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Title:
 Fairy Tail Part 4

UK Distributor:  Manga Entertainment

BBFC Certificate:  PG

Suggested Retail Price (SRP):  £29.99

Episodes:  37-48 (ongoing series)

Audio Options:  English 5.1, Japanese 2.0

Subtitles:  English

Release Date:  17th September 2012

Reviewer:  Rich (Webmaster)
 

As has become a bit of a theme with Fairy Tail, the last volume left us with a cliffhanger and a two month wait for a resolution!

At the end of volume 3 things were really hotting up as Lucy and Juvia fought the Trinity Raven assassin Vidaldus and Natsu confronted fellow assassin Fukuro, whilst Siegrain tries to convince the Magic Council to use the forbidden weapon Etherion to destroy the Tower of Heaven with them in it.  His argument and revelation that Jellal plans to use the twoer to resurrect the dark wizard Zeref is swaying increasing numbers of council members and it's only a matter of time before the drastic step is taken.  Erza is desperate to reach Jellal and defeat him, exorcising the ghosts of her past in the process, but not only will she have to get past the deadly leader of Trinity Raven - swordswoman Ikaruga - but she'll also have to escape from the playing card she has been trapped in by her childhood friend Sho.  However, Jellal seems strangely unconcerned about the threat of the most powerful magical weapon in the world, does he have something planned to combat it?  Elsewhere the city of Magnolia prepares for its annual Harvest Festival and Fairy Tail's wizards rehearse for their showpiece Fantasia parade, but the guild is thrown into turmoil when one of their most powerful wizards, Makarov's grandson Laxus, returns and takes a group of them hostage.  Laxus aims to wrest control of the guild from his grandfather and, using the unique powers of his followers Fried, Evergreen and Bickslow, instigates a game that pitches Fairy Tail's wizards against each other in a battle royale across the city.  With Makarov rendered powerless to intervene by Fried's magical traps and the lives of several of their colleagues at stake, Fairy Tail's remaining wizards are trapped in a deadly battle that pits friend against friend and all of them against the clock.  The only way to stop the fighting is to find and defeat Laxus and his followers, but with Fried's web of traps and barriers forcing them to fight each other first will there be anyone left to battle them?  And even if there are, with Makarov out of the way can any of them truly hope to defeat Laxus, a wizard rivalled only by the absent Mystogan and Erza in terms of power?
 

It's taken four volumes but something momentous has finally happened - this volume is the first not to end with a cliffhanger!!  This volume represents the end of the first season of Fairy Tail, and thankfully wraps things up without us having to wait for a fifth volume which, at the time of writing, is yet to be scheduled.  As you would expect with a story arc to complete this volume starts in much the same vein as the last, with all of the main characters facing difficult battles against some quite dangerous opponents.  Erza faces her

tragic past in the form of the unhinged Jellal whilst both Lucy and Natsu face enemies whose particular abilities make them difficult adversaries, particularly with Vidaldus using his sonic attacks to take control of Juvia and Fukuro using his tactical nous and ability to absorb enemy skills to corner Natsu.  Meanwhile a more ethical battle is going on as the Magic Council debate whether to use the Etherion, which appears to be the magical equivalent of a nuclear weapon.  It makes for an interesting juxtaposition as the council try to decide whether the end justifies using such terrible power, especially when doing so will effectively sacrifice the Fairy Tail wizards they know are in the tower, whilst Erza and her companions fight on without knowing their fate could be decided in a council chamber hundreds of miles away.  If they can take Jellal down quickly enough the debate may be moot, but Erza will have to overcome her own feelings and limitations if she is to defeat her former friend.

As with the last volume it's the blend of action and drama combined with the development of the characters which really drives the story this time round.  The story arc carried over from the last volume focuses on Erza overcoming the ghosts of her past, explaining how she came to join Fairy Tail and showing how she has grown as a person during her time there.  However, it also shows how those she left behind, including Jellal, Sho and Simon have been changed by her leaving, and how each of them has been warped and manipulated by an ancient evil.  It's these personal dramas that form the heart of the series, even when a potential magical armageddon hangs over their head the story stays focused on the characters, something carries over to the Laxus storyline.  This time the characters you've come to know and like are forced to fight each other, bringing out old grudges and plenty of despair as the guild starts to tear itself apart.  In the midst of the chaos the emotional turmoil causes Makarov to collapse and become gravely ill, whilst Laxus and his companions threaten to destroy Magnolia all together if they don't get their way.  However, the origins of the ambition Laxus holds is far deeper than just a simple grudge, and it's unclear how far he'll go to achieve his aims.  The series focuses a lot on his relationship with his grandfather, but also gives time to focus on his companions' reservations about their actions and on the reactions of the other Fairy Tail wizards.  Some don't think Laxus is serious, whilst others act swiftly to defeat their friends to try and rescue their partners.  For the reformed Juvia and Gajeel the battle is a chance to prove their loyalty through acts of self-sacrifice and bravery, and many characters have to dig deep within themselves to find hidden powers.
 

This final story arc for the series has elements of tragedy and darkness, but also some degree of hope as the characters push themselves to fight against their situation.  It was an intriguing story that actually helped put a bit of flesh on the bones of some of the background characters, which makes the cast quite large and at times unwieldy.  It's occasionally difficult to work out who is fighting who, and some elements of the story are quite predictable - particularly in the Jellal storyline where many of the big reveals aren't exactly that surprising. 

However, the action comes thick and fast and there are plenty of emotional scenes that really give the series some dramatic punch.  Unlike some of the previous volumes the pacing is pretty much spot on this time round, with a good use of flashbacks to flesh out the characters or explain plot elements rather than just stretch things out.

Fairy Tail Part 4 is a great end to a series which has improved with each volume.  There's plenty of action and drama to keep you on the edge of your seat and its great to see more focus on both Erza and the supporting cast.  Juvia is probably one of the better characters in this volume, going to great lengths to redeem and prove herself to the others in Fairy Tail as well as maintaining her amusing crush on Gray, whilst both Jellal and Laxus prove to be good foils for Erza and Natsu.  This volume sees most of the characters involved in the action - even Lucy and Mirajane - and we even finally get to see something of the mysterious Mystogan, whilst the appearance of Laxus and his cronies means we have now seen pretty much all of Fairy Tail's wizards.  Both stories this time are well paced and choc full of fighting, but the series' strength remains its ability to keep the characters firmly at its heart despite the chaos going on all around them, something this volume does at least as well as its predecessors.  It may be a bit predictable in places but all in all Fairy Tail Part 4 is the best volume yet, and I really hope we get to see series 2 here.  The pricing may put some people off but Fairy Tail is really worth checking out, it's one of the best fantasy action series the UK has seen.

Extras

Same as last time, textless opening and closing sequences and commentaries for episodes 39 and 45.  Not too shabby.

Ratings

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