Fullmetal Alchemist Returns to USJ in 2027 for First Official Theme Park Collab in 22 Years
Image by James Richardson
Two of Hiromu Arakawa’s biggest series are heading to Universal Studios Japan as part of next year’s Universal Cool Japan lineup, pairing a long-awaited return with an entirely new theme park debut.
Fullmetal Alchemist will return to Universal Studios Japan for the first time in 22 years as part of “Universal Cool Japan 2027,” alongside the first-ever theme park collaboration for Arakawa’s newer fantasy series Daemons of the Shadow Realm.
Fullmetal Alchemist first appeared at the park through the “Fullmetal Alchemist Premium Tour” in spring 2005, which became Universal Studios Japan’s first collaboration with a Japanese television anime.
That original event arrived years before the 2009 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood adaptation, with the upcoming collaboration now returning Arakawa’s story to the park during its 25th anniversary celebrations.
The manga follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric after a failed attempt to resurrect their mother leaves both permanently changed, sending them on a journey to recover what they lost while uncovering a much larger conspiracy surrounding alchemy and the Philosopher’s Stone.
The wider Fullmetal Alchemist series has now surpassed 90 million copies worldwide, making its return one of the biggest additions announced so far for Universal Cool Japan 2027.
Daemons of the Shadow Realm will make its own Universal Studios Japan debut alongside it, giving Arakawa’s latest manga its first theme park collaboration.
The supernatural fantasy follows twins Yuru and Asa in a world where people can command powerful beings known as Daemons, with the siblings drawn into a growing conflict surrounding the circumstances of their birth and the forces pursuing them.
The manga has surpassed 7.5 million copies, while its television anime debuted earlier in 2026 and has already been confirmed to continue with a second season.
This is not the first time Arakawa’s two series have been paired for an official collaboration, with Fullmetal Alchemist and Daemons of the Shadow Realm previously sharing a joint Animate merchandise fair in 2025.
Universal Studios Japan says both new collaborations will allow visitors to physically enter the worlds of the two series through immersive park-exclusive experiences, although the exact attraction formats have not yet been revealed.
Merchandise, themed food and further details about each collaboration will be announced separately as their openings approach.
Fullmetal Alchemist and Daemons of the Shadow Realm expand Universal Cool Japan 2027 to five major anime series, joining Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, The Apothecary Diaries and Detective Conan.
Sailor Moon is returning to Universal Studios Japan with two attractions, while The Apothecary Diaries will receive a completely new movie-linked experience following its first park collaboration in 2025.
The Fullmetal Alchemist and Daemons of the Shadow Realm collaborations are scheduled to begin at Universal Studios Japan during spring 2027 as part of Universal Cool Japan 2027, with exact opening dates still to be announced.
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