The cat or should I say the dragon is out of the bag – it appears that the Eternal Flame is a sentient being and his identity is none other than Natsu’s old pal, Atlas Flame! I’ll be perfectly honest – I didn’t see the latest revelation coming and kudos to those of you who managed to figure this out way before the actual unveiling. A handful of subtle hints were sprinkled throughout the last few chapters – and I’m sure there are many sharp minds out there who were quick enough to make such a connection. For starters, the mysterious voice that Natsu heard is one that he seemingly recognizes, and this is hardly be the first time we’ve seen a dragonish motif in Fairy Tail – after all, dragons and the mysteries that surround them are at the very core of this series. I readily admit, I consider myself to be somewhat of a dragon otakuFairy Tail has featured a number of prominent ones, and their on-and-off appearances have always been marked with a sense of splendor, adventure and magnificence. Zirconis is for certain my absolute favorite – the ecchi Jade dragon will always have a special place in my heart, but there’s no denying that Atlas Flame has also made quite an impression. He was the one dragon who sided with the humans in their last confrontation, giving Natsu a fair fighting chance and bringing about his ultimate victory against future-Rogue. “It’s been 400 years, son of Igneel” – it’s not entirely clear what remains of Atlas Flame after four whole centuries and if he is anything more than a mere spiritual presence at this stage. The Eternal Flame will most likely shed some light on the mysteries at hand, giving us an insight into what happened at Taiyo Village. Some form of answers would most certainly be welcome – I’m sure it’s going to make life easier for Fairy Tail’s mission and most importantly, it should bring a smile to Flare’s saddened face as well.

Speaking of Flare Corona, I’m probably not the only one who’s slightly disgruntled by the lack of any yandere outburst – I have fully expected her to throw an ugly tantrum, perhaps even setting out on a glorious catfight with Lucy! Clearly, none of that has happened and it appears I have allowed my imagination to run a little bit too wild yet again. Flare remained her meek and subdued self – a stark contrast to the bombast and extravaganza that Natsu so patently embodies! Natsu is a bona fide badass and there’s no shortage of bravura when he’s all caught up in a grand battle. This chapter was full of action-packed thrills – a magnificent Fire Dragon Slayer combo, both Karyuu no Kouen and Guren Bakuenjin, that not only defeated the one-eyed winged demon, but also brought the fading Eternal Flame back to life. Natsu’s rampage of attacks was quite a revelry to say the least – and for a moment, I thought he was going to destroy the entire fire altar, putting out the flame instead of reviving it. The emergence of a dragon should propel the story and its exposition to a whole new level – consider my interest piqued, and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead, especially when it comes to Atlas Flame and the many secrets that he is about to reveal.

Random tidbits:

  • She got her pantsu back, Erza is fully requipped! – I admit I’m somewhat disappointed! Her no-pantsu glory will be missed.
  • Another week, another grand display of Lucy’s ass! – Still delicious, Mmmhmmm…
  • The yandere in Flare is nowhere to be seen – I hope, at the very least, she still has a stalker in her!
  • Hell yeah, I’ve got this one!” – Natsu is such a badass, though not quite as badass as a certain Fallen Angel.
  • An attack that is reminiscent of Dragon Ball’s Renzoku Kikoudan – Pretty neat, if I may say so.
  • Fire Dragon’s Brilliant Flame, version Hulk Smash!
  • Our Laxus, a potential candidate for the Ten Wizard Saint – Why the hell not? Please make it happen, Mashima sensei!
  • Shameless Plug – I’ve just hit my 100th post for Random Curiosity this week. It feels like it was just yesterday when I made my first anime post, completed my first series and introduced myself to everyone. The journey wouldn’t be as fun or as memorable without my readers – your support and your many comments are what keeps all of us going! I love you guys and I would like to take this opportunity to thank every one of you for making this experience such a great one. Domo arigatou gozaimashita!

tl;dr: @SeishunRC – #FairyTail 352: The cat or should I say the dragon is out of the bag! The emergence of an old friend & the missing yandere #Manga
 


15 Comments

  1. Well I am among those who didn’t see this coming. But I do wonder, if Atlas Flame has been hidden as the Sacred Flame all these years could it be that other dragons are also hidden similarly? Dragons being able to change their appearance was also brought indirectly once too when Grandine visited Igneel in the form of a glowing ball of light.

    gawrshness
      1. I think because of Natsu influence he deiced to help the humans, it possible that he was sleeping, there also a possibility that he became weak that he could return to his dragon form until Nustu shoot some flame

        lune
  2. Im surprise when I found out the flame was actually Atlas! Tough it does explain why Natsu can hear his voice & recalling it being familiar. I think will get more insight on what happened 400 years of the battle of dragons & humans, maybe there future time travel made chances in time!!^^

    lune
  3. A village of giants…yet nobody happens to notice that the most precious flame of all is actually a dragon? This is the real mystery 🙂 Glad to see Atlas Dragon back as he is awesome, next to the Jade Dragon of course. I was starting to wonder how big an arc this would be (considering it has started off in a similar sense to the Lullaby Arc) and whether we would see Zeref beginning to put his plan into action, and with the appearance of a dragon, some major plot developments could be just up ahead.

    A final note, damn it Mashima! What is it with you and keeping Erza and Minerva’s fights off panel? This is the second time now and we want to see them fight! Ahhhh! Can’t wait for next week. Fairy Tail forever.

    Celecia01

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