Fairy Tail
a review by DetectiveFox
a review by DetectiveFox
Hello. This is going to be very long, but I've really wanted to write about my experience with this series for a while. It's a series I'd really like for those who haven't to check out. Though I'll be mentioning both the anime and manga here, this will be most accurate for the manga as my experience with it is much more recent. Though this is a review, I've also written it as a bit of an introduction to the series.
CONTENTS
1 - BACKGROUND (Skippable)
2 - STARTING SENTIMENTS
3 - MISCONCEPTIONS AND MISREPRESENTATIONS (Skippable)
4 - WHAT IS FAIRY TAIL?
5 - AVOID FAIRY TAIL IF...
6 - WATCH/READ FAIRY TAIL IF...
7 - MAIN CAST
8 - CHARACTER WRITING
9 - COMEDIC ELEMENTS
10 - ROMANTIC ELEMENTS
11 - PERSONAL CRITICISMS
12 - READ OR WATCH?
13 - CHILDISH?
14 - FIGHTS
15 - WHO WILL ENJOY THIS SERIES THE MOST?
16 - CONCLUSION
BACKGROUND
Fairy Tail was an anime I loved as a kid. Though it wasn't my first anime, it was the series that truly got me into anime. I had started to lose interest in the series in 2018 when the final series aired, mainly due to the gap between seasons as well as my growing disinterest in battle shounen. This led me to reading the final arc instead of watching the rest of the final season. Upon finishing it, I didn't care for the ending, but for much different reasons than others often mention.
After that, I pretty much tucked the series away in my mind despite it still holding a special place for me that other series would never have. As time passed, and I got more involved online, I learned about the extreme amount of "criticism" directed towards the series. Though I still would never say I disliked the series, these sentiments did affect my perception of the series to an extent. After all, I was younger and more easily influenced. I also didn't really care much about the series anymore at that point. For a long while, I had a "I still like it, but it's not actually that good" mind-set.
Fast-forward to a few months ago when the 100 Years Quest anime first aired. Despite having said goodbye to the series 6 years ago, I decided I'd watch at least the first episode just for the nostalgia of it. Upon watching it, I was instantly baffled. Throughout the episode, I had this uncontrollable huge smile plastered on my face. It was extremely rare for me to enjoy watching an anime so much. I was just instantly in adoration of the characters despite remembering very little about the series. Though there was definitely some nostalgia involved, I figured out quickly that there was something more special going on and resolved to read the whole manga. What I discovered was nothing short of remarkable.
STARTING SENTIMENTS
In all honesty, even now, I'm a bit apprehensive about writing this with all the treatment I've seen towards this series, but I don't want anyone to miss out on something they might potentially love. I'm certainly not the first to "defend" or write positively about Fairy Tail, but I'd still like to offer my own perspective, which I feel is a bit different from the ones I've seen. I'd like to get it over with and start by addressing some misconceptions and unfair statements regarding the series. Though I don't want the focus here to be the negative sentiments towards the series, I don't think leaving them out is the right way to go about this either. Please skip over this next section if you're just interested in the series' good points!
MISCONCEPTIONS AND MISREPRESENTATIONS
I don't think I even need to mention this, since it's not really a misconception, but yes, there's lots of fanservice. If you strongly dislike it, you shouldn't watch or read it. For those who are worried about it detracting from the plot or characters, it does not. It's mainly central to a good chunk of the humor. Even as someone who strongly prefers series to not have fanservice, I often found it really funny.
"Power scaling." This is a term I've seen mentioned a lot when it comes to Fairy Tail. To be blunt, I'm not currently someone that enjoys battle shounen and haven't been for a while. When I originally saw many complaints about the series' power scaling, I simply didn't care, so I didn't think much about it at all. However, upon reading the second chapter of the manga, it occurred to me that power scaling isn't something feasible in Fairy Tail in the first place.
In Makarov's words in chapter 2, "Ours is a power that goes beyond the bounds of reason. Magic isn't some miracle. But it is born out of reason itself. What we do is match the energy that flows between us with the wavelength of the world's natural energy. And take what is embodied in that union using our force of will and concentration. More than that, we pour our entire soul into it to make what we call magic. If you spend time thinking about what those in authority think of you, your magic will never advance."
