation of another flame alchemist who could take other people’s lives with alchemy, and to remove the burden of her father’s legacy and allow her to be independent.
And Roy was burned on his own initiative, in order to sear his wounds closed, to save his own life, and to be able to save other people’s lives as well.
So, to me, Riza’s and Roy’s parallel scars are signs of their painful experiences, signs of their profound motivations, and signs of their powerful resolve, which are all connected.
Thank you again for your thoughtful and thought-provoking ask!
This collage of cut card stock, origami paper, washi paper, lokta paper, and art tissue is based on a portion of a panel from Chapter 107 of Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist manga.
In the full panel, Riza Hawkeye stands by Roy Mustang’s side to be his eyes while he claps to transmute.
I made this collage with love in honor of Riza’s Day. ♥️
Reflections regarding Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye | Spoilers | Chapter 107 of Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist manga
Before the last battle on the Promised Day, when he cannot see, Roy says, “You need my help to burn through this guy’s store of philosopher’s stones, right? Then I need the lieutenant to be my eyes.”
Riza accepts this assignment, and she holds firmly to this role.
During the battle, Riza describes their situation as she sees it, while trusting Roy to determine his own tactics in response.
For instance, when Father sends a fireball toward them, Riza announces, “Incoming frontal attack!!”
Roy responds, “Defense…How’s this?!” and transmutes the ground in front of them into a barricade, blocking the attack.
Riza answers, “Nicely done, sir!”
I love how they work together as a team, demonstrating confidence in each other and reinforcing the theme of people empowering one another to achieve what they could not do otherwise.
Reflections regarding Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye | Spoilers | Multiple chapters—including Chapters 38, 39, 60, 61, and 101—of Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist manga
Time and time again, Roy expresses and demonstrates his will to be a protector. This makes it all the more remarkable when he respects Riza’s will for him not to protect her after her neck was cut on the Promised Day. They both knew what he wanted to do, but they also both knew it was up to her what he would do.
Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye on the Promised Day (Chapter 107)
This collage of cut card stock, origami paper, washi paper, lokta paper, and art tissue is based on a panel from Chapter 107 of Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist manga.
It shows Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye fighting together as a team in the last battle on the Promised Day.
I made this collage with love in celebration of Royai Day. ♥️♥️
This collage of cut card stock, origami paper, washi paper, lokta paper, and art tissue is based on a portion of a panel from Chapter 107 of Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist manga.
In the full panel, Roy Mustang claps to transmute while Riza Hawkeye stands by his side to be his eyes.
I made this collage with love in honor of Roy’s Day. ♥️
This collage is based on a self-portrait of Hiromu Arakawa, in which she depicts herself as a bespectacled cow. The self-portrait appears in Volume 7 of her Fullmetal Alchemist manga, with the description “Unidentified Flying Bovine spotted flying over Shinjuku while shooting laser beams from its eyes and spinning at high speed!”
I made this collage from cut washi paper in celebration of Hiromu Arakawa’s birthday.
I recently bought some Aniplex Blu-ray sets of Fullmetal Alchemist the Stage performances filmed in 2023 and 2024 in Japan. Even though I am far from fluent in Japanese, I am familiar enough with the English-translated manga and the English-subtitled anime versions of Fullmetal Alchemist to be able to follow this beloved story in its original language, and I am enjoying these video recordings of these stage plays.
For anyone who would like a taster, the Aniplex channel on YouTube has this forty-five-minute digest of a performance filmed in 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRclLlwVpqs
