Manga Review: Fairy Tail (Volumes 1-2)

With all of the craziness that some of the more extreme anime and manga storylines can bring, sometimes it’s nice to settle into a good old fashioned epic adventure. If you’re looking for something to satisfy that craving, then Fairy Tail is a must for you!

The story starts with a girl named Lucy, a celestial wizard who has the power to summon powerful beasts using her collection of keys. Her biggest dream is to join a magic guild and go on exciting adventures (while earning a pretty penny in the process), and she has her eyes specifically set on Fairy Tail, one of the most powerful and rowdy guilds around. While traveling she runs into Natsu, a fire wizard, and Happy, his animal companion. After they go through a brief adventure together, he reveals that he is a member of Fairy Tail and takes her to their headquarters where she joins and starts on her journey as a guild wizard.

The first thing that I (and many others) thought when I saw Fairy Tail is that the art and feel of the story is very reminiscent of One Piece. It quickly sets itself apart though with a quirky and action-packed storyline filled with plenty of comedy and lovable characters. Lucy is a genuine, believable heroine, and the antics of Natsu, Happy, and the rest of the Fairy Tail crew are nothing short of unforgettable.

Each crew member has their own quirks, but deep down they’re all good-hearted people, which lead them on many adventures that quickly start involving the Dark Guilds – magic guilds that have defected from or been kicked out of the alliance of official guilds so that they can partake in some of the more morally questionable sides of magic, ranging from stealing to assassinations. These villains are also memorable and charismatic, and seeing them pitted against our heroes is always enjoyable and exciting.

I have very few qualms with this manga, but one of them is a problem that I complain about again and again: the obscene amount of text. This is another story that is plagued by tiny little bubbles filled with inside jokes and funny little quips that you’ll have to pause and strain your eyes to read. They’re worth reading and aren’t nearly as plentiful as some other manga, but it is still a pet peeve of mine.

This is also another manga that has a borderline-ridiculous amount of fanservice and perversion, but refreshingly so, because the fanservice is for the women just as much as it is for the men. While Lucy is very curvaceous and many characters like to point it out in a regular basis, we are also given characters like Gray, who has a habit of taking off all of his clothes without realizing it and running around in just his boxers. Truly, both sexes will find quite a bit of eye candy in this story, just don’t be surprised if you find it ruining a particularly poignant moment.

Besides those slight qualms, Fairy Tail is just a good, solid adventure story that was clearly made to appeal to all audiences, and in my opinion it very much succeeds. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a series like this poised for such success, and I personally can’t wait to see how far this title can go, and I guarantee that if you pick it up, you’ll know exactly what I mean.

Fairy Tail is licensed by Del Rey

ENJOYMENT
This is one fun and jam-packed adventure!

RECOMMENDATION VALUE
The little bits of text and memorable battle scenes would make this a joy to revisit

REREAD VALUE
Anyone who loves a good story will love this manga