In simpler terms, magic in Fairy Tail is heavily reliant on the wizard's state of mind and emotion. Though there is still a general sense of "this person is mostly stronger than this person", any character's magic can be exponentially stronger than usual at any given time depending on their state of mind, which makes the idea of consistent power scaling fairly impossible. I think it's perfectly fine to dislike that aspect, but to say "the power scaling is bad" is like saying "I hate your dog" to someone that doesn't have one. In my view, this clarification changes what seems like an objective flaw to a subjective one. Yes, someone who likes battle shounen may very well not enjoy the fights in Fairy Tail, since any scenario can become feasible, but the author does actually keep the rules he established the majority of the time. I'd also like to add that this is further used to express the strength of the characters' bond with one another, as is the entire point of Fairy Tail.
Further to this point, many of the battles where the characters do actually have a lot of trouble also receive a fair share of criticism. The claims typically state that the main cast should be able to beat the other characters easily. Though in terms of strength, there are cases where this would be true, assuming all characters involved were at their default state, many of these fights rely on each individual character's magic's gimmicks.
The main cast has to figure out the best way to circumvent whatever special ability the other party has, even if they would beat them in terms of raw strength/magic capability (which again, is almost impossible to define definitively to begin with). In my opinion, this actually makes things more interesting. It's perfectly fine to not enjoy this, but it's just not true to say that the characters should be able to beat many of the characters right off the bat.
Moving on to the power of friendship...it's obviously subjective whether you dislike it or not, but I did want to at least point out that tons of other battle shounen also use it frequently. Fairy Tail is certainly more blatant and frequent with it, but unless you completely despise it, I wouldn't let it stop you from trying out the series. I personally find it neat that the author wrote the magic system in a way that allows POF to be logically sound. It doesn't change the point of it though. I'd also like to clarify that "power of friendship" isn't exactly the right term when referring to Fairy Tail. Family would be much more accurate. The author even switches between the characters referring to the guild members as "friends" and "family" many times throughout the manga. I'm just clarifying this for later on.
These are the main points I see brought up that I wanted to touch upon. In my opinion, most other claims are either arc specific (likely from actual fans), miniscule things, or just straight up trolls. I don't want this section to come off as "there's nothing to be criticized", but these claims are just often spoken of as if they were objective facts and in ways that can misconstrue the writing to those who haven't seen the series themselves in some capacity. I have my own problems with things in the series that I'll get into later on.
WHAT IS FAIRY TAIL?
Fairy Tail is a battle shounen that uses a reactive formula. Rather than the characters having some sort of goal and defeating obstacles along the way, the characters in Fairy Tail fight to defend their way of life as problems arise and come to them. The series follows a guild called Fairy Tail where the members take on various requests in return for payment. The story starts with a girl named Lucy who wishes to join the Guild and escape her former lifestyle. Along with Lucy, viewers get to experience what the Guild is like, how the quests go, and how the members view and interact with one another.
*AVOID* FAIRY TAIL IF...
You strongly dislike fanservice.
You care a lot about characters having objectively defined power/strength.
You strongly dislike "power of friendship".
You strongly prefer dark themes.
You enjoy fights over anything else.
You dislike romantic elements.
You dislike a heavy focus on comedic elements.
You don't like long series.
You want a set goal.
*WATCH/READ* FAIRY TAIL IF...
You're fine with or like fanservice.
You prefer character writing over fights.
You like comedic elements.
You like romantic elements.
You like optimistic and bright themes.
You like a heavy focus on family.
You're fine with or like long series.
You like a wide cast of characters.
You're fine with or enjoy reactive plots.
MAIN CAST
Yes, Yes. I know. "But the guild is the protagonist"! I don't disagree with this sentiment that's been adopted by many now, but there is still a main cast of characters that are focused on much more heavily than the rest of the guild. I just don't want anyone going in thinking every guild member will have equal importance. As for that sentiment, there's plenty to say later. Keep in mind that the stuff below is just a very general intro to the characters and quite a lot changes throughout the series.
