《鋼之鍊金術師》（Fullmetal Alchemist）是一部知名日本漫畫作品，故事發生在一個鍊金術相當發達的世界，在這個世界的鍊金術是必須按照「等價交換」來理解、分解、再構造成立，而故事中，最主要的核心也圍繞在「等價交換」這個概念，任何事物的獲得，都需要付出代價，我們在現實生活中，也是一樣，我們要上班賺錢，就要付出我們的時間，我們要投資獲利，就要承擔風險，諸如此類，就不類舉。
雖然這部漫畫最早連載於二十多年前，至今仍持續有相關延伸作品問世，前幾年，還有推出真人版電影，並打算打造為電影版三部曲，常看到某些知名漫畫作品，如《神劍闖江湖》，推出真人版電影，除了延續該漫畫作品的熱度外，也讓粉絲們可以重溫童年或學生時代的回憶，而沒有趕上那個時代的年輕朋友，也可以認識一部好作品。
這個快閃店是為了慶祝動畫 15 週年而設立的，主要是販售限定週邊商品，踏入快閃店，率先映入眼簾的是投影於地面的鍊成陣，所謂的鍊成陣就是作品中用於進行鍊金術的魔法陣，讓粉絲們知道，即將進入《鋼之鍊金術師》的世界，當我看到等比例的主角群看板，超有代入感的，最特別的是，快閃店內還有提供主題餐飲，人們可以點餐後，坐在漫畫場景的酒吧內用餐，在這裡用餐，感覺應該會非常不一樣吧。
雖然我看過這部漫畫，也覺得還不錯，不過，也僅只於此，而店內販售的工裝外套、潮流帽 T、證件套、壓克力立牌、毛毯，以及抱枕等週邊商品，都能給粉絲滿滿的懷舊情懷，不過，價錢可不是一般，雖然說，情懷是無價的，當我看到這家快閃店時，當初看漫畫時的那份感動，立刻湧上心頭。不過，作為一名資深社畜，填飽肚子還是比情懷來得重要多了。
Fullmetal Alchemist is a well-known Japanese comic book series set in a world where alchemy is highly developed. In this world, alchemy follows the principle of “equivalent exchange”—to gain something, you must give something of equal value. That’s actually the core of the entire story, and honestly, it applies to real life too. If we want to earn money, we have to put in our time. If we want to invest and make a profit, we have to take on some risk. That’s just how the world works.
Although the comic book originally came out more than 20 years ago, there are still spin-offs and related releases today. A few years back, they even made a live-action movie adaptation and planned to turn it into a trilogy. It’s quite common to see popular series like Rurouni Kenshin get live-action versions—not just to keep the hype going, but also to let longtime fans revisit childhood or school memories. And for younger people who missed the original release, it’s a great way to discover a classic.
This pop-up store was set up to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the anime, and it mainly sells limited-edition merch. As soon as you walk in, you’ll see a transmutation circle projected onto the floor, just like the ones used in the series for alchemy. It really makes you feel like you’re stepping into the world of Fullmetal Alchemist. There’s even life-sized cutouts of the main characters, which totally adds to the immersion. One of the coolest things is the themed dining area—you can order food and sit in a bar setting that looks just like a scene from the comic book. I bet eating there would feel pretty surreal.
I’ve read the comic book and thought it was pretty good, but that’s about it. The shop sells all sorts of stuff like workwear jackets, trendy hoodies, ID holders, acrylic stands, blankets, and pillows—definitely enough to make hardcore fans feel super nostalgic. But yeah... the prices aren’t exactly cheap. As they say, nostalgia is priceless—but when I saw this pop-up store, that wave of emotion from back when I first read the comic book hit me hard. Still, as a full-time working adult, feeding myself takes priority over feeding my feelings.