"Fullmetal Alchemist × Daemons of the Shadow Realm" Exhibition Opens August 13, Draws Reactions Like "I Cried Looking at the Rough Sketches" and "The No-Photography Displays Personally Hyped Me Up"

Two of manga artist Hiromu Arakawa's most popular works come together in the "Fullmetal Alchemist × Daemons of the Shadow Realm" Exhibition, which opened on August 13. It has already become a huge topic on social media, with comments like "It was amazing!" and "I can't wait to go."

Fullmetal Alchemist began serialization in the August 2001 issue of Monthly Shonen Gangan (published by Square Enix) and ran until the July 2010 issue, making it a landmark shonen manga. Set in a world where alchemy exists under the principle of equivalent exchange, it depicts the journey and growth of two brothers.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm is a dark fantasy manga currently serialized in Monthly Shonen Gangan. It follows Yuru, a boy who had been living peacefully in a small mountain village, as he learns of a terrifying secret hidden within the village and gets swept up in brutal battles while commanding otherworldly beings called "Tsugai" in his search for his twin sister, Asa.

The exhibition features numerous displays that let visitors experience the appeal of both Fullmetal Alchemist and Daemons of the Shadow Realm as drawn by Arakawa. The venue showcases more than 300 pieces in total, including original artwork, rough sketches, and Arakawa's valuable production materials. The Fullmetal Alchemist corner features a life-size rendering of the "Gate of Truth" that appears in the story, while the Daemons of the Shadow Realm corner offers an area where visitors can enjoy introductions to the Tsugai via the "Blacklist (Enmacho)," among other striking three-dimensional displays packed into the exhibition. Ahead of the public opening, Romi Park, who voices Edward Elric in the TV anime Fullmetal Alchemist, and Yume Miyamoto, who voices Asa in the TV anime Daemons of the Shadow Realm, toured the exhibition.

On social media, the exhibition is already generating a huge buzz, with an outpouring of admiring comments such as "The no-photography displays personally hyped me up," "I cried looking at the rough sketches from Fullmetal Alchemist," and "I went to the exhibition, and Fullmetal Alchemist really is just too good."