The plot is the main reason Fairy Tail has a certain number of haters. All shounens have an axis for the story to progress right? Fairy Tail hasn't got one. Being a wizard guild, Fairy Tail members take jobs assigned by people in order to have an income. Therefore, every arc has little to no relation with its previous one. Of course there are references, but they are only minor and have little to do with each arc's plot. Also, all of you that are used to shounen anime, you know how a battle must last for several episodes right? Well, that's not the case in Fairy Tail. You know how characters take hours to explain their fighting moves? Forget about that.
When it comes to the animation's quality, you might find it a bit low in episodes that are less important and exist only for "filling". In arcs however, the art is beautiful, detailed and magnificient. Compared to its nemesis, One Piece, the difference is easily noticeable. Soul Eater fans might find a small resemblance in the styles of these two.
When it comes to music, I believe it's the best compared to all shounen. The background music is impossible to remain unnoticed and helps a lot to put you in the mood. It's a mixture of Irish and Japanese tunes with rock elements. It sounds weird and possibly a failure, but believe me when I say it's incredible. Given that the anime is somewhat medieval-based, the soundtrack fits perfectly. The main theme is incredible and you will find yourselves watching the openings for the scenes and mostly, their music.
The cast is enormous with a variety of secondary characters. If you thought that there would not be enough screen time for them all, you are terribly wrong. As expected, Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Gray and Erza, the main cast, are the ones focused the most. However, everyone else will be on the shot many times while their backgrounds and relationships will be explored as well. The voice actors are also amazing and possibly, the youngest compared to the other shounen.
Fairy Tail has everything. Moments where you will have enormous feels, where you might shed a tear watching the pain the characters are in. Moments where the comedy will make you burst laughing. However, there are times where things will get serious and mature. When it comes to action, there's a ton of it. The battles are unique and most times reach an epic climax where buildings collapse and the landscape gets torn apart from explosions. However, Fairy Tail is famous for the huge amount of fanservice it provides. But I will not say more, you have to see for yourselves.
Fairy Tail is not perfect. Like all shounen, it has flaws, but there are some really good elements too. I consider it the best shounen because it's nothing like you have ever watched, it breaks the rules about how a shounen must be and shines where many anime fail. After a two year gap, the anime will continue in April. You've got plenty of time to watch it and read the manga if you'd like. I strongly reccomend it.
Story: 9
Art: 10
Sound: 10
Character: 9
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 9
