Hiromu Arakawaโs genius is obvious throughout all of FMA but her first and biggest leap of genius was in how she crafted her protagonist.ย
Arakawa realized the burgeoning youth of the early 2000s wasnt interested in another plucky spry optimistic young shonen protag. Instead she gave us a short ugly egotistical asshole smarter-than-you atheist with so much money and power that people could no longer best him in arguments by telling himย โdude shut up ur literally like 12โณย
Five pages in weโre told Edwardโs famous and rich and powerful. Five more pages and heโs calling some girl stupid for thinking God exists. Five more pages and heโs proven right. Five more and heโs kicked an evil priestโs teeth in. And no one can tell his mom on him.
Hiromu Arakawa figured out the dream of every edgy young weeb discovering internet arguments for the first time and she cast them an idol made of gold.