Finally the face behind things is reveled…but will Fairy Tail be able to trust that face?
Creative Staff:
Story/Art: Hiro Mashima
Translation/Adaptation: William Flanagan
What They Say
To the surprise of no one, Natsu hasn’t really thought through his plan to rescue Lucy. Along the way, they face a death trap, a team of magical executioners, and… another Lucy?! Meanwhile Erza struggles through a three-way free-for-all with the world’s two other most powerful women wizards! Will the world survive Fairy Tail’s attempts to save it?!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The Fairy Tail fighters sent to rescue Lucy now find themselves in a pinch as the group has been split up and they now face off against the magical executioners that the castle has used to clean up all threats to date. But is it really Fairy Tail that has the worst luck as each of the Executioners find themselves facing off against powerful members who may be able to negate the Executioners’ most powerful attacks- that is except for the group of Fairy’s that contain two less than front line magical cats, a pair of Celestial Wizards without any keys and a Colonel that looks to be barely clinging to life and who look to be facing an unstoppable end.
That is unless of course someone can step in at the last moment and save them in some cliché manner, but really that is the kind of thing that only happens in manga and anime…oh, right.
Just when Fairy Tail thinks it has everything figured out though a wild card appears on the table, not in the form of an all powerful boss or even magic canceling jinn but instead a single individual who shows no signs of malice or hostility and who turns out to be someone that this group can’t imagine exists in this way and who negates any ability for the group to attack simply by who they are. Now the cloaked figure that has walked behind the scenes for much of the arc is finally revealed- and has she got a story to tell. This figure will possess a very familiar face and her words that have captured the have captured the princess’ ear are the basis for the Eclipse plan. Is this person an absurd trick or is does she truly bring with her a portent of sorrow…from a future that should never be?
While the rescue attempt progresses under the castle seems to be more than a little one sided by chance the fight in the arena is on as Mavis has carefully planned out how to have her guild come out on top. There is an old military saying though that goes that no battle plan survives contact with the enemy and Mavis’ comes plan apart when Erza meets up with a very angry Kagura rather than Minerva as Mavis had predicted. Things get even worse when the powerful Minerva then makes an entrance and attempts to show her power by fighting both swordswoman, temporarily uniting them against her and a clash that will leave all spectators breathless commences.
Minerva realizes that she has bitten off more than she can chew however and she becomes aware she has no chance of beating both of the other women as long as they are focused on an assault against her and Minerva decides to use a bit of leverage she obtained earlier to have the two completely wear down each other so Minerva can step in and claim the points that come with striking the finishing blow on the both of them. With Mavis plan falling apart in the ring and the rescuers lost under the city is the doom prophesized destined to occur…or is this veiled messenger not as trustworthy as Fairy Tail believes and actually going to be responsible for bringing calamity unto the land one way or another?
The 37th volume of Fairy Tail is kind of a roller coaster for me, and not always in a good way as it has some fantastic fight scenes and clashes while on the other hand it also uses a gimmick to solve a high stakes conflict in a way that just feels a bit forced and weak when it needed something more special to really payoff the action in a way that doesn’t hurt the rest of the volume. Initially things go off course as the battle beneath the castle is too quick, clean and requires a move that comes off as cheap and shallow in order to wrap up this part of the story and move on with events. The quickness of the battle might have been used as a sign of just how powerful some Fairy Tail fighters are and on that level it could have worked but somehow rather than portraying that overwhelming dominance in a ‘strength’ light it kind of comes across as Fairy Tail fighting a bunch of “B” opponents. The situation also in no way was helped that the opponents faced under the castle were laughably underdeveloped which doesn’t leave much of a chance for a fuller weight to have been gained during that fight even if it had been handled perfectly.
When that lack of development is then paired with a bit of a too convenient arrival to help the team members who were thrown together as the weakest grouping possible it all combines to feel like almost these chapters focus on bullying with the weak being picked on, even if the ‘weak’ in this case started the fight. I’m still not totally sold on the revelation of the character who has set up the events but the possibility of deception from this figure (assuming they even are who they appear to be) has the chance of really becoming a special moment…but there is also the possibility hanging it will be simply another cheap narrative device.
Where the volume shines though is in its fight scenes as watching the three strongest women in Fioria (until some new character is revealed in the future in all likely hood anyway) is an absolute treat as Hiro Mashima has a real eye toward what makes for an exciting action panel and he uses this skill in full effect to the point I think I could almost read an entire volume worth of chapters with these three clashing while expressing their feelings and motivations with blows and words that resonate the conviction they carry into the battle. It also is a great touch how this reinforces the battle between Erza and Kagura as a contest of wills on almost an equal footing with strength and it is things like this that I search out in stories as I just love these moments.
Initially it is interesting how much the feelings of betrayal have sparked in Kagura and are focused against Erza due to Fairy Tails’ letting Jellal into their midst and it proves that actions in the manga carry a great amount of weight which helps add a bit of spice here whereas in many other fighting series once a character works toward redemption they are largely accepted as doing so by most of the encountered cast, or at least in short order.
It is when Kagura has a moment that makes her question her ability to fight Erza in a way that may create an opportunity for character growth in the future that things go a bit askew as that moment feels almost like a cheap escape so that Mashima can solve this immediate conflict between the two and move on with the next parts of the story without either of these woman being a perceived as a villain which just doesn’t feel as rich as what might have come from this clash. Still these flaws aren’t enough to make the volume uninteresting by any stretch, they just more serve to take some of the flourish off a what appears to be a well prepared story and leaves it as being just very good rather than spectacular- and frankly how many authors would give up their favorite pens to be able to be in that position?
In Summary
Some of Fairy Tail’s strongest fighters have gone off to rescue the captured Lucy but the audience in the coliseum isn’t going to have much chance to wonder just where these fighters that have driven a bit of fear into the spectators have gone as perhaps the greatest match the Games have ever hosted explodes when the three women who might each claim the title of strongest fighter – male or female- match up. It quickly becomes clear that Erza may be in a pinch as Fairy Tail’s acceptance of Jellal at the games is already starting to have the poisonous effects they feared as his secret identity is out in the open and there are no shortage of people present with grudges to settle- and wish to do so with the nearest Fairy Tail fighter they can find. But in the shadows things may be moving in an even darker way as a familiar face that shouldn’t be appears and promises that a very bleak future is soon to descend…but is this person prophet or harbinger of doom?
Content Grade: B
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: April 15th, 2014
MSRP: $10.99