Lucy Heartfilia
Lucy is an ultra sweetheart, but many of the guild members, especially Natsu, are experts at getting her to snap. Lucy is a celestial wizard that summons zodiac spirits to help her fight. Though she's not the strongest of the main cast, she is incredibly intelligent and often uses her wits to win battles and save others.
Natsu Dragneel
Natsu is an impulsive and lovable goofball that, despite his faults, will always be there to save his family. Though it may not be the most apparent, Natsu isn't as stupid as he acts. Natsu is a fire dragon slayer and uses fire to fight.
Happy
Happy is a cat-like creature with wings. He is Natsu's best friend and inseparable from him. Happy can't fight, but he is able to fly and carry Natsu or other Guild members in desperate situations. He likes to tease others and is commonly a source of comedy in the series.
Gray Fullbuster
Gray is a mostly laid-back guy with a habit of stripping off his clothes, no matter the time and place, unintentionally. He uses Ice-Make magic, which can be used to make ice and turn it into weapons and objects.
Erza Scarlet
Erza is a strict and disciplined girl that is incredibly strong. She uses Requip magic, which allows her to switch into various armors and outfits that enhance her fighting abilities. It's possible that there's other stuff going on below her tough exterior...
Wendy
Too far in for new readers/viewers to know about.
Carla
Too far in for new readers/viewers to know about.
Fairy Tail's Core
Fairy Tail is still a battle shounen, but its heart lies with the unique relationships the author has created between the members of the Fairy Tail Guild. The central theme of Fairy Tail is family and that the members will protect their family no matter what it takes. It doesn't matter where you came from or what you did in your past, once you're a Fairy Tail member, you're family.
The characters certainly have things they want, but they don't need any sort of grand goal and aren't moral crusaders. All they want is to protect their family and keep on living together. The members are a bunch of wacky misfits that have found where they belong and simply yearn to keep it. Just like a family, if you mess with one of them, you mess with all of them.
Not only does this make everything more impactful within the guild, the members' closeness even resonates with many of the antagonists and other guilds, which allows for exceptional character moments across all the Fairy Tail cast. The author created something that I truly feel can't be replicated to the same extent and probably won't be.
CHARACTER WRITING
This sort of goes along with the last point, but the character writing is exceptional. There are many subtle dialogue lines that reveal a lot about a character without actually stating it. Thanks to the series' length, the family dynamic, and the author's already exceptional strength in character writing, Fairy Tail has a bunch of characters who are absolutely unforgettable.
There are so many heart-breaking and heart-warming scenes that work so well, all thanks to the sturdy foundations laid out for the characters. There's so much minor character writing that missing a single panel could leave you without a major aspect of a character. It's extensive as well, even including antagonists and other guilds.
However, I would like to point out that I recently discovered one of the anime episodes has a bunch of important stuff missing in that regard, so I highly suggest the manga for the proper experience. I haven't rewatched the anime, but I confirmed for myself what was missing and wrote it in a post a bit ago. I'll repost those things here.
"The anime cut out 6 pages of the chapter it was adapting (5 entirely cut and 1 drastically different.) Though cutting may be warranted in certain cases, that's around 30% of the chapter (possibly more because I didn't check for other scenes), and it happened to be the only parts of the chapter that were really important. For one, the anime did not convey the extent of a character's wounds. They cut out a scene that gave an important first look at the main characters' dynamic. They completely changed a character's reaction to the wounded character's wounds and misgivings. This reaction was extremely important in the manga in showing another side to the character, but the anime made their reaction almost completely opposite of the manga. They left out some internal dialogue that revealed something new about one of the main characters. The scene that was meant to properly introduce the character's dynamics also gave a different context to a later scene that was still kept in, potentially portraying that character quite differently to the viewer."
I don't know how frequently they cut stuff like that, but I'd assume it was more than one instance.
COMEDIC ELEMENTS
All the characters in Fairy Tail are extremely eccentric, so they're constantly doing very goofy things, which is the main component of the humor. Each of the characters (and relationships) has their own running gag that I don't want to spoil.
