Fullmetal Alchemist Creator Reveals Why Her New Anime Takes Opposite Path

Hiromu Arakawa already created one of the greatest manga ever with Fullmetal Alchemist. So when fans picked up Daemons of the Shadow Realm, many expected her to follow the same storytelling style that made her previous series such a huge success.

But that wasn’t her plan at all. In a recent interview, Arakawa revealed that she deliberately chose a completely different approach because she wanted to challenge herself and prove that there is more than one way to tell a great story.

Hiromu Arakawa Chose the Opposite Approach From Fullmetal Alchemist

During Square Enix’s Inside Square Enix interview series, Arakawa explained that she already knew the storytelling formula that worked for Fullmetal Alchemist. The manga quickly introduced its world, explained alchemy, and clearly showed readers what Edward and Alphonse were trying to achieve from the very beginning.

Instead of repeating that structure, Arakawa wanted to try something new. She explained –

That decision completely changed how Daemons of the Shadow Realm begins. Instead of giving readers all the answers right away, the series throws both the audience and its main character, Yuru, into a mystery. Just like Yuru, readers don’t fully understand what Daemons are, why strange events are happening, or who can be trusted.

Arakawa added that she wanted readers to experience the story alongside Yuru. In the story, as Yuru gradually figures out what is happening, readers learn everything alongside him.

She further explained that while Fullmetal Alchemist and Daemons of the Shadow Realm both deal with siblings, that is where the similarities largely end. This time, she went away from alchemy to create a world based on yokai, occultism, and supernatural legends of Japan.

Arakawa said that she has always loved those aspects of Japan, and she already had many sources of information on these topics, which helped even during the times of the pandemic when traveling for research was not possible. For example, some of the designs for the Divine Guardians had also been lying around in her sketchbook from the time of Fullmetal Alchemist, Arakawa added in the same interview.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm is Proving Arakawa’s New Approach Works

Arakawa’s decision to take a different path has clearly paid off. Rather than trying to follow the footsteps of Fullmetal Alchemist, she has created a separate story on her own.

Asa and Yuru from a still. | Credit: Bones Film

As of July 2026, Daemons of the Shadow Realm has crossed 7.5 million copies with the publication of Volume 13 (via @MangaMoguraRE on Twitter/X). It is one of the most successful ongoing manga by Square Enix. The anime adaptation of the manga by Bones Film, which premiered in Spring this year, has also received strong reviews from the audience.

The series is currently airing its second cour and is streaming on both Netflix and Crunchyroll in North America. It also entered Japan’s top streaming charts during the first half of 2026, showing that fans have embraced its slower, mystery-driven storytelling.

Although comparisons with Fullmetal Alchemist were bound to happen, Arakawa did not intend to make the same series over again. Rather, she decided to make an entirely new story in an entirely new style. Considering how well the manga is selling and how well the anime is received, that creative gamble has clearly paid off.

Now the big question: Do you prefer Fullmetal Alchemist‘s storytelling, or do you enjoy the mystery-filled approach of Daemons of the Shadow Realm? Share your thoughts in the comments below.