Fairy Tail, Chapter 519: Dragon or Demon
Welp, that was what we all expected. It did take five to six whole pages for Erza to shatter the meteor, which was the absolute height of idiocy, and apparently Wendy can enchant dragon-slaying magic into things. Which is a power which we have never, ever seen before -- it's always been either healing or generic strength/defense/speed boosting. So yeah, chalk another 'pulling out a power out of your ass' moment for Fairy Tail, though this is at least a power that kinda makes sense.
But apparently a single slash and Eileen reverts out of her dragon form. Remember those minor dragons that aren't even cool enough to get names from the Future Rogue arc? Remember how actual barrages of dragon-slaying magic couldn't even do anything but irritate them and maybe slow them down a bit? Yeah, queen of dragons my ass.
Also of course Eileen is revealed to not be completely heartless, is touched by baby Erza and left her behind and didn't kill her. And it's this same smile that causes Eileen to hesitate now. Which, as godawfully written and so blindingly obviously set up as this was, would still be an... okay plot point. Not a good one, not even a half-decent one, but it would be something I could live with.
So she stabs herself in the stomach. Is she going to mortally wound herself before doing the body-trade thing with Wendy again? Is she going to do something remotely intelligent? Nah, she just kills herself because she can't bring herself to kill Erza. Like, leave the dying kid behind and just continue fighting for Alvarez, you dumb shit. There are other soldiers that can finish the job for you. Also, you have been trying your best to murder her for the past five or six weeks. I mean, yeah, "don't laugh at me I love you" my fucking asshole, you just broke all of your daughter's bones, disowned her, tried to possess her body and dropped a fucking meteor on her all in the expanse of three chapters. I knew this was coming -- I know Fairy Tail is a series incapable of not subverting the very obvious cliche of friendship and love conquers all, and I've been expecting this stupid nonsense plot point to happen ever since Eileen set foot on the scene, and it still manages to exceed my expectations on how horseshit it is. I mean, it's not "Because it's Erza" levels of stupidity, but then I actively hate Eileen and I didn't mind Kyouka that much. So.
All Erza can manage to do is headbutt people in the chin at this point anyway, such a sorry state that she's in (and apparently Azuma, Kyouka and all the rest of the super-strong guys that Erza fought never managed to break her bones enough when it's just a bitchslap from Eileen), why not lock her up in a dungeon? Or something? Nah. Eileen's just a big, big dumbass, who loses the little dignity she has as a threatening villain by proving that she has less brain cells than a rock.
Who wants to bet next chapter we'll have Wendy heal Eileen and she's going to be FRIENDSHIP?
What a fucking idiot manga this is. It's not even possible to really defend this portion of the arc, really, or honestly Fairy Tail at this point. I'm done.
All Erza can manage to do is headbutt people in the chin at this point anyway, such a sorry state that she's in (and apparently Azuma, Kyouka and all the rest of the super-strong guys that Erza fought never managed to break her bones enough when it's just a bitchslap from Eileen), why not lock her up in a dungeon? Or something? Nah. Eileen's just a big, big dumbass, who loses the little dignity she has as a threatening villain by proving that she has less brain cells than a rock.
Who wants to bet next chapter we'll have Wendy heal Eileen and she's going to be FRIENDSHIP?
What a fucking idiot manga this is. It's not even possible to really defend this portion of the arc, really, or honestly Fairy Tail at this point. I'm done.
We both know that if she attempted to finish her, Erza is just gonna headbutt her to victory LOL.
ReplyDeletePeople were pointing out how the critics were wrong that Erza was gonna win this like usual but the thing is, she didn't lost the fight either. Mary Sue still stands.
Irene was done with this bullshit of a series and attempted suicide like Makarov.
Also she tells us she can't kill her only daughter, when it hasn't even been 5 minutes before she was dropping a meteor on her.
A bullshit chapter overall.
Eh, Erza's plot armour is so strong that people with a physical advantage literally attempt to commit suicide. Seriously, it's just DUMB at this point. I'm not sure I'll even continue reviewing this series, really. Reading it every week and having to write a couple hundred words on it is draining my soul little by little.
DeleteI hear ya, I'm going through the same feeling where I'm questioning to take a break or turn off my brain for the sake of finishing this series.
DeleteBut the good news is, people are becoming more aware of how bullshit this series is so yea, I guess you can hang your cowl, knowing there are other people out there, shredding this series apart for you.
I'm honestly surprised people are actually still defending this series in the Avatar (?) 'arc', or even at the tail-end of the Tartaros arc, where it's clear that the author is just repeating the same old tired stories. But yeah, Alvarez had a couple of good buildup chapters, but that's literally just about it.
DeleteThen I guess for once, Mashima took the less asspullish route - or at least in terms of pulling new moves out of nowhere. But it's symptomatic of a big issue he has with characters like Erza.
DeleteIn all honesty... Erza may be a Mary Sue character, but she's also become kinda pathetic, too. This is the fifth fight in a row that she both pulled of asspull moves BUT STILL had to get her ass saved by someone else (Minerva bailed her out with Koyuka, Bisca & Alzak bailed her out with Ajeel, Jellal & Kagura bailed her out with Neinhart, Makarov bailed her out from the Alvaraz berserkers and Wendy bailed her out here with enchanting).
Basically, Erza's closer to a false Mary Sue at this point - someone who's illustrated as having a ton of power and deus-ex-determination, but who only ever wins because someone else happens to be there with the precise powers needed to seal it; literally the only thing she accomplishes is to still be alive at the end. This is the kinda thing someone does to (A) try and (badly) build up an opponent's (undeserved) power, or (B) try to (forcibly) illustrate "family conquers evil always). This, in a word, is what I call "Sakura Syndrome" - when a main character who's portrayed as both really powerful (physically and personality-wise) gets relegated to either support and getting either constantly saved from dying against people she can't beat without plot-armor or unable to beat anyone but fodder on her own.
Long story short; Erza's treated like a Mary Sue because of a deux-ex power that always makes her win - but unlike a real Mary Sue, it's not even a power of hers; it's BS "bonds of family", which arguably might make her even *worse* then a normal Mary Sue because, at least with those, their BS powers are actually their own physical powers and not "heart power".
To be fair, the Ajeel fight was more of an assist thing -- that was literally the only two fights in the Alvarez arc that felt enjoyable, and that's only because it was more of an old-school 'heroes team up to take down a powerful villain' sense, and Erza wasn't really struggling. But yeah, the rest of your observation about how she's a shitty Mary Sue still stands well.
DeleteAlso come on, Sakura's story was bad, no denying that,, but at least she had a story. Erza's just a bunch of anime tropes loosely glued together.
Well, I say "Sakura Syndrome" just to reference when someone's no longer shown capable of winning their own fights without some kind of constant assistance, as opposed to their personal story. My point being Erza's character has been degraded a LOT as time went on.
DeleteIn all honesty, there's not a ton for me to say this time around - Eileen fell exactly as predicted; a heel-face turn. The suicide attempt (and I say attempt because Brandish and Dimaria proved how horrible the Spriggans are at finishing even themselves off) was a bit unexpected, but it's still the same effect.
ReplyDeleteLike you said though, there was at least one thing that I found could have been okay, which was the implication that Eileen's insanity was involuntary and love for Erza helped repel it - but at the same time, Eileen's badly-written personality just makes it come across as trying to force sympathy and excuse responsibility for her actions. If she'd been better-written, even her suicide could have come across more acceptably if done out of guilt instead of just "I can't kill you."
Oh, of course it's an attempt. Wendy's going to cure Eileen, the stab wound isn't deep enough, dragon body... some nonsense phlebotonium to keep her around. Honestly, Fairy Tail has this very, very weird thing going on where characters sometimes just die with simple explosions with no fanfare beyond 'yeah, Ezel is finally taken down!' but sometimes characters just go through these huge, huge dramatic moments and show up the next chapter alive.
DeleteEileen's insanity was involuntary? Nah, it's not involuntary. It's just bad writing.
Well, yes and no. It seems implied that Eileen gave Erza away when she "came to her senses" after seeing baby-Erza's smile, which implies her insanity wasn't her choice - just madness as part of her dragon-powers gone wild. However, like everything else she's done, this insanity stems from a badly-written attempt to make her a more complex character then she actually is. XD
DeleteYeah, one off-handed line doesn't really explain the sheer amount of nonsensical idiocy that Eileen made. There's one thing to be power-mad and have it portrayed in a sensible way, there's another -- this in particular -- that's just bad writing.
