Fairy Tail, directed by Shinji Ishihara, is one of the most popular anime of its genre. It’s a simple yet interesting story which originally was released as a manga, written by Hiro Mashima. It’s a classic shonen and is ideal for anyone who loves action, magic, battles between good and evil and morals about family and friendship. It’s not a series which redefined anime or showed us something we haven’t seen before, but it somehow manages to make the viewer adore it!

Synopsis

When seventeen-year-old Lucy meets Natsu, she becomes part of the Fairy Tail union and, alongside the rest of the group —which have strong, family bonds—they welcome the viewer to a new world, full of dangers and spells. 

Plot & Story

Fairy Tail—which makes you wonder, do fairies have tails?—aside from action, has mystery, humor, mythical creatures and a great emphasis on friendship. The characters are very close no matter their conflicts, and stick together till the very end. It’s aimed at a teen audience and follows the classic shonen anime pattern, full of clichés. You’ll witness battles, tournaments, cute and miraculous pet animals and the forces of good will always win. The plot is utterly predictable, with the villains lose to the good guys in every arc. The motto ‘One for all and all for one’ could easily describe this series. Fairy Tail tries to convey a number of positive messages, such as love, courage and patience. The characters evolve throughout the series while the comedy scenes and the action make these developments a breeze to watch. Plus, the filler episodes weren’t tiring or boring at all, at least for me, and the production appears to respect the creator and his ideas.

Art and Music

Fairy Tail’s artwork is mediocre. On one hand, I kinda like the backgrounds and the character’s expressions. On the other hand, movement can seem unnatural and the color palettes are poorly chosen. Everything reminds me of One Piece a little too much, so I would say it lacks originality. The almost-hentai drawings will be left with no further commentary, since their existence is (pretty much) justified considering the fact that the creators wanted to appeal to teenage boys.

The soundtrack is composed by Yasuharu Takanashi and is modest. The intro song though is great. When it comes to voice acting, I can’t think of anything negative. It is expressive and well-made, though it’s no surprise since famous actors like Aya Hirano (Misa from Death Note and Reira from Nana) worked on this series! 

Themes and Trivia

When it comes to Themes & Trivia, there is a specific one which steals the spotlight and it’s about Hiro Mashima, the creator of Fairy Tail. He said that he drew inspiration from his life in order to write this anime. He was going to bars and parties with his friends, and he was enjoying to imagine a reality where all of them would be magicians. So, he decided to build a story based on this idea. His characters have many features inspired by his friends and relatives, as well as from himself. Plus, it is worth mentioning that the paternal relationship between Igneel and Natsu symbolises the absence of a paternal figure in the author’s life, since he was an orphan from an early age. Aw 🙁

Comments

Fairy Tail isn’t my really my kind of anime, but I can surely understand why the it is loved by many people. It is has a clear, positive message and it can lighten up your day. The characters are adorable and is a perfect anime for teen shonen fans! It is a decent anime which will inspire you to be the best you can be and try to become more like your beloved heroes.

‘Living in sadness isn’t living at all’

High points

• Lovable characters
• Positive messages

Low points

• Too much fan service
• Poor animation

In conclusion, I would recommend this to all the lovers of 90s-2000s anime. It won’t amaze you, but its old-school style will awake beautiful feelings of nostalgia and it’s light-hearted enough to give you a great time! You might get bored sooner or later, but you’ll definitely take something away from this show. What do you think about Fairy Tail? Let me know!