#ch188

[halfway-2-forever]

holy fuck it’s about to happen

[gradelstuff]

Finally seeing good villains again

[nagirambles]

Rambling about Fairies - Manga Chapter 188

Shagotte trails past the rather fine line of uncanny valley in her manga design, but we're not here to talk about that so moving on.

This is not exactly the first instance we're seeing of magic actually taking form as an impediment in the Fairy Tail universe, but it's the first time it's taken form as an actual disability.

Magic has a very contrasting relationship with humans in both Earthland and Edolas-- on Earthland, everyone is born with it whether they are mages or not. But if you are a strong mage, getting physically drained of too much of it gets you Magic Deficient and some could even die. On Edolas, people aren't born with it, but they live side by side as we do with electricity.

But Exceeds are in-between all of that.

They are in Edolas, and they are born with magic within them. But unlike Earthlanders, who seem to have their magic residing in their bodies unnoticed if unused, Exceed magic manifests physically in the form of wings. That's why Happy was born knowing how to fly, and why they couldn't fly when their hearts weren't in it.

And Shagotte, was born an Exceed with not enough magic to efficiently use at all. She's disabled, in the most literal sense of that meaning--- she cannot live without assistance in Extalia, where they believed in their supremacy over humans, where disability and weakness is most frowned upon. Where humans are looked down upon because they don't have magic, and being associated with humans at all could be considered treason.

I wish they did more with this idea. It's such an ironic mess, that her secret, her powers were exactly what created the hellish facade of perfection that would have discriminated strongest against her if she weren't the one on the pedestal in the first place. Then when it all comes crashing down on her, the exceeds were forced to realized what truly mattered was solace and family, rather than being viewed as all-powerful gods.

It reminds me of the humans in Edolas. They live on, in a facade of luxury, continuing to use their magic as if it weren't running out, just to pretend nothing's wrong when their world's on the verge of losing it all forever. They're willing to rebuke innocents and even kill them to achieve their eternal magic-- but Coco, only Coco, was able to realize that she didn't want an eternity of magic, just an eternity of smiles together.

It's such an extensive parallel, but they both end at the same place-- the dream idea of a warm home and family that Earthland Fairy Tail embodies.

[nagirambles]

Rambling about Fairies - Manga Chapter 188

Small detail that was changed in the anime: they're directly on the edge of the island as they block it. In the anime, they're physically blocking it with the legion's body.

And I suppose the anime makes more sense, because yeah, no way they're stopping it with half a meter's width, it's as good as hit already. BUT, the anime also runs the kinda funny hindsight that the legion is doing most of the blocking, instead of those who are standing on the legion.

Either way, this is one scene we'll have to look at as a truly anime-logic moment. Either way, the key of this scene is the cats coming to help, so I guess it's fine.

[nagirambles]

Rambling about Fairies - Manga Chapter 188

There's a fun duality here between Natsu-Happy and Gajeel-Lily.

This is Happy's first time seeing Natsu since the time they thought he'd betrayed them--- and Natsu accepts him, without even any coherent words. Just a smile of assurance, a call, and an affirmation: "Partner". And Happy responds explosively, with enthusiasm, coming to his side immediately.

On the other hand, Gajeel and Lily have done nothing but fight this whole time. Even after directly antagonizing him and personally interfering with Gajeel's goal this whole time, Lily is astonished when Gajeel turns back around and affirms to him that he'd still accept him by his side once this is over, and he'd brawl again if they still wanted to. And this is the interaction that seals Lily's decision to come to him when they're in Earthland.

It's a similar situation: "No matter what you do to me, intentionally or otherwise, I've decided you're my partner, and nothing's ever going to change my feelings about that."

[mayuriinn]

“It was a really great story, isn’t that right?”

[mqfx]

“Don’t go there.”

“Don’t go over.”

“There are no good things ahead.”

“Turn around, don’t continue to walk!”

Those voices were stoic and condensed like tides, giving him chills down his back. Xie Lian was surrounded and noticed, within these ghost fires, there was one ball of flames that was particularly bright, and particularly silent.

Although something like a ghost fire didn’t have eyes, when he gazed at that ghost fire, he could almost sense a burning gaze staring at him.

It seemed, this ghost was the strongest among these ghost fires. All the other ghost fires were all only following after it.

[mqfx]

He believed that overall, Feng Xin still believed in him. At least eighty percent.

But, it wasn’t complete trust. After all, how Xie Lian passed his recent days really were too mental. If it was any other outsider looking in, they would’ve no doubt determined him to be a madman. So what right did he have to demand anyone trust him completely?

But it shouldn’t be like this. The Feng Xin of the past would have absolute faith in him no matter what! Even if there was only twenty percent doubt, it was still unbearable!