One of the most amazing things about this anime is the guild that the title comes from, Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail is a guild of magic users that go out on jobs to put there magic to good use. However, they find themselves having to save the world many times.
The guild members have such a strong bond that they are like family and they are willing to do anything to protect each other and the guild's name. A really admirable trait about Fairy Tail is that their conviction is so strong that they make some of their enemies become their comrades.
Another great aspect of this anime is its four main characters: Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and Erza. All four of these characters are members of Fairy Tail.
Natsu has the power of a Dragon Slayer, a fire Dragon Slayer to be exact. Seeing it in action is very cool, especially as Natsu's power gets stronger. He is impulsive and a little full of himself sometimes, but he is also very caring toward his friends. He doesn't have much character development as a person, but he becomes a good influence on some people as the series progresses.
Lucy is a Celestial Spirit Wizard who uses quirky spirits based on the Zodiac. She is beautiful and smart, but she is a little weak as a magic user at the start of the series. However, her kindness towards her spirits gradually help her get stronger as a magic user. As a person, she also gets stronger as she confronts personal issues with her family.
Gray has ice magic that can form different things as an offensive force, like a hammer or an animal. Throughout the series, he grows as a magic user and a person as he confronts and his past and learns new moves. He becomes a good influence on some people and honors his magic teacher. His backstory is poignant and sad, but also engaging to watch.
Erza wears armor and a sword that can requip itself to different types. She is cool because she is physically strong and beautiful. She gets personal growth as she confronts her past, learns new moves, and meets new people. As the series progresses, she shows a vulnerable side, a feminine side, a quirky side, and a maternal side. Like Gray, her backstory is sad, poignant, and engaging.
Besides the main characters, the secondary characters are very good. They are very numerous, with different abilities that are either interesting or really cool. My favorites included Mirajane, Gajeel, Master Makarov, Loki, and Happy. Some characters get some development, but there are too many for anyone to be fully developed.
Alongside the main and secondary characters that made up the good guys, the bad guys are an interesting bunch. All of them have cool abilities to watch. Furthermore, I ended up pitying some when they showed humanity, loving some when they became Fairy Tail's comrades, and hating some when they were just cruel and evil.
In addition to Fairy Tail the guild and the characters, the soundtrack is fantastic. Combining Celtic-folk and rock, the composer Yatsuharu Takanashi created great battle themes, character themes, and themes for various places and emotions. I have several tracks on my ipod to listen to for pleasure and for exercising. I will always treasure the slow version of the anime's main theme.
When it comes to its flaws, the only ones lie in its animation and its plot. Sometimes, the animation could be beautiful, especially when it comes to certain places and scenery. However, there are times when the animation looked too CGI for my taste.
As for the plot, it is really formulaic. It has Fairy Tail discovering bad guys, fighting and defeating bad guys with a friendship speech and power up, and then doing it over again.
Most of the time, it didn't bother me it because I was emotionally invested in the characters and the guild Fairy Tail. It was fun watching them meet new villains, comrades, and places. It felt like playing a fantasy role playing video game without controlling the characters. However, during season 4, I started to wish the show could explore something else even though some of the battles were great and fun to watch.
Despite its flaws, I really enjoyed watching this series. As the series progressed, I felt like I became a member of Fairy Tail myself. If you want a fun anime with magic, action, and adventure, then I recommend this.
