Posted: 01/31/2012

Fairy Tail: Part Three

(2009)

by Amber Burnham

Now available from FUNimation Entertainment

The third installment of Fairy Tail brings with it all the greatness that the show began with. If you were a little discouraged by the last few episodes on the second set, don’t worry: The first episode on this third set puts all your faith back into the show. The story is written at a great pace with all the great fight scenes and comedy that makes the show so wonderful. This is not to say that the show goes back to the small but relatively insignificant missions that were in the beginning of the show. On the contrary, the problems seem to get more complex. At the same time we find out back story to one of the shows more mysterious characters, Erza.

After we finish up the war between guilds, we now begin a storyline that will reveal Erza’s past. While Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Erza, and Happy are enjoying themselves at a casino, people from Erza’s past show up and reek havoc. These magic users take Erza back to the place that she escaped from as a child on the order of their leader. The leader of this small band of magic users is as evil as Erza is good. This creates an interesting contrast in personalities and convictions. During this storyline we also see the magical council take action against the same enemy. Their reasons for getting involved are concerned more with the welfare of all of the people, both magic users and not. This is putting our Fairy Tail heroes in a real life-threatening situation that they are not even aware of. I am not sure how our heroes are going to get out of this one all in one piece.

Fairy Tail has a great blend of seriousness and comedy. The laughs are so perfectly placed throughout each episode. The jokes are placed throughout the show in such a way that they enhance the parts that are meant to be serious. The contrast makes the show feel realistic. It also gives you an emotional release so that you do not become overwhelmed with the seriousness of the overall situation. Much of the comedy centers on the actions of Natsu. This is not to say that Natsu is nothing but a comedy relief character. In this volume we get a glimpse of the greatness that Natsu possesses. We have been focusing so much on the other characters in the past couple storylines that it is nice to see Natsu getting a chance to grow during these episodes. I am looking forward to seeing how amazing Natsu can be.

This volume of Fairy Tail also sees the introduction of some new characters. Some of which leave the spotlight after a few episodes and others who become an integral part of the later episodes within the Erza based storyline. The introduction of new magical powers and the ability to build the main characters through their interactions are the best parts of these new characters.

Fairy Tail: Part Three comes in a case which contains a reversible character cover. This is a fun extra to the purchase, as it gives you the ability to make the set your own by choosing the cover you prefer. This is by far one of my favorite aspects of these new releases. Other extras in the set are episode commentaries, textless songs, and trailers.

Amber Burnham has a BA in Early Childhood Education from Kendall College. She is also a regular panelist on Kichicast, the all-girl, Chicago-based podcast devoted to anime, manga, and Japanese culture. You can listen to Kichicast at kichigi.com.

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