Fairy Tail: Part 5by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 9 Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Lucy are sent to represent their guild in a small coalition against six powerful, dark wizards out to turn light into dark.This new story arc is off to a great start. I'm so glad this series is continuing; it's fun, action-packed, and interesting, with characters I've become invested in. It opens with a silly bit about a fanboy reporter / photographer covering the Fairy Tail guild, which allows the anime to reacquaint us with the main characters since it's been a long while since Part 4. There's also an episode where Juvia tries to cast a love spell on Gray, and ends up casting a different spell on many of the guild members. It's pretty funny, and is the only episode where certain guild members really get any air time in Part 5, including Juvia (which surprises me since she likes to stalk Gray). The narrator often interrupts to remind us of important aspects as the story progresses as well. It comes in pretty handy. These two aspects also mean you can jump in here, but you won't get the entire picture ... I recommend starting at the beginning, though. New characters are introduced pretty early in Part 5, both good and bad. Some of them seem like they're there for comic relief or occasional (but powerful) support, but others show they are an important addition ... like Wendy, an Air Dragon Slayer with healing powers -- a lost magic. She's just a kid, and she cries a lot, but she does two things in this part that show how integral she is to the plot. First, she revives Jellal. His survival in any form is explained, but it's not a very strong explanation. The fact that he has complete and utter amnesia forces a redemption of his character. It works, but it definitely comes off as forced within the plot. Second, she saves Erza, who is rendered incapacitated for most of this part (which is disappointing since she's an awesome and powerful character). Erza is saved just in time to have an encounter with Jellal. Wendy comes with a female flying cat, Carla, who is a good counter for Happy, Natsu's flying cat companion. The pretty boys are almost exclusively for comedic relief. I was pleasantly surprised that one of them, Hibiki, is actually a really nice guy and has a useful and unusual power. The villains in this part are the Oracion Seis, a dark guild made of six wizards in search of Nirvana. Several other dark guilds network under them and provide a variety of battles for our heroes after they split up. All six members of the Oracion Seis get some battle time, but some much more than others. Racer versus Gray and Lyon is a pretty good one, and I like the twist that exposes Racer's true power, and thus how they defeat him. Lucy versus Angel is the main battle of interest, though, as they are both Celestial wizards. Once again, Lucy's good heart and her caring for the Celestial beings as more than just tools or objects to be used and abused helps her a lot. However, Angel does point out that she has much to learn about the relationships of the Celestial spirits, and we get two prime examples. I'm extremely curious about the spell Hibiki helps Lucy to cast, and if she'll be able to do that on her own in the future. The voice acting is great. I love both sub and dub with this one. I really enjoy the voices of the new additions, especially the leader of the pretty boys (he's a spoof character that's both annoying and hilarious). I already loved this series, so I'm thrilled that it's continuing! Part 5 reminded me instantly of why I love this series: the characters (I love the main four equally), the humor, the great battles, and the strong and interesting plot. Written: August 16, 2013
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