Chapter 335: Public Sentiment

Chapter 335 -334: Public Sentiment

As the ending theme began to play, many anime fans across Japan let out a sigh.

Is that it? Is that really the end? But the plot was just getting to the good part!

Fullmetal Alchemist was, truth be told, a bit of a slow burn, especially when adapting the pacing of the original story. Compared to the first episode of Code Geass, where Lelouch delivered extreme presence, obtained his power, and manipulated a squad of soldiers into their own demise, Fullmetal felt more reserved.

The premiere merely established the basics: two brothers traveling in search of the legendary Philosopher’s Stone to restore what they had lost. While the central goal was clear, the hook wasn’t quite as explosive as the debut of Lelouch of the Rebellion. However, the audience could see that the world-building was meticulous.

It felt like the beginning of an epic, slow-burn saga, and as a result, the fans weren’t overly critical.

The Three Episode Rule established by Madoka Magica was fresh in everyone’s minds. Even if some trolls sensed an opening to criticize, they largely held their tongues, unwilling to look like fools so early in the run.

“So, is that the main plot? Just two brothers trying to get their bodies back?”

“They haven’t even explained how they ended up like that! Why did they try human transmutation, and what on earth was that Gate?”

“The Warrior of Love is really piling on the lore for this one.”

“It seems like these brothers are already top-tier fighters. Just dropping the title of State Alchemist makes them sound pretty legendary.”

“This is exactly what I like. Who wants to watch a protagonist spend fifty episodes just training to get strong? A hero who starts at the peak and just mows down the competition is way more fun.”

“The cliffhanger at the end of the first episode was unexpected. That classic Haruto cut-off is already giving me anxiety.”

“The plot is fairly easy to predict at this point.”

“The first episode was for world-building and character introductions, so the second one is almost certainly going to be a flashback.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Did you see the teasers? They released several before the premiere, and every single one featured scenes of the brothers as kids. It’s obvious their backstory is the foundation of the series. If it wasn’t in episode one, it’s coming in episode two.”

“Good point.”

“Wait, in that teaser… 35 liters of water, the copper, the iron, the carbon… are those the ingredients for a human? Did they really try to build a person out of that stuff when they were kids?”

“It’s a fascinating concept, honestly.”

“Alright, I’m heading to bed. I’ll just say this: I’m satisfied with the first episode. It might not be as thrilling as the start of Code Geass, but it’s well above the passing grade. I’m definitely staying for the ride.”

“Same here.”

“See you guys next week.”

Late into the night, as the fervor on the forums died down, the initial discussions about Fullmetal Alchemist came to a close.

While it was a masterpiece in its original world, it had only aired one episode here.

How god-tier could it be after just twenty minutes? For now, the general consensus was that the setting was solid and the production quality was cinematic, the visuals were simply breathtaking.

As for the plot itself, it hadn’t reached hooked-for-life status just yet. But the author was Haruto, and for the public, that was more than enough.

The following day, before noon had even arrived, Tokyo TV1 rushed to announce the viewership data.

6.03%.

Objectively speaking, it was a staggering, almost impossible number. Yet, it felt strangely expected.

In the nearly century-long history of animation, Fullmetal Alchemist was the first series to ever break a 6% rating with its very first episode. However, considering Haruto’s current popularity, if he had produced an animated documentary on postpartum care for livestock, his fans would have likely toughed it out through the boredom just to give him at least a respectable rating.

The fact that Fullmetal actually had excellent quality and an intriguing plot, when combined with the Haruto brand, meant that people accepted the 6% figure quite easily. Naturally, the media didn’t miss the chance to chase the trend.

[Genius Creator Haruto’s New Work ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ Debuts! Millions of Fans Rate it 9.1/10 as Premiere Ratings Shatter 6%! Another Phenomenal Hit is Born.]

[Fullmetal Ratings Top 6%, Making History Once Again. However, Fame Currently Outshines Substance; Episode One is Solid but Lacks the Immediate Grip of Early Code Geass. If Quality Doesn’t Ramp Up, Ratings May Decline.]

[The Undisputed King Returns! Haruto Dominates the Winter Season, Securing Yet Another Masterpiece.]

[January is Fullmetal, April is Slam Dunk, July is Gurren Lagann, and October is Bakemonogatari. Haruto has the Industry in a stranglehold. Can Any Non-Haruto Work Break Through and Claim a Seasonal Championship This Year?]

[With Sword Art Online Dominating the Charts and Fullmetal Arriving, the Haruto vs. Haruto War for Ratings Has Begun.]

Haruto looked at the media praise and his eyebrows twitched.

Nobody does exaggeration quite like the media when they’re chasing clicks. Even more unsettling was that his fans seemed to eat it up. They knew these articles were just engagement bait, yet they couldn’t stop themselves from clicking.

He saw one article titled, “Haruto Reaches God-Tier Status Again; 9.1 Score is the Result of Malicious Haters Hiring Bots to Drag Down the Rating!” and he actually laughed out loud

There weren’t that many haters. The early plot of Fullmetal was just a bit slower, so it was natural the score wouldn’t be at a maximum yet.

It would likely rise steadily once the first major arc concluded. To think that a 9.1 was being viewed as maliciously low made him realize how fanatic his fanbase had become.

He let out a long sigh, feeling a bit uneasy.

