The cartoon animation franchise Fullmetal Alchemist has already achieved critical and commercial success in both North America and Japan. With this acclaim, the series was renewed for a second series entitled Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood which is now hitting its stride since premiering in April this year. Created by Hiromu Arakawa, the popular anime and manga revolves around the mystical item called as the Philosopher’s Stone. Through the years, this special stone has been the subject of the imagination and curiosity of many writers and viewers. What is the Philosopher’s Stone really about and how has it been interpreted in mainstream entertainment?
Referred to as Lapis Philosophorum in Latin, the Philosopher’s Stone is a key item of alchemy which according to legend has the ability to turn base metals into solid gold. Moreover, it has been regarded as a potent source of immortality. With the promise of such an item, there is no wonder why it has been the source of quests for many people – including respected individuals such as Sir Isaac Newton and Nicolas Flamel.
In the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist, the Philosopher’s Stone is the quest of the brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric because this item supposedly has the ability to bring back their organic bodies which was converted in part to metal. The accident with their bodies came from their efforts to rescue their mother from a terminal illness through the use of alchemy – a science which purportedly allows the conversion of special objects from raw materials. The Philosopher’s Stone in this context is the final saving grace for the misfortune of the Edward and Alphonse.
Perhaps one of the more renowned mention of the Philosopher’s Stone in mainstream consciousness is with the iconic book and movie series about the wizard Harry Potter. Author J.K. Rowling’s push to superstardom started with the first book entitled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (which was dubbed the Sorcerer’s Stone in the United States). In the first book which introduced the world to the Hogwarts universe, Harry Potter recently learned that he had magical powers and thus started wizard school as a freshman. In the book and eventually in the movies, the Philosopher’s Stone was an elusive item from Nicolas Flamel himself which gave promises of immortality – thus being the target of the book’s antagonist Voldemort.
In th 1950s, there were about three films dedicated to the Philosopher’s Stone as an artifact. These were (1) The Fabulous Philosopher’ Stone by Carl Banks, a 1995 film about the monumental character Uncle Scrooge, (2) The Philosopher’s Stone (19 58), a Bengali adaptation from director Satyajit Ray, and (3) The Flash (1958) which tells the story of a certain Doctor Alchemy which uses the Philosopher’s Stone as a tool for crime.
The popular alchemy artifact is even a favorite narrative device in video games. The Philosopher’s Stone also prominently showed in popular games such as Tomb Raider Chronicles (2000) which describes the Philosopher’s Stone as located in the Colosseum of Rome, Devil May Cry (2001) which treats the Philosopher’s Stone as a key to open the portal to the demon world and in the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft (2004) which gives gamers access to the stone as a special item.
Other games of note which featured the Philosopher’s Stone were Alone in the Dark (2008), Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (2003), Golden Sun: The Lost Age (2003), Zork Nemesis (2001), Darklands (1992), Shadow of Memories (2001) and Valkyrie Profile (1999).
The various interpretations of the Philosopher’s Stone are a testament to the fact of how creativity is the life force of entertainment. Here is a trailer of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood to complete the experience:
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