The Untold Truth Of Fullmetal Alchemist

When the final chapter of Fullmetal Alchemist hit shelves in 2010, it was the end of an era for Square Enix's Monthly Shonen Gangan magazine, the manga's home since its inception in 2001. Arakawa had been dreading the day, but when the time finally came, she felt a great sense of relief. "When we finished the manga, I was surprised because I had been drawing this story for nine years and I was convinced that in the end, I would be sad, as in a break up," she told Animeland. "When I submitted the last chapter, I was actually relieved. Not because I was glad it was over, but because I had the conviction I had told everything I wanted to."

The mangaka recalled the moment that she gave the final pages to her publisher during her interview with the French anime mag, reminiscing about the grilled beef they ate as they celebrated their achievement. "We had nice drinks, nice food, and I had a feeling of satisfaction," Arakawa said. "As if my children just graduated." Fullmetal Alchemist will always be her baby, but Arakawa also has three actual children with her husband. She gave birth to her third child in 2014, announcing the arrival with an illustration of her iconic cow watching over a baby with the caption "Human Transmutation Accomplished" underneath.