Anime Reviews (2010-2019): Fairy Tail Zero Part 22.5 (2016)

“Fairy Tail Zero Part 22.5” is an action-packed storyline that features the origins and the original founders the Fairy Tail guild! Recommended!

TITLE: Fairy Tail Zero Part 22.5

ANIME RELEASE DATE: 2016

DURATION: (Episodes 266-277) 300 Minutes

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:78:1), English DolbyTrue HD 5.1, Japanese DolbyTrue HD 2.0, English subtitles

COMPANY: FUNimation

Release Date: March 6, 2018

Originally created by Hiro Mashima

Directed by Shinji Ishihara

Script by Atsuhiro Tomikoa, Fumihiko Shimo, Masashi Sogo, Shoji Yonemura

Music by Yasuharu Takanashi

Character Design by Aoi Yamamoto

Art Director: Junko Shimizu

Chief Animation Director: Takao Sano

Anime Production: A-1 Pictures, Satelight

Featuring the following voice talent:

Aya Hirano/Cherami Leigh as Lucy Heartfilia

Tetsuya Kakihara/Todd Haberkorn as Natsu Dragneel

Rie Kugimiya/Tia Ballard as Happy

Noto Mamiko as Mavis Vermilion

Ishida Akira as Zeref

Every story has its start, every guild its beginning. Long before the Fairy Tail guild, there was a girl with a dream and the hope for a better life. From the creator of Fairy Tail comes the exciting prequel!

Life in the Red Lizard guild is a challenge for young Mavis Vermillion. Forced into servitude, she suffers constant abuse and struggles to survive. Yet despite everything, she refuses to give up hope or to even shed a tear. But when they’re suddenly raided by the Blue Skull guild, everything changes. Left alone with Zera, the guild master’s daughter, the two start their lives over from zero.

Please note that I am reviewing the Digital Version and not the Blu-ray:

The eighth season of “Fairy Tail” is available on Blu-ray/DVD courtesy of Funimation with the title “Fairy Tail Zero Part 22.5” (episodes 266-277).

With the final of season 7 featuring the Fairy Tail guild being ended by Makarov. The members have all gone their separate ways.

The primary story would go on a brief hiatus, while season 8 would feature a prequel.

Based on the “Fairy Tail” spinoff manga series titled “Fairy Tail Zero” by Mashima Hiro, the adaptation features a prequel of how the Fairy Tail guild was founded by its first master, Mavis Vermillion.

What is “Fairy Tail”?

For those who are not familiar with “Fairy Tail”, let’s just say that it’s one of the most exciting, long running anime magic/adventure series to be released in the U.S. on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment.

In Japan, “Fairy Tail” is a manga series which began in 2006 and was created by mangaka Hiro Mashima (known for his manga series “Rave Master”). Featured in Weekly Shonen Magazine, the manga series is still ongoing, meanwhile an anime adaptation of the manga series was created in 2009 produced by A-Pictures and Satelight. And similar to the manga series, is also ongoing!

With the 22nd Blu-ray release of “Fairy Tail”, this latest volume features episodes 253-265.

The anime series is directed by Shinji Ishihara (“Aoi Kokuhaku”, “Tenbatsu Angel Rabbie”, “Tokyo Majin” and is written by Masashi Sogo (“Bleach”, “Yukikaze”, “Hunter x Hunter”). The anime series features character design by Aoi Yamamoto, art direction by Junko Shimizu (“Midori Days, “Blue Dragon”, “Trinity Blood”) and music by Yasuharu Takanashi (“Naruto Shippuden”, “Hell Girl”, “Gantz”, Ikki Tosen”).

A Quick Summary of what “Fairy Tail” is about?:

“Fairy Tail” revolves around a 17-year-old celestial wizard named Lucy Heartfilia who dreams of joining a sorcerer guild known as Fairy Tail, a group known and feared for the destruction they cause. One day, she runs into Natsu Dragneel, a guy who is traveling to the land of Fiore along with his partner Happy (a talking blue cat with wings) who is searching for his foster parent, a dragon named Igneel who has disappeared.

While traveling to Fiore, both Lucy and Natsu encounter a sorcerer claiming to be the famous Salamander of Fairy Tail. Natsu is the first to object that the man is a phony but the fans of Salamander are dismayed by Natsu’s comments and beat him up, meanwhile Lucy finds out that this fake Salamander is using his sorcerer abilities to make young women fall for him.

As Lucy tries to show her gratitude to Natsu for breaking the spell that would have otherwise have hypnotized Lucy, the two become friends.

But when the fake Salamander tells Lucy that he would get her into Fairy Tail, she knows he is a fake but any chance of getting to join the guild would make her dream come true, so she decides to visit him.

But it’s all a ruse and the fake Salamander is just trying to find female slaves and because he is so powerful, Lucy does not have the magic necessary to beat him. But coming to Lucy’s rescue is Natsu, who is revealed to be a true member of Fairy Tail and also revealed to be the true “Salamander”. And he easily beats the fake Salamander up.

