Fairy Tail

I must start by apologizing to all hardcore fans and lovers of "Fairy Tail," as I am going to be extremely critical in this review (perhaps a bit too much).

In "Fairy Tail," we find ourselves in a completely new universe where magic and fantasy set the rules. Here, dragons, flying cats, talking monkeys, and many other mystical creatures live. We see powerful mages who can control elements like fire or ice; others who can manipulate their shadows, and some who can even "swim" on the ground. There's another group of mages known as celestial wizards whose power lies in summoning mythical creatures using special keys called Gate Keys.

It is in this fantastic world that we meet Lucy, a cute seventeen-year-old blonde girl (and a celestial wizard), whose ultimate dream is to join "Fairy Tail," one of the most powerful and well-known guilds in the Fairy Tail Universe.

The story begins when she meets Natsu, a young boy with spiked hair who, like her, earns his living as a mage. Natsu is accompanied by a small winged cat named Happy, his lifelong companion. Lucy learns that this young mage, Natsu, is indeed a member of Fairy Tail and a very powerful fire mage known as "Salamander." To her great delight, he invites her to join them. At the guild, she meets many other mages and various strange characters. She learns about Natsu’s search for Igneel (a powerful fire dragon) and many aspects of Natsu’s past. After this, the story evolves into a series of little adventures and dozens of magical battles.

The plot itself is quite weak, offering almost no development. We read adventure after adventure for about 100 chapters with no progress at all. The fights aren't particularly impressive either. But what really lacks in "Fairy Tail," besides the poor plot, are the characters.

Natsu is just another Luffy, but more arrogant and cocky (which can sometimes be extremely annoying). Lucy plays the role of the girl who follows the protagonist in shounen series: hot-blooded (screaming and weeping all the time), innocent, cute but stupid. Erza is the typical "tsundere" character, harsh on the outside but kind on the inside.

I could continue describing all the characters to show how typical and predictable they are, but I would like to move to another topic.

To give another example of total cliché, let's look at the rivalry between Gray and Natsu. We've seen countless such rivalries in other comics, like Naruto and Sasuke or Soul and Black Star.

But then again, we're talking about a shounen manga...

This is the main problem with shounen comics; they all apply a similar structure and use many identical elements. However, they almost always manage to engage the reader’s interest through an interesting plot, nice animation, great fighting scenes, or funny sequences. "Fairy Tail" may contain these elements for most people, but it lacks something that successful series of this type have mastered: originality!

The artist simply picked up everything that is cliché and put it together to form "Fairy Tail," forgetting to craft something original, which I, as a reader, expected from the beginning.

Hiro Mashima did a great job creating such a marvelous world of fantasy, but he failed in its presentation.

After reading the latest chapter, I've finally reached a conclusion: This manga is an absolute disaster in countless ways that words alone can't describe. It's astonishing how this garbage infuriates me more than anything has in years. The characters, the plot, the enjoyment—EVERYTHING!

I had the time of my life, but seriously, I can't take any more! This manga is too much for me, and all I want is for it to end soon. I wish the creator would shove their money where the sun doesn't shine and never create another work again. If they do, and it's anything like this god-awful trash, I swear I'll lose it because this crap has already given me cancer!

A few years back, when I first delved into Fairy Tail, I was completely hooked. However, by the time it concluded, I found myself forcing through the last few weeks of its serialization just to finish it and finally be done with it forever.

[Story] => 4

The story was quite captivating in the initial arcs. Some of the ways those arcs wrapped up were genuinely impressive. Eventually, though, Hiro Mashima appeared to run out of logical solutions, resorting to pulling numerous deus ex machina-style resolutions out of thin air.

There were also plenty of emotional scenes where characters died only to magically return to life through things like the power of friendship or some newfound mysterious power. Once much of it ceased making sense, I simply stopped caring.

[Art] => 7

I believe the art is one of the strongest aspects of this series. Despite the large cast of characters, many had unique and memorable designs. Although the storyline faltered in quality, every week you could see the effort poured into the illustrations and action sequences.

