Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa
| Company type | Animated film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation, Film |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Seiji Mizushima (director), Shō Aikawa (screenplay) |
| Headquarters | Japan |
| Products | Animated feature film |
Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa is a 2005 Japanese animated science fantasy action feature directed by Seiji Mizushima with a screenplay by Shō Aikawa. It acts as a direct continuation and conclusion to the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime, which was a loose adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's manga published by Square Enix. The narrative centers on alchemist Edward Elric’s efforts to return to his original world from an alternate universe, while his brother Alphonse strives to reunite with him. Their quest attracts the attention of the Thule Society, who seek access to Edward’s universe—mistaken for Shamballa—to obtain advanced weaponry for use in World War II.
The film debuted in Japan on July 23, 2005. Its soundtrack, composed by Michiru Oshima and featuring tracks from L'Arc-en-Ciel, was released concurrently. In Japan, the movie was distributed on both standard and limited edition DVD formats. Funimation acquired the North American rights, providing a limited theatrical run followed by DVD and Blu-ray releases.
Production commenced soon after the original series ended, with many key staff members returning. The screenplay was streamlined to fit within a 105-minute duration. Upon release, Conqueror of Shamballa became one of Japan’s top-grossing films in 2005. Critics largely praised its narrative depth and animation quality.
Plot
Following the restoration of his arm and his brother Alphonse’s body, Edward Elric is drawn through the Gate of Alchemy—a source of alchemical power—into an alternate 1923 Earth dominated by scientific progress. In this world, he loses both his alchemy abilities and his restored limbs.
Two years later in Munich, Germany, Edward collaborates with Alfons Heiderich, who resembles Alphonse, conducting rocket research aimed at returning home. Edward rescues Noah, a Romani woman persecuted for her heritage who resembles his friend Rosé. She begins experiencing visions connected to Edward’s original world. Edward encounters Jewish filmmaker Fritz Lang, bearing resemblance to King Bradley, who enlists him to hunt a dragon that ultimately reveals itself as the homunculus Envy. The Thule Society captures Envy.
Under the leadership of Karl Haushofer and Dietlinde Eckhart, the Thule Society manipulates Envy and abducted father figure Hohenheim to open a portal to Edward’s world—believed to be the utopian land of Shamballa. Armored soldiers crossing through this portal become mutated zombies in Liore. During a visit there, Alphonse combats these creatures by fusing parts of his soul with three separate armors to fight effectively. Edward infiltrates the Thule Society’s base but inadvertently reopens the portal, sending the undead soldiers back and allowing a brief reunion with Alphonse before his soul returns to its body, renewing Edward’s determination to find a way home.
Guided by homunculus Wrath, Alphonse journeys to Amestris’ subterranean city beneath Central City in an attempt to reopen the Gate of Alchemy. They are attacked by homunculus Gluttony, who fatally wounds Wrath. At Wrath’s request, Alphonse sacrifices both Wrath and Gluttony to activate the Gate. Concurrently, the Thule Society convinces Noah to assist them in opening the Gate using knowledge extracted from Edward’s mind. Edward discovers from Lang their plan involves arming Adolf Hitler’s failed Beer Hall Putsch with weapons from his world and moves swiftly to intervene.
Meanwhile, Hohenheim and Envy undergo transmutation as Alphonse sacrifices Gluttony and Wrath. With the Gate open, Eckhart leads an invasion into Edward’s world; she gains alchemical abilities but succumbs to madness and assaults Central City. Alfons pilots a rocket-powered aircraft carrying Edward back home but is fatally shot during their escape.
Upon return, Edward reunites with Alphonse and friend Winry Rockbell, who equips him with new automail limbs. The Amestris military halts Eckhart’s forces with assistance from Roy Mustang. Edward confronts Eckhart while Alphonse animates surrounding armors to contain her; her ultimate fate remains ambiguous. Back in her own world, Eckhart is killed by an officer resembling Mustang’s ally Maes Hughes due to her monstrous transformation.
Aware of the dangers posed by linking their worlds, Edward opts to seal the Gate on Earth’s side, effectively trapping himself there. However, Alphonse persuades Mustang to close it instead and voluntarily follows Edward. After Alfons’ funeral rites, the Elric brothers depart Munich, parting ways with Noah as they set out to destroy weapons intended for Hitler’s coup and strive toward building a safer future in their new home.
New characters
- A young German rocket scientist named Edward encounters in Munich, who bears a striking resemblance to Edward's brother Alphonse. Despite battling a terminal lung illness, Alfons encourages Edward's mission and assists in his return to his own world via rocket, before being fatally shot by Rudolf Hess of the Thule Society.
