FAIRY TAIL / First Impressions

Summary:

As Natsu and Lucy try to find a way to Galuna Island by boat, they are caught by Gray who is under orders to bring them back to the guild. Natsu, however, knocks Gray out and brings him onto the boat of the only man willing to take them to the island. During the trip, that man reveals that he was from the island and has a cursed arm, but he mysteriously disappears soon after when a giant wave hits the boat. Natsu and company eventually wake up on Galuna Island, and they make their way to the village where they learn from the elder about the curse. Everyone there has cursed body parts, and when the purple moon comes out, they fully transform into demonic appearances. Most of them change back by morning, but some don’t, and those people have to be killed. One such person was the elder’s own son, who Lucy recognizes to be the boat operator, and Gray guesses that they had met him as a ghost who couldn’t rest in peace.

The villagers believe that the key to breaking the curse is to destroy the moon, but since Natsu and company can’t do this, they decide to look around the island for another way. Along the way, they encounter a giant mouse creature and are able to defeat it thanks to Gray’s ice powers, and they then come across a temple. Inside, they fall through the floor thanks to Natsu, and they find a cavern housing a demon encased in ice which Gray recognizes as Deliora. The three are forced to hide when some shady characters show up in the cavern, and they overhear talk of the Moon Drip and of someone named Reitei. Gray explains afterward that Deliora is an immortal demon that was sealed away in an iceberg by Ul, his teacher, and although he doesn’t know how it’s connected to the curse, he’s intent on finding this Reitei person.

Preview

So we’re one episode in, and this arc has already taken an interesting turn towards Gray’s background. I was sort of bummed last week that they didn’t do more with Erza’s character, but I’ll settle for character development for Gray. Actually, thanks to that, by the end of the episode, I didn’t even really care anymore about the islanders and their curse, though I’m sure it’ll get worked out in the process of getting this Deliora and Reitei stuff resolved. Unfortunately, that’ll have to wait two weeks because the show is taking a break next week (as is standard for shows this time of year). Episode 12 airs January 4, 2010.

Also, starting sometime in January – probably around episode 14 – will be a new opening song called Sense of Wonder sung by the group Idoling and a new ending song Tsuioku Merry-Go-Round by the group onelifecrew. You can hear the new ED on onelifecrew’s MySpace page.

16 Comments

  6. Anyone know how long this show is intended to run?

    I was half expecting it to end with this episode as many of the other currently airing. Thankfully it’s not, this is by far the best light-hearted fantasy show I’ve seen in a very long time.

    Ashan
    Reply

  8. Hmm…I’m a little worried about that new OP and ED in episode 14. Maybe if it was just the ED, it’d be fine but both usually means a seasonal rotation which they only do in like 26/50-52 episode series….

    garfield15
    Reply

  10. @Pw3age: Seriously? This is where it started getting good! (Well, actually the previous arc, but this was the first character arc.)

    New OP should be interesting. We’ll find out if A-1/Satelight intend to step up the animation or not.

    MechR
    Reply

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