Fairy Tail: Part 1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 9 Lucy (Celestial), Natsu (dragon slayer / fire), Gray (ice) and Erza (knight) are four powerful wizards from the Fairy Tail guild. Together they fight to stop bad wizards and win rewards. In this first part, Lucy meets Natsu and joins the Fairy Tail guild. She's shocked at how rowdy they are, and they seem to be infamous for doing as much property damage as good when they go on assignment. They have to stop a plot by a dark guild to kill all the other guild masters. This forces them to fight a demon! Then, another mission involves a demon and enemy from Gray's past, but did they bite off more than they can chew?The art style of this anime is amazing. The art and some aspects of the characters, story and powers remind me of so many other popular series I've seen and like: D.Gray-Man, Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, etc. It's fun and energetic. It keeps things interesting with the different types and styles of magic everyone uses. There are plenty of battles and unusual creatures as well. Plus, the whole thing works like a RPG, only it's a real world not a game. In fact, it also has some aspects very reminiscent of Slayers with the rewards, magic users fighting evil magic users, giant demonic beasts and destroying whole buildings of cities while they "save the day." This is one of the rare cases where I would say the sub and dub are fairly evenly matched. The US casting did a great job in keeping the same sound for the characters. Lucy and her Celestial beings that she summons keep things light and amusing even in the midst of fearful or stressful situations. So far they've not been a lot of help, but she keeps the dynamics of the group balanced. Erza is easily my favorite. She's a strong female character with an arsenal of weapons and armor that she is highly skilled with. Her normal outfit is quite fitting, while her other "armors" tend to be a little more revealing. She even gets a magical girl transformation sequence. Natsu would be totally lost as a character if he was just a fire user. Thankfully, he was raised by a dragon who taught him rare dragon slayer magic. It's unique and awesome. His history and dragon-based powers definitely keep him as a favorite character for me and set him apart from fire-types seen in other series. Gray is a cool ice user — with the odd quirk of taking his clothes off all the time. At the end of this part we see him face off against another ice user, and the difference in their styles is very interesting (though, I must admit I like the other guy's powers better). Happy is the token animal companion, but he has ways of helping including a power that gives him wings! If you like magical adventures Fairy Tale is the next one you should explore. I can't wait for part 2! Written: November 18, 2011
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