Shonen Beam

[scanlation by Binktopia]

It’s the “real” Lisanna! That bodes well for this arc right away.

Natsu’s initial incredulous reaction to Lisanna’s reappearance is far better than his later, typically-Natsu excitement. It’s a pity Mashima didn’t choose to explore a new side to Natsu’s character.

Can't find his reaction too surprising

Lisanna’s story is convincingly sad. It isn’t so weak that it can be overlooked, nor is it so overly dramatic as to be ridiculous, and it even manages to make decent use of the setting created by the disappointing Edolas arc.

The graveyard scene is fairly touching, but it’s a scene that could have been saved to carry more impact after at least a few chapters have been spent establishing Lisanna further.

As heartwarming as one-chapter resolution can be

While this is certainly one of the best Fairy Tail chapters of the year, it’s slightly unfortunate that the entirety of the chapter was devoted to explanation and reunion. These are positive moments, but they don’t provide much to drive the story forward into the next chapter, meaning the new plot and conflict will have to be developed from scratch next week. Again, it’s a comparatively strong chapter, but it isn’t without missed opportunities.

Final Flash: Don’t misinterpret the brevity of this review; there just simply aren’t many individual moments to comment on. Overall, a good, encouraging chapter.