The new uniforms for the tournament aren’t anything special on the recognizable main characters, but with eight teams of five about to be in action, the uniforms will be helpful in keeping track of who belongs to what guild. Hopefully they’ll be complementary to unique character designs, rather than the sole means of identification.
Wendy’s reappearance without any notice is frustrating because there is no reason her discovery couldn’t have been shown. The wasted panels discussed in the previous chapter review could have been eliminated altogether, and rather than merely finding her bag, Lysanna and Happy could have found Wendy herself, making for a much smoother transition to this panel of her in bed.
With Wendy now confirmed to be out of action, the opportunity for a promotion to the main spotlight falls to Elfman. He’s far from a bad character, but just like any other pure strength-based character, he’ll struggle to exhibit the kind of variety and originality needed to maintain interest. Elfman will need some external force to drive him forward, like a rival or some other personal conflict. His best chance to shine here is with a story-based focus, not just another fight.
Or perhaps he could garner attention a completely different way
It’s one thing for Fairy Tail to be laughed at by the public for being the lowest-ranked guild, but why exactly are they being booed? They haven’t done anything to antagonize anyone. It would make more sense for them to receive support from the neutral audience, given their current underdog status. The inexplicable jeering is counterbalanced by the cheers from Mavis, whose must surely be here to do more than cheer. The strong magical energy that has been referenced by a few characters is sure to drag Mavis into the action in some capacity.
Doesn't some other shonen series hide a panda in crowds?
The introduction of the teams is mostly token and uneventful. Strangely, despite Fairy Tail’s new garb, these other guilds aren’t following much of a dress code. The comedy in these pages is basic and not very funny, and it could have been omitted entirely to maintain the anticipation of introducing the new teams.
Participation by guilds like Lamia Scale is nice for fans of certain side characters, but the appearance of Raven Tail finally gives this arc some sorely-needed direction. Unlike the rival guilds that are on friendly terms with Fairy Tail, Raven Tail will be clear enemies thanks to their leader and their admission that they were the ones to take out Wendy. It’s especially upsetting now that Wendy was reduced to the role of the damsel in distress, because the conflict between these two guilds would have been intense enough with Ewan, the estranged son of Makarov, leading Raven Tail. Sacrificing Wendy does little to make Raven Tail more hated, and it wastes an opportunity for her to cement herself in the main group.
Final Flash: Despite the negatives surrounding Wendy and some poor comedy that dragged the pace, the introduction of Raven Tail makes this a decent chapter.
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