Fairy Tail

Episode Count	328 (48 in Season 1)
Season	Fall 2009
Genres	Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Shounen
Source Material	Manga
Rating	TV-14
Streaming	TBD

I'm predicting having this on the More list instead of Essential will be a controversial choice among readers. I liked what I saw of Fairy Tail but its legacy is not on the level of Naruto, Hunter x Hunter, or even Soul Eater. Not every long Shonen anime could make the Essential list, I decided Fairy Tail should be in More, and nobody disagreed.

But for what it is, Fairy Tail is a fun time! The series is about wizards, that's the short version. Our four main characters are members of the Fairy Tail guild, one of the most famous guilds that tends to get into trouble more often than not, and the series is about their adventures.

Adventure really is the word I would use to describe Fairy Tail, because that's where this show succeeds. There's so much to explore in this world, and it rarely stays in one place for too long (at least in the first series which is what I saw). There are several characters that are all fun and stand out, the music honestly doesn't get praised enough, and it's got plenty of engaging action. One complaint I have is that even for a shonen series the stakes are minimal. Which wouldn't be a problem except they pretend that major characters could die or lose their powers in multiple instances (huge example is an early arc with Gray Fullbuster). But overall Fairy Tail is a nostalgic anime for me. Worth checking out!

- 0215MADman