ROMANTIC ELEMENTS
It may sound strange, but Fairy Tail has a lot of romance going on. Fairy Tail's romance isn't super in your face, but it's there between various characters. The plot involving a MAJOR antagonist is actually heavily rooted in romance as well. What's really nice about Fairy Tail's romance is that it often comes off as more genuine thanks to all the characters showing so much care for each other, even without all the flirting or blushing going on. Don't be expecting a full romance series, but you can expect quite a bit as an added bonus!
PERSONAL CRITICISMS
There are definitely some problems with Fairy Tail, such as...
Inconsistent use of certain magic.
Some rather large plot-holes (though minor in the grand scheme).
TOO plot heavy (there's very little break from heavy plot reveals, at least with the manga pacing).
Needed more non-plot related character interactions (Basically Fairy Tail S).
Some characters are redeemed way too fast without proper elaboration.
Fake-out deaths (Unlike many, I actually find deaths to be a lazy (though very feasible) way of creating emotional impact, but still, Fairy Tail fakes deaths way too much. I personally don't want characters to die, but I don't want the ridiculous amount of fake-outs either.)
Some arcs are too similar to one another in basic composition, making things less interesting.
Though I don't think it was as bad as many others did, the ending of the original series was rather abrupt and lackluster (I feel this applies to many endings though). However, there being a sequel more or less resolves that as a problem.
READ OR WATCH?
I mentioned this just before, but the anime has cut out some important stuff, so I'd suggest reading the series overall. However, there's always the option of both! The anime has some filler, but most of it was written by the author in some capacity, though not entirely. If you read the manga, make sure to read Fairy Tail Zero and Fairy Tail S as well!
CHILDISH?
I don't know if this is a widely held view of the series, but I've seen quite a few fans refer to the series as childish fun. I don't entirely disagree with this, but I'd like to elaborate on it. Fairy Tail is not childish, but has a heavy child-like innocence throughout. There aren't a lot of excessively dark themes and the series is primarily a goofy and strange family fighting to defend that family. However, there's an extensive number of themes that children simply wouldn't be able to pick up on or understand. There are many character motivations and scenes that involve figurative elements or are just more complex. Even ignoring those parts, I wouldn't say it could be considered more childish than other popular shounen. The point being that there's still a lot of emotional depth that shouldn't be ignored just because the cast is extremely eccentric and fun.
FIGHTS
Since Fairy Tail is a battle shounen, I can't just leave out the fights. I've already expressed how I felt about criticisms directed in this regard, so I won't mention those again. Frankly, I rarely enjoy fights in any series, so I can't say whether those who enjoy fights will like them in Fairy Tail or not. However, I can at least say that, narratively, a lot of story elements lie in the fights and the author uses the fights well to paint a picture of every character and certain things about them.
WHO WILL ENJOY THIS SERIES THE MOST?
There are many types of people who can enjoy Fairy Tail, but it's ideal for those who put more weight on characters than the story or fights. Fairy Tail excels in this area more than anything else and more so than the majority of anime in existence. Of course, everyone has their own preferences, so there's no guarantee you'll like the characters, but if you do end up liking them, it's pretty much perfect in that regard. Also, as I mentioned a few times already, family is the core of the series, so if you're someone that heavily values family, the series will likely resonate with you a lot! You'll also need to be someone who enjoys over-the-top comedy, such as the type in Rumiko Takahashi works.
CONCLUSION
While I'd like to write about every aspect and character of this series in much more detail, this is already extremely long, and I don't want to further overwhelm anyone. I may not have perfectly expressed things here, but I hope this will clear some things up about the series as well as encourage some to at least try it out. I think it's a great thing that everyone has different views on each series, but I don't want those views to prevent anyone from giving a series a shot, so no matter which series it is and what others say about it, please give things a try first. On Fairy Tail specifically, it's ideal for me with its focus on and presentation of family. I love how silly the characters are and how loving and sweet they can all be. I love how they treat each other and those around them. I love seeing their adventures and I love seeing them protect what they love. I love the ridiculous side stories and the more sad stories as well. I love the frequently optimistic and bright nature of the series. I love the character's ideals and their persevering nature. I love Fairy Tail and I hope there are some that are reading this now who will be able to fall in love with it as well.
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