フェアリーテイル
Fairy Tail Volume 19 Review

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The highlights of this manga start off with Nirvana being revealed to be marching on Cait Shelter due to the founders of that guild being the descendants of the original creators of Nirvana, who still have the power to seal the weapon back up.  Jellal and Erza encounter Midnight, who quickly defeats Jellal, and who gives Erza a beating. However, she’s able to analyze Midnight’s seemingly unstoppable magic and find a way to turn the tide, forcing Midnight to transform himself, though it is of no avail to Erza, who defeats Midnight. With Jura defeating Brain, Brain’s skull staff, Kurodoa, announces that Oración Seis’s master, Zero, is Brain’s other persona. Zero quickly takes down Natsu, Gray, and others, wanting to wipe out everything in sight.

Wendy hooks up with Jellal and Erza as Sherry and Ren manage to bring the Christina to life long enough to get off one attack on Nirvana. Several of the team go to take out the legs of Nirvana simultaneously with Natsu heading to the first leg, where Zero waits. Jellal provides Natsu with a golden flame, which allows Natsu to go after Zero with a good chance of winning.

Again, we have another action-filled volume. As usual, Erza and Natsu are the spotlight takers with Erza defeating Midnight and Natsu going after Zero. For Erza, bringing her false eye back as a means of nullifying an illusion works for me.  From here on, she should be immune to all illusionary magic.

The rehabilitation of Jellal continues on track.  While he was on the ground so that Erza could win her fight, afterward, he’s built up a bit by Erza, then when he goes for Natsu, it is with the notion of enhancing Natsu’s power so Natsu can do his normal thing of going nuts and defeating a stunned opponent. I will admit that I cringed a bit at Jellal’s comment that Natsu’s unlimited power is the power of hope. Well, whatever. *lol*

Wendy, who’s cute, young, and often timid, looks as if she’s being set up to show her dragon slayer offensive ability. It would be fun if she actually had a power that would somehow trump Natsu’s or Gajeel’s but we’ll see if that comes about. However, even if that’s not the case, Wendy works for me as a front-line support person, boosting people’s abilities or healing the warriors so they can fight better. I figure that Wendy’s offensive power will be impressive, but geared more toward self-protection so that she can help others.

Gemini showing up on “his” own to help Lucy pretty much tells me that Lucy will be scoring all of Angel’s Celestial Spirits.

Finally, since this volume was so action-filled, I suppose that may have been why Mashima-sensei decided to do a side-story featuring Lucy’s “fateful” encounter with a new male writer her age. It was a way of lightening things (not that Fairy Tail is that dark of a manga) since Mashima-sensei hadn’t had much time to do his type of humor (outside of the staff Kurodoa, which took a look up Lucy’s skirt), having a light, sweet, and even humorous extra chapter is nice. Plus, I liked how Natsu and Happy wanted to help Lucy celebrate her first year at Fairy Tail. ^_^

On the Kodansha side of things, the two Mashima-sensei notes are included, which is always a good thing. I got a laugh out of the “Mysteries of Fairy Tail” section with the questions about Racer. Well, considering the kind of writer Mashima-sensei is (rather like Ah! My Goddess‘s Fujishima-sensei), in that he just writes whatever he feels without any grand, overall plan, having plot holes like Racer are to be expected. Mashima-sensei does do some plotting, but he’s shown that he can change things in the middle of a story arc, or whatever else strikes his fancy.  That’s not a problem because his stories are pretty fun and entertaining.

Back on topic, the Japanese fan art is included, as well as a few translator notes, and a preview of Fairy Tail volume 20 in Japanese.  I’ve noticed that translator notes aren’t what they used to be, but I may be in the minority for people liking them, or even paying attention to them.

So, another action-filled, fun volume.  I’ve got the next volume on hand, so hopefully I can get to it soon. ^_^