Daemons of the Shadow Realm Seen as Successor to Fullmetal Alchemist

More than a decade after Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood first captured fan acclaim, a new series is drawing direct comparisons. Daemons of the Shadow Realm premiered on Crunchyroll in the U.S. in April and, with ten episodes aired so far, is earning praise as a worthy successor while continuing to stream week-to-week on Thursdays.

The anime comes from BONES Films, the same studio that adapted Fullmetal Alchemist twice. Its source manga by Hiromu Arakawa began serialization in 2021, and an English translation launched in April 2023. The adaptation is being released worldwide at the same time, including an English-language dub.

Both shows share an esoteric premise yet take different cultural approaches: Fullmetal Alchemist draws on European mysticism and is set in a fantasy version of turn-of-the-century Europe, while Daemons of the Shadow Realm leans on Japanese folklore and places its story in modern Japan.

United States, Japan

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