Hiromu Arakawa manga in English: every series and where to start

Hiromu Arakawa has 3 series with English volumes. Of those 2 are complete in English. The third one is still coming out. Arakawa did both the story and the art on all three. Every volume count in this guide is as of October 2026. The full list of books sits on the Hiromu Arakawa creator page.

The series below run from the most popular to the least. Each section covers what the series is about and how far it has come in English.

Fullmetal Alchemist

The most popular Arakawa series comes first. Edward and Alphonse Elric are brothers. They studied alchemy when they were kids. Then their mother died. The two of them tried to bring her back with a forbidden transmutation.

The genres cover a lot of ground. It is listed as action, adventure, comedy, drama and fantasy. The themes are alchemy, politics, philosophy and the military. So expect a fantasy story with plenty of weight behind it and some laughs along the way.

Arakawa is credited with story and art. The series is finished in Japan at 27 volumes. All 27 are out in English. That means it is complete in English. There is nothing left to wait for. Every volume is listed on the Fullmetal Alchemist series page.

Silver Spoon

Next up is a very different kind of book. Silver Spoon has no swords or magic in its genre list. It is tagged as comedy, drama and slice of life. Its themes are school, coming of age, agriculture and rural life. That points to a grounded story about growing up in the country.

Once again Arakawa handled both story and art. The series is finished in Japan with 15 volumes. All 15 are out in English. Like Fullmetal Alchemist it is complete in English. You can read it from start to end today. The Silver Spoon series page has every English volume with its date.

Yomi no Tsugai

The newest of the three is still running. Yomi no Tsugai brings Arakawa back to action. The genres are action, adventure, comedy, fantasy and supernatural. Twins and youkai are its two themes.

Arakawa writes and draws this one too. It is still releasing in Japan. There are 13 Japanese volumes so far. English has 11 of them out. That puts the English edition two volumes behind Japan. Mangainfo has no date yet for the next English volume. Keep an eye on the Yomi no Tsugai series page for new dates.

Where to start

The numbers make the choice fairly simple. A short series that is complete in English is the easiest way in. You can buy it all and never wait for a next volume.

• Silver Spoon is the easiest start. It is complete in English at 15 volumes. That is the shortest of the three.
• Fullmetal Alchemist is the next step. It is also complete in English. At 27 volumes it asks for a bigger commitment.
• Yomi no Tsugai is best saved for later. It has 11 English volumes out. The series is still releasing in Japan and has no next English date listed yet.

A fan of action and fantasy may still want to jump straight into Fullmetal Alchemist. It is complete in English too. Either way both finished series give you a full Arakawa story with no gaps. After that Yomi no Tsugai is there to follow as new volumes arrive.