Fan service was prevalent throughout the series, and while sometimes unnecessary, it wasn't overwhelming.

[Character] => 4

Considering the extensive length of this series, it's natural that there would be numerous characters beyond our main cast. Some are unforgettable, but others merely serve as plot devices.

I did appreciate exploring the various relationships among Fairy Tail members and those from other guilds. This brings me to another issue: the random emergence of family members. While I accepted a few characters and their connections to our protagonists, at one point, I wondered, "Which family member will appear next?"

The redemption of many so-called villains didn't make much sense either. The character transformations for some individuals were abrupt 180-degree shifts with little explanation. Without going into too much detail, there’s a specific character who nearly defeats one of ours, but suddenly changes her mind due to the most random reason. It was meant to be a sad moment, but I felt no sympathy or sorrow.

[Enjoyment] => 4

I truly enjoyed reading this at the start, but once things became more absurd (in a bad way), I couldn't overlook all the flaws.

It's okay, though. Even if I didn’t enjoy the series as much as I hoped, I don't regret reading it.

Overall: 5

The Fairy Tail anime and its 2014 follow-up were among my favorite shonen series. They helped me through a truly miserable final year of high school. The anime's ending was an intriguing cliffhanger, but as the impatient person I am, I decided to read volumes 50-63 to find out what happens next. All I can say is: What was Hiro Mashima thinking? Spoilers ahead, so proceed with caution.

The first volumes were good. Volumes 50-58 were pretty enjoyable, with great story progression. The humor from Fairy Tail, one of the strongest elements in the anime, remained strong. The artwork was amazing. Some parts of the story were awesome, such as the action sequences, plot twists, and emotional moments. The story of Mavis and Zeref was the best part; it was executed well and concluded appropriately. Other memorable moments include Gray's battle against Invel, Erza and Irene's backstory, the origins of dragon slaying magic, and the Alvarez Empire invasion.

However, there's much to criticize. Starting with the biggest issue: the ending. Reading volume 63, I couldn't believe my eyes. Everyone who had died miraculously came back to life, none of the romances set up throughout the show amounted to anything, and the final battle between Acnologia and the dragon slayers was the most underwhelming fight in the entire anime. Some characters weren't fully utilized, which frustrated me. Crime Sorcière comes to mind. The Natsu vs. Gray battle felt like Batman v Superman—good, but lacking emotional investment because it only lasted for a few pages spread across multiple chapters, taking away from what could have been awesome.

The Alvarez Empire was exactly what I feared—a group of villains ruled by a monarch seeking world domination, just like every other villain in Fairy Tail. Also, why does Lucy seem to be the main protagonist when she doesn't feel like one at all? None of the characters got appropriate endings, which is disappointing given the series' decade-long run. It feels like Hiro had no idea how he wanted to resolve it.

There are many things I would have done differently from volumes 59-63. It was extremely disappointing, though earlier volumes were fun to read, and the artwork was beautiful. Overall, I'm not very happy with how it turned out, but I'm not overly angry. Fairy Tail provided some great moments, but this finale was borderline awful.

Fairy Tail. It bears a striking resemblance to One Piece, with its emphasis on "nakama" and some character designs that seem eerily similar (some might even say plagiarized *cough* Gildartz *cough*) to those in One Piece, leading to frequent comparisons between the two series. However, it falls short of One Piece's quality; don't get me wrong, it's an alright series, but its story is its Achilles' heel.

The artwork in this manga is commendable, featuring copious amounts of fanservice which I personally find less appealing, but it likely resonates well with its intended audience (presumably heterosexual males). Despite this, the art can only be described as "good" and not exceptional by any means.

Where Fairy Tail truly falters is in its narrative. The plot has never been particularly engaging, which one might expect from a mainstream battle shounen series. What irks me most is the reliance on deus ex machina for characters to escape dire straits rather than employing more inventive solutions. For instance, in one recent arc, the antagonist was vanquished through "the power of friendship," a concept that may appeal to five-year-olds but does little for older audiences. There are countless other examples of this trope in the series, but I won't spoil them here.

