First of all, there's something about FT that charmed me from the very moment I've seen my first episode (and commented "What the hell is that blue cat doing?!"). Contrary to Naruto or Bleach, this show has managed to keep me interested - and never got me bored watching it. It even convinced me try give the manga a try - which is no small feat, as I tend to get quickly bored with this kind of art.
What contributes to this "fairy charm"? Well, definitely the plot. Although it initially seems to differ very little from simmilar stories (we have a bunch of magical teens who tend to blow stuff up), it quickly develops to show the characters' past, their conflicts, dillemas and scars.
Doesn't sound too original? Perhaps. But there's something about the way those stories are told that genuinely touched me. It's something more than just "a hero fights his inner demons" stuff. Be it Natsu, Erza, Gray or Lucy - there's something about those characters that made me feel for them more than for Ichigo or Naruto. Plus, judging from the latest episodes, most arcs that seemed to be closed and resolved as yet another "badguy of the week" plotline, may in fact have huge impact on the incoming events...
Speaking of characters... The way the cas has been made is a different story. Although one could argue whether Natsu or Lucy are central characters, I get the feeling that the author's idea was to make the whole guild the central "character". Be it Juvia, Erza or Gray, although often cited as "supporting" or "secondary" characters, they often get as much screen time as the "primary" duo does. It's easy to find a character to indentify with and root for. Plus, although Natsu is often put in one rank with Ichigo or Naruto as "OP main character", he never gets close to "shinigami+wheteverelsemangakacreates" combo Bleach gives us.
Last but not least, the relations between the characters. The whole "guild is the most important" concept results in most characters being very closely related to others - drawing a relations scheme would take a hell lot of time and space. Plus, it doesn't get limited to love interests as well - take Erza-Natsu-Gray relations for example. Whenever Makarov or anyone else refers to Fairy Tail as a family - it's not just empty words.
The art... Well, it could be better. The characters are OK, the landscape is OK, the animation is OK, the special effects are OK... But nothing else. Plus, the recent episodes seemed to be made quickly and without much attention, resulting in some creepy, distorted faces and poses. I much more prefered the first episodes' style...
The music is outstanding. Ranging from sentimental "onion-cutting ninja" tearbreakers, through intense battle segments to epic "let's smash things up" pieces, it builds up the atmosphere and contributes to the overall effect of the story. Leifmotifs are especially well done - each character has her own distinctive style and melodies. I also very much like Celtic inspirations in at least some pieces. It's perhaps the only non-Yuki Kajiura OST I've obtained in full volume. Shame the openings and endings are very uneven - and even the best ones can't be compared to soundtrack itself.
I can't say this anime doesn't have its downs as well - the episodes sometimes lose pace and seemingly unimportant scenes seems to streach into infinity, the amount of fanservice sometimes borders on ecchi, and some characters just seem to be largely wasted, plot-wise (Mystogan... Sniff...). Still, unlike Naruto or Bleach, I never had to give FT a "one more chance" - I just kept on watching, always finding something of interest throughout the series. And I'm certain that once it returns someday soon (I hope), I'll resume watching with exacty the same fervor as until last Saturday.
