Fairy Tail: Phoenix Priestessby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 7 Eclaire is a Phoenix Priestess with memory problems and bad guys hunting her. Lucy befriends her and gets the team to help her out. The whole guild gets involved when they realize there's an actual threat of the Phoenix's revival.This is a stand-alone movie that happens after Part 6 (and presumably after Part 7, which will be released on the same day as this movie) of the series. While it can be watched stand-alone, it will help to have a base understanding of at least who some of the characters are as this jumps in assuming that. The characters introduce themselves to the new girl, but otherwise, the story assumes you have some idea who all these people are that randomly show up in increasing numbers as we get closer to the end. Also, somewhere between Part 6 and now, Gajeel has gained a magical cat friend of his own (I thought it was a bear at first, until I saw it later). This one can't fly, but it does have a neat power! I just wish we saw more of it. I love the deep voice it's given, too, though I find it startling and unexpected at first. The dub matches quality of voice, but this black-colored cat ends up sounding black (which the voice actor is). I like that the end is bittersweet; the day is saved, but there's a sacrifice. Battles include an unrelated skirmish, a beat-down from a new guild, better matched one-on-one battles with the new guild, and the main battle against the Phoenix. It builds nicely. I love that Erza is up against another woman who can requip and who can force Erza out of her requips. The way Erza wins is silly and is forced into tying in with the overall plot, but it does show where her deepest resolve lies. I love that Gajeel is in this movie, but his fight scene barely shows him doing anything remotely cool (other than overcoming the internal blades, which is very cool). Yes, he's the one who needed to take care of that particular bad guy, but he outclassed him so much it wasn't as fun to watch. I'm glad that Wendy is finally using some offensive powers. Gray and Juvia team up again, though she's more support than equal, which makes some sense considering the magic bullet powers they fight against. Natsu gets his butt kicked twice before finally beating the guy he's up against, and his battle merges with the main battle against the Phoenix. My favorite battle scenes are Erza's (because it's unusual for her to be struggling, and it's against another kick-ass female requip fighter) and Natsu's final push to beat the Phoenix (partially because of everything that's at stake and the coupling of the battle with Lucy's emotions regarding the sacrifice). Basically, if you're craving more Fairy Tail, this will give you one more big battle. It's not as engaging as the series, and it definitely doesn't delve very deep into the plot, Eclaire, the Phoenix, or her little bird friend. It does, however, show something that is meant to tie her to the Fairy Tail Guild ... though even that is skimmed over. It's a whole bunch of hurry up and get to the battle, but it's a nice battle. As a small bonus, the main characters are wearing new and different outfits. I love Lucy's. Gray's is my second-favorite, though I can't quite figure out his steampunk-ish corset thing. Written: November 15, 2013
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