The characters are typical of mainstream shounen fare. I have no significant complaints except regarding Natsu, the protagonist. His character development has been virtually nonexistent over the 200+ chapters of Fairy Tail thus far. Despite supposedly learning a valuable lesson about not always winning against stronger opponents, he reverts to his arrogant self within a few chapters, disregarding orders and believing he can protect everyone. In any other manga, such behavior would lead to severe consequences. Unfortunately, in Fairy Tail, Natsu always emerges victorious, defeating enemies through THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP – yeah, right.

In summary, Fairy Tail can be enjoyable if you don't take it seriously, ignore the plot, and focus solely on the visuals and action-comedy scenes. Even then, the fights are unsatisfying due to their predictable resolutions (Natsu triumphing via THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP or another form of deus ex machina). Honestly, I'd recommend avoiding this series altogether or merely reading it for the aforementioned elements.

Fairy Tail has always been a childhood favorite of mine. I started reading it about four years ago, and I absolutely adore it. However, to be fair and give an honest review, I have to admit that the story isn't particularly original. Many arcs seem to borrow heavily from other well-known manga like Naruto and Hunter x Hunter.

Character-wise, I love this manga. It emphasizes friendship and doesn't coddle characters who are crying. Extra points for not making Natsu or Gray any less tough despite their emotional moments.

On a more negative note, the fanservice is completely over the top and often creepy, bordering on pedophilic. The female characters aren't treated fairly most of the time, often reduced to panty shots and waiting for their male counterparts to rescue them.

Despite all that, it's worth enduring for Team Natsu.

I absolutely adore this manga and everything related to Fairy Tail. It's definitely worth reading! If you're not into reading the manga, I highly recommend watching it; it's truly incredible in every aspect.

The plot is excellent, the characters are fantastic, and the artwork is outstanding. I can hardly fathom how challenging it must be to draw manga-style characters. This series will particularly appeal to those who cherish strong bonds with their friends, where friendships feel more like family ties, and to anyone who loves magic and fantasy.

There's a character for everyone to relate to, each with deep and intricate backstories. You can be sure that there's at least one character you'll connect with, whether they are sweet or mischievous.

Fairy Tail is genuinely remarkable and completely amazing.

Story
- To be honest, there isn't much of a story. There's no concrete plot at all. Fairy Tail's 'plot' simply transitions from one arc to the next. Each arc essentially follows a pattern: "someone/something/the guild/the world is in danger from Jellal, Phantom Guild, etc., and Fairy Tail (or its members) always has something to do with it, so they try to save ________." Each arc is enjoyable on its own, which makes me appreciate the lack of a solid plot, allowing for a more spontaneous flow. It's quite pleasant.

Art
- As with any of my reviews, art always gets a 10 because we likely can't draw better ourselves, and most of us probably wouldn't read a manga where the art is so poor you can't identify who is who.

Character
- I'm not entirely sure where to start with the characters. There isn't really a central character. Various characters appear sporadically, ensuring each has roughly the same amount of 'screen' time. Initially, Lucy seemed like the main character since she was introduced early on. However, many characters introduced later become key figures as the series progresses. That said, Natsu Dragneel stands out as the main MAIN character due to his early introduction and his penchant for delivering cheesy lines before defeating the antagonist—a trait he embodies more than anyone else. The character development in Fairy Tail is commendable given the large cast. You learn bits about some characters and a lot about others, but ultimately, you care about them all. The connections and conflicts between characters are also nicely crafted. For instance, Gajeel and Levy share an indirect relationship, and these mini side relationships make you eager to see how they develop. With Shounen mangas, fans often pair up characters, showcasing how well the mangaka connected the audience with the characters.

Enjoyment/Overall
- All things considered, the manga is pretty good. I believe Fairy Tail is nearing its final arc, which makes me somewhat sad—an unusual reaction for a Shounen manga. I love the characters, and they're beautifully drawn. I've also read "Rave Master," another manga by Mashima Hiro, making it fun to spot similar characters in Fairy Tail. So while reading, I'd suddenly think, "Oh! _______ is ________ from Rave Master!" So yeah... still enjoying the series. Highly recommended.