- The Thule Society's determined leader and primary antagonist, loosely inspired by the historical figure Dietrich Eckart. Her objective is to unlock the gateway to Edward's world ("Shamballa") to exploit its powers and depose Hitler, diverging from her group's Nazi allegiance. Her overwhelming desire for power coupled with limited alchemical knowledge drives her into madness, culminating in an attempt to annihilate Amestris' capital. She is ultimately repelled and killed by an officer resembling Maes Hughes.
- A proud yet marginalized young Romani girl rescued by Edward from the Thule Society. Gifted with telepathic abilities, she initially aids in opening the Gate under the belief that Edward's world represents a utopia but withdraws upon discovering the truth. This character, Noah, resembles Rose from the original anime and eventually returns to her community.
Additional supporting roles feature historical personalities such as Fritz Lang, Rudolf Hess, Karl Haushofer, and Adolf Hitler, alongside Earth counterparts of Maes Hughes and Gracia.
Production
Following the conclusion of the television series in 2004, production commenced under director Seiji Mizushima. The initial screenplay by Sho Aikawa exceeded 100 pages, necessitating extensive reductions to fit a feature-length format. Among the excised elements were a character named Steiner and sequences involving Roy Mustang and Winry Rockbell. Due to tight deadlines, storyboarding duties were distributed among six directors, with Mizushima overseeing pivotal scenes. Selective cel-animation was employed, including reworking 700 frames just two weeks prior to release.
Marketing initiatives featured a trailer released in December 2004 narrated by Romi Park and a "Fullmetal Festival" event celebrating both the series and film. Despite scheduling pressures, most storyboards were finalized by February 2005.
Music
The film’s score was composed by Michiru Oshima and performed by the Moscow Orchestra. The band L'Arc-en-Ciel provided both opening and closing themes titled "Link" and "LOST HEAVEN." The Romani piece "KELAS [LET'S-DANCE]" was composed by Ferenc Snétberger with vocals performed by Tayo Awosusi. The official soundtrack CD containing 46 tracks was released on July 20, 2005. Singles for "Link" and "LOST HEAVEN" were also issued near the film’s debut.
Release and distribution
The movie premiered in Japan on July 23, 2005. DVD and Universal Media Disc editions followed on January 25, 2006, featuring a limited edition version with bonus content and English subtitles.
International promotion included screenings at Shiokazecon in Houston during April 2006, where English voice actor Vic Mignogna helped promote the film. Funimation acquired licensing rights in February 2006; it debuted at the Montreal Fantasia Festival in July 2006 before its U.S. premiere at Anime Expo and theatrical release across approximately 40 venues in September. A single-day re-release took place in September 2007.
Funimation issued English-language DVDs in September and November 2006 (the latter as a limited edition), followed by a special edition release in June 2009. A Blu-ray edition was made available on November 17, 2009, including similar extras except for the guidebook.
Funimation’s license expired on March 31, 2016; since then, as of 2024, the film is accessible exclusively via streaming on Crunchyroll.
Box office
During its debut in Japan, Conqueror of Shamballa secured the third position at the box office, though its ranking declined gradually in the following weeks. The film generated around $9.7 million domestically in 2005 and exceeded $10 million in international earnings that same year. By 2007, its cumulative box office revenue in Japan had reached ¥1.22 billion (approximately $10.8 million). It stood as the seventh highest-grossing anime movie within Japan for 2005 and ranked 47th among all films released that year.
Critical response
Critics generally responded favorably to the film, highlighting its action sequences, dramatic elements, and effective continuation of the television series' narrative. Theron Martin of Anime News Network acknowledged its entertainment merits despite some plot weaknesses relative to the original series. Dani Moure from Mania Entertainment praised the film’s thematic integration and the quality of its production team. Chris Johnston of Newtype USA described it as a suitable and satisfying conclusion to the franchise.
Jeremy Mullin from IGN awarded a 9 out of 10 rating, commending its visual presentation and narrative expansion, though he observed that certain English voice actors did not consistently maintain appropriate accents. Todd Douglass Jr. of DVD Talk lauded the film’s portrayal of real-world events and its conclusive storyline while appreciating the value added by DVD special features.
Accolades
The movie received distinction as a "recommendable anime" at the 9th Japanese Media Arts Festival, alongside winning multiple honors at the Tokyo Anime Fair including "Animation of the Year," "Best Original Story" credited to Hiromu Arakawa, and "Best Music" awarded to Michiru Oshima. Its theme track, "Link," was ranked fourth among Oricon’s top anime songs of 2005.
Additional recognition included the "Animation Grand Award" at the Mainichi Film Awards and "Best Animated Film" at Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival. Furthermore, it earned a nomination for "Best Anime Feature" at the American Anime Awards.
The initial English-language DVD release became the third best-selling Japanese anime DVD in the United States during 2006, with its limited edition version reaching 23rd place in sales for 2007. At the Neo Awards in 2007, it was honored with "Best Anime Movie."