Full Metal Alchemist Vol. 16

Rating T+ Genre manga Publisher VIZ Media External Links VIZ Media

Cute panda, a fight on a train, the frozen north, and cross dressing? Looks like volume 16 of Full Metal Alchemist is here. The Elric brothers are on the tail of May Chang, a young girl from Xing. Why you mask ask? Well for whatever reason, her alchemy worked when the rest of the alchemists in the last issue couldn't get it up, so to speak. The problem is that she is traveling with the infamous Scar.

There is another hitch of course, Scar is being held, along with Marcho, by the haemonculi. How Scar doesn't kill Marcoh is a mystery, as he is responsible for the philosopher's stone.

The brothers learn more about that happened in Ishballa and try to cope with the horrors that war brings. In the meantime Scar escapes with Marcoh, meet up with May and head north. Thanks to some shady business by Col. Mustang, and a cross dressing Lt., information of May's whereabouts are relayed to the Elric Brothers. They are to meet with Major Armstrong's sister at the northern border and hope she will help find May and help uncover the truth about how May's alchemy works.

Armstrong's sister, Mira doesn't seem pleased at the brother's appearance once learning of why they had come there. She does decide to help however as she wants to turn May's alchemical techniques into a military advantage if possible. While Mira and her tropps search for May, the brothers get to chip off icicles in the brigs. Cut away to a train and Scar is fighting with the recently released Scarlet Alchemist Kimblee. Kimblee was released by the haemonculi to hunt down Scar and Macoh.

Everything is progressing nicely in the story. Hopefully, we find out what makes May so special and why Scar has really decided to keep Marcoh alive. The manga still has the same interesting feel of intrigue and light humor, art still crisp and clean.