Hiro Mashima truly despises Natsu, and I'll explain why I believe that. Fairy Tail begins like any other shounen of its era: a straightforward narrative that evolves as time progresses. I'm dividing it into three parts, akin to the anime version. It starts decently for a shounen but deteriorates over time. Across 545 chapters and 326 episodes, Hiro Mashima grants Natsu a few power-ups, yet Natsu never "levels up." He remains essentially unchanged from the start.

In the Oración Seis Arc, Natsu discovers Dragon Force transformation (or whatever you want to call it), and guess what? He never uses it again—not even once. It was merely a plot device so Natsu could defeat Zero. Later, Natsu learns he can blend elements in his flames, like FLAMES + THUNDERS. He uses this combo to beat the second guild master of Fairy Tail and then never employs it again. Every step forward Natsu takes, Hiro Mashima seems to pull him back, nearly nerfing him for no apparent reason. More than half of Natsu's enemies are defeated by THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP, and when they aren't, Mashima gives him a temporary power-up that he only uses once. This cliché became exhausting.

During the Grand Magic Games arc, after being "imprisoned" for seven years, Natsu and Gajeel take down Sting and Rogue (two dragon slayers who use Dragon Force frequently) without them using their transformations at all. It's just plot armor everywhere. Then comes another year-long timeskip where Natsu returns to the arena from the previous arc and simply MELTS the entire area—a great way to get fans excited, right? But it lasts only about five minutes. After this timeskip, Natsu looks slightly different; his hair is longer, he appears older. However, Hiro Mashima can't keep it consistent. After melting the arena and everyone's awe, Natsu magically cuts his hair short, reverting to his old appearance. How thrilling.

The final battle with Acnologia is laughably poor and lazily executed. After being nerfed, humiliated, and poorly written throughout, Natsu defeats Acnologia with a subpar copy of the GOMU GOMU NO GIANT PISTOL from One Piece. But wait—it's a GIANT FIRE PUNCH! Wow, amazing! Who would have thought? The story and its lore aren't bad at all, but Mashima doesn't know how to lead readers through this "journey."

I was really into this manga when it first began. It bore a striking resemblance to Oda's style, so I gave it a read and found it to be excellent. However, as I continued reading, I realized that this manga is almost, if not literally, a clone of One Piece.

This infuriated me to the point where I no longer wanted to read it.

People who didn't enjoy One Piece as much might actually love this manga since they wouldn't notice the similarities between One Piece and Fairy Tail.

I struggled to keep reading because it's incredibly hard for me to manage my anger towards Hiro, who seems to gracefully copy most of Oda's fantastic arcs.

But I have to admit, Hiro has creativity in character designs. That's probably his only strong point; otherwise, it's just a replica of One Piece.

Moving on.

Story:

The plot is decent, following a girl named Lucy who dreams of becoming a mage and joining Fairy Tail. She meets Natsu, who has the potential to help her join Fairy Tail. Natsu is a pink-haired boy with a personality similar to Luffy's. He fights using flames and enjoys eating them too. He gets Lucy into Fairy Tail, and as the story progresses, she meets other members and goes on missions provided by the guild.

Art:

I adore the art. It's wonderful in many aspects. The backgrounds and style are pretty good.

Character:

Oh my god. The characters are quite decent but follow the Straw Hat pirate formula with slight variations. You can clearly see the similarities. The characters are far from original, which adds to why I dislike Hiro and Fairy Tail.

Enjoyment:

It was quite entertaining to read this manga at the beginning. It started off nicely. The rest are unique but then, yes, I keep noticing these One Piece déjà vu moments. I enjoyed its comedy while simultaneously despising it because it's similar to One Piece's. I don't understand why Hiro had to copy that too; surely he has his own style in drawing and storytelling, right?

Overall:

It is good and recommended for everyone. But this is just not my cup of tea. As much as I love his other works, this is way too much of a copy for me to like it. How it got so high up in manga rankings remains a mystery to me.