Deletein my opinion , this chap Could be called "everything that was done was done in the worst ways possible".
ReplyDelete-erza has litteraly all of her bone broken vs a meteor ? she break the meteor with one hand , of course.
-she is not in condition for figting and mom has beat her in one move earlier ? one shot her uber dragon form due to deux ex machina after breaking meteor (who was probably make of cardboard seeing That she has no dommage done to her) .
and finally , the heel face turn twist , and that the author truly believe that all people who has see the equation (erza+evil mom+friendship and love is magic for half the serie) , doesnt see the plot twist that a 10 year old can see has 20000 km, and the child in question is blind .
wow ,that was bad and pointless. and hilarious bad. good job.
I wonder what will become of august. He has a counter to nearly every magic. With that in mind I think he will be beaten by
ReplyDeleteA: A spell that he has never seen before. Hopefully not a one shot.
B: He will be completely overwhelmed by a powered up character making his versatility meaningless.
Eh, he'll be defeated with THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP. Anybody wanna bet that Brandish turning to the side of good will eventually cause August to reconsider and follow his adopted daughter-niece thing?
DeleteFairy Tail 519...Emotionally Manipulative Bullshit.
ReplyDeleteThis was another amazing piece of Fairy Tail Dogshit. Okay Erza in her broken state destroys the meteor. Irene is in shock and awe. Then to send this to NEXT LEVEL Bullshit Erza then guides her descent to hit Irene. and Irene instead of a counterattack it just shouting out how Ezra could never damage its scales. So Wendy enchants Dragon slaying to Erza's sword and kills Irene. Wait No Irene survives and pick up the sword and holds it over Erza broken body...Fuck these next pages as we get an emotional flashback where look at what happened with Irene and Erza. GAG ME This is pathetic and awfully done. While Irene is having a moment erza force herself up and headbutts Irene and it is staggered back. then magically Irene gets the sword because it is in Erza then it teleports out of Erza and into Irene hand. Then it kills itself with Erza's sword and learn that it loved Erza and abandon her before it lost its shit...All because of her smile.
This was absolute Dogshit Erza is completely a Mary sue at this point. But what disgust is Irene this tool. I mean it is a literal tool to make you feel. Irene is not a character it is tool to make you the reader feel and that ALL it is. and that is most disgust thing here Hiro does all this to make you care about this character who makes no sense. It makes no sense why it does anything it does whatever Hiro wants it to do. Why is it following Zeref? I don't know.
To explain why I am so disgusted with Irene is simply. It is not character. We did not see a character we knew go through pain and suffering we got a random tool going through this dark, vaguely sexual shit. When bad shit happened to Senior Pink we knew who Pink was. We knew who Baby 5 was. We knew who Naruto or Hinata, or Neji. Or Grimmjow. Don't put this shit on some new character you pulled out of your ass hiro. Especially since Dragon Slayer Magic is one of the only Idea's Hiro has ever given alot of thought. So the history of it would be cool but this was a complete misfire because Irene makes no sense.
DeleteEmotionally manipulative would mean that it would elicit some emotion from the reader. As a reader, none of Eileen's actions in this chapter really managed to pull any sort of emotion from me other than disgust at the author's writing sensibilities.
DeleteAgreed -- even with Senor Pink or Baby 5, who aren't the most developed characters in One Piece, they are at least written emotionally and their backstories make sense as a 'how did we get from their backstory to their personality now?' thing. With Eileen, the Eileen of the past, the villainous Eileen and 'the wahhh forgive me I actually love my daughter' Eileen are so divorced from each other that it's impossible to really reconcile them as the same person.
Agreed, sonic. Irrationality means that one's sense of rationality is warped compared to the normal standard - but Mashima seems to think it means "utterly divorced from any kind of rationality." Rather then a character-building tool, he just uses it as an excuse to try and justify the borderline-schizophrenia of a villain's contrasting flip-flop behaviors as "oh, they just weren't being rational before but now they are!" - that is one of the worst possible ways a heel-face turn can be played out.
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