Fairy Tail Chapter 415 Review - And it Shall Become Your Will to Live

Written by: Shiggins

.........Oh my god. My heart.

I recently told Claydragon that this Tartaros Arc was not designed to have a happy ending and by golly, I was right! With the Tartaros Arc officially ending next week, I wasn't sure what to expect because that seemed so close and I thought we'd have too many loose ends, mostly because of the dragons. I now realise that I am a naive fool and after seeing this review, I only have one real response...

I am Lucy right now. I need a Gray to cuddle!

We start this chapter off with Lumen Histoire, where Makarov says he didn't have the courage to activate it, leaving me kinda peeved since that just means that we got shown a naked loli for no real reason... again. Seriously, Mavis and nudity are always weird when they coincide... More so than most 2D animated characters I mean. (And yes... I'm fully aware how weird that sentence sounds).

An oddly sci-fi-like stage here, huh?

As the ghost of Mavis tells Makarov that it's okay because it just means it's not time yet, we see the dragons all together and talking to the Dragon Slayers. Get the tissues ready, people. It's going to be a rough ride. And we start off with Grandeeney talking, who looks far nicer than she used to in her past appearances, as she congratulates them and Igneel for driving away that fucker Acnologia.

Wait... Who the fuck are those guys?!

Oh and Metalicana is a bit of an asshole, exactly as I hoped! Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to say much and just says Gajeel looks vile as always. I was hoping for way more banter but that's just too much to ask for I suppose. We also discover that Sting and Rogue's dragons altered the memories of their Slayers so they believed they were dead so they'd become stronger... What a bunch of dicks.

What an... interesting change.

However, this is when we all get quite a heartbreaking reveal: The dragons are already dead! It turns out that motherfucking Acnologia killed all of them years ago and they were living inside the Slayers to prolong their own lives. It turns out they are all so much weaker without their full strength, and they used the last of it to destroy Face and fight Acnologia for as long as they could. 

Okay, the anime loves GajeelXLevy. So if anybody knows how to contact them, beg them to make Metalicana mention Levy before he goes. Please!

And we finally see Natsu, crying his eyes out over Igneel. And I'm not gonna lie, I got emotional here too. I mean, this is actually a really difficult moment to sit through without feeling something in your heart. Anyway, Natsu says how Igneel promised he'd never go anywhere and how he spent so long trying to find him. Natsu goes on to say how much he learned and went through, wanting to share them all with Igneel while Happy can do nothing but watch with tears. 

The tragic irony... Igneel never left Natsu. He kept his promise...

And now we see the dragons depart, with Gajeel convincing Wendy to hold her head up high, they all give their last words in a dramatic but emotional way. There is too much to say here but chances are, you read it already so you know why they make you cry. A last word of love from the parent Grandeeney, some teasing from Metalicana and small speeches from Skiadrum and Wiesslogia... and then it's time for Igneel. 

A father, a mother, a daughter and a pet cat... One big, happy family.

Igneel's last words enter Natsu's mind as his spirit flies into the sky. To stand up, continue forward, focus on the future and live his life. Natsu does as told, and declares with tears down his face how he will defeat Acnologia. With Natsu declaring his will to live, Igneel is gone and this chapter ends.

Opinion: Everybody okay with calling this the second chapter in what is most likely "Fairy Tail's Tragic Trilogy"? Yes? Good because holy shit, this is so tragic! Everybody keeps losing people and... You know what? Can everybody who ever insulted Hiro Mashima apologise to him right now? He's done an amazing job this arc! I mean, I have felt so much emotion this arc it's unreal. I've felt tension, tragedy, fangirling, anger, disgust, annoyance, frustration and so. many. FEELS. 

And huge feelings of inadequacy due to Hoteye's beautiful moustache.

Igneel wins the prize for most tragic departure but to see the other dragons leave too after only just meeting them again and dreaming of great banter and reunion is something we'll never forget. The Tartaros Arc has tons of great moments throughout it's entirety but I think the dragons might have been the ones who stole the show. 

I think my favourite dragon this week, not counting Igneel, is still Metalicana but that might be because I love his design so much, and because he was the only dragon that didn't talk to his "child" like he was narrating for a film trailer. Do I wish we had more of him and his teasing? Fuck yes I do. And I always will. Luckily, Tumblr will help me! 

Goodnight, sweet dragons: And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Natsu has a new goal: Kill Acnologia. I approve of this for the most part but I do think it's not as great a goal as finding his father. A bit more original I suppose but not as deep or interesting. Still, maybe we'll delve more into what Acnologia is and who he once was. And if we're lucky, maybe Natsu will FINALLY get some fucking character development.

Lumen Histoire is not being activated... I'm going to put that in the same category as E.N.D and not even bother ranting on it. You want my thoughts on that? Go read the last review I did.

And one last wee complaint: 

Jackal; my favourite demon terrorist. 

Torafusa; Epic named demon with cool coat. 

Tempesta: Handsome Xehanort-like wind guy.

Sayla: Librarian lesbian.

Kyouka: Bird sadist.

Silver: Badass smirking dad of Gray. 

Mard Geer: The leader and "king of demons".

Ki-Su: Skeleton necromancer who might be called Keith.

Ezel: Tentacle monster.

Lamy: Rabbit fangirl.

And who is the only officially-alive demon right now? (Certain demons are not 100% confirmed as dead yet.) 

.................................................................................................Shit.

Manga Rating: 4.5/5

Character of the Week: Igneel. I'm not going to insult you by saying why. You already know why.

Predictions: Next week is the official end of the arc. It's finally over. We can finally have a rest. We need it. Hiro Mashima needs it. Let's clean all this up and rebuild the Guildhall yet again... Maybe one of the Wizard Saints will help us. Maybe we'll get a massive Fairy Tail bath scene. (Wouldn't that be a sight?!). Oh and Elfman, kill Franmalth!

Best Part: Farewell, Igneel. 

Worst Part: Lumen Histoire is now categorised under "God. Fucking. Damnit!" along with E.N.D.

....................(screams in utter agony)

Shiggins:[Admin]
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Shiggins enjoys many strange forms of communication, especially those including cosplayers or presents or videos. However, until that wonderful day comes when people care enough to give him things for being him, you can contact him on his Skype; shigginsishere. You can find out about him or ask him stuff on ask.fm/shigginsishere or go to his tumblr page http://otakugajeel.tumblr.com/.