“What’s wrong?” Yukino asked curiously as they rode in a car toward a press and fan Q&A event.

“I just feel like my fans are putting me on too high a pedestal. It’s a bit…”

“I see,” Yukino said, nodding in agreement after a moment of thought. “You’re right to be worried. In the entertainment world, plenty of stars have been ruined by the fanaticism of their followers. You’re invincible in the anime world, but fans of celebrities from other industries might not take kindly to your dominance. If there’s friction…”

She thought for a moment and suggested allocating a budget within Haru-Yuki Animation’s PR department to manage the public narrative surrounding Haruto. It was fine for fans to love him, but they needed to prevent extreme groups from forming or fake fans from causing trouble in his name.

Haruto had already sensed those seeds being sown after the first episode.

Soon, they arrived at the venue. The event was being broadcast live on Tokyo TV1. Even though it was just a talk show in the afternoon, it still pulled a rating of over 4%. Haruto, the executives, and the sponsors all took turns making their presence felt and sharing the information they wanted the media to hear.

Naturally, the reporters asked the question they asked about every one of his projects.

“What are your expectations for the performance of this new series?”

Usually, for the sake of humility, Haruto would say something like, “I hope to surpass my past self and reach a new level.”

But since this was Fullmetal Alchemist, he decided to be honest. If he had to compare the commercial value of Fullmetal to Madoka Magica or Code Geass, he wasn’t entirely sure it could win. In fact, he doubted it would. But when it came to critical acclaim, depth, and consistent viewership, he didn’t believe Fullmetal would lose to anything.

He answered exactly how he felt.

“In my heart, I believe Fullmetal Alchemist is a superior work to Madoka Magica, Code Geass, and Edgerunners. As for the results… I expect it will likely surpass them.”

That single quote set the internet on fire that night.

One simple sentence did more for the show’s hype than a ten-million-yen ad campaign.

“So Haruto thinks he’s going to outdo himself again?”

“He said it himself, so he must believe it!”

“Fullmetal better than Geass? Better than Madoka?”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“But if you think about it, he said something similar back when Code Geass was serializing. Everyone thought he was bluffing, and look what happened. Geass eventually overtook Madoka.”

“But Madoka still holds the edge in Blu-ray sales. Geass beat it in ratings, but the sales per volume didn’t quite catch up. That suggests fans still hold Madoka in higher regard. As for the ratings, his popularity now is explosive compared to when Madoka aired, so of course the ratings are higher.”

“I personally think it’ll be hard for Fullmetal to reach the cultural impact of Geass or Madoka, but purely in terms of viewership, there’s a chance. He’s practically a living legend now, and fan faith is a powerful multiplier for ratings.”

“Still, the quality has to be there.”

“Definitely. We’ll see how the next few episodes go. If the first arc is gripping enough to lock people in, he might actually do it.”

“But Code Geass hit nearly 7% by the finale! Does he really think Fullmetal can challenge an all-time historical record like that?”

For an entire week, every bit of info regarding the show was magnified by Tokyo TV1, Haru-Yuki Animation, and Haruto’s various appearances. It was a masterclass in building momentum.

The quality of the first episode was good, but not yet legendary. The massive level of discussion wasn’t a natural result of the content alone, it was the result of a perfectly executed marketing machine. To some observers, it looked like the show was being set up for a fall, being praised so much that the slightest misstep would lead to a catastrophic backlash.

Then came Sunday.

The second episode of Fullmetal Alchemist aired on schedule.

As everyone expected, it was a flashback. After resolving the conflict in the desert town with the fake Philosopher’s Stone, Edward and Alphonse realized the leader was a fraud and set back out on their journey. The perspective shifted back to their childhood.

This was where the true heart of the story began.

Edward, Alphonse, and the adorable young girl Winry were childhood friends. Winry showed an early, uncanny talent for mechanics, while the brothers were obsessed with alchemy. The first few minutes of the episode painted a picture of a blissful childhood. Though their father was never around, they had a kind, beautiful mother and lived in a peaceful, quiet town. Then, just as the audience was settling into the warmth of the scene, the shift appeared.

The brothers’ mother fell ill and passed away. In her belongings, they found their father’s old research notes, which detailed the methods for human transmutation.

The fans finally understood how the brothers ended up the way they did. They couldn’t accept their mother’s death, tried to bring her back with alchemy, and were consumed by the process. It wasn’t a hard plot to guess; anyone with a bit of storytelling experience could see it coming.

But being able to guess the plot didn’t mean you could watch it with a cold heart. Fullmetal Alchemist focused on the agonizing details of grief and the cruel reality of the world.

The fact that the brothers became amputees was just the result. What truly shook the audience was the psychological toll. At only ten years old, they learned the cruelty of the world.

They learned that the dead do not return. They learned that a desperate attempt to fix the past only leads to a more horrific present.

“I guess… there’s nothing in this world that’s of equal value to a mother’s life,” a ten-year-old Edward whispered, his voice low and hollow as he looked at a suit of armor containing his brother’s soul and his own mechanical limbs.

That was why they failed. The law of alchemy is Equivalent Exchange. If you want to bring back a soul, what could you possibly offer in return?

That night, countless fans across Japan felt a chill run down their spines. Then came the tears.

This was the realization that would drive the entire series. From the second episode onward, the depth and soul of the work began to soar.