Fairy Tail Chapter 441 Review - Caracol Island

Written by Shiggins

Nostalgia overload! 

Seriously, if you were expecting another dark, intense, mystery-revealing chapter again like we've been having recently, you might end up disappointed. This week focused more on light-hearted fun with references to previous arcs and some cleavage that makes you glad to be alive. And in all honesty, I'm happy with that. In fact, let's play a game. I'm going to count all the nostalgia moments in this chapter. Ready? Go!

You don't want to disappoint them, do you?

These translations are going to be the end of me... Anyway, A Team are on their way to the Western Continent with the super-long-name and Natsu is feeling the motion sickness. (Nostalgia: 1). Just as Natsu asks Wendy to use her magic on him to remove it (Nostalgia: 2), we see Wendy has also suffered the motion sickness that every other Dragon Slayer has, with possible exception of Cobra. 

"If I die, do NOT give my proceeds to charity. Give them to my cat!"

Gray carries the two sick folk inside the cabin and comes out in only his boxers (Nostalgia: 3), and we see Erza contemplating. She tells Mest that she worries that all of this is pointless, since she doesn't have any idea what Lumen Histoire actually is or what it does. Is it a weapon, since it was supposedly powerful enough to destroy all the Face bombs? (Nostalgia: 4). And to make matters more confusing, does this mean Mavis is alive and we've only seen an astral projection of her this whole time? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!

Best. Map. Ever.

With ten days to go until they reach the Western Continent, Mest tells them they need to take a stop at Caracol Island for supplies and meet Mest's comrade/friend/fuck buddy too. Shockingly, we then go to see B Team! And they replaced Jellal with Elfman and Lisanna! Hooray! B Team are heading up the mountains to find Laxus and his gang, while Juvia is pouting. 

Ha! Gajeel you are such a funny... What is that in his bag?! Is that a Pantherlily toy?!

Since there's so low chance of success, Gajeel says it's a smart thing that there are two teams to try to infiltrate the enemy empire and a voice agrees. It's Levy who is pissed at being left behind. After some teasing from Gajeel about her size (Nostalgia: 5), Levy warns them that the enemy is far too strong to even consider battling head-on. 

Well... This is an interesting development. Especially considering how Cana "flirts".

And now it's back to A Team again as they have arrived but discover that the Albareth Empire has already arrived with their own ships and are investigating the island for spies. Determined to find the spies before the Empire does, the gang adopt the persona of holiday travelers from Cait Shelter (Nostalgia: 6), to get past the guards and enter the town. 

A very cute image, but all I can think is how they actually planned so far ahead, they packed all this stuff with them? THEY BROUGHT AN INFLATABLE RING WITH THEM TO INFILTRATE AN ARMY?!

After the power of breasts defeats the men, they enter the town and see it's packed with the stormtroopers and they have to be careful. Natsu says he will be like a ninja (Nostalgia: 7), and it's all ruined when we see a kid crying for someone to give him back his daddy. And before the guard hurts the kid, Fairy Tail attack and the entire cover is pointless. 

Opinion: BEACH! SWIMSUITS! FUN! 

Oh lighten up! It's a fun chapter and like I've said in the past, Fairy Tail excels when providing humour. There was no huge plot development but it did give us some comedy and for once, a relaxing feel as if they were on holiday. In fact, this almost feels like we're going into a mini-arc inside the Albaress Arc. If that's the case, I'm okay with it because I don't want wars! 

I know it's cliche how they're saving a kid and blowing their cover etc but there is absolutely nothing wrong with this picture whatsoever.

Is anybody else expecting Mest's "information guy" to secretly be Lahar? Just me? Okay...

Surprisingly, we actually saw more of B Team! I'm delighted though because I love this B Team. B Team are brilliant and have the most underused characters. If the focus of this arc keeps shifting from A to B to A again like we did this week, I'll be ecstatic. I doubt that's the case but anything is possible, right? 

Juvia is as fed-up with these two not being canon as I am!

Wendy has motion sickness too now... as if she's grown into it. Gajeel got it during the Grand Games. Natsu always had it. Sting has it, and we heard that Rogue and Laxus might have it too. Is there a secret connection going on? Maybe the more they develop their powers, the closer they go to... something which is the reason for motion sickness. Theories; show yourselves!

Side note: I hope the anime goes back to being bright and colourful like this, because it's all dusty and dark right now for the Tartaros Arc. I don't approve.

Here's something interesting to think about. The questions everybody was asking about Lumen Histoire are questions we've all asked in the past. It almost feels like acknowledgment of what we've been wondering, which leads me to believe that whatever the truth actually is will be a big shock and none of these things. So just what is Lumen Histoire? After all this build-up, something impressive I hope.

7 Nostalgia Points! In fact, there are probably more that I didn't mention or didn't realise! So sound off in the comments below, because this game is surprisingly fun!

On a final weird note... Carla, stop. You are a cat-eared loli with a tsundere attitude and you are now wearing a one-piece swimsuit. I've been into anime for 4 years now and I have discovered just how many fetishes of Japanese people you are fulfilling. Seriously, RUN THE FUCK AWAY CARLA! THEY'RE COMING FOR YOU! 

Or maybe anime fans have made this perfectly innocent image perverted in my eyes? I dunno...

Manga Rating: 4/5

Character of the Week: Gajeel for giving us a great gang of characters, and his hysterical "flirting".

Predictions: A Team will have to go hide and run away, and will be saved by Mest's secret buddy where they will be given information on Spriggan's 12 Shields. Laxus, Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen will be found by B Team, and the series won't resist some more Ever/Elf chemistry which I will not be disappointed in either.

Best Part: Every panel of B Team.

Worst Part: Yet another Erza mini-speech.

These translations are going to be the end of me... (but the wiki said Caracol so I'm sticking to that).

Bonus:

Happy Father's Day, everybody!

Shiggins:[Admin]
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Born under the stars of the Dark Gods, Shiggins owns the power of the Great Eye and is utterly magnificent in his omniscience. If you dare to discover more about someone as great as him, then go ahead. And to all my friends and family members, YOU are wrong and I should be disappointed! Not the other way round!,. You can find out about him or ask him stuff on ask.fm/shigginsishere or go to his tumblr page http://otakugajeel.tumblr.com/