Fairy Tail
About a year ago, I was looking through the anime selections on Netflix. Even though the selections were, and as of this writing are still, few, I have in the past found good and interesting shows. On this occasion I discovered a show that I have since watched well past the available Netflix episodes, to the point of being excited when Crunchyroll began to simulcast the second season. This show is Fairy Tail. While it seems to have some popularity among anime fans, I am of the belief that its popularity could grow if given the chance to be seen by a large audience. It has also has been praised by critics, and has won several awards.
Fairy Tail’s story focuses a young wizard named Lucy Heartfilia who can summon spirits of the celestial world, each normally connected to one of the zodiac, by using one of her keys, and her story of joining the wizard guild of Fairy Tail. In this ancient world wizards are popular among people with many joining together to become a guild with various goals. The most common of these goals is to fulfill the requests of those without magic powers, normally for a price. The wizards of this world are colorful characters of all ages, abilities, and personalities. Each wizard specializes in a particular type of magic and because of this every character feels unique. Lucy finds her way into Fairy Tail through meeting Natsu Dragneel, the fire dragon slayer, and Happy, a talking flying blue cat. After their initial adventure they bring her back to join the rowdy group. Once there she ends up teaming with Natsu, Happy, and others for adventures to strange places, other realities, and remote locations.
What makes this anime stand out from others is the great amount of depth given to the characters. While the viewer is introduced to this world through the eyes of Lucy, there is a great amount of time given to each character and group to grow. The character interactions alone are very entertaining, but where the show shines is when they are thrown into difficult and life threatening situations. One of the show’s greatest strengths is in the roller-coaster of emotions within any given story arc. There are times when this ride happens in one episode. In one moment you could be laughing along with the wizards of Fairy Tail, and later holding back tears as they confront life changing odds.
I see this as a phenomenal show about growth, both personal and interpersonal, and it does have lighthearted moments to keep the drama from overwhelming the viewer. If you enjoyed other shows that were able to mix many different emotions, but at the end of the day remain fun and enjoyable, this is a show to check out. Be aware that this is not a short series and it may take a while to catch up to the current episodes, but it is well worth the time. While you may wince at some of the music and CGI be aware that they get better as the series goes on, and the latter is very uncommon in the series. With 157 episodes and counting, and a manga that hasn’t slowed down, this series could be around for quite some time. Additionally, if you want a good anime to introduce younger teens to this would be ideal as they will be hooked by the action and comedy, but can follow the complex emotions of the growing characters.
Be sure to check out Fairy Tail on Netflix, Funimation, and Crunchyroll. Also, take a look through our store for Fairy Tail related items!