Fullmetal Alchemist is an anime series that I deeply love, and it is widely regarded as a modern masterpiece of the art form. The story follows the Elric brothers on their journey to recover what they lost—their own bodies. Alchemy in this universe allows the transmutation and shaping of matter, based on the fundamental principle of “comprehension, deconstruction, and reconstruction.”
An alchemist must first observe and understand the object, then analyze and break it down to its essence, and finally, through a precisely drawn transmutation circle, reconstruct it into another imagined form.
In order to teach the brothers to truly understand the nature of things, their master left them to survive alone on a deserted island. There, among the coasts, wilderness, and forests, they learned to forage, hunt, and build shelter. Lying on the grass beneath a river of stars, they came to understand the flow of energy and the law of conservation. Watching columns of ants carry food and build nests, they realized that every tiny individual is a singular “one” within the larger landscape, and only countless “ones” can form a whole.
The thinking behind ancient alchemy later evolved into the foundations of modern science and design. Landscape architecture, as a discipline of planning and design, is no exception.
Through my studies in this field, I’ve gradually come to several important realizations:
Only through genuine field investigation can we gradually clarify and grasp the full picture of a place.
Reading and interpreting artistic works to extract their logic and structure is a foundational skill for curatorship.
The multifaceted nature of landscape architecture: landscape management is not only about spatial construction but also about building relationships.
A personal insight into the digital domain:
landscape = f(x) — the landscape as a relational function.
Written on October 2, 2025