When Natsu discovers that Lucy’s dream is to become a Fairy Tail member, he asks her to join him and he can help her get into the guild and from that moment on, Lucy becomes Natsu’s partner in various Fairy Tail guild missions and for each mission they beat, the more income they make.

And more money means more keys to gain more powers, which would help Lucy become a powerful celestial wizard!

And together, Natsu and Lucy develop a wonderful friendship as they grow as partners but also a guild members with their other teammates.

“Fairy Tail Zero” Vol. 22.5 features the following characters:

Mavis Vermillion – The first Guild Master and co-founder of the Fairy Tail Guild.
Zera – A friend who follows Mavis wherever she goes.
Yuri Dreyar – A treasure hunter who goes on adventures with his fellow treasure hunters, Precht and Warrod. And the person who helped Mavis and Zera join along. He is the father of the future Fairy Tail guild master, Makarov Dreyar.
Precht – A treasure hunter and one of the co-founders of the Fairy Tail Guild. The second Guild Master before passing the title to Makarov. Became the antagonist known as Hades who would become the founder and leader of the Dark Guild, Grimoire Heart.
Warrod – A treasure hunter and co-founder of the Fairy Tail guild. Would later become one of the Ten Wizard Saints.
Zeref Dragneel – Several hundreds of years old, considered as the strongest and most evil mage of all time. But also important in the life of Mavis Vermillion.
Natsu Dragneel – Also known as “Salamander”, Natsu is a kindhearted, always hungry wizard who travels with his partner Happy in search of Igneel, a dragon who raised Natsu but is now missing. Natsu is a dragon slayer and a wizard who can perform “Lost Magic and can have physical properties of a dragon. He specializes in Fire Dragon Slayer Magic which allows him to breath fire and ingest fire as a form of nourishment.
Lucy Heartfilia – A celestial wizard who can summon contracted spirits (with special abilities) through a set of keys known as Gatekeys. She treats these spirits as friends. Her dream is to join Fairy Tail and through meeting Natsu, now her dream can come true.
Happy – A blue cat with wings and a best friend to Natsu. He can fly and can carry a person while flying. He is also known to irritate Lucy.

VIDEO:

“Fairy Tail” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1). It’s important to note that this is a anime TV series, not a film or an OVA and is a weekly anime series. What that means is A-1 Pictures and Satelight, have their hands full, especially if they have other TV series to work on that week. Typically a lot of anime series are quickly done in order to make it by their weekly deadline and sometimes, they are done the day of deadline. So, production values for TV series are typically not that high if they are working on multiple series.

Fortunately A-1 Pictures has become one of the newer studios that have been doing production for quite a number of popular hit series such as “Blue Exorcist” and “Big Windup!” and Satelight does a lot of the in-between animation. So, while they are a smaller, growing company, they are not overburdened as other studios and that means, more time dedicated to the anime series.

“Fairy Tail” features cool production value. A lot of detailed artwork, because of the many adventures, you get so many locations and not the typical regurgitated scenery.

There is a lot of detail featured in the art backgrounds, a lot of characters featured and these characters have great detail and shadowing. Colors are absolutely vibrant, black levels are deep. I found no compression artifacts or any problematic issues with this Blu-ray release. If anything, the Blu-ray really brings out the details and colors of the series and looks fantastic!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Fairy Tail” is presented in English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0. Dialogue and music is clear through the front channels for the lossless stereo soundtrack but because the English is 5.1, there is better use of the surround channels.

In fact, I found myself listening to the English dub track for “Fairy Tail” much more than the Japanese soundtrack because of the 5.1 but also, FUNimation did a magnificent job with the casting of this series. I was very pleased especially with the casting of Lucy, Natsu, Happy, Grey and Erza and for the most part, I think whichever you prefer, you will be pleased with Japanese and English audio tracks.

But for the most part, for a TV series, lossless audio is crystal clear and while not the most immersive soundtrack (which I typically don’t expect TV series to boast incredible immersive lossless soundtracks, unlike a film or OVA series), “Fairy Tail” does sound very good on Blu-ray!

Subtitles are in English.

With the seventh season ending with Guild Master ending the Fairy Tail guild for some unknown reason, many of the guild members went on their different ways, some trained, others had careers.

But with that break, the anime series would feature an adaptation of “Fairy Tail Zero” and for those who are curious about the origin of the Fairy Tail guild and its first guild master, season 8 or what is known as “Fairy Tail Zero Part 22.5” would feature a total of 11 episodes for the season that would explore the adventures of Mavis Vermillion and her friend Zera, Yuri, Precht and Warrod. Those would be the co-founders of the Fairy Tail guild.

But what is even interesting is to see Zeref Dragneel and how he connects the past to the present.

If anything, the short season is rather interesting and entertaining despite the main prequel storyline not showcasing Natsu, Happy or Lucy (note: the three are in the first episode and last episode but this season is all about the past).

If you have stuck with “Fairy Tail” this long, knowing about the history of the guild and its original founders makes for an anime season worth watching!

Overall, “Fairy Tail Zero Part 22.5” is an action-packed storyline that features the origins and the original founders the Fairy Tail guild! Recommended!

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