The title is sort of a play on words, as the definition of yuki (according to my little Japanese dictionary—I’m really no good at this) can be either ‘snow’ or ‘journey’. I think both of those words are appropriate for this one, considering a) I painted a winter setting and b) the profound journey that these boys undertake.

When it comes to stories and character development, I have yet to see or read anything as genuine as the relationship between Edward and Alphonse Elric. Everything they’ve been through on their long, arduous journey only brought them even closer than they were to begin with. When one brother became weak or fell, the other picked him up and they carried on (sometimes literally ‘icked him up’ in Al’s case). I’ve said this before, but goddamn it whenever I sit down to watch the show, I want to leap through the screen and hug them! It’s funny, sometimes you forget that they are only characters in a story (animated at that—not even real flesh and blood) and you really start to feel for them.

But isn’t that part of what makes up a great story?

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Sketched and finished in Photoshop with a reference from the Hagaren TV series (I’m sure FMA fans recognize the pose—it’s from the third opening, I believe).

I don’t think you ever actually see Alphonse carrying Edward on his back in the series, but it’s something that’s implied and assumed. I thought the brief image of the Elric brothers from the opening was so sweet and despite the fact that every Hagaren fanartist has probably done their take on it at least once, I couldn’t resist drawing it myself (yay for high-res still screens!). Anyway, I’m pretty proud of this one and I really feel like I’m coming into my style for straight-up anime and the rust is finally starting to chip and fall off.

And yay for my tablet that died on me, then mysteriously resurrected itself without the use of alchemy or equivalent trade! ^_^ (I wonder how that would work, anyway… Wacom tablet transmutation… Nooo! I love my Tabby and I don’t want to find out! Besides, he’s only a little more than a year old; he can’t die on me yet! )

Edit: Woopsie, I forgot the credits. : Edward and Alphonse Elric are copyright Hiromu Arakawa.