Fairy Tail: Part 2by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 9 I love this second part of Fairy Tail. First, Natsu, Gray and Lucy (and a little help from Erza) take on an S-class job on a remote island. There they find demons from Gray's past —- literal and figurative. Gray and Natsu both grow as they fight these new opponents. Second, the Phantom guild attacks the Fairy Tail guild, partially to get Lucy (they were hired by her father, and Lucy does not want to go home) and partially to utterly decimate them. Several Fairy Tail members are inured as Phantom brings out their own Dragonslayer (steel versus Natsu's fire) and a very strong team of four Elemental wizards. The cliffhanger ending has Lucy captured (again).The island adventure has a nice twist at the end. I like that Lucy actually shows us her strengths in a battle against another wizard. She struggles, and has some issues with her Aquarius partner, but her bond with Taurus is put to the ultimate test — it's frightening but the outcome makes it so worth it. Natsu is impressive as always, but it's really Gray's time to shine. He was one of two disciples under Ur, learning ice "make" magic, and he must face his former friend who is blinded by his own hatred, pain and misunderstanding. Their ice magics are opposite, and Gray has to take a beating before he realizes the real strength in himself and his powers. This part of the story is gripping and heart-wrenching and I love how it turns out in the end. The guild battle is quite shocking. Cruelty is displayed and a major player is taken out of the fight very early on. I love seeing the two Dragonslayers fight, and I hope we see more of it in the future. The only unfortunate thing is that Lucy is reduced to a damsel in distress. She loses her keys (they allow her to use her magic) and she is captured twice. She does have a few good moments fighting Jose, the leader of the Phantoms. However, those are more for humor before she relies on Natsu to save her. In fact, while there are some really nice, strong female characters like Erza, Lucy is abysmally represented. Thankfully we get that one fight scene from her, but I really hope that in future episodes she is better able to fight. Of course, her powers are different than everyone else's in that she calls on special beings to do the fighting for her. Several other characters get more time in the spotlight, showing how Fairy Tale is a family with a lot of strong members and close bonds. The tragedy surrounding Mirajane and Elfman is horrible, but I really like how it rounds out their personalities and allows other (more major) characters to shine. Seeing Elfman overcome some of his own shackles is wonderful. I should also point out that the battle between Juvia and Gray is funny and powerful. We get to see strengths in both of their powers and also understand more about Juvia and why she is the way she is. Her immediate infatuation with Gray is hilarious but so fitting and very shojo. Gray's obliviousness makes this even funnier. Great voice acting on both sides. Wonderful art with great colors and excellent choreography. The battles are exciting and different. A great series that I highly recommend. This part shows that it has heart too! Written: March 4, 2012
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