Reception
In popularity polls from the manga made by Monthly Shōnen Gangan, Alphonse's rank has initially been in the third spot, while following polls featured him fourth. He has also taken high places in the Animage's Anime Grand Prix polls in the category of best male characters in both 2004 and 2005. Merchandise based on Alphonse's appearance has also been published including figurines, keychains and plush. He was also part of Bandai's "∞ Puti Puti Petit Moe", a series of key chains featuring characters voiced by Rie Kugimiya which simulate Kugimiya's voice. UGO Networks listed on of his statues tenth in their article of "Insanely Expensive Comic Book Collectibles We'd Blow Our Wad On."
Several publications for manga, anime, and other pop culture media have provided both praise and criticism on Alphonse's character. Chis Beveridge from Mania Entertainment has praised Al for being "quite the likeable character" and liked his role in the first series. The character's madness and disbelief over his own existence has been praised to the point it "could make up a series all by itself.." In a later volume review, Beveridge found how the series started focusing more on Alphonse "as an actual young boy" was "a nice change of pace." T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews' Samuel Arbogast also comments that the interaction between the Elric brothers as they travel is interesting and found Alphonse's armor to be one of the most notable characters designs from the series. The dynamic between the brothers was also well-received as while Edward is often faced with facing paths similar to the ones from the series' villains, Alphonse is always helping him. The two were also noted to go through a notable development after the first appearance of Van Hohenheim in the manga as the two investigated more ways to recover their bodies. Lydia Hojnacki noted Al's character to be "is an equally important character" after commenting on Edward. She praised that despite their different personalities (to the point she considered Al to be "Ed's yang"), the brothers maintain a close relationship. Moreover, Rebecca Silverman from Anime News Network praised Alphonse's development in the manga as he refuses to recover his weakened body for the sake of helping his friends. As a result, Silverman brought a comparison between the two brothers, wondering if Edward would have done the same action. The character's growth in Conqueror in Shamballa has also been found appealing as he started resembling Edward in terms of appearances. Aaron Dismuke's voice has subsequently matured, causing Anime News Network writer Justin Sevakis to criticize him for his part in the Fullmetal Alchemist: Premium OVA Collection, claiming that "he simply no longer sounds like Alphonse".
Read more about this topic: Alphonse Elric
Famous quotes containing the word reception:
“Aesthetic emotion puts man in a state favorable to the reception of erotic emotion.... Art is the accomplice of love. Take love away and there is no longer art.”
—Rémy De Gourmont (1858–1915)
“To the United States the Third World often takes the form of a black woman who has been made pregnant in a moment of passion and who shows up one day in the reception room on the forty-ninth floor threatening to make a scene. The lawyers pay the woman off; sometimes uniformed guards accompany her to the elevators.”
—Lewis H. Lapham (b. 1935)
“But in the reception of metaphysical formula, all depends, as regards their actual and ulterior result, on the pre-existent qualities of that soil of human nature into which they fall—the company they find already present there, on their admission into the house of thought.”
—Walter Pater (1839–1894)