Shonen Beam

[scanlation by Binktopia]

Hello again, fanservice. Invite yourself in, why don’t you?

It took six pages to get to a character wearing clothes. Maybe I shouldn’t have complained all those times Fairy Tail cover pages have been so shameless; Mashima is evidently deciding to move things around.

This kind of bustling activity within the guild is considerably more exciting than the usual incessant partying.

Charle’s power of precognition must be kept as explicitly limited as shown here for her character to fit it with the ensemble cast at all.

Lluvia deserves so much more involvement in the main plot. She’s such a fun character, and she isn’t lacking in ability.

More of her, please

The S-Class Wizard Promotion Trial is very promising. The strength of Fairy Tail has never been originality, but rather solid execution of classic shonen formulas. An exam- and/or tournament-style arc is the perfect way to get the series back on its feet.

Tenrou Island is designed interestingly enough. It should prove a good backdrop for the arc.

...

Most importantly for such an arc, the eight chosen participants provide great variety. Natsu and Gray are obvious choices, Lluvia and Elman are welcome surprises, Fried and Mest are the necessary unknown quantities, and Cana provides great plot tension in relation to the more “main” characters, given that only one entrant passes. (… that is, if we are to take this information as gospel; it’s entirely possible that some sort of crisis will befall the Trial and multiple wizards will display enough skill to warrant the promotion.)

Charle’s premonition is a worrying note amid an otherwise intriguing chapter. An exam among guild members is exactly the kind of positive change of pace the series needs right now; weighing the arc down with this sad-looking boy and whatever depressing plot he carries makes the arc lose its freshness. Mashima needs to learn that not every arc can be a climactic masterpiece. For an author who looks to One Piece so much, it’s a surprise that Mashima completely overlooks Oda’s “serious arc, fun arc” approach. Would Water 7 / Enies Lobby have felt nearly as powerful without the Davy Back Fight right before it, to relieve the tension built up over the course of Skypiea? Fairy Tail has a fun cast of characters with excellent comedic traits, but they (and, by proxy, we) are rarely given the chance to relax anymore.

Final Flash: Hugely promising setup with an undertone of worry. I wish I could trust Mashima more not to screw this up.