Fullmetal Alchemist trailer makes sacrifices

FUNimation has released the first trailer for its new film in the popular Fullmetal Alchemist franchise.

 

For the uninitiated, Fullmetal Alchemist is an excellent anime fantasy franchise, which started with a multi-season series arc, and has continued in a series of films. The story depicts the adventures of the Brothers Elric, the younger of which, Al, had his consciousness transferred into a metal golem body as a result of a failed alchemical experiment at the beginning of the series.

The two originally attempted to use alchemy (more or less a general term for all magic in this story-world) to resurrect their mother from the dead, yet learned  the costs of such power were far too high. The series and films follow this theme rather closely, with each story revolving primarily around the concepts of conservation of energy and will, while emphasizing the tenant that nothing in life comes without a price.

The official synopsis of the new film is thus:

“Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, a new feature-length adventure into the world of an international anime sensation.

“A fugitive alchemist with mysterious abilities leads the Elric brothers to a distant valley of slums inhabited by the Milos, a proud people struggling against bureaucratic exploitation. Ed and Al quickly find themselves in the middle of a rising rebellion, as the exiled Milos lash out against their oppressors.

“At the heart of the conflict is Julia, a young alchemist befriended by Alphonse. She’ll stop at nothing to restore the Milos to their former glory – even if that means harnessing the awful power of the mythical Philosopher’s Stone.”

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos will see a limited theatrical release in January. A home release will likely follow in the summer, though a final date has yet to be announced.