Fairy Tail Chapter 455 Review - Defence of Magnolia

Written by Shiggins

So... Mavis didn't see this one coming?

A bit early for me to start criticism but honestly, how could you be so smart and plan tactics to deal with every possibility, but you didn't come up with precautions for this one!? Honestly, that's the main thing that bothered me this week, but I suppose nothing says "we're so fucking screwed" like a situation where even the top tactician is unsure what to do next.

I know, Freed. You're right. You're always right.

This week began with sandman Ajeel and armourgal Erza face-to-face. Team Flying Dragon decide to take care of the forces that have already landed, since Erza can take care of herself. (Ajeel was able to take on several FT members at once with no problem, but they think Erza can do it now? Okay...). We see glimpses of Freed and Bisca, before out attention turns to a curious man with a blindfold.

Am I the only one who thought of this? Yes? Okay, back in the corner I go...

The guy in the blindfold is named Bakyll, while his turban-wearing comrade is known as Kalim. And before you get worried, no they are not Spriggan 12. They're basically just generals that are leading the forces and this is who Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy will take on. Surprisingly, these guys aren't exactly pushovers, as Natsu is knocked back a little by Bakyll.

The sad thing is, nobody has proven him wrong yet.

Back to Erza's battle, Ajeel is basically owning this moment. Erza's constant Requip changing isn't helping her whatsoever, and after a bit of mockery, Ajeel sweeps her up in his sand with Erza confused as to why she can't use Requip anymore. Back to Freed again, where we see that someone has managed to open a hole within his barrier.

Wait, are they all female? Why does he have all-female nun-like things? This requires much explanation!

It turns out our old awkwardly-proportioned friend Wahl is the culprit, as he has now arrived with his own squadron. So of course, the other Fairy Tail members have to go forward themselves to kick some weirdly-shaped buttocks! Back to Lucy's house where she's getting a small surprise of her own.

Is this just for sentiment, or a sign of Aquarius-like things to come during the battles ahead?

After taking the remains of Aquarius' key for good luck, she hears a noise inside her home. She creeps over to the bathroom, and finally my dream is realised as she is now shocked to see Brandish naked in her bath. It turns out that Brandish has gained some interest in Lucy, but unfortunately we don't know why yet.

"Blondie..."

And just to make matters even worse, Warren reports that there are even more forces coming in from the other sides, causing the Guild to be utterly surrounded with no chance of escape. To put it simply, they are screwed!

Opinion: Mavis, you are smarter than this!

That's twice in a row where I've began to really question Mavis' tactician skills. She messed up a bit during the Grand Magic Games' final round, but surely she must have at least considered an escape or back-up plan in case the Spriggan 12 suddenly all came at once. In fact, wouldn't it be more likely that we'd see several Spriggan 12 arrive at once, instead of just one or two? Hell, I'm expecting all 12 to appear, so why didn't Mavis?!

YOU'RE THE SMART ONES! HOW DID YOU NOT CONSIDER THIS SHIT?!

Erza's Requip stopped working. This might have been a translation issue but if that really is the case, then this might mean Erza has fallen under the influence of Marin Hollow again. In fact, she might survive that "tornado" of sand by Marin's magic. Perhaps Brandish ordered Marin to bring Erza to that "other dimension" where Mest was tortured, because Brandish was interested in Erza as well as Lucy? I'm just spouting theories right now.

If Fairy Tail has taught me one thing, it's that no matter what the situation, there is always time for a bath.

Speaking of Brandish, who is easily my favourite villain under Zeref in this arc right now, what is she doing? She's quirky and casual, so sitting in the bath during a war isn't the weirdest thing in the world for her to do, but her fascination with Lucy is what's truly interesting here. Could it be because she's a Celestial Spirit mage? Or something to do with Layla? Or is just because Lucy has become a bit of a badass blonde and Brandish is becoming the next Flare? Blondie...!

I can't be the only one who misses her, right?

So not only did Erza not win, she didn't even come close! Ajeel literally dodged all her attacks, and shown the vast difference in strength. This leads me to wonder which characters could possibly fight a Spriggan 12 at least to their level. So here is my very short list; Laxus, Jura, the first three Wizard Saints, Jellal, Gildarts, Celestial Spirit King, and obviously the two sexiest characters in the series, Ichiya and Briar.

The new generals seem quite tough too, if not a bit minor. Obviously, we won't be seeing a lot of them but they do at least seem capable. I can't help but wonder how powerful they are compared to past villains like the Seven Kin of Purgatory, or Tartarus. Well, I'm sure Natsu will show us next time.

Manga Rating: 3.5/5

Character of the Week: Ajeel for his utter defeat of Erza, and his prowess in general.

Predictions: Fairy Tail needs help! Obviously, it's time for reinforcements to arrive, and I can think of several possibilities. Crime Sorciere, Sabretooth, Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale are the first that come to mind, but there are obviously others. The Magic Council, Wizard Saints. Mermaid Heel, Quatro Puppy (yes I'm gonna keep calling them that teehee), or even Flare and her village of giants could be an asset that come to help out. Wahl seems like quite a big lad, so I'm wondering if he's maybe going to be paired up against Elfman and the other Strauss siblings. And hopefully, Brandish chooses conversation over towel, with Lucy finding out a dark secret about her past or something.

Best Part: Ajeel won't be an easy victory.

Worst Part: Mavis' tactics are called into question for the second time in a fortnight.

It's pages like this that tell me I can never be gay.

Bonus:

...I think my body just imploded into itself to try to become 2D so I can be with her.

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/