Artbook Comments (English version, or English translated from Japanese version):

Anyone have the translated/English comments for all the art in the artbooks 1 and 2? Because I don't understand like half of the comments in Japanese (only the shorter ones like 'The coat has grown' and stuff) and I don't have the English artbooks (I mean even if I saw them, I don't see the point in owning the books in both languages xD).

Um thanks in advance ^^

@Hey - The English version of FMA Artbook I and FMA Artbook II are already out and available. ^^
BTW, in case you are interested, FMA Rough Sketch Gallery Book is translated on our board, and you can read the discussions and translations of the whole book on our FMA Rough Sketch Gallery Book thread.

@Tombow - Thanks, but I do know they're out, it's just that I already got them in Japanese and don't feel like buying them in English just for the comments ^^' I was really just wondering if anybody could post the translations/English comments.

Ah, and I already have that rough sketchbook in English xD

@Hey - Oh, sorry about that!! ^^ If I can find the posts with translations for these, I will let you know.. or if anyone know where, please kindly send PM to Hey. ^^


ETA: July 2
@Hey - On the other hand, for the small comments by the arts, if you scan them I can probably translate. Of course for that I will need both art scan and the scan of comment to translate. And, excluding omake and atogaki.

No idea who scanned it. I downloaded the English scans of the artbook few years ago. This is straight from Viz's version. I don't have artbook 2's, though. Never came across it.

Oh, wow, never seen those before. It features only female (well...except for Den) characters with Hawkeye and Winry in the front....what were those two pages about?

One: That was the picture that Arakawa put under the introduction she wrote to the artbook. Two: Den is a girl.

LOL WUT.

Wasn't he always referred to as a 'he'...? O.o

Err. Gotta check that out.

Anyway, thanks for the info.

^ Yes, Den is a gal.
I think she showed up in some other Arakawa-sensei's drawing of "FMA Woman" also. ...Trying to remember which one. If I remember and can find it, I'll try to post the pic of the drawing. ^^

The one I remember is the one with May, Winry and Riza together with their respective pet. Problem is, Black Hayate is a male

Well then....thank you very much Tombow! *still in shock*

I've just the same problem as Hey.
I'm trying to get english (or french scans) because my two artbooks are in japanese, althought it harms the author >_< Or a website with comments.
If you have something, let me know. I just hope I'm not bothering anyone.

Well...I have the first artbook in english (and I love it!!). I also have some time over the I should use to answer mails from friends I have neglected, yey! But let's do this instead!
I'm sorry for all typos, I am a messy typer.

Page 94-95 Arakawa's Afterword (the pages above from AA battery, for those who can't read the tiny letters!)
"Some Touching Last Words _{(same as the kanji)}

-I'm just a manga artist, so it's really embarrassing for me to put out an art book. But I guess I should accept it as the natural course of events. Hello, this is Arakawa. My feelings about this book are that if I'm going to be embarrassed anyway, why not let people go behind the scenes and see some things that they wouldn't usually be able to see? It may be hard to bear at some points, but please think of it as the crust at the very edge of a loaf of bread and enjoy it in that way because even the crust has its own taste and can be enjoyed. I know I like it. (The crust, I mean.) It's all been arranged chronologically so I can really see my own development as an artist. It's like a scientific study charting the growth of some rare animal. Waagggh...but I'm still really embarrassed.

-It's been two and a half years since I've begun this series. When I see it all lined up like this it makes me think to myself, "Arakawa, you've really drawn a lot of stuff." That's how I feel. Before I became a manga artist, I used to consider myself lucky if I completed one oil painting a year, so the speed at which I'm working now is nothing less than a miracle.

-Another thing that I noticed was "Boy, the main character sure takes off his clothes a lot." Of course, if I want to draw his auto-mail, then I have to make him take off his clothes. But maybe he strips more often than Major Armstrong? Is Edward a stripper? No, guys always walk around their room wearing only their underwear. My dad will even go outside to the cow shed in the middle of winter after taking a bath. (I don't think I can ever win against a guy like that) Huh? Are we still talking about underwear? I like talking about underwear. Eh? Is this all there is to the climax of this ground-breaking, historical illustration book? Am I done? No need to check with the editorial department? Seriously?"


Pweh. Around the middle my keyboard stopped working and I had to hammer the keys to get any letters. ¨Then mvedce 9 well iit's broken again. write more later

EDIT next day: Phew! My keybaord just needed to charge!

I forgot; it was signed: "Hiromu Arakawa January 2004"

OK, the little kanji-notes by the characters (from left to right):
Riza: "Touching"? _{(referring to the title)}
Winry: "She wanted to include only the girls in this spread but there aren't enough female characters in this manga..."
Paniña: "Girl?"
Izumi: "Girl!"
Roze's box: "Church of Leto Cakes"

@CutEowyn: You're welcome, glad I could help!

Hey, thank you very much !
I've a scan from these pages but that was before my hard disk crashes long ago.
It's strange, it seems she isn't glad to have done this artbook, although her point of view can be understood. Damn even the cover of the first one is just beautiful.
Is like her way of thinking, especially the end, just so fun xDD

Rather than she doesn't want to do the artbook, it is more like a Japanese way of speaking modestly and humbly. Or maybe she is just being humourous

Yap, I second AA battery. ^^ That's how they often address in a occasion like this in their culture, I think.

Here, she is being humble, and saying that since what she draws is just manga, shining spotlights on her drawings and treating her pieces as "art" and publishing a collection of her pieces as an artbook is "embarrassing" (i.e. as if she and her works have been given undeserved attention, recognition, and the treatment ... of course it's not, but traditionally that's the kind of things they often write in the author's endnote, etc. ^^)

In addition, Arakawa, IMO, has been consistently a very humble (and humorous) and appreciative person, judging from her interviews and her notes, and if I remember correctly, she said things in a similar theme/fashin in her other occasions as well.

Translation: ..that's her way of saying "thank you, [editors & publishers] for treating my humble works as art pieces and making the artbook out of them. Hope everyone will enjoy the book."

I just love how she rambles on for a whole paragraph about Edward being a stripper, and how she likes talking about underwear. XD

I keep seeing the artbooks at bookstores near me, but I've never actually bought one. I looked through one once, and the art was just beautiful. <3 Maybe one day I'll buy one. ikji

Thank you !!
I think it's just I'm not used a lot of japanese way of speaking and japanese society.
Besides I like very much her way of talking in some interviews Iv' read fom her.