Not sure how I feel about the whole Crunchyroll deal. I guess I never really imagined a show I was really excited for becoming exclusively crunchy. I'm glad we have a quick subtitling job, in legal form. However, I used CrunchyRoll's service for Naruto earlier this year and it was… frustrating. We don't seem to have the, "Wait a week," option for this, though. I think I'll reactivate my subscription to CrunchyRoll, but I'll still end up downloading either fansubs or HorribleSubs' rips if I have any trouble.
Something also tells me that Fairy Tail's popularity is going to be inhibited by this a little bit, if the fansubs are actually deterred from working on the project.
Alright, Chapter 154
- Erza versus Midnight! GO!
- This is pretty awesome news, guys. In case you missed it, Midnight is pretty much the strongest of all the Oracion Seis that we've seen until now. In case you've forgotten, Erza is supposed to outclass Natsu, Lucy, and Gray entirely. She's an S-Class mage.
- Erza is getting a fight worth her own beans, and she's not going to be forced to job just because it's the final villain. I'm sure she'll job to the big bad a little later, but for now she's in the clear.
- Midnight's magic is Magical Reflection/Distortion. Well, it's not like it's a surprise or anything, but it's still pretty cool, and as powerful as expected. Midnight is basically Wobbuffet, which it terrifying for anyone forced to go up against it.
- I'm guessing Erza will win by affecting Midnight indirectly. Using magic to destroy the terrain, exc.
- Cool new "Armor." I'd like to imagine that the change in clothes in merely aesthetic, and that halberd is what's really being requipped. We've seen that Erza has some enchanted weapons in the past, but regular ex-qupping is always ignored in favor of her specialty armor.
- Somehow Gerard seems a little more tolerable now that he's jobbed off screen. Gone down like a true fly. If he joins Fairy Tail, I don't think I'll mind too much.
- Brain's staff is the Big Bad? Alright, that's surprising. Has Mashima alluded to this at all, or are we to assume that it's a gigantic ass pull? I guess the disappearing seals on Brain's face were always building up to this. Has Brain done anything to indicate that his staff might have been a seal, or be possessed by something, though?
- Now the question is: What's going to come out of the staff? I'm banking on one of Zerref's demons, but I think this one is going to be human sized, instead of a colossus like Delioria or Lullaby.
- Cait Shelter is from a line of descendent's of the Nirvids? This bothers me for some reason.
Pretty swell chapter. Unless this is the arc where Mashima starts to stretch it out, we should be done with this arc within ten more chapters. Over all, I have to say that I've really liked how this arc was handled for the most part. Some frustrating cliches here and there, and Dark Guild motivations are as weak as ever, but it had some aplomb to it.