Title: Fairy Tail 14
Director: Shinji Ishihara
Studio: A-1 Pictures, Satelight
Distributor: Funimation Entertainment
American Release Date: Dec. 2nd, 2014
Genre: Supernatural, Adventure, Comedy
Format: DVD/Blu-ray Combo, 275 minutes, 11 episodes
Age Rating: 14+
Overall Personal Rating: B
Synopsis:
The Grand Magic Games is a yearly competition that pits guild against guild in a weeklong battle for the honor of being called the most powerful wizards in the Fiore Kingdom. Fairy Tail may have come in last place for the past seven tournaments, but now that all their strongest members are back in action – and leveled-up – they’re determined to take the number one spot and rebuild their reputation!
Winning the games won’t be easy, though, as Natsu and his selected teammates are forced to navigate enchanted labyrinths, battle wizard saints, and go head-to-head with a host of familiar faces. But with more than one guild targeting Fairy Tail before the competition even begins, the guildmates will be lucky if they even make it out of the opening ceremonies alive.
Commentary:
Fairy Tail is back with a new arc and it seems as though placing them in a situation where they consistently have to battle to prove themselves is more entertaining that other struggles they had to go through. I feel like there is a very heavy hand pushing the difference that 7 years makes. Funny thing about 7 years it isn’t even a quarter of a generation but, based on the level of wizard power you would think they were frozen for 100 years. The friction plays well, but it also comes across a little odd and at times rather awkward.
There is one other thing about this set and the plot line of this arc that saddened me was the return to making a certain individual the focus of attention by the antagonist. I have become tired of seeing similar plot devices from Fairy Tail and it points to a place that tells me that the writer is getting burned out. Now I’m not saying that the action and comedy fails me, but instead it is the way these stories begin to look very similar and basically the same plot woven into a different settings.
Overall Grade: B
Fairy Tail is a solid series with plenty of great characters. This plot is a little tiring and somewhat lacking in creativity and frustrating from time to time. I did enjoy these 11 episodes and am looking forward to the rect of the story. Of course I really want to know what is behind the door. I know it is not unusual for shonen series to follow a somewhat typical progression, but Fairy Tail had made some great strides and recreating the fantasy fighting world and it is very possible that it will again get back on the path of giving us something more entertaining than a magic games and a dark guild after a certain celestial wizard in order to get to a power they should not wield.
Ok, Funimation bring on part 15.
