Jun 5, 2015
Fairy Tail 2014 is the sequel to the original Fairy Tail anime that aired from 2009-2013. It's actually an upgrade in many ways from the previous anime despite having a shaky beginning with their budget it seems (Early episodes have varying quality throughout). Let's just be clear, this is still the same Fairy Tail everyone knows and loves.
Story: I think a lot of the problems people have with the 2014 series is that the beginning of it is the second half of the Grand Magic Games (Which for whatever reason is the most critically panned non filler arc of the series, so it being
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the first arc affects people's ratings) and then it goes straight into a filler arc afterwards. I agree, it's unfortunate the sequel anime to the original Fairy Tail got shackled by 2 arcs in a row that "most" people didn't like (I actually loved the Grand Magic Games, but understand I'm in the minority).
Recently however, the anime has been on track to reclaiming its former greatness. Adapting the popular sidestory omake chapters and starting the Tartarus (or Tarataros) arc have seen the budget and artwork increase, and storywise the series has never been better. This arc is pretty much the epitome of greatness concerning Hiro Mashima's writing. Each of the main cast members get something awesome to do in this arc, and it features some of the best plot twists in the series.
10/10
Art: Even if the earlier episodes were filled with inconsistent artwork, the DVD releases actually fix up a lot of noticeable problems, so for the sake of my review I'll use those redone episodes as the basis and the current quality of the Tartarus arc. While the first anime made things too colorful and purposely avoided blood, Fairy Tail 2014 takes that darker step and makes the color palette closer to the original manga, and even adds blood into scenes! (There could be more blood though, but that's just a nitpick at best. It's still better the original Fairy Tail in that regard).
9/10
Sound: The sound track for the series continues to be superb. While some of the original tracks from the first Fairy Tail do make reappearances as remixed versions of themselves, most of the OST in this series is brand new. The Tartarus arc especially has some great new darker themes (With demon chanting) that definitely sets the mood, on top of having the soul pumping kickass main theme when main characters kick ass.
10/10
Characters: Oh boy, where Fairy Tail has always shined is its cast of characters and the 2014 series is no exception. You have your main 5 cast members from the previous series returning: Natsu, Erza, Gray, Lucy, and Wendy. Then you have all the various side characters from their guild and all the other guilds. Every character gets a chance to shine, and it's hard to not have a favorite in a show where so many characters get ample amounts of screentime. Certain characters, like Gray, especially have seen some major development and focus in the 2014 series due to certain story sequences, more so than he did in the original Fairy Tail anime.
10/10
Enjoyment: Definitely love watching Fairy Tail each week with my friends and family. We have come a long way from getting still frames, magic circles, and reused battle animation to where we are now. I would even go as far to say that now the animated action clearly outshines the manga.
10/10
Overall: In conclusion, I have to say that Fairy Tail 2014 has surpassed the old series in nearly every category. It really annoyed me that so many people were rating this series 4s and 5s based off just watching the first few episodes but not waiting to see how this adaptation would turn out. I'm hoping many people find my review helpful and that it encourages them to watch to at least the Tartarus arc to see if they'll like the new series or not. Fairy Tail 2014 gets a 10/10 overall.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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