Full Metal Alchemist

Another very popular one.

The story follows Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse. They lived with their parents in Resembool in the country of Amestris (ah-meh-stris). When they were still very young, their father, a master alchemist named Hohenheim, left for unknown reasons. A few years later, their mother dies from a terminal illness. Refusing to except her death, they train themselves and study advanced alchemy, particularly human transmutation. When their training is finished, they attempt to bring their mother back to life. The results are disaterous. Al's soul is now bound to suit of armor, while Ed is forced to have a prosthetic right arm and left leg provided by their friend Winry and her grandmother. After a visit from Roy Mustang, a state alchemist of the Amestris military, who was looking for their father to see he'd join, Ed decides to become a state alchemist himself. He hopes that the military and government would have info and techniques that would help him and Al get their bodies back. Through this way, he finds out about the Philosopher's Stone.

This is a really good series. I would recommend this series to anyone going into some kind scientific work. The series goes into government corruption when Ed is told the truth of the Ishbalan Massacre and things happening behind the scenes. State alchemists and soldiers like Roy and his team show that almost all soldiers hate war. During the war with the country Ishbal in the manga version of FMA, all of the soldiers, te state alchemists especially, wanted to get out of there. The only ones who weren't affected was a complete psycho and the commanders that wanted status and glory. When becomes a stae alchemist, he becomes one for the people, letting the people getting the bigger end of the stick and punishing those that have become corrupt. Shows that you don't need to be a a total jackass to run things.

Things get even more complicated when Ed and others start fighting homunculi, find out more about the Philosopher's Stone, and the others that want it